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elizabeth press <tsp> ( oprah.com ) -- prop stylist elizabeth press traces her gift-wrapping prowess to her mother , whose creative , budget-conscious ideas -- like wrapping boxes with painted newspaper comics , pasting gift certificates inside hollowed-out books , and making decorative stamps out of eraser carvings -- proved that a little thoughtfulness goes a long way . she really understood presentation , ' press says . her creativity could turn even inexpensive gifts into something fabulous . ' now press has her own cost-saving tricks . to achieve a chic , monochromatic effect , she says , let leftovers be your guide . ' if you have lime-colored ribbon from easter , use green paper . and forget traditional holiday color combinations : pair pink with red , yellow with gold . 1 . keep it monochromatic combining any two shades of the same color is a straightforward scheme that looks really modern , ' says press . fyi : matte , solid-color papers tend to cost less . oprah.com : how to personalize your gift wrap 2 . add nontraditional accents unexpected finishing touches are likely sitting idle in your drawers and closets . instead of tying a bow , use cord to attach an ornament or dreidel ; pin a brooch or faux flower onto ribbon ; top children 's gifts with chocolate coins or a glued-on toy . press particularly loves to decorate with alphabet stamps , spelling out the recipient 's name or initials , because they instantly make a present feel personalized . ' how to make your own stamps what you 'll need : 1 . a rubber eraser ( at least two inches wide ) or a large potato sliced in half widthwise . 2 . a marker to draw a simple shape on the eraser or sliced potato . 3 . an x-acto knife to carve away the eraser ( or a kitchen knife for the potato ) , leaving the raised shape . 4 . water-based paint -- or a leftover can of acrylic wall paint , diluted in a bowl . brush the paint onto your carving , test it on scrap paper , and stamp up your ribbon , paper , etc. , in random patterns . the idea is for it to look fun and homemade , not perfect , ' stresses press . oprah.com : how to tie a bow 3 . think outside the white cardboard box pick up colorful , inexpensive containers from stores like pier 1 , or use chinese-takeout cartons from a party store ( perfect for cookies and candy , ) tea towels or scarves ( ideal for wine bottles and other odd-shaped offerings , ) and id-badge sleeves ( fun holders for gift cards . ) you do n't need wrapping paper if you have pretty fabric or containers , ' press says . 4 . focus on the bows for about $ 50 at stores like staples , you can buy hundreds of feet ( years'worth ! ) of kraft paper . use it for all your presents , then dress them up with colorful ribbons . classic hangtags give an old-fashioned special delivery ! ' effect . 5 . personalize your paper use a printer to make unique backdrops : a color photo of you with the gift recipient , a googled image of an impressionist painting , a vintage map . it takes relatively little effort , ' says press , but it 's the icing on the cake . ' oprah.com : find the perfect gift for everyone on your list subscribe to o , the oprah magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . that 's like getting 18 issues free . subscribe now ! tm & © 2011 harpo productions , inc. all rights reserved . | elizabeth press advises spelling out the recipient 's name or initials with alphabet stamps |
julien 's auctions <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- yes , you read that headline right . we now have proof that marilyn monroe was the sexiest woman to ever walk the earth : more than 50 years after her death , people are still willing to spend money on her facial x-rays , which are being auctioned off at julien 's auctions . according to vanity fair , six facial x-rays of monroe 's have surfaced . dated june 7 , 1962 , they hit just one week after her 36th birthday and two months before her death . so why was she getting x-rays ? monroe had complained of tenderness ' in her nose , so she was taken to see plastic surgeon michael gurdin . although he did n't claim to see any breaks at the time , a medical professional for julien 's auctions thinks there could have been a hairline fracture . ew : marilyn monroe 's plastic surgery , miley cyrus'fashion mentor , and more other details revealed from her medical records point to possible plastic surgery . marked with the alias name joan newman , ' monroe 's records show a one-time claim of a chin deformity , ' which could have been the result of a cartilage implant , ' as well as monroe being treated for an ectopic pregnancy in 1957 , when she was married to arthur miller . even though x-rays are not tangible like a musical instrument or clothing it 's part of the story of marilyn that people are buying , ' martin nolan , executive director of julien 's auctions told vanity fair in the story . there is such a demand for her worldwide even though it is 50 years since she passed away . honestly , i could have an auction every day for marilyn monroe and the items would be sought after . ' ew :'twilight'director selling t-shirt from kristen stewart and robert pattinson 's first kissing scene the x-rays and medical records are estimated to sell for anywhere between $ 20,000 and $ 30,000 and already have interested buyers from across the globe . oh , marilyn . we just ca n't quit you . see the original story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | executive director of julien 's auctions says there is still demand for monroe items |
monroe <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- yes , you read that headline right . we now have proof that marilyn monroe was the sexiest woman to ever walk the earth : more than 50 years after her death , people are still willing to spend money on her facial x-rays , which are being auctioned off at julien 's auctions . according to vanity fair , six facial x-rays of monroe 's have surfaced . dated june 7 , 1962 , they hit just one week after her 36th birthday and two months before her death . so why was she getting x-rays ? monroe had complained of tenderness ' in her nose , so she was taken to see plastic surgeon michael gurdin . although he did n't claim to see any breaks at the time , a medical professional for julien 's auctions thinks there could have been a hairline fracture . ew : marilyn monroe 's plastic surgery , miley cyrus'fashion mentor , and more other details revealed from her medical records point to possible plastic surgery . marked with the alias name joan newman , ' monroe 's records show a one-time claim of a chin deformity , ' which could have been the result of a cartilage implant , ' as well as monroe being treated for an ectopic pregnancy in 1957 , when she was married to arthur miller . even though x-rays are not tangible like a musical instrument or clothing it 's part of the story of marilyn that people are buying , ' martin nolan , executive director of julien 's auctions told vanity fair in the story . there is such a demand for her worldwide even though it is 50 years since she passed away . honestly , i could have an auction every day for marilyn monroe and the items would be sought after . ' ew :'twilight'director selling t-shirt from kristen stewart and robert pattinson 's first kissing scene the x-rays and medical records are estimated to sell for anywhere between $ 20,000 and $ 30,000 and already have interested buyers from across the globe . oh , marilyn . we just ca n't quit you . see the original story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | executive director of julien 's auctions says there is still demand for monroe items |
monroe <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- yes , you read that headline right . we now have proof that marilyn monroe was the sexiest woman to ever walk the earth : more than 50 years after her death , people are still willing to spend money on her facial x-rays , which are being auctioned off at julien 's auctions . according to vanity fair , six facial x-rays of monroe 's have surfaced . dated june 7 , 1962 , they hit just one week after her 36th birthday and two months before her death . so why was she getting x-rays ? monroe had complained of tenderness ' in her nose , so she was taken to see plastic surgeon michael gurdin . although he did n't claim to see any breaks at the time , a medical professional for julien 's auctions thinks there could have been a hairline fracture . ew : marilyn monroe 's plastic surgery , miley cyrus'fashion mentor , and more other details revealed from her medical records point to possible plastic surgery . marked with the alias name joan newman , ' monroe 's records show a one-time claim of a chin deformity , ' which could have been the result of a cartilage implant , ' as well as monroe being treated for an ectopic pregnancy in 1957 , when she was married to arthur miller . even though x-rays are not tangible like a musical instrument or clothing it 's part of the story of marilyn that people are buying , ' martin nolan , executive director of julien 's auctions told vanity fair in the story . there is such a demand for her worldwide even though it is 50 years since she passed away . honestly , i could have an auction every day for marilyn monroe and the items would be sought after . ' ew :'twilight'director selling t-shirt from kristen stewart and robert pattinson 's first kissing scene the x-rays and medical records are estimated to sell for anywhere between $ 20,000 and $ 30,000 and already have interested buyers from across the globe . oh , marilyn . we just ca n't quit you . see the original story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | six facial x-rays of marilyn monroe have surfaced |
fbi <tsp> ( wired ) -- an anarchist social worker raided by the feds wants his computers , manuscripts and pick axes back . he argues that authorities violated the u.s. constitution and the rights of his mentally ill clients while searching for evidence that he broke an anti-rioting law on twitter . in a guns-drawn raid on october 1 , fbi agents and police seized boxes of dubious evidence ' from the queens , new york , home of elliott madison . a u.s. district judge in brooklyn has set a monday deadline to rule on the legality of the search , and in the meantime has ordered the government to refrain from examining the material taken in the 6 a.m. search . madison , who counsels more than 100 severely mentally ill patients in new york , seems to have first drawn attention from the authorities at september 's g-20 gathering of world leaders in pittsburgh , pennsylvania . there he was arrested on september 24 at a motel room for allegedly listening to a police scanner and relaying information on twitter to help protesters avoid heavily-armed cops -- an activity the state department lauded when it happened in iran . a week later , the joint terrorism task force , armed with a search warrant and backed by a federal grand jury investigation , raided madison 's house , which he shares with his wife of 13 years and several roommates . the squad seized his computers , camera memory cards , books , air-filtration masks , bumper stickers and political posters -- all purportedly evidence that the 41-year old social worker had broken a federal anti-rioting law that carries up to five years in prison . but a closer look at the court documents leaves the unmistakable impression that elliott madison is yet another casualty of the government 's nasty , post-9/11 habit of considering political dissidents as threats to national security . madison , his wife and his lawyer martin stolar say the search violates the constitution 's protections against general searches and prosecution for political speech . the police also seized mobile phones , citizen emergency kits , manuscripts , posters and even the couple 's marriage license . in a motion to throw out the search , stolar called the search unconstitutional : in this day and age , federally authorized agents entered the private home of a writer and urban planner and seized their books and writings . the warrant 's vagueness and lack of specificity encouraged the agents to use their own discretion and their own views of the political universe to seize , or not to seize , items which they thought were evidence of a violation of the federal anti-riot statute . the law and the constitution do not allow this . if there really is a grand jury investigation with possible future prosecution under [ a federal anti-rioting law ] , the use of this statute as applied to demonstrations , demonstrators , and their supporters has profound 1st amendment implications . if madison were an iranian using twitter to coordinate government protests , he 'd likely be considered a hero in the west . instead , the self-identified anarchist -- who volunteered in louisiana after katrina -- is now facing up to five years in prison for each count a grand jury cares to indict him on . oddly , madison was in jail during the most dramatic of the g-20 confrontations . the day after his arrest by philadelphia state police on september 24 , hundreds of police officers chased protesters around the city , using sonic weapons , pepper spray , batons , projectile weapons and tear gas , and arrested a reporter and bystanders . some self-styled anarchists broke windows of chain stores and pushed a dumpster towards a phalanx of cops in riot gear . the connection between the federal and state investigation remains unclear , though the feds say they will turn evidence over to the state , if any is found . the affidavits justifying the raid remains under seal , but court documents reveal a grand jury is investigating whether madison , and possibly his wife , violated 18 u.s.c . §2101 , the federal anti-rioting law . that obscure law was famously used to prosecute the chicago 7 after the 1968 democratic convention 's police riot . five of the so-called yippies were initially found guilty of of inciting a riot , though the convictions were eventually thrown out . madison and his wife both volunteered as paralegals for the people 's law collective , their lawyer martin stolar said , and he 'd worked with them before defending protesters . in fact , he suggests that work might have sparked this entire incident . if you do your job effectively , then you draw the government 's attentions , ' stolar said . madison also belongs to the curious george brigade , ' which published a book called anarchy in the age of dinosaurs . the group was at work on a follow-up , until 50 copies of the first book and the electronic manuscript of the second were confiscated in the raid . on monday , madison described the book in an affidavit to the court as a book of political theory and practice . ' the published book seems sympathetic to the tactic of confronting police and destroying property of companies considered harmful , usually -- though not always -- multinational companies . writing such a book is not a crime , though , and many of the other books cited by the police as evidence justifying the search after the fact can be bought on amazon.com . madison , who has no prior convictions , works as a counselor at a mental health facility . he says some of the records seized by the government include confidential information that should be covered by a shield law protecting mental health records . the u.s. attorney 's office disputes that contention , saying the shield does n't apply since madison is n't a registered social worker . moreover , the government says , madison 's house was chock full of incriminating materials , including gas masks , pickaxes and air-filtration masks . but madison says that he 'd become a believer in civil defense after the 2003 blackouts in new york and that the seized pickaxes are specialty , anti-sparking devices to be used in emergencies to shut off water mains . in fact , madison and his wife told the court they 'd made a youtube video about what to put in a rescue pack . a review of the video by threat level confirms the pickaxe in the video matches the one seized by police . the government countered that his reading material is also very suspicious . as an initial matter , the government notes that a publication entitled'manifesto of rioting'was seized from the weisses'bedroom , ' the u.s. attorney 's office told the court last week . some of the other evidence the feds seized that shows he promotes riots ? steampunk magazine , for one . buffy the vampire slayer dvds . anarchist political-theory books . a needlepoint depiction of lenin that belonged to madison 's wife 's grandmother . ( not surprisingly , the police do n't seem to grasp the irony of an anarchist owning a lenin bust in any form , given the hatred between the two ideologies since the spanish civil war , when the communists turned on the anarchists and murdered their ostensible allies . ) his books on poison looks pretty incriminating , too . but his lawyer wonders why the police seized the poisons and antidotes sourcebook and left the book deadly doses : a writer 's guide to poisons , both of which he says elliot madison uses for his fiction writing . the feds also found caltrops -- four-pronged metal defensive weapons that always land with a pointy side up , used to give flat tires or hobble horses . neither madison nor his attorney has mentioned them in their filings . they are not illegal to own . when the feds also found nine packages of fireworks at the rear of a closet , a jttf agent took him downtown to book him for the infraction -- a ticketable offense . the bomb squad took care of the fireworks , which one supposes must have been impervious to dousing by a regular police officer . federal agents also seized camera memory disks , madison 's journals , computers and hard drives . these contained his fiction manuscripts , his wife 's urban planning work and other writings . the police also confiscated a housemate 's laptop that belonged to the labor department . how did all of this get taken ? does n't a search warrant have to specify what exactly is to be seized ? according to the u.s. attorney 's office , the warrant was legitimate . signed by judge honorable viktor v. pohorelsky on september 26 , it authorized the government to seize : computers , hard-drives , floppy discs and other media used to store computer-accessible information , cellular phones , personal digital assistants , electronic storage devices and related peripherals , black masks and clothing , maps , correspondence and other documents , financial records , notes , ledgers , receipts , papers , photographs , telephone and address books , identification documents , indicia of residency and other documents and records that constitute evidence of the commission of rioting crimes or that are designed or intended as a means of violating the federal rioting laws , including any of the above items that are maintained within other closed or locked containers , including safes and other containers that may be further secured by key locks ( or combination locks ) of various kinds . the list of what was taken stretches pages . the madisons'lawyers are trying to overturn the search on the grounds that the warrant was n't specific enough to pass constitutional muster . they also argue the feds have no business collecting the names of people elliot communicated with , and that records from the people 's law collective , as well as his work notes , are protected under confidentiality rules . but the u.s. attorney 's office defended the search in court , arguing that the broad search was just like those used in drug warrants , which were increasingly broadened over the last quarter century 's ill-fated war on drugs . the affidavits that supported the search warrant are under court seal , because the grand jury investigation is complex and multi-state , ' according to the prosecution . the federal anti-rioting statute is serious business , and is seemingly easy to violate . for instance , it is a felony to organize , promote , encourage , participate in , or carry on a riot ; or [ ... ] to aid or abet any person in inciting or participating in [ ... ] a riot . ' by that token , simply telling a person fleeing cops with batons which way to run makes you a felon . one wonders how the southern christian leadership council and martin luther king , jr. would have fared under that law , when he was in a birmingham jail , writing letters urging people to support the direct-action program of sit-ins and marches . those protesters were later attacked by police using dogs and fire hoses on the orders of birmingham sheriff bull connor . a spokesman for the new york u.s. attorney 's office , bob nardoza , declined to comment on the matter , citing rules forbidding officials to speak about grand jury investigations . subscribe to wired magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a free gift ! click here ! copyright 2011 wired.com . | elliott madison 's home is raided by the fbi on october 1 |
giglio <tsp> giglio , italy ( cnn ) -- the nautical blue paint spelling out costa concordia ' has almost all bubbled and chipped off the bow of the once luxurious cruise liner after 20 months under salt water off the italian island of giglio . one can get glimpse of just what it 's like in and under the concordia by the vast array of mesmerizing underwater videos released by italy 's coast guard and the titan micoperi salvage team tasked with removing the rusting hulk . the seabed is still littered with sun deck chairs that floated from the ship 's balconies and upper deck when it finally came to a rest in january 2012 . fish swim around the sunbed legs and seaweed has grown through some of the mesh seating . the beds are spread out in a surreal scene that looks like a set from an underwater science fiction film . shoes , mattresses , dinner plates and thousands of pieces of cutlery shimmer in the divers'lights on a bed of sea grass . interactive : how the 952-foot wreck will be raised divers have not been deep inside the massive ship for nearly a year . the salvage divers only work on the outside of the ship and do not have authority to enter the vessel , with the exception of a work area they have created with a false floor on the upper port side deck , unless accompanied by coast guard divers . not only is the concordia still chock full of passengers'possessions the costa cruises company hopes to return , but the ship is still considered a crime scene . thirty-two people died in the accident and the ship 's erstwhile captain , francesco schettino , is facing charges of multiple manslaughter and causing the shipwreck after piloting the 290-meter ship into the rocks on giglio last year . the last divers to comb through the concordia 's sunken bowels were there to search in vain for the last two victims , still believed to be trapped somewhere under the ship or buried in a watery grave at the bottom of the hollow hull . the salvage crew believe they know about where the bodies might be found , but there is no guarantee until the ship is lifted whether they will be found at all . in the weeks after the accident , the divers called the inside of the ship a toxic stew ' of spilled oil , rotting food and floating tableware . there were five massive restaurants on the ship -- each one in operation when the ship crashed at 9:42 p.m. on january 13 , 2013 , spilling tables of buffet food into the water . more than a dozen kitchens and freezers had enough food to feed the 4,200 passengers and crew for a week , plus extra supplies that all cruise ships carry in case of emergencies and delays . many of the freezers burst and their contents were gobbled up by sea life and the colony of sea gulls that has multiplied on the island since the disaster . fishermen off giglio say that the fish have changed , too . they are much larger and harder to catch after gorging on the ship 's offerings . the freezers that have not burst under the water pressure are still locked with their rotting thawed contents sealed inside . fridges too , filled with milk , cheese , eggs and vegetables , have been closed tight since the disaster . one has to only imagine leaving a home freezer -- a fraction of the size of the industrial freezers used by cruise ships -- unplugged for 20 months to get an idea of the type of rancid mess trapped inside . rodolfo raiteri , head of the coast guard dive team , told cnn that his divers had to confront an array of deep-sea threats , from floating knives to lethal bed sheets and flowing curtains that could have easily become entangled in the divers'safety cords . there were also floating chairs and large chunks of marble and crystal chandeliers that constantly detached and fell from the sideways ship 's ceilings every time the ship creaked and shifted as it settled onto two underwater rocky mountain peaks . all that debris , along with thousands of dinner plates , can be seen stacked against the underwater windows in some of the salvage video . the ship has compressed three full meters in the 20 months since it crashed , and each time it groans and twists , windows break as their frames adjust and once-attached items are lodged free . on cruise ships , dining room tables are all affixed to the floors to keep passengers from chasing sliding tables in rough seas . raiteri described the bizarre scene his divers faced swimming among the sideways tables , sometimes encountering plates of food and floating champagne bottles in their search for victims . senior cabin service director manrico giampedroni , one of the last survivors to be pulled out of the wreckage alive , became trapped half submerged in the ship 's dining room when his leg got caught among fallen furniture . he survived for 36 hours on floating food and stayed awake by drinking caffeinated beverages until rescuers found him . if he had fallen asleep , he would have drowned . incidentally , giampedroni was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a plea bargain for his role in the deaths for not being at his duty station to help evacuate the ship . in addition to the general rule of thumb that you do n't blow up ships where there are still unrecovered victims , one of the main reasons the concordia is being refloated rather than blown up or dismantled on site is because of the toxins and personal effects still trapped in the ship 's 1,500 staterooms . the ship 's engines are still thick with lubricants and the kitchens are still filled with cooking oils and non-soluble materials that would pollute the sea . giglio , which lies within the pelagos sanctuary , the largest protected marine wildlife park in the mediterranean , is flush with exotic sea life and coral reefs . the putrid stew inside the ship 's 17 deck-structure will eventually have to be purified or pumped out before the ship is refloated sometime next year , and the personal effects are another matter . all that was in the concordia the moment it wrecked is presumably still there , save the ship 's bell , which mysteriously disappeared two months after the wreck based on surveillance video taken by authorized divers . an investigation into who could have stolen the bell has caused some concern that other items , especially high price items from the ship 's gift shops , could have also been pilfered . everything inside the ship is expected to be recovered and returned to its original owners , no matter how water-logged it may be , but that could be months from now when the ship is eventually towed and dry docked for dismantling . each of the cabins has a locked safe , presumably still filled with passengers'valuables including cash and jewelry . there are also countless cameras , laptops , ipads and cellphones that passengers left behind , not to mention luggage . the ship had only been at sail for three hours , so many passengers likely did n't take time to unpack , but instead headed to the nearest dining room or bar to relax as the ship set sail . one suitcase floated to the nearby island of elba and its soggy contents were delivered to the owner nine months after the disaster . many more suitcases have been spotted by divers at the bottom of the sea . nick sloane , the head of the salvage operation for titan micoperi , the joint american-italian venture to rescue the concordia , , says that if explosives were used , the ship 's smaller contents would become dangerous projectiles . mattresses and passports would scatter the sea , ' he says . but the real danger would be flying cutlery , cooking knives , bottles and broken glass . if the parbuckling ' goes well and the giant 114,000-ton vessel is tipped upright sometime in the next week , much more than the 65 percent of the ship that is under water now will be submerged . the platforms that will provide a base on which the concordia will rest are some 30 meters below the sea level , meaning many of the staterooms that were dry until now will sink underwater . some of the toxic water will be displaced and pushed out of the upper cabins . some freezers that are still sealed could burst under new water pressure . and almost every window on the ship 's outer cabins is expected to break as the ship 's frame twists . sloane says the noise will be deafening as metal twists and windows pop . the ship has been rigged with cameras and microphones to help the salvage crew monitor the ship 's structure as it is lifted . as sloane says , ships this size were never meant to lie on their sides , and they are not built to be lifted . the salvage team says they will be able to contain any spillage of toxins with oil booms now in place around the work site . the broken glass and new debris will join what is already at the bottom of the sea . there will never be the scale of environmental disaster that was already averted by removing the ship 's 2,400 tons of fuel shortly after the ship crashed , but there are still major risks involved with salvaging the concordia . if the parbuckling fails and the ship breaks apart as it is rotated , the rotten contents -- moldy mattresses , passports , toxic stew and all -- will spill into the once-pristine sea . and even if it succeeds , this part of the mediterranean will never be quite the same again . | costa concordia ran aground off giglio in january 2012 , killing 32 people |
muslim brotherhood <tsp> cairo , egypt ( cnn ) -- it is the middle of the night of egypt -- time not to sleep , but to hit the streets and rally , whether out of pride or defiance . cairo 's tahrir square , the focal point of the 2011 popular revolution that led to the ouster of longtime president hosni mubarak , filled with protesters angry at the man elected to succeed him , mohamed morsy . they vented , too , at the muslim brotherhood , the islamist group shunted aside under mubarak that 's now the most powerful political force in egypt . a similarly spirited nighttime scene played out outside a nasr city mosque about 13 kilometers ( 8 miles ) to the east . the thousands of demonstrators gathered here , though , had a much different message : fervently backing morsy and the muslim brotherhood he once led . more such rallies , representing both sides of the political spectrum , are expected elsewhere around the north african nation later sunday . the state-run ahram news organization , for instance , noted that protests were in full swing early sunday in suez , sharqia , monofia and gharbiya ; so many people came out in alexandria that traffic almost came to a standstill . what authorities hope there wo n't be more of , is violence . clashes in recent days have claimed a number of lives , most of them people associated with the muslim brotherhood after their offices came under attack . bystanders were affected as well . one of them was andrew pochter , a 21-year-old american in alexandria to teach children english , who was stabbed to death friday while watching the demonstrations , his family said . an egyptian man died of a gunshot wound to the head , the health ministry said . state media reported that dozens more were injured in alexandria unrest that also saw protesters demanding morsy 's ouster ransack the port city 's offices of his freedom and justice party , the brotherhood 's political wing . hamdeen sabahy , a leftist former presidential candidate , said in a video message posted saturday that he and others challenging the egyptian government reject the violence ... and all the attacks on the ( offices ) of the muslim brotherhood or their party . ' peace is our weapon , ' sabahy said . he urged his followers to continue their demonstrations nationwide , saying , we are not fighting a rock , rather failing politics that do not meet the needs of the people . ' we unite and know that strength is in the people , ' he said in the video posted on his facebook page . we will be victorious , god willing . ' accepted order vs. change military security forces are patrolling streets around egypt , in anticipation of rallies sunday and fearful of looting , attacks on political or government offices , and violence generally . morsy also met saturday with his ministers of interior and defense to review security plans , state-run ahram reported . nearly a week ago , defense minister abdel-fattah el-sisi said the army would , if necessary , prevent egypt from slipping into a dark tunnel of civil unrest and killing , sectarianism and the collapse of state institutions , ' raising the specter of a return to the powerful role it played in domestic politics under mubarak . but morsy is not mubarak . he was democratically elected . those results should be respected , say his supporters , who have taken to the streets by the thousands , many of them chanting their protest slogan : democratic legitimacy is a red line . ' their show of support kicked off friday in nasr city , a cairo neighborhood . morsy 's opponents have responded with more large-scale rallies of their own , including a sit-in planned for in front of the presidential palace in cairo . the president 's opponents have spent months collecting signatures on a petition calling for morsy to step down and call new elections . the opposition includes a coalition of liberals , moderates and pro-democracy advocates who have joined those calling for the military to take over government and restore law and order . muslim brotherhood under fire since morsy took office , egypt 's already sour economy has plummeted further as investors have pulled out of the country in droves and tourism has dropped . at the same time , crime in egypt has shot up , and some are calling for a return to the law and order they knew under mubarak 's autocratic rule , carried out with the iron hand of the military . morsy gave a speech this week highlighting his achievements during his first year in office . but opposition members said he did not address his shortcomings and called for snap presidential polls , a new government and constitutional amendments . the muslim brotherhood , whose leaders included morsy before his election , has lost four members to violence in recent days . two people were shot dead thursday when armed men attacked muslim brotherhood offices in zagazig , morsy 's hometown , spokesman gihad haddad said . the gunmen were shouting down with morsy ' during the assault , he said . amnesty international called on authorities to uphold egyptians'right to peaceful assembly and protect protesters and bystanders from violence . given the appalling track record in policing demonstrations , it is absolutely imperative that the egyptian authorities issue very clear instructions to security forces to uphold protesters'right to freedom of assembly and refrain from unnecessary or excessive force , ' said hassiba hadj sahraoui , amnesty international 's middle east and north africa deputy director . they should make clear that anyone responsible for arbitrary and abusive force will be brought to justice . ' in the past year , about 80 people have been killed during protests and other political violence largely attributed to security forces , amnesty said . we 're looking at the situation with concern , ' president barack obama said saturday in johannesburg , south africa . those concerns extend to keeping u.s. embassies , consulates , diplomats and other personnel safe , he said . everyone needs to denounce violence , ' obama said , adding he would favor talks between morsy and the opposition . nobody 's benefiting now . ' about 200 u.s. marines in sigonella , italy , and moron , spain , have been put on alert as a precaution , according to two administration officials . the u.s. state department warned americans to cancel all but essential travel to or within egypt . the united states has approved the departure of embassy and consulate employees and their dependents because of the unrest , a senior state department official said . nonessential employees and their relatives can get help leaving , if they choose to do so . pochter , the kenyon college student from maryland killed in alexandria , wanted to improve his arabic before returning to college in the united states . he cared profoundly about the middle east , ' his family said . he was planning a career in the region in hopes of forwarding the peace process . u.s. marines told to be ready to go to egypt cnn 's slma shelbayah , elise labott and barbara starr contributed to this report . | new : an opposition leader rejects violence targeting morsy 's muslim brotherhood |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- after a town hall meeting on health-care reform in belgrade , montana , president obama will escape to big sky country on friday evening where he 'll spend time with family and go fly-fishing for the first time . white house chief of staff rahm emanuel carries fly-fishing tackle to marine one on friday . fly-fishing requires a singular focus , much like golf . having newly discovered the sport myself , it occurred to me as i watched marine one lift off the south lawn on friday that there are probably some lessons on the river that could apply to obama 's presidency . thinking like a producer , i called an expert -- fly-fishing instructor tony derosier , who described the evolution most fishermen go through . usually , when you first go fishing , all you want to do is catch a fish , and then all you want to do is catch a lot of fish , and then you just want to catch the larger fish . after you 've caught a lot of large fish , you kind of go back to square one and catch just one fish , ' said derosier , manager at taylor creek fly shop in aspen , colorado . you basically just want to go fishing -- the numbers , the size , it does n't matter any more . ' obama is in the big fish ' stage of his presidency : he 's trying to get health-care reform legislation passed hook , line , and sinker . if he 's successful , anything else he gets passed will be icing on the cake . learning the fundamentals of fly-fishing can serve as a metaphor for health care reform . obama just needs to look at hooking and landing blue dog democrats and republicans like he would trout . the first step -- learn how to cast . fly-casting is all about maximizing the energy you put in your rod and you lose energy if you wait too long , ' derosier said . and conversely , if you do n't wait long enough , your line will crack like a whip . ' obama has to strike the right balance between rushing things through and losing momentum ; and maintaining support while bringing others over to his side . the second step -- reading the water : instead of blindly casting anywhere in the river you want to understand where you might find fish , ' derosier explained . obama zeroed in on a fairly conservative state , montana , where he faces a land full of skeptics about his health care reform plan . third -- hook and land the fish : derosier said once you hook the fish you have to know how to play the fish , which is a delicate balance between applying pressure but not so much that the line breaks -- much like the delicate balance of obama 's courting members of congress . the ultimate goal is to gain an advantage over the fish so that you can land him , ' he said . it 's the hardest thing to teach when it comes to fly-fishing , ' he said . out in montana , the game is catch-and-release trout . but in washington , obama is trying to hook congress and take home health care reform , or risk it being the big one that got away . | obama is in the big fish ' stage of his presidency , shawna shepherd writes |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- after a town hall meeting on health-care reform in belgrade , montana , president obama will escape to big sky country on friday evening where he 'll spend time with family and go fly-fishing for the first time . white house chief of staff rahm emanuel carries fly-fishing tackle to marine one on friday . fly-fishing requires a singular focus , much like golf . having newly discovered the sport myself , it occurred to me as i watched marine one lift off the south lawn on friday that there are probably some lessons on the river that could apply to obama 's presidency . thinking like a producer , i called an expert -- fly-fishing instructor tony derosier , who described the evolution most fishermen go through . usually , when you first go fishing , all you want to do is catch a fish , and then all you want to do is catch a lot of fish , and then you just want to catch the larger fish . after you 've caught a lot of large fish , you kind of go back to square one and catch just one fish , ' said derosier , manager at taylor creek fly shop in aspen , colorado . you basically just want to go fishing -- the numbers , the size , it does n't matter any more . ' obama is in the big fish ' stage of his presidency : he 's trying to get health-care reform legislation passed hook , line , and sinker . if he 's successful , anything else he gets passed will be icing on the cake . learning the fundamentals of fly-fishing can serve as a metaphor for health care reform . obama just needs to look at hooking and landing blue dog democrats and republicans like he would trout . the first step -- learn how to cast . fly-casting is all about maximizing the energy you put in your rod and you lose energy if you wait too long , ' derosier said . and conversely , if you do n't wait long enough , your line will crack like a whip . ' obama has to strike the right balance between rushing things through and losing momentum ; and maintaining support while bringing others over to his side . the second step -- reading the water : instead of blindly casting anywhere in the river you want to understand where you might find fish , ' derosier explained . obama zeroed in on a fairly conservative state , montana , where he faces a land full of skeptics about his health care reform plan . third -- hook and land the fish : derosier said once you hook the fish you have to know how to play the fish , which is a delicate balance between applying pressure but not so much that the line breaks -- much like the delicate balance of obama 's courting members of congress . the ultimate goal is to gain an advantage over the fish so that you can land him , ' he said . it 's the hardest thing to teach when it comes to fly-fishing , ' he said . out in montana , the game is catch-and-release trout . but in washington , obama is trying to hook congress and take home health care reform , or risk it being the big one that got away . | cnn white house producer : fly-fishing is a metaphor that fits obama 's presidency |
syria <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) the israeli military conducted airstrikes sunday night in the area between israel and syria , targeting a group of militants allegedly trying to plant a bomb on the israeli border . the israel defense forces said the airstrikes were carried out in the occupied golan heights against four militants who crossed into the area from syria . a group of armed terrorists approached the border with an explosive device , which was intended to be detonated against idf forces , ' the israeli military said . the airstrikes prevented the bombing , the military said . three of the alleged attackers were killed , israeli media reported , citing idf sources . it was not immediately known to what militant group the men belonged . the golan is regarded internationally as occupied territory despite israeli governmental control . it is home to 41,000 residents , including jews , druze and alawites . israel seized the territory from syria during the 1967 israel-arab war , and it was eventually annexed . | the men crossed from syria , israel says |
israel <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) the israeli military conducted airstrikes sunday night in the area between israel and syria , targeting a group of militants allegedly trying to plant a bomb on the israeli border . the israel defense forces said the airstrikes were carried out in the occupied golan heights against four militants who crossed into the area from syria . a group of armed terrorists approached the border with an explosive device , which was intended to be detonated against idf forces , ' the israeli military said . the airstrikes prevented the bombing , the military said . three of the alleged attackers were killed , israeli media reported , citing idf sources . it was not immediately known to what militant group the men belonged . the golan is regarded internationally as occupied territory despite israeli governmental control . it is home to 41,000 residents , including jews , druze and alawites . israel seized the territory from syria during the 1967 israel-arab war , and it was eventually annexed . | the men crossed from syria , israel says |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) -- american officials are pondering whether to strike isis elements in syria to better contain the group 's fearsome power , following its horrific execution of james foley and the direct threats it has leveled against the united states . as they consider how best to confront the organization , there is good news : the united states and its friends have scored some successes against isis in the past month . the administration provided material support to iraqi kurdish peshmerga and iraqi special operations forces , and with judicious use of airstrikes enabled them to repel isis attacks northwest and northeast of baghdad . the obama administration wisely understood that these military operations are only a short-term fix . the only sustainable solution is a new iraqi government able to rally a large majority of iraqis across ethnic and sectarian lines to fight the islamic state in syria . iraqis have come together before to contain such extremists , and they could again . iraq 's restive sunni arab population , furious at former prime minister nuri al-maliki , backed isis in the spring , but now sunni arab tribal figures in anbar and kirkuk , as well as some of the leaders from the urban business-political elite in mosul and salah ad-din , have asked the iraqi central government in baghdad for help to fight the organization . success is not assured , but the picture is brighter than a month ago . american pressure -- and tying military assistance to concrete progress toward assembling a broad-based national government -- have encouraged the hesitant iraqis forward . the united states needs to sustain that approach . but even with progress in iraq , the united states and its friends can not contain the islamic state for long when it has a vast safe zone in syria into which its fighters can fall back to rest , regroup , and fight again . as we contemplate a response , we should consider whether any of the strategies used recently in iraq could also be used in syria . in iraq , the united states identified friends willing to fight the islamic state on the ground . the iraqi kurdish peshmerga were not perfect -- they are not a regular army , their command structure is at times unwieldy , and their political agendas are not always compatible with ours . however , they were clearly able to help blunt the isis advance , so cooperating with them was sensible . similarly , providing far more help to moderate elements of the syrian armed opposition makes huge sense . they are motivated and have been locked in combat against isis for nine months . despite fighting an uphill battle against the well-armed regime of syrian president bashar al-assad , heavily backed by iran and russia , they have advanced in some regions . they share the same frustrating imperfections -- such as lack of professional discipline -- as the peshmerga and the iraqi military , but if they were better armed and financed , the moderate syrian fighters could be helpful in repelling isis . they already did so by expelling it from northwest syria earlier this year and the damascus area this summer . with stronger cash flows from governments in the west and gulf , they could also lure syrians away from isis bankrolls . american airstrikes might be needed in syria , but that would not be the most important tactic for success , nor would more material aid to the rebels be sufficient to contain the islamic state over the long term . as in iraq , there has to be a political angle as well . helping a weakened al-assad regime to consolidate its position in damascus is not a recipe for sustainable success . the regime ca n't roll back the islamic state now -- it is attracting scores of new jihadis every day . helping al-assad would multiply the numbers of recruits . rather , as in iraq , syria needs a new government . the u.s. had hoped this would be negotiated in geneva , where an international conference early this year aimed to find a political solution to the syria conflict , but al-assad rejected any serious negotiation . his russian and iranian allies , estimating that he could survive , and seeing no alternative , made no effort to convince the regime to do otherwise . six months later , however , the regime 's pillars of support are weaker . there are reports that the regime earlier this month executed three air force pilots who had refused to obey orders . the minority alawite sect that has backed al-assad is openly grumbling about heavy losses in an endless war against the moderate rebels and now the ruthless islamic state . a publicity campaign called scream of the nation ' is under way in the alawite heartland . its complaint : assad keeps his throne while our children go to their coffins . we need moderate armed opposition leaders in syria to capitalize on this weariness by moving politically , not just militarily . as we boost aid to the moderate armed rebels , we must condition that help on their reaching out to disaffected regime supporters and developing with them a common political stance for a new , negotiated national unity government , with or without al-assad . the al-assad regime wo n't go to the table easily , and the moderate rebels will need more help -- perhaps even hardware , like more mortars and rockets to hit airfields and bases and further rattle al-assad 's war machine . substantially boosting help to the moderate opposition would also compel russia and iran to rethink their blank check to al-assad , especially if there is a better alternative route to contain isis . as it did with iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki , iran might consider other reasonable alternatives to the current syrian leadership . iran wo n't , however , until it recognizes that al-assad ca n't win and ca n't rally enough support to contain the islamic state . one prominent american observer says it is folly to think that we can aid the moderate armed fighters to topple al-assad . but toppling was n't our goal before and should n't be now . we should aim to help the syrian opposition inflict enough pain on the regime so that , despite al-assad , the regime finally agrees to negotiate a new government whose first task will be to fight the islamic state and eventually expel it from syria . in syria 's brutal , three-sided war , the u.s. has no easy options . we have never controlled events there . it is also true that civil wars do n't always end in happy settlements . however , our inability to steer perfectly or to guarantee the best outcome ca n't be an excuse to maintain our current approach . | u.s. pressure on iraq , including to form new government , has bolstered efforts to repel isis |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) -- american officials are pondering whether to strike isis elements in syria to better contain the group 's fearsome power , following its horrific execution of james foley and the direct threats it has leveled against the united states . as they consider how best to confront the organization , there is good news : the united states and its friends have scored some successes against isis in the past month . the administration provided material support to iraqi kurdish peshmerga and iraqi special operations forces , and with judicious use of airstrikes enabled them to repel isis attacks northwest and northeast of baghdad . the obama administration wisely understood that these military operations are only a short-term fix . the only sustainable solution is a new iraqi government able to rally a large majority of iraqis across ethnic and sectarian lines to fight the islamic state in syria . iraqis have come together before to contain such extremists , and they could again . iraq 's restive sunni arab population , furious at former prime minister nuri al-maliki , backed isis in the spring , but now sunni arab tribal figures in anbar and kirkuk , as well as some of the leaders from the urban business-political elite in mosul and salah ad-din , have asked the iraqi central government in baghdad for help to fight the organization . success is not assured , but the picture is brighter than a month ago . american pressure -- and tying military assistance to concrete progress toward assembling a broad-based national government -- have encouraged the hesitant iraqis forward . the united states needs to sustain that approach . but even with progress in iraq , the united states and its friends can not contain the islamic state for long when it has a vast safe zone in syria into which its fighters can fall back to rest , regroup , and fight again . as we contemplate a response , we should consider whether any of the strategies used recently in iraq could also be used in syria . in iraq , the united states identified friends willing to fight the islamic state on the ground . the iraqi kurdish peshmerga were not perfect -- they are not a regular army , their command structure is at times unwieldy , and their political agendas are not always compatible with ours . however , they were clearly able to help blunt the isis advance , so cooperating with them was sensible . similarly , providing far more help to moderate elements of the syrian armed opposition makes huge sense . they are motivated and have been locked in combat against isis for nine months . despite fighting an uphill battle against the well-armed regime of syrian president bashar al-assad , heavily backed by iran and russia , they have advanced in some regions . they share the same frustrating imperfections -- such as lack of professional discipline -- as the peshmerga and the iraqi military , but if they were better armed and financed , the moderate syrian fighters could be helpful in repelling isis . they already did so by expelling it from northwest syria earlier this year and the damascus area this summer . with stronger cash flows from governments in the west and gulf , they could also lure syrians away from isis bankrolls . american airstrikes might be needed in syria , but that would not be the most important tactic for success , nor would more material aid to the rebels be sufficient to contain the islamic state over the long term . as in iraq , there has to be a political angle as well . helping a weakened al-assad regime to consolidate its position in damascus is not a recipe for sustainable success . the regime ca n't roll back the islamic state now -- it is attracting scores of new jihadis every day . helping al-assad would multiply the numbers of recruits . rather , as in iraq , syria needs a new government . the u.s. had hoped this would be negotiated in geneva , where an international conference early this year aimed to find a political solution to the syria conflict , but al-assad rejected any serious negotiation . his russian and iranian allies , estimating that he could survive , and seeing no alternative , made no effort to convince the regime to do otherwise . six months later , however , the regime 's pillars of support are weaker . there are reports that the regime earlier this month executed three air force pilots who had refused to obey orders . the minority alawite sect that has backed al-assad is openly grumbling about heavy losses in an endless war against the moderate rebels and now the ruthless islamic state . a publicity campaign called scream of the nation ' is under way in the alawite heartland . its complaint : assad keeps his throne while our children go to their coffins . we need moderate armed opposition leaders in syria to capitalize on this weariness by moving politically , not just militarily . as we boost aid to the moderate armed rebels , we must condition that help on their reaching out to disaffected regime supporters and developing with them a common political stance for a new , negotiated national unity government , with or without al-assad . the al-assad regime wo n't go to the table easily , and the moderate rebels will need more help -- perhaps even hardware , like more mortars and rockets to hit airfields and bases and further rattle al-assad 's war machine . substantially boosting help to the moderate opposition would also compel russia and iran to rethink their blank check to al-assad , especially if there is a better alternative route to contain isis . as it did with iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki , iran might consider other reasonable alternatives to the current syrian leadership . iran wo n't , however , until it recognizes that al-assad ca n't win and ca n't rally enough support to contain the islamic state . one prominent american observer says it is folly to think that we can aid the moderate armed fighters to topple al-assad . but toppling was n't our goal before and should n't be now . we should aim to help the syrian opposition inflict enough pain on the regime so that , despite al-assad , the regime finally agrees to negotiate a new government whose first task will be to fight the islamic state and eventually expel it from syria . in syria 's brutal , three-sided war , the u.s. has no easy options . we have never controlled events there . it is also true that civil wars do n't always end in happy settlements . however , our inability to steer perfectly or to guarantee the best outcome ca n't be an excuse to maintain our current approach . | ford : aid should hinge on rebels making new government with shared focus on driving out isis |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) -- american officials are pondering whether to strike isis elements in syria to better contain the group 's fearsome power , following its horrific execution of james foley and the direct threats it has leveled against the united states . as they consider how best to confront the organization , there is good news : the united states and its friends have scored some successes against isis in the past month . the administration provided material support to iraqi kurdish peshmerga and iraqi special operations forces , and with judicious use of airstrikes enabled them to repel isis attacks northwest and northeast of baghdad . the obama administration wisely understood that these military operations are only a short-term fix . the only sustainable solution is a new iraqi government able to rally a large majority of iraqis across ethnic and sectarian lines to fight the islamic state in syria . iraqis have come together before to contain such extremists , and they could again . iraq 's restive sunni arab population , furious at former prime minister nuri al-maliki , backed isis in the spring , but now sunni arab tribal figures in anbar and kirkuk , as well as some of the leaders from the urban business-political elite in mosul and salah ad-din , have asked the iraqi central government in baghdad for help to fight the organization . success is not assured , but the picture is brighter than a month ago . american pressure -- and tying military assistance to concrete progress toward assembling a broad-based national government -- have encouraged the hesitant iraqis forward . the united states needs to sustain that approach . but even with progress in iraq , the united states and its friends can not contain the islamic state for long when it has a vast safe zone in syria into which its fighters can fall back to rest , regroup , and fight again . as we contemplate a response , we should consider whether any of the strategies used recently in iraq could also be used in syria . in iraq , the united states identified friends willing to fight the islamic state on the ground . the iraqi kurdish peshmerga were not perfect -- they are not a regular army , their command structure is at times unwieldy , and their political agendas are not always compatible with ours . however , they were clearly able to help blunt the isis advance , so cooperating with them was sensible . similarly , providing far more help to moderate elements of the syrian armed opposition makes huge sense . they are motivated and have been locked in combat against isis for nine months . despite fighting an uphill battle against the well-armed regime of syrian president bashar al-assad , heavily backed by iran and russia , they have advanced in some regions . they share the same frustrating imperfections -- such as lack of professional discipline -- as the peshmerga and the iraqi military , but if they were better armed and financed , the moderate syrian fighters could be helpful in repelling isis . they already did so by expelling it from northwest syria earlier this year and the damascus area this summer . with stronger cash flows from governments in the west and gulf , they could also lure syrians away from isis bankrolls . american airstrikes might be needed in syria , but that would not be the most important tactic for success , nor would more material aid to the rebels be sufficient to contain the islamic state over the long term . as in iraq , there has to be a political angle as well . helping a weakened al-assad regime to consolidate its position in damascus is not a recipe for sustainable success . the regime ca n't roll back the islamic state now -- it is attracting scores of new jihadis every day . helping al-assad would multiply the numbers of recruits . rather , as in iraq , syria needs a new government . the u.s. had hoped this would be negotiated in geneva , where an international conference early this year aimed to find a political solution to the syria conflict , but al-assad rejected any serious negotiation . his russian and iranian allies , estimating that he could survive , and seeing no alternative , made no effort to convince the regime to do otherwise . six months later , however , the regime 's pillars of support are weaker . there are reports that the regime earlier this month executed three air force pilots who had refused to obey orders . the minority alawite sect that has backed al-assad is openly grumbling about heavy losses in an endless war against the moderate rebels and now the ruthless islamic state . a publicity campaign called scream of the nation ' is under way in the alawite heartland . its complaint : assad keeps his throne while our children go to their coffins . we need moderate armed opposition leaders in syria to capitalize on this weariness by moving politically , not just militarily . as we boost aid to the moderate armed rebels , we must condition that help on their reaching out to disaffected regime supporters and developing with them a common political stance for a new , negotiated national unity government , with or without al-assad . the al-assad regime wo n't go to the table easily , and the moderate rebels will need more help -- perhaps even hardware , like more mortars and rockets to hit airfields and bases and further rattle al-assad 's war machine . substantially boosting help to the moderate opposition would also compel russia and iran to rethink their blank check to al-assad , especially if there is a better alternative route to contain isis . as it did with iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki , iran might consider other reasonable alternatives to the current syrian leadership . iran wo n't , however , until it recognizes that al-assad ca n't win and ca n't rally enough support to contain the islamic state . one prominent american observer says it is folly to think that we can aid the moderate armed fighters to topple al-assad . but toppling was n't our goal before and should n't be now . we should aim to help the syrian opposition inflict enough pain on the regime so that , despite al-assad , the regime finally agrees to negotiate a new government whose first task will be to fight the islamic state and eventually expel it from syria . in syria 's brutal , three-sided war , the u.s. has no easy options . we have never controlled events there . it is also true that civil wars do n't always end in happy settlements . however , our inability to steer perfectly or to guarantee the best outcome ca n't be an excuse to maintain our current approach . | robert ford : u.s. mulling strike on isis elements in syria |
mcdonald <tsp> president barack obama will nominate bob mcdonald -- a west point graduate and former ceo of procter & gamble -- to head the department of veterans affairs , a white house official told cnn on sunday . mcdonald would take over a troubled department . the va , a massive bureaucracy with more than 300,000 full-time employees , is under fire as it deals with allegations of alarming shortcomings at its medical facilities . the controversy , as cnn first reported , involves delayed care with potentially fatal consequences in possibly dozens of cases . eric shinseki stepped down as head of the department in may after republicans , democrats and veterans'advocacy groups joined together in calling for his resignation . obama went before reporters to make the announcement after meeting with shinseki , saying the retired army general told him the va needs new leadership ' to address widespread issues . mcdonald 's mix of business experience and personal ties to the military and veteran community -- his father also served in world war ii -- is unusual for the position but may be just what the white house is looking for . a statement from the white house touted mcdonald 's 33 years at p & g and described his as the perfect person to lead the department of veterans affairs during this important time . ' at p & g , he oversaw more than 120,000 employees , with operations around the world , selling products in more than 180 countries , in more than 2.5 million stores , reaching more than 5 billion customers , ' the statement reads . mcdonald was also recognized for his leadership , twice named as the best company for leaders by chief executive magazine and being named no . 1 in hay group 's best companies for leadership study , which annually analyzes over 2,200 companies around the world . in the army , mcdonald served as a captain , primarily in the 82nd airborne division and received the meritorious service medal . he received a bachelor 's degree in engineering from west point and an mba from the university of utah . mcdonald will leave his home in cincinnati , where p & g is based , to start the complex process of untangling the va 's many problems . this is definitely a surprising pick . mcdonald is not a name that was on anyone 's radar over the last few weeks , ' paul rieckhoff , iraq and afghanistan veterans of america ceo and founder , said in a statement . his branding background may prove helpful , because there are few organizations in america with a worse reputation with its customers than the va right now . he 's been away from the military for quite a while and will have to move quickly to show he is committed to and understands the post-9/11 generation of veterans . we look forward to hearing from him soon and working together to support our vets , ' said rieckhoff . it remains to be seen what kind of reception mcdonald will receive on capitol hill , but members of congress are adamant that change is needed . bob mcdonald is a good man , a veteran , and a strong leader with decades of experience in the private sector . with those traits , he 's the kind of person who is capable of implementing the kind of dramatic systemic change that is badly needed and long overdue at the va , ' said house speaker john boehner . rep. jeff miller of florida , chairman of the house committee on veterans'affairs , said in a statement to cnn that if mcdonald is confirmed by the senate , he would inherit a department under a specter of corruption that may very well surpass anything in the history of american government . ' he 'll need to root out the culture of dishonesty and fraud that has taken hold within the department and is contributing to all of its most pressing challenges . quite simply , those who created the va scandal will need to be purged from the system , ' miller said . sen. bernie sanders , the independent from vermont and chairman of the senate veterans'affairs committee , echoed those sentiments . the va needs significantly improved transparency and accountability , and it needs an increased number of doctors , nurses and other medical staff so that all eligible veterans get high-quality health care in a timely manner , ' sanders said in a statement to cnn . i look forward to meeting with mr. mcdonald next week in order to ascertain his views on these important issues . ' since shinseki 's resignation , the white house has deepened its investigation into what went wrong at the agency . on friday , a white house report said the agency 's health care system is in need of complete overhaul because of unresponsive leadership and a corrosive culture ' that affects the delivery of medical care . the report was prepared by rob nabors , who is obama 's deputy chief of staff and who the president dispatched to assess the situation at the troubled agency . it is clear that there are significant and chronic systemic failures that must be addressed by the leadership at va , ' the reports reads . the department must take swift and appropriate accountability actions , ' the report said . there must be a recognition of how true accountability works . ''corrosive culture ,'weak leadership cripple va , report says | bob mcdonald is a surprising pick , ' says the head of an advocacy group |
mcdonald <tsp> president barack obama will nominate bob mcdonald -- a west point graduate and former ceo of procter & gamble -- to head the department of veterans affairs , a white house official told cnn on sunday . mcdonald would take over a troubled department . the va , a massive bureaucracy with more than 300,000 full-time employees , is under fire as it deals with allegations of alarming shortcomings at its medical facilities . the controversy , as cnn first reported , involves delayed care with potentially fatal consequences in possibly dozens of cases . eric shinseki stepped down as head of the department in may after republicans , democrats and veterans'advocacy groups joined together in calling for his resignation . obama went before reporters to make the announcement after meeting with shinseki , saying the retired army general told him the va needs new leadership ' to address widespread issues . mcdonald 's mix of business experience and personal ties to the military and veteran community -- his father also served in world war ii -- is unusual for the position but may be just what the white house is looking for . a statement from the white house touted mcdonald 's 33 years at p & g and described his as the perfect person to lead the department of veterans affairs during this important time . ' at p & g , he oversaw more than 120,000 employees , with operations around the world , selling products in more than 180 countries , in more than 2.5 million stores , reaching more than 5 billion customers , ' the statement reads . mcdonald was also recognized for his leadership , twice named as the best company for leaders by chief executive magazine and being named no . 1 in hay group 's best companies for leadership study , which annually analyzes over 2,200 companies around the world . in the army , mcdonald served as a captain , primarily in the 82nd airborne division and received the meritorious service medal . he received a bachelor 's degree in engineering from west point and an mba from the university of utah . mcdonald will leave his home in cincinnati , where p & g is based , to start the complex process of untangling the va 's many problems . this is definitely a surprising pick . mcdonald is not a name that was on anyone 's radar over the last few weeks , ' paul rieckhoff , iraq and afghanistan veterans of america ceo and founder , said in a statement . his branding background may prove helpful , because there are few organizations in america with a worse reputation with its customers than the va right now . he 's been away from the military for quite a while and will have to move quickly to show he is committed to and understands the post-9/11 generation of veterans . we look forward to hearing from him soon and working together to support our vets , ' said rieckhoff . it remains to be seen what kind of reception mcdonald will receive on capitol hill , but members of congress are adamant that change is needed . bob mcdonald is a good man , a veteran , and a strong leader with decades of experience in the private sector . with those traits , he 's the kind of person who is capable of implementing the kind of dramatic systemic change that is badly needed and long overdue at the va , ' said house speaker john boehner . rep. jeff miller of florida , chairman of the house committee on veterans'affairs , said in a statement to cnn that if mcdonald is confirmed by the senate , he would inherit a department under a specter of corruption that may very well surpass anything in the history of american government . ' he 'll need to root out the culture of dishonesty and fraud that has taken hold within the department and is contributing to all of its most pressing challenges . quite simply , those who created the va scandal will need to be purged from the system , ' miller said . sen. bernie sanders , the independent from vermont and chairman of the senate veterans'affairs committee , echoed those sentiments . the va needs significantly improved transparency and accountability , and it needs an increased number of doctors , nurses and other medical staff so that all eligible veterans get high-quality health care in a timely manner , ' sanders said in a statement to cnn . i look forward to meeting with mr. mcdonald next week in order to ascertain his views on these important issues . ' since shinseki 's resignation , the white house has deepened its investigation into what went wrong at the agency . on friday , a white house report said the agency 's health care system is in need of complete overhaul because of unresponsive leadership and a corrosive culture ' that affects the delivery of medical care . the report was prepared by rob nabors , who is obama 's deputy chief of staff and who the president dispatched to assess the situation at the troubled agency . it is clear that there are significant and chronic systemic failures that must be addressed by the leadership at va , ' the reports reads . the department must take swift and appropriate accountability actions , ' the report said . there must be a recognition of how true accountability works . ''corrosive culture ,'weak leadership cripple va , report says | mcdonald is a west point graduate and former ceo of procter & gamble |
iowa <tsp> des moines , iowa ( cnn ) -- from church pews to cheeseburger joints , iowa 's faithful are a major prize in the political ground war raging between president barack obama and mitt romney . of the roughly 3 million iowans , about 30 % call themselves evangelical or catholic . fifty-seven percent of iowans who voted in the caucuses this year were evangelical christians . evangelicals overwhelmingly supported rick santorum over romney in the iowa caucuses , helping santorum squeeze out a slight victory in the final count . in des moines , evangelical christians flock to grace church , affiliated with the southern baptist convention , to talk faith , family and the presidential election . the evangelical voters we met strongly supported romney , but they also expressed a general unease about his moderate history on social issues such as abortion . obama , romney paths to victory cross in iowa ' his ( romney 's ) past positions in terms of abortion or in terms of his record in massachusetts -- it 's not been an easy choice to make either way , ' mwasi mwamba said . mwamba said he has no party affiliation and voted early . his wife , dawn , plans to vote for romney but said her religious beliefs do n't align with either candidate . i have to look at it , though i hate saying it this way , as the lesser of two evils if you will . ' the undecided evangelical : radical for jesus , dubious of romney sheri hess described herself as having a biblical worldview . ' hess plans to vote for romney this year but admitted his record on social issues concerns her . he 's definitely not a christian in my view , ' she said when asked if romney 's mormon faith plays into her vote . but she said she thinks he supports the christian beliefs she holds dear . one evangelical voter not supporting romney is mike pike . he wo n't vote for either candidate -- he 's not casting a ballot in a presidential election for the first time in his life . pike said the two non-negotiable issues for him are abortion and the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman . ohio : overwhelmed by ads obama and romney , he said , have failed on both of those . ' what a person says and what they do , when they 're two different things , i have to go by what they 've done so therefore i ca n't support either candidate in this election . ' in december , ahead of the iowa caucuses , steve scheffler , president of the iowa faith and freedom coalition , said the romney campaign has a very deliberate plan to snub social conservatives . ' but this week in des moines , he had changed his tune , saying romney has proved that he has tried to make that outreach to social conservatives and economic conservatives and he 's done a good job in iowa . ' for catholic voters , it 's the first time they 've had a choice between two tickets -- each with a catholic on it . battleground blog : a deeper look inside the swing states in traditionally democratic dubuque , some catholic voters are split over issues such as abortion , funding for contraception and same-sex marriage . they disagree on how best to help the poor -- through government-run social programs or private charity . ( there are ) the life issues which most catholics hold dear and central to their faith , but then there 's this belief that remains that the democratic party somehow cares for the poor better . i think it somehow comes down to that tension , ' said dawn luekin , a catholic voter and member of st. joseph the worker parish in dubuque . she 's a fervid opponent of abortion , as is her mother , ellen markham , who said the top issues for her in this election are life and sanctity of marriage . ' both support romney . quiz : which jesus do you believe in ? at the village inn restaurant in dubuque , jenni , a catholic voter and obama supporter who did n't want to share her last name , said she was concerned about backlash from co-workers . she cast an early vote for obama this year . she 's pro-abortion rights and calls it one of the top issues for her in this election but maintains her religion does not affect her vote . 10 things you did n't know about iowa sue , a practicing catholic who also declined to give her last name , was eating a cheeseburger when we chatted with her at the village inn . she said it is hard to reconcile abortion with her religious beliefs but said she is supporting obama . i ca n't bring myself to just vote on that one issue . ' but for caroline koppes , who is catholic and an obama campaign volunteer in dubuque , it 's clear-cut . i just think we have got to get out of the bedrooms , and if we 're against big government and we are knocking on the doors of every bedroom that is ridiculous . ' romney 's vision for america then there are the coveted undecided voters , such as retiree lois nilles . she 's fed up with the partisan bickering in washington . she said she thinks obama has done a fairly good job ' considering tough opposition from republicans in congress , but as a practicing catholic she is bothered by his abortion-rights stance . obama 's vision for america complicating the president 's relationship with catholics in an election year , the u.s. conference of catholic bishops has been vocal in its opposition of the obama administration 's rule requiring health insurers to provide free contraceptive coverage . catholic teaching opposes contraception and considers some methods of contraception to be tantamount to abortion . nationwide , obama won 54 % of the catholic vote in 2008 and 26 % of the evangelical vote , according to the pew forum on religion & public life . those religious votes are key in iowa -- a battleground state with six electoral votes -- or as folks here call it , a purple state . ' election campaign ends with chess match in swing states | mitt romney has had challenges in iowa because of his history on social issues |
iowa <tsp> des moines , iowa ( cnn ) -- from church pews to cheeseburger joints , iowa 's faithful are a major prize in the political ground war raging between president barack obama and mitt romney . of the roughly 3 million iowans , about 30 % call themselves evangelical or catholic . fifty-seven percent of iowans who voted in the caucuses this year were evangelical christians . evangelicals overwhelmingly supported rick santorum over romney in the iowa caucuses , helping santorum squeeze out a slight victory in the final count . in des moines , evangelical christians flock to grace church , affiliated with the southern baptist convention , to talk faith , family and the presidential election . the evangelical voters we met strongly supported romney , but they also expressed a general unease about his moderate history on social issues such as abortion . obama , romney paths to victory cross in iowa ' his ( romney 's ) past positions in terms of abortion or in terms of his record in massachusetts -- it 's not been an easy choice to make either way , ' mwasi mwamba said . mwamba said he has no party affiliation and voted early . his wife , dawn , plans to vote for romney but said her religious beliefs do n't align with either candidate . i have to look at it , though i hate saying it this way , as the lesser of two evils if you will . ' the undecided evangelical : radical for jesus , dubious of romney sheri hess described herself as having a biblical worldview . ' hess plans to vote for romney this year but admitted his record on social issues concerns her . he 's definitely not a christian in my view , ' she said when asked if romney 's mormon faith plays into her vote . but she said she thinks he supports the christian beliefs she holds dear . one evangelical voter not supporting romney is mike pike . he wo n't vote for either candidate -- he 's not casting a ballot in a presidential election for the first time in his life . pike said the two non-negotiable issues for him are abortion and the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman . ohio : overwhelmed by ads obama and romney , he said , have failed on both of those . ' what a person says and what they do , when they 're two different things , i have to go by what they 've done so therefore i ca n't support either candidate in this election . ' in december , ahead of the iowa caucuses , steve scheffler , president of the iowa faith and freedom coalition , said the romney campaign has a very deliberate plan to snub social conservatives . ' but this week in des moines , he had changed his tune , saying romney has proved that he has tried to make that outreach to social conservatives and economic conservatives and he 's done a good job in iowa . ' for catholic voters , it 's the first time they 've had a choice between two tickets -- each with a catholic on it . battleground blog : a deeper look inside the swing states in traditionally democratic dubuque , some catholic voters are split over issues such as abortion , funding for contraception and same-sex marriage . they disagree on how best to help the poor -- through government-run social programs or private charity . ( there are ) the life issues which most catholics hold dear and central to their faith , but then there 's this belief that remains that the democratic party somehow cares for the poor better . i think it somehow comes down to that tension , ' said dawn luekin , a catholic voter and member of st. joseph the worker parish in dubuque . she 's a fervid opponent of abortion , as is her mother , ellen markham , who said the top issues for her in this election are life and sanctity of marriage . ' both support romney . quiz : which jesus do you believe in ? at the village inn restaurant in dubuque , jenni , a catholic voter and obama supporter who did n't want to share her last name , said she was concerned about backlash from co-workers . she cast an early vote for obama this year . she 's pro-abortion rights and calls it one of the top issues for her in this election but maintains her religion does not affect her vote . 10 things you did n't know about iowa sue , a practicing catholic who also declined to give her last name , was eating a cheeseburger when we chatted with her at the village inn . she said it is hard to reconcile abortion with her religious beliefs but said she is supporting obama . i ca n't bring myself to just vote on that one issue . ' but for caroline koppes , who is catholic and an obama campaign volunteer in dubuque , it 's clear-cut . i just think we have got to get out of the bedrooms , and if we 're against big government and we are knocking on the doors of every bedroom that is ridiculous . ' romney 's vision for america then there are the coveted undecided voters , such as retiree lois nilles . she 's fed up with the partisan bickering in washington . she said she thinks obama has done a fairly good job ' considering tough opposition from republicans in congress , but as a practicing catholic she is bothered by his abortion-rights stance . obama 's vision for america complicating the president 's relationship with catholics in an election year , the u.s. conference of catholic bishops has been vocal in its opposition of the obama administration 's rule requiring health insurers to provide free contraceptive coverage . catholic teaching opposes contraception and considers some methods of contraception to be tantamount to abortion . nationwide , obama won 54 % of the catholic vote in 2008 and 26 % of the evangelical vote , according to the pew forum on religion & public life . those religious votes are key in iowa -- a battleground state with six electoral votes -- or as folks here call it , a purple state . ' election campaign ends with chess match in swing states | president barack obama , who won iowa in 2008 , may have a tough time doing it again |
iowa <tsp> des moines , iowa ( cnn ) -- from church pews to cheeseburger joints , iowa 's faithful are a major prize in the political ground war raging between president barack obama and mitt romney . of the roughly 3 million iowans , about 30 % call themselves evangelical or catholic . fifty-seven percent of iowans who voted in the caucuses this year were evangelical christians . evangelicals overwhelmingly supported rick santorum over romney in the iowa caucuses , helping santorum squeeze out a slight victory in the final count . in des moines , evangelical christians flock to grace church , affiliated with the southern baptist convention , to talk faith , family and the presidential election . the evangelical voters we met strongly supported romney , but they also expressed a general unease about his moderate history on social issues such as abortion . obama , romney paths to victory cross in iowa ' his ( romney 's ) past positions in terms of abortion or in terms of his record in massachusetts -- it 's not been an easy choice to make either way , ' mwasi mwamba said . mwamba said he has no party affiliation and voted early . his wife , dawn , plans to vote for romney but said her religious beliefs do n't align with either candidate . i have to look at it , though i hate saying it this way , as the lesser of two evils if you will . ' the undecided evangelical : radical for jesus , dubious of romney sheri hess described herself as having a biblical worldview . ' hess plans to vote for romney this year but admitted his record on social issues concerns her . he 's definitely not a christian in my view , ' she said when asked if romney 's mormon faith plays into her vote . but she said she thinks he supports the christian beliefs she holds dear . one evangelical voter not supporting romney is mike pike . he wo n't vote for either candidate -- he 's not casting a ballot in a presidential election for the first time in his life . pike said the two non-negotiable issues for him are abortion and the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman . ohio : overwhelmed by ads obama and romney , he said , have failed on both of those . ' what a person says and what they do , when they 're two different things , i have to go by what they 've done so therefore i ca n't support either candidate in this election . ' in december , ahead of the iowa caucuses , steve scheffler , president of the iowa faith and freedom coalition , said the romney campaign has a very deliberate plan to snub social conservatives . ' but this week in des moines , he had changed his tune , saying romney has proved that he has tried to make that outreach to social conservatives and economic conservatives and he 's done a good job in iowa . ' for catholic voters , it 's the first time they 've had a choice between two tickets -- each with a catholic on it . battleground blog : a deeper look inside the swing states in traditionally democratic dubuque , some catholic voters are split over issues such as abortion , funding for contraception and same-sex marriage . they disagree on how best to help the poor -- through government-run social programs or private charity . ( there are ) the life issues which most catholics hold dear and central to their faith , but then there 's this belief that remains that the democratic party somehow cares for the poor better . i think it somehow comes down to that tension , ' said dawn luekin , a catholic voter and member of st. joseph the worker parish in dubuque . she 's a fervid opponent of abortion , as is her mother , ellen markham , who said the top issues for her in this election are life and sanctity of marriage . ' both support romney . quiz : which jesus do you believe in ? at the village inn restaurant in dubuque , jenni , a catholic voter and obama supporter who did n't want to share her last name , said she was concerned about backlash from co-workers . she cast an early vote for obama this year . she 's pro-abortion rights and calls it one of the top issues for her in this election but maintains her religion does not affect her vote . 10 things you did n't know about iowa sue , a practicing catholic who also declined to give her last name , was eating a cheeseburger when we chatted with her at the village inn . she said it is hard to reconcile abortion with her religious beliefs but said she is supporting obama . i ca n't bring myself to just vote on that one issue . ' but for caroline koppes , who is catholic and an obama campaign volunteer in dubuque , it 's clear-cut . i just think we have got to get out of the bedrooms , and if we 're against big government and we are knocking on the doors of every bedroom that is ridiculous . ' romney 's vision for america then there are the coveted undecided voters , such as retiree lois nilles . she 's fed up with the partisan bickering in washington . she said she thinks obama has done a fairly good job ' considering tough opposition from republicans in congress , but as a practicing catholic she is bothered by his abortion-rights stance . obama 's vision for america complicating the president 's relationship with catholics in an election year , the u.s. conference of catholic bishops has been vocal in its opposition of the obama administration 's rule requiring health insurers to provide free contraceptive coverage . catholic teaching opposes contraception and considers some methods of contraception to be tantamount to abortion . nationwide , obama won 54 % of the catholic vote in 2008 and 26 % of the evangelical vote , according to the pew forum on religion & public life . those religious votes are key in iowa -- a battleground state with six electoral votes -- or as folks here call it , a purple state . ' election campaign ends with chess match in swing states | a battleground state , iowa with its six electoral votes may be key in the presidential election |
illinois <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a tennessee compounding pharmacy on probation has voluntarily recalled an anti-inflammatory steroid injection in at least 11 states after seven patients developed abscesses in north carolina and illinois , officials said friday . state and federal health organizations are investigating main street family pharmacy , llc , in newbern , tennessee , and its preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate , or mpa , a steroid product used for a range of conditions . the pharmacy is currently on probation as a result of a recent inspection , ' the tennessee department of health said in a statement . the agency did n't provide further details . the tennessee board of pharmacy licensed the compounding pharmacy in 1985 , the state health agency said . it was licensed as a manufacturer/wholesaler/distributor in 2010 , the state agency said . officials with the compounding pharmacy could n't be immediately reached for comment friday . cooperating with authorities , the pharmacy has voluntarily recalled all of its sterile products , including mpa , authorities said . no cases of meningitis or other life-threatening infections have been reported , authorities said . health officials believe , in reviewing preliminary information about when the material could have been appropriately used , there is not an ongoing risk to those now needing treatments , ' the tennessee health agency said . melthyprednisone acetate is an injectable form of a popular steroid medication and is used to treat inflammation throughout the body . it 's most commonly used to treat arthritic joint pain , but can also be used for other conditions like allergic reactions , sports-related injuries , immune system disorders , certain cancers and various other types of inflammatory diseases . in the wake of the recent complications , the food and drug administration and tennessee health officials began inspecting the facility on wednesday . the pharmacy staff and management have been cooperative , ' the state health agency said . the pharmacy has agreed to stop sterile compounding pending resolution of the current investigation . ' five people in illinois developed abscesses after receiving injections of mpa , state health authorities said . all five illinois patients received the shots at logan primary care clinic in herrin between january 3 and february 21 , officials said . two people in north carolina developed complications after receiving the injections at a clinic in greenville , state health officials said . the pharmacy shipped mpa to a total of three north carolina clinics : carolina arthritis center in pitt county , bailey family practice center in nash county , and shallote medical center in brunswick county . state and local health officials are now working with those three facilities . illinois health authorities said that one of the cases in north carolina indicates a fungal infection as the cause of an abscess that developed after injection with mpa from the compounding pharmacy . ' north carolina authorities said skin abscesses have been the complications identified so far . the tennessee pharmacy has agreed to voluntary surrender its north carolina pharmacy license , ' according to a statement by north carolina board of pharmacy and the north carolina department of health and human services . besides illinois and north carolina , the tennessee pharmacy has distributed the steroid injection to nine more states : alabama , arkansas , california , florida , kentucky , louisiana , mississippi , new mexico , and south carolina . cnn 's matt sloane contributed to this report . | five people in illinois develop abscesses ; two complications develop in north carolina |
north korea <tsp> pyongyang , north korea ( cnn ) -- it really does n't look like much , this mission control . about a dozen tables with monitors , men in the standard issue white lab coats . but this is north korea 's nerve center . from here scientists will be able to monitor their rocket when they try to fire a satellite into orbit . our government minders have brought us here to the outskirts of the capital pyongyang . it is all about access , this secretive regime opening its doors to the world 's media -- cnn included -- to answer one question : is this a missile or a satellite ? the head of the control center is huddled into a corner of the room , a crush of cameras around him . i manage to squeeze through to the front , literally straddling the sitting reporter in front of me . rocket fueling under way ' after all your denials that this is not a missile test , i ask , why does the united states not believe you ? ' my question brings a wry smile to his lips . the united states people are very confused , ' he says . the u.s. says basically you 're lying , why should they trust you ' ? i ask . this is why we have invited you here , ' he replies before adding that he hopes the media can become supporters of the north korean cause . independent analysts though are still not totally convinced . they point to the technology itself . the rocket could easily be used for a missile as well as a satellite . potentially yes , it can carry a warhead , ' says russian space policy expert yuri karash . the nuclear warhead can be the same size as a suitcase ( so ) it is possible to deliver it , but in this case i believe it is a satellite , ' . han park is a north korean specialist from the university of georgia in the united states , and he 's also been invited as an observer by pyongyang . he says this is all about trust . he trusts them but he does have questions . is it a satellite or a missile ? ultimately it is n't about science , but the motives of north korea , ' he says . there 's a lot riding on this rocket launch . it has essentially scuttled a much needed food aid deal with the united states and is raising tensions in an already volatile korean peninsula . but in the last few days it has become clear that this is not just about technology , this is a spiritual quest , this is about honoring the memory of the founding father of the nation , kim il sung . this week north koreans mark 100 years since his birth . when the rocket reaches for the skies , the people here will praise a man they see as a god . | north korea insists the rocket will launch a satellite into space |
whitaker <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the political culture in arizona , my home state , is often coarse , racialized and divisive . president barack obama 's visit there tuesday gave the world another opportunity to see it . at times it seems as though the most bigoted individuals in america 's 48th state save their most raucous and prejudiced behavior for the 44th president . the arizona republic reported that hundreds of dissenters chose to model their insulting and extremist behavior before some of phoenix 's youngest residents . assembled outside desert vista high school , they mocked obama 's race , singing bye bye black sheep ' in spirited synchronization . one patriot ' went so far as to deprecate our commander in chief by pronouncing him 47 percent negro , ' while another , deanne bartram , held a sign that read , impeach the half-white muslim ! ' obama chose desert vista , home to some of phoenix 's best and brightest students , to present his ideas for repairing america 's ailing mortgage finance apparatus . some activists assembled to plead with the president to take more aggressive steps to combat climate change , such as renouncing the keystone xl oil pipeline . nevertheless , the overwhelming disposition of the angry horde was openly reminiscent of the jim crow south . one of the most disturbing aspects of the anti-obama protest was the inclination of some participants to fault the president for increased racial tensions . we have gone back so many years , ' judy burris told the republic , insisting that obama 's presence and policies have engendered a racist backlash . he 's divided all the races . i hate him for that . ' this mind-bending perspective has become one of the leitmotifs of the racialized anti-obama movement , which laments regressive race relations , but which attributes increased racial tensions in obama 's disruptive ' and exotic ' presence , rather than their own racial stereotypes , hateful rhetoric and divisive behavior . despite myriad efforts to foster civil dialogue in arizona , the state has proven to be fertile ground for the kind of chauvinistic crusading that greeted obama this week . the idea that obama has divided the races is farcical . as i wrote in a republic essay in march , time magazine announced the selection of obama as its person of the 2012 year ( for a second time ) because , as richard stengel argued in his editorial preface , we are in the midst of historic cultural and demographic changes , and obama is both the symbol and in some ways the architect of this new america . ' obama deserved credit , he wrote , for finding and forging a new majority , for turning weakness into opportunity and for seeking , amid great adversity , to create a more perfect union . ' however , nearly five years into obama 's presidency , the politics of hope , optimism and racial equality that his campaign and election inspired have bumped into a new political reality marked by economic challenges , political acrimony and disillusionment . the resulting political backlash has triggered rancorous and racially charged clashes . the rowdy gathering outside desert vista underscored the nature of race relations in the obama age -- evolving but oddly static in some ways -- and the particularly bigoted shades of anti-obama emotion in arizona . if the age of obama prophesied a more progressive , multifaceted and refined dialogue about american race relations , the vision has not been realized . rather , many americans , particularly xenophobic cliques such as the ones on display in my state , have recoiled back to a pre-civil rights-era temperament and increasingly overt racist outbursts . as brazen as those in the desert vista crowd were , they are merely the most belligerent and public face of a legion of racist anti-obama persons . these more discreet individuals are smart enough to cloak their racialized opposition in obstructionist maneuvering and public policy that does more damage to the lives of people of color than prejudiced banter . still , the desert vista protest should give everyone pause and put us on high alert . the racist rhetoric heard there reflects inner beliefs and fears that have tremendous potential to do great harm . arizona leaders would be remiss in dismissing it as fringe . ' as civil rights activist pauli murray once cautioned , racism is like a deadly snake coiled and ready to strike , and one only avoids its dangers by never-ending watchfulness . ' the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of matthew whitaker . | matthew c. whitaker : obama 's appearance at arizona school brought out racist protesters |
whitaker <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the political culture in arizona , my home state , is often coarse , racialized and divisive . president barack obama 's visit there tuesday gave the world another opportunity to see it . at times it seems as though the most bigoted individuals in america 's 48th state save their most raucous and prejudiced behavior for the 44th president . the arizona republic reported that hundreds of dissenters chose to model their insulting and extremist behavior before some of phoenix 's youngest residents . assembled outside desert vista high school , they mocked obama 's race , singing bye bye black sheep ' in spirited synchronization . one patriot ' went so far as to deprecate our commander in chief by pronouncing him 47 percent negro , ' while another , deanne bartram , held a sign that read , impeach the half-white muslim ! ' obama chose desert vista , home to some of phoenix 's best and brightest students , to present his ideas for repairing america 's ailing mortgage finance apparatus . some activists assembled to plead with the president to take more aggressive steps to combat climate change , such as renouncing the keystone xl oil pipeline . nevertheless , the overwhelming disposition of the angry horde was openly reminiscent of the jim crow south . one of the most disturbing aspects of the anti-obama protest was the inclination of some participants to fault the president for increased racial tensions . we have gone back so many years , ' judy burris told the republic , insisting that obama 's presence and policies have engendered a racist backlash . he 's divided all the races . i hate him for that . ' this mind-bending perspective has become one of the leitmotifs of the racialized anti-obama movement , which laments regressive race relations , but which attributes increased racial tensions in obama 's disruptive ' and exotic ' presence , rather than their own racial stereotypes , hateful rhetoric and divisive behavior . despite myriad efforts to foster civil dialogue in arizona , the state has proven to be fertile ground for the kind of chauvinistic crusading that greeted obama this week . the idea that obama has divided the races is farcical . as i wrote in a republic essay in march , time magazine announced the selection of obama as its person of the 2012 year ( for a second time ) because , as richard stengel argued in his editorial preface , we are in the midst of historic cultural and demographic changes , and obama is both the symbol and in some ways the architect of this new america . ' obama deserved credit , he wrote , for finding and forging a new majority , for turning weakness into opportunity and for seeking , amid great adversity , to create a more perfect union . ' however , nearly five years into obama 's presidency , the politics of hope , optimism and racial equality that his campaign and election inspired have bumped into a new political reality marked by economic challenges , political acrimony and disillusionment . the resulting political backlash has triggered rancorous and racially charged clashes . the rowdy gathering outside desert vista underscored the nature of race relations in the obama age -- evolving but oddly static in some ways -- and the particularly bigoted shades of anti-obama emotion in arizona . if the age of obama prophesied a more progressive , multifaceted and refined dialogue about american race relations , the vision has not been realized . rather , many americans , particularly xenophobic cliques such as the ones on display in my state , have recoiled back to a pre-civil rights-era temperament and increasingly overt racist outbursts . as brazen as those in the desert vista crowd were , they are merely the most belligerent and public face of a legion of racist anti-obama persons . these more discreet individuals are smart enough to cloak their racialized opposition in obstructionist maneuvering and public policy that does more damage to the lives of people of color than prejudiced banter . still , the desert vista protest should give everyone pause and put us on high alert . the racist rhetoric heard there reflects inner beliefs and fears that have tremendous potential to do great harm . arizona leaders would be remiss in dismissing it as fringe . ' as civil rights activist pauli murray once cautioned , racism is like a deadly snake coiled and ready to strike , and one only avoids its dangers by never-ending watchfulness . ' the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of matthew whitaker . | protesters blame obama for race tension , but his detractors promulgate it , whitaker says |
whitaker <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the political culture in arizona , my home state , is often coarse , racialized and divisive . president barack obama 's visit there tuesday gave the world another opportunity to see it . at times it seems as though the most bigoted individuals in america 's 48th state save their most raucous and prejudiced behavior for the 44th president . the arizona republic reported that hundreds of dissenters chose to model their insulting and extremist behavior before some of phoenix 's youngest residents . assembled outside desert vista high school , they mocked obama 's race , singing bye bye black sheep ' in spirited synchronization . one patriot ' went so far as to deprecate our commander in chief by pronouncing him 47 percent negro , ' while another , deanne bartram , held a sign that read , impeach the half-white muslim ! ' obama chose desert vista , home to some of phoenix 's best and brightest students , to present his ideas for repairing america 's ailing mortgage finance apparatus . some activists assembled to plead with the president to take more aggressive steps to combat climate change , such as renouncing the keystone xl oil pipeline . nevertheless , the overwhelming disposition of the angry horde was openly reminiscent of the jim crow south . one of the most disturbing aspects of the anti-obama protest was the inclination of some participants to fault the president for increased racial tensions . we have gone back so many years , ' judy burris told the republic , insisting that obama 's presence and policies have engendered a racist backlash . he 's divided all the races . i hate him for that . ' this mind-bending perspective has become one of the leitmotifs of the racialized anti-obama movement , which laments regressive race relations , but which attributes increased racial tensions in obama 's disruptive ' and exotic ' presence , rather than their own racial stereotypes , hateful rhetoric and divisive behavior . despite myriad efforts to foster civil dialogue in arizona , the state has proven to be fertile ground for the kind of chauvinistic crusading that greeted obama this week . the idea that obama has divided the races is farcical . as i wrote in a republic essay in march , time magazine announced the selection of obama as its person of the 2012 year ( for a second time ) because , as richard stengel argued in his editorial preface , we are in the midst of historic cultural and demographic changes , and obama is both the symbol and in some ways the architect of this new america . ' obama deserved credit , he wrote , for finding and forging a new majority , for turning weakness into opportunity and for seeking , amid great adversity , to create a more perfect union . ' however , nearly five years into obama 's presidency , the politics of hope , optimism and racial equality that his campaign and election inspired have bumped into a new political reality marked by economic challenges , political acrimony and disillusionment . the resulting political backlash has triggered rancorous and racially charged clashes . the rowdy gathering outside desert vista underscored the nature of race relations in the obama age -- evolving but oddly static in some ways -- and the particularly bigoted shades of anti-obama emotion in arizona . if the age of obama prophesied a more progressive , multifaceted and refined dialogue about american race relations , the vision has not been realized . rather , many americans , particularly xenophobic cliques such as the ones on display in my state , have recoiled back to a pre-civil rights-era temperament and increasingly overt racist outbursts . as brazen as those in the desert vista crowd were , they are merely the most belligerent and public face of a legion of racist anti-obama persons . these more discreet individuals are smart enough to cloak their racialized opposition in obstructionist maneuvering and public policy that does more damage to the lives of people of color than prejudiced banter . still , the desert vista protest should give everyone pause and put us on high alert . the racist rhetoric heard there reflects inner beliefs and fears that have tremendous potential to do great harm . arizona leaders would be remiss in dismissing it as fringe . ' as civil rights activist pauli murray once cautioned , racism is like a deadly snake coiled and ready to strike , and one only avoids its dangers by never-ending watchfulness . ' the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of matthew whitaker . | whitaker : arizona protesters were loud , but such racism is ubiquitous , should worry us all |
omar al-bashir <tsp> khartoum , sudan ( cnn ) -- iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad lashed out monday at the powers of arrogance , ' saying that both sudan and iran were subject to pressures ' from the west because of their political positions . they pressure sudan and iran ; why ? because we stand against the powers of arrogance , ' ahmadinejad said during a visit to khartoum . speaking to a crowd of cheering youths , students and supporters in khartoum 's friendship hall , ahmadinejad criticized europe and the united states for what he described as the stealing ' of africa 's wealth . they stole the riches of africa , ' he said . despite this wealth , we see poverty and deprivation . ' ahmadinejad arrived in khartoum monday morning on his way back to iran after speaking to the united nations general assembly in new york , and after a brief stop in mauritania . western delegates walked out of his speech at the u.n.after he repeatedly condemned the united states and said some countries use the holocaust as an excuse to pay ransom ... to zionists . ' they do n't want to see sudan strong so they pressured it into a referendum , ' he said , in reference to the south sudan referendum that led to the independence of south sudan last july . could there be a referendum in europe , in the basque ( region of spain ) and other areas ? ' he asked . i am sure if there was a neutral referendum in the u.s. , some states would secede from the u.s. , ' he continued . the waves of consciences have started especially in the muslim lands , ' he said , in reference to the popular revolutions that have sprung out in the arab world . earlier , ahmadinejad and sudanese president omar al-bashir met , along with a large team of ministers from both countries . we are looking for more economic cooperation with sisterly iran , ' al-bashir said in a meeting . we confirm our support for iran 's right to develop its nuclear technology for peaceful purposes , ' he added . in a joint statement by both governments , iran stated that it was ready to transfer its experience in the science and manufacturing sectors , especially technical and engineering services , to improve sudan 's infrastructure . ' | sudan 's omar al-bashir supports iran 's nuclear program for peaceful purposes ' |
iran <tsp> khartoum , sudan ( cnn ) -- iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad lashed out monday at the powers of arrogance , ' saying that both sudan and iran were subject to pressures ' from the west because of their political positions . they pressure sudan and iran ; why ? because we stand against the powers of arrogance , ' ahmadinejad said during a visit to khartoum . speaking to a crowd of cheering youths , students and supporters in khartoum 's friendship hall , ahmadinejad criticized europe and the united states for what he described as the stealing ' of africa 's wealth . they stole the riches of africa , ' he said . despite this wealth , we see poverty and deprivation . ' ahmadinejad arrived in khartoum monday morning on his way back to iran after speaking to the united nations general assembly in new york , and after a brief stop in mauritania . western delegates walked out of his speech at the u.n.after he repeatedly condemned the united states and said some countries use the holocaust as an excuse to pay ransom ... to zionists . ' they do n't want to see sudan strong so they pressured it into a referendum , ' he said , in reference to the south sudan referendum that led to the independence of south sudan last july . could there be a referendum in europe , in the basque ( region of spain ) and other areas ? ' he asked . i am sure if there was a neutral referendum in the u.s. , some states would secede from the u.s. , ' he continued . the waves of consciences have started especially in the muslim lands , ' he said , in reference to the popular revolutions that have sprung out in the arab world . earlier , ahmadinejad and sudanese president omar al-bashir met , along with a large team of ministers from both countries . we are looking for more economic cooperation with sisterly iran , ' al-bashir said in a meeting . we confirm our support for iran 's right to develop its nuclear technology for peaceful purposes , ' he added . in a joint statement by both governments , iran stated that it was ready to transfer its experience in the science and manufacturing sectors , especially technical and engineering services , to improve sudan 's infrastructure . ' | sudan 's omar al-bashir supports iran 's nuclear program for peaceful purposes ' |
clijsters <tsp> ( cnn ) -- caroline wozniacki has regained the women 's world number one ranking from belgium 's kim clijsters , after beating shahar peer to reach the semifinals of the dubai tennis championships on friday . the dane eased past the ninth seed 6-2 6-4 , and will now replace australian open champion clijsters when the new wta rankings are published on monday . clijsters , who skipped the hard-court event in the united arab emirates , will have held the number one ranking for just seven days . the 27-year-old rose to the top spot again -- having first done so in 2003 -- when she reached the last four of the paris open , but left wozniacki with a chance to reclaim the position when she lost to petra kvitova in the final . cnn blog : can murray become a grand slam champion ? the 20-year-old wozniacki will now remain at the top of the rankings at least until after the u.s. tournament in indian wells which starts on march 23 . however , the 2009 u.s. open finalist -- who is yet to win a grand slam title -- insisted winning tournaments is more important to her than being no . 1 . i 've said all along i was n't sure about whether i could become number one this week , and that my focus really is not upon that , ' she told reporters . for the moment it 's more important to concentrate on what i have to do and try to win the tournament . ' her achievement was marked in a much more low-key fashion then when she became the 20th woman in history to reach the summit in october last year . due to fears over the safety of peer -- who became the first woman from israel to play in the arab state in 2010 -- the match was played on a remote outside court with few spectators and heavy security , where there were no on-court celebrations . next up for wozniacki will be serbian former world no . 1 jelena jankovic , who defeated australian fourth seed sam stosur of australia in three closely-contested sets . sixth seed jankovic eventually triumphed 6-3 5-7 7-6 ( 7-4 ) against world no . 5 and french open runner-up stosur . in the other half of the draw , two-time grand slam champion svetlana kuznetsova of russia beat polish eighth seed agnieszka radwanska 7-6 ( 9-7 ) 6-3 in the penultimate quarterfinal . the russian will next face italian 11th seed flavia pennetta , who thrashed russia 's alisa kleybanova 6-2 6-0 in the late match . elsewhere , at the men 's marseille open , swedish top seed and world no . 4 robin soderling progressed to the semifinals with an easy straight-sets win over france 's michael llodra . the two-time french open finalist came through 6-1 6-4 , and will next play dmitry tursunov after the russian defeated austrian fourth seed jurgen melzer 6-4 2-6 6-1 in friday 's closing match . in the other half of the draw of the atp world tour hard-court tournament , world no . 7 and wimbledon runner-up tomas berdych was knocked out by croatia 's marin cilic . the former world number nine swept aside his czech opponent 6-3 6-4 to book his place in the semifinals of the french event , where he will face third seed mikhail youzhny . the russian ended home hopes with a 6-4 2-6 6-4 win over sixth seed jo-wilfried tsonga . | denmark 's caroline wozniacki is set to replace kim clijsters as world no . 1 |
clijsters <tsp> ( cnn ) -- caroline wozniacki has regained the women 's world number one ranking from belgium 's kim clijsters , after beating shahar peer to reach the semifinals of the dubai tennis championships on friday . the dane eased past the ninth seed 6-2 6-4 , and will now replace australian open champion clijsters when the new wta rankings are published on monday . clijsters , who skipped the hard-court event in the united arab emirates , will have held the number one ranking for just seven days . the 27-year-old rose to the top spot again -- having first done so in 2003 -- when she reached the last four of the paris open , but left wozniacki with a chance to reclaim the position when she lost to petra kvitova in the final . cnn blog : can murray become a grand slam champion ? the 20-year-old wozniacki will now remain at the top of the rankings at least until after the u.s. tournament in indian wells which starts on march 23 . however , the 2009 u.s. open finalist -- who is yet to win a grand slam title -- insisted winning tournaments is more important to her than being no . 1 . i 've said all along i was n't sure about whether i could become number one this week , and that my focus really is not upon that , ' she told reporters . for the moment it 's more important to concentrate on what i have to do and try to win the tournament . ' her achievement was marked in a much more low-key fashion then when she became the 20th woman in history to reach the summit in october last year . due to fears over the safety of peer -- who became the first woman from israel to play in the arab state in 2010 -- the match was played on a remote outside court with few spectators and heavy security , where there were no on-court celebrations . next up for wozniacki will be serbian former world no . 1 jelena jankovic , who defeated australian fourth seed sam stosur of australia in three closely-contested sets . sixth seed jankovic eventually triumphed 6-3 5-7 7-6 ( 7-4 ) against world no . 5 and french open runner-up stosur . in the other half of the draw , two-time grand slam champion svetlana kuznetsova of russia beat polish eighth seed agnieszka radwanska 7-6 ( 9-7 ) 6-3 in the penultimate quarterfinal . the russian will next face italian 11th seed flavia pennetta , who thrashed russia 's alisa kleybanova 6-2 6-0 in the late match . elsewhere , at the men 's marseille open , swedish top seed and world no . 4 robin soderling progressed to the semifinals with an easy straight-sets win over france 's michael llodra . the two-time french open finalist came through 6-1 6-4 , and will next play dmitry tursunov after the russian defeated austrian fourth seed jurgen melzer 6-4 2-6 6-1 in friday 's closing match . in the other half of the draw of the atp world tour hard-court tournament , world no . 7 and wimbledon runner-up tomas berdych was knocked out by croatia 's marin cilic . the former world number nine swept aside his czech opponent 6-3 6-4 to book his place in the semifinals of the french event , where he will face third seed mikhail youzhny . the russian ended home hopes with a 6-4 2-6 6-4 win over sixth seed jo-wilfried tsonga . | clijsters has been there for only a week after reaching final of paris event |
disabilities act <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- president barack obama commemorated monday 's 20th anniversary of the americans with disabilities act by signing an executive order to increase government employment of disabled people . not dependence but independence : that 's what the ada was all about , ' obama said at a white house reception attended by several hundred guests , including cabinet members , legislators and activists for the disabled . the law , which president george h.w . bush signed july 26 , 1990 , is credited with smashing barriers and creating opportunities for the disabled in a nation where more than 3 million people 15 and older use wheelchairs . it prohibits discrimination against disabled people , guaranteeing them equal opportunity in employment , transportation , government services and other areas . although some critics say the act can be burdensome , costly and an overextension of the government 's authority over the private sector , others say it could be stronger . the executive order signed by obama calls for strategic planning , mandatory training and other steps to increase federal hiring of people with disabilities . in addition , obama said , the department of justice was publishing rules to prohibit disability-based discrimination by state and local governments as well as private businesses . he called the 1990 law one of the most comprehensive civil rights bills in the history of this country ' and cited examples of people who faced discrimination for their disabilities or overcame them . when told you ca n't , you responded with that age-old american creed ,'yes , we can ,' obama said ; applause and cheers greeted his 2008 campaign theme . the outdoor commemoration featured a presentation in sign language by actress marlee matlin , who starred in the film children of a lesser god , ' and musical performances by nathaniel anthony ayers , the subject of the film the soloist , ' and patti labelle . also monday , democratic rep. james langevin of rhode island , who is a quadriplegic , became the first person in a wheelchair to preside over the house of representatives . langevin , who was paralyzed as a teenager , credits the community support he received after his injury with inspiring him to go into public service . | president obama celebrates the americans with disabilities act |
loughner <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a federal appeals court in san francisco has temporarily halted the forced medication of tucson shooting defendant jared loughner until a three-judge panel can hear competing arguments from his lawyers and prosecutors by mid-week . loughner is charged with seriously wounding u.s. rep. gabrielle giffords in a january rampage that also left six others dead . the brief order from a three-judge panel of the 9th circuit u.s. court of appeals set a tight deadline for lawyers from both sides to file more detailed legal briefs . the federal government has until 5 p.m. pt wednesday to argue the involuntary medication should continue . loughner 's lawyers had appealed friday an earlier ruling allowing prison doctors to forcibly medicate him with strong drugs . the appeals judges will decide whether to issue a permanent order that could extend the ban on forced medication , or allow the procedure to resume . there was no indication how soon the panel would rule . last week , a federal judge in san diego rejected a motion by lawyers for loughner to prevent prison doctors from forcibly medicating the arizona shooting suspect . i defer to medical judgment , ' u.s. district judge larry alan burns said in ruling that prison doctors were within their rights to force loughner to take mind-altering psychotropic drugs against his will . i have no reason to disagree with the doctors here . ' burns also ordered that sensitive medical and legal documents relating to loughner 's treatment for mental illness remain sealed . loughner has already started receiving the powerful drugs , and lawyers representing loughner contend that forcing him to take the drugs against his will violates his rights . authorities at the u.s. medical center for federal prisoners in springfield , missouri , where loughner is being held , should have tried lesser restraints such as milder tranquilizers , argued reuben camper cahn , one of loughner 's lawyers . prosecutors responded in last week 's hearing that prison officials acted properly in ordering the medication , which they said was necessary for loughner to control his mental illness . this is a person who is a ticking time bomb , ' prosecutor wallace kleindienst said . he 's lunged at his defense counsel and spits at her . ' loughner , 22 , is charged in the january mass shooting in which six people were killed and 13 wounded , including giffords , in front of a safeway grocery story in tucson , arizona . a federal judge ruled last month that loughner was not competent to stand trial , and he was sent to the federal facility in springfield . loughner 's lawyers said prison officials held a deficient hearing process and used faulty reasoning in deciding to drug loughner against his will . for example , loughner had no attorney present at the june 14 hearing , the lawyers said in their motion , and officials failed to state the drug and dosage he should receive . according to the emergency motion filed last month , authorities had earlier assessed loughner as dangerous because of incidents before his transfer to the springfield prison : he threw a chair against a door and spat at an attorney . however , the reasoning by prison officials in springfield for deciding to administer the drugs was to treat loughner 's mental illness , rather than to subdue any dangerous behavior , the motion said . prosecutors had argued in their response that loughner received a proper administrative hearing on the matter , and the medication prescribed was necessary to prevent him from being a danger to himself and others . cnn 's bill mears and michael martinez contributed to this report . | last week , loughner 's attorney lost a motion asking for a halt to the forced medication |
loughner <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a federal appeals court in san francisco has temporarily halted the forced medication of tucson shooting defendant jared loughner until a three-judge panel can hear competing arguments from his lawyers and prosecutors by mid-week . loughner is charged with seriously wounding u.s. rep. gabrielle giffords in a january rampage that also left six others dead . the brief order from a three-judge panel of the 9th circuit u.s. court of appeals set a tight deadline for lawyers from both sides to file more detailed legal briefs . the federal government has until 5 p.m. pt wednesday to argue the involuntary medication should continue . loughner 's lawyers had appealed friday an earlier ruling allowing prison doctors to forcibly medicate him with strong drugs . the appeals judges will decide whether to issue a permanent order that could extend the ban on forced medication , or allow the procedure to resume . there was no indication how soon the panel would rule . last week , a federal judge in san diego rejected a motion by lawyers for loughner to prevent prison doctors from forcibly medicating the arizona shooting suspect . i defer to medical judgment , ' u.s. district judge larry alan burns said in ruling that prison doctors were within their rights to force loughner to take mind-altering psychotropic drugs against his will . i have no reason to disagree with the doctors here . ' burns also ordered that sensitive medical and legal documents relating to loughner 's treatment for mental illness remain sealed . loughner has already started receiving the powerful drugs , and lawyers representing loughner contend that forcing him to take the drugs against his will violates his rights . authorities at the u.s. medical center for federal prisoners in springfield , missouri , where loughner is being held , should have tried lesser restraints such as milder tranquilizers , argued reuben camper cahn , one of loughner 's lawyers . prosecutors responded in last week 's hearing that prison officials acted properly in ordering the medication , which they said was necessary for loughner to control his mental illness . this is a person who is a ticking time bomb , ' prosecutor wallace kleindienst said . he 's lunged at his defense counsel and spits at her . ' loughner , 22 , is charged in the january mass shooting in which six people were killed and 13 wounded , including giffords , in front of a safeway grocery story in tucson , arizona . a federal judge ruled last month that loughner was not competent to stand trial , and he was sent to the federal facility in springfield . loughner 's lawyers said prison officials held a deficient hearing process and used faulty reasoning in deciding to drug loughner against his will . for example , loughner had no attorney present at the june 14 hearing , the lawyers said in their motion , and officials failed to state the drug and dosage he should receive . according to the emergency motion filed last month , authorities had earlier assessed loughner as dangerous because of incidents before his transfer to the springfield prison : he threw a chair against a door and spat at an attorney . however , the reasoning by prison officials in springfield for deciding to administer the drugs was to treat loughner 's mental illness , rather than to subdue any dangerous behavior , the motion said . prosecutors had argued in their response that loughner received a proper administrative hearing on the matter , and the medication prescribed was necessary to prevent him from being a danger to himself and others . cnn 's bill mears and michael martinez contributed to this report . | loughner should have received milder tranquilizers , his attorneys argued |
loughner <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a federal appeals court in san francisco has temporarily halted the forced medication of tucson shooting defendant jared loughner until a three-judge panel can hear competing arguments from his lawyers and prosecutors by mid-week . loughner is charged with seriously wounding u.s. rep. gabrielle giffords in a january rampage that also left six others dead . the brief order from a three-judge panel of the 9th circuit u.s. court of appeals set a tight deadline for lawyers from both sides to file more detailed legal briefs . the federal government has until 5 p.m. pt wednesday to argue the involuntary medication should continue . loughner 's lawyers had appealed friday an earlier ruling allowing prison doctors to forcibly medicate him with strong drugs . the appeals judges will decide whether to issue a permanent order that could extend the ban on forced medication , or allow the procedure to resume . there was no indication how soon the panel would rule . last week , a federal judge in san diego rejected a motion by lawyers for loughner to prevent prison doctors from forcibly medicating the arizona shooting suspect . i defer to medical judgment , ' u.s. district judge larry alan burns said in ruling that prison doctors were within their rights to force loughner to take mind-altering psychotropic drugs against his will . i have no reason to disagree with the doctors here . ' burns also ordered that sensitive medical and legal documents relating to loughner 's treatment for mental illness remain sealed . loughner has already started receiving the powerful drugs , and lawyers representing loughner contend that forcing him to take the drugs against his will violates his rights . authorities at the u.s. medical center for federal prisoners in springfield , missouri , where loughner is being held , should have tried lesser restraints such as milder tranquilizers , argued reuben camper cahn , one of loughner 's lawyers . prosecutors responded in last week 's hearing that prison officials acted properly in ordering the medication , which they said was necessary for loughner to control his mental illness . this is a person who is a ticking time bomb , ' prosecutor wallace kleindienst said . he 's lunged at his defense counsel and spits at her . ' loughner , 22 , is charged in the january mass shooting in which six people were killed and 13 wounded , including giffords , in front of a safeway grocery story in tucson , arizona . a federal judge ruled last month that loughner was not competent to stand trial , and he was sent to the federal facility in springfield . loughner 's lawyers said prison officials held a deficient hearing process and used faulty reasoning in deciding to drug loughner against his will . for example , loughner had no attorney present at the june 14 hearing , the lawyers said in their motion , and officials failed to state the drug and dosage he should receive . according to the emergency motion filed last month , authorities had earlier assessed loughner as dangerous because of incidents before his transfer to the springfield prison : he threw a chair against a door and spat at an attorney . however , the reasoning by prison officials in springfield for deciding to administer the drugs was to treat loughner 's mental illness , rather than to subdue any dangerous behavior , the motion said . prosecutors had argued in their response that loughner received a proper administrative hearing on the matter , and the medication prescribed was necessary to prevent him from being a danger to himself and others . cnn 's bill mears and michael martinez contributed to this report . | loughner suffers from mental illness |
sarkozy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ingrid betancourt has been reunited with her children for the first time in six years since her abduction by farc rebels in colombia . ingrid betancourt , center , with her daughter melanie and son lorenzo . betancourt , 46 , who was rescued wednesday in a daring operation by the colombian army , met with her daughter , melanie delloye , and son , lorenzo delloye-betancourt , on the steps of a plane that had just arrived from france at a colombian airport . the three tearfully clung together , hugging and kissing each other fervently before disappearing inside the plane . they look so different , but they look so much the same at the same time ; they are so beautiful , ' betancourt told reporters . the last time i saw my children , lorenzo was very small ... i could lift him up , he looked like my nephew who is right here , ' betancourt said later , as she stood between her children , both now taller than she . there are many dreams i want to share with them ... i have so many things that i want to say to them , ' she added . her children , now adults , were accompanied on the plane by french foreign minister bernard kouchner . betancourt , a dual french national who grew up in paris , is a cause celebre across europe , where scores of cities had adopted her since her abduction in february 2002 . she will travel to paris thursday night , said colombian defense minister juan manuel santos . her release dominated the pages and broadcasts of french newspapers , web sites and television stations . french president nicolas sarkozy had made her rescue a priority and in a televised address after her release expressed his happiness and thanks to the colombian government , while urging farc members to stop this absurd combat , this fight . ' there were a lot of deceptions , but they always believed and they always had confidence , ' sarkozy said . there is always a small glimmer of hope and today the joy is huge . all of france is happy to welcome back ingrid betancourt . ' watch sarkozy thank the colombian government » dominique paille , a leading political figure in france , told the newspaper le monde her release was extraordinary news ' and a grand day ' for france , humanitarian works , and the government . segolene royal , sarkozy 's opponent in last year 's presidential election , said it was a joyous moment , particularly for betancourt 's children . they have never lost hope . they have always believed the liberation of their mother was possible , ' she told le monde . watch betancourt talk about her release » the french newspaper liberation hailed betancourt as a national symbol , ' saying her long imprisonment had become a tragic example of the effects of the war between farc and the colombian government . le figaro praised the coup ' of the colombian army 's bluff in freeing betancourt and the 14 other hostages , saying it was also a personal victory for sarkozy . read more about the rescue operation french justice minister rachida dati told the newspaper the result was without precedent . former french president jacques chirac told le figaro it was a true relief ' for all of betancourt 's family and those close to her . | french president nicolas sarkozy leads celebrations with tv address |
sarkozy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ingrid betancourt has been reunited with her children for the first time in six years since her abduction by farc rebels in colombia . ingrid betancourt , center , with her daughter melanie and son lorenzo . betancourt , 46 , who was rescued wednesday in a daring operation by the colombian army , met with her daughter , melanie delloye , and son , lorenzo delloye-betancourt , on the steps of a plane that had just arrived from france at a colombian airport . the three tearfully clung together , hugging and kissing each other fervently before disappearing inside the plane . they look so different , but they look so much the same at the same time ; they are so beautiful , ' betancourt told reporters . the last time i saw my children , lorenzo was very small ... i could lift him up , he looked like my nephew who is right here , ' betancourt said later , as she stood between her children , both now taller than she . there are many dreams i want to share with them ... i have so many things that i want to say to them , ' she added . her children , now adults , were accompanied on the plane by french foreign minister bernard kouchner . betancourt , a dual french national who grew up in paris , is a cause celebre across europe , where scores of cities had adopted her since her abduction in february 2002 . she will travel to paris thursday night , said colombian defense minister juan manuel santos . her release dominated the pages and broadcasts of french newspapers , web sites and television stations . french president nicolas sarkozy had made her rescue a priority and in a televised address after her release expressed his happiness and thanks to the colombian government , while urging farc members to stop this absurd combat , this fight . ' there were a lot of deceptions , but they always believed and they always had confidence , ' sarkozy said . there is always a small glimmer of hope and today the joy is huge . all of france is happy to welcome back ingrid betancourt . ' watch sarkozy thank the colombian government » dominique paille , a leading political figure in france , told the newspaper le monde her release was extraordinary news ' and a grand day ' for france , humanitarian works , and the government . segolene royal , sarkozy 's opponent in last year 's presidential election , said it was a joyous moment , particularly for betancourt 's children . they have never lost hope . they have always believed the liberation of their mother was possible , ' she told le monde . watch betancourt talk about her release » the french newspaper liberation hailed betancourt as a national symbol , ' saying her long imprisonment had become a tragic example of the effects of the war between farc and the colombian government . le figaro praised the coup ' of the colombian army 's bluff in freeing betancourt and the 14 other hostages , saying it was also a personal victory for sarkozy . read more about the rescue operation french justice minister rachida dati told the newspaper the result was without precedent . former french president jacques chirac told le figaro it was a true relief ' for all of betancourt 's family and those close to her . | sarkozy calls on farc to lay down their weapons and end absurd combat ' |
washington <tsp> after duking it out in 2012 's often nasty presidential race , the campaign managers for mitt romney and president barack obama have joined forces . jim messina , who ran the president 's re-election , and matt rhoades , a veteran of the romney operation , are working behind the scenes of washington 's bid to host the 2024 summer olympics . the duo 's specific project -- a small part of the overall mission -- is to convince the u.s. olympic committee , that yes , sometimes both parties can come together for a common purpose , and that washington is not just a hotbed of partisan warfare all of the time . to make the case , the washington bid 's team put together this video , posted online tuesday featuring a bipartisan cast . making cameo appearances are cnn contributor newt gingrich , the republican former house speaker ; virginia 's democratic sens . mark warner and tim kaine ; georgia democratic rep. john lewis ; dc del . eleanor holmes norton ; mayor-elect muriel bowser ; and to press the point , a losing presidential hopeful from each party , democrat howard dean and republican bob dole . the trio of other remaining cities do n't have to concern themselves with the political consideration . boston , los angeles and the san francisco bay area also are taking part in the bid selection process . the committee will choose early next year which of the remaining four american cities will be the finalist to compete in 2017 to be the international olympic committee 's choice for the 2024 games . | washington is competing against boston , los angeles and san francisco |
lebanon <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the u.s. navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer uss cole and other ships to the eastern mediterranean sea off lebanon , pentagon officials said thursday . a file image of the uss cole , which the u.s. navy moved to the mediterranean sea off lebanon . the deployment comes amid a political standoff over lebanon 's presidency , but the navy would not say whether the events are linked . it 's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity for a while and as the ships in our navy do , the presence is important , ' adm. mike mullen , the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , said thursday . it is n't meant to send any stronger signal than that , ' he said . but it does signal that we 're engaged and we are going to be in the vicinity , and that 's a very important part of the world . ' the cole was badly damaged by an al qaeda bombing during a port call in yemen in 2000 , killing 17 sailors . it returned to service in 2002 . the destroyer and two support ships are close to lebanon but out of visual range of the coast , pentagon officials said . another six vessels , led by the amphibious assault ship uss nassau , are close to italy and steaming toward the other three , the officials said . mullen would not say whether the deployment has anything to do with the upcoming lebanese parliamentary vote on a new president , which was postponed for a 15th time earlier this week . but he said the vote was important , ' and washington was waiting for it to take place . and a bush administration official told cnn the decision to move ships to the region was a message to neighboringsyria that the u.s. is concerned about the situation in lebanon , and we want to see the situation resolved . ' we are sending a clear message for the need for stability , ' said the official , who was not authorized to speak for publication . the ships should be there a while , ' the official added . lebanon 's pro-western majority in parliament and the pro-syrian opposition have battled for power over the last three years . the country has been without a president since november , when pro-syrian leader emile lahoud 's term expired and parliament was unable to agree on a replacement . despite general agreement among the factions to award the post to army chief gen. michel suleiman , disagreements over how to share power in a future cabinet have kept the issue from coming up for a vote . parliament speaker nabih berri 's office announced tuesday that the next planned session has been pushed back to march 11 . berri 's office said the arab league needed more time to break the deadlock . lebanon has been wracked by a sometimes-violent power struggle since the 2005 assassination of former prime minister rafik hariri , whose supporters blamed damascus for his killing . the resulting outcry eventually drove syrian forces out of lebanon , where they had been stationed since the 1970s . e-mail to a friend cnn correspondent zain verjee contributed to this report . | u.s. navy makes move amid a political standoff over lebanon 's presidency |
lebanon <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the u.s. navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer uss cole and other ships to the eastern mediterranean sea off lebanon , pentagon officials said thursday . a file image of the uss cole , which the u.s. navy moved to the mediterranean sea off lebanon . the deployment comes amid a political standoff over lebanon 's presidency , but the navy would not say whether the events are linked . it 's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity for a while and as the ships in our navy do , the presence is important , ' adm. mike mullen , the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , said thursday . it is n't meant to send any stronger signal than that , ' he said . but it does signal that we 're engaged and we are going to be in the vicinity , and that 's a very important part of the world . ' the cole was badly damaged by an al qaeda bombing during a port call in yemen in 2000 , killing 17 sailors . it returned to service in 2002 . the destroyer and two support ships are close to lebanon but out of visual range of the coast , pentagon officials said . another six vessels , led by the amphibious assault ship uss nassau , are close to italy and steaming toward the other three , the officials said . mullen would not say whether the deployment has anything to do with the upcoming lebanese parliamentary vote on a new president , which was postponed for a 15th time earlier this week . but he said the vote was important , ' and washington was waiting for it to take place . and a bush administration official told cnn the decision to move ships to the region was a message to neighboringsyria that the u.s. is concerned about the situation in lebanon , and we want to see the situation resolved . ' we are sending a clear message for the need for stability , ' said the official , who was not authorized to speak for publication . the ships should be there a while , ' the official added . lebanon 's pro-western majority in parliament and the pro-syrian opposition have battled for power over the last three years . the country has been without a president since november , when pro-syrian leader emile lahoud 's term expired and parliament was unable to agree on a replacement . despite general agreement among the factions to award the post to army chief gen. michel suleiman , disagreements over how to share power in a future cabinet have kept the issue from coming up for a vote . parliament speaker nabih berri 's office announced tuesday that the next planned session has been pushed back to march 11 . berri 's office said the arab league needed more time to break the deadlock . lebanon has been wracked by a sometimes-violent power struggle since the 2005 assassination of former prime minister rafik hariri , whose supporters blamed damascus for his killing . the resulting outcry eventually drove syrian forces out of lebanon , where they had been stationed since the 1970s . e-mail to a friend cnn correspondent zain verjee contributed to this report . | lebanon 's pro-western majority in parliament struggles with pro-syrian opposition |
queens <tsp> a new york city woman whose teenage autistic son disappeared in october may be facing every mother 's nightmare . on thursday night , police found legs and an arm next to the east river in queens as well as size 5½ air jordan sneakers that match the shoes of her child , avonte oquendo , the teen 's family attorney , david perecman , told cnn on friday . investigators also found size 16 dark jeans , the same size the teen wore , and underwear , the lawyer said . avonte 's mother , vanessa fontaine , who has passionately advocated for a search for her son , will provide investigators with her dna so they can determine whether the remains are the child 's , the attorney said . she does n't seem to me to have ever lost hope , ' perecman told reporters friday . this morning when i spoke to her she just said ,'you know , it 's not avonte until it 's avonte .' over months of searching for avonte , his mother always held out hope . after he was missing for three weeks , she addressed reporters at an october 25 news conference . my thoughts are that my son is still out there , and i want everyone to continue to help me search for my son , ' fontaine said . he is not gone . ' the idea of her son wandering around new york was terrifying because he can not communicate verbally , she said soon after his disappearance . he has the mental capacity of a 7- or 8-year-old , ' she said . avonte was supposed to be with a monitor at all times , fontaine said . but surveillance footage that captured her son bounding out of center boulevard school on long island at 12:38 p.m on october 4 did not show him with a supervisor . he does n't know that , you know ,'i can get hurt in the street , someone can grab me and take me ,' his mother said . he does n't know that . he does n't know fear . ' authorities said they have worked hard to find the teenager . they deployed sniffer dogs , combed surveillance footage , searched the sewer system , put up posters for missing persons and filled the streets with fliers . there were alerts on the new york subway and messages in local newspapers . divers used sonar to explore the city 's waterways . obviously , we have devoted a tremendous amount of resources to the search , ' then-police commissioner ray kelly told cnn affiliate wabc-tv in october . unfortunately , we are not hopeful that we 're going to find this young man alive , but we are continuing our search . ' fontaine said she wanted police to try new methods . i do n't know what the commissioner was thinking of last night by saying that , ' she said at the time . but my son , he is alive , he is out there . ... [ i ] t 's just that we are not looking in the right places . ' | remains found along east river in queens may belong to autistic boy , family 's lawyer says |
china <tsp> africa has indeed turned the corner . a continent once synonymous with death , disease and destruction is showing signs of improvement . virtually unscathed by the global financial slowdown , the african continent boasts some of the fastest growing economies in the world . nigeria , ghana and tanzania are some of the countries leading the way in this exclusive economic growth club . with a combined population size of 1 billion , 70 % under the age of 30 and an annual spend of $ 600 billion , the african continent is an attractive business proposition for any investor . it comes as no surprise then that the u.s. is making huge strides to accommodate africans . hosting one of the largest gatherings of african leaders in washington , the u.s. is showing the world -- and sending a signal to its closest rival , china -- that it can and will have african influence , which it can convert into commercial opportunities that can translate to receipts . chinese dominance the acceleration of china across africa has been breathtaking . a long standing business relationship with the continent has translated to huge trade volumes in excess of $ 200 billion in 2013 , doubling what the u.s. achieved in that same year . read this : twitter reacts to u.s.-african leaders summit taking the world by surprise , a liberalized african continent voted with its feet changing suppliers -- re-affirming china 's dominance , with the u.s. fast closing the gap ; the washington conference is confirmation of president obama 's new ambition in making up lost ground . challenges security challenges facing the african continent are huge . africa is by no means a picnic . the u.s. government will have to put security at the top of it agenda as american businesses expand operation across the african continent . instability in libya , central african republic and extremist islamic groups can be a constant threat . doing business in africa will have its hazards ; the business environment can be harsh and unforgiving . yet , despite these challenges , exceptional growth figures in nigeria prove that despite repeated and sustained attacks by militant group boko haram , nigeria is still considered a thriving hub for businesses worldwide . this week the presidents of liberia and sierra leone canceled their planned trip to the summit amid the spread of ebola virus . good and affordable health care is a major concern for many africans . as the ebola virus spreads across west africa , many africans are relying on the u.s. to support failing and fragile health care structures in the areas of financing , technology and science as a bridge to halting the spread of this deadly virus . bright future today , the african continent boasts the second fastest growing region in the world , an average growth rate of 5 % and a large youthful work force . job creation is still africa 's biggest challenge -- there are too many people living in poverty earning less than a dollar a day . if president obama can create real tangible jobs , then the u.s. can start to claw back china 's grip on the african continent -- whoever builds africa 's infrastructure , provide cheap products for african markets and loans to support government initiatives will have influence over african affairs . if the u.s. pushes for better african governance , enforcement will be difficult . the usual carrot and stick approach will not be effective . if the u.s calls for trade opportunities to be linked to better , open and transparent democracies then it will be possible for u.s. businesses to make the commercial advances on the african continent . african leaders are very savvy and have a healthy understanding of geopolitics . they will leverage on multiple investors competing for african influence . african governments , unilaterally or as a block , will not hesitate to change suppliers and investors . the chinese business model is seen by many africans as hassle free . the chinese relationship with african governments is one of mutual respect , not intrusive and with a minimal involvement in domestic politics . the chinese model is still an attractive proposition for many african leaders . hence , president obama will have to tread carefully and not rock the african boat too hard . to his critics , president obama has been accused of neglecting the african continent . but by hosting this african leaders summit , the u.s. president is starting to rediscover africa . and with commitments of $ 33 billion in private and public assistance , president obama is already winning the hearts and minds of a billion africans . read this : twitter reacts to u.s.-african leaders summit more from african voices | job creation is key for the u.s. to claw back china 's grip on the african continent |
christiane amanpour <tsp> ( cnn ) -- they share a deep sorrow : an idealistic american who tried to protect the kurds of iraq , a canadian general who refused to follow orders in rwanda , a french priest who fought for the soul of cambodia . cnn 's christiane amanpour traveled to the killing fields of europe , africa and asia for scream bloody murder . ' each one tried to focus the world 's attention on the world 's most heinous crime : genocide . each time , they were shunned , ignored or told it was someone else 's problem . to understand why , cnn 's christiane amanpour traveled to the killing fields of europe , africa and asia for a two-hour documentary , scream bloody murder . ' having reported on mass atrocities around the world , this time amanpour traced the personal accounts of those who tried to stop the slaughter . the yearlong cnn investigation found that instead of using a u.n. treaty outlawing genocide as a springboard to action , political leaders have invoked reason after reason to make intervention seem unnecessary , pointless and even counter-productive . map : see the locations featured in the documentary » december marks the 60th anniversary of the u.n. 's genocide convention , when -- in the aftermath of the holocaust -- the nations of the world pledged to prevent and punish future attempts to eliminate ethnic , religious and national groups . read the 1948 genocide convention ( pdf ) ' the genocide convention should have stopped genocide , but it did n't , ' said holocaust survivor and nobel laureate elie wiesel . intervention is a daunting challenge , he believes , because of a tendency to minimize accounts from refugees and victims . it 's better not to believe , because if you believe , you do n't sleep nights . and how can you eat ? how can you drink a glass of wine when you know ? ' see images from locations in the documentary » 1970s : cambodia father françois ponchaud was a catholic missionary in cambodia when the khmer rouge guerillas -- communist revolutionaries -- seized power in 1975 . they expelled all foreigners from the country . but working from france , ponchaud gathered refugee accounts and monitored radio broadcasts to document the slave labor , torture and executions the khmer rouge were using to kill one-fourth of cambodia 's population . he published his findings in a major french newspaper and wrote a book , year zero . ' but even so , ponchaud tells amanpour , no one believed us . ' watch a behind-the-scenes look at the making of'scream bloody murder'» 1980s : iraq cnn found that intervention is often weighed against political and economic costs . declassified u.s. government documents show that while saddam hussein was gassing iraqi kurds , the u.s. opposed punishing iraq with a trade embargo because it was cultivating iraq as an ally against iran and as a market for u.s. farm exports . according to peter galbraith , then an idealistic senate staffer determined to stop hussein from committing genocide , the reagan administration got carried away with their own propaganda . they began to believe that saddam hussein could be a reliable partner . ' read once-secret u.s. documents 1990s : bosnia even extensive news coverage may not lead to intervention . during the violent breakup of yugoslavia in the 1990s , the media reported on the bosnian serbs'ethnic cleansing of muslims : the siege of sarajevo , the concentration camps , the use of rape as a weapon of war . it was like watching a color remake of the black-and-white scenes we 'd seen in world war ii , ' said u.s. diplomat richard holbrooke , whose jewish grandfather fled germany when adolf hitler came to power . holbrooke was an early advocate for a u.s.-led military operation against the bosnian serbs . i took a stand that i believed was correct , ' he told amanpour . i did n't think it was so controversial . ' but it would take three years -- and the massacre of 8,000 muslim men and boys in the town of srebrenica -- for holbrooke to make his case within the clinton administration . 1994 : rwanda in rwanda , where hutu soldiers and militias massacred their tutsi countrymen , the clinton administration tried to avoid characterizing the ethnic slaughter as genocide . according to an internal memo , the state department worried that under the 1948 genocide convention , using the term genocide ' could force the u.s. to actually'do something .'' the head of the u.n. peacekeeping force in rwanda , canadian lt. gen. romeo dallaire , begged for additional troops . instead of reinforcements , dallaire got an order to withdraw completely . he would not leave rwanda . i refused a legal order , ' he told amanpour , but it was immoral . ' his tiny u.n. force was not enough to stop the slaughter of more than 800,000 people . 2003 : darfur some human rights advocates consider darfur , the western region of sudan , to be the scene of the first genocide of the 21st century . the atrocities in darfur grow out of a civil war between rebels from sudan 's african tribes and the country 's arab-led government . in 2003 , when the rebels attacked government outposts in darfur , a u.n. human rights monitor warned that in the escalating conflict , ' sudan 's government may be engaged in ... ethnic cleansing aimed at eliminating african tribes from darfur . ' at the time , world attention was on iraq , where the united states was fighting to overthrow saddam hussein . the early warning on darfur disappeared into a big hole , ' according to mukesh kapila , then the u.n. 's top official in sudan . even when the u.n. security council put darfur on its agenda , it took more than three years to authorize a robust peacekeeping force . there was no lack of information , ' says activist eric reeves . there was a lack of will to stop genocide . ' in july , the prosecutor at the international criminal court accused sudan 's president of genocide , war crimes and crimes against humanity , charges sudan denies . read the icc prosecutor 's charges ( pdf ) how will history judge the world 's response to darfur ? it will applaud the young people ... who believe in solidarity , ' says wiesel . it will certainly criticize the leaders of the world . ' and the next time somebody screams bloody murder to stop a genocide , will anyone listen ? cnn 's christiane amanpour , andy segal , jennifer hyde and ken shiffman contributed to this report . | cnn 's christiane amanpour traveled to the world 's killing fields to understand why |
dubai desert classic <tsp> ( cnn ) rory mcilroy completed his gun-to-tape victory in the dubai desert classic sunday to cement his position at the top of golf 's world rankings . mcilroy carded a two-under-par final round 70 at the emirates gc for a tournament record equaling tally of 22-under , leaving him three shots clear of alexander noren of sweden . the northern irishman 's multi-million dollar lawsuit against his former management company -- who are also counter suing him -- is scheduled to begin in a dublin court tuesday , but throughout the week mcilroy has shown no signs of being distracted by it . in fact as the protracted legal proceedings have rumbled on without an out of court settlement , mcilroy 's form has picked up . his last seven appearances in european tour events have seen him secure four wins -- including to major titles -- and three runners-up spots . he also starred in europe 's defense of the ryder cup at gleneagles . mcilroy narrowly missed out on winning his 2015 opener in abu dhabi , but after a first round 64 in dubai was never headed , reclaiming a title he last won in 2009 -- then his maiden success . it 's nice to be able to put my name on that trophy again , ' mcilroy told the official european tour website . it felt like i was coming second every time i was teeing it up so it was time for a change and obviously the only way i wanted to go was one better and thankfully i was able to do that today . ' mcilroy started the final round four shots clear and was never seriously challenged despite noren 's superb final round of 65 . a solitary bogey at the seventh was mixed with three birdies and he could afford to par home down the stretch with his lead intact . i played very nicely all week ; i did what i needed to do today . i did n't play quite as well as the first three days but i played a solid round of golf and kept my nose in front , ' he added . former world number one lee westwood looked set to make a move with three birdies in his first five holes , but a double bogey on the ninth ended his charge and he fell away further on the back nine . defending champion stephen gallacher of scotland carded a closing 69 to finish third on 16 under , with morten orum madsen , u.s. open champion kaymer , abu dhabi winner gary stal , south african open winner andy sullivan and austria 's bernd wiesberger tied for fourth . | rory mcilroy claims dubai desert classic title |
hamilton <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if lewis hamilton is to win a fifth hungarian grand prix , he 'll need something akin to a miracle . that 's because he 'll start well adrift of the pack after the back of his mercedes caught fire in qualifying -- the second consecutive saturday he 's suffered misfortune . it was on his first qualifying lap , too . hamilton was n't hurt but with his chassis needing replacing , it means a start from pit lane . his teammate and championship leader nico rosberg had no such issues , recording the fastest time . last week in qualifying for the german grand prix , a brake issue led to a hamilton crash and meant he began 20th on the grid on race day but he put in a stellar drive to rise to third . hamilton , who bettered the field in practice friday and earlier saturday , was the first to point out that overtaking opportunities are n't as great in hungary as they were in germany . it 's a shame , especially when you do the practice sessions with not too many problems , ' hamilton said in a television interview aired by sky . i did n't even get a lap this time . last time i got maybe two laps . i ca n't believe it 's happened again . this is not a track you can really overtake on so coming from last to the podium is a lot less likely . ' hamilton 's mishap gives rosberg the chance to extend his 14-point lead over hamilton in the individual standings . and although the german said he would have preferred to go head-to-head with hamilton , he felt sunday 's race would now be easier . ' unsurprisingly , he does n't plan on taking many risks at the hungaroring . it makes it easier of course because he is my competitor , ' rosberg was quoted as saying by autosport.com . it 's a free opportunity tomorrow . i need to play it safe and avoid any unnecessary things happening , and get as many points as possible . i would prefer to be out there battling with lewis . that would give me the maximum adrenaline rush . it wo n't be a gloves-off battle with lewis , but i am still very , very happy . ' rosberg clocked a best time of one minute , 22.715 seconds , bettering reigning world champion sebastian vettel of red bull by 0.486 seconds , williams'valtteri bottas and red bull 's daniel ricciardo , who is a distant third in the driver standings . | mercedes'lewis hamilton finishes second last in hungarian grand prix qualifying |
hamilton <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if lewis hamilton is to win a fifth hungarian grand prix , he 'll need something akin to a miracle . that 's because he 'll start well adrift of the pack after the back of his mercedes caught fire in qualifying -- the second consecutive saturday he 's suffered misfortune . it was on his first qualifying lap , too . hamilton was n't hurt but with his chassis needing replacing , it means a start from pit lane . his teammate and championship leader nico rosberg had no such issues , recording the fastest time . last week in qualifying for the german grand prix , a brake issue led to a hamilton crash and meant he began 20th on the grid on race day but he put in a stellar drive to rise to third . hamilton , who bettered the field in practice friday and earlier saturday , was the first to point out that overtaking opportunities are n't as great in hungary as they were in germany . it 's a shame , especially when you do the practice sessions with not too many problems , ' hamilton said in a television interview aired by sky . i did n't even get a lap this time . last time i got maybe two laps . i ca n't believe it 's happened again . this is not a track you can really overtake on so coming from last to the podium is a lot less likely . ' hamilton 's mishap gives rosberg the chance to extend his 14-point lead over hamilton in the individual standings . and although the german said he would have preferred to go head-to-head with hamilton , he felt sunday 's race would now be easier . ' unsurprisingly , he does n't plan on taking many risks at the hungaroring . it makes it easier of course because he is my competitor , ' rosberg was quoted as saying by autosport.com . it 's a free opportunity tomorrow . i need to play it safe and avoid any unnecessary things happening , and get as many points as possible . i would prefer to be out there battling with lewis . that would give me the maximum adrenaline rush . it wo n't be a gloves-off battle with lewis , but i am still very , very happy . ' rosberg clocked a best time of one minute , 22.715 seconds , bettering reigning world champion sebastian vettel of red bull by 0.486 seconds , williams'valtteri bottas and red bull 's daniel ricciardo , who is a distant third in the driver standings . | hamilton 's car catches fire to end his session early but he walked away unhurt |
christian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- kay hagan erupted in anger thursday over a television ad from sen. elizabeth dole suggesting hagan is godless . ' i think elizabeth dole has just gone to the lowest of the lows , ' hagan said of the ad during an appearance on a talk show on wptf-am in raleigh , north carolina . this is an attack on my christian faith . ' hagan , who described herself as a sunday school teacher and an elder at a presbyterian church in greensboro , north carolina , urged dole to pull this kind of despicable ad . ' hagan , who is challenging dole 's re-election bid , filed an application in a wake county , north carolina , court thursday , seeking permission to file a complaint within 20 days , after the election is over . the advertisement purposely misstates facts about the plaintiff , ' said the three-page application , which was filed in district superior court . in the 30-second ad , a narrator says that a leader of the godless americans political action committee recently held a secret fundraiser ' for hagan . the ad then shows members of the group , which promotes rights for atheists and the separation of church and state , declaring that neither god nor jesus exists . godless americans and kay hagan , ' the ad continues . she hid from cameras . took'godless'money . what did kay hagan promise in return ? ' the ad ends with a picture of hagan and a voice that sounds like hers declaring , there is no god . ' but the application said hagan never made that statement or accepted money from the group . lawyers representing dole and her campaign defended the ad thursday as 100 percent factually accurate and truthful . ' the campaign for the gop incumbent said it based its claims on hagan 's attendance at a fundraiser in the home of a gapac adviser . kay hagan attended a fundraiser event in massachusetts in september held in the home of two anti-religion activists , wendy kaminer and her lawyer husband , woody kaplan , ' dole 's attorneys said in a letter to hagan 's lawyer . they described kaplan as a founder and advisory board member of the gapac . the letter said kaplan and kaminer were advisory board members of the secular coalition for america , which it described as the national lobby for atheists , humanists , freethinkers and other nontheistic americans with the unique mission of protecting their civil rights . ' the lawyers also said kaplan gave $ 2,300 to hagan 's campaign . this is politics of the worst kind , and i know it has been rejected by north carolinians at every level , ' said hagan . polls suggest hagan -- a democratic state senator from greensboro who began the race at a major financial disadvantage to dole -- is slightly ahead of the incumbent . | hagan calls ad suggesting she is godless ' an attack on my christian faith ' |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- united nations inspectors are heading to iran sunday to visit a uranium mine in yazd and a uranium-thickening plant in ardakan , iran 's semi-official fars news agency reported . it 's the seventh such trip in recent months . the inspection comes as a may 15 deadline looms for iran to meet international requirements regarding its nuclear program . iran and the international atomic energy agency agreed in february on seven measures tehran must take , as the united states , france , russia , germany , china , and the united kingdom hope to broker a final agreement with iran on may 13 in vienna , austria . behrouz kamalvandi , iran 's atomic department spokesman , says his country has already taken six of those steps , iran 's official news agency irna reported sunday . many countries and international entities have expressed concern about iran using its nuclear program to built atomic weaponry . iran has said it just wants to create nuclear power plants for civilian energy . cnn 's shirzad bozorgmehr and reza sayah contributed to this report | iran has a may 15 deadline to meet 7 agreed-upon nuclear requirements |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- united nations inspectors are heading to iran sunday to visit a uranium mine in yazd and a uranium-thickening plant in ardakan , iran 's semi-official fars news agency reported . it 's the seventh such trip in recent months . the inspection comes as a may 15 deadline looms for iran to meet international requirements regarding its nuclear program . iran and the international atomic energy agency agreed in february on seven measures tehran must take , as the united states , france , russia , germany , china , and the united kingdom hope to broker a final agreement with iran on may 13 in vienna , austria . behrouz kamalvandi , iran 's atomic department spokesman , says his country has already taken six of those steps , iran 's official news agency irna reported sunday . many countries and international entities have expressed concern about iran using its nuclear program to built atomic weaponry . iran has said it just wants to create nuclear power plants for civilian energy . cnn 's shirzad bozorgmehr and reza sayah contributed to this report | new nuclear talks between iran and 6 world powers set to begin may 13 |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- united nations inspectors are heading to iran sunday to visit a uranium mine in yazd and a uranium-thickening plant in ardakan , iran 's semi-official fars news agency reported . it 's the seventh such trip in recent months . the inspection comes as a may 15 deadline looms for iran to meet international requirements regarding its nuclear program . iran and the international atomic energy agency agreed in february on seven measures tehran must take , as the united states , france , russia , germany , china , and the united kingdom hope to broker a final agreement with iran on may 13 in vienna , austria . behrouz kamalvandi , iran 's atomic department spokesman , says his country has already taken six of those steps , iran 's official news agency irna reported sunday . many countries and international entities have expressed concern about iran using its nuclear program to built atomic weaponry . iran has said it just wants to create nuclear power plants for civilian energy . cnn 's shirzad bozorgmehr and reza sayah contributed to this report | iran anticipates u.n. nuclear inspectors sunday night , fars news agency reports |
melanie griffith <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when i heard that melanie griffith and antonio banderas are divorcing i was surprised at my own reaction , which was , honestly , sadness . i always thought they were an exciting couple -- both are passionate people who conquered a risky business , and each had a past that was just a little messy . griffith had three marriages before meeting banderas , two of which were to don johnson . banderas had one previous marriage , but was certainly the epitome of the latin lover ' in looks if not swagger . and yet they seemed deeply in love and stalwartly committed to each other over the years . i know -- they are a hollywood marriage , which can be a minefield for marital stability . but for better or worse , these are also real people marrying with hopes of being together forever . because they are famous , we follow their lives through the tabloid or lifestyle magazines . they become part of our daily landscape and in a strange way as we become invested in their welfare . i realized as a read the story of their breakup that i wanted them to stay together -- forever . i wanted their private lives to have the happily ever after ' of their movies . i thought this pair had deeper roots and a deep enough connection to last for the long run . so , i think my sadness came from the recognition about how unrealistic i was . hollywood marriages face special pressures that hurt their odds of lasting forever . but even if they were an average couple , the truth is that having made it to 18 or 20 years as they did , does not , in the slightest , guarantee you a sealed forever deal . marriages these days can fall apart at any stage of the relationship . the famously enduring marriage of paul newman and joanne woodward turns out to be more of an anomaly than a model . really , when you think of it , newman and woodward were cast from a mold that was formed by a different generation and that mold appears to be broken . now , long marriages have no guarantees of continuance , even if they have lasted decades . just ask robert redford and lola van wagenen ( 27 years ) or jerry lewis and patti palmer ( 36 years ) . in fact , the statistics tell us that the biggest percentage increase in divorces is among people over 50 . so if you thought that getting older formed a protective bubble over your relationship , think again . lifetime marriage is turning into a crapshoot for many people , especially baby boomers . maybe holding on till death do them part ' is least likely for hollywood stars whose work takes a hard toll on their relationships and whose exit from marriages is not generally impeded by financial concerns . but really , no marriage is immune against what seems to be an epidemic of marital unraveling . well , so be it . but we can do things that give us better odds of staying with our spouse . to me , that means we have to be intentional about our relationship every day , year , and decade we are together . we have to aim high , have a lot of fun , work hard at being each other 's lover and friend and always do everything we can to repair problems along the way . if it ends , it ends -- but it should n't die without having been given every chance to live . so , lets be realistic . you ca n't predict the future . i thought about this as i was looking at a photo of melanie griffith and saw a huge tattoo on her arm that said antonio . ' uh-oh -- i thought . if you yearn to have a name tattooed on your body , choose your mom 's or the name of your first pet . otherwise , take it from melanie , antonio and countless others : even long marriages have an uncertain future . i am not saying to plan for an exit while you are trying to make a solid entrance , i am just saying -- take care and have a plan b . | melanie griffith and antonio banderas are divorcing after 18 years of marriage |
hollywood <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when i heard that melanie griffith and antonio banderas are divorcing i was surprised at my own reaction , which was , honestly , sadness . i always thought they were an exciting couple -- both are passionate people who conquered a risky business , and each had a past that was just a little messy . griffith had three marriages before meeting banderas , two of which were to don johnson . banderas had one previous marriage , but was certainly the epitome of the latin lover ' in looks if not swagger . and yet they seemed deeply in love and stalwartly committed to each other over the years . i know -- they are a hollywood marriage , which can be a minefield for marital stability . but for better or worse , these are also real people marrying with hopes of being together forever . because they are famous , we follow their lives through the tabloid or lifestyle magazines . they become part of our daily landscape and in a strange way as we become invested in their welfare . i realized as a read the story of their breakup that i wanted them to stay together -- forever . i wanted their private lives to have the happily ever after ' of their movies . i thought this pair had deeper roots and a deep enough connection to last for the long run . so , i think my sadness came from the recognition about how unrealistic i was . hollywood marriages face special pressures that hurt their odds of lasting forever . but even if they were an average couple , the truth is that having made it to 18 or 20 years as they did , does not , in the slightest , guarantee you a sealed forever deal . marriages these days can fall apart at any stage of the relationship . the famously enduring marriage of paul newman and joanne woodward turns out to be more of an anomaly than a model . really , when you think of it , newman and woodward were cast from a mold that was formed by a different generation and that mold appears to be broken . now , long marriages have no guarantees of continuance , even if they have lasted decades . just ask robert redford and lola van wagenen ( 27 years ) or jerry lewis and patti palmer ( 36 years ) . in fact , the statistics tell us that the biggest percentage increase in divorces is among people over 50 . so if you thought that getting older formed a protective bubble over your relationship , think again . lifetime marriage is turning into a crapshoot for many people , especially baby boomers . maybe holding on till death do them part ' is least likely for hollywood stars whose work takes a hard toll on their relationships and whose exit from marriages is not generally impeded by financial concerns . but really , no marriage is immune against what seems to be an epidemic of marital unraveling . well , so be it . but we can do things that give us better odds of staying with our spouse . to me , that means we have to be intentional about our relationship every day , year , and decade we are together . we have to aim high , have a lot of fun , work hard at being each other 's lover and friend and always do everything we can to repair problems along the way . if it ends , it ends -- but it should n't die without having been given every chance to live . so , lets be realistic . you ca n't predict the future . i thought about this as i was looking at a photo of melanie griffith and saw a huge tattoo on her arm that said antonio . ' uh-oh -- i thought . if you yearn to have a name tattooed on your body , choose your mom 's or the name of your first pet . otherwise , take it from melanie , antonio and countless others : even long marriages have an uncertain future . i am not saying to plan for an exit while you are trying to make a solid entrance , i am just saying -- take care and have a plan b . | pepper schwartz : hollywood marriages are tough to maintain , but so are normal ones |
malian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. military could provide logistical and intelligence support in the french effort against islamist rebels in mali , defense secretary leon panetta said monday . conflict explained : what 's behind the instability in mali ? the u.s. will provide whatever assistance it can ' as part of what panetta said was the u.s. global efforts against al qaeda . we have a responsibility to go after al qaeda wherever they are . and we 've gone after them in the fata ( pakistan 's federally administered tribal areas ) . we 're going after them in yemen and somalia . and we have a responsibility to make sure that al qaeda does not establish a base for operations in north africa and mali , ' panetta told reporters traveling with him to europe . the state department said monday the united states is in consultation with the french now on a number of requests that they have made for support . french defense minister : islamist rebels gaining ground in mali ' we are reviewing the requests that they have made , ' spokeswoman victoria nuland said monday . the u.s. , she said , is not in the position to support the malian military directly until we have democratic processes restored by way of an election in mali . we are not in a position to train the malian military until we have democracy restored . ' read more : is this al qaeda 's'last chance'for a country ? panetta described the assistance as both logistical and intelligence . the united states already has started sharing intelligence from satellites and intercepted signals with the french , defense officials said monday . in addition , the pentagon is considering sending refueling tankers so that french jets can fly longer , more sustained combat mission , according to the officials . drones are under consideration , ' according to defense officials , though the military 's stash of unmanned aerial vehicles are in heavy demand . that 's one of the things we 're working through now , is how many and from where we 'd be able to provide those assets , ' said one of the officials , noting that drones are being used in other conflict areas such as afghanistan and yemen . although both caveat that these would be surveillance drones and said there are no plans yet to deploy armed unmanned aerial vehicles . read more : france determined to'eradicate'terrorism in mali the officials also say another intelligence-gathering assets under consideration are piloted planes . there 's no real air defenses to speak of in mali , outside of aqim firing guns in the air . so anything we send does not have to be our most secretive , less detectable equipment , ' one of the officials aid . the us also considering giving airlift capacity ' to the effort , similar to what the british have provided in two cargo planes , according to the officials . this would help the french with moving equipment , vehicles and people ' to where they 're needed in mali , the officials said . panetta said al qaeda 's mali affiliate , al qaeda in the islamic maghreb , or aqim , is not an immediate threat to the u.s. homeland but does pose a risk if it gains a foothold . u.s. officials have said the group was tied to the attack on the u.s. diplomatic post in benghazi , libya . while they might not have any immediate plans for attacks in the united states and in europe , that ultimately still remains their objective and it 's for that reason that we have to take steps now to ensure that aqim does not get that kind of traction , ' panetta said , according to a transcript of panetta 's remarks to reporters . cnn 's jill dougherty contributed to this report . | nuland : we are not in a position to train the malian military until we have democracy restored ' |
malian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. military could provide logistical and intelligence support in the french effort against islamist rebels in mali , defense secretary leon panetta said monday . conflict explained : what 's behind the instability in mali ? the u.s. will provide whatever assistance it can ' as part of what panetta said was the u.s. global efforts against al qaeda . we have a responsibility to go after al qaeda wherever they are . and we 've gone after them in the fata ( pakistan 's federally administered tribal areas ) . we 're going after them in yemen and somalia . and we have a responsibility to make sure that al qaeda does not establish a base for operations in north africa and mali , ' panetta told reporters traveling with him to europe . the state department said monday the united states is in consultation with the french now on a number of requests that they have made for support . french defense minister : islamist rebels gaining ground in mali ' we are reviewing the requests that they have made , ' spokeswoman victoria nuland said monday . the u.s. , she said , is not in the position to support the malian military directly until we have democratic processes restored by way of an election in mali . we are not in a position to train the malian military until we have democracy restored . ' read more : is this al qaeda 's'last chance'for a country ? panetta described the assistance as both logistical and intelligence . the united states already has started sharing intelligence from satellites and intercepted signals with the french , defense officials said monday . in addition , the pentagon is considering sending refueling tankers so that french jets can fly longer , more sustained combat mission , according to the officials . drones are under consideration , ' according to defense officials , though the military 's stash of unmanned aerial vehicles are in heavy demand . that 's one of the things we 're working through now , is how many and from where we 'd be able to provide those assets , ' said one of the officials , noting that drones are being used in other conflict areas such as afghanistan and yemen . although both caveat that these would be surveillance drones and said there are no plans yet to deploy armed unmanned aerial vehicles . read more : france determined to'eradicate'terrorism in mali the officials also say another intelligence-gathering assets under consideration are piloted planes . there 's no real air defenses to speak of in mali , outside of aqim firing guns in the air . so anything we send does not have to be our most secretive , less detectable equipment , ' one of the officials aid . the us also considering giving airlift capacity ' to the effort , similar to what the british have provided in two cargo planes , according to the officials . this would help the french with moving equipment , vehicles and people ' to where they 're needed in mali , the officials said . panetta said al qaeda 's mali affiliate , al qaeda in the islamic maghreb , or aqim , is not an immediate threat to the u.s. homeland but does pose a risk if it gains a foothold . u.s. officials have said the group was tied to the attack on the u.s. diplomatic post in benghazi , libya . while they might not have any immediate plans for attacks in the united states and in europe , that ultimately still remains their objective and it 's for that reason that we have to take steps now to ensure that aqim does not get that kind of traction , ' panetta said , according to a transcript of panetta 's remarks to reporters . cnn 's jill dougherty contributed to this report . | state department 's nuland says the u.s. would not support the malian military directly |
albuquerque <tsp> ( cnn ) -- three teens admitted to police they attacked two homeless men who were found dead in albuquerque , new mexico , on saturday , police said . the boys -- 15 , 16 and 18 -- used bricks and a metal pole to kill the men , according to a criminal complaint accusing each of them of two counts of murder . a judge set bond at $ 5 million each during a hearing monday . all three are being prosecuted as adults , although the two youngest are being held in a youth detention center . the 15-year-old told an investigator that the trio randomly ' attacked homeless people throughout albuquerque over past year , including more than 50 people since moving to the neighborhood several months ago , the complaint said . the bodies of two men were found on mattresses in a field across a street from the home where two of the boys lived , according to the complaint . a third man told police he managed to escape the late night attack and he recognized the teens despite the t-shirts covering their heads . the youngest boy said he was very angry over breaking up with his long-time girlfriend ' when he went with the older boys to mob ' the men , an investigator said in a sworn statement . the boy explained that 'mob'meant they were going to attack them and rob them , ' the detective said . he told police that they used several cinder blocks , a metal pole and some sticks ' in the hourlong attack , the detective said . the 15-year-old admitted to using the cinder block as a weapon over 10 times , ' he said . the 15-year-old said his brother , 16 , scooped up some dirt from the ground and placed on the deceased males'faces and stated'eat mud bitch ,' the complaint said . the 16-year-old told a detective that afterwards he looked at himself in the mirror and'saw the devil ,'' according to the complaint . the oldest teen distanced himself from the most brutal details of the attack , accusing the other boys of using bricks , sticks and a metal fence pole ' to hit the men while he acted as a lookout , ' the complaint said . the 18-year-old did admit to pushing down one of the subjects and picking up a stick near where the deceased subjects were located , ' it said . fbi to study trial evidence in fatal police beating of california homeless man iraq war vet accused in homeless killings dies while awaiting trial cnn 's janet digiacomo and amanda watts contributed to this report . | teen says the trio randomly ' attacked albuquerque homeless over the past year |
police <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- the u.n. security council failed to reach a consensus when it met to consider condemning an attack that killed eight people at a prominent jewish seminary as an act of terrorism . ambulance workers put one of the casualties from the seminary attack into an ambulance . the council said libya -- a new , nonpermanent member -- blocked the statement on thursday night . ibrahim dabbashi , libya 's deputy ambassador to the united nations , said the attack on the school was no different than israeli military offensives against militants in gaza . but dan gillerman , israel 's ambassador to the united nations , said he saw no connection between thursday 's shooting and israel 's operations in gaza . this is not a story of retaliation , ' he said . these people have been terrorizing israel for years , have been carrying out suicide bombings and indiscriminate attacks for years . ' a gunman broke into the jewish seminary about 8:30 p.m. , spraying automatic-weapons fire , authorities said . most of the victims were students in their teens and 20s , medical officials said . at least nine others were wounded before an off-duty israel defense forces officer fatally shot the gunman , jerusalem district police commander aharon franko said . the gunman was carrying an ak-47 and a pistol -- and had time to swap weapons during the massacre . police are trying to identify the gunman and figure out how he managed , while drawing little notice , to enter the large three-story school in a bustling residential neighborhood . there was no alert or warning about this attack , ' franko said . watch the immediate aftermath of the attack » a first responder said the bodies were on the floor of the study hall surrounded by holy books . no group has claimed responsibility for the attack . video from thursday 's scene showed a frantic crowd of rescue workers carrying bloodied victims into ambulances . dozens of police officers were scouring the campus and streets around the yeshiva in case there were other gunmen . outside the school , scores of israeli men gathered from surrounding neighborhoods , demanding justice for the attack . authorities are calling the incident at west jerusalem 's merkaz harav yeshiva an act of terrorism . the school is one of the largest seminaries in israel , with about 500 students in the yeshiva and 200 in an advanced graduate program . israel is at the forefront of the struggle against terrorism and will continue to defend its citizens , who are exposed to this threat on a daily basis , ' israel 's foreign ministry said in a written statement . israel expects the nations of the world to support it in its war against those who murder students , women and children , by any means and with respect for neither place nor target . ' president bush backed israeli leaders in a statement issued thursday , saying , i condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack in jerusalem that targeted innocent students at the merkaz harav yeshiva . this barbaric and vicious attack on innocent civilians deserves the condemnation of every nation . ' but libya 's dabbashi compared the attack with bloodshed in the palestinian territory . ' for us , the human lives are the same . we judge the incident itself , ' dabbashi told reporters after the security council meeting . when we have to condemn the killing of the israeli civilians , we also have to look at what 's happening in gaza . ' jerusalem security increased security was bolstered , with thousands of additional officers across jerusalem and the rest of israel , authorities said . meanwhile , celebratory shooting took place in gaza city after the news of the attack , with hundreds chanting and clapping in the streets . but palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas criticized the killings . the palestinian authority condemns any attack on innocent civilians , ' abbas'office said in a written statement . the shootings came just a day after u.s. secretary of state condoleezza rice , who met with both israelis and palestinians , announced that peace talks will resume between the two sides . abbas suspended peace negotiations last week after fierce fighting broke out between israel and palestinian militants in gaza , but he agreed to resume negotiations after meeting with rice . israel will continue peace talks with the palestinians regardless of the attack in jerusalem , foreign ministry spokesman aryeh mekel said thursday . israel conducted a large-scale operation in gaza to hunt down palestinian militants who have been firing dozens of rockets into israel . at least 70 palestinians and two israeli soldiers were killed during the operation , israeli and palestinian sources said . militants also fired at least 25 rockets toward israel , wounding at least two civilians . this operation came directly after the attack committed inside gaza . this operation is a normal response , ' said fawzi barhoom , a hamas spokesman in gaza . watch barhoom 's reaction to the attack » gillerman said the security council should condemn the attack . they are so , so quick sometimes to criticize israel for defending itself . i would like to see those members convene as we speak in order to condemn this in the strongest possible terms . ' thursday 's attack was the worst inside israel since april 17 , 2006 , when a suicide bombing outside a falafel restaurant in tel aviv killed nine people . islamic jihad claimed responsibility for that attack . attacks in jerusalem are rare . eight people were wounded august 10 in the old city when a palestinian resident grabbed a security guard 's gun and fired ; and four israeli security guards were wounded may 26 when two palestinian gunmen began firing in east jerusalem . all three of the assailants were killed . e-mail to a friend cnn 's ben wedeman and atika shubert contributed to this report . | police spokesman : there was no alert or warning about this attack ' |
air india <tsp> new delhi , india ( cnn ) -- air india took two pilots and two cabin crew off-duty over allegations that they had a fist fight during an international flight with 106 passengers aboard , the state-run airline said monday . faced with tough competition from private carriers , air india has struggled with financial and image crises . the scuffle allegedly took place on flight from the united arab emirates to new delhi , while the plane flew over pakistan . an investigation had been launched into what air india spokesman jitender bhargava called charges and counter-charges . ' in a police complaint made on landing saturday , a 24-year-old flight attendant alleged a molestation attempt . but pilots ranbeer arora and aditya chopra alleged that the molestation claim was an attempt to deflect attention from misbehavior by a male purser . have you ever experienced poor crew behaviour on a flight ? all the four have been de-rostered and an inquiry committee is examining versions of each of them , ' bhargava said . faced with tough competition from private carriers , air india has struggled with financial and image crises . rats have been spotted on two air india international flights in less than a month , according to news reports . an investigation in may revealed that the carrier had loaded a flight three passengers beyond capacity . several employees were de-rostered as a result . privatize air india before it 's too late , ' warned a column in the hindustan times newspaper sunday . as long as the government runs air india , it will continue to strangle it , ' columnist vir sanghvi wrote . | air india has struggled with financial and image crises |
bt <tsp> ( financial times ) -- bt has achieved its biggest sporting coup yet over sky , winning the rights to show champions league football matches in a £900 million ( $ 1,442 million ) deal . the deal , announced on saturday , strikes at the heart of two decades of football broadcasting dominance by sky . however , it is likely to raise questions about whether bt is paying too much for sports rights , to which it has now committed nearly £2 billion ( $ 3.2 billion ) . the champions league is europe 's football premier club competition , and bt , sky and itv had all hoped to secure some coverage in this week 's tender . under a three-year agreement starting in 2015 , bt will be the only broadcaster to show live champions league and europa league games in the uk , paying £299 million ( $ 479 million ) per season . that is more than double what sky and itv currently pay for the same rights , suggesting that bt bid aggressively under its new chief executive gavin patterson . in the tender , itv is thought to have bid about £63 million ( $ 101 million ) per season to show one live game per round , representing an increase of less than one-fifth on its current deal . sky was prepared to increase its payments by a greater proportion , but could not match bt . it seems bt chose to pay far in excess of our valuation , ' a sky spokesperson said in a statement . if we thought it was worth more , we 'd have paid more . ' tv is part of bt 's broader strategy to win customers to its premium fibre broadband packages , which include the sports channels for free at present . the champions league deal will significantly bolster its channels as serious rivals to sky in the eyes of viewers and advertisers . bt 's shareholders will be keen to see clear returns from such significant investments from a group that has previously focused on cutting costs and streamlining its operations . the group last week revealed a good start in customer numbers , with about 2m people so far having signed up to its channels although the majority would have been existing bt customers . however , the sports rights acquisitions weighed on earnings , and analysts say it is still too early to judge the new sports tv strategy a success . itv , which was also outbid for rights to fa cup games by the bbc , had hoped that uefa would continue to offer some rights to terrestrial television , where advertisers can garner a larger audience . bt has pledged to make some games , including the champions league final , available free even to those who do not have its pay tv platform . © the financial times limited 2013 | the bt deal strikes at the heart of two decades of football broadcasting dominance by sky |
bt <tsp> ( financial times ) -- bt has achieved its biggest sporting coup yet over sky , winning the rights to show champions league football matches in a £900 million ( $ 1,442 million ) deal . the deal , announced on saturday , strikes at the heart of two decades of football broadcasting dominance by sky . however , it is likely to raise questions about whether bt is paying too much for sports rights , to which it has now committed nearly £2 billion ( $ 3.2 billion ) . the champions league is europe 's football premier club competition , and bt , sky and itv had all hoped to secure some coverage in this week 's tender . under a three-year agreement starting in 2015 , bt will be the only broadcaster to show live champions league and europa league games in the uk , paying £299 million ( $ 479 million ) per season . that is more than double what sky and itv currently pay for the same rights , suggesting that bt bid aggressively under its new chief executive gavin patterson . in the tender , itv is thought to have bid about £63 million ( $ 101 million ) per season to show one live game per round , representing an increase of less than one-fifth on its current deal . sky was prepared to increase its payments by a greater proportion , but could not match bt . it seems bt chose to pay far in excess of our valuation , ' a sky spokesperson said in a statement . if we thought it was worth more , we 'd have paid more . ' tv is part of bt 's broader strategy to win customers to its premium fibre broadband packages , which include the sports channels for free at present . the champions league deal will significantly bolster its channels as serious rivals to sky in the eyes of viewers and advertisers . bt 's shareholders will be keen to see clear returns from such significant investments from a group that has previously focused on cutting costs and streamlining its operations . the group last week revealed a good start in customer numbers , with about 2m people so far having signed up to its channels although the majority would have been existing bt customers . however , the sports rights acquisitions weighed on earnings , and analysts say it is still too early to judge the new sports tv strategy a success . itv , which was also outbid for rights to fa cup games by the bbc , had hoped that uefa would continue to offer some rights to terrestrial television , where advertisers can garner a larger audience . bt has pledged to make some games , including the champions league final , available free even to those who do not have its pay tv platform . © the financial times limited 2013 | bt has pledged to make some games free even to those who do not have its pay tv platform |
bt <tsp> ( financial times ) -- bt has achieved its biggest sporting coup yet over sky , winning the rights to show champions league football matches in a £900 million ( $ 1,442 million ) deal . the deal , announced on saturday , strikes at the heart of two decades of football broadcasting dominance by sky . however , it is likely to raise questions about whether bt is paying too much for sports rights , to which it has now committed nearly £2 billion ( $ 3.2 billion ) . the champions league is europe 's football premier club competition , and bt , sky and itv had all hoped to secure some coverage in this week 's tender . under a three-year agreement starting in 2015 , bt will be the only broadcaster to show live champions league and europa league games in the uk , paying £299 million ( $ 479 million ) per season . that is more than double what sky and itv currently pay for the same rights , suggesting that bt bid aggressively under its new chief executive gavin patterson . in the tender , itv is thought to have bid about £63 million ( $ 101 million ) per season to show one live game per round , representing an increase of less than one-fifth on its current deal . sky was prepared to increase its payments by a greater proportion , but could not match bt . it seems bt chose to pay far in excess of our valuation , ' a sky spokesperson said in a statement . if we thought it was worth more , we 'd have paid more . ' tv is part of bt 's broader strategy to win customers to its premium fibre broadband packages , which include the sports channels for free at present . the champions league deal will significantly bolster its channels as serious rivals to sky in the eyes of viewers and advertisers . bt 's shareholders will be keen to see clear returns from such significant investments from a group that has previously focused on cutting costs and streamlining its operations . the group last week revealed a good start in customer numbers , with about 2m people so far having signed up to its channels although the majority would have been existing bt customers . however , the sports rights acquisitions weighed on earnings , and analysts say it is still too early to judge the new sports tv strategy a success . itv , which was also outbid for rights to fa cup games by the bbc , had hoped that uefa would continue to offer some rights to terrestrial television , where advertisers can garner a larger audience . bt has pledged to make some games , including the champions league final , available free even to those who do not have its pay tv platform . © the financial times limited 2013 | it is likely to raise questions about whether bt is paying too much |
bt <tsp> ( financial times ) -- bt has achieved its biggest sporting coup yet over sky , winning the rights to show champions league football matches in a £900 million ( $ 1,442 million ) deal . the deal , announced on saturday , strikes at the heart of two decades of football broadcasting dominance by sky . however , it is likely to raise questions about whether bt is paying too much for sports rights , to which it has now committed nearly £2 billion ( $ 3.2 billion ) . the champions league is europe 's football premier club competition , and bt , sky and itv had all hoped to secure some coverage in this week 's tender . under a three-year agreement starting in 2015 , bt will be the only broadcaster to show live champions league and europa league games in the uk , paying £299 million ( $ 479 million ) per season . that is more than double what sky and itv currently pay for the same rights , suggesting that bt bid aggressively under its new chief executive gavin patterson . in the tender , itv is thought to have bid about £63 million ( $ 101 million ) per season to show one live game per round , representing an increase of less than one-fifth on its current deal . sky was prepared to increase its payments by a greater proportion , but could not match bt . it seems bt chose to pay far in excess of our valuation , ' a sky spokesperson said in a statement . if we thought it was worth more , we 'd have paid more . ' tv is part of bt 's broader strategy to win customers to its premium fibre broadband packages , which include the sports channels for free at present . the champions league deal will significantly bolster its channels as serious rivals to sky in the eyes of viewers and advertisers . bt 's shareholders will be keen to see clear returns from such significant investments from a group that has previously focused on cutting costs and streamlining its operations . the group last week revealed a good start in customer numbers , with about 2m people so far having signed up to its channels although the majority would have been existing bt customers . however , the sports rights acquisitions weighed on earnings , and analysts say it is still too early to judge the new sports tv strategy a success . itv , which was also outbid for rights to fa cup games by the bbc , had hoped that uefa would continue to offer some rights to terrestrial television , where advertisers can garner a larger audience . bt has pledged to make some games , including the champions league final , available free even to those who do not have its pay tv platform . © the financial times limited 2013 | sky was prepared to increase its payments by a greater proportion , but could not match bt |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- president barack obama cares , the white house insisted tuesday in asking congress for $ 3.7 billion in emergency funds to better respond to the flood of immigrants illegally crossing the border into texas . no he does n't , say republicans who note obama does n't plan to visit the border area when he travels to texas -- the epicenter of the immigrant influx -- on wednesday for a trip that includes a meeting with gov . rick perry . amid the political sniping , many of the tens of thousands of young hispanic immigrants who have illegally crossed the border into texas this year remain in limbo while waiting to be processed and possibly sent back to their home countries . the surge of undocumented youths from central america has overwhelmed federal facilities and revived the debate over an immigration policy overhaul , one of the most partisan issues in the already overheated political climate of an election year . u.s. authorities estimate that between 60,000 to 80,000 children without parents will cross the border this year in what the white house is calling an immediate humanitarian crisis . ' obama administration officials blame the immigrant influx on dire conditions in countries such as guatemala , honduras and el salvador that cause people to send their children on dangerous journeys to the united states with smugglers who falsely promise the kids wo n't get deported . critics , however , say the administration invited the problem by halting deportations of some young immigrants who came to the country illegally in past years . funding request obama 's emergency funding request is just over 10 % of the $ 30 billion in proposed border security funding included in the senate-passed immigration reform bill that house republican leaders have stalled . a breakdown of the request , which requires approval from the deeply divided congress , shows a broad approach by the administration to a problem that the critics say should have been anticipated . it seeks $ 1.6 billion for the department of homeland security and the department of justice to bolster customs and border efforts as well as cracking down on smugglers , and $ 300 million for the state department to help mexico and central american governments counter what officials called misinformation ' by smugglers about what immigrants will face on the journey to the u.s. border and once they arrive . a main goal is to speed up the processing of arriving young immigrants to send back those who lack legal status . for most , the likely outcome will be a return home , white house officials told reporters on a conference call . obama 's funding request also seeks $ 1.8 billion for the department of health and human services to provide appropriate care for unaccompanied children crossing the border . the officials said that money would allow the government to meet its legal and moral obligations for such youngsters now being crammed in overcrowded facilities in several states while awaiting processing . on tuesday , the pentagon said it was processing requests from hhs to house more minors and defense department spokesman rear adm. john kirby said the matter was still under discussion . but u.s. officials told cnn 's barbara starr the requests cover about 5,000 new beds at military facilities . there currently is space for about 3,600 children . the current arrangement is to use military facilities for up to 120 days . kirby would n't speculate whether the time frame would be extended , although he said it 's something that would be discussed . urgent situation ' in addition , the emergency funding request for the rest of fiscal year 2014 , which ends on september 30 , seeks an additional $ 615 million to ensure necessary money to fight wildfires -- an issue separate from the immigration matter . white house spokesman josh earnest said the urgent situation ' that the emergency appropriation request would address should usurp any talk of making budget cuts elsewhere to offset the cost . with an emergency request like this , traditionally congress has not sought to bog down that process in a search for offsets , ' he told reporters on tuesday . the administration also will seek more leeway under existing law to speed up the processing of the undocumented newcomers who are overcrowding holding facilities and sparking protests in communities intended as temporary destinations . in particular , it wants congress to make it easier for the department of homeland security to deport new immigrants who lack legal standing to remain in the country , which would ease a growing backlog of cases resulting from the influx , earnest said . what we are seeing along the southwest border is a spike in illegal migration from a handful of central american countries , ' he added . and what we would like is for the secretary of homeland security to exercise some greater discretion after the due process rights of those individuals has been acknowledged and respected . ' partisan divide it was unclear how much cooperation obama would get from congressional republicans . a spokesman for house speaker john boehner said the request would be considered , but noted it lacked a component sought by the republican leader . the speaker still supports deploying the national guard to provide humanitarian support in the affected areas - which this proposal does not address , ' said michael steel . on the senate side , republicans argued for changing a 2008 law signed by gop president george w. bush that requires deportation hearings before sending back children from non-bordering countries . they blame the process for a backlog created by the surge in unaccompanied minors from central america entering the united states illegally from mexico . i do n't think we can solve the problem unless we revisit ' the law , said conservative republican sen. john cornyn of texas . democrats , however , want to keep the law intact to ensure that any children who deserve asylum get due process in the form of a full hearing . i 'm not inclined to support any policy change that ultimately undermines existing law and would violate the right of someone who is actually a legitimate refugee , ' said sen. robert menendez of new jersey , a democrat of cuban descent who chairs the senate foreign relations committee . each child should be able to make their case as to why they qualify . many will be sent back but others will qualify . ' no border visit obama has come under criticism from republicans and some democrats for not planning to visit the border area during his texas trip , which will include a democratic party fundraising event . former arkansas gov . mike huckabee , a possible gop presidential nominee in 2016 , called the situation similar to the much-disparaged federal response to hurricane katrina by the bush administration . for him to go to texas and spend two days shaking down donors and never even getting near the border mess he helped create would be like flying into new orleans in the highest waters of katrina to eat creole cooking , but never getting near the 9th ward , the superdome , or the convention center where thousands languished in squalor , ' huckabee said . meanwhile , democratic rep. henry cuellar of texas questioned if the border problem would harm the president in the same way the katrina response tarnished his predecessor , telling fox news : i hope this does not become obama 's'katrina moment .'' the white house officials on tuesday 's conference call repeatedly emphasized that obama regarded the immigration crisis as an urgent humanitarian situation . ' political squabble obama 's trip to texas set off a political squabble , with perry refusing to greet the president at the airport and instead calling for a meeting to discuss the immigration crisis . in response , obama invited perry to a meeting in dallas with faith leaders and local officials , according to a letter written by senior adviser valerie jarrett . perry , who is seeking to re-establish his national credentials after a disastrous bid for the gop presidential nomination in 2012 , said tuesday he looked forward to meeting with obama . previously , perry has said he readily ' welcomes any federal emergency funds , but also has asked that texas be reimbursed for more than $ 500 million the state has spent on border security over the past decade . secretary of homeland security jeh johnson said sunday the administration will take steps to fix the nation 's broken immigration system , even without the help of congress . that 's the same message obama has given in response to the refusal by house republicans to take up a senate-passed immigration reform bill . 5 things you need to know about the immigration crisis what obama can and ca n't do on immigration cnn 's greg clary , deirdre walsh , ted barrett and mariano castillo contributed to this report , which was written by tom cohen in washington . | president obama travels to texas on wednesday |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- president barack obama cares , the white house insisted tuesday in asking congress for $ 3.7 billion in emergency funds to better respond to the flood of immigrants illegally crossing the border into texas . no he does n't , say republicans who note obama does n't plan to visit the border area when he travels to texas -- the epicenter of the immigrant influx -- on wednesday for a trip that includes a meeting with gov . rick perry . amid the political sniping , many of the tens of thousands of young hispanic immigrants who have illegally crossed the border into texas this year remain in limbo while waiting to be processed and possibly sent back to their home countries . the surge of undocumented youths from central america has overwhelmed federal facilities and revived the debate over an immigration policy overhaul , one of the most partisan issues in the already overheated political climate of an election year . u.s. authorities estimate that between 60,000 to 80,000 children without parents will cross the border this year in what the white house is calling an immediate humanitarian crisis . ' obama administration officials blame the immigrant influx on dire conditions in countries such as guatemala , honduras and el salvador that cause people to send their children on dangerous journeys to the united states with smugglers who falsely promise the kids wo n't get deported . critics , however , say the administration invited the problem by halting deportations of some young immigrants who came to the country illegally in past years . funding request obama 's emergency funding request is just over 10 % of the $ 30 billion in proposed border security funding included in the senate-passed immigration reform bill that house republican leaders have stalled . a breakdown of the request , which requires approval from the deeply divided congress , shows a broad approach by the administration to a problem that the critics say should have been anticipated . it seeks $ 1.6 billion for the department of homeland security and the department of justice to bolster customs and border efforts as well as cracking down on smugglers , and $ 300 million for the state department to help mexico and central american governments counter what officials called misinformation ' by smugglers about what immigrants will face on the journey to the u.s. border and once they arrive . a main goal is to speed up the processing of arriving young immigrants to send back those who lack legal status . for most , the likely outcome will be a return home , white house officials told reporters on a conference call . obama 's funding request also seeks $ 1.8 billion for the department of health and human services to provide appropriate care for unaccompanied children crossing the border . the officials said that money would allow the government to meet its legal and moral obligations for such youngsters now being crammed in overcrowded facilities in several states while awaiting processing . on tuesday , the pentagon said it was processing requests from hhs to house more minors and defense department spokesman rear adm. john kirby said the matter was still under discussion . but u.s. officials told cnn 's barbara starr the requests cover about 5,000 new beds at military facilities . there currently is space for about 3,600 children . the current arrangement is to use military facilities for up to 120 days . kirby would n't speculate whether the time frame would be extended , although he said it 's something that would be discussed . urgent situation ' in addition , the emergency funding request for the rest of fiscal year 2014 , which ends on september 30 , seeks an additional $ 615 million to ensure necessary money to fight wildfires -- an issue separate from the immigration matter . white house spokesman josh earnest said the urgent situation ' that the emergency appropriation request would address should usurp any talk of making budget cuts elsewhere to offset the cost . with an emergency request like this , traditionally congress has not sought to bog down that process in a search for offsets , ' he told reporters on tuesday . the administration also will seek more leeway under existing law to speed up the processing of the undocumented newcomers who are overcrowding holding facilities and sparking protests in communities intended as temporary destinations . in particular , it wants congress to make it easier for the department of homeland security to deport new immigrants who lack legal standing to remain in the country , which would ease a growing backlog of cases resulting from the influx , earnest said . what we are seeing along the southwest border is a spike in illegal migration from a handful of central american countries , ' he added . and what we would like is for the secretary of homeland security to exercise some greater discretion after the due process rights of those individuals has been acknowledged and respected . ' partisan divide it was unclear how much cooperation obama would get from congressional republicans . a spokesman for house speaker john boehner said the request would be considered , but noted it lacked a component sought by the republican leader . the speaker still supports deploying the national guard to provide humanitarian support in the affected areas - which this proposal does not address , ' said michael steel . on the senate side , republicans argued for changing a 2008 law signed by gop president george w. bush that requires deportation hearings before sending back children from non-bordering countries . they blame the process for a backlog created by the surge in unaccompanied minors from central america entering the united states illegally from mexico . i do n't think we can solve the problem unless we revisit ' the law , said conservative republican sen. john cornyn of texas . democrats , however , want to keep the law intact to ensure that any children who deserve asylum get due process in the form of a full hearing . i 'm not inclined to support any policy change that ultimately undermines existing law and would violate the right of someone who is actually a legitimate refugee , ' said sen. robert menendez of new jersey , a democrat of cuban descent who chairs the senate foreign relations committee . each child should be able to make their case as to why they qualify . many will be sent back but others will qualify . ' no border visit obama has come under criticism from republicans and some democrats for not planning to visit the border area during his texas trip , which will include a democratic party fundraising event . former arkansas gov . mike huckabee , a possible gop presidential nominee in 2016 , called the situation similar to the much-disparaged federal response to hurricane katrina by the bush administration . for him to go to texas and spend two days shaking down donors and never even getting near the border mess he helped create would be like flying into new orleans in the highest waters of katrina to eat creole cooking , but never getting near the 9th ward , the superdome , or the convention center where thousands languished in squalor , ' huckabee said . meanwhile , democratic rep. henry cuellar of texas questioned if the border problem would harm the president in the same way the katrina response tarnished his predecessor , telling fox news : i hope this does not become obama 's'katrina moment .'' the white house officials on tuesday 's conference call repeatedly emphasized that obama regarded the immigration crisis as an urgent humanitarian situation . ' political squabble obama 's trip to texas set off a political squabble , with perry refusing to greet the president at the airport and instead calling for a meeting to discuss the immigration crisis . in response , obama invited perry to a meeting in dallas with faith leaders and local officials , according to a letter written by senior adviser valerie jarrett . perry , who is seeking to re-establish his national credentials after a disastrous bid for the gop presidential nomination in 2012 , said tuesday he looked forward to meeting with obama . previously , perry has said he readily ' welcomes any federal emergency funds , but also has asked that texas be reimbursed for more than $ 500 million the state has spent on border security over the past decade . secretary of homeland security jeh johnson said sunday the administration will take steps to fix the nation 's broken immigration system , even without the help of congress . that 's the same message obama has given in response to the refusal by house republicans to take up a senate-passed immigration reform bill . 5 things you need to know about the immigration crisis what obama can and ca n't do on immigration cnn 's greg clary , deirdre walsh , ted barrett and mariano castillo contributed to this report , which was written by tom cohen in washington . | gov . perry will meet with obama , wants him to visit the border |
texas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- president barack obama cares , the white house insisted tuesday in asking congress for $ 3.7 billion in emergency funds to better respond to the flood of immigrants illegally crossing the border into texas . no he does n't , say republicans who note obama does n't plan to visit the border area when he travels to texas -- the epicenter of the immigrant influx -- on wednesday for a trip that includes a meeting with gov . rick perry . amid the political sniping , many of the tens of thousands of young hispanic immigrants who have illegally crossed the border into texas this year remain in limbo while waiting to be processed and possibly sent back to their home countries . the surge of undocumented youths from central america has overwhelmed federal facilities and revived the debate over an immigration policy overhaul , one of the most partisan issues in the already overheated political climate of an election year . u.s. authorities estimate that between 60,000 to 80,000 children without parents will cross the border this year in what the white house is calling an immediate humanitarian crisis . ' obama administration officials blame the immigrant influx on dire conditions in countries such as guatemala , honduras and el salvador that cause people to send their children on dangerous journeys to the united states with smugglers who falsely promise the kids wo n't get deported . critics , however , say the administration invited the problem by halting deportations of some young immigrants who came to the country illegally in past years . funding request obama 's emergency funding request is just over 10 % of the $ 30 billion in proposed border security funding included in the senate-passed immigration reform bill that house republican leaders have stalled . a breakdown of the request , which requires approval from the deeply divided congress , shows a broad approach by the administration to a problem that the critics say should have been anticipated . it seeks $ 1.6 billion for the department of homeland security and the department of justice to bolster customs and border efforts as well as cracking down on smugglers , and $ 300 million for the state department to help mexico and central american governments counter what officials called misinformation ' by smugglers about what immigrants will face on the journey to the u.s. border and once they arrive . a main goal is to speed up the processing of arriving young immigrants to send back those who lack legal status . for most , the likely outcome will be a return home , white house officials told reporters on a conference call . obama 's funding request also seeks $ 1.8 billion for the department of health and human services to provide appropriate care for unaccompanied children crossing the border . the officials said that money would allow the government to meet its legal and moral obligations for such youngsters now being crammed in overcrowded facilities in several states while awaiting processing . on tuesday , the pentagon said it was processing requests from hhs to house more minors and defense department spokesman rear adm. john kirby said the matter was still under discussion . but u.s. officials told cnn 's barbara starr the requests cover about 5,000 new beds at military facilities . there currently is space for about 3,600 children . the current arrangement is to use military facilities for up to 120 days . kirby would n't speculate whether the time frame would be extended , although he said it 's something that would be discussed . urgent situation ' in addition , the emergency funding request for the rest of fiscal year 2014 , which ends on september 30 , seeks an additional $ 615 million to ensure necessary money to fight wildfires -- an issue separate from the immigration matter . white house spokesman josh earnest said the urgent situation ' that the emergency appropriation request would address should usurp any talk of making budget cuts elsewhere to offset the cost . with an emergency request like this , traditionally congress has not sought to bog down that process in a search for offsets , ' he told reporters on tuesday . the administration also will seek more leeway under existing law to speed up the processing of the undocumented newcomers who are overcrowding holding facilities and sparking protests in communities intended as temporary destinations . in particular , it wants congress to make it easier for the department of homeland security to deport new immigrants who lack legal standing to remain in the country , which would ease a growing backlog of cases resulting from the influx , earnest said . what we are seeing along the southwest border is a spike in illegal migration from a handful of central american countries , ' he added . and what we would like is for the secretary of homeland security to exercise some greater discretion after the due process rights of those individuals has been acknowledged and respected . ' partisan divide it was unclear how much cooperation obama would get from congressional republicans . a spokesman for house speaker john boehner said the request would be considered , but noted it lacked a component sought by the republican leader . the speaker still supports deploying the national guard to provide humanitarian support in the affected areas - which this proposal does not address , ' said michael steel . on the senate side , republicans argued for changing a 2008 law signed by gop president george w. bush that requires deportation hearings before sending back children from non-bordering countries . they blame the process for a backlog created by the surge in unaccompanied minors from central america entering the united states illegally from mexico . i do n't think we can solve the problem unless we revisit ' the law , said conservative republican sen. john cornyn of texas . democrats , however , want to keep the law intact to ensure that any children who deserve asylum get due process in the form of a full hearing . i 'm not inclined to support any policy change that ultimately undermines existing law and would violate the right of someone who is actually a legitimate refugee , ' said sen. robert menendez of new jersey , a democrat of cuban descent who chairs the senate foreign relations committee . each child should be able to make their case as to why they qualify . many will be sent back but others will qualify . ' no border visit obama has come under criticism from republicans and some democrats for not planning to visit the border area during his texas trip , which will include a democratic party fundraising event . former arkansas gov . mike huckabee , a possible gop presidential nominee in 2016 , called the situation similar to the much-disparaged federal response to hurricane katrina by the bush administration . for him to go to texas and spend two days shaking down donors and never even getting near the border mess he helped create would be like flying into new orleans in the highest waters of katrina to eat creole cooking , but never getting near the 9th ward , the superdome , or the convention center where thousands languished in squalor , ' huckabee said . meanwhile , democratic rep. henry cuellar of texas questioned if the border problem would harm the president in the same way the katrina response tarnished his predecessor , telling fox news : i hope this does not become obama 's'katrina moment .'' the white house officials on tuesday 's conference call repeatedly emphasized that obama regarded the immigration crisis as an urgent humanitarian situation . ' political squabble obama 's trip to texas set off a political squabble , with perry refusing to greet the president at the airport and instead calling for a meeting to discuss the immigration crisis . in response , obama invited perry to a meeting in dallas with faith leaders and local officials , according to a letter written by senior adviser valerie jarrett . perry , who is seeking to re-establish his national credentials after a disastrous bid for the gop presidential nomination in 2012 , said tuesday he looked forward to meeting with obama . previously , perry has said he readily ' welcomes any federal emergency funds , but also has asked that texas be reimbursed for more than $ 500 million the state has spent on border security over the past decade . secretary of homeland security jeh johnson said sunday the administration will take steps to fix the nation 's broken immigration system , even without the help of congress . that 's the same message obama has given in response to the refusal by house republicans to take up a senate-passed immigration reform bill . 5 things you need to know about the immigration crisis what obama can and ca n't do on immigration cnn 's greg clary , deirdre walsh , ted barrett and mariano castillo contributed to this report , which was written by tom cohen in washington . | president obama travels to texas on wednesday |
administaff <tsp> ( careerbuilder.com ) -- when it comes to employee/boss relationships , john ewert -- vice president at driven public relations in temecula , california -- believes he has a fantastic one . for starters , i think the most important thing that makes the relationship between me and my boss so great is respect , ' ewert says . we are accountable for our actions , good or bad , and own up to our mistakes while offering credit where credit is due . we take great pride in agreeing to disagree , but not without discussing subjects in an open manner and exploring options to find solutions . i know it sounds cheesy , but respect and trust are the keys to any successful relationship . ' as experts , supervisors and satisfied workers will attest , ewert 's cheesy ' advice is spot on . here are some tips on how anybody can forge a better relationship with his or her boss . communication counts ' in many office environments , employees and management are so involved in daily job requirements that communication may be pushed aside . in the long term , lack of communication can damage an employee/supervisor relationship , ' states marni bobich , team manager from administaff ( a professional employer organization ) . daily e-mail exchanges are fast and oftentimes sufficient , yet bobich suggests periodically requesting face-time . while you do n't want to become a nuisance , in-person communication can go a long way in displaying your desire to develop and maintain a positive working relationship . determine the type of information that is best communicated face-to-face and discuss it during your meeting . ' building trust experts agree that one instance where you should always go to your boss is when there is a potential problem . if a project is n't going well , do n't hide bad news from her for fear of looking bad , ' says melinda stephenson , cofounder of the leadership room , a unique development program for rising executives . let her know if a problem is brewing or if you 're struggling with something . if your boss can trust you to give her a'heads up'and to bring solutions to problems , you 've built a solid relationship . ' and save your boss time ! ' says anja schuetz , a people management coach from the netherlands . when going to him with a problem , tell him all the things you have already tried to solve it . anticipate his questions , and bring documents and proof along so your boss can see things through your eyes and is able to rule things out quickly , rather than thinking the whole thing through from scratch . ' other ways to develop trust include : • keeping confidential any sensitive information about your boss or the company . • refraining from talking about your boss behind his back . • pointing out his mistakes tactfully ( and preferably in private ) . bosses are people too it pays to remember that bosses like a pleasant atmosphere as much as any employee . while you need n't set out to make him your new best friend , developing a cordial relationship can strengthen ties . we always begin each conversation , whether it be by phone or e-mail , with a friendly greeting , such as'good morning !'or'how was your weekend ?'' says kaitlynn carter , who works for a wedding-planning company in portsmouth , new hampshire . it goes a long way when you show that you are considering the other person and that you are committed to having a friendly exchange ! ' other ideas for building a personable , yet office-appropriate , relationship include : • giving a genuine compliment . ( i like your new coat . ) • talking about a common interest . ( did you see the baseball game last night ? ) • expressing interest in a major life event . ( how did your son 's graduation go ? ) • showing gratitude . ( thanks for letting me leave early to attend my daughter 's recital . ) • offering kudos . ( congratulations on landing that new account . ) an occasional lunch together also can help . if the two of you travel for business , use the time waiting for the plane or riding in a taxi to get to know one another as individuals . remember you 're on the same side chances are that you and your boss want many of the same things : a paycheck , recognition , a strong company , career fulfillment . looking at situations as cohorts can help both parties . the bottom line : positive effort equals positive results , ' ewert says . sometimes there are projects that we do n't want to do , sometimes we have issues outside of work that are out of our control , sometimes our clients move up deadlines or change the focus for a project , but instead of harping on an issue and running away , we adapt and overcome . we view our clients and employees as partners , and we have a lot of fun helping businesses and employees be successful . ' & copy careerbuilder.com 2010 . all rights reserved . the information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority . | marni bobich , team manager from administaff recommends periodically requesting face-time |
white house <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- an idaho man accused of trying to assassinate president barack obama by shooting at the white house pleaded not guilty , as expected , in federal court tuesday . oscar ortega-hernandez will remain in custody until his trial , a date for which has not yet been scheduled . he appeared in a dark blue prison jumpsuit at his brief arraignment hearing before magistrate judge deborah robinson . he was indicted last week on 17 criminal counts . prosecutors say ortega-hernandez fired a romanian-made assault rifle out of the window of his car the evening of november 11 . after allegedly sending a number of rounds toward the white house , he sped away toward a bridge leading to the virginia suburbs , but crashed his vehicle and fled on foot , officials say . a court document says ortega-hernandez 's fingerprints were found on ammunition magazines left in a 1998 honda , but not on the weapon itself , which also was left in the car . neither the president nor his family was at home at the time of the incident . ortega-hernandez said nothing at tuesday 's hearing , but appeared alert , nodding and smiling at the judge as the hearing concluded . he wore a heavy beard and was not in restraints . an fbi agent had testified at an earlier hearing that bullets found embedded in the white house residence came from ortega-hernandez 's assault weapon . the 21-year-old man claimed after his arrest that he had been car-jacked by a man with a gun on the day of the crime , and said his assailant must have been responsible for the shooting , according to court filings . he also allegedly told the officers he never owned a gun , but the government cited two witnesses from idaho confirming the rifle left in the car belonged to ortega-hernandez . a federal public defender representing ortega-hernandez had previously claimed inconsistent witness statements raised doubts about whether he was the shooter . attorney david bos cited one witness who said the shooter was driving a yellow van . police had said ortega-hernandez was driving a dark-colored sedan . bos did not object tuesday when the magistrate ruled the defendant would continue to be held behind bars . another hearing is scheduled for next month . ortega-hernandez was captured at a pennsylvania motel days after the incident . he told police he hitchhiked and walked from the district of columbia . another federal judge previously ruled him competent to stand trial . ortega-hernandez has been interviewed at least once by a psychologist , and the doctor said he is able to understand the allegations against him and to aid in his defense . in court documents , prosecutors argue ortega-hernandez is dangerous and planned out his alleged crime over a period of months . if convicted of attempting to assassinate the president , ortega-hernandez would face a maximum sentence of life in prison . | he is accused of shooting a rifle at the white house in november |
champions league <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an'el clasico'european champions league final between spanish giants real madrid and barcelona remains a mouthwatering prospect after the teams were kept apart in the quarterfinal draw . barca , the defending champions , have been drawn to play ac milan , from italy , while real , managed by portuguese coach jose mourinho , will play cypriot minnows apoel nicosia . the two clubs are fierce rivals with mourinho beating opposite number pep guardiola just once in ten meetings . real are ten points clear in la liga though , and almost certain to claim their first title since 2008 . elsewhere , german side bayern munich have been drawn to play french champions marseille while english premier league club chelsea 's reward for beating napoli is a tie with portuguese team benfica . chelsea see off napoli in extra-time thriller the draw for the semifinals of the prestigious competition was also made , with the winners of real and apoel 's tie facing bayern or marseille , while barca or ac will face off against chelsea or benfica . barcelona , who have won the trophy three times in the last six seasons , faced serie a leaders milan in the group stages of europe 's lucrative club tournament , drawing 2-2 at home and winning 3-2 in italy . guardiola 's side have won their last six games and beat german outfit bayer leverkusen 10-2 on aggregate over their two matches in the last 16 . apoel 's reward for making the last eight of the champions league for the first time in their history is a glamor tie with real madrid , who disposed of cska moscow in the last round . real coach mourinho is gunning for a record third champions league crown , having previously won the title with porto , from portugal , and inter milan . 2010 winners inter milan exit champions league bayern munich , who are searching for their first victory in the champions league since 2001 , put seven goals past swiss side basel in the second leg of their last-16 match . they play marseille , who knocked out 2010 winners inter milan this week . chelsea , who recently sacked coach andre villas-boas and installed former player roberto di matteo as interim manager , travel to benfica . the club , owned by russian billionaire roman abramovich , are struggling in fifth spot in the premier league with their place in next season 's champions league under threat . | barcelona and real madrid kept apart in champions league draw |
portugal <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an'el clasico'european champions league final between spanish giants real madrid and barcelona remains a mouthwatering prospect after the teams were kept apart in the quarterfinal draw . barca , the defending champions , have been drawn to play ac milan , from italy , while real , managed by portuguese coach jose mourinho , will play cypriot minnows apoel nicosia . the two clubs are fierce rivals with mourinho beating opposite number pep guardiola just once in ten meetings . real are ten points clear in la liga though , and almost certain to claim their first title since 2008 . elsewhere , german side bayern munich have been drawn to play french champions marseille while english premier league club chelsea 's reward for beating napoli is a tie with portuguese team benfica . chelsea see off napoli in extra-time thriller the draw for the semifinals of the prestigious competition was also made , with the winners of real and apoel 's tie facing bayern or marseille , while barca or ac will face off against chelsea or benfica . barcelona , who have won the trophy three times in the last six seasons , faced serie a leaders milan in the group stages of europe 's lucrative club tournament , drawing 2-2 at home and winning 3-2 in italy . guardiola 's side have won their last six games and beat german outfit bayer leverkusen 10-2 on aggregate over their two matches in the last 16 . apoel 's reward for making the last eight of the champions league for the first time in their history is a glamor tie with real madrid , who disposed of cska moscow in the last round . real coach mourinho is gunning for a record third champions league crown , having previously won the title with porto , from portugal , and inter milan . 2010 winners inter milan exit champions league bayern munich , who are searching for their first victory in the champions league since 2001 , put seven goals past swiss side basel in the second leg of their last-16 match . they play marseille , who knocked out 2010 winners inter milan this week . chelsea , who recently sacked coach andre villas-boas and installed former player roberto di matteo as interim manager , travel to benfica . the club , owned by russian billionaire roman abramovich , are struggling in fifth spot in the premier league with their place in next season 's champions league under threat . | chelsea to face portugal 's benfica after beating napoli in last-16 |
barcelona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an'el clasico'european champions league final between spanish giants real madrid and barcelona remains a mouthwatering prospect after the teams were kept apart in the quarterfinal draw . barca , the defending champions , have been drawn to play ac milan , from italy , while real , managed by portuguese coach jose mourinho , will play cypriot minnows apoel nicosia . the two clubs are fierce rivals with mourinho beating opposite number pep guardiola just once in ten meetings . real are ten points clear in la liga though , and almost certain to claim their first title since 2008 . elsewhere , german side bayern munich have been drawn to play french champions marseille while english premier league club chelsea 's reward for beating napoli is a tie with portuguese team benfica . chelsea see off napoli in extra-time thriller the draw for the semifinals of the prestigious competition was also made , with the winners of real and apoel 's tie facing bayern or marseille , while barca or ac will face off against chelsea or benfica . barcelona , who have won the trophy three times in the last six seasons , faced serie a leaders milan in the group stages of europe 's lucrative club tournament , drawing 2-2 at home and winning 3-2 in italy . guardiola 's side have won their last six games and beat german outfit bayer leverkusen 10-2 on aggregate over their two matches in the last 16 . apoel 's reward for making the last eight of the champions league for the first time in their history is a glamor tie with real madrid , who disposed of cska moscow in the last round . real coach mourinho is gunning for a record third champions league crown , having previously won the title with porto , from portugal , and inter milan . 2010 winners inter milan exit champions league bayern munich , who are searching for their first victory in the champions league since 2001 , put seven goals past swiss side basel in the second leg of their last-16 match . they play marseille , who knocked out 2010 winners inter milan this week . chelsea , who recently sacked coach andre villas-boas and installed former player roberto di matteo as interim manager , travel to benfica . the club , owned by russian billionaire roman abramovich , are struggling in fifth spot in the premier league with their place in next season 's champions league under threat . | real to play apoel nicosia while euro champs barcelona face ac milan |
barcelona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an'el clasico'european champions league final between spanish giants real madrid and barcelona remains a mouthwatering prospect after the teams were kept apart in the quarterfinal draw . barca , the defending champions , have been drawn to play ac milan , from italy , while real , managed by portuguese coach jose mourinho , will play cypriot minnows apoel nicosia . the two clubs are fierce rivals with mourinho beating opposite number pep guardiola just once in ten meetings . real are ten points clear in la liga though , and almost certain to claim their first title since 2008 . elsewhere , german side bayern munich have been drawn to play french champions marseille while english premier league club chelsea 's reward for beating napoli is a tie with portuguese team benfica . chelsea see off napoli in extra-time thriller the draw for the semifinals of the prestigious competition was also made , with the winners of real and apoel 's tie facing bayern or marseille , while barca or ac will face off against chelsea or benfica . barcelona , who have won the trophy three times in the last six seasons , faced serie a leaders milan in the group stages of europe 's lucrative club tournament , drawing 2-2 at home and winning 3-2 in italy . guardiola 's side have won their last six games and beat german outfit bayer leverkusen 10-2 on aggregate over their two matches in the last 16 . apoel 's reward for making the last eight of the champions league for the first time in their history is a glamor tie with real madrid , who disposed of cska moscow in the last round . real coach mourinho is gunning for a record third champions league crown , having previously won the title with porto , from portugal , and inter milan . 2010 winners inter milan exit champions league bayern munich , who are searching for their first victory in the champions league since 2001 , put seven goals past swiss side basel in the second leg of their last-16 match . they play marseille , who knocked out 2010 winners inter milan this week . chelsea , who recently sacked coach andre villas-boas and installed former player roberto di matteo as interim manager , travel to benfica . the club , owned by russian billionaire roman abramovich , are struggling in fifth spot in the premier league with their place in next season 's champions league under threat . | barcelona and real madrid kept apart in champions league draw |
jones <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when matt jones missed a six-foot putt last year , it cost him a coveted place at the masters . the australian golfer made up for it on sunday , clinching the last spot in the field for augusta next week after snatching his first pga tour victory in 156 starts at the houston open . while his lip-out at the bmw championship in august denied him a spot at the tour championship , which guarantees entry to the following year 's opening major , this time the 33-year-old made sure in dramatic style . he drained a 46-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with longtime leader matt kuchar , and then sunk a 42-yard chip on the first extra hole while the american could not match it from the greenside bunker . jones will make his masters debut alongside fellow australian steven bowditch , who last week clinched entry when he caught kuchar with nine holes to play at the texas open and also went on to win his first pga tour title . that makes four winners from the southern hemisphere continent this year , with jason day having won the world match play championship in february and john senden the valspar championship last month . compatriot adam scott , who will be defending his masters crown , was third at the arnold palmer invitational the week after senden 's win after blowing a big lead on the final day . jones shot 66 while kuchar -- who blew a four-stroke overnight lead -- carded 72 as both finished on 15-under 273 . spain 's sergio garcia was two shots back after a 70 , with cameron tringale fourth ahead of fellow americans shawn stefani and rickie fowler . former world no . 1 rory mcilroy showed form ahead of augusta with a seven-under-par 65 that left him tied for seventh in a group including fellow two-time major winner retief goosen of south africa , who closed with 70 . i wanted to shoot something in the 60s at least today to give me some positive vibes going into augusta , ' mcilroy said . i could n't be in a better mood getting on the plane and heading over ( to augusta ) tonight . ' american veteran phil mickelson confirmed his fitness ahead of his bid for a fourth green jacket at augusta as he finished tied for 12th after a final-round 71 , alongside former world no . 1 lee westwood and 2003 british open champion ben curtis . i 'm a little nervous heading into next week , ' said mickelson , yet to win in 2014 and battling injury setbacks . i have n't had the results , i have n't been in contention , i have n't won this year , so i 'm certainly nervous about my chances , but it 's my favorite week of the year . ' south africa 's charl schwartzel , the 2011 masters winner , was tied for 19th . | australian golfer matt jones wins final masters place with sensational finish in houston |
jones <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when matt jones missed a six-foot putt last year , it cost him a coveted place at the masters . the australian golfer made up for it on sunday , clinching the last spot in the field for augusta next week after snatching his first pga tour victory in 156 starts at the houston open . while his lip-out at the bmw championship in august denied him a spot at the tour championship , which guarantees entry to the following year 's opening major , this time the 33-year-old made sure in dramatic style . he drained a 46-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with longtime leader matt kuchar , and then sunk a 42-yard chip on the first extra hole while the american could not match it from the greenside bunker . jones will make his masters debut alongside fellow australian steven bowditch , who last week clinched entry when he caught kuchar with nine holes to play at the texas open and also went on to win his first pga tour title . that makes four winners from the southern hemisphere continent this year , with jason day having won the world match play championship in february and john senden the valspar championship last month . compatriot adam scott , who will be defending his masters crown , was third at the arnold palmer invitational the week after senden 's win after blowing a big lead on the final day . jones shot 66 while kuchar -- who blew a four-stroke overnight lead -- carded 72 as both finished on 15-under 273 . spain 's sergio garcia was two shots back after a 70 , with cameron tringale fourth ahead of fellow americans shawn stefani and rickie fowler . former world no . 1 rory mcilroy showed form ahead of augusta with a seven-under-par 65 that left him tied for seventh in a group including fellow two-time major winner retief goosen of south africa , who closed with 70 . i wanted to shoot something in the 60s at least today to give me some positive vibes going into augusta , ' mcilroy said . i could n't be in a better mood getting on the plane and heading over ( to augusta ) tonight . ' american veteran phil mickelson confirmed his fitness ahead of his bid for a fourth green jacket at augusta as he finished tied for 12th after a final-round 71 , alongside former world no . 1 lee westwood and 2003 british open champion ben curtis . i 'm a little nervous heading into next week , ' said mickelson , yet to win in 2014 and battling injury setbacks . i have n't had the results , i have n't been in contention , i have n't won this year , so i 'm certainly nervous about my chances , but it 's my favorite week of the year . ' south africa 's charl schwartzel , the 2011 masters winner , was tied for 19th . | jones'first pga tour win makes up for lapse last year that cost him augusta spot |
augusta <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when matt jones missed a six-foot putt last year , it cost him a coveted place at the masters . the australian golfer made up for it on sunday , clinching the last spot in the field for augusta next week after snatching his first pga tour victory in 156 starts at the houston open . while his lip-out at the bmw championship in august denied him a spot at the tour championship , which guarantees entry to the following year 's opening major , this time the 33-year-old made sure in dramatic style . he drained a 46-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with longtime leader matt kuchar , and then sunk a 42-yard chip on the first extra hole while the american could not match it from the greenside bunker . jones will make his masters debut alongside fellow australian steven bowditch , who last week clinched entry when he caught kuchar with nine holes to play at the texas open and also went on to win his first pga tour title . that makes four winners from the southern hemisphere continent this year , with jason day having won the world match play championship in february and john senden the valspar championship last month . compatriot adam scott , who will be defending his masters crown , was third at the arnold palmer invitational the week after senden 's win after blowing a big lead on the final day . jones shot 66 while kuchar -- who blew a four-stroke overnight lead -- carded 72 as both finished on 15-under 273 . spain 's sergio garcia was two shots back after a 70 , with cameron tringale fourth ahead of fellow americans shawn stefani and rickie fowler . former world no . 1 rory mcilroy showed form ahead of augusta with a seven-under-par 65 that left him tied for seventh in a group including fellow two-time major winner retief goosen of south africa , who closed with 70 . i wanted to shoot something in the 60s at least today to give me some positive vibes going into augusta , ' mcilroy said . i could n't be in a better mood getting on the plane and heading over ( to augusta ) tonight . ' american veteran phil mickelson confirmed his fitness ahead of his bid for a fourth green jacket at augusta as he finished tied for 12th after a final-round 71 , alongside former world no . 1 lee westwood and 2003 british open champion ben curtis . i 'm a little nervous heading into next week , ' said mickelson , yet to win in 2014 and battling injury setbacks . i have n't had the results , i have n't been in contention , i have n't won this year , so i 'm certainly nervous about my chances , but it 's my favorite week of the year . ' south africa 's charl schwartzel , the 2011 masters winner , was tied for 19th . | jones'first pga tour win makes up for lapse last year that cost him augusta spot |
kuchar <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when matt jones missed a six-foot putt last year , it cost him a coveted place at the masters . the australian golfer made up for it on sunday , clinching the last spot in the field for augusta next week after snatching his first pga tour victory in 156 starts at the houston open . while his lip-out at the bmw championship in august denied him a spot at the tour championship , which guarantees entry to the following year 's opening major , this time the 33-year-old made sure in dramatic style . he drained a 46-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with longtime leader matt kuchar , and then sunk a 42-yard chip on the first extra hole while the american could not match it from the greenside bunker . jones will make his masters debut alongside fellow australian steven bowditch , who last week clinched entry when he caught kuchar with nine holes to play at the texas open and also went on to win his first pga tour title . that makes four winners from the southern hemisphere continent this year , with jason day having won the world match play championship in february and john senden the valspar championship last month . compatriot adam scott , who will be defending his masters crown , was third at the arnold palmer invitational the week after senden 's win after blowing a big lead on the final day . jones shot 66 while kuchar -- who blew a four-stroke overnight lead -- carded 72 as both finished on 15-under 273 . spain 's sergio garcia was two shots back after a 70 , with cameron tringale fourth ahead of fellow americans shawn stefani and rickie fowler . former world no . 1 rory mcilroy showed form ahead of augusta with a seven-under-par 65 that left him tied for seventh in a group including fellow two-time major winner retief goosen of south africa , who closed with 70 . i wanted to shoot something in the 60s at least today to give me some positive vibes going into augusta , ' mcilroy said . i could n't be in a better mood getting on the plane and heading over ( to augusta ) tonight . ' american veteran phil mickelson confirmed his fitness ahead of his bid for a fourth green jacket at augusta as he finished tied for 12th after a final-round 71 , alongside former world no . 1 lee westwood and 2003 british open champion ben curtis . i 'm a little nervous heading into next week , ' said mickelson , yet to win in 2014 and battling injury setbacks . i have n't had the results , i have n't been in contention , i have n't won this year , so i 'm certainly nervous about my chances , but it 's my favorite week of the year . ' south africa 's charl schwartzel , the 2011 masters winner , was tied for 19th . | the 33-year-old catches leader matt kuchar at final hole and chips in during playoff |
kuchar <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when matt jones missed a six-foot putt last year , it cost him a coveted place at the masters . the australian golfer made up for it on sunday , clinching the last spot in the field for augusta next week after snatching his first pga tour victory in 156 starts at the houston open . while his lip-out at the bmw championship in august denied him a spot at the tour championship , which guarantees entry to the following year 's opening major , this time the 33-year-old made sure in dramatic style . he drained a 46-foot birdie putt to force a playoff with longtime leader matt kuchar , and then sunk a 42-yard chip on the first extra hole while the american could not match it from the greenside bunker . jones will make his masters debut alongside fellow australian steven bowditch , who last week clinched entry when he caught kuchar with nine holes to play at the texas open and also went on to win his first pga tour title . that makes four winners from the southern hemisphere continent this year , with jason day having won the world match play championship in february and john senden the valspar championship last month . compatriot adam scott , who will be defending his masters crown , was third at the arnold palmer invitational the week after senden 's win after blowing a big lead on the final day . jones shot 66 while kuchar -- who blew a four-stroke overnight lead -- carded 72 as both finished on 15-under 273 . spain 's sergio garcia was two shots back after a 70 , with cameron tringale fourth ahead of fellow americans shawn stefani and rickie fowler . former world no . 1 rory mcilroy showed form ahead of augusta with a seven-under-par 65 that left him tied for seventh in a group including fellow two-time major winner retief goosen of south africa , who closed with 70 . i wanted to shoot something in the 60s at least today to give me some positive vibes going into augusta , ' mcilroy said . i could n't be in a better mood getting on the plane and heading over ( to augusta ) tonight . ' american veteran phil mickelson confirmed his fitness ahead of his bid for a fourth green jacket at augusta as he finished tied for 12th after a final-round 71 , alongside former world no . 1 lee westwood and 2003 british open champion ben curtis . i 'm a little nervous heading into next week , ' said mickelson , yet to win in 2014 and battling injury setbacks . i have n't had the results , i have n't been in contention , i have n't won this year , so i 'm certainly nervous about my chances , but it 's my favorite week of the year . ' south africa 's charl schwartzel , the 2011 masters winner , was tied for 19th . | it is the second successive sunday that kuchar is beaten by an australian |
woods <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tennis ace roger federer has given his unfailing support to his good friend ' tiger woods as the embattled golfer attempts to restore his reputation . federer believes the worst has passed ' for tiger after his very public apology to a world wide television audience . woods fought back the tears as he admitted he had cheated on his wife elin , but surprised observers by not setting any date for his return to golf ahead of major tournaments later this year , although he subsequently announced he would return for the u.s. masters in april . it 's time to give tiger some peace but federer told the gulf news that whatever the future held , woods would remain his friend . what 's happened to him has been hard to watch over the last three months right down to when he made his apology . i am sure he 's headed in a better direction now , ' he added . federer , who has appeared in a well-known advertisement for gillette with woods and football star thierry henry , went on : ' the worst has passed . i hope that he can also work things out with his wife elin because they are very nice people - obviously for the sake of their kids as well . ' but federer admitted he had not spoken to woods since the november car crash which set in chain a stream of revelations about the american 's private life . i have supported him , but i have n't had any contact with him , ' added the swiss maestro , who was forced to withdraw from the dubai open with a lung infection which is set to sideline him for several weeks . it 's been hard to watch from far away but i would love to see him back on the golf course . it is what he does best , ' added the 16-time grand slam winner . | woods made a televised public apology after admitting he cheated on his wife |
woods <tsp> ( cnn ) -- tennis ace roger federer has given his unfailing support to his good friend ' tiger woods as the embattled golfer attempts to restore his reputation . federer believes the worst has passed ' for tiger after his very public apology to a world wide television audience . woods fought back the tears as he admitted he had cheated on his wife elin , but surprised observers by not setting any date for his return to golf ahead of major tournaments later this year , although he subsequently announced he would return for the u.s. masters in april . it 's time to give tiger some peace but federer told the gulf news that whatever the future held , woods would remain his friend . what 's happened to him has been hard to watch over the last three months right down to when he made his apology . i am sure he 's headed in a better direction now , ' he added . federer , who has appeared in a well-known advertisement for gillette with woods and football star thierry henry , went on : ' the worst has passed . i hope that he can also work things out with his wife elin because they are very nice people - obviously for the sake of their kids as well . ' but federer admitted he had not spoken to woods since the november car crash which set in chain a stream of revelations about the american 's private life . i have supported him , but i have n't had any contact with him , ' added the swiss maestro , who was forced to withdraw from the dubai open with a lung infection which is set to sideline him for several weeks . it 's been hard to watch from far away but i would love to see him back on the golf course . it is what he does best , ' added the 16-time grand slam winner . | roger federer goes public to back his good friend ' tiger woods |
israel <tsp> images from the conflict between israel and hamas depict apparent civilians , innocent people caught in the middle . often , the dead are children . the palestinian death toll in gaza stands at more than 1,800 , with nearly 10,000 wounded , gaza 's health ministry said sunday . more than 300 children have died , the ministry has reported , as the united nations repeatedly raises concerns about the high number of deaths in gaza . on the israeli side , 64 israeli soldiers and three civilians have died since fighting began more than three weeks ago . why are the death tolls lopsided ? why so many deaths in gaza ? here are five reasons that dictate the brutal logic of the latest mideast crisis . uneven resources while hamas has shown itself to be a formidable guerrilla army , israel 's military dwarfs the resources available to the militant islamic organization , which controls gaza . hamas does not have the sophisticated weaponry and technology that israel possesses . consider israel 's iron dome system , which intercepts and blocks incoming rockets . the israeli military has said that it has depleted most of gaza 's rocket supply and israel defense forces says more than 3,000 rockets have been fired from gaza at israel . unlike gaza , israel has bomb shelters and an advanced warning system to let its population know when and where rockets are coming in . hundreds of thousands of people have reportedly downloaded red alert , a smartphone app that uses real-time information from the idf and the country 's version of homeland security to trigger a phone 's alarm when rockets are detected . illustrating just how powerful israel is in this battle , israel has been texting palestinians'cell phones with messages warning where the israeli military will strike . palestinians have told cnn they are receiving these messages . israel has also been doing what it calls roof knocking ' -- or dropping empty shells on rooftops -- warning those inside buildings to get out fast because a strike with explosive shells is imminent . civilian casualties in gaza have been too high , ' pentagon spokesman col. steve warren said in washington on thursday . it is clear the israelis need to do more . we want them to do more . ' the nature of the battlefield more than 1.8 million people live in gaza , which is 139 square miles in total land area . that makes for very cramped living . when airstrikes happen , when shells land , having more people in a small area often means higher death tolls . and even if palestinians receive and heed warnings to change locations before an airstrike hits , it 's likely they 'll have nowhere safe to run . there are no bomb shelters or warning sirens in gaza . and it 's practically impossible to leave . there 's a barrier fence around the perimeter of gaza . israel controls all air access to gaza and land access along their border . egypt controls access on the southern border and that crossing is also closed . united nations schools in gaza -- with clear u.n. markings -- have been turned into shelters during the conflict , and for a while they were considered safe . but strikes have recently hit several of those locations , killing and injuring many , including women and children . each side blames the other . in some cases , israel has said hamas rockets were launched and fell short , landing on the schools , and stressed that it uses precision ' airstrikes . regarding shells that fell in the vicinity of a school on sunday , killing at least nine people , the idf said it targeted three palestinian islamic jihad members riding a motorcycle in the vicinity of the school . it said it 's reviewing the incident . hamas says israel targeted the schools . a goal that could take time one of israel 's top goals is to destroy hamas rockets and tunnels . it says it has uncovered 36 tunnels running from gaza into israel that have been used to smuggle weapons and launch attacks . hamas has released videos of militants using the tunnels for attacks . the main way to obliterate the tunnels is by airstrikes and artillery bombardment , and those tactics often result in collateral damage . the tunnels have , for some time , also been used as vital supply lines to gaza , through which food and other necessities have been transported . the tunnels were dug to get around the blockade of gaza , said maen rashid areikat , the head of the palestine liberation organization delegation to the united states . but areikat told cnn 's wolf blitzer , who toured a tunnel , that the tunnels have also been used by a faction of palestinians to launch attacks in israel . palestinian parliament member mustafa barghouti described the tunnels as a defensive tool against repeated israeli invasions in recent years . watch : cnn 's blitzer goes into a tunnel in gaza effort to protect civilians ? is hamas willing to put civilians in harm 's way ? that 's a controversial topic . last month , rockets were discovered in a vacant u.n. school between two other u.n. schools being used as shelters . it was the second such discovery at a vacant u.n. school in gaza in a week . that is the evidence israel cites to accuse hamas of using civilians and their institutions as shields -- a violation of international law . israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said on cnn that it was difficult to measure the bloodshed of the conflict because hamas is using them , palestinians , as human shields . ' we develop anti-missile systems to protect , we use anti-missile systems to protect our civilians , ' he said . they use their civilians to protect their missiles . that 's the difference . ' the idf said monday it found a hamas combat manual ' that idf says proves the group uses its people as human shields . a cnn translation of the two pages posted by the idf did not find specific statements that hamas uses its own civilian population as human shields , but one section discusses the benefits for hamas when civilian homes are destroyed . cnn could not confirm the authenticity of the manual , and neither the idf nor hamas could be reached for comment . experts say the situation is complex . hamas is also a political organization embedded in civilian life in the palestinian territory , palestinian leaders say . hamas is a political party after all , not just a military wing . and it has institutions , organizations , homes ' in gaza , said hanan ashrawi , executive committee member of the plo in the west bank . she pointed out that large buildings are being hit , and many are dying inside . it would be impossible at this point to say how much truth there is to the human shield argument , ' said michele dunne of the carnegie endowment for international peace . that 's not going to be possible to do in the heat of the conflict . ' the timetable is uncertain last week , the israeli military said it was calling up 16,000 reservists , an indication that there is likely more fighting ahead . united states diplomacy has tried to turn the situation toward a lasting cease-fire . several middle eastern nations attempted to get hamas to agree to an egyptian-led cease-fire while u.s. secretary of state john kerry met with palestinian and israeli leaders last week . but by thursday evening , rockets were still flying and sirens were going off . several cease-fires have fallen apart since . u.n. commissioner for human rights navi pillay said in a speech recently that she felt there is a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated , in a manner that could amount to war crimes . ' i unequivocally reiterate to all actors in this conflict that civilians must not be targeted , ' she said , adding , respect for the right to life of civilians , including children , should be a foremost consideration . ' | israel has more resources , more sophisticated weapons and warning systems |
garcia <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- new york police department officials say they ca n't explain why a fearful woman 's domestic-abuse report -- written in the woman 's native language of spanish -- was never translated into english for review , and for possible action . the woman and her two daughters subsequently were stabbed to death . the woman 's husband , arrested as he tried to flee to mexico , now faces charges of first-degree murder . and a group that has a lawsuit pending against the city on behalf of six other latina women says the case of deisy garcia and her young daughters is far from unique in new york . the paper trail that ends with the january deaths of garcia and daughters daniela , 2 , and yoselin , 1 , stretches back to last may . on may 30 , garcia filed a police report saying she feared her husband would kill her and their two daughters . garcia spoke spanish , and it was in spanish that she filed the report . according to the nypd , that report was never translated into english for further review . on january 18 , according to authorities , garcia and her daughters were stabbed to death in their queens apartment , allegedly by garcia 's ex-husband and the girls'father , miguel mejia-ramos . police say officers at the murder scene filed their own report , but the department has no explanation for what happened to garcia 's report from months earlier or to another report from garcia , again written in spanish , after a november incident . i knew about the police report , and i knew about the police showing up at the house previously on one of the times where deisy had called the police because she had been the victim of domestic violence , ' says roger asmar , an attorney hired by garcia 's family . but we did not know that every time deisy filled out a report -- every time she went to the precinct or the cops came to the house -- no one actually translated the text into english , so , apparently no one looked into it . no one translated it and they just put it away or placed it into the system ... three complaints were filed by deisy , and none of the times she filed a complaint did police actually arrest mr. mejia , her ex-husband . ' police have confirmed the may 30 report , and cnn has obtained copies of reports dated november 27 and 28 from garcia 's family , who found them among deisy garcia 's belongings after she died . on november 27 , cops responded to a call from garcia . she said when her husband came home , he threatened to kill her . she was crying so she called the police and told them that her husband had threatened to kill her , ' said sara alvarado , garcia 's aunt , who was present during the police visit that time . as she had in may , garcia once again filed a domestic incident report and wrote in spanish , at about 2:40 am my husband came home and assaulted me , he pulled my hair and kicked me twice , then grabbed my phone . after he did that , i called the police , but he changed and ran out taking a phone that is not mine with him . today in the morning , he was threatening me that he would take away my daughters . ' police are unable to say whether that report was ever translated , either . on november 28 , garcia made a follow-up visit to the precinct , filling out another complaint , but her claims did not lead to an arrest . in statements to police following the slayings , mejia-ramos allegedly said he 'd been drinking when he got home on the night of january 18 , according to the queens district attorney 's office . he went through his wife 's phone and facebook account and saw a photo of her with another man , he told prosecutors . according to the queens district attorney 's office , mejia-ramos said he grabbed a knife and stood over garcia and allegedly stabbed his wife multiple times before entering his daughters'bedroom where he gave each of them a hug and a kiss , and stabbed them as he asked for their forgiveness . the three bodies were discovered by garcia 's uncle and a 12-year-old cousin the next day . afterward , mejia-ramos tried to flee to mexico , according to police , but was arrested january 21 in schulenburg , texas -- a town near the mexican border -- and brought back to new york . he was indicted on february 14 and will be arraigned in early march , the queens district attorney 's office said . he is charged with first-degree murder , second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon . mejia-ramos faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on the murder charge , the district attorney 's office said . garcia 's family believes that had the police taken action , she may still be alive . if they would have given it more importance , would have translated it to english , then maybe they ( police ) would have figured out what to do , they would have investigated him , been more on top of the case , what was happening with them , ' said luzmina alvarado , garcia 's mother . if the police had done something , this tragedy could have been avoided -- my daughter would be alive . ' some two months before garcia filed her written-in-spanish domestic-abuse report in may , an organization that serves limited english proficient ' domestic-violence victims filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of six other latina women , alleging the nypd denies interpreters to limited-english speakers , depriving them of access to nypd services . ' that lawsuit filed by the violence intervention program is still pending . the group says garcia is but one of many women who are ignored by police because they can not file complaints in english . the group alleges that the nypd 's denial of interpreter services has deprived limited-english-proficient women of their right to report crimes , to protect themselves from dangerous abusers , and to communicate effectively with the police in a wide range of circumstances . not only does the nypd fail to provide language assistance , it also degrades , ridicules and otherwise mistreats limited english proficient individuals who request interpreter services , actively demeaning them for their lack of english proficiency , ' according to the lawsuit . the nypd directed all inquiries on the lawsuit to the new york city law department , which handles legal issues for the city . the nypd has more foreign-language-speaking officers than any police department in the country , including thousands of spanish-speaking officers , ' said nicholas paolucci , spokesman for the new york city law department . also , the nypd has a corps of 19,000 members of the service who can provide interpretation services in over 70 languages . ' but the garcia family , the violence intervention program and the women the group represents say that it does n't matter how many officers can speak multiple languages if non-english statements provided by complaint victims are ignored . as a result of an internal review into the failure of officers to translate domestic incident reports , the nypd is verbally instructing officers on how to translate and store domestic incident reports that are prepared in texts other than the english language , according to nypd detective cheryl crispin . a memo will be transmitted to all commands informing domestic violence officers to immediately locate a member of the command who possesses the necessary language skills to translate a victim 's written statement to english , ' she said in a prepared statement . for garcia 's family , that may be too little , and it is definitely too late . we 're thinking maybe we sue the police because this was n't just his ( mejia-ramos') fault , the authorities are also at fault , ' said garcia 's mother . my daughter may be dead and ca n't do anything in this case , but i want justice . ' | garcia filed a domestic-abuse report last year , in her native spanish |
garcia <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- new york police department officials say they ca n't explain why a fearful woman 's domestic-abuse report -- written in the woman 's native language of spanish -- was never translated into english for review , and for possible action . the woman and her two daughters subsequently were stabbed to death . the woman 's husband , arrested as he tried to flee to mexico , now faces charges of first-degree murder . and a group that has a lawsuit pending against the city on behalf of six other latina women says the case of deisy garcia and her young daughters is far from unique in new york . the paper trail that ends with the january deaths of garcia and daughters daniela , 2 , and yoselin , 1 , stretches back to last may . on may 30 , garcia filed a police report saying she feared her husband would kill her and their two daughters . garcia spoke spanish , and it was in spanish that she filed the report . according to the nypd , that report was never translated into english for further review . on january 18 , according to authorities , garcia and her daughters were stabbed to death in their queens apartment , allegedly by garcia 's ex-husband and the girls'father , miguel mejia-ramos . police say officers at the murder scene filed their own report , but the department has no explanation for what happened to garcia 's report from months earlier or to another report from garcia , again written in spanish , after a november incident . i knew about the police report , and i knew about the police showing up at the house previously on one of the times where deisy had called the police because she had been the victim of domestic violence , ' says roger asmar , an attorney hired by garcia 's family . but we did not know that every time deisy filled out a report -- every time she went to the precinct or the cops came to the house -- no one actually translated the text into english , so , apparently no one looked into it . no one translated it and they just put it away or placed it into the system ... three complaints were filed by deisy , and none of the times she filed a complaint did police actually arrest mr. mejia , her ex-husband . ' police have confirmed the may 30 report , and cnn has obtained copies of reports dated november 27 and 28 from garcia 's family , who found them among deisy garcia 's belongings after she died . on november 27 , cops responded to a call from garcia . she said when her husband came home , he threatened to kill her . she was crying so she called the police and told them that her husband had threatened to kill her , ' said sara alvarado , garcia 's aunt , who was present during the police visit that time . as she had in may , garcia once again filed a domestic incident report and wrote in spanish , at about 2:40 am my husband came home and assaulted me , he pulled my hair and kicked me twice , then grabbed my phone . after he did that , i called the police , but he changed and ran out taking a phone that is not mine with him . today in the morning , he was threatening me that he would take away my daughters . ' police are unable to say whether that report was ever translated , either . on november 28 , garcia made a follow-up visit to the precinct , filling out another complaint , but her claims did not lead to an arrest . in statements to police following the slayings , mejia-ramos allegedly said he 'd been drinking when he got home on the night of january 18 , according to the queens district attorney 's office . he went through his wife 's phone and facebook account and saw a photo of her with another man , he told prosecutors . according to the queens district attorney 's office , mejia-ramos said he grabbed a knife and stood over garcia and allegedly stabbed his wife multiple times before entering his daughters'bedroom where he gave each of them a hug and a kiss , and stabbed them as he asked for their forgiveness . the three bodies were discovered by garcia 's uncle and a 12-year-old cousin the next day . afterward , mejia-ramos tried to flee to mexico , according to police , but was arrested january 21 in schulenburg , texas -- a town near the mexican border -- and brought back to new york . he was indicted on february 14 and will be arraigned in early march , the queens district attorney 's office said . he is charged with first-degree murder , second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon . mejia-ramos faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on the murder charge , the district attorney 's office said . garcia 's family believes that had the police taken action , she may still be alive . if they would have given it more importance , would have translated it to english , then maybe they ( police ) would have figured out what to do , they would have investigated him , been more on top of the case , what was happening with them , ' said luzmina alvarado , garcia 's mother . if the police had done something , this tragedy could have been avoided -- my daughter would be alive . ' some two months before garcia filed her written-in-spanish domestic-abuse report in may , an organization that serves limited english proficient ' domestic-violence victims filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of six other latina women , alleging the nypd denies interpreters to limited-english speakers , depriving them of access to nypd services . ' that lawsuit filed by the violence intervention program is still pending . the group says garcia is but one of many women who are ignored by police because they can not file complaints in english . the group alleges that the nypd 's denial of interpreter services has deprived limited-english-proficient women of their right to report crimes , to protect themselves from dangerous abusers , and to communicate effectively with the police in a wide range of circumstances . not only does the nypd fail to provide language assistance , it also degrades , ridicules and otherwise mistreats limited english proficient individuals who request interpreter services , actively demeaning them for their lack of english proficiency , ' according to the lawsuit . the nypd directed all inquiries on the lawsuit to the new york city law department , which handles legal issues for the city . the nypd has more foreign-language-speaking officers than any police department in the country , including thousands of spanish-speaking officers , ' said nicholas paolucci , spokesman for the new york city law department . also , the nypd has a corps of 19,000 members of the service who can provide interpretation services in over 70 languages . ' but the garcia family , the violence intervention program and the women the group represents say that it does n't matter how many officers can speak multiple languages if non-english statements provided by complaint victims are ignored . as a result of an internal review into the failure of officers to translate domestic incident reports , the nypd is verbally instructing officers on how to translate and store domestic incident reports that are prepared in texts other than the english language , according to nypd detective cheryl crispin . a memo will be transmitted to all commands informing domestic violence officers to immediately locate a member of the command who possesses the necessary language skills to translate a victim 's written statement to english , ' she said in a prepared statement . for garcia 's family , that may be too little , and it is definitely too late . we 're thinking maybe we sue the police because this was n't just his ( mejia-ramos') fault , the authorities are also at fault , ' said garcia 's mother . my daughter may be dead and ca n't do anything in this case , but i want justice . ' | garcia 's ex-husband -- the girls'father -- faces first-degree murder charges |
garcia <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- new york police department officials say they ca n't explain why a fearful woman 's domestic-abuse report -- written in the woman 's native language of spanish -- was never translated into english for review , and for possible action . the woman and her two daughters subsequently were stabbed to death . the woman 's husband , arrested as he tried to flee to mexico , now faces charges of first-degree murder . and a group that has a lawsuit pending against the city on behalf of six other latina women says the case of deisy garcia and her young daughters is far from unique in new york . the paper trail that ends with the january deaths of garcia and daughters daniela , 2 , and yoselin , 1 , stretches back to last may . on may 30 , garcia filed a police report saying she feared her husband would kill her and their two daughters . garcia spoke spanish , and it was in spanish that she filed the report . according to the nypd , that report was never translated into english for further review . on january 18 , according to authorities , garcia and her daughters were stabbed to death in their queens apartment , allegedly by garcia 's ex-husband and the girls'father , miguel mejia-ramos . police say officers at the murder scene filed their own report , but the department has no explanation for what happened to garcia 's report from months earlier or to another report from garcia , again written in spanish , after a november incident . i knew about the police report , and i knew about the police showing up at the house previously on one of the times where deisy had called the police because she had been the victim of domestic violence , ' says roger asmar , an attorney hired by garcia 's family . but we did not know that every time deisy filled out a report -- every time she went to the precinct or the cops came to the house -- no one actually translated the text into english , so , apparently no one looked into it . no one translated it and they just put it away or placed it into the system ... three complaints were filed by deisy , and none of the times she filed a complaint did police actually arrest mr. mejia , her ex-husband . ' police have confirmed the may 30 report , and cnn has obtained copies of reports dated november 27 and 28 from garcia 's family , who found them among deisy garcia 's belongings after she died . on november 27 , cops responded to a call from garcia . she said when her husband came home , he threatened to kill her . she was crying so she called the police and told them that her husband had threatened to kill her , ' said sara alvarado , garcia 's aunt , who was present during the police visit that time . as she had in may , garcia once again filed a domestic incident report and wrote in spanish , at about 2:40 am my husband came home and assaulted me , he pulled my hair and kicked me twice , then grabbed my phone . after he did that , i called the police , but he changed and ran out taking a phone that is not mine with him . today in the morning , he was threatening me that he would take away my daughters . ' police are unable to say whether that report was ever translated , either . on november 28 , garcia made a follow-up visit to the precinct , filling out another complaint , but her claims did not lead to an arrest . in statements to police following the slayings , mejia-ramos allegedly said he 'd been drinking when he got home on the night of january 18 , according to the queens district attorney 's office . he went through his wife 's phone and facebook account and saw a photo of her with another man , he told prosecutors . according to the queens district attorney 's office , mejia-ramos said he grabbed a knife and stood over garcia and allegedly stabbed his wife multiple times before entering his daughters'bedroom where he gave each of them a hug and a kiss , and stabbed them as he asked for their forgiveness . the three bodies were discovered by garcia 's uncle and a 12-year-old cousin the next day . afterward , mejia-ramos tried to flee to mexico , according to police , but was arrested january 21 in schulenburg , texas -- a town near the mexican border -- and brought back to new york . he was indicted on february 14 and will be arraigned in early march , the queens district attorney 's office said . he is charged with first-degree murder , second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon . mejia-ramos faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on the murder charge , the district attorney 's office said . garcia 's family believes that had the police taken action , she may still be alive . if they would have given it more importance , would have translated it to english , then maybe they ( police ) would have figured out what to do , they would have investigated him , been more on top of the case , what was happening with them , ' said luzmina alvarado , garcia 's mother . if the police had done something , this tragedy could have been avoided -- my daughter would be alive . ' some two months before garcia filed her written-in-spanish domestic-abuse report in may , an organization that serves limited english proficient ' domestic-violence victims filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of six other latina women , alleging the nypd denies interpreters to limited-english speakers , depriving them of access to nypd services . ' that lawsuit filed by the violence intervention program is still pending . the group says garcia is but one of many women who are ignored by police because they can not file complaints in english . the group alleges that the nypd 's denial of interpreter services has deprived limited-english-proficient women of their right to report crimes , to protect themselves from dangerous abusers , and to communicate effectively with the police in a wide range of circumstances . not only does the nypd fail to provide language assistance , it also degrades , ridicules and otherwise mistreats limited english proficient individuals who request interpreter services , actively demeaning them for their lack of english proficiency , ' according to the lawsuit . the nypd directed all inquiries on the lawsuit to the new york city law department , which handles legal issues for the city . the nypd has more foreign-language-speaking officers than any police department in the country , including thousands of spanish-speaking officers , ' said nicholas paolucci , spokesman for the new york city law department . also , the nypd has a corps of 19,000 members of the service who can provide interpretation services in over 70 languages . ' but the garcia family , the violence intervention program and the women the group represents say that it does n't matter how many officers can speak multiple languages if non-english statements provided by complaint victims are ignored . as a result of an internal review into the failure of officers to translate domestic incident reports , the nypd is verbally instructing officers on how to translate and store domestic incident reports that are prepared in texts other than the english language , according to nypd detective cheryl crispin . a memo will be transmitted to all commands informing domestic violence officers to immediately locate a member of the command who possesses the necessary language skills to translate a victim 's written statement to english , ' she said in a prepared statement . for garcia 's family , that may be too little , and it is definitely too late . we 're thinking maybe we sue the police because this was n't just his ( mejia-ramos') fault , the authorities are also at fault , ' said garcia 's mother . my daughter may be dead and ca n't do anything in this case , but i want justice . ' | deisy garcia and her two small daughters were stabbed to death in january |
lyudmila putin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- vladimir putin 's nearly 30-year marriage has ended , the russian president and his wife told state-run television in a joint interview . this was our joint decision . our marriage is over , ' putin told russia 24 , standing next to lyudmila putin , in an interview shown thursday . we almost do n't see each other . we have different lives . ' lyudmila putin said the two share a love for their two adult children , but hinted life in the public eye took a toll . i do n't like to be in public , and it 's hard to take ( airplane ) flights , ' she said . we love our children a lot , we are proud of them and see them all the time . ' she said that she was grateful for her husband 's support and called the split a civilized divorce . ' according to state-run news agency ria novosti , a presidential spokesman said divorce papers have not been drawn yet . the announcement comes after longtime speculation about their relationship , ria novosti reported . putin married lyudmila shkrebneva in july 1983 . their children , maria and yekaterina , were born in 1985 and 1986 , respectively . | lyudmila putin says she does n't like to be in public |
al-awlaki <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- an fbi counterterrorism official said wednesday that the fbi should have interviewed accused fort hood shooter maj. nidal hasan when it learned hasan was communicating via e-mail with islamic cleric anwar al-awlaki in yemen . i believe an interview would have been prudent in this case , ' said mark giuliano , executive assistant director for the fbi 's national security branch . but he added he did n't think political correctness ' was the reason hasan was not interviewed and he said an interview may not have headed off the tragedy in which hasan is accused of killing 13 and wounding 32 others in november 2009 . giuliano is the first fbi official to testify before congress since an independent commission 's report was made public on july 19 that examined how the fbi handled information that came up while the agency was investigating al-awlaki , a u.s.-born cleric who u.s. officials say became a key figure in al qaeda in the arabian peninsula . some members of congress have questioned whether the fbi and military officials acted aggressively enough when officials learned hasan was e-mailing al-awlaki starting in december of 2008 . the commission , headed by former fbi director william webster , said that members of a joint terrrorism task force in san diego had passed the information on to fbi officials in washington and were upset no one from the fbi 's washington field office had been sent to interview hasan . fort hood shooting report faults fbi handling of accused shooter 's emails according to the commission report , one of the san diego agents said he had been told by washington that the field office there does n't go out and interview every muslim guy who visits extremist websites . ' the san diego agent , who was paraphrasing a phone conversation with a counterpart in washington , said the field office had examined army records regarding hasan and knew he was doing research on islam and military service while he was at walter reed medical center . this guy has a legitimate work-related reasons to be going to these sites and engaging these extremists in dialogue , ' the san diego agent said he was told by washington . furthermore , the san diego agent said the agent in washington described the subject as politically sensitive ' for the washington office . hasan and al-awlaki exchanged 18 e-mails between december 2008 and june 2009 , but the task force in san diego only passed two of the messages on to washington , according to the webster report . in a hearing before a house appropriations subcommittee , rep. frank wolf , r-virginia , worried that political correctness might have been an issue and said he would still like to talk to officials at the fbi 's washington field office about what happened . an active duty member of the military communicating with a known radicalizer and recruiter should have been taken more seriously than it was , ' said wolf . missed clues in massacre ? wolf also wanted to know exactly what the fbi knew about al-awlaki at the time hasan was e-mailing with him and if al-awlaki had prior knowledge of the 9/11 attacks since he had served in mosques in a washington suburb and in san diego where a few of the 9/11 hijackers had gone to worship . we interviewed al-awlaki after 9/11 on three separate occasions , ' said giuliano . he identified one of the 9/11 hijackers as somebody he knew as going to his mosque . we were never able to obtain a stitch of evidence that showed al-awlaki knew beforehand about 9/11 or supported the 9/11 hijackers . ' wolf also asked why al-awlaki was allowed to return to the united states in 2002 when there was an arrest warrant issued for him that was subsequently dropped . guiliano said it was not an fbi arrest warrant but a warrant from the state department 's diplomatic security service for passport fraud . he said the u.s. attorney 's office in colorado concluded the charge could n't be proven in court . certainly , if we felt that warrant was good and there was a way we could have incarcerated anwar al-awlaki at the time , we would have done that , ' said guiliano . guiliano also noted that al-awlaki seemed to change over the years , including a period in 2006 and 2007 when he was in prison in yemen . after that , the fbi official said , al-awlaki began to be more of a propagandist , began to show more radical tendencies . ' hasan 's e-mail exchange with al-awlaki ; islam , money and matchmaking but he added the fbi did not believe he was involved in terrorist operations at that time . u.s. officials believe al-awlaki played an important role in the failed december 2009 underwear bomb plot and also the thwarted october 2010 cargo bomb plot . al-awlaki was killed september 30 , 2011 , by a drone strike in yemen . the webster report on the fort hood shooting identified numerous problems in several areas including information sharing , failure to follow up on leads , failure of fbi headquarters to settle differences between the two field offices working the hasan leads and computer technology issues . guiliano and other fbi officials said they began making changes right after the fort hood shooting . hasan is scheduled to undergo a military trial beginning august 20 in texas . fort hood suspect'forcibly shaved'? | officials learned hasan was e-mailing al-awlaki starting in december of 2008 |
al-awlaki <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- an fbi counterterrorism official said wednesday that the fbi should have interviewed accused fort hood shooter maj. nidal hasan when it learned hasan was communicating via e-mail with islamic cleric anwar al-awlaki in yemen . i believe an interview would have been prudent in this case , ' said mark giuliano , executive assistant director for the fbi 's national security branch . but he added he did n't think political correctness ' was the reason hasan was not interviewed and he said an interview may not have headed off the tragedy in which hasan is accused of killing 13 and wounding 32 others in november 2009 . giuliano is the first fbi official to testify before congress since an independent commission 's report was made public on july 19 that examined how the fbi handled information that came up while the agency was investigating al-awlaki , a u.s.-born cleric who u.s. officials say became a key figure in al qaeda in the arabian peninsula . some members of congress have questioned whether the fbi and military officials acted aggressively enough when officials learned hasan was e-mailing al-awlaki starting in december of 2008 . the commission , headed by former fbi director william webster , said that members of a joint terrrorism task force in san diego had passed the information on to fbi officials in washington and were upset no one from the fbi 's washington field office had been sent to interview hasan . fort hood shooting report faults fbi handling of accused shooter 's emails according to the commission report , one of the san diego agents said he had been told by washington that the field office there does n't go out and interview every muslim guy who visits extremist websites . ' the san diego agent , who was paraphrasing a phone conversation with a counterpart in washington , said the field office had examined army records regarding hasan and knew he was doing research on islam and military service while he was at walter reed medical center . this guy has a legitimate work-related reasons to be going to these sites and engaging these extremists in dialogue , ' the san diego agent said he was told by washington . furthermore , the san diego agent said the agent in washington described the subject as politically sensitive ' for the washington office . hasan and al-awlaki exchanged 18 e-mails between december 2008 and june 2009 , but the task force in san diego only passed two of the messages on to washington , according to the webster report . in a hearing before a house appropriations subcommittee , rep. frank wolf , r-virginia , worried that political correctness might have been an issue and said he would still like to talk to officials at the fbi 's washington field office about what happened . an active duty member of the military communicating with a known radicalizer and recruiter should have been taken more seriously than it was , ' said wolf . missed clues in massacre ? wolf also wanted to know exactly what the fbi knew about al-awlaki at the time hasan was e-mailing with him and if al-awlaki had prior knowledge of the 9/11 attacks since he had served in mosques in a washington suburb and in san diego where a few of the 9/11 hijackers had gone to worship . we interviewed al-awlaki after 9/11 on three separate occasions , ' said giuliano . he identified one of the 9/11 hijackers as somebody he knew as going to his mosque . we were never able to obtain a stitch of evidence that showed al-awlaki knew beforehand about 9/11 or supported the 9/11 hijackers . ' wolf also asked why al-awlaki was allowed to return to the united states in 2002 when there was an arrest warrant issued for him that was subsequently dropped . guiliano said it was not an fbi arrest warrant but a warrant from the state department 's diplomatic security service for passport fraud . he said the u.s. attorney 's office in colorado concluded the charge could n't be proven in court . certainly , if we felt that warrant was good and there was a way we could have incarcerated anwar al-awlaki at the time , we would have done that , ' said guiliano . guiliano also noted that al-awlaki seemed to change over the years , including a period in 2006 and 2007 when he was in prison in yemen . after that , the fbi official said , al-awlaki began to be more of a propagandist , began to show more radical tendencies . ' hasan 's e-mail exchange with al-awlaki ; islam , money and matchmaking but he added the fbi did not believe he was involved in terrorist operations at that time . u.s. officials believe al-awlaki played an important role in the failed december 2009 underwear bomb plot and also the thwarted october 2010 cargo bomb plot . al-awlaki was killed september 30 , 2011 , by a drone strike in yemen . the webster report on the fort hood shooting identified numerous problems in several areas including information sharing , failure to follow up on leads , failure of fbi headquarters to settle differences between the two field offices working the hasan leads and computer technology issues . guiliano and other fbi officials said they began making changes right after the fort hood shooting . hasan is scheduled to undergo a military trial beginning august 20 in texas . fort hood suspect'forcibly shaved'? | hasan had communicated via e-mail with islamic cleric anwar al-awlaki before shooting |
murray <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- dr. conrad murray defended his appellate lawyer from a slew of disparaging remarks ' just days before she files the appeal of the doctor 's involuntary manslaughter conviction in michael jackson 's death . cnn has obtained sections of that 300-page appeal , including the defense argument that the trial judge erred by not allowing the testimony of dr. arnold klein , a dermatologist the defense contended addicted jackson to demerol in his last weeks . murray 's appeal , which will be filed monday , also argues that prosecutors never proved jackson was hooked up to an iv drip of the drug that killed him . the defense theory was that jackson had administered the fatal dosage himself while the doctor was away . the coroner ruled that jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol in combination with sedatives on june 25 , 2009 . murray told investigators he used propofol to induce sleep because jackson was suffering from insomnia . murray served as jackson 's personal physician as the pop icon prepared for 50 shows that were to debut in london in july 2009 , but his patient was fighting a battle for sleep between rehearsals . a wrongful death lawsuit filed by jackson 's three children and his mother is set for trial next month . the family accuses concert promoter aeg live of liability in his death by hiring and supervising the doctor , who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in november 2011 . murray takes a side in lawyer dispute murray -- during a phone call to cnn saturday from the los angeles county jail where he 's been held since he was sentenced to four years in prison -- said he was impelled to stand up for ' attorney valerie wass , who has been involved in a personal dispute with murray 's trial lawyer michael flanagan . flanagan was helping wass , who wrote the appeal , until the two lawyers were involved in a jailhouse argument last january . flanagan dropped murray as a client after the incident , but the appeals court later ordered him to respond to requests from wass for case files , which she said he had withheld . murray , who witnessed the january incident between his attorneys , issued a strong statement of support for wass in his call from jail . in recent weeks , i became keenly aware that a slew of disparaging remarks and personal information about my appellate attorney , valerie wass , were unjustly released to the media and the public , ' murray said . because of this injustice , i am impelled to stand up for this woman , for whom i have the utmost respect and confidence . ' wass completed work on the appeal even though with the blink of an eye , all of her promised assistance vanished ; they abandoned ship , ' murray said . responding to cnn on sunday , flanagan said he had no comment . although she needed help , she did not quit , did not jump ship , nor did she succumb to pressure while others abdicated their responsibilities , ' he said . she held steadfastly to her professional and moral conduct , which was bolstered by her amazing mettle of mind and spirit . ' murray said wass stood up for me amidst a most arduous and challenging series of obstacles , and whose loyalty remains indisputable . it is my belief that she took a personal hit for me , and i want to let her know that i 'll forever be grateful . ' murray 's appeal : jackson 's demerol addiction although murray could be freed in about seven months , he is seeking to clear his name and get his medical license back by having his conviction overturned on appeal . the appeal contends that los angeles superior judge michael pastor wrongly prevented murray 's trial lawyers from making their case that jackson was going through withdrawal from a demerol addiction the day he died . the reason it sought to prove that jackson was going through demerol withdrawal on june 25th was to show his state of mind -- specifically , that his resulting physiological and psychological state , along with the pressure he was under from preparing for the upcoming tour , rendered him so desperate for sleep that he would take the extraordinary action of self-administering propofol when he was outside the presence of appellant , ' wass writes . defense experts testified at the trial that jackson 's insomnia could have been caused by the withdrawal . the defense wanted klein and two staff members to testify about jackson 's 23 visits to their beverly hills clinic in the three months before his death , including five in june 2009 . jackson was given demerol during those visits , the last time on june 22 , three days before he died . michael jackson could not sleep because of the demerol , ' the defense said in pretrial arguments . dr. murray did not know that . but arnold klein did . michael jackson needed sleep because he was withdrawing and addicted , both addicted and withdrawing from demerol . that 's important to our defense . in fact , it 's absolutely vital . ' pastor , however , ruled that testimony from klein and his staff would be a distraction and divergence ' in the trial . the defense was also unable to prove whether jackson was addicted to demerol and going through withdrawal at the time he died , because experts in the case articulated they could not reach conclusions based only on reviewing klein 's records , ' wass writes in the appeal . if klein or his staff had been allowed to testify at the trial , it is reasonably probable that at least one juror on the panel would have found appellant not guilty of involuntary manslaughter , ' the appeal argues . accordingly , regardless of the applicable standard of review , appellant 's conviction must be reversed . ' murray 's appeal : no proof of iv drip the prosecution 's theory in the trial was that murray hooked jackson up to an unusual makeshift iv drip of propofol and then left him alone to make phone calls in an adjacent room . murray was criminally negligent because he did not properly monitor his patient who later died from an overdose , they argued . the defense argued that the iv drip only sent saline into jackson 's leg to hydrate him and that murray used a syringe to slowly push a safe dose of propofol into jackson 's blood while he watched him fall asleep . a frustrated jackson could have awakened while murray was away and administered the fatal dose himself , the defense said . the propofol infusion theory offered by the prosecution 's expert was not supported by the evidence , and in fact , was so absurd , improbable and unbelievable that a rational trier of fact could not have concluded that the evidence was sufficient to establish that appellant had placed jackson on a propofol drip on the day of his death , ' the appeal argues . the prosecution built the iv drip theory based on testimony of one of jackson 's guards who said he saw a propofol bottle hanging above jackson 's death bed when he arrived to help revive him . an investigator also found a saline bag with a slit in it , which the prosecution contended was used to hold the bottle on the iv stand . defense propofol expert dr. paul white testified such an iv drip set up was befuddling ' because a propofol bottle comes with a hanging device . the hanging tab on the bottle was not used , both sides agreed . the prosecution concocted the novel and ridiculous method of placing the vial into the bag through the slit , hanging the bottle upside down at an angle using the bag for support , and then hanging the bag from the iv stand , ' the appeal argues . a piece of tubing key to the iv drip was never found , but the prosecution suggested murray could have slipped it into a pocket before leaving the bedroom to ride to the hospital with jackson . wass argues that is pure speculation , and the absence of evidence of a long iv line with propofol residue is fatal to the prosecution 's theory . ' if an iv line used in a propofol infusion had been placed in appellant 's pocket , it would have been dripping propofol , and resulted in a messy wet pocket , ' the appeal argues . such a result is not reflected in any photograph , testimony , or statement of any witness . ' murray 's appeal : jackson gave himself fatal dose michael jackson got little sleep the morning he died , despite murray 's bedside efforts using sedatives , according to murray . it is likely that jackson 's heightened insomnia on june 25th was exacerbated by his surreptitious demerol addiction and the resultant acute withdrawal syndrome therefrom , ' the appeal says . jackson 's last demerol injection was on june 22nd , less than 72 hours before his death , which could have been a peak period for the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms . ' but he did fall asleep at 10:40 a.m after a single dose of propofol , he told investigators . after watching him for 15 minutes , murray left him alone , the appeal says . the evidence is consistent with a scenario in which jackson quickly self-injected the lethal bolus dose of propofol while appellant was outside the bedroom , ' the appeal contends . based on the toxicology results , it appears that the rapid injection lead to cardiac arrest and a quick death . ' he may have had access to a bottle of propofol without murray knowing , the appeal says . jackson was very familiar with propofol , as other doctors had administered propofol to him , ' wass writes . it is conceivable that jackson had obtained a secondary source for the drug , especially because jackson had been receiving nightly infusions from appellant for the previous two months , and appellant had sunday nights off . ' if jackson -- not murray -- administered the final and fatal dose , then it was not the doctor 's fault the patient died , the argument says . murray 's appeal disputes the prosecution argument that murray was criminally liable even if jackson had administered the fatal dose himself because murray should have known that leaving the drugs near jackson 's bed posed a risk . the risk was not reasonably foreseeable , ' it said . the prosecution will have a chance to respond to murray 's arguments before the california appeals court makes a decision . | murray calls from jail citing injustice ' done to appeal lawyer |
murray <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- dr. conrad murray defended his appellate lawyer from a slew of disparaging remarks ' just days before she files the appeal of the doctor 's involuntary manslaughter conviction in michael jackson 's death . cnn has obtained sections of that 300-page appeal , including the defense argument that the trial judge erred by not allowing the testimony of dr. arnold klein , a dermatologist the defense contended addicted jackson to demerol in his last weeks . murray 's appeal , which will be filed monday , also argues that prosecutors never proved jackson was hooked up to an iv drip of the drug that killed him . the defense theory was that jackson had administered the fatal dosage himself while the doctor was away . the coroner ruled that jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol in combination with sedatives on june 25 , 2009 . murray told investigators he used propofol to induce sleep because jackson was suffering from insomnia . murray served as jackson 's personal physician as the pop icon prepared for 50 shows that were to debut in london in july 2009 , but his patient was fighting a battle for sleep between rehearsals . a wrongful death lawsuit filed by jackson 's three children and his mother is set for trial next month . the family accuses concert promoter aeg live of liability in his death by hiring and supervising the doctor , who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in november 2011 . murray takes a side in lawyer dispute murray -- during a phone call to cnn saturday from the los angeles county jail where he 's been held since he was sentenced to four years in prison -- said he was impelled to stand up for ' attorney valerie wass , who has been involved in a personal dispute with murray 's trial lawyer michael flanagan . flanagan was helping wass , who wrote the appeal , until the two lawyers were involved in a jailhouse argument last january . flanagan dropped murray as a client after the incident , but the appeals court later ordered him to respond to requests from wass for case files , which she said he had withheld . murray , who witnessed the january incident between his attorneys , issued a strong statement of support for wass in his call from jail . in recent weeks , i became keenly aware that a slew of disparaging remarks and personal information about my appellate attorney , valerie wass , were unjustly released to the media and the public , ' murray said . because of this injustice , i am impelled to stand up for this woman , for whom i have the utmost respect and confidence . ' wass completed work on the appeal even though with the blink of an eye , all of her promised assistance vanished ; they abandoned ship , ' murray said . responding to cnn on sunday , flanagan said he had no comment . although she needed help , she did not quit , did not jump ship , nor did she succumb to pressure while others abdicated their responsibilities , ' he said . she held steadfastly to her professional and moral conduct , which was bolstered by her amazing mettle of mind and spirit . ' murray said wass stood up for me amidst a most arduous and challenging series of obstacles , and whose loyalty remains indisputable . it is my belief that she took a personal hit for me , and i want to let her know that i 'll forever be grateful . ' murray 's appeal : jackson 's demerol addiction although murray could be freed in about seven months , he is seeking to clear his name and get his medical license back by having his conviction overturned on appeal . the appeal contends that los angeles superior judge michael pastor wrongly prevented murray 's trial lawyers from making their case that jackson was going through withdrawal from a demerol addiction the day he died . the reason it sought to prove that jackson was going through demerol withdrawal on june 25th was to show his state of mind -- specifically , that his resulting physiological and psychological state , along with the pressure he was under from preparing for the upcoming tour , rendered him so desperate for sleep that he would take the extraordinary action of self-administering propofol when he was outside the presence of appellant , ' wass writes . defense experts testified at the trial that jackson 's insomnia could have been caused by the withdrawal . the defense wanted klein and two staff members to testify about jackson 's 23 visits to their beverly hills clinic in the three months before his death , including five in june 2009 . jackson was given demerol during those visits , the last time on june 22 , three days before he died . michael jackson could not sleep because of the demerol , ' the defense said in pretrial arguments . dr. murray did not know that . but arnold klein did . michael jackson needed sleep because he was withdrawing and addicted , both addicted and withdrawing from demerol . that 's important to our defense . in fact , it 's absolutely vital . ' pastor , however , ruled that testimony from klein and his staff would be a distraction and divergence ' in the trial . the defense was also unable to prove whether jackson was addicted to demerol and going through withdrawal at the time he died , because experts in the case articulated they could not reach conclusions based only on reviewing klein 's records , ' wass writes in the appeal . if klein or his staff had been allowed to testify at the trial , it is reasonably probable that at least one juror on the panel would have found appellant not guilty of involuntary manslaughter , ' the appeal argues . accordingly , regardless of the applicable standard of review , appellant 's conviction must be reversed . ' murray 's appeal : no proof of iv drip the prosecution 's theory in the trial was that murray hooked jackson up to an unusual makeshift iv drip of propofol and then left him alone to make phone calls in an adjacent room . murray was criminally negligent because he did not properly monitor his patient who later died from an overdose , they argued . the defense argued that the iv drip only sent saline into jackson 's leg to hydrate him and that murray used a syringe to slowly push a safe dose of propofol into jackson 's blood while he watched him fall asleep . a frustrated jackson could have awakened while murray was away and administered the fatal dose himself , the defense said . the propofol infusion theory offered by the prosecution 's expert was not supported by the evidence , and in fact , was so absurd , improbable and unbelievable that a rational trier of fact could not have concluded that the evidence was sufficient to establish that appellant had placed jackson on a propofol drip on the day of his death , ' the appeal argues . the prosecution built the iv drip theory based on testimony of one of jackson 's guards who said he saw a propofol bottle hanging above jackson 's death bed when he arrived to help revive him . an investigator also found a saline bag with a slit in it , which the prosecution contended was used to hold the bottle on the iv stand . defense propofol expert dr. paul white testified such an iv drip set up was befuddling ' because a propofol bottle comes with a hanging device . the hanging tab on the bottle was not used , both sides agreed . the prosecution concocted the novel and ridiculous method of placing the vial into the bag through the slit , hanging the bottle upside down at an angle using the bag for support , and then hanging the bag from the iv stand , ' the appeal argues . a piece of tubing key to the iv drip was never found , but the prosecution suggested murray could have slipped it into a pocket before leaving the bedroom to ride to the hospital with jackson . wass argues that is pure speculation , and the absence of evidence of a long iv line with propofol residue is fatal to the prosecution 's theory . ' if an iv line used in a propofol infusion had been placed in appellant 's pocket , it would have been dripping propofol , and resulted in a messy wet pocket , ' the appeal argues . such a result is not reflected in any photograph , testimony , or statement of any witness . ' murray 's appeal : jackson gave himself fatal dose michael jackson got little sleep the morning he died , despite murray 's bedside efforts using sedatives , according to murray . it is likely that jackson 's heightened insomnia on june 25th was exacerbated by his surreptitious demerol addiction and the resultant acute withdrawal syndrome therefrom , ' the appeal says . jackson 's last demerol injection was on june 22nd , less than 72 hours before his death , which could have been a peak period for the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms . ' but he did fall asleep at 10:40 a.m after a single dose of propofol , he told investigators . after watching him for 15 minutes , murray left him alone , the appeal says . the evidence is consistent with a scenario in which jackson quickly self-injected the lethal bolus dose of propofol while appellant was outside the bedroom , ' the appeal contends . based on the toxicology results , it appears that the rapid injection lead to cardiac arrest and a quick death . ' he may have had access to a bottle of propofol without murray knowing , the appeal says . jackson was very familiar with propofol , as other doctors had administered propofol to him , ' wass writes . it is conceivable that jackson had obtained a secondary source for the drug , especially because jackson had been receiving nightly infusions from appellant for the previous two months , and appellant had sunday nights off . ' if jackson -- not murray -- administered the final and fatal dose , then it was not the doctor 's fault the patient died , the argument says . murray 's appeal disputes the prosecution argument that murray was criminally liable even if jackson had administered the fatal dose himself because murray should have known that leaving the drugs near jackson 's bed posed a risk . the risk was not reasonably foreseeable , ' it said . the prosecution will have a chance to respond to murray 's arguments before the california appeals court makes a decision . | wass will file murray 's appeal on monday |
murray <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- dr. conrad murray defended his appellate lawyer from a slew of disparaging remarks ' just days before she files the appeal of the doctor 's involuntary manslaughter conviction in michael jackson 's death . cnn has obtained sections of that 300-page appeal , including the defense argument that the trial judge erred by not allowing the testimony of dr. arnold klein , a dermatologist the defense contended addicted jackson to demerol in his last weeks . murray 's appeal , which will be filed monday , also argues that prosecutors never proved jackson was hooked up to an iv drip of the drug that killed him . the defense theory was that jackson had administered the fatal dosage himself while the doctor was away . the coroner ruled that jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol in combination with sedatives on june 25 , 2009 . murray told investigators he used propofol to induce sleep because jackson was suffering from insomnia . murray served as jackson 's personal physician as the pop icon prepared for 50 shows that were to debut in london in july 2009 , but his patient was fighting a battle for sleep between rehearsals . a wrongful death lawsuit filed by jackson 's three children and his mother is set for trial next month . the family accuses concert promoter aeg live of liability in his death by hiring and supervising the doctor , who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in november 2011 . murray takes a side in lawyer dispute murray -- during a phone call to cnn saturday from the los angeles county jail where he 's been held since he was sentenced to four years in prison -- said he was impelled to stand up for ' attorney valerie wass , who has been involved in a personal dispute with murray 's trial lawyer michael flanagan . flanagan was helping wass , who wrote the appeal , until the two lawyers were involved in a jailhouse argument last january . flanagan dropped murray as a client after the incident , but the appeals court later ordered him to respond to requests from wass for case files , which she said he had withheld . murray , who witnessed the january incident between his attorneys , issued a strong statement of support for wass in his call from jail . in recent weeks , i became keenly aware that a slew of disparaging remarks and personal information about my appellate attorney , valerie wass , were unjustly released to the media and the public , ' murray said . because of this injustice , i am impelled to stand up for this woman , for whom i have the utmost respect and confidence . ' wass completed work on the appeal even though with the blink of an eye , all of her promised assistance vanished ; they abandoned ship , ' murray said . responding to cnn on sunday , flanagan said he had no comment . although she needed help , she did not quit , did not jump ship , nor did she succumb to pressure while others abdicated their responsibilities , ' he said . she held steadfastly to her professional and moral conduct , which was bolstered by her amazing mettle of mind and spirit . ' murray said wass stood up for me amidst a most arduous and challenging series of obstacles , and whose loyalty remains indisputable . it is my belief that she took a personal hit for me , and i want to let her know that i 'll forever be grateful . ' murray 's appeal : jackson 's demerol addiction although murray could be freed in about seven months , he is seeking to clear his name and get his medical license back by having his conviction overturned on appeal . the appeal contends that los angeles superior judge michael pastor wrongly prevented murray 's trial lawyers from making their case that jackson was going through withdrawal from a demerol addiction the day he died . the reason it sought to prove that jackson was going through demerol withdrawal on june 25th was to show his state of mind -- specifically , that his resulting physiological and psychological state , along with the pressure he was under from preparing for the upcoming tour , rendered him so desperate for sleep that he would take the extraordinary action of self-administering propofol when he was outside the presence of appellant , ' wass writes . defense experts testified at the trial that jackson 's insomnia could have been caused by the withdrawal . the defense wanted klein and two staff members to testify about jackson 's 23 visits to their beverly hills clinic in the three months before his death , including five in june 2009 . jackson was given demerol during those visits , the last time on june 22 , three days before he died . michael jackson could not sleep because of the demerol , ' the defense said in pretrial arguments . dr. murray did not know that . but arnold klein did . michael jackson needed sleep because he was withdrawing and addicted , both addicted and withdrawing from demerol . that 's important to our defense . in fact , it 's absolutely vital . ' pastor , however , ruled that testimony from klein and his staff would be a distraction and divergence ' in the trial . the defense was also unable to prove whether jackson was addicted to demerol and going through withdrawal at the time he died , because experts in the case articulated they could not reach conclusions based only on reviewing klein 's records , ' wass writes in the appeal . if klein or his staff had been allowed to testify at the trial , it is reasonably probable that at least one juror on the panel would have found appellant not guilty of involuntary manslaughter , ' the appeal argues . accordingly , regardless of the applicable standard of review , appellant 's conviction must be reversed . ' murray 's appeal : no proof of iv drip the prosecution 's theory in the trial was that murray hooked jackson up to an unusual makeshift iv drip of propofol and then left him alone to make phone calls in an adjacent room . murray was criminally negligent because he did not properly monitor his patient who later died from an overdose , they argued . the defense argued that the iv drip only sent saline into jackson 's leg to hydrate him and that murray used a syringe to slowly push a safe dose of propofol into jackson 's blood while he watched him fall asleep . a frustrated jackson could have awakened while murray was away and administered the fatal dose himself , the defense said . the propofol infusion theory offered by the prosecution 's expert was not supported by the evidence , and in fact , was so absurd , improbable and unbelievable that a rational trier of fact could not have concluded that the evidence was sufficient to establish that appellant had placed jackson on a propofol drip on the day of his death , ' the appeal argues . the prosecution built the iv drip theory based on testimony of one of jackson 's guards who said he saw a propofol bottle hanging above jackson 's death bed when he arrived to help revive him . an investigator also found a saline bag with a slit in it , which the prosecution contended was used to hold the bottle on the iv stand . defense propofol expert dr. paul white testified such an iv drip set up was befuddling ' because a propofol bottle comes with a hanging device . the hanging tab on the bottle was not used , both sides agreed . the prosecution concocted the novel and ridiculous method of placing the vial into the bag through the slit , hanging the bottle upside down at an angle using the bag for support , and then hanging the bag from the iv stand , ' the appeal argues . a piece of tubing key to the iv drip was never found , but the prosecution suggested murray could have slipped it into a pocket before leaving the bedroom to ride to the hospital with jackson . wass argues that is pure speculation , and the absence of evidence of a long iv line with propofol residue is fatal to the prosecution 's theory . ' if an iv line used in a propofol infusion had been placed in appellant 's pocket , it would have been dripping propofol , and resulted in a messy wet pocket , ' the appeal argues . such a result is not reflected in any photograph , testimony , or statement of any witness . ' murray 's appeal : jackson gave himself fatal dose michael jackson got little sleep the morning he died , despite murray 's bedside efforts using sedatives , according to murray . it is likely that jackson 's heightened insomnia on june 25th was exacerbated by his surreptitious demerol addiction and the resultant acute withdrawal syndrome therefrom , ' the appeal says . jackson 's last demerol injection was on june 22nd , less than 72 hours before his death , which could have been a peak period for the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms . ' but he did fall asleep at 10:40 a.m after a single dose of propofol , he told investigators . after watching him for 15 minutes , murray left him alone , the appeal says . the evidence is consistent with a scenario in which jackson quickly self-injected the lethal bolus dose of propofol while appellant was outside the bedroom , ' the appeal contends . based on the toxicology results , it appears that the rapid injection lead to cardiac arrest and a quick death . ' he may have had access to a bottle of propofol without murray knowing , the appeal says . jackson was very familiar with propofol , as other doctors had administered propofol to him , ' wass writes . it is conceivable that jackson had obtained a secondary source for the drug , especially because jackson had been receiving nightly infusions from appellant for the previous two months , and appellant had sunday nights off . ' if jackson -- not murray -- administered the final and fatal dose , then it was not the doctor 's fault the patient died , the argument says . murray 's appeal disputes the prosecution argument that murray was criminally liable even if jackson had administered the fatal dose himself because murray should have known that leaving the drugs near jackson 's bed posed a risk . the risk was not reasonably foreseeable , ' it said . the prosecution will have a chance to respond to murray 's arguments before the california appeals court makes a decision . | murray witnessed wass and trial lawyer michael flanagan argue at the jail |
murray <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- dr. conrad murray defended his appellate lawyer from a slew of disparaging remarks ' just days before she files the appeal of the doctor 's involuntary manslaughter conviction in michael jackson 's death . cnn has obtained sections of that 300-page appeal , including the defense argument that the trial judge erred by not allowing the testimony of dr. arnold klein , a dermatologist the defense contended addicted jackson to demerol in his last weeks . murray 's appeal , which will be filed monday , also argues that prosecutors never proved jackson was hooked up to an iv drip of the drug that killed him . the defense theory was that jackson had administered the fatal dosage himself while the doctor was away . the coroner ruled that jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol in combination with sedatives on june 25 , 2009 . murray told investigators he used propofol to induce sleep because jackson was suffering from insomnia . murray served as jackson 's personal physician as the pop icon prepared for 50 shows that were to debut in london in july 2009 , but his patient was fighting a battle for sleep between rehearsals . a wrongful death lawsuit filed by jackson 's three children and his mother is set for trial next month . the family accuses concert promoter aeg live of liability in his death by hiring and supervising the doctor , who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in november 2011 . murray takes a side in lawyer dispute murray -- during a phone call to cnn saturday from the los angeles county jail where he 's been held since he was sentenced to four years in prison -- said he was impelled to stand up for ' attorney valerie wass , who has been involved in a personal dispute with murray 's trial lawyer michael flanagan . flanagan was helping wass , who wrote the appeal , until the two lawyers were involved in a jailhouse argument last january . flanagan dropped murray as a client after the incident , but the appeals court later ordered him to respond to requests from wass for case files , which she said he had withheld . murray , who witnessed the january incident between his attorneys , issued a strong statement of support for wass in his call from jail . in recent weeks , i became keenly aware that a slew of disparaging remarks and personal information about my appellate attorney , valerie wass , were unjustly released to the media and the public , ' murray said . because of this injustice , i am impelled to stand up for this woman , for whom i have the utmost respect and confidence . ' wass completed work on the appeal even though with the blink of an eye , all of her promised assistance vanished ; they abandoned ship , ' murray said . responding to cnn on sunday , flanagan said he had no comment . although she needed help , she did not quit , did not jump ship , nor did she succumb to pressure while others abdicated their responsibilities , ' he said . she held steadfastly to her professional and moral conduct , which was bolstered by her amazing mettle of mind and spirit . ' murray said wass stood up for me amidst a most arduous and challenging series of obstacles , and whose loyalty remains indisputable . it is my belief that she took a personal hit for me , and i want to let her know that i 'll forever be grateful . ' murray 's appeal : jackson 's demerol addiction although murray could be freed in about seven months , he is seeking to clear his name and get his medical license back by having his conviction overturned on appeal . the appeal contends that los angeles superior judge michael pastor wrongly prevented murray 's trial lawyers from making their case that jackson was going through withdrawal from a demerol addiction the day he died . the reason it sought to prove that jackson was going through demerol withdrawal on june 25th was to show his state of mind -- specifically , that his resulting physiological and psychological state , along with the pressure he was under from preparing for the upcoming tour , rendered him so desperate for sleep that he would take the extraordinary action of self-administering propofol when he was outside the presence of appellant , ' wass writes . defense experts testified at the trial that jackson 's insomnia could have been caused by the withdrawal . the defense wanted klein and two staff members to testify about jackson 's 23 visits to their beverly hills clinic in the three months before his death , including five in june 2009 . jackson was given demerol during those visits , the last time on june 22 , three days before he died . michael jackson could not sleep because of the demerol , ' the defense said in pretrial arguments . dr. murray did not know that . but arnold klein did . michael jackson needed sleep because he was withdrawing and addicted , both addicted and withdrawing from demerol . that 's important to our defense . in fact , it 's absolutely vital . ' pastor , however , ruled that testimony from klein and his staff would be a distraction and divergence ' in the trial . the defense was also unable to prove whether jackson was addicted to demerol and going through withdrawal at the time he died , because experts in the case articulated they could not reach conclusions based only on reviewing klein 's records , ' wass writes in the appeal . if klein or his staff had been allowed to testify at the trial , it is reasonably probable that at least one juror on the panel would have found appellant not guilty of involuntary manslaughter , ' the appeal argues . accordingly , regardless of the applicable standard of review , appellant 's conviction must be reversed . ' murray 's appeal : no proof of iv drip the prosecution 's theory in the trial was that murray hooked jackson up to an unusual makeshift iv drip of propofol and then left him alone to make phone calls in an adjacent room . murray was criminally negligent because he did not properly monitor his patient who later died from an overdose , they argued . the defense argued that the iv drip only sent saline into jackson 's leg to hydrate him and that murray used a syringe to slowly push a safe dose of propofol into jackson 's blood while he watched him fall asleep . a frustrated jackson could have awakened while murray was away and administered the fatal dose himself , the defense said . the propofol infusion theory offered by the prosecution 's expert was not supported by the evidence , and in fact , was so absurd , improbable and unbelievable that a rational trier of fact could not have concluded that the evidence was sufficient to establish that appellant had placed jackson on a propofol drip on the day of his death , ' the appeal argues . the prosecution built the iv drip theory based on testimony of one of jackson 's guards who said he saw a propofol bottle hanging above jackson 's death bed when he arrived to help revive him . an investigator also found a saline bag with a slit in it , which the prosecution contended was used to hold the bottle on the iv stand . defense propofol expert dr. paul white testified such an iv drip set up was befuddling ' because a propofol bottle comes with a hanging device . the hanging tab on the bottle was not used , both sides agreed . the prosecution concocted the novel and ridiculous method of placing the vial into the bag through the slit , hanging the bottle upside down at an angle using the bag for support , and then hanging the bag from the iv stand , ' the appeal argues . a piece of tubing key to the iv drip was never found , but the prosecution suggested murray could have slipped it into a pocket before leaving the bedroom to ride to the hospital with jackson . wass argues that is pure speculation , and the absence of evidence of a long iv line with propofol residue is fatal to the prosecution 's theory . ' if an iv line used in a propofol infusion had been placed in appellant 's pocket , it would have been dripping propofol , and resulted in a messy wet pocket , ' the appeal argues . such a result is not reflected in any photograph , testimony , or statement of any witness . ' murray 's appeal : jackson gave himself fatal dose michael jackson got little sleep the morning he died , despite murray 's bedside efforts using sedatives , according to murray . it is likely that jackson 's heightened insomnia on june 25th was exacerbated by his surreptitious demerol addiction and the resultant acute withdrawal syndrome therefrom , ' the appeal says . jackson 's last demerol injection was on june 22nd , less than 72 hours before his death , which could have been a peak period for the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms . ' but he did fall asleep at 10:40 a.m after a single dose of propofol , he told investigators . after watching him for 15 minutes , murray left him alone , the appeal says . the evidence is consistent with a scenario in which jackson quickly self-injected the lethal bolus dose of propofol while appellant was outside the bedroom , ' the appeal contends . based on the toxicology results , it appears that the rapid injection lead to cardiac arrest and a quick death . ' he may have had access to a bottle of propofol without murray knowing , the appeal says . jackson was very familiar with propofol , as other doctors had administered propofol to him , ' wass writes . it is conceivable that jackson had obtained a secondary source for the drug , especially because jackson had been receiving nightly infusions from appellant for the previous two months , and appellant had sunday nights off . ' if jackson -- not murray -- administered the final and fatal dose , then it was not the doctor 's fault the patient died , the argument says . murray 's appeal disputes the prosecution argument that murray was criminally liable even if jackson had administered the fatal dose himself because murray should have known that leaving the drugs near jackson 's bed posed a risk . the risk was not reasonably foreseeable , ' it said . the prosecution will have a chance to respond to murray 's arguments before the california appeals court makes a decision . | appeal lawyer valerie wass took a personal hit for me , ' murray tells cnn |
finley boyle <tsp> finley boyle , a 3-year-old hawaii girl who suffered massive brain damage after undergoing a dental procedure last month , died friday night , a hospice said saturday . the girl died with her family by her side , said kenneth l. zeri , president and chief professional officer of hospice hawaii . there are few greater privileges in life than to accompany someone on their end-of-life journey , providing comfort and support not only to that person but also to their loved ones , ' the statement said . as with all of our patients , we were truly blessed to be able to be there for the boyle family and for finley at the end of her journey . ' finley 's parents are suing a kailua , hawaii , dentist , alleging negligence and dangerous conduct . the lawsuit , filed against lilly geyer and her practice , island dentistry for children , alleges improper medications with incorrect dosages were administered to the girl on december 3 , according to court documents filed this week . when routine surgeries go wrong ' as a direct and proximate result of the medications administered to ( finley ) by defendants , ( finley ) suffered cardiac arrest during her dental procedure , ' the lawsuit says . it alleges that , as a further result of improper medications , finley suffered severe and permanent brain damage . ' neither geyer nor her attorney , john nishimoto , responded to cnn 's requests for comment . the island dentistry website states it has been permanently closed and directs patients to an e-mail address . the lawsuit , filed monday in hawaii 's first circuit court , alleges that geyer had no plan in place to respond to medical emergencies , such as the one finley suffered . it seeks unspecified damages . girl declared brain dead after tonsil surgery finley 's mother , ashley boyle , said she first took her daughter to the dentist in november , when she was told her daughter needed six fillings and four root canals , she said . they returned in december to undergo the root canals , boyle said . the parents allege that finley was sedated and left unmonitored for 26 minutes . finley was moved from a hospital to the hospice in late december . finley 's pediatric neurologist , dr. gregory yen , said mris showed the girl suffered severe brain damage and that she was in a persistent vegetative state . ' 10 shocking medical mistakes | finley boyle suffered cardiac arrest and brain damage , the lawsuit alleges |
free network foundation <tsp> editor 's note : the staff at cnn.com has been intrigued by the journalism of vice , an independent media company and web site based in brooklyn , new york . motherboard.tv is vice 's site devoted to the overlap between culture and technology . the reports , which are being produced solely by vice , reflect a very transparent approach to journalism , where viewers are taken along on every step of the reporting process . we believe this unique approach is worthy of sharing with our cnn.com readers . brooklyn , new york ( motherboard.tv ) -- you 're on the internet . what does that mean ? most likely , it means one of a handful of telecommunications providers is middle-manning your information from point a to point b . fire off an e-mail or a tweet , broadcast a live stream or upload video to youtube , and you 're relying on vast networks of fiber optic cables deep underground and undersea , working with satellites high above , to move your data around the world , and to bring the world to your fingertips . it 's an infrastructure largely out of sight and mind . at & t , level 3 , hurricane electric , tata indicom -- to most these are simply invisible magicians performing the act of getting one online and kicking . to many open-source advocates , however , these are a few of the big , dirty names responsible for what they see as the web 's rapid consolidation . the prospect of an irreparably centralized internet , a physical internet in the hands of a shrinking core of so-called tier 1 transit networks , keeps isaac wilder up at night . wilder is the 21-year-old co-founder of the free network foundation . motherboard , vice 's science and technology offshoot , first caught up with wilder at zuccotti park during the fledgling days of occupy wall street . the kansas city native seemed to be running on little sleep . he 'd gone hoarse from chanting relentlessly over the first three days of a populist movement that would soon sweep the country and the world . but there was an undeniable urgency and excitement when wilder told us about the efforts of the fnf , a non-profit , peer-to-peer communications initiative striving to liberate the global internet from corporate and governmental interference . it all sounded lofty and arcane and way , way over our heads . but wilder seemed committed enough to his drop in the bucket of global revolution , which comes in the form of nine-foot-tall freedom towers that beam out free , secure wi-fi to occupied sites and underserviced communities , that we wanted to hear more . see the rest of free the network at motherboard.tv . if the argument for mesh networking , a sort of pirate radio internet scheme that allows people to talk to one another online through no middle man , is that a centralized'net lends itself to the sort of surveillance and censorship that , however futile , strokes the internet kill switch of science fiction , is there a way to circumvent that system altogether ? is there a way to build a new network from the bottom up ? to occupy a fresh internet outside the existing confines of the web ? or is that all just the stuff of ideological fantasy ? to check the pulse of the internet -- and to get a feel for what life 's like in the digital nerve center of what 's arguably the first fully web-fueled social movement in america -- motherboard has been following wilder and tyrone greenfield , communications director for the free network foundation , for the past half year . through the thick of occupy marches , in squats and test-lab offices , on rooftops and all places in between , we saw wilder , greenfield and the fnf building and perfecting their towers and their humble , cooperatively owned , physical internet . we even broke a story that popped off on the internet in the immediate wake of the new york police department 's november 17 raid on zuccotti park . we traveled with wilder to a department of sanitation garage shortly after he was released from a 36-hour stint in jail . he was looking for things lost in the early morning sweep of occupy 's epicenter : cash , his backpack and laptop , zuccotti 's freedom tower . what he found next to a wet heap of clothing and tents were a number of laptops splayed in rows . they appeared mangled and snarled . one was even stripped of its back casing . whether occupy 's laptops were purposefully destroyed , or merely crunched under the hydraulic mash of a sanitation garbage truck , remains unclear . to be sure , after the incident we contacted the nypd , who forwarded us to sanitation . sanitation was tasked with hauling away all the abandoned property from zuccotti to an off-site garage , where demonstrators were later allowed to rummage for their belongings . a sanitation representative told motherboard there had been no directive to destroy property , but that he was n't surprised to hear that some items , including laptops , had maybe been mishandled or misplaced . in the end , what we came up with is a short documentary called free the network . it 's a story about big dreams and cloudy missions , about complex affiliations and what happens when a diy hack-tech movement confronts the force of the state . but beyond that , it 's a story about the incredibly high stakes of living networked in today 's world . we all have skin in this game . remember : you 're on the internet . | vice catches up with isaac wilder , founder of the free network foundation |
israel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- israel was founded on democratic principles with the jewish state 's declaration of independence in 1948 including a commitment to the complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion , race or sex . ' it has remained a continuous democracy ever since . the 120-seat knesset is the israeli seat of government . the seat of israeli government is the knesset , the country 's national parliament , located in jerusalem , which israel claims as its capital . the knesset 's 120 lawmakers are elected by universal suffrage with all israeli citizens over the age of 18 entitled to vote . knesset seats are divided according to each party 's proportion of the overall vote . but parties must poll at least two percent nationally to gain a seat . participation in elections , including among arab israelis who constitute around 20 percent of the population , has traditionally been high at around 80 percent turnout , according to israeli government figures . israel currently has around 5.3 million eligible voters . israel usually holds national elections every four years . but this year 's poll on february 10 was called early -- less than three years since the last vote -- by israeli president shimon peres following the resignation of prime minister ehud olmert amid allegations of corruption and his kadima party successor tzipi livni 's failure to form a coalition . olmert has continued to serve as caretaker prime minister in the interim . coalitions of two or more parties are common in israel ; in fact no party has ever won enough votes to form a government by itself . those remaining outside the ruling coalition make up the opposition . thirty-four parties will participate in the 2009 elections , including major parties such as kadima , likud and labor and also three arab parties . the task of forming and leading a government is charged by israel 's president to the knesset member and party leader considered to have the best chance of forming a viable coalition . the prime minister-designate then has 28 days , extendable by 14 days , to build a coalition commanding the support of at least 61 knesset members . officials results are due to be published on february 18 with the new knesset convening on march 2 . | turnout among israel 's 5.3 million eligible voters expected to be high |
israel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- israel was founded on democratic principles with the jewish state 's declaration of independence in 1948 including a commitment to the complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion , race or sex . ' it has remained a continuous democracy ever since . the 120-seat knesset is the israeli seat of government . the seat of israeli government is the knesset , the country 's national parliament , located in jerusalem , which israel claims as its capital . the knesset 's 120 lawmakers are elected by universal suffrage with all israeli citizens over the age of 18 entitled to vote . knesset seats are divided according to each party 's proportion of the overall vote . but parties must poll at least two percent nationally to gain a seat . participation in elections , including among arab israelis who constitute around 20 percent of the population , has traditionally been high at around 80 percent turnout , according to israeli government figures . israel currently has around 5.3 million eligible voters . israel usually holds national elections every four years . but this year 's poll on february 10 was called early -- less than three years since the last vote -- by israeli president shimon peres following the resignation of prime minister ehud olmert amid allegations of corruption and his kadima party successor tzipi livni 's failure to form a coalition . olmert has continued to serve as caretaker prime minister in the interim . coalitions of two or more parties are common in israel ; in fact no party has ever won enough votes to form a government by itself . those remaining outside the ruling coalition make up the opposition . thirty-four parties will participate in the 2009 elections , including major parties such as kadima , likud and labor and also three arab parties . the task of forming and leading a government is charged by israel 's president to the knesset member and party leader considered to have the best chance of forming a viable coalition . the prime minister-designate then has 28 days , extendable by 14 days , to build a coalition commanding the support of at least 61 knesset members . officials results are due to be published on february 18 with the new knesset convening on march 2 . | 34 parties bidding for 120 seats in the knesset , israel 's parliament |
israel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- israel was founded on democratic principles with the jewish state 's declaration of independence in 1948 including a commitment to the complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion , race or sex . ' it has remained a continuous democracy ever since . the 120-seat knesset is the israeli seat of government . the seat of israeli government is the knesset , the country 's national parliament , located in jerusalem , which israel claims as its capital . the knesset 's 120 lawmakers are elected by universal suffrage with all israeli citizens over the age of 18 entitled to vote . knesset seats are divided according to each party 's proportion of the overall vote . but parties must poll at least two percent nationally to gain a seat . participation in elections , including among arab israelis who constitute around 20 percent of the population , has traditionally been high at around 80 percent turnout , according to israeli government figures . israel currently has around 5.3 million eligible voters . israel usually holds national elections every four years . but this year 's poll on february 10 was called early -- less than three years since the last vote -- by israeli president shimon peres following the resignation of prime minister ehud olmert amid allegations of corruption and his kadima party successor tzipi livni 's failure to form a coalition . olmert has continued to serve as caretaker prime minister in the interim . coalitions of two or more parties are common in israel ; in fact no party has ever won enough votes to form a government by itself . those remaining outside the ruling coalition make up the opposition . thirty-four parties will participate in the 2009 elections , including major parties such as kadima , likud and labor and also three arab parties . the task of forming and leading a government is charged by israel 's president to the knesset member and party leader considered to have the best chance of forming a viable coalition . the prime minister-designate then has 28 days , extendable by 14 days , to build a coalition commanding the support of at least 61 knesset members . officials results are due to be published on february 18 with the new knesset convening on march 2 . | israel goes to the polls in national elections on february 10 |
knesset <tsp> ( cnn ) -- israel was founded on democratic principles with the jewish state 's declaration of independence in 1948 including a commitment to the complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion , race or sex . ' it has remained a continuous democracy ever since . the 120-seat knesset is the israeli seat of government . the seat of israeli government is the knesset , the country 's national parliament , located in jerusalem , which israel claims as its capital . the knesset 's 120 lawmakers are elected by universal suffrage with all israeli citizens over the age of 18 entitled to vote . knesset seats are divided according to each party 's proportion of the overall vote . but parties must poll at least two percent nationally to gain a seat . participation in elections , including among arab israelis who constitute around 20 percent of the population , has traditionally been high at around 80 percent turnout , according to israeli government figures . israel currently has around 5.3 million eligible voters . israel usually holds national elections every four years . but this year 's poll on february 10 was called early -- less than three years since the last vote -- by israeli president shimon peres following the resignation of prime minister ehud olmert amid allegations of corruption and his kadima party successor tzipi livni 's failure to form a coalition . olmert has continued to serve as caretaker prime minister in the interim . coalitions of two or more parties are common in israel ; in fact no party has ever won enough votes to form a government by itself . those remaining outside the ruling coalition make up the opposition . thirty-four parties will participate in the 2009 elections , including major parties such as kadima , likud and labor and also three arab parties . the task of forming and leading a government is charged by israel 's president to the knesset member and party leader considered to have the best chance of forming a viable coalition . the prime minister-designate then has 28 days , extendable by 14 days , to build a coalition commanding the support of at least 61 knesset members . officials results are due to be published on february 18 with the new knesset convening on march 2 . | 34 parties bidding for 120 seats in the knesset , israel 's parliament |
scottish league cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- extra-time goals by darren o'dea and aiden mcgeady gave celtic a 2-0 victory over glasgow rivals rangers in the scottish league cup final at hampden park . darren o'dea ( left ) peels away after scoring the opening goal in celtic 's 2-0 victory over rangers . after 90 tense minutes had failed to produce a goal , the game moved in to extra-time and just a minute after the restart o'dea , who had not scored since celtic beat livingston in february 2007 , leapt to head a shunsuke nakamura free-kick past goalkeeper allan mcgregor . then , in the third minute of added time at the end of the match , rangers defender kirk broadfoot was red-carded for denying mcgeady a clear goalscoring opportunity and the ireland international scored from the resulting penalty . there was little between the two sides in normal time but celtic 's superior fitness paid off , giving them a psychological boost in their bid for a fourth scottish premier league title in succession -- a race in which celtic lead rangers by three points . the victory was celtic 's first major final victory over their arch-enemies for 20 years -- and ensured rangers , who are also through to the semifinals of the scottish fa cup -- can not now lift the domestic treble . | celtic defeat rivals rangers 2-0 to win scottish league cup final at hampden |
ukip <tsp> the uk independence party , led by the pub-clubbable nigel farage , has won a resounding second successive parliamentary by-election and sent british politics tumbling into an abyss of the unknown . mark reckless , the former conservative politician who left the party for ukip in september , won back his seat in parliament thursday in the rochester and strood by-election that was triggered by his defection . ukip is now more than just a fringe group thumbing its nose at the big parties : it is a wild card which can threaten all their prospects . few political experts would claim at this moment to be able to predict the outcome of the next general election , which will take place on may 7 , 2015 . and nobody knows how many of the protest votes ukip has been gathering will stay with them when voters are deciding who will govern the country . but ukip are still advancing : back in may , they won the european parliamentary elections with 27 percent of the votes and 24 seats , the first time a party other than labour or the conservatives has done so . what seems almost inevitable is that there will be another hung ' parliament after the general election -- meaning no party will win an outright majority of seats . but this time neither conservatives nor labour look like being able to build a coalition government without doing deals with more than one other political grouping . britain is likely to experience an unstable era of scandinavian-style politics where the chief preoccupation of the political class is not solving the problems of the nation , but putting together deals to enable any decisions to be taken at all . reckless was the second former tory to resign his seat and win his way back to parliament in the purple colors of ukip after douglas carswell had done the same in clacton in october . and although his roughly 3,000 vote majority will be less sustainable at a general election than carswell 's crushing victory , it keeps ukip on track for its ambition of winning enough seats next may to hold the balance of power . in rochester , ukip managed to resist a huge conservative campaign that included five visits from prime minister david cameron , who was desperate to stave off another ukip victory that could call his effectiveness as the leader of the tories into question . ukip also won over a significant proportion of the former working class labour vote -- aided by a labour front-bencher 's online posting of a photo of a house in rochester draped in english flags with a white van in the driveway . politicians of all stripes were quick to pounce on shadow attorney general emily thornberry 's ill-judged tweet as snobbish and derogatory , and thornberry resigned her position before the night was over . ukip also reduced the liberal democrat vote to a derisory figure : some of their former protest votes on the left are now going to the green party . the ukip bandwagon is still rolling . reckless was a confused candidate who at one stage was slapped down by nigel farage for suggesting that eu immigrants might be sent home , but the party that secured a mere three percent at the last general election in britain has become a significant political player . it is now the obvious receptacle for protest votes in the way that the liberal democrats used to be . but their participation in a coalition government with the conservatives has shredded the lib-dems'political appeal . ukip has successfully harnessed to its bandwagon to the common feeling of disillusion with the two major parties and the westminster establishment . ' as well as its anti-european stance , it has profited from bringing immigration to the fore as a political issue . this has spooked lawmakers in other parties who have demanded that their own party leaders must also get tougher on immigration -- a policy area on which few deal in facts but on which much emotion is expended . but the more that labour and the tories rush out new immigration policies , the more the public say : we thought you told us that ukip were a bunch of fruitcakes , but now you are agreeing they were right all along . ' political strategists used to believe that ukip were chiefly a threat to the conservatives , taking the votes of right-wing euroskeptics away from them . but in the recent heywood and middleton by-election in the greater manchester area ukip came within a few hundred votes of grabbing a labour seat too . with the resurgent scottish national party threatening to grab 30 of labour 's 40 scottish seats in the westminster parliament , and labour 's leader ed miliband proving the lowest-rated occupant of his position in polling history , labour too are shivering at the ukip intervention . so where do we go from here ? ukip will revel in its triumph and redouble its efforts to entice more euroskeptic conservative mps to jump ship in order to save their seats at the next election . david cameron , his authority badly dented after he promised to throw the kitchen sink at saving the rochester seat , will be under massive pressure from his mps to turn the political tide now with the major speech he has for some time been promising on immigration ( and which he postponed for fear of having the rochester result taken as a verdict on his efforts ) . he is handicapped because the conservatives'pledge to reduce immigration to less than 100,000 a year has failed because of the eu 's commitment to the free movement of people within its borders , and german chancellor angela merkel is heading europe 's refusal to reconsider that principle . that again plays into ukip 's hands . right-wing euroskeptic conservative mps insist that their party and ukip are part of the same political family , and they will now try to pressure cameron into some sort of electoral pact -- arguing that otherwise labour will win ' next may 's election with less than a third of the votes . cameron will resist , but the irony for ukip is that of all the possible election results , the only one that will bring about their chief political aim -- an in/out vote on britain 's membership in the european union -- is victory for the conservatives who have promised that referendum . | oakley : ukip has successfully tied itself to the bandwagon of popular discontent with establishment ' parties |
ukip <tsp> the uk independence party , led by the pub-clubbable nigel farage , has won a resounding second successive parliamentary by-election and sent british politics tumbling into an abyss of the unknown . mark reckless , the former conservative politician who left the party for ukip in september , won back his seat in parliament thursday in the rochester and strood by-election that was triggered by his defection . ukip is now more than just a fringe group thumbing its nose at the big parties : it is a wild card which can threaten all their prospects . few political experts would claim at this moment to be able to predict the outcome of the next general election , which will take place on may 7 , 2015 . and nobody knows how many of the protest votes ukip has been gathering will stay with them when voters are deciding who will govern the country . but ukip are still advancing : back in may , they won the european parliamentary elections with 27 percent of the votes and 24 seats , the first time a party other than labour or the conservatives has done so . what seems almost inevitable is that there will be another hung ' parliament after the general election -- meaning no party will win an outright majority of seats . but this time neither conservatives nor labour look like being able to build a coalition government without doing deals with more than one other political grouping . britain is likely to experience an unstable era of scandinavian-style politics where the chief preoccupation of the political class is not solving the problems of the nation , but putting together deals to enable any decisions to be taken at all . reckless was the second former tory to resign his seat and win his way back to parliament in the purple colors of ukip after douglas carswell had done the same in clacton in october . and although his roughly 3,000 vote majority will be less sustainable at a general election than carswell 's crushing victory , it keeps ukip on track for its ambition of winning enough seats next may to hold the balance of power . in rochester , ukip managed to resist a huge conservative campaign that included five visits from prime minister david cameron , who was desperate to stave off another ukip victory that could call his effectiveness as the leader of the tories into question . ukip also won over a significant proportion of the former working class labour vote -- aided by a labour front-bencher 's online posting of a photo of a house in rochester draped in english flags with a white van in the driveway . politicians of all stripes were quick to pounce on shadow attorney general emily thornberry 's ill-judged tweet as snobbish and derogatory , and thornberry resigned her position before the night was over . ukip also reduced the liberal democrat vote to a derisory figure : some of their former protest votes on the left are now going to the green party . the ukip bandwagon is still rolling . reckless was a confused candidate who at one stage was slapped down by nigel farage for suggesting that eu immigrants might be sent home , but the party that secured a mere three percent at the last general election in britain has become a significant political player . it is now the obvious receptacle for protest votes in the way that the liberal democrats used to be . but their participation in a coalition government with the conservatives has shredded the lib-dems'political appeal . ukip has successfully harnessed to its bandwagon to the common feeling of disillusion with the two major parties and the westminster establishment . ' as well as its anti-european stance , it has profited from bringing immigration to the fore as a political issue . this has spooked lawmakers in other parties who have demanded that their own party leaders must also get tougher on immigration -- a policy area on which few deal in facts but on which much emotion is expended . but the more that labour and the tories rush out new immigration policies , the more the public say : we thought you told us that ukip were a bunch of fruitcakes , but now you are agreeing they were right all along . ' political strategists used to believe that ukip were chiefly a threat to the conservatives , taking the votes of right-wing euroskeptics away from them . but in the recent heywood and middleton by-election in the greater manchester area ukip came within a few hundred votes of grabbing a labour seat too . with the resurgent scottish national party threatening to grab 30 of labour 's 40 scottish seats in the westminster parliament , and labour 's leader ed miliband proving the lowest-rated occupant of his position in polling history , labour too are shivering at the ukip intervention . so where do we go from here ? ukip will revel in its triumph and redouble its efforts to entice more euroskeptic conservative mps to jump ship in order to save their seats at the next election . david cameron , his authority badly dented after he promised to throw the kitchen sink at saving the rochester seat , will be under massive pressure from his mps to turn the political tide now with the major speech he has for some time been promising on immigration ( and which he postponed for fear of having the rochester result taken as a verdict on his efforts ) . he is handicapped because the conservatives'pledge to reduce immigration to less than 100,000 a year has failed because of the eu 's commitment to the free movement of people within its borders , and german chancellor angela merkel is heading europe 's refusal to reconsider that principle . that again plays into ukip 's hands . right-wing euroskeptic conservative mps insist that their party and ukip are part of the same political family , and they will now try to pressure cameron into some sort of electoral pact -- arguing that otherwise labour will win ' next may 's election with less than a third of the votes . cameron will resist , but the irony for ukip is that of all the possible election results , the only one that will bring about their chief political aim -- an in/out vote on britain 's membership in the european union -- is victory for the conservatives who have promised that referendum . | oakley : second successive ukip victory makes it hard to predict the winner of upcoming general election |
ukip <tsp> the uk independence party , led by the pub-clubbable nigel farage , has won a resounding second successive parliamentary by-election and sent british politics tumbling into an abyss of the unknown . mark reckless , the former conservative politician who left the party for ukip in september , won back his seat in parliament thursday in the rochester and strood by-election that was triggered by his defection . ukip is now more than just a fringe group thumbing its nose at the big parties : it is a wild card which can threaten all their prospects . few political experts would claim at this moment to be able to predict the outcome of the next general election , which will take place on may 7 , 2015 . and nobody knows how many of the protest votes ukip has been gathering will stay with them when voters are deciding who will govern the country . but ukip are still advancing : back in may , they won the european parliamentary elections with 27 percent of the votes and 24 seats , the first time a party other than labour or the conservatives has done so . what seems almost inevitable is that there will be another hung ' parliament after the general election -- meaning no party will win an outright majority of seats . but this time neither conservatives nor labour look like being able to build a coalition government without doing deals with more than one other political grouping . britain is likely to experience an unstable era of scandinavian-style politics where the chief preoccupation of the political class is not solving the problems of the nation , but putting together deals to enable any decisions to be taken at all . reckless was the second former tory to resign his seat and win his way back to parliament in the purple colors of ukip after douglas carswell had done the same in clacton in october . and although his roughly 3,000 vote majority will be less sustainable at a general election than carswell 's crushing victory , it keeps ukip on track for its ambition of winning enough seats next may to hold the balance of power . in rochester , ukip managed to resist a huge conservative campaign that included five visits from prime minister david cameron , who was desperate to stave off another ukip victory that could call his effectiveness as the leader of the tories into question . ukip also won over a significant proportion of the former working class labour vote -- aided by a labour front-bencher 's online posting of a photo of a house in rochester draped in english flags with a white van in the driveway . politicians of all stripes were quick to pounce on shadow attorney general emily thornberry 's ill-judged tweet as snobbish and derogatory , and thornberry resigned her position before the night was over . ukip also reduced the liberal democrat vote to a derisory figure : some of their former protest votes on the left are now going to the green party . the ukip bandwagon is still rolling . reckless was a confused candidate who at one stage was slapped down by nigel farage for suggesting that eu immigrants might be sent home , but the party that secured a mere three percent at the last general election in britain has become a significant political player . it is now the obvious receptacle for protest votes in the way that the liberal democrats used to be . but their participation in a coalition government with the conservatives has shredded the lib-dems'political appeal . ukip has successfully harnessed to its bandwagon to the common feeling of disillusion with the two major parties and the westminster establishment . ' as well as its anti-european stance , it has profited from bringing immigration to the fore as a political issue . this has spooked lawmakers in other parties who have demanded that their own party leaders must also get tougher on immigration -- a policy area on which few deal in facts but on which much emotion is expended . but the more that labour and the tories rush out new immigration policies , the more the public say : we thought you told us that ukip were a bunch of fruitcakes , but now you are agreeing they were right all along . ' political strategists used to believe that ukip were chiefly a threat to the conservatives , taking the votes of right-wing euroskeptics away from them . but in the recent heywood and middleton by-election in the greater manchester area ukip came within a few hundred votes of grabbing a labour seat too . with the resurgent scottish national party threatening to grab 30 of labour 's 40 scottish seats in the westminster parliament , and labour 's leader ed miliband proving the lowest-rated occupant of his position in polling history , labour too are shivering at the ukip intervention . so where do we go from here ? ukip will revel in its triumph and redouble its efforts to entice more euroskeptic conservative mps to jump ship in order to save their seats at the next election . david cameron , his authority badly dented after he promised to throw the kitchen sink at saving the rochester seat , will be under massive pressure from his mps to turn the political tide now with the major speech he has for some time been promising on immigration ( and which he postponed for fear of having the rochester result taken as a verdict on his efforts ) . he is handicapped because the conservatives'pledge to reduce immigration to less than 100,000 a year has failed because of the eu 's commitment to the free movement of people within its borders , and german chancellor angela merkel is heading europe 's refusal to reconsider that principle . that again plays into ukip 's hands . right-wing euroskeptic conservative mps insist that their party and ukip are part of the same political family , and they will now try to pressure cameron into some sort of electoral pact -- arguing that otherwise labour will win ' next may 's election with less than a third of the votes . cameron will resist , but the irony for ukip is that of all the possible election results , the only one that will bring about their chief political aim -- an in/out vote on britain 's membership in the european union -- is victory for the conservatives who have promised that referendum . | conservative party defector mark reckless brings ukip a second by-election win in two months |
david cameron <tsp> the uk independence party , led by the pub-clubbable nigel farage , has won a resounding second successive parliamentary by-election and sent british politics tumbling into an abyss of the unknown . mark reckless , the former conservative politician who left the party for ukip in september , won back his seat in parliament thursday in the rochester and strood by-election that was triggered by his defection . ukip is now more than just a fringe group thumbing its nose at the big parties : it is a wild card which can threaten all their prospects . few political experts would claim at this moment to be able to predict the outcome of the next general election , which will take place on may 7 , 2015 . and nobody knows how many of the protest votes ukip has been gathering will stay with them when voters are deciding who will govern the country . but ukip are still advancing : back in may , they won the european parliamentary elections with 27 percent of the votes and 24 seats , the first time a party other than labour or the conservatives has done so . what seems almost inevitable is that there will be another hung ' parliament after the general election -- meaning no party will win an outright majority of seats . but this time neither conservatives nor labour look like being able to build a coalition government without doing deals with more than one other political grouping . britain is likely to experience an unstable era of scandinavian-style politics where the chief preoccupation of the political class is not solving the problems of the nation , but putting together deals to enable any decisions to be taken at all . reckless was the second former tory to resign his seat and win his way back to parliament in the purple colors of ukip after douglas carswell had done the same in clacton in october . and although his roughly 3,000 vote majority will be less sustainable at a general election than carswell 's crushing victory , it keeps ukip on track for its ambition of winning enough seats next may to hold the balance of power . in rochester , ukip managed to resist a huge conservative campaign that included five visits from prime minister david cameron , who was desperate to stave off another ukip victory that could call his effectiveness as the leader of the tories into question . ukip also won over a significant proportion of the former working class labour vote -- aided by a labour front-bencher 's online posting of a photo of a house in rochester draped in english flags with a white van in the driveway . politicians of all stripes were quick to pounce on shadow attorney general emily thornberry 's ill-judged tweet as snobbish and derogatory , and thornberry resigned her position before the night was over . ukip also reduced the liberal democrat vote to a derisory figure : some of their former protest votes on the left are now going to the green party . the ukip bandwagon is still rolling . reckless was a confused candidate who at one stage was slapped down by nigel farage for suggesting that eu immigrants might be sent home , but the party that secured a mere three percent at the last general election in britain has become a significant political player . it is now the obvious receptacle for protest votes in the way that the liberal democrats used to be . but their participation in a coalition government with the conservatives has shredded the lib-dems'political appeal . ukip has successfully harnessed to its bandwagon to the common feeling of disillusion with the two major parties and the westminster establishment . ' as well as its anti-european stance , it has profited from bringing immigration to the fore as a political issue . this has spooked lawmakers in other parties who have demanded that their own party leaders must also get tougher on immigration -- a policy area on which few deal in facts but on which much emotion is expended . but the more that labour and the tories rush out new immigration policies , the more the public say : we thought you told us that ukip were a bunch of fruitcakes , but now you are agreeing they were right all along . ' political strategists used to believe that ukip were chiefly a threat to the conservatives , taking the votes of right-wing euroskeptics away from them . but in the recent heywood and middleton by-election in the greater manchester area ukip came within a few hundred votes of grabbing a labour seat too . with the resurgent scottish national party threatening to grab 30 of labour 's 40 scottish seats in the westminster parliament , and labour 's leader ed miliband proving the lowest-rated occupant of his position in polling history , labour too are shivering at the ukip intervention . so where do we go from here ? ukip will revel in its triumph and redouble its efforts to entice more euroskeptic conservative mps to jump ship in order to save their seats at the next election . david cameron , his authority badly dented after he promised to throw the kitchen sink at saving the rochester seat , will be under massive pressure from his mps to turn the political tide now with the major speech he has for some time been promising on immigration ( and which he postponed for fear of having the rochester result taken as a verdict on his efforts ) . he is handicapped because the conservatives'pledge to reduce immigration to less than 100,000 a year has failed because of the eu 's commitment to the free movement of people within its borders , and german chancellor angela merkel is heading europe 's refusal to reconsider that principle . that again plays into ukip 's hands . right-wing euroskeptic conservative mps insist that their party and ukip are part of the same political family , and they will now try to pressure cameron into some sort of electoral pact -- arguing that otherwise labour will win ' next may 's election with less than a third of the votes . cameron will resist , but the irony for ukip is that of all the possible election results , the only one that will bring about their chief political aim -- an in/out vote on britain 's membership in the european union -- is victory for the conservatives who have promised that referendum . | oakley : reckless'win an embarrassing blow for david cameron , who threw kitchen sink at winning vote |
chicago marathon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- seven months of marathon training have made my 30-year-old knees feel like those of a person decades older . at times , i 've hobbled down stairs and winced unexpectedly . if i owned a cane , i 'd shake it at the trim women who run past me while pushing strollers full of infants -- and the gazelle-ish teens who spring by at two to three times my running pace . griping about irritating run-spiration t-shirts that say things such as preserve the sexy ' is a coping mechanism -- a way to distract myself from the somewhat-frightening marathon i signed up to run , like many of you , in response to the boston marathon bombing . until monday , i wondered if i could finish . that was the day i had a conversation with a boston bombing victim who , after three surgeries , ran her first marathon a few weeks ago . before that , i worried about mile 20 , ' which is when many runners quit . in most marathon training programs , you do n't run farther than 20 miles before race day . it seems natural to a woody-allen brain that mile 20 should induce panic . how are you supposed to get energy for those extra 6.2 miles , which will take me at least an hour to run ? related :'run for boston'ireport group all of those complaints and fears seemed so childish after i e-mailed with lee ann yanni , a 32-year-old who was standing near the finish line in boston in april when the bombs went off . chips of wood and shrapnel the size of a half-dollar lodged themselves in her leg . her fibula broke through the skin . her eardrum popped . the doctors thought she was crazy , she said , when she told them she was going to run the chicago marathon . before the bombing , she signed up for the race in honor of her dad , who died of cancer in october 2012 . injuries were n't about to change her mind . i 'm not letting these fools take my first marathon away from me , ' she told the boston herald . three months after the bombing , yanni walked without crutches . in september , she ran for the first time since the surgeries , which removed the shrapnel , repaired the bone and grafted skin across the bottom part of her leg , pulling the flesh from her thigh . yanni is a physical therapist in boston , so she knew what she was up against . i know i was n't ready to run , and i said many times that this was the dumbest idea i had ever had , ' she wrote to me , but no one argued with me . guess they were smart . ' related : i 'm running a marathon for boston a friend suggested she walk most of the marathon , but yanni insisted she would run it within the 6 1/2 hour limit . i said ,'no .'that 's not even an option . it 's not an option not to finish .'' my dad fought his cancer for six weeks , ' she added , and i could suck it up and do whatever it took for 6 or 6 1/2 hours of'pain .'he was a fighter , and i knew that it was in me in some form . ' the world of running was new to me when i began this process . this spring , two miles stole my breath . i had to do a training program to be able to start the marathon training program . for all their quirks -- the gu packets , the band-aided nipples , the overendorphined instagram feeds -- runners all seem to harness a sense of determination you do n't find in day-to-day cubicle life . it ca n't be a question of whether or not you 'll finish . you will finish . to believe otherwise is to fail , in a sense . i believe that now , but only because i 've heard so many stories like yanni 's . earlier this year , i traveled to oklahoma city to watch sara hunt finish the marathon she started in boston but was cut less than a mile short by the bombing . once i hit the point where i stopped in boston , i was like ,'no more walking . i 'm running this ,'' she told me . this race , this is for boston . i 'm finishing . ' there , i also met gary woodbridge , whose wife , ronota newberry-woodbridge , was killed in the 1995 oklahoma city bombing . he ran his first marathon in her honor . she always wanted to run a marathon , and i finally lost enough weight where i thought i could try , ' he told me . he struggled , but he finished . he had to . related : in okc , a run to finish what she started when i 'm running the marathon next week in north carolina , i 'm sure there will be points when i 'll want to give up -- but i wo n't . i 'll have too many stories with me . i 'll think of how yanni 's husband washed her damaged leg while she held a towel over her face and cried , unable to walk and not wanting to look at the limb . about how she only had run about 11 1/2 miles in her premarathon training . she hit the wall , ' so to speak , at mile 22 of her race . it was like a wall or a curtain came down , ' she said . everything got hazy . she does n't remember seeing mile markers 23 or 24 . my legs started to cramp , but i did n't want to stop and stretch because i was scared i would n't be able to get going again . ' she did keep going , of course . my advice would be just take it one step at a time , ' she wrote . we are only a select group of people that make that journey and take the time to achieve such an insane goal . take each mile and savor it . ' i am glad that i can inspire people , ' she added , but i just feel like a normal person who loves running and who is wicked stubborn ! ... i was gon na cross that finish line one way or another . ' after hearing yanni 's story , i 'm sure i will , too . i 'd also encourage you to consider signing up for a race -- of any length -- as part of cnn ireport 's run for boston group . hundreds already have pledged to do so . the goal is to show support for the truly brave people such as yanni and others who are taking steps each day toward recovering from the boston tragedy . we 're running for them . what are your tips for getting past'mile 20'? share them in the comments section or on twitter . tag the tweets # runforboston . the opinions expressed in this column are solely those of john d. sutter . | lee ann yanni had three surgeries before running the chicago marathon |
santorum <tsp> detroit ( cnn ) -- a relieved mitt romney headed back to the campaign trail wednesday after sweeping crucial primaries in arizona and his childhood home of michigan to revitalize his campaign for the republican presidential nomination . romney needed to win both states , but especially michigan -- where he grew up when his father was governor -- to assert his ability to overcome the conservative challenge from former pennsylvania sen. rick santorum . a santorum victory in michigan would have raised questions about how strong a candidate romney is within his own party . by early wednesday morning , the michigan department of state had posted unofficial results from 80 of the total 83 counties . they showed romney with 36 % to 33 % for santorum . texas rep. ron paul had 10 % while former house speaker newt gingrich had 6 % wayne county , home to detroit , was not among the tallies , but numbers posted on its website also showed romney with a sizable lead . the state 's 30 delegates will be allocated on a proportional basis , and romney and santorum each won three so far , according to the returns . however , it was unclear who would win the most michigan delegates , which are based on congressional districts . romney 's victory in arizona was expected and more thorough . he had 47 % to 27 % for santorum , 16 % for gingrich and 8 % for paul with 88 % of the unofficial returns counted , according to the secretary of state website . the result gave romney all of the state 's 29 delegates in the winner-take-all primary . in a speech to supporters , romney acknowledged he had to come from behind on his home turf in michigan . a week ago , it was just a week ago , the pundits and the pollsters , they were ready to count us out , ' he said of surveys showing santorum leading in michigan. ... we did n't win by a lot , but we won by enough and that 's all that counts . ' santorum portrayed his michigan defeat after leading in the polls as a better-than-expected performance in his main rival 's territory . this was going to be romney 's night . the question was how big . and it was n't very big , ' santorum said . the outcome showed it 's a two-person race right now ' with romney , he added . a month ago , they did n't know who we are , but they do now , ' santorum said , calling it an absolutely great night . ' the people of michigan looked into the hearts of the candidates , and all i have to say is'i love you back .' santorum and gingrich are vying for the support of conservatives to try to overcome romney 's advantage in spending and organization . the results tuesday showed that combining the support for santorum and the former house speaker would equal or exceed romney 's support , a point certain to heighten the competition in coming weeks as the campaign heads toward super tuesday on march 6 and beyond . in an attempt to capitalize on michigan 's open primary in which any voter could participate , santorum launched automated phone calls monday asking democrats to support him to send a loud message to massachusetts'mitt romney . ' liberal bloggers also asked democrats and independents to vote for santorum as a way of damaging romney 's chances of winning the nomination . speaking to reporters in livonia , michigan , on tuesday morning -- his first news conference in nearly three weeks -- romney called the tactics by santorum and democrats a real effort to kidnap our primary process . ' he called on republicans to turn out and say no to the dirty tricks of a desperate campaign . ' santorum defended the calls to democrats at a campaign stop tuesday in kentwood , saying romney used the same tactics earlier when he encouraged new hampshire democrats to cross over to support him . a majority of voters in new hampshire , which romney won last month , were independents or democrats , santorum said . and when he goes out and recruits folks who are n't republicans , that 's all right , ' said santorum , who later said of romney : that 's what bullies do -- when you hit 'em back , they whine . ' however , it was santorum who first complained of the crossover voting tactic in january , telling a minnesota event that we want the activists of the party , the people who make up the backbone of the republican party , to have a say in who our nominee is as opposed to a bunch of people who do n't even identify themselves as republicans picking our nominee . ' he called for closed primaries with only republicans allowed to take part because it 's the republican nomination , not the independent nomination or the democratic nomination . ' democrats who voted tuesday said they did n't need much convincing to support santorum in order to weaken romney . bruce fealk said he voted for santorum because he 's the weaker candidate . the idea is to help obama get re-elected , ' he said . we want mitt romney to go bankrupt in michigan . ' romney attributed santorum 's late rise in the polls to his recent incendiary comments ' about obama , such as questioning the president 's theology and accusing him of snobbery for advocating higher education . we have seen throughout the campaign that if you are willing to say really outrageous things that are accusative and attacking of president obama , that you are going to jump up in the polls , ' romney said . you know , i am not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support . i am who i am . ' the tough talk reflected the high stakes in michigan . romney has led nationwide polls off-and-on over the course of the campaign , but has been unable to increase his support base . santorum is the latest of romney 's rivals to challenge him for frontrunner status by playing on conservatives'reservations about the former massachusetts governor . santorum 's hat trick earlier this month in minnesota , missouri and colorado propelled him to a lead in national polls and a double-digit lead in michigan two weeks ago . but he had a lackluster performance in last week 's cnn/arizona republican debate and has fallen into a statistical tie with romney in national polls . both candidates spent most of their time following the last debate in michigan , making it the key showdown for both their efforts to establish momentum . cnn chief political analyst gloria borger called santorum 's focus on social issues in recent weeks detours he did n't need to take ' from the economic message that resonates most with voters in a sluggish economy . to david gergen , cnn 's senior political analyst , romney 's victories strengthened the narrative that his campaign is on an inevitable march to the nomination . while noting it was easy to see how mitt romney can lose this , ' gergen added that it was very hard to see how any of his rivals can win it . ' michigan and arizona come four days before washington state holds its caucuses on saturday and a week before 10 states hold primaries and caucuses worth 437 delegates on super tuesday . santorum adviser john brabender , who had downplayed expectations for his candidate in michigan , noted that the 30 delegates at stake there were proportional , so a second-place finish with a decent delegate haul is just as good as a win . brabender said santorum has already won by forcing romney to spend major campaign resources in a state considered home turf . the romney campaign is spending a fortune they never expected to spend in michigan , and every dollar they spend in michigan is a dollar they do n't have on super tuesday , ' brabender said . for gingrich , it 's all about super tuesday and georgia , which he represented in congress for more than two decades . i want to focus on winning in georgia . i think it is essential to us to do that , and we are going to do everything we can between now and next tuesday to win here at home , ' gingrich said last weekend while campaigning in the state . however , gingrich 's hopes of building a strong support base in the south after his lone victory in south carolina appears in trouble . santorum holds a big lead in polls in tennessee , another super tuesday state . paul , the libertarian champion making his third bid for the white house , campaigned briefly in michigan to try to win some delegates , but was mostly looking ahead to washington state and super tuesday caucuses to try to increase his delegate count . we 'll continue to work in the caucus states ' where investments of time and resources pay off in delegates , paul said . cnn 's paul steinhauser , john helton and ed payne contributed to this report . | the outcome shows it 's a two-person race right now , ' santorum says |
santorum <tsp> detroit ( cnn ) -- a relieved mitt romney headed back to the campaign trail wednesday after sweeping crucial primaries in arizona and his childhood home of michigan to revitalize his campaign for the republican presidential nomination . romney needed to win both states , but especially michigan -- where he grew up when his father was governor -- to assert his ability to overcome the conservative challenge from former pennsylvania sen. rick santorum . a santorum victory in michigan would have raised questions about how strong a candidate romney is within his own party . by early wednesday morning , the michigan department of state had posted unofficial results from 80 of the total 83 counties . they showed romney with 36 % to 33 % for santorum . texas rep. ron paul had 10 % while former house speaker newt gingrich had 6 % wayne county , home to detroit , was not among the tallies , but numbers posted on its website also showed romney with a sizable lead . the state 's 30 delegates will be allocated on a proportional basis , and romney and santorum each won three so far , according to the returns . however , it was unclear who would win the most michigan delegates , which are based on congressional districts . romney 's victory in arizona was expected and more thorough . he had 47 % to 27 % for santorum , 16 % for gingrich and 8 % for paul with 88 % of the unofficial returns counted , according to the secretary of state website . the result gave romney all of the state 's 29 delegates in the winner-take-all primary . in a speech to supporters , romney acknowledged he had to come from behind on his home turf in michigan . a week ago , it was just a week ago , the pundits and the pollsters , they were ready to count us out , ' he said of surveys showing santorum leading in michigan. ... we did n't win by a lot , but we won by enough and that 's all that counts . ' santorum portrayed his michigan defeat after leading in the polls as a better-than-expected performance in his main rival 's territory . this was going to be romney 's night . the question was how big . and it was n't very big , ' santorum said . the outcome showed it 's a two-person race right now ' with romney , he added . a month ago , they did n't know who we are , but they do now , ' santorum said , calling it an absolutely great night . ' the people of michigan looked into the hearts of the candidates , and all i have to say is'i love you back .' santorum and gingrich are vying for the support of conservatives to try to overcome romney 's advantage in spending and organization . the results tuesday showed that combining the support for santorum and the former house speaker would equal or exceed romney 's support , a point certain to heighten the competition in coming weeks as the campaign heads toward super tuesday on march 6 and beyond . in an attempt to capitalize on michigan 's open primary in which any voter could participate , santorum launched automated phone calls monday asking democrats to support him to send a loud message to massachusetts'mitt romney . ' liberal bloggers also asked democrats and independents to vote for santorum as a way of damaging romney 's chances of winning the nomination . speaking to reporters in livonia , michigan , on tuesday morning -- his first news conference in nearly three weeks -- romney called the tactics by santorum and democrats a real effort to kidnap our primary process . ' he called on republicans to turn out and say no to the dirty tricks of a desperate campaign . ' santorum defended the calls to democrats at a campaign stop tuesday in kentwood , saying romney used the same tactics earlier when he encouraged new hampshire democrats to cross over to support him . a majority of voters in new hampshire , which romney won last month , were independents or democrats , santorum said . and when he goes out and recruits folks who are n't republicans , that 's all right , ' said santorum , who later said of romney : that 's what bullies do -- when you hit 'em back , they whine . ' however , it was santorum who first complained of the crossover voting tactic in january , telling a minnesota event that we want the activists of the party , the people who make up the backbone of the republican party , to have a say in who our nominee is as opposed to a bunch of people who do n't even identify themselves as republicans picking our nominee . ' he called for closed primaries with only republicans allowed to take part because it 's the republican nomination , not the independent nomination or the democratic nomination . ' democrats who voted tuesday said they did n't need much convincing to support santorum in order to weaken romney . bruce fealk said he voted for santorum because he 's the weaker candidate . the idea is to help obama get re-elected , ' he said . we want mitt romney to go bankrupt in michigan . ' romney attributed santorum 's late rise in the polls to his recent incendiary comments ' about obama , such as questioning the president 's theology and accusing him of snobbery for advocating higher education . we have seen throughout the campaign that if you are willing to say really outrageous things that are accusative and attacking of president obama , that you are going to jump up in the polls , ' romney said . you know , i am not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support . i am who i am . ' the tough talk reflected the high stakes in michigan . romney has led nationwide polls off-and-on over the course of the campaign , but has been unable to increase his support base . santorum is the latest of romney 's rivals to challenge him for frontrunner status by playing on conservatives'reservations about the former massachusetts governor . santorum 's hat trick earlier this month in minnesota , missouri and colorado propelled him to a lead in national polls and a double-digit lead in michigan two weeks ago . but he had a lackluster performance in last week 's cnn/arizona republican debate and has fallen into a statistical tie with romney in national polls . both candidates spent most of their time following the last debate in michigan , making it the key showdown for both their efforts to establish momentum . cnn chief political analyst gloria borger called santorum 's focus on social issues in recent weeks detours he did n't need to take ' from the economic message that resonates most with voters in a sluggish economy . to david gergen , cnn 's senior political analyst , romney 's victories strengthened the narrative that his campaign is on an inevitable march to the nomination . while noting it was easy to see how mitt romney can lose this , ' gergen added that it was very hard to see how any of his rivals can win it . ' michigan and arizona come four days before washington state holds its caucuses on saturday and a week before 10 states hold primaries and caucuses worth 437 delegates on super tuesday . santorum adviser john brabender , who had downplayed expectations for his candidate in michigan , noted that the 30 delegates at stake there were proportional , so a second-place finish with a decent delegate haul is just as good as a win . brabender said santorum has already won by forcing romney to spend major campaign resources in a state considered home turf . the romney campaign is spending a fortune they never expected to spend in michigan , and every dollar they spend in michigan is a dollar they do n't have on super tuesday , ' brabender said . for gingrich , it 's all about super tuesday and georgia , which he represented in congress for more than two decades . i want to focus on winning in georgia . i think it is essential to us to do that , and we are going to do everything we can between now and next tuesday to win here at home , ' gingrich said last weekend while campaigning in the state . however , gingrich 's hopes of building a strong support base in the south after his lone victory in south carolina appears in trouble . santorum holds a big lead in polls in tennessee , another super tuesday state . paul , the libertarian champion making his third bid for the white house , campaigned briefly in michigan to try to win some delegates , but was mostly looking ahead to washington state and super tuesday caucuses to try to increase his delegate count . we 'll continue to work in the caucus states ' where investments of time and resources pay off in delegates , paul said . cnn 's paul steinhauser , john helton and ed payne contributed to this report . | despite his loss in michigan , santorum says he performed better than expected |
oscar <tsp> ( cnn ) -- so what did we learn at sunday night 's golden globe awards ? first off , we learned that sketch comedians are so much better at giving acceptance speeches than rock stars , screenwriters and actors who 've won oscars and emmys for dramatic roles . who knew ? ' as andy samberg put it when he delivered one of the evening 's most compact acceptances , for best lead actor in a tv comedy or musical in fox 's brooklyn nine-nine ' ( a surprise winner for best comedy series , by the way . ) we also learned that actresses say the darnedest things on tv when they 're drinking a lot . ( what was that cate blanchett said about judy garland and barbiturates when she got the globe for best actress in a drama in blue jasmine ' ? ) one trusts that the hollywood foreign press association , which sponsors the awards , has also learned that when you nominate somebody four times for a golden globe over four decades without giving her one , you 'd better be prepared for retributive pain when you finally come through . though i have to admit that as the ceremonies trudged along , part of me was hoping jacqueline bissett , who finally won a globe for best supporting actress in a tv movie , miniseries or series as a lonely dowager in dancing on the edge , ' would get called back for more ragged stream-of-consciousness and disregard for decorum . the authenticity of her speech , which included a bleeped expletive , somehow burst through the ceremony 's glitz -- and , at 69 , she still made for a gorgeous-looking train wreck . but did we learn for sure who 's going to win the academy awards on march 2 ? not really . 5 things we learned from the 2014 golden globes it 's true that blanchett came away as big a favorite in her category as she was before the pipes burst earlier that night , flooding the red carpet . but nothing short of a tsunami will stop her appointment with the best actress oscar for her rendering of a shattered socialite . the rest are not so clear . 12 years a slave ' won the best drama globe , matching most advance expectations . but it did n't win as many globes as the best comedy or musical winner , american hustle . ' both amy adams'win for best actress in a comedy or musical ( which was mildly unexpected ) and jennifer lawrence 's win for best supporting actress ( which was n't ) seemed to boost hustle 's ' profile in the oscar race . but both hustle 's ' director , david o. russell , and slave 's ' director , steve mcqueen , lost the best director race to alfonso cuaron for his orchestration of the harrowing gravity . ' let 's face facts : though some insist on seeing the globes as an oscar tip sheet , you ca n't easily align awards that split their categories between comedy and drama with those that do n't . period . there have been some years where a globe drama winner gets the best picture oscar ( 2001 's a beautiful mind ' ) and the comedy-musical winner does n't ( moulin rouge ! ' ) . then there are those years when the opposite is true . ( 1998 , when shakespeare in love ' won best picture while saving private ryan ' did n't ) . and then , too , there are those years when neither of the globe winners is in the best picture winner at the oscars ( 1992 , when the silence of the lambs ' bested both bugsy ' and beauty and the beast , ' and 1993 , when both scent of a woman ' and the player ' lost to unforgiven , ' and 1991 , when ... and we could go on and on ... ) . so as usual , we 're left at the end of another golden globes show wondering , what exactly was the point ? that is , besides the comedy factor , both intended ( hosts tina fey and amy poehler , who did n't have nearly as much to do this year as last ) and unintended . golden globes : best moments and gifs maybe it 's best to look at the globes less as tea leaves or portents for future awards and more as shiny paper for the global village to unwrap every january as the true beginning of hollywood 's ritual of self-congratulation . the various film critics awards are ( for the most part , anyway ) more measured and thoughtful signals as to what will be taken seriously between holiday openings and oscar night . but the globes are when the moms , mall rats and reality-show audiences begin noticing what the more serious and solemn movies are doing with themselves as their makers and actors campaign for support from the academy voters . you can downgrade their importance or dismiss their results as much as you like . but the golden globes are , like it or not , an occasion-with-a-capital-o , much like weddings , thanksgiving and other rituals that often provoke sentiment and warmth -- and slavishness and inappropriate behavior . so wait for the trade awards to get their results out and hope that whomever 's in charge of these awards does n't take anything bissett says too seriously . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of gene seymour . | he says even with two best picture awards , globes are flawed predictor of oscar winners |
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