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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Five new cases of the H1N1 virus in New York City schools will force three schools to close for a week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference Thursday evening. The city is temporarily closing the schools to "slow transmission" of the virus, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. The two intermediate schools and one primary school are in Queens, and all three will be closed for at least five days, the mayor said. "We are closing the schools to slow transmission" of sickness, he said. Bloomberg, flanked by New York Gov. David Paterson and New York City School Chancellor Joel Klein, said four students at one of the intermediate schools have the virus and an administrator was critically ill Thursday with H1N1. Bloomberg indicated the school administrator had a pre-existing medical condition. Fifty students at that school have been sent home with flu-like symptoms since May 6. At the two other schools, the primary school had an overflowing nurse's office Thursday, reporting 29 students suffering from flu-like symptoms. The other intermediate school had 241 students absent with illness Thursday. The New York City Department of Health and the Department of Education have been in nearly constant contact, said Jason Post, a spokesman from Bloomberg's office. When there's a spike in students absent from classes, the Department of Health is alerted. "There's always good communication, flu or no flu," Post said. "But our senses have been sharp for a while now." The Health Department has seen a general increase in flu activity in Queens, officials said in a news release. While the symptoms of H1N1 flu seem to resemble those of seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus appears to spread more extensively, at least in schools, warranting closures to slow transmission in the community, the release said. Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, the deputy commissioner of the city's Department of Hygiene and Mental Health, said although concern is legitimate, there's no solid evidence that suggests the H1N1 flu -- also known as swine flu -- is more dangerous than the flu in general. "The bottom line is if you're sick, stay home," Weisfuse said. "And don't go back to school until you're better for one whole day." In late April, St. Francis Prep, a high school in Queens, was closed because of a flu outbreak. Since then, the school reopened and the stricken students have recovered, according to the mayor's office. "As we have said from the outset of the appearance of H1N1 in our city last month, we will share with New Yorkers what we know and not speculate on what we don't know," said Bloomberg in a statement. According to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Thursday night 7,412 cases of H1N1 flu have been confirmed worldwide. The organizations said 63 deaths attributed to the virus have been confirmed worldwide. The CDC said 4,298 cases of the virus and three fatalities have been confirmed in the United States as of Thursday night. New York had 224 confirmed cases of H1N1, the CDC said. It was not clear whether the five cases cited by Bloomberg and the other New York officials were included in the latest CDC total.
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Officials cite five new cases of H1N1 virus in New York City schools . One school administrator critically ill with the virus, officials say . Administrator had a pre-existing medical condition, mayor indicates . Dozens of students have reported flu-like symptoms at the 3 closed schools .
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(CNN) -- The White House asked Wednesday that a federal shield law be reintroduced in the Senate, a move that could affect the way the Justice Department conducts investigations into leaks of secret government information. Administration officials told CNN that the request was made to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York. It comes two days after the Associated Press announced that the Justice Department had seized some of its phone records as part of a national security leak investigation. "This kind of law would balance national security needs against the public's right to the free flow of information," Schumer said in a statement. "At minimum, our bill would have ensured a fairer, more deliberate process in this case." The records covered a two-month period beginning in May 2012 and included more than 20 AP lines, including personal phones and AP phone numbers in New York; Hartford, Connecticut; and Washington. "A shield law would keep lazy prosecutors from going after reporters' notes and phone records and compel them to actually conduct investigations that do not step all over the First Amendment," Teri Hayt, the First Amendment chairwoman of the Associated Press Media Editors, said in a statement issued before the White House announcement. Federal shield legislation -- which would protect journalists from revealing their sources and beef up protections for reporters and their sources caught up in such probes -- passed the Judiciary Committee in 2009 but never advanced. The AP phone records controversy pits First Amendment advocates against an administration that has made unprecedented moves to end the leaking of government secrets in the name of national security. "If there were a shield law and it said that the government has to let you know when it's subpoenaing your phone records, your hotel records or any other records that you don't have in your hands, that would have been a big help," said Chuck Tobin, chairman of the media law department at the law firm of Holland & Knight in Washington, who has represented the AP and CNN in the past. His comments too were made before the White House announcement. Related: Justice Department defends itself in AP snooping scandal . "They kept that information from journalists and went to the phone company to prevent giving journalists the chance to fight in court," Tobin said in a telephone interview. "That kind of end-run could be prevented if there were a federal shield law that required notice when the government goes after records from third parties." He added, "It's colossally troubling to everybody, and should be, that the government can come between journalists and their sources in this kind of an unfocused and unbridled fashion." Typically, he said, the government negotiates with the news media to ensure that any subpoena is tailored as narrowly as possible. But in this instance, "the government issued what appears to be an overbroad subpoena," skipping the step of notifying the journalists ahead of time, which would have given them the opportunity to challenge it. "And they did it on purpose," he said. "They did not want to give the journalists an opportunity to try to get this narrowed or quashed." Justice Department regulations allow the government to seize records only in the case of "a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation," Tobin said, adding that that did not appear to have been the case with the AP probe. "It's hard to imagine that there was a substantial threat to an investigation of past events that would warrant not giving AP a chance to go to court on this issue," he said. "That's deeply troubling." The wire service said the investigation into its records appears related to an AP story about a thwarted terrorist plot in Yemen to bomb an airplane bound for the United States. "These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP's newsgathering operations, and disclose information about AP's activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know," said Gary Pruitt, AP's president and CEO, in a letter of protest sent Monday to Attorney General Eric Holder. Pruitt said Tuesday in a statement that the news organization had taken extraordinary measures to placate federal authorities, delaying publication of the story, at their request, "until the government assured us that the national security concerns had passed." At the time of publication, the administration itself was preparing to announce that the bomb plot had been foiled, he said. "The White House had said there was no credible threat to the American people in May of 2012. The AP story suggested otherwise, and we felt that was important information and the public deserved to know it." But Holder told reporters on Tuesday that the article that prompted the investigation was one of "the top two or three most serious leaks that I've ever seen." He testified Wednesday to the House Judiciary Committee that he could not comment on the matter because he had recused himself from the case to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest and that the matter was being handled by a deputy. Forty states have passed shield laws and nine others have de facto shield laws created by court decisions (Wyoming is the outlier), according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which offers legal advice and other resources to journalists. But the state laws confer no protection from federal actions like the one reported by the wire service. In the past decade, Congress has come close to passing a federal shield law. But support for the measure shrank during the WikiLeaks scandal in which thousands of classified U.S. diplomatic cables were released. Such a law could keep federal authorities from employing what some media lawyers decry as overly aggressive tactics. The issue has been muddied as the Internet has blurred the line between journalist and private citizen. Under a federal shield law introduced in 2011, the federal government would have had to prove to a judge that the information it was seeking outweighed the journalist's need to keep confidential information, according to the Society of Professional Journalists. Two years later, it remains in a subcommittee. The Justice Department's seizure of AP's phone records appears to have been legal, said CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. "A lot of people think the First Amendment protects journalists from having to disclose this sort of information," he said Monday. "Not true. Especially under federal law. There is no privilege to protect this kind of information." But administrations since the Nixon White House have exercised restraint, he said. "They have said, 'Look, we will do whatever we can to avoid having to subpoena journalists.'" President Obama had indicated he would follow suit. A day after he entered office, on January 21, 2009, Obama said that he would embrace openness. "Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency," he vowed. That promise has not been kept, legal analysts contend. The Obama administration has used the Espionage Act, which was passed in 1917, to target suspected leakers in six cases, twice the number undertaken by all previous administrations combined. Toobin said the AP's subpoena was particularly egregious. "I have never heard of a subpoena this broad," he said. "The administration is not violating the First Amendment, but they are certainly doing more than has ever been done before in pursuing the private information of journalists, and we will see if there is any political check on them, because there doesn't appear to be any legal check on what they're doing." Such seizures risk turning the news media's news-gathering process into an investigative tool of the government, said Gene Policinski, senior vice president and executive director of the First Amendment Center. "Reporters become effectively recorders of contacts and information for the prosecution, not at all what journalism is supposed to be." But a former spokesman for the Department of Justice who worked as an aide to Holder defended the government's actions. "What they're trying to find out through this investigation is what government official broke the oath that they signed to protect classified information," said Matthew Miller, who left the Justice Department in 2011 and is now a public affairs consultant in private practice. "There is no reporters' privilege in law protecting their records." The Justice Department could have been even more aggressive, forcing the reporters to testify and throwing them in jail had they refused, he said. Besides, federal authorities have an incentive to find out who leaked the story that goes beyond the case, he said. "The government has to send a signal to its employees that these laws mean something, and they will investigate and prosecute you for violating them." Whether a federal shield law would keep the Justice Department from carrying out such actions "would totally depend on what the federal shield law looks like," Miller said, noting that several versions have been proposed. Some would prevent reporters from ever being subpoenaed, others would allow judges to carve out exceptions in cases of national security. White House press secretary Jay Carney reiterated on Tuesday that the administration had no involvement in any criminal investigation by the Justice Department. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley predicted that the move will have little long-term impact. "It seems to be a kind of a strange, isolated case," he said in a telephone interview. He predicted the Obama administration would back off rather than court further outrage. CNN's Thom Patterson contributed to this report .
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Proposed federal shield law might have protected Associated Press from seizure of records . The Obama administration has taken a hard line against government leakers . "A shield law would keep lazy prosecutors from going after reporters' notes," says AP editor .
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Washington (CNN) -- For National Rifle Association Vice President Wayne LaPierre and many other pro-gun Americans, the task is clear: The best way to protect children from becoming victims of a slaughter like the one seen last week in Newtown, Connecticut, is to make sure every school in America has "qualified armed security." For President Barack Obama, many Democratic leaders and a slight majority of the American public, the solution starts with tougher legislation on assault weapons, universal background checks and limits on high-capacity magazines, the first steps needed to begin to make it harder to get at the kinds of firearms that kill thousands of Americans each year. Both sides are so vested in intractable arguments that there is little room for political common ground. While both sides share a desire to keep children safe, it's like they are living in two different worlds. On one side, the gun rights advocates argue that a well-armed populace can best defend the innocent. They say that if the teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School were armed -- or if there were armed security at the front door -- fewer lives would have been lost. On the other side, the gun control advocates are fighting to protect lives by limiting access to guns. They say that if the weapons used in the Newtown massacre weren't so readily available -- there are at least 310 million non-military firearms in the U.S. today -- then the 27 people who were murdered might still be alive. "It's hard for people to come to the table to at least talk about it," said Alan Lizotte, dean and professor at the State University of New York at Albany's School of Criminal Justice. Why would someone own a military-style rifle? It took the NRA -- the nation's most politically powerful gun lobby that boasts 4.3 million members -- one week and a bizarre press conference-turned-one-way-announcement to do just that. Where some may have hoped for concessions on the NRA's staunch pro-gun, guns-don't-kill-people-people-kill-people stance, the NRA stayed the course, and even doubled down. They offered no willingness to consider any of the proposals offered this week to amend gun laws including limiting access to assault weapons, requiring universal background checks, limiting sales at gun shows and increasing the use of trigger locks. Instead, the group pointed to media sensationalism, violent video games, gun-free zones in schools, the failure to enforce gun laws already on the books, issues with the nation's mental health system and other societal problems as feeding the spate of gun violence. NRA clear on gun debate stance: arm schools . They then announced a new national program to train and arm thousands of armed security to be stationed at each of the nation's nearly 100,000 public and 33,000 private schools. They point to the fact that Sandy Hook Elementary School -- and most other schools in America -- are considered gun-free zones as a reason why it was easily attacked. Policies banning guns at schools create a place that "insane killers" consider "the safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk," LaPierre, said Friday. LaPierre said U.S. society has left children "utterly defenseless." "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," he said. The organization also indicated that it would push back against a growing legislative movement to introduce or, in some cases, reintroduce gun control legislation. "We can't lose precious time debating legislation that won't work," LaPierre said. The NRA's hard line came in stark contrast to President Obama's own plan after the Newtown shooting. The list: Despite emotions, little happens legislatively after mass shootings . Obama appealed to the pro-gun lobby who he said "has members who are mothers and fathers" likely impacted by the shooting. But then he also invited them to "do some self-reflection." Authorities must work to make "access to mental health care at least as easy as access to a gun," and the country needs to tackle a "culture that all too often glorifies guns and violence," he said. Obama tapped Vice President Joe Biden to lead an administration effort to develop recommendations in January for preventing another tragedy like the Newtown school shooting. "This is not some Washington commission. This is not something where folks are going to be studying the issue for six months and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside," Obama said Wednesday. "This is a team that has a very specific task to pull together real reforms right now." Across the rest of the nation, attitudes about guns appear to be changing. A CNN/ORC International poll released Wednesday indicated that a slight majority now favor major restrictions on owning guns or an outright ban on gun ownership by ordinary citizens and more than 6 in 10 favor a ban on semi-automatic assault rifles. iReport: NRA member cuts up card in protest . Forty-three percent said the shootings in Connecticut make them more likely to support gun control laws, a 15-point increase from January 2011 following the Arizona gun rampage that wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Half of those questioned said the school shootings have not changed their opinions on gun control, down 19 points from January 2011. But there's an ocean of difference between the two sides, a gulf broadened by heated rhetoric and an almost singular focus on being "right." NRA comments draw swift opposition in reactions . While gun control advocate New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the NRA's stance "a shameful evasion of the crisis facing our country," gun rights proponent and economist John Lott applauded the group for "coming out strongly questioning these gun free zones." Connecticut senator-elect Chris Murphy tweeted his disgust after seeing the NRA's statement: "Walking out of another funeral and was handed the NRA transcript. The most revolting, tone deaf statement I've ever seen," he said on Twitter. Former Republican National Committee Chairman and NRA supporter Michael Steele called the NRA's remarks "very haunting and very disturbing." New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, considered by some as a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, also disagreed with the NRA's position. "You don't want to make this an armed camp for kids," he said at an event in Newark Friday morning. "I don't think that's a positive example for children. We should be able to figure out other ways to enhance safety." The differences both in perspective and approach couldn't be more divergent, folks on both sides of the issue point out. "I think that people are hard wired differently. If you look at the world as a beautiful place and I'm in the arts, I'm a composer, I write music, I write poetry, if you believe the world's a beautiful place, your viewpoint is different than if you feel 'I have to have my guns to protect myself,' " said Hollis Thoms, 64, from Annapolis, Maryland, as he protested outside of the Willard InterContinental Hotel just after the NRA's press conference. That's exactly the type of rhetoric that baffles Paul Martin, who commented on CNN.com. "I am a gun owner. I would be in favor of a ban on assault type weapons, and limiting magazines to a max of 10 rounds. It's the crazies that say 'ban all weapons' that make me nervous about giving any ground at all," Martin wrote. "Approach it reasonably, with assurances that you won't go bonkers and demand a total ban, and you might make progress. Approach it just from anger and you will be fought all the way." Opinion: Madness in the air in Washington . CNN's Josh Levs, David Mattingly, Catherine Shoichet, Paul Steinhauser and Holly Yan contributed to this report .
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The NRA wants to staff every school in America with "qualified armed security" Obama, Democrats and others see tougher gun control as the way to limit future massacres . While both sides want to keep children safe, it seems they are living in two different worlds .
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(CNN) -- Hours after losing Victoria Azarenka to injury, organizers of the Dubai Tennis Championships were dealt another major blow on Wednesday when Serena Williams also pulled out of the event. The 31-year-old Williams, who became the oldest women's tennis player to be crowned world No. 1 on Monday, said she was forced out because of a back injury. "I've just had some back problems the past couple of weeks," the American told an impromptu press conference. "I thought it would get better as the week went on but it didn't. I don't want to keep pushing it and make it worse." Williams took to the court to apologize to fans who had arrived for her second-round match with Marion Bartoli of France. The absences of both Williams and previous No. 1 Azarenka represent a severe dent to a popular $2 million tournament which had already been without the sport's two reported highest earners, Maria Sharapova and Li Na (according to Forbes magazine). It is also a blow to the Women's Tennis Association, which has worked hard to introduce incentives and regulations to reduce the number of withdrawals from its events. Wednesday's unexpected withdrawal follows that of second-ranked Azarenka, which ensured that Williams will hang on to top spot until the Sony Ericsson Open, which starts in Miami on March 18. Williams said her back also troubled her in last week's Qatar Open, where she was beaten in the final by the Belorussian, who withdrew from the Dubai championships with a foot injury. The 15-time grand slam winner added that, having returned to the pinnacle after two and a half years during which her life and career were threatened following a freak foot injury in 2010, being No. 1 is no longer her primary goal. "OK, I have done it, let's focus on my next goals which are the grand slams," Williams said, admitting that she already had at least half an eye on the French Open in Paris, starting on May 26. "I really want to continue doing really well in those." After winning Wimbledon and the US Open last year, Williams' total of grand slam titles is only three fewer than Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who together are second on the all-time list behind Steffi Graf with 22. Williams' absence increases the chances of world No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska making a successful defense of her title, which began with the Pole grinding out a 7-, 6-3 win over Yulia Putintseva, a promising 18-year-old wild card entry from Kazakhstan. Bartoli, who received a wild-card invite after making a late entry, will face former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals. The Dane, now ranked 10th and a winner of the tournament in 2011, progressed with a 6-0 6-1 drubbing of China's former Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie. .
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Serena Williams pulls out minutes before scheduled clash with Marion Bartoli . World No. 1 says back problem has troubled her for the past fortnight . American targets next month's Sony Ericsson Open in Miami for comeback .
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(CNN) -- In 2009, a freshly elected U.S. president who campaigned on the themes of hope and change appointed a veteran negotiator to take a crack at the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Now, 32 months after President Barack Obama named former Sen. George Mitchell as his chief Middle East envoy, the peace process is stalled and the United States faces the diplomatically dangerous possibility of having to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution on Palestinian statehood. How did it get to this point? The answers are in the intractable nature of the conflict, political pressures faced by the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships, and a steady waning of U.S. influence in the region, exacerbated by the Arab Spring protests that erupted last December. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday he intends to submit an application for statehood to the Security Council, according to U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky, setting up a possible vote as soon as Friday. U.S. officials have made clear they will veto it, affirming the longstanding backing for Israel, the nation's strongest Middle East ally. Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes negotiations are seeking to avoid a move certain to evoke Arab protests of American bias and even hypocrisy. A U.S. veto would amount to Washington blocking an outcome it has publicly supported -- the creation of a Palestinian state next to Israel. However, the Obama administration insists that result must occur through a negotiated deal with Israel. "We continue to believe and are pressing the point that the only way to a two-state solution, which is what we support and want to see happen, is through negotiations," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said late Monday. Addressing the possible Palestinian statehood bid, she added that "no matter what does or doesn't happen, this will not produce the kind of outcome that everyone is hoping for, so we are going to stay very much engaged and focused." Also Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was willing to meet with Abbas in New York to launch direct talks that would continue back in the Middle East after the U.N. General Assembly. Netanyahu's offer was an obvious attempt to give Abbas a plausible reason to put off the statehood bid, an outcome desired by the United States. "For President Obama, who came into office speaking about self-determination and promised the Palestinians that it's a new day and a new dawn for them, to go to the Security Council and cast a veto against the Palestinian state is politically problematic," Fouad Ajami, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute think tank, said Monday on CNN. "It's really a catastrophe for him in the Arab world, but he has no choice but to pass the veto if it came to that," Ajami continued. "The hope is (that) between now and Friday, some exit, some other formula will be found to spare one and all in this confrontation at the Security Council." Fran Townsend, a CNN contributor on national security issues, said the potential U.N. vote "puts the United States in a very awkward position." "It is a veto that will most certainly undermine U.S. credibility as an honest broker in the peace process," at least in the eyes of the Arab world, Townsend said. The latest developments come five months after Mitchell's resignation. He said he only signed up to tackle the world's toughest diplomatic job for two years, but he was clearly frustrated by the inability to restart direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Mitchell, who was 77 when he stepped down, traveled back and forth in the region trying to overcome the decades of hostility and mistrust that bedeviled the peace process. Face-to-face negotiations sought by the United States and its mediating partners from the United Nations, European Union and Russia never materialized. The Obama administration came into office hoping to seduce the Middle East with a more sensitive and compassionate posture after eight years of the Bush administration that brought war in Iraq and tough posturing against Iran and other enemies of Israel. In June 2009, Obama used a high-profile speech in Cairo, Egypt, on relations between the United States and the Muslim world to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He reaffirmed the U.S. endorsement of a two-state solution and urged compromise and understanding between "two peoples with legitimate aspirations." Addressing two main issues in the dispute, Obama said the U.S. government "does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements" in the West Bank, and declared that "it is time for (settlement construction) to stop." He also called America's bond with Israel "unbreakable" and said Palestinian violence such as rocket and mortar attacks on Israel must cease. In particular, Obama said the Hamas movement -- which controls Gaza -- must end violence and recognize past agreements. Less than a year later, any perception of progress began to shatter. Not only did Obama fail to make good on his Cairo pledges, but his inability to rein in Israel on settlement-building was evidence of how hard jump-starting negotiations would be. In March 2010, Israel announced a new settlement project in East Jerusalem, maintaining its insistence that the entire city would always be part of its territory. After years of lukewarm reactions to such statements about new settlements by Israel, the United States chose to push the envelope, turning the incident into a crisis that further hindered the peace process when Netanyahu would not give in. Then came the Gaza flotilla raid on May 31, 2010, when Israeli commandos stormed a Turkish ship leading an effort to break Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory. The incident, in which nine Turks were killed, cast a harsh spotlight on the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and led to a breakdown in relations between Israel and Turkey, one of its few allies in the region. Against that backdrop, the Arab Spring of pro-democracy uprisings that started in Tunisia and spread to Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain and other states became an uncontrolled factor in the Middle East equation. Hesitant U.S. support for protesters, first in Egypt, then in Libya and now in Syria, raised questions in the region about the clarity and commitment of the Obama administration's policy. In a speech in May, Obama expressed support for pro-democracy aspirations in the Middle East. He also offered specifics on a possible Israel-Palestinian agreement based on pre-1967 borders and including land swaps to reflect current realities on the ground. The pre-1967 borders refer to Israel's territory before the six-day war that year in which it took control of the Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem and other territory from neighboring countries. Both sides found reason to reject Obama's proposal as a basis for resuming peace talks, and now the successful Arab Spring protests have given Abbas new impetus to challenge Israel and the United States by seeking statehood through the United Nations. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Sunday that the Palestinians were making the U.N. bid out of frustration. "They have reinforced cooperation with the Israelis," Clinton told the NBC's "Meet the Press." "They have produced a growing economy on the West Bank. They have renounced violence. And all the Arab countries except Syria have offered Israel a political, military and security partnership for the future, including opposition to Iran's nuclear design, if they create a Palestinian state." And yet, Clinton noted, "there's been no progress." One reason for a lack of progress has been uncertainty over the status of a Palestinian unity effort involving the Abbas-led authority in the West Bank and Hamas, which rules Gaza. Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist group and refuse to negotiate with it. The United States also has called on Hamas to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist in order to take part in the peace process. Hamas does not support President Abbas' bid for statehood. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya has said Fatah does not have the right to sacrifice Palestinian rights, including making concessions on Palestinian land or the right of return for Palestinian refugees. He said Hamas will not recognize Israel's right to a Jewish state. Townsend said the changing face of the Middle East is worrying to Israel, noting the Muslim Brotherhood strengthening in post-Mubarak Egypt, the possibility of anti-Israel factions gaining a role in post-Gadhafi Libya and the constant threat from Iran. "So you can understand Israel's concern about their current security," Townsend said. "I think Israel is rightly concerned. This is a very dangerous time."
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U.S. backs an independent Palestinian state through negotiations . Palestinians will submit an application for statehood to U.N. U.S. officials have made it clear they will veto such a move . Behind-the-scenes negotiations are trying to avoid a move certain to evoke Arab protests .
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(CNN) -- When Black Caviar lines up at Morphetville, Adelaide, on Sunday in front of an anticipated crowd of 30,000, the Australian wonder horse will carry the weight not only of jockey Luke Nolen but the expectations of an entire nation. The superstar mare will be bidding for her 20th win from 20 races. If she succeeds, she will have gone one better than the great Zenyatta, who faltered at the 20th attempt. Black Caviar has already overhauled the marks of such racing legends as Eclipse (undefeated in 18 races) and Nearco (14). Indeed, one has to go all the way back to Kincsem, a 19th century Hungarian racehorse, to find a more impressive streak (although her barely creditable record of 54 wins and no defeats seems safe for the time being). The Black Caviar phenomenon has gripped a sports-mad Australian public. Of the capacity crowd expected to turn out on Sunday, a good proportion will be wearing her trademark salmon and black silks. The appetite for all things Black Caviar is so great that the state government has arranged free public transport for all those heading to the track. She will face only a small number of rivals on Sunday. Such is the aura of invincibility surrounding Black Caviar, she typically races against just a handful of other runners. She is currently being quoted by some bookmakers at odds of 1-20 (and no, that's not a misprint) for the Group 1 clash, ahead of last year's Goodwood winner Lone Rock at 14-1. But despite having beaten the best Australian racehorses of her generation -- including Hay List and Foxwedge, both classy runners in their own right -- Black Caviar remains unproven on the global stage. That is set to change, however. In June, Black Caviar will get the chance to test herself against the best in the world when she travels to England for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. For Australians, Black Caviar's English endeavor is something of a national cause. But if she has little left to prove to an adoring public back home, a question mark remains over Black Caviar's claims to greatness on the world stage, and that question mark comes in the not-insubstantial shape of a four-year-old bay colt called Frankel. The only horse in the world with a higher rating than Black Caviar, the inevitable clamor for a showdown between the two best horses in the world is likely to reach deafening pitch should Black Caviar win again on Sunday. A match race seems unlikely since the two horses prefer to race over different distances: sprints of 1,000 -1,200 meters for Black Caviar; the mile and upwards for Frankel. That hasn't prevented billionaire owner Sheikh Fahad al Thani from sponsoring a £1 million purse should the two horses line up for the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Gooodwood in August. It would mean a step up in trip for Black Caviar to the mile, over undulating ground that is likely to favor the defending champion Frankel with his huge, all-devouring stride. But with 20 million Australians backing her every furlong of the way, you wouldn't bet against her. Comparing champions: Black Caviar vs. Zenyatta . The similarities between the two great race mares are evident. Both horses are huge (Black Caviar stands at 16.2 HH while Zenyatta stood at a carthorse-like 17.2 HH), and their hulking frames meant they were each only lightly raced in their early years (larger horses usually take longer to develop). Zenyatta became a racing -- and sporting -- phenomenon in America, finishing runner-up twice in the Associated Press's Female Athlete of the Year award (once to Serena Williams and once to Lindsay Vonn). Black Caviar's following in Australia is so huge that Channel 7 interrupted the Australian Open tennis semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to televise one of her races. Zenyatta was named after the album "Zenyatta Mondatta" by British band the Police, who were signed to the record label of her owner, Jerry Moss. Black Caviar was named by one of her owners, Pam Hawkes, who has a taste for the delicacy. It also refers back to the mare's grandmother, Scandanavia.
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Superstar mare Black Caviar will make history if she wins at Morphetville . The Australian horse is bidding for her 20th win from 20 races . If successful, she will beat American thoroughbred Zenyatta . Sports-mad Australian crowd will be backing homegrown champion .
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Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A Pakistani judge sentenced Osama bin Laden's three widows and two daughters on Monday to 45 days of house detention for living illegally in Pakistan, the widows' lawyer said. The judge ordered that after their term, the five be deported back to their countries of citizenship, said Amir Khalil, the lawyer. He said the time served began March 3, when the five were formally arrested or taken into custody, and that they would all be released by mid-April. The widows -- identified by U.S. and Pakistani officials as Amal Ahmed Abdul Fateh, Khairiah Sabar and Siham Sabar -- have been in Pakistani custody since U.S. Navy SEALs raided bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad and killed the al Qaeda leader in May 2011. The daughters are ages 17 and 21, Khalil said. Since all five defendants confessed to impersonation, illegal entry into Pakistan and staying illegally in Pakistan, there was no need for a trial, said Khalil, who added that his clients would not appeal the "lenient" sentence. They will serve their sentence in the Islamabad residence where the trial took place, Khalil said. A source familiar with the widows' case said last week that the Yemeni government has expressed willingness to let Fateh, bin Laden's youngest widow, return home. Saudi Arabia, where the other two women are from, has been resistant. The judge also fined each of the defendants 10,000 rupees, or about $110, Khalil said, adding that the fines had been paid in court. Bin Laden spent years on the run in Pakistan after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, moving from one safe house to another and fathering four children -- at least one of whom was born in a government hospital, Fateh has told Pakistani investigators. A deposition taken from Fateh gives the clearest picture yet of bin Laden's life while international forces hunted him. "While we may never be able to corroborate every detail, generally speaking, bin Laden's wife's account seems plausible, and it confirms some previously held theories on where the al-Qaeda leader was hiding over the years," a U.S. official said about the widow's account. In the January 19 police report, Fateh said she had always wanted to marry a holy warrior. When word of plans for her arranged marriage to bin Laden came in 2000, she flew to Pakistan, crossed the Afghanistan border at Quetta and went to Kandahar. She said she did not recall exactly when, but she was married before the 2001 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. She lived with bin Laden and his two other wives until the attacks. The family "scattered" after that, she told police. She said she returned to the southern port city of Karachi with her eldest daughter, Safia, and stayed in an apartment for eight or nine months. She said that "all the things were arranged by some Pakistani family and Saad," bin Laden's eldest son. They moved six or seven times in Karachi before she reunited with bin Laden in the border city of Peshawar. They moved to the Swat Valley, living in two houses over an eight- or nine-month period. Next, they shifted to Haripur, also in northern Pakistan. Fateh's daughter Aasia was born there in 2003 and son Ibrahim the next year. Fateh said she stayed in a hospital on both occasions. They settled in Abbottabad in 2005 and stayed there for six years before bin Laden was killed. Fateh gave birth to two more children in Abbottabad -- daughter Zainab was born in 2006 and son Hussain in 2008. Fateh said two families, whom she called the Ibrahim and Abrar families, stayed with them while they were in Swat, Haripur and Abbottabad, and "everything was arranged by them." She said some members of those two families were killed in the raid, as was bin Laden's 20-year-old son, Khalid. She told police she never applied for a visa during her stay in Pakistan. CNN asked Pakistani officials in Washington, in e-mails and over the phone, whether they had any knowledge of Fateh's movements and got no response.
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The 5 will be released in mid-April, lawyer says . The three widows and two other relatives faced charges of living illegally in Pakistan . The court orders their repatriation after completion of sentence . They have been detained since the U.S. raid in May that killed bin Laden .
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Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- Friends, family members and fellow dissidents on Tuesday buried Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, a prominent critic of Cuba's socialist government. Dissident organizations reported that dozens of anti-government activists were arrested as they made their way to Paya's funeral. Video showed police pushing several dissidents into buses. The Cuban government Tuesday did not immediately respond to CNN's inquiries regarding the arrests. Payá, 60, and another dissident Harold Cepero Escalante died Sunday after the car they were traveling in crashed near La Gavina, Cuba. Two other men in the car, Spanish politician Angel Carromero and Swedish politician Aron Modig, survived and were released from the hospital on Monday. Carromero was behind the wheel when the rental car crashed said Francisco de Borja Morate Martín, a counselor in the Spanish Embassy in Havana. "He is very shaken psychologically," he said. The diplomat said that on Tuesday Carromero was, for a second day, speaking to Cuban police and was being assisted by Spain's consul to Cuba. Carromero's testimony could be key to determining how Payá, one of Cuba's best known dissidents, died. On Sunday, family members told CNN that the car he was had been run off the road by another, apparently on purpose. Details of deadly crash disputed . But a statement released by the Cuban government on Sunday said witnesses to the crash reported the car had lost control on its own and crashed into a tree. Oswaldo Payá was a long standing thorn in the side of Cuba's government, which considers dissidents to be paid mercenaries who have betrayed their own country. In 2003, Payá received the European Parliament's Sakharov prize for freedom of expression. The award is named for Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov and is awarded to those who work to promote human rights and democracy. The Varela Project, a signature drive led by Payá, delivered thousands of signed petitions asking for changes to Cuba's political system. The initiative was largely ignored by Cuba's leaders, but former President Jimmy Carter highlighted Payá's work during his trip to Cuba, the first made by a former U.S. president to Cuba since the 1959 revolution. Amid the questions that swirl around Payá's death, some of his fellow dissidents called for an end to the conspiracy theories and for a transparent investigation into how he died. "He tried to carry out reform in a nonviolent way," said fellow dissident Elizardo Sanchez. "It turns out that he died in a violent way; an absurd and strange accident." According to a government statement, Cuban police are investigating the circumstances of Paya's death. Cuban doctors battle to control cholera outbreak .
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Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas died in Sunday car crash . Dozens of anti-government activists arrested on their way to Payá's funeral . Cuban police said they are investigating the circumstances of Paya's death .
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(CNN) -- The dreadful shooting sprees of the past few months, which claimed dozens of innocent lives, shocked and unnerved millions of Americans. The specter of some heavily armed madman turning a theater, a temple, a mall or a school into his personal battle zone has become all too real and terrifying. The latest episode still unfolding in Southern California implicates, oddly enough, a former Los Angeles police officer, 33-year-old Christopher Jordan Dorner, who allegedly is seeking redress for perceived mistreatment by the LAPD. Dorner was a member of the department for three years before losing his badge in 2008, reportedly for lying about a fellow officer. When he was unable to win back his job, murder became, as a manifesto attributed to Dorner put it, "a necessary evil" for him to prevail in the face of racism and injustice. LA cops talked by suspect, and brutal past . Other than the alleged gunman's former profession, this case is actually quite prototypical of the nearly two dozen massacres that occur each year in the United States. It is a story that my Northeastern University colleague Jack Levin and I have seen time and time again in our several decades of research on this extreme form of violence. By looking closely enough, one can usually make some sense of seemingly senseless behavior. The notion of a deranged gunman who suddenly snaps and goes berserk is more myth than reality. Rather, mass murderers act methodically and with purpose. And unlike the shooting sprees in Aurora, Newtown and elsewhere, in which victims who were unknown to their assailants had the horrible misfortune to be in the worst place at the worst time, most mass murders involve people specifically targeted for specific reasons. Mass murderers tend to be middle-aged men who see themselves as victims of injustice. Although bitter, resentful and full of despair, they see others, often the former boss or supervisor, as the people who are to blame for their miserable existence. Indeed, the workplace is one of the more familiar venues for mass murder, going way back to the 1980s when "going postal" became part of our everyday vernacular. Manhunt reminiscent of D.C. sniper case . Typically, we see a former employee in public service or private industry who feels mistreated and wronged. Believing that his firing is patently unjust, and with nothing left to lose, he decides sooner or later to become the powerful one who will do the "firing." When he is deprived of his financial security, sense of purpose and dignity, the idea of getting even becomes all consuming. As I write this on Day Six of the L.A. area manhunt, the terror enveloping the region is combined with anxious uncertainty over when the threat will finally be over and, more critically, whether the victim count will rise before the alleged assailant is found dead or alive. Already five people have been shot -- the daughter of the union representative who participated in Dorner's unsuccessful grievance hearing and her fiance were fatally wounded, as was one of three police officers gunned down in the continuing rampage. These five victims are actually surrogates, in what is known as "murder by proxy." Even when the primary targets are not readily available, others may be viewed as guilty—and may be assaulted-- simply because of their association. Meanwhile, dozens more among the alleged gunman's hit list of enemies remain on edge and in hiding until it is safe to resurface. Not surprisingly, one of the more prominent features to the usual mass-murder profile is access to a powerful enough weapon to achieve an expansive deadly plan. Particularly frightening in the ongoing L.A. drama, of course, is the marksmanship skills that Dorner undoubtedly acquired through his careers with the Navy and in law enforcement, giving added significance to the phrase, "armed and dangerous." Alleged cop-killer's manifesto details threats . Adding insult to injury, the man at the center of attention is likely thrilled. If he is like most mass murderers, it is not the spotlight that he is enjoying, but the satisfaction of payback. Others have been made to suffer, as he has in the past. The big question is how many more will be harmed in his methodical and deliberate quest for revenge. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of James Alan Fox .
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James Fox: LA rampage case is typical of mass murders; like most, planned, methodical . He says mass murderers tend to be aggrieved middle-aged men, aiming to regain 'power' He says in Dorner case, some killed were not actual targets, but cases of 'murder by proxy' Fox: Assailant usually thrilled at attention, satisfaction of 'payback'
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Washington (CNN) -- U.S. and Cuban officials are set to sit down together in Washington on Friday to discuss immigration and other issues, according to a State Department spokesman. "The U.S. views the migration talks as an important opportunity for both the United States and Cuban governments to discuss policies and procedures that promote safe, legal, and orderly migration," State Department spokesman Michael Tran told CNN Sunday. Relations between Washington and Havana have deteriorated in recent months, in part because of Cuba's detention of American contractor Alan Gross, who has been held in Cuban prison since December. The two countries have not formally held immigration talks since February and next week provides another chance for the U.S. to call for his release. "The United States is focused on the welfare of Alan Gross and we believe he should be released and permitted to return to his family," Tran said. "This is a matter we have raised on multiple occasions with the Cuban government and that we will continue to raise with them." In recent weeks, the United States did have discussions with Cuba about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. And earlier, the two countries talked about earthquake assistance to Haiti. "We intend to review trends in illegal Cuban migration to the United States, and to improve operational relations with Cuba on migration issues," Tran said about the agenda for Friday. "Other matters of mutual concern may arise in our meetings, but the main purpose is to discuss migration issues."
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Talks slated for Friday . Discussion will focus on welfare of U.S. contractor . Alan Gross has been detain in Cuba since December .
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican authorities have detained the country's former drug czar on suspicion that he may have accepted $450,000 a month in bribes from drug traffickers, Mexico's attorney general said Friday. Noe Ramirez Mandujano was in charge from 2006 through August of fighting organized crime in Mexico. Noe Ramirez Mandujano was in charge from 2006 until this August of the attorney general's office that specializes in combatting organized crime. Ramirez is accused of meeting with members of a drug cartel while he was in office and agreeing to provide information on investigations in exchange for the bribes, Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora Icaza said at a news conference Friday. The arrest was part of an ongoing investigation called "Operation Limpieza," or "Operation Cleanup," the attorney general said. The operation targets officials who may have passed information to drug cartels. The arrest was announced Thursday night, four days after the house arrest of Ricardo Gutierrez Vargas, the director for International Police Affairs at Mexico's Federal Investigative Agency and the head of Mexico's Interpol office. Authorities say more than 30 officials have been arrested since July in connection with the anti-corruption operation. Interpol, which is based in France, announced Wednesday it is sending a team of investigators to Mexico to investigate the possibility that its communications systems and databases may have been compromised, a prospect raised by the arrest of Gutierrez, the top official working with the agency in Mexico. "A war of master proportions" between authorities and narcotics traffickers and traffickers among themselves has left more than 4,300 dead so far this year, according to the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, an independent research and information organization. By comparison, the council said in a report this week, there were 2,700 drug-related deaths in 2007. "Homegrown drug cartels operating from both within and outside the country are engaging in a vicious turf war to seize control of major trafficking corridors while engaging in almost open warfare against the mobilized forces of the state," the council said about what it calls "narco-fueled crime." Mexican leaders have been trying to tamp down the violence by tightening controls on money-laundering and cracking down on corruption among local and municipal police forces infiltrated by drug traffickers. It may not be enough. "Due to pervasive corruption at the highest levels of the Mexican government, and the almost effortless infiltration of the porous security forces by the cartel, an ultimate victory by the state is far from certain," the Hemispheric Council concludes. Drug trafficking in Mexico is a $20 billion- to $50 billion-a-year industry, as much as the nation earns from tourism or remittances from Mexicans living in the United States, said Robert Pastor, a former National Security adviser to President Jimmy Carter and now a professor of international relations at American University in Washington. He has been studying Latin America for more than four decades. "This is a huge industry with an extraordinary capacity to corrupt and intimidate the country. And they're doing both right now," said Pastor, also a former director of the Carter Center's Latin American and Caribbean Program. The drug cartels are paying some Mexican officials bribes of $150,000 to $450,000 a month, authorities have said. This in a country where the per capita income is $12,500 a year and one of every seven Mexicans lives in poverty, according to the CIA World Factbook.
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Noe Ramirez Mandujano arrested, suspected of taking $450,000 a month in bribes . About 30 officials arrested in massive operation investigating collusion with cartels . Report: 4,300 dead this year in war between authorities and narcotics traffickers . Drug cartels pay some officials bribes of $150,000 to $450,000 a month .
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(EW.com) -- The battle over "Bully's" R rating rages on. Katy Butler, a 17-year-old high school student from Michigan, delivered a petition (with more than 200,000 signatures) Wednesday to the Motion Picture Association of America's office in Sherman Oaks, California. Her message: Lower the MPAA rating of the upcoming Weinstein Company documentary from R to PG-13. "Bully," a look at the rise of adolescent bullying in America, was rated R for "some language" -- specifically for the f-word, which is used a reported six times in the film. An R rating means that adolescents under the age of 17 -- the documentary's intended audience -- cannot see the film without an adult guardian. Butler, who came out as a lesbian in middle school and has been the victim of repeated bullying, launched the online petition on February 26. Since then, she has been featured on CNN and Fox News, and was in the audience during today's taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," during which DeGeneres urged her viewers to also sign the petition. But will all of this media attention have any effect on the MPAA's decision? In response to Butler's petition, the organization released the following statement from Joan Graves, the Chairman of its Classification and Rating Administration: . "Katy Butler's efforts in bringing the issue of bullying to the forefront of a national discussion in the context of this new film are commendable and we welcome the feedback about this movie's rating. The MPAA shares Katy's goals of shining a light on the problem of bullying and we hope that her efforts will fuel more discussion among educators, parents, and children. The voluntary ratings system enables parents to make an informed decision about what content they allow their children to see in movies. The R rating and description of 'some language' for Bully does not mean that children cannot see the film. As with any movie, parents will decide if they want their children to see Bully. School districts, similarly, handle the determination of showing movies on a case-by-case basis and have their own guidelines for parental approval. The R rating is not a judgment on the value of any movie. The rating simply conveys to parents that a film has elements strong enough to require careful consideration before allowing their children to view it. Once advised, many parents may take their kids to see an R-rated film." With "Bully's" March 30 release date quickly approaching, the Weinstein Company is running out of time. The studio lost its appeal to overturn the movie's R rating, falling one vote short of the two-thirds requirement. As a result, the company was left with three options: (1) Release "Bully" as is with an R rating; (2) Edit or mute the profanity in order to obtain a PG-13 rating; or (3) Release the film without a MPAA rating, which could result in some theaters treating "Bully" as though it were actually rated NC-17. The film's director, Lee Hirsch, has already voiced his opposition to making any edits. "To cut around [the profanity] or bleep it out, it really absolutely does lessen the impact and takes away from what the honest moment was, and what a terrifying feeling it can be [to be bullied]," Hirsch told the AP. And the Weinstein Company believes an R rating would similarly diminish the film's influence on adolescents. "If your parents take you or make you go [to the movie], it's like forcing a child to take medicine," David Glasser, the studio's COO, told EW. "But if a kid has the ability where he can go on his own, it becomes a movement. That's one of the reasons why we need this rating changed." So far, the Weinstein Company hasn't decided how to move forward with "Bully," besides the decision to continue keeping pressure on the MPAA. "We're contemplating all options right now regarding what's best for the movie," said Glasser. "In an ideal world, it'd be great if the MPAA would say, 'Look, they got the majority vote, and in context, [the film's language] is fine.' And then everybody goes on their way and we're able to get a very powerful movie out the door." See the full article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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"Bully," a look at adolescent bullying in America, was rated R for "some language" The Weinstein Co. believes an R rating would diminish the film's influence on adolescents . They said they will continue keeping pressure on the MPAA .
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San Diego (CNN) -- The case against Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman -- which has, for the last several weeks, been exhaustively tried in the court of public opinion -- is now headed where it belongs: to a court of law. Special prosecutor Angela Corey announced Wednesday that Zimmerman would be charged with second-degree murder in the tragic death of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The 28-year-old Zimmerman, who had been in hiding even from his own attorneys, turned himself in to authorities and is in police custody awaiting a hearing on the charges. For those Americans who think that Zimmerman acted in self-defense to save his own life, the decision to charge him is tantamount to giving in to a mob. In fact, as I skipped from one conservative talk radio show to another Wednesday afternoon, that's how I heard it described by hosts and callers alike. Yet, for those who believe that Zimmerman was the aggressor in this fateful encounter, that he racially profiled Martin and then essentially hunted him down, the decision represents something else: justice. That's how Martin's family described it in applauding Zimmerman's arrest. Personally, I'm thankful the suspect is in custody. And that has nothing to do with which team I'm on -- Team Martin or Team Zimmerman. That's irrelevant. But, if you must know, I don't have a team. I don't know that really happened on the night of February 26 on that dark street in Sanford, Florida. And neither do you. After all, we weren't there. Of course, we all have our biases. And some of mine come from being the son of a retired cop who spent 37 years on the job. From that vantage point, I would just as soon people like Zimmerman leave the police work to the professionals. And yet, even so, once the struggle began and the two men are wrestling on the ground, if Zimmerman felt his life was threatened, I can't condemn his decision to use deadly force to defend himself. I'm only sure of this much: This case had to go to trial. It had to be this way. Whether you think Zimmerman is innocent or guilty, we all should be able to agree on that much. We couldn't go on otherwise, with one segment of the country believing that someone got away with second-degree murder and the suspect looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. This case cries out for clarity and resolution, and the only place to get either is in court. We need to be able to see and hear the evidence, and let a jury decide whether Zimmerman is guilty as charged or whether he acted in self-defense. Whatever the verdict turns out to be, let's hope that both camps are mature enough to accept it. I'm not hopeful. Too many people have already made up their minds. In fact, it's hard to see how Zimmerman can get a fair trial -- especially in Seminole County. The strain is showing. The country hasn't been this racially divided since the O.J. Simpson criminal trial in 1995. And as with that trial, how you see these events seems to have a lot to do with the color of your skin. But this time, there's a twist. During the Simpson trial, when the defendant was black and the victims were white, polls showed that most whites thought the former football star was guilty, while African-Americans urged us to wait for the evidence to come in. In the Martin case, the roles are reversed as many African-Americans seem quick to convict Zimmerman and many whites urge us to wait for the evidence to come in. That's not a good sign. Do Americans need better laws, or just better memories? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette Jr.
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Ruben Navarrette Jr.: It's a step forward to have the Trayvon Martin case go to court . He says America seems divided into camps over George Zimmerman's guilt or innocence . The case cries out for clarity and resolution, which can only come in court, he says . Navarrette: Too many people have made up their minds, as they did in O.J. Simpson case .
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(CNN) -- If you had caught me straight out of college at age 22 in the halls of the Vermont State House where I was a lobbyist-in-training and asked me what I was gonna do with my life, I would have told you that I had just passed the HSK, otherwise known as the Chinese equivalency exam, and was planning to study law at Beijing University with the intention to improve U.S.-China relations through top-down policy changes and judicial system reforms. I had it all figured out. Little did I know how much my life would change when one night I heard Doc Watson singing "Shady Grove" from a record player in the corner of a room at a party: "Shady Grove my little love, Shady Grove my darlin', Shady Grove my little love, I'm-a-goin' back to Harlan." The rippling trance of an old-time banjo groove, and Doc's soulful voice layered on top, the sound of merging immigrant cultures of old Ireland and Africa in Appalachia -- it was all so beautiful. And, after having been obsessed with the mammoth history and richness of Chinese culture for years, I was relieved to find something so truly beautiful that is so truly American. I knew I had to get a banjo and bring it with me to China. TED.com: Eddi Reader sings "Kiteflyer's Hill" Before leaving for law school in China I jumped in my little red truck, threw my newly bought old-time banjo in the back, and went on a road trip through Appalachia to learn some old-time American music. I ended up in Louisville, Kentucky, at the International Bluegrass Music Association convention. And here's where the story gets nutty: I met two girls in a hallway, I nervously played a couple of old-time songs with them and a record executive walked up and invited me to come to Nashville to make a record! Fast-forward a year, I delayed going to law school in Beijing, and instead lived in Nashville and learned to write songs. My first song came out in English, titled "Rockabye Dixie," and my second song in Chinese, "Song of the Traveling Daughter": . 门 外有个世界 （Men wai you ge shijie） . 心中有个声音 （Xin zhong you ge shengyin） . 四方等你来呀 （Si fang deng ni lai ya） . 游女游女 （You nu you nu） . Translation: . "Outside your door the world is waiting . "Inside your heart a voice is calling . "The four corners of the world are watching . "So travel daughter, travel ... go get it girl" It's been eight years since that miraculous night in Kentucky. I have performed in thousands of shows, including tours in China and collaborations with all kinds of inspirational musicians and artists. TED.com: Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity . Music is a powerful way to connect cultures. I see it when I'm on a stage at a bluegrass festival in Virginia. When I look out at the sea of people in lawn chairs and bust into a song in Chinese, everybody's eyes pop wide open and they nudge their neighbor: "Is that girl singing in Chinese?" After a show, people would come up to me; everyone seems to have a story about their connection to China. And I see the power of music when I'm on stage in China: I start a Chinese song and the audience roars with delight that the blond, curly-haired girl with the banjo can sing their music. More importantly, I see how music directly connects people's hearts. Like the time a little Chinese girl came up to me after I performed at a relocation school in Sichuan's earthquake disaster zone and asked: "Big Sister Wang, can I sing you a song that my mom sang before she was swallowed in the earthquake...?" She sat on my lap and I could feel the warmth of her body. She sang me the song, and tears started rolling down her cheeks and tears started rolling down mine. The light shining from her eyes felt like a place I could stay forever. TED.com: Yang Lan: The generation that's remaking China . In that moment, we weren't our Chinese or our American selves. We were mortal souls sitting together in that light that keeps us here. I long to dwell in that light ... with you and everybody... and I know U.S.-China relations doesn't need another lawyer. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Abigail Washburn.
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Abigail Washburn: I wanted to be study law and help improve U.S.-China relations . Washburn: One night I heard Doc Watson sing and my life changed . She says that she got a banjo and started learning music and singing Chinese songs . Washburn: Music is a powerful way to connect people and cultures .
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(CNN) -- Defending champion Alberto Contador has issued an apology after he took advantage of his rival Andy Schleck's mechanical failure to seize the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. Schleck, who was leading Astana rider Contador by 31 seconds in the overall standings going into stage 15 on Monday, dropped his chain while launching an attack on the day's final climb and had to stop to repair the problem. Rather than waiting for his rival -- in keeping with the Tour's sporting traditions -- Contador and a group including fellow contenders Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez stole a march to the finish, gaining 39 seconds on Schleck. Contador now leads Saxo Bank's Schleck by eight seconds in the overall standings, with Spain's Sanchez two minutes behind the leader in third and Russia's Menchov two minutes, 13 seconds back. See Contador's Youtube apology here . Spaniard Contador was booed by the French crowd as he was awarded the yellow jersey on the podium and was heavily criticized by Schleck. But after reflecting on the stage, Contador issued a video on Youtube saying: "The race was in full gear and, well, maybe I made a mistake. I'm sorry. "At a time like that all you think about is riding as fast as you can. I'm not happy, in the sense that, to me, fair play is very important. "The kind of thing that happened today is not something I like, it's not my style and I hope my relationship with Andy will remain as good as before." Luxembourg's Schleck, the runner-up to two-time champion Contador last year, was angered by what he saw as a lack of "fair play" and vowed to take "revenge" on his rival. "In the same situation I would not have taken advantage," Schleck said, AFP reported. "I'm not the jury, but for sure those guys wouldn't get the fair play award from me today. "I'm really disappointed. My stomach is full of anger, and I want to take my revenge. I will take my revenge in the coming days." In a similar situation in 2003, Germany's Jan Ullrich was praised for his sportsmanship after he waited for Lance Armstrong to recover from a collision with a spectator in the Pyrenees. Armstrong then surged forward to win the stage by 40 seconds en route to the fifth of his seven Tour victories. The 187.5 kilometer stage from Pamiers to Bagneres-de-Luchon - the second of four stages in the Pyrenees - was won by French champion Thomas Voeckler after a fine solo ride, finishing nearly three minutes ahead of the race favorites. Voeckler's triumph gave France their fifth victory in 15 stages.
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NEW: Contador apologizes for taking advantage of Schleck problem in stage 15 . Contador takes yellow jersey from Andy Schleck in controversial fashion . Contador gains 39 seconds after Schleck drops his chain on final climb . Contador, who did not wait for Schleck, booed as he collects yellow jersey .
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(CNN) -- This week on the "Big Three" prodcast we talked with our special guest, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, about the momentous upcoming week for the Supreme Court. With 11 decisions left and just one week in the month of June to complete their rulings, the Supreme Court has held the most anticipated cases until the bitter end. Among these are rulings on gay rights, same sex marriage, the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action. This is the moment where the Supreme Court weighs in on the Culture Wars. Intense debate and some inevitable outrage seem sure to follow. Toobin, author of "The Nine and the Oath" as well as a writer for The New Yorker, points out that Chief Justice John Roberts seems focused on building a more colorblind society as a core part of his court legacy. That means decisions regarding affirmative action and the special status of southern states in the Voting Rights Act could move in directions that would upset liberals and African-Americans in particular. But Toobin cautions against buying into knee-jerk characterizations and politicizations of complex decisions. In particular, he points out that the Voting Rights Act will not be repealed or fundamentally gutted if conservative justices carry the day in the case brought by Shelby County, Alabama, arguing essentially that the requirements relevant to the 1960s desegregation no long apply. On the court's return to the question of affirmative action, one Roberts quote from 2007 looms large over the decision: "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." Perhaps the preeminent civil rights fight of our time is the gay rights movement, and two cases on this front promise to capture the most attention. The first is regarding the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, passed by Congress in the 1990s. The second concerns the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which banned same sex marriages at the ballot box. Many close court observers believe that DOMA will be repealed while Prop 8 might be punted on standing. This means that Dean's hope for a broad Loving v. Virginia type decision -- which outlawed state laws banning interracial marriage in the late 1960s -- might be thwarted for the time being. Margaret has been actively following this court case from its inception in California, where legendary conservative jurist Ted OIson banded with legendary liberal lawyer David Boies to argue that marriage is a basic civil right for all Americans. This kind of bipartisan partnership based on deep principles rather than politics is a model for how to end the Culture Wars, whatever the results of this specific Supreme Court decision. Whatever your personal politics, listen to Toobin jam with us on the "Big Three" as a curtain-raiser for the pivotal week ahead. These cases will affect all Americans, and by listening to this podcast you'll get up to speed, ready to debate the issues and analyze the landmark decisions delivered by the highest court in the land. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Avlon.
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Jeffrey Toobin joins "Big Three" to discuss the week ahead for the Supreme Court . Dean Obeidallah, John Avlon, Margaret Hoover weigh in on how the justices will rule . Expect rulings on gay rights and marriage, the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action .
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Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A huge explosion rocked the area near the U.S. consulate in Afghanistan's Herat province early Friday during a heavy gunfight between militants and security forces, officials said. The attack occurred just before 6 a.m. local time when attackers sped towards the front gate of the consulate, said Marie Harf, a deputy State Department spokeswoman. The attackers fired assault rifles starting a gun battle with Afghan security forces. During the battle, a truck exploded, Harf said, causing major damage to the front gate of the consulate. American consulate personnel took shelter in safe havens while U.S. security forces responded to the attack, Harf said. There were no U.S. casualties. Seven attackers traveling in two vehicles took part in the assault and all of them were killed, said Mohammad Ayoub Salangi, deputy Afghan Interior Minister. Three people, two local police officers and a local security guard, were killed, police and hospital officials said. Twenty others were injured. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in an e-mail to CNN. U.S. Ambassador James B. Cunningham in a statement condemned the attack and lamented the Afghan citizens who lost their lives. "Many Afghan civilians were killed in the attack, along with others who work for the Consulate as contractors. We are deeply saddened by this senseless loss of life," he said.
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There were no U.S. casualties in the attack in Herat province . Militants drove a truck towards the U.S. consulate gate . The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack .
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(CNN) -- As rescue efforts continue Tuesday, Colombia's president will visit the mountainside neighborhood where a massive landslide buried dozens of homes. By Monday night, search crews had uncovered 23 dead bodies there, the Red Cross said, and more than 120 people could still be trapped underground. "We are still hoping to find people alive," Red Cross National Deputy Director Jorge Ivan Nova said Monday. But he said survival becomes less likely as time passes. Rescuers had pulled at least seven injured people from the rubble after Sunday's landslide in Bello, Colombia, which buried between 30 and 50 homes, Nova said. Officials believe the neighborhood was particularly packed Sunday afternoon -- a time when families commonly get together for meals, he said. "I hope they can be rescued. You could hear screams below the homes. I ask that they not stop the search. Thank God I could save my son and my husband also is alive. But I lost many loved ones," resident Maria Garcia told CNN affiliate Caracol TV. More than 700 people were working in shifts on search teams at the site Monday, Caracol reported. Amid the chaos of the rescue effort, a young boy tugged firefighter Carlos Garcia's belt. "He asked me, 'firefighter, where are we going to sleep tonight?' And what most impacted me was seeing his little face. I also have a 6-year-old boy," Garcia told Caracol. About 150 people from the neighborhood were in nearby shelters, Caracol reported, and government officials said they were evacuating other neighborhoods in the area. "The zone, geologically, is very unstable," Diego Munoz, Bello's government secretary, told Caracol. At least 194 people have been killed and 248 injured after torrential rains throughout Colombia that have affected nearly 1.6 million people, according to the country's interior ministry. The downpours have caused landslides and overflowing rivers, destroying at least 2,040 houses and damaging nearly 270,000 more nationwide, the ministry said. Colombia is considering declaring a state of emergency to devote more resources to response and rescue efforts, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Sunday, describing the rains and flooding as "a tragedy that has no precedent in the history of our country." The president said he plans to travel Tuesday to Bello -- a suburb of Medellin, Colombia. "My heart is with the victims of this terrible tragedy... In a few hours we will go directly to Medellin to be with the victims' families and tell them, 'Whatever the government can do to mitigate this pain and suffering, we will be there,'" Santos said in a statement Monday. CNN's Esprit Smith contributed to this report.
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Search crews have uncovered 23 dead bodies and seven injured survivors . Red Cross rescuers are still hoping to find survivors in the rubble . Officials are evacuating others in the area, which is considered unstable geologically . Colombia's president says rains have caused devastating floods throughout the country .
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(CNN) -- He told them it was a good day to die so they could be born again. "You're not going to die," self-help author and speaker James Arthur Ray told participants in the sweat lodge that day, they later recalled. "You may think you are, but you're not going to die ... You need to surrender to death to survive it." The sweat lodge ceremony, the culmination of a five-day retreat in Sedona, Arizona, was meant to be a "rebirthing." But by the end of that day, October 8, 2009, two people had died. A third died nine days later, and -- authorities allege -- at least 15 others fell ill. Ray, 53, is charged with three counts of reckless manslaughter in the deaths and could face up to 10 years in prison on each if convicted. Opening statements are set to begin in his trial Tuesday. Prosecutors claim Ray was reckless in the way he conducted the sweat lodge ceremony at the Angel Valley Retreat Center, and heated the lodge -- made of willow trees and branches, and covered with tarpaulins and blankets -- to a perilously high temperature, causing the participants to suffer dehydration and heat stroke. Ray's defense attorneys maintain the deaths were a tragic accident and said he took precautions to forestall harm to the sweat lodge participants, including positioning a nurse and several employees and volunteers trained in CPR outside the sweat lodge and making water, oranges, watermelon and fluids available to participants. "We do not seek to minimize the tragedy of the sweat lodge deaths," said a December 2009 letter to prosecutors from defense attorney Luis Li. "But these deaths were not the result of criminal conduct. Mr. Ray and his team relied on Angel Valley to provide a safe environment, warned people of the risks, did not force people to participate, did not prevent them from leaving, and did everything they could to prepare for any problems and to assist when problems arose." In addition, Ray encouraged participants to hydrate throughout the retreat and warned them the sweat lodge would be very hot, Li wrote. Participants signed a release form saying that the retreat activities could include a sweat lodge with enclosed spaces and high temperatures, according to the letter. At least 16 people came out of the sweat lodge at various points before the ceremony's conclusion, Li said, and about five of them went back in. Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, New York, and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, died on October 8. Lizbeth Marie Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, died on October 17. The sweat lodge ceremony consisted of eight rounds, with each round lasting 10 to 15 minutes. While they were not prevented from leaving, participants have said they were encouraged to wait until the breaks between rounds. In interviews with authorities, some participants recounted feeling distress in the first few rounds. Later, they told police, people began to pass out, others began to vomit and still others went into shock. Some were encouraged to lie down in the dirt to seek relief from the heat. "(Ray) knew that people were in trouble," Tom McFeeley, Brown's cousin, told HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell on Monday. "Those calls for help were ignored." The scene inside the lodge became chaotic and nightmarish, participants recounted. Those who had lost consciousness were dragged out between rounds, participants said. One man stumbled into the middle of the lodge and into the hot rocks, burning his hand. Brown reportedly was one of those who encouraged others to stick it out in the sweat lodge. Shore helped a woman out of the sweat lodge between the sixth and seventh rounds before returning to complete the ceremony, witnesses said. Neuman apparently was asked by those around her if she wanted to leave the ceremony, but said no. She never regained consciousness after its conclusion. Neuman died from "multisystem organ failure due to hyperthermia due to prolonged sweat lodge exposure," her autopsy report said. Brown and Shore both died from heat stroke, a medical examiner concluded. All three deaths were ruled accidental. However, a Yapavai County grand jury indicted Ray one day after the medical examiners issued their reports. Participant Sandy Andretti said she had to be carried out. "She said she was dizzy and couldn't function after they hosed her down, and then she went into shock and started shaking," said a police incident report. "... Sandy told me when she came out, she didn't care about herself because she was seeing other people in distress and throwing up, and she felt she needed to help them." Ray had conducted the Spiritual Warrior Retreat for six years at a cost of about $10,000 to participants. The sweat lodge, 5 feet tall and 23 feet wide, was built to accommodate up to about 75 people. There was a pit in the center where heated rocks were placed. Ray poured water over them to create steam. Prosecutors maintain that Ray psychologically pressured participants to remain in the lodge even when they weren't feeling well, contributing to their deaths. "You can't walk out when you're in an altered state. You can't walk out when your capacity to make decisions is taken away from you," said McFeeley, Brown's cousin. "Everything conducted that week was to make sure people fell in line ... Their ability to make rational decisions was taken away from them." Defense attorneys dispute that. Liu wrote in the 2009 letter that Ray "did not lead or pressure participants into making a choice they otherwise would not have made. This was a five-day retreat, not a cult. The JRI (James Ray International, Ray's company) philosophy is a practical approach to creating a successful life, not a religious practice." Beth Karas of "In Session" contributed to this report .
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NEW: A relative says victims' "ability to make rational decisions was taken away" James Arthur Ray is charged with three counts of reckless manslaughter . His attorneys maintain the deaths were accidental . Prosecutors say Ray heated the lodge to dangerous temperatures .
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(CNN) -- It is the eight day period that will define the reign of Jose Mourinho, coach of Spanish giants Real Madrid. And it got off to the perfect start as the Portuguese manager led his side to a crucial 3-1 victory at archrivals Barcelona to seal a place in the Spanish Cup final -- one of only two trophies left for the club to win. Now, after another meeting with Barcelona on Saturday in the league, Mourinho will turn his thoughts to the second leg of their last 16 European Champions League tie against English Premier League leaders Manchester United which arrives next week. The sides drew 1-1 in the first leg. Real trail Barca by 14 points in the league, meaning retaining their title is surely beyond them, but with Mourinho seemingly destined to leave the club at the end of the season his tenure will only be deemed a success should he complete a cup double before May is out. That prospect will only have increased after this emphatic victory in the Camp Nou. Barcelona are dominant in the league but seem to be faltering without their manager Tito Vilanova who has been absent since the beginning of February while he has treatment for throat cancer in New York. They were beaten 2-0 by AC Milan in their Champions League last 16 first leg tie, an encounter in which their star striker Lionel Messi had one of his quietest games on record for the club. He was again nullified as Real cruised to a 4-2 aggregate victory. Real got off to the perfect start when their star striker Cristiano Ronaldo won a penalty after a challenge from Gerard Pique on 13 minutes. The Portuguese picked himself off the floor to slam the spot kick into the net. Cesc Fabregas claimed a penalty as Barca looked to level the tie but the referee waved away his appeals before Andres Iniesta cut in from the right and fired wide of the target. Barcelona's best chance of the half came when Alvaro Arbeloa brought down Iniesta on the edge of the penalty area. Messi stepped up to take the free kick but though the ball beat the wall it flashed a foot wide of the post. Sergio Busquets forced Real goalkeeper Diego Lopez into his first save of the match with a shot from the edge of the area that took a deflection off Germany international Sami Khedira. But Ronaldo struck a decisive second just before the hour mark. A long ball downfield saw Angel Di Maria beat Barca captain Carles Puyol and though his shot was saved by Pinto, Ronaldo was on hand to tuck home his 16th goal in 19 cup games for Real. It got worse for Barca as Real's young French centre half Raphael Varane rose unchecked from a corner to head home a third goal that truly knocked the stuffing out of the home side. Jordi Alba grabbed a late consolation goal for Barcelona but by that time many of the 90,000 fans had made their way to the exits. Real will face either city rivals Atletico Madrid or Sevilla in the final. Atletico take a 2-1 first leg lead to Sevilla on Wednesday night. In the English FA Cup, Premier League outfit Everton breezed past third tier Oldham Atheltic in their fifth round replay. Oldham, who eliminated Everton's Merseyside rivals Liverpool in round four, earned a replay with an injury-time equaliser in the original tie but couldn't spring another surprise at Goodison Park, losing 3-1. First half goals from Kevin Mirallas and England international Leighton Baines put Everton in control before Leon Osman made it 3-0 on the hour mark. Matt Smith grabbed a consolation for Oldham. In Italy, Fiorentina missed the chance to go level on points with AC Milan in fourth as an 84th minute goal from Lazaros Christodoulopoulos handed Bologna a 2-1 win. In the German Cup, VfL Wolfsburg and SC Freiburg progressed to the semifinals after victories over OFC Kickers 1901 and Mainz respectively.
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Real Madrid beat rivals Barcelona 3-1 in second leg of their Spanish Cup semifinal . Cristiano Ronaldo's double helps Jose Mourinho's side triumph 4-2 on aggregate . Mourinho's reign to be defined by Spanish Cup and Champions League campaigns . Real and Barcelona to meet in another El Clasico in the league on Saturday .
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(CNN) -- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's hopes of reaching the ATP World Tour Finals suffered a blow Saturday as the top seed crashed out of the Erste Bank Open in Austria. The Frenchman is ranked ninth in the Race to London, but at this stage would take one of the eight places on offer due to Andy Murray's season-ending back surgery. However, while Tsonga lost in the Vienna semis to Dutchman Robin Haase, his 10th-ranked compatriot Richard Gasquet earned a place in the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow to boost his chances of grabbing one of the four remaining spots. Former world No. 5 Tsonga is seeking to catch up on points after struggling with injury earlier this season, missing three months as he sat out the U.S. Open. He could have moved above Swiss duo Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka by adding to his 2011 Vienna crown this weekend . "I'm not in the best of shape and it showed out there," Tsonga told reporters. "But I have to keep playing if I want to make London. "I had my chances but he was too good. I just have to keep fighting and trying to win matches." World No. 63 Haase, who won the Austrian Open clay event in 2011 and 2012, will take on German veteran Tommy Haas in the final of the indoor hard-court tournament on Sunday. Haas is ranked 12th in the ATP standings but has a big gap to make up on Tsonga and Gasquet. "There's still a chance, but obviously I will have to play extremely well next week and also in Paris, maybe even win Paris," said the 35-year-old, who made his debut in the Vienna event in 1997 and won the title in 2001. He reached his third final this season, and 27th overall, after beating 44th-ranked Czech Lukas Rosol 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-0) to take his record to 46-19 in 2013. Gasquet, the top men's seed this week in Russia, reached the final with a 6-4 7-5 win over Croatia's Ivo Karlovic. He will next play Kazakh qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin, who beat Italy's defending champion Andreas Seppi 6-1 1-6 6-4. Victory will put Gasquet above Tsonga in the ATP standings ahead of next week's events in Valencia and Basel, with the Paris Masters closing the regular season the following week. Fourth-ranked David Ferrer, who has already qualified for London, reached the final of the Stockholm Open with a 3-6 6-4 6-1 win over Latvia's Ernests Gulbis. The Spanish top seed will next play Bulgaria's Grigor Dmitrov, who beat France's Benoit Paire 4-6 6-2 6-2. Meanwhile, the WTA Tour announced Saturday that former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and American Sloane Stephens will be the alternates for the season-ending championships in Istanbul next week. The duo can expect to be called up if any of the eight qualified players pull out of the tournament. The draw for the two groups will take place Sunday. None of that line-up are involved in this week's events in Moscow and Luxembourg. Luxembourg top seed Wozniacki, ranked 10th, will face Germany's Annika Beck in Sunday's final. The Dane, who has reportedly split with golf star boyfriend Rory McIlroy, defeated German third seed Sabine Lisicki while Beck went through when Stefanie Voegele retired in the second set of their semi. Former U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur will contest the Kremlin Cup final against Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep. The Australian, who won the Osaka title last weekend, beat two-time grand slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2 6-4 while Halep defeated another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-2 6-1.
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Top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga loses in semifinals of Austrian tournament . Fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet can gain ground by winning Moscow title . Fourth-ranked David Ferrer through to final of Stockholm Open . Caroline Wozniacki reaches final of Luxembourg Open .
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(CNN) -- International music stars Shakira, the Black-Eyed Peas and Alicia Keys will now be joined by several top South African names at the launch concert for the soccer World Cup in June. Local artists had been upset that the host nation would not well-represented at the June 10 event after only three acts -- BLK JKS, The Parlotones and folk singer Vusi Mahlasela -- were named in the initial line-up. But legendary jazz musician Hugh Masekela, the award-winning Freshlyground and Soweto Gospel Choir are among those added to the bill following a meeting with organizers last month. Soweto's Mzansi Youth Choir and Canada-based, Somalia-born hip-hop artist K'naan will also now appear at Johannesburg's Orlando Stadium the night before the month-long tournament kicks off. "As South Africans we are proud to be hosting the first ever World Cup on African soil," the 71-year-old Masekela told the South Africa Organizing Committee Web site. Hugh Masekela: The sound of South Africa . "I am very humbled and flattered to be part of this global event and am looking forward to the concert with great interest and excitement." Freshlyground, five-time South African Music Award winners, will perform the tournament's official anthem "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" with co-collaborator Shakira, the multi-million-selling Colombian singer. K'naan's Canadian hit "Wavin' Flag" has been remixed into a bilingual English-Spanish song which is Coca-Cola's official World Cup tune. Other featured artists include blind Mali duo Amadou & Mariam, 2008 Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo of Benin and six-time recipient John Legend of the United States. Hugh Masekela's Johannesburg . Shakira's platinum-selling compatriot Juanes is also on the bill along with Tuareg group Tinariwen and their fellow Malian Vieux Farka Toure. "We wanted to have an eclectic, international mix of music genres to appeal to as many people as possible around the world whilst at the same time showcasing the immense home-grown talent of the host country," said Niclas Ericson, director of TV for world soccer's governing body FIFA. The concert will be broadcast live worldwide, with profits going to FIFA's project to build 20 centers across Africa providing education, healthcare services and football training to disadvantaged communities. Orlando Stadium, in the suburb of Soweto, is also being used as a training facility for World Cup teams.
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Hugh Masekela, Freshlyground and Soweto Gospel Choir among those added to concert . Local artists had been angry that South Africans would not be properly represented . Organizers initially named only three South African acts for June 10 line-up . Concert takes place in Johannesburg the night before the World Cup kicks off .
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(CNN) -- A second Filipino oil worker has died after last week's Gulf of Mexico oil platform blast, the Philippine government said Friday. Avelino L. Tajonera died early Friday from injuries sustained in the November 16 explosion and fire on the Black Elk production platform off Louisiana, said Elmer Cato, consul at the Philippines Embassy in Washington. The embassy said Philippines citizen Ellroy Corporal also died from the incident, and Jerome Malagapo, another worker from the Philippines, has not been found. Several other workers were injured. Three Filipino workers remain in serious condition, the Philippines Embassy said. They suffered major burns and were being treated at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center in Louisiana. The embassy estimates there are more than 160 welders, fitters, scaffolders and riggers who were hired in the Philippines to work at offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. After the blast, a U.S. Interior Department unit said the Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations "must take immediate steps to improve its safety performance on the U.S. outer continental shelf." "Black Elk has repeatedly failed to operate in a manner that is consistent with federal regulations," said James A. Watson, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. "BSEE has taken a number of enforcement actions, including issuing numerous Incidents of noncompliance, levying civil penalties and calling in the company's senior leadership to review their performance and the ramifications of failing to improve. This is an appropriate and necessary step as we continue to investigate the explosion and fire that resulted in the tragic loss of life and injuries last week." The agency cited safety issues at the production platform where the explosion occurred, at facilities in the South Marsh Island area in the Gulf of Mexico, and in an October 2011 incident in which "Black Elk operations had used an acid-based chemical for treating a well that resulted in the hospitalization of six workers." CNN's Vivian Kuo and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
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Both dead workers were from the Philippines . Another Filipino is missing from the November 16 explosion . Dozens of Filipinos work at Gulf offshore platforms . Feds say the company, Black Elk, must "improve its safety performance"
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London (CNN) -- The "shutter shades" most recently popularized by fashion-conscious rapper Kanye West are in the midst of a transformation from flash-in-the-pan style accessory to a clever technological learning aid that its makers hope will encourage more people to learn the art of computer coding. The Bright Eyes Kit contains a pair of glasses made entirely of circuit board and dotted with 174 LED's tacked onto the front. "You can control each individual LED," explains Daniel Hirschmann, co-founder of Technology Will Save Us (TWSU), the London based start-up behind the idea. The small array can display scrolling text, videos of flickering flames or generate any moving image that the user desires. "Bright Eyes is our mission to convince people to learn how to program," says Hirschmann, who expects that as more everyday items develop the capacity to send and receive data -- a trend sometimes referred to as the "Internet of Things" -- the more important it will be that we know how to operate and adapt them. TWSU are following in the footsteps of Rasberry Pi, the $25 computer designed to encourage children to learn to code. But the flashing lights of The Bright Eyes Kit is an added incentive: learn code, and look cool in the process. "Without the incentive we don't have a convincing argument, so we thought let's create (one)," says Hirschmann. Importantly, users can choose how far they want to delve into the code, ranging from an introdcutory level drag-and-drop interface to full, line-by-line coding. As technology creeps inexorably into every crevice of our lives, a rudimentary understanding of computer code is seen by some as an essential life skill. For Zach Simms, co-founder of Code Academy, an interactive online resource that teaches programming, it has become as important as learning to read. "Coding is 21st century literacy," says Simms. "With an economy in flux and a world in which everything is increasingly becoming revolutionized by technology, programming is becoming a core part of job competency. Even knowing basic programming and algorithms helps you throughout everyday life." Unlike most products on the high street, Bright Eyes is built to be modified. As it is made entirely out of circuit board, users can solder components directly to it -- such as a light dependent resistor or a microphone to make it respond to sound. "One of the first things people asked was if it could react to music. So we added a microphone as an added incentive," says Hirschmann. TWSU describe themselves as a "haberdashery for technology and education dedicated to helping people produce and not just consume technology." Bright Eyes is their latest piece of kit seeking to fill the gap between the technology we own and what we know about how it works. "We all realize at some point that we want to make the things in life that we care about," says Hirschmann. "We don't actually want microwavable TV dinners -- we care about food. Food is just one example of that maker revolution." Hirschmann thinks the growth of interactive new media has encouraged a move away from 20th century-style consumerism. "YouTube was a big precipitating factor in that," he says. "All of a sudden people were not just consuming media, but creating it." This so-called "maker movement" has been credited with heralding a new industrial revolution, with community-run DIY workshops, often known as hackspaces, gaining increasing popularity. "We do see ourselves as part of the maker revolution," says Hirschmann. "I think hackspaces are phenomenal, but they're servicing a very small community. If you're someone from the outside looking in, it can be a very frightening space. We're not at all like that." Hirschmann reckons his kit is more approachable, targeted at an entry level tinkerer: "It's really about opening the doorway to the world of technology and understanding what it is. It's about giving people just enough, and making it easy enough, to tantalize them to jump in, and hopefully start swimming." TWSU spoke at a "makers" event in London last week alongside the creators of Sugru, local heroes of the maker revolution. Daniel Hirschmann thinks the movement is gaining momentum: "We are part of this wave that is building. The maker revolution is like a paradigm shift in your own head."
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The Bright Eyes Kit DIY LED glasses teaches you basic programming, and makes you look cool too. Daniel Hirschmann, founder of Technology Will Save Us talks with CNN about his educational kits and his philosophy. Programming is as important today as literacy; the maker movement is a "paradigm shift" in thinking.
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Washington (CNN) -- It is the label that sends chills through the Supreme Court: judicial activist, shorthand for members of the bench who put politics and partisanship above respect for Congress, the Constitution, and the power of precedent. The justices are used to such rhetorical slings from lawmakers and political commentators, but not from one of their own. But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in recent weeks has laid down the accusation on her conservative colleagues, and it threatens to raise tensions as the court begins its new term on Monday. The docket may not be the blockbuster of the past two years-- where healthcare reform, voting rights, and gay marriage grabbed headlines-- but a range of hot-button issues will keep the nine-member bench busy. "The possibilities for changes in the law are even greater this term, because there is an array of cases where conservatives might overrule or significantly undercut more liberal precedents," said Thomas Goldstein, publisher of SCOTUSblog.com, and a leading Washington appellate attorney. Among the petitions the court will address: . • Affirmative action and whether states violate the Constitution when passing laws banning racial preferences in college admissions and job hiring. • Legislative prayer and the responsibility of states to accommodate a variety of faiths to speak in a public forum. • A "separation of powers" political fight between the president and Congress over recess appointments. And more cases may soon be added: . • Whether search warrants are needed before police can look at your cellphone data. • Can business exempt themselves from parts of the healthcare reform law on religious freedom grounds? Activist court? The court's eldest justice gave several print interviews over the summer, a rarity for a member of the bench not promoting a book or extracurricular project. Ginsburg told the New York Times this was this "was one of the most activist courts in history." She clarified her remarks to USA Today: "If you take activism to mean readiness to strike down laws passed by Congress, I think the current court will go down in history as one of the most activist courts in that regard." The 80-year-old justice was particularly concerned about the court's June ruling to gut the key enforcement provision of the Voting Rights Act. Section 5 gave the federal government coverage power over states with a past history of discrimination -- requiring those jurisdictions to get Washington's prior approval before any changes in their voting laws -- including voter ID and early registration. In her powerful dissent, read from the bench, the senior member of the court's unofficial liberal wing called the majority decision "hubris." "After exhaustive evidence-gathering and deliberative process, Congress reauthorized the VRA, including the coverage provision, with overwhelming bipartisan support" in 2006, she wrote. "In my judgment, the court errs egregiously by overriding Congress' decision." The Justice Department has since sued Texas and North Carolina over their voting procedures, using another part of the law that could make it considerably harder for federal officials to prove discriminatory intent. But on a larger stage, Ginsburg's recent comments have reignited a longstanding debate over the role of judges -- and whether Chief Justice John Roberts and his fellow conservatives have a long-term strategy to selectively tilt the court to the right -- in areas like affirmative action, election financing, and business regulation. "I think that Justice Ginsburg is picking up on something the American people have picked up on as well-- the Supreme Court conservatives might be stepping over their bounds," said Elizabeth Wydra, chief counsel at the progressive Constitutional Accountability Center. "Ginsburg is pointing out that the conservatives are in fact what we might call activists -- going beyond what the law requires to have a more conservative ideological agenda." 'Sour grapes' But other legal observers have suggested Ginsburg is inappropriately shedding her judicial robes for the politician's microphone. Some conservatives call it a form of "sour grapes"-- attacking the result only when you lose. "Her criticism was based on impressionistic claims that don't pan out," said Carrie Severino, policy director at the conservative Judicial Crisis Network. "She was looking to find a way to characterize her disagreement with some of her colleagues, but unfortunately disagreeing with someone doesn't make them an activist." So how do the eight years of the Roberts Court stack up when it comes to its record of overturning acts of Congress? Figures compiled by CNN -- with help from SCOTUSblog and the Library of Congress -- found 12 cases since 2005 where such laws were completely struck down, or about 1.5 per term. The 19 years under Chief Justice William Rehnquist (1986-05) and the 17 under Warren Burger (1969-86) averaged about two per term. But quantity may not be the accurate measure, since some laws-- and the rulings themselves-- have far greater political and policy impact than others. Progressives point to those high-profiled decisions -- the VRA case three months ago, and the 2010 "Citizens United" case loosening a century of federal restrictions on corporate spending by "independent" groups like businesses and unions. "Conservatives have tried to get the courts to strike down laws that were passed by Congress but by which they disagree -- their campaign finance cases, regulations about air pollution control, environmental protection," said Wydra. "And so, we see this sort of de-regulatory agenda that conservatives are now pushing through the courts, when they've failed to win through the political process." Ginsburg actually sided with the majority in half of the one dozen rulings knocking down federal laws-- including the landmark June opinion favoring homosexual rights. 'No regrets' In the so-called Windsor appeal, the court tossed out a major part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act-- which defined it as only between one man and one woman. Social conservatives expressed their displeasure. "Justice Ginsburg in fact is one who does that more often than other justices," ruling against the will of Congress, said Severino. "This is the court that upheld Obamacare on fairly specious grounds, and it's in the process of redefining marriage. It's absolutely absurd to say that this court is coming to any conservative results regularly. Maybe it's not as far left as Justice Ginsburg wants, but we're seeing a court where she's getting her way much of the time already." Friends of Ginsburg privately say she has no regrets with her more outspoken tone. She has long had the reputation as brilliant jurist, with a fierce, exacting intellect. But now, say associates, this diminutive, soft-spoken grandmother is clearly finding her voice in recent years, accepting of her stature as the public face of a more progressive view of the law and constitutional limits. She calls herself the "heir to that role" of senior justice in the minority once held by John Paul Stevens. Her candor may also serve another purpose, a blunt message to the left: back off. Her age and recent ill health-- she is a two-time cancer survivor-- have prompted some liberal activists to demand Ginsburg step down from the bench now, to give President Barack Obama a third opportunity to keep the seat in liberal hands for perhaps decades to come. The president has said he has a "soft spot" for Ginsburg, but she has made clear that will not affect her decision about when to retire. "There will come a point when I-- it's not this year... As long as I think I have the candlepower, I will do it. And I figure next year for certain. After that, who knows?" she told CNN Senior Legal Analyst Jeffery Toobin in a New Yorker profile this past spring. And a more coy observation, when telling the New York Times, "There will be a president after this one, and I'm hopeful that that president will be a fine president," she said. It is an oft-quoted refrain on the law and society-- French commentator Alexis de Tocqueville's observation that, "There is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one." Public divided . After eight often turbulent years, the Roberts court shows little sign of moving dramatically away from where it essentially is now: four more conservative justices, four who are more liberal, and a moderate-conservative in Justice Anthony Kennedy, who often tilts the balance. This court is conservative, but it can be argued, not radically so. But given the increasingly partisan tone overtaking Washington -- and the current government shutdown is only the latest chapter -- even this institution finds it harder to stay immune from eroding public confidence. Americans' opinion about the Supreme Court is split down the middle, with 48% saying in a June CNN/Opinion Research survey they approve of how the court is handling its job and 48% saying they disapprove. Just a year earlier, a majority-- 53% approved. Prior years had the numbers in the 70% range. "Among the justices themselves, there is still an incredible confidence that each of them is deciding the cases neutrally without politics intruding," said Goldstein. "And the public generally thinks that's true too. But because there have been so many recent high-profile difficult cases, political partisans tend to paint the court-- caricature it-- as a political tool. That's not right but it is undermining political confidence and support for the justices." But as far as any hard feelings on battles lost, and on words said, do not expect any lingering bitterness inside the court. Ginsburg and her colleagues have already returned to work from their summer recess, met privately as a group this week, and seem prepared for the hectic round of arguments and opinion writing that starts the First Monday in October. "We could not do the job the Constitution gives to us, if we did not use one of Justice (Antonin) Scalia's favorite expressions: 'Get over it,'" Ginsburg said to a Philadelphia audience recently. "Even though we have sharp disagreements on what the Constitution means, we have a trust. We revere the Constitution and the court-- and we want to make sure it was in as good shape when we joined."
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg's comments about 'activism' on bench may raise tensions . This term's docket not as explosive, but still includes affirmative action and prayer . Roberts court shows little sign of moving dramatically away from where it is now . Americans' opinion about the Supreme Court is split down the middle .
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(CNN) -- As many as four African migrants from Ethiopia and Eritrea trying to cross into Israel from Egypt's Sinai desert were shot dead by smugglers and 10 others were wounded, according to state media. The smugglers opened fire when the group refused to pay them, according to Egypt's official MENA news agency. Egypt's interior ministry confirmed that an investigation was under way into the incident, though its casualty figures differed. An official at the ministry told CNN that two Eritreans were killed on Egypt's border with Israel, and that three people were wounded. Fifteen others were arrested by Egyptian border police. In total, the group consisted of three-dozen African migrants attempting to flee into Israel, the official said.
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Migrants trying to flee Egypt for Israel were killed by smugglers, official media says . The Egyptian government is investigating the incident . There are conflicting reports on the number of casualties .
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Editor's note: With fears of a swine flu pandemic rising daily, CNN Pentagon producer Larry Shaughnessy remembered a batch of letters from his grandfather, a World War I soldier who battled the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919. Martin "Al" Culhane, left, is pictured with his older brother, Frank, around 1918 or 1919. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- "I'm coming, I'm coming For my head is bending low I hear those gentle voices calling Old Black Joe" As World War I rages in Europe, fresh U.S. Army soldiers pass the time on a train ride to to Camp Forrest, Georgia. "The boys are just starting to sing," Martin Aloysius Culhane wrote on September 6, 1918, to his friend back home. "They've gotten back to 'Old Black Joe' so far." Stephen Foster's classic song from the Civil War is about the death of slaves who had become his friends. But Culhane, known as "Al," and the soldiers who sang along could not know how much death would hunt the recruits on that train, most of whom never made it to Europe to fight in the Great War. They would find themselves in the deadliest influenza pandemic in history. Culhane's letters to his older brother Frank and his long-time "chum" Clif Pinter are a young soldier's firsthand account of life as a draftee private and how he coped with a disease that would haunt Army camps around the United States and eventually infect people around the world. Some estimates say as many as 50 million people were killed by what's called the Spanish influenza in 1918 and 1919, far more than the number killed in combat during the war. Three weeks after the train trip to Georgia, Culhane, a 21-year-old clothing salesman from Chicago, Illinois, writes again. Already the flu occupies his thoughts. Learn more about the current swine flu » . "Received a nice letter from Phil Byrne he reports he is getting along fine, is feeling better than he has ever before." Byrne, a friend from Chicago, was one of the early survivors of the Spanish flu. Other members of the Byrne family took ill a few months later, according to the letters. In the same letter he mentions how the Army was trying to protect the troops at Camp Forrest: . "Since noon today our camp has been under quarantine to prevent an epidemic of Spanish influenza. We have had no cases thus far but it is the intention of the medical officers to prevent any case of the disease from making an appearance. All the men who have even slight colds have been put into separate barrack which, of course, were immediately christened 'the TB ward' by the rest of the company." That same day, September 28, 1918, he wrote his brother Frank, a Navy sailor at home awaiting orders, "Well the Spanish Influenza has made an appearance here and we are under strict orders no visits to Chattanooga, we are certainly the hard luck guys when it comes to this quarantine proposition." At first the threat of Spanish flu is just an inconvenience for Culhane: "I am just about fed up with staying in a district about a block square for three weeks. There is no canteen in the quarantine district and we have a hell of a time getting small supplies." Just six days after complaining about the inconvenience, a brief but frightening note: "Receive the enclosed letter for your information then see that Frank gets it unknown to the rest of the family." What Culhane didn't want his mother, sister and younger brother to know was that he was in the infirmary with the Spanish flu. He asks his friend Clif to write often and encourage letters from "my friends, without of course, telling them that I am a little under the weather." His euphemism hid the fact that in some places more than 30 percent of people who contracted Spanish flu died. In the United States the mortality rate was lower, but still a devastating 3 percent. It was a crisis for the Army. Military bases, with thousands of men from all over the country in tightly packed barracks, were fertile breeding grounds for the flu, especially one as easily spread as this one. And unlike most flu strains that mostly strike the elderly, the very young or the sick, Spanish flu hit healthy, young adults like Army draftees. Just three days after telling his friend about being sick, Culhane wrote that he was feeling better. "I am still in quarantine but will be released today. I am feeling great and the two day's rest has done me a world of good. I have done nothing at all but sit in the shade, read and write letters." His recovery from the Spanish flu was swift, but the very next day, October 7, 1918, he wrote to give "all the details of the death of a very good friend, my Bunkie, Thomas Birdie. His body will go north today, I think," Culhane wrote, asking Pinter to attend the wake. "At his side, say a few prayers for the repose of his soul." When not writing about the flu, Culhane dropped none-too-subtle hints about wanting care packages full of cookies from home. And he regularly questioned why other friends didn't write. He also worried that he was "neglecting the ladies." He pelts his friend Clif with questions about Ursula ("Her Majesty," he jokingly refers to her), Ella (the young woman to whom he promised a prized golf club) Ida ("I had a long letter from Ida Flynn. Boy! I will have a job on my hands when I get home") and the Marys (Mary Rose, Mary English, Mary Anne). While Culhane writes about and to a lot of young ladies, there is no sign in the letters which one, if any, held a special place in his heart. Still he worried about one young man named "Hank" who remained in Chicago. "Keep the ladies amused by all means, but I look to you to protect my interests. Hank is too darn nice a chap to be safe around the ladies. However, if he seems to get extra strong I will write a note and have him made Admiral of the Arctic Circle." After recovering from the flu, Culhane bemoans the fact that war was about to end. "It is almost over now and thirty days will see at least a cessation of hostilities. Xmas will see peace. I will never see France and as long as that is impossible I might as well be out of the Army as soon as it is over." Nine days later, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the war ended. And just four days after the fighting in Europe ended, the letters from Camp Forrest stopped. Al Culhane was sick again. This time he was taken to U.S. General Hospital #14 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. And he couldn't keep the latest illness a secret from his family back home in Chicago. A Catholic chaplain wrote the family that he was sick and not able to write himself. When he was well enough, he wrote Pinter, "I don't know just what I have but it felt like old fashioned grip or perhaps 'The Flu.'". It took about two weeks before he was out of the Fort Oglethorpe hospital and back at Camp Forrest. He had twice survived the deadliest flu in history and lived to write home about it. After his second recovery his concerns turned to getting back to Chicago by Christmas. "Clif I have seen my discharge all written out and from that moment on my usefulness as a soldier ceased." But again illness got in the way. This time it was a completely different one: "Measles has broken out in our company and we are quarantined. Did you ever hear of harder luck in all your life?" Culhane didn't make it back to Chicago for Christmas. But he eventually did return home alive and well. He never did make it to France, but traveled the United States extensively with his wife, Evelyn, a woman never mentioned in his letters home, but someone he'd known since they went through First Holy Communion together. As for Clif Pinter, who saved the letters, he and Al Culhane remained "old chums" for life. After Pinter's death, his son passed the letters on to Al's daughter, Dorothy Clarke, who passed them onto Al's grandchildren, including Lawrence Aloysius Shaughnessy, who works for CNN's Pentagon unit and occasionally writes stories about soldiers for CNN.com.
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U.S. soldier survived Spanish flu pandemic not once, but twice . 1918 Spanish flu ravaged military camps where soldiers trained for WWI . Letter says camp put "under quarantine to prevent an epidemic of Spanish influenza" Martin "Al" Culhane in letter told his brother to keep infection secret from rest of family .
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Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- An explosives-filled car slammed into a U.S. Consulate vehicle in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Monday, authorities said. There was confusion about the extent and severity of injuries as a result of the blast. Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said "two U.S. personnel and two Pakistani staff of the Consulate were injured and are receiving medical treatment." No U.S. consular employees were killed, she said. She said U.S. authorities were "seeking further information about other victims of this heinous act." Nuland's statement followed an assertion by local Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain that two Americans had died in the blast. Pakistani police and health officials said two Pakistanis were killed and 25 people were wounded. Umar Riaz, a senior Peshawar police official, said the U.S. consular security detail surrounded the vehicle, which was severely damaged, and took away the people who'd been traveling in it. As a result, Riaz said, he had no information about the people who were in the consular vehicle. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the bomber was apparently targeting a U.S. Consulate van filled with both Americans and Pakistanis. "Let me just very clearly condemn the attack on our consulate personnel in Peshawar, Pakistan. We pray for the safe recovery of both American and Pakistani victims and once again we deplore the cowardly act of suicide bombing and terrorism," she said. Clinton praised the response of Pakistani authorities, saying some of the injured were airlifted to hospitals in Islamabad. The attack took place in an area of the city where several international agencies have offices. In addition to the U.S. Consulate, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, is in the area. Peshawar is about 190 kilometers (120 miles) from the country's capital, Islamabad. In May 2011, a remote-controlled car bomb targeted a convoy of U.S. Consulate vehicles in Peshawar, killing one person and wounding 11. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. In April 2010, three explosions went off in rapid succession near the consulate. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital, is rife with Islamic extremists and has been the site of recent clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants. It was formerly known as North West Frontier province, a name assigned during British colonial rule. The ruling party changed the name to reflect the province's majority Pashtun population. Journalists Nasir Habib and Aamir Iqbal contributed to this report.
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There is confusion about the extent and severity of injuries as a result of the blast . An explosives-laden car smashed into a vehicle from the U.S. Consulate . The attack took place near the offices of the consulate and UNHCR . The consulate has been the target of earlier attacks .
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Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- A Spanish politician is facing a charge of vehicular homicide for the car crash that killed prominent Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya, Cuba's state press said Tuesday. Angel Carromero could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. He is accused of speeding and then losing control of a car that he, Paya, Swedish politician Jans Aron Modig and Cuban dissident Harold Cepero were traveling in. Paya and Cepero were killed when the car struck a tree Sunday near Las Gavinas, Cuba. The men had been traveling across the island to meet some of Paya's supporters in Santiago de Cuba when the crash occurred. The Cuban government said the crash was the result of a single-car accident. Paya had tried for decades to change Cuba's single-party system of government. He delivered thousands of signatures in an unsuccessful attempt to force a national referendum and was a constant critic of the Cuban government. But Paya also had called for reconciliation between the polarized extremes that dominate the debate over Cuba's future. Following Paya's death, his family immediately accused Cuban authorities of foul play and said they had received information that another vehicle had forced the car Paya was in off the road. "I can't take the word of the same government that wants to kill my husband, that threatened his life a ton of times," Paya's widow, Ofelia Acevedo, told CNN. Acevedo said over the years her family suffered frequent intimidations at the hands of Cuban state security. She said she would continue to have doubts about her husband's death until she had the opportunity to interview both Modig and Carromero herself. "I am asking for the intervention of an international organization that could send investigators here to do an analysis of the accident," she said. On Tuesday, Cuba's official press published a 1,539-word editorial on the crash titled "Truth and reason." The editorial announced that Carromero would face charges and that Modig would be permitted to return to Sweden. Both men had been held by Cuban authorities since the crash. Again the Cuban government denied any hand in Paya's death. "It's not Cuba but the United States that displays a shameful record of political assassinations, extra-official executions, including drone strikes," the editorial said. On Tuesday, Modig spoke to reporters at a hastily organized news conference. Members of the international media in Cuba were asked to arrive at the Cuban Press Center and then were taken by buses to a house were officers of Cuba's Interior Ministry stood guard. Jans Aron Modig then walked into the room where the press had gathered. Sitting at a table with Cuban officials, Modig said he was sorry for having traveled to Cuba on a tourist visa to meet with members of the island's dissident movements. He said he had come to "understand that these activities are not legal in Cuba and I would like to apologize for coming here and doing illegal activities." Modig denied that another vehicle had been involved in the crash. "I have no memory of any other car," he said, but refused to elaborate on how the accident took place. After less than 10 minutes of speaking to the press, Modig said he did not want to take any more questions and left the room. On Monday night, Cuban state-television showed about 20 minutes of video of the meeting with foreign journalists along with video of a separate and apparently longer news conference that Modig gave solely to Cuba's government-controlled media outlets. Officials said holding two news conferences was necessary due "to space issues" at the house where Modig spoke. Carromero, the Spanish politician, did not speak, but a clip of a video was shown by officials in which Carromero also said that the crash had been an accident. "As far as the news reports that they have let me read, I ask that the international community focuses on getting me out of here," Carromero said, "and not use a traffic accident that could happen to anyone for political purposes." Cuban state media usually does not discuss in such depth traffic accidents, much less what officials called "small factions of dissidents." Dissidents like Paya are generally referred to as "traitors" and "sell-outs" who have sided with the United States government over Cuba in the still-simmering war of words between the two countries. Paya's family said they were trying to adapt to life without him and with the added scrutiny his death brought. "All these things we have seen on TV and the accounts of what they call an accident is very unusual," said Acevedo, Paya's widow. "But they don't talk about who was Oswaldo Paya."
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Angel Carromero could be sentenced to 10 years in prison if found guilty, state media says . Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya died in the crash; his family suspects government foul play . Another person in the crash apologizes "for coming here and doing illegal activities"
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New Delhi (CNN) -- At least 435 patients, mostly children, have died this year from encephalitis in one of India's most impoverished regions, health officials said. Most of the deaths happened between August and September, according to K.P. Kushwaha, chief pediatrician at BRD Medical College and Nehru Hospital in Uttar Pradesh state's Gorakhpur district. Some 30 to 35 people are being diagnosed daily with the infection in Gorakhpur, he said. The outbreaks are common in the district, near India's border with Nepal. Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, primarily caused by food and drink contamination and mosquito bites. The very young and the elderly are more likely to have a severe case, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. As many as 500 people died last year in the region from the disease, Kushwaha said. In 2009, India reported 774 fatalities from encephalitis, including 556 in Uttar Pradesh, federal data shows.
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Some 30 to 35 people are being diagnosed daily with the infection in the Gorakhpur district . Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain . It is primarily caused by food and drink contamination and mosquito bites . The very young and the elderly are more likely to have a severe case .
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(CNN) -- Soccer star Lionel Messi has denied allegations of wrongdoing after being accused of defrauding the Spanish authorities of over $5 million. According to court papers seen by CNN, prosecutors say the Barcelona player and his father Jorge Horacio are suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns between 2006-2009. The four-time World Player of the Year, who is away on international duty with Argentina, took to Facebook Wednesday to offer a firm rebuttal of the accusation. "We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities," read a statement in Spanish and English. "We are surprised about the news, because we have never committed any infringement. "We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take care of clarifying this situation." According to the papers filed by the prosecutor, Raquel Amado in Gava, the seaside resort close to Barcelona where Messi lives, it is alleged that they tried to avoid paying taxes in Spain by selling the player's image rights through overseas companies. Messi, who will turn 26 later this month, is one of the world's highest-paid athletes according to Forbes Magazine. He has a yearly salary from Barcelona of just over $20 million plus around $21 million in endorsements from several lucrative sponsors including Adidas and PepsiCo, putting him 10th on Forbes' list. Messi, who arrived at Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000, has won six Primera Liga titles, three Champions League crowns and scored an unparalleled 86 goals for club and country in 2012. Barcelona refused to comment on the story when asked by CNN. Meanwhile, Messi played just 30 minutes of Argentina's World Cup qualifying tie against Ecuador in Quito on Tuesday, which ended in a 1-1 draw.. Argentina finished the game with 10 men after captain Javier Mascherano kicked out at the driver of the medical cart in an apparent response to being driven too quickly. The 29-year-old was being carried from the field with just four minutes remaining before the clash, which led to referee Enrique Caceres showing him a red card. The Barcelona player later apologized on Twitter, saying: "I really apologize for the reaction I had, nothing justifies this." Argentina leads the South American qualifying section on 26 points, three ahead of Colombia and five clear of Ecuador. The country's domestic league has been thrown into turmoil after a fan died before a match on Monday, being reportedly shot by a police officer after fighting broke out. That incident in La Plata, which led to the match between Lanus and Estudiantes being suspended at halftime, came just days after another league game was called off due to fan violence. The Argentine Football Association has responded by ruling that away fans cannot attend any of the next two rounds of matches, as the season comes to a close.
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Lionel Messi and father under investigation by Spanish tax authorities . Barcelona star Messi denies all allegations of wrongdoing . Striker played final 30 minutes of Argentina's 1-1 draw with Ecuador . Javier Mascherano sent off for clash with medical cart driver .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A disabled punk band has launched a campaign to fight for the rights of disabled people to be able to party late. Heavy Load are a UK-based punk band with three out of five members who are disabled. "Heavy Load," describe themselves as an "anarcho-garage-punk" band and are made up of five musicians, one of whom has Downs Syndrome and two who have unspecified learning disabilities. Their campaign, "Stay Up Late," encourages carers to support disabled people who want to stay out past 10pm. Heavy Load's manager and bass guitarist, Paul Richards, 39, told CNN: "The Stay Up Late" campaign is to raise awareness, and tackle the issue where disabled gig-goers end up going home at 9pm, therefore missing most of the evening, because their support workers finish their shifts at 10pm. "We started the campaign because we'd be playing a gig and something strange happens at 9pm when people would start to go home. We were also frustrated with asking to go on earlier in the evening so that our fans would still be there. It's not very punk to go on at 8.30pm," he added. "Stay up Late" has received widespread support from disabled people and the UK government, Richards said. Even carers who may be required to work later if the campaign is successful have offered their support. "So far, we've only had one or two support workers say that they don't think they should be required to work unsociable hours," Richards said. The group has also partnered with the UK's leading learning disabilities charity Mencap, who they say have really helped to relay their message to a wider audience. Mencap and Heavy Load teamed up last week where the band headlined a concert in London for people with learning disabilities, giving them an opportunity to be involved in running a club night. See images from the concert » . They concert was held in conjunction with London venue Proud Camden, and around 400 people attended the event which finished at 1am. Everyone at the event, from the door girl, to bar staff and cloakroom attendants, were people with learning disabilities, venue owner Alex Proud told CNN. "It's the first event of its kind for people with a learning disability and there was a real buzz about how people with learning disability are an untapped source in the entertainment industry." He said: "At these nights there is a lack of inhibitions. They tend to let their hair down and really know how to party; it's a hell of a lot of fun for all involved. Proud is eager to put on events that include people with a learning disability and to make the public more aware of this often overlooked group. "Young people with learning disabilities want to go out, but they are not catered for in the entertainment industry," he added. Heavy Load have been together for 13 years since meeting at the Southdown housing in England, a non-profit assisted-living community for people with learning disabilities. Vocalist Jimmy Nicholls, 62, posted an advert and a week later the band including Michael White, 47 (drums) Simon barker, 37 (lead vocals) and Mick Williams, 47 (guitar and vocals) was formed. Since then the band has gained many disabled and non-disabled fans and a successful documentary, "Heavy Load," has been made about their lives. Now they are looking forward to setting up the "Stay Up Late" campaign around the world. Richards said: "When we visited New York last year we were surprised to find that it's an issue for people with learning disabilities to get out much at all -- so there is definitely a need there. "We've also been asked to go to Russia, Serbia, other parts of the U.S., Scotland and Czech Republic to play and promote the campaign -- which we'd love to do, but money's tight, " he added. However, Richards insists the campaign is not about partying late every night. "We don't insist on people staying up late against their will -- just having the choice to do what they want to do!"
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Disabled punk bank Heavy Load have launched the "Stay Up Late" campaign . The band want disabled concert-goers to be able to enjoy gigs until the end . Disabled people often have to leave gigs early when their carers' shifts end . Heavy Load played last week at a London club night run by disabled people .
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(CNN) -- Nine years ago he was an electrician. Six months ago, he was worth some A$1.18 billion ($1.22 billion) Australia's mining boom having turned him into the country's richest person under 40 years old. Now, coal baron Nathan Tinkler, 36, is facing a mountain of debt. His wealth has plummeted to A$400 million, thanks to slowing demand and falling coal prices, while his debts to a variety of creditors mount, reportedly hitting A$638 million. On Tuesday, his personal holding company was liquidated. Tinkler has had the Midas touch on his way to the top of the rich list and -- until Tuesday -- on the way down, too, staving off the liquidation of several of his companies. He now faces credit debt surrounding his horse racing empire, troubled sports franchises and repossession of his personal jet. While creditors have been circling for months, it was a Tuesday decision of the New South Wales Supreme Court to wind up Tinkler's Mulsanne Resources over an unpaid A$28.4 million dollar debt that suggests the former electrician's luck may have run dry. On Wednesday, the Federal Court place his thoroughbred horse racing and breeding empire, Patinack Farm Administration, into liquidation with a debt of A$2 million. Patinack Farm's cash flow problems were reported to be so severe, Tinkler was trying to stem the bleeding by downsizing operations in Victoria and South Australia and selling horses at bargain base prices to settle a state debt. He recently settled a A$16.6 million dispute with Mirvac over a failed land purchase in Sydney and a A$2 million debt to the publicly listed contractor, Sedgman Ltd. Tinkler's woes have impacted the Australian sporting world too. His Hunter Sports Group has reportedly fallen behind in meeting player salaries for his two prized clubs -- the A league Newcastle Jets football team and the Newcastle Knights league club. But Tinkler has come up with enough money to partially pay a significant, unpaid bill for the rent of stadiums used by the teams. And he has avoided the reported repossession of his personal jet worth A$40 million. GE Capital is said to have issued Tinkler an instruction to leave the French made Dassault Falcon 900, replete with Italian leather seats, a conference room and bar, at a regional Sydney airport. Instead, he flew it to Singapore where he and his family now live in two adjacent homes, reportedly with a Maserati and Porcshe in the driveway. And in August with coal prices flailing, Tinkler abandoned plans for a A$5.3 billion take over Whitehaven Coal, one of Australia's largest coal producers with exploration assets in Queensland. Tinkler's Aston Resources, however, remains the largest shareholder in Whitehaven Coal with a 19.4% stake. Navigating the downside of Australia's commodities boom is proving to be a wild ride for Nathan Tinkler. As a result, the unlikely rich lister is in the business pages of Australian newspapers almost daily. And he doesn't much like the attention. "There has definitely, absolutely, been a spirited media campaign to get me," Tinkler told Sydney's Daily Telegraph earlier this month. Seeking to sooth the doubters, he added, "I would say the noisy few have made a lot of people nervous and there is no need to be." The order to liquidate his personal investment vehicle would indicate the nervousness is not a fiction of a media campaign. But Tinkler is accustomed to wild rides. The ride to the top for Australia's fastest self-made billionaire was not only wild. It was a gamble. As a teenager, he headed for the rich coalfields of the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, according to a 2010 profile. There, he found work in the mines as an electrician, though a A$400 a week take home salary held little appeal. By 26, he'd formed his own mine machinery maintenance business, servicing coalmines, which were burgeoning and booming as Australian commodities fueled the expansion of China's infrastructure. Then came his big break. In 2006, he raised a A$1 million loan against his home and business for a deposit on a coal tenement in central Queensland. All he needed to do was raise another A$29 million to finance the deal. "I knocked on every door in Australia and many overseas to raise the funds. Finally I succeeded after wearing out a lot of shoe leather, " he told CNBC in 2010. Investors came on board when exploratory drilling turned in heaven sent results - high grade coal samples. Sitting on a promising asset, Tinkler sold it not once but twice -- first to Macarthur Coal for A$275 million plus a 10% stake in the company and a year later, in 2008, with world coal prices soaring, he sold his stake in Macarthur to global steel giant ArcelorMittal. His A$1 million gamble turned into a multimillion dollar pile of cash with which he went on a buying spree -- football and rugby league clubs, horse studs, as well as property. He also formed Aston Resources, a mining development vehicle, floated in 2010. The Aston Resources merger with Whitehaven Coal was his great hope and even diminished by weak coal prices, it remains his main asset. If the former electrician can't pull another rabbit out of his hat, faith in the Midas touch may be all that remains to stave off bankruptcy.
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Billionaire Nathan Tinkler's rags-to-riches story in peril as his debt woes increase . On Tuesday an Australian court ordered the liquidation of his personal holding company . The 36-year-old mining magnate's racing empire and sports empire are in trouble . Just nine years ago, Tinkler was an electrician working in the mining industry .
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New Delhi, India (CNN) -- A veteran social activist in India has launched an indefinite hunger strike to seek tough, overarching laws to tackle corruption as a rash of scandals undermined the reputation of the country's government. On Tuesday, activist Anna Hazare began his "fast-unto-death" at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar landmark. His campaign, supported by numerous social reformists, has come in the wake of a series of high-profile alleged scandals that have rocked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's administration and investor confidence in Asia's third largest economy. Hazare is demanding that a long-pending citizen ombudsman legislation, called the Lokpal bill, be widened in its scope. Hazare and his supporters reject the bill in its present form because it does not empower the proposed bodies to prosecute corruption suspects. Anti-graft crusaders have come up with their own draft of the legislation that seeks to create citizen ombudsman completely free from political influence and with wide-ranging jurisdiction. "This fast-unto-death is a reflection of the people's anger at growing, all-round corruption ... at a time when the scourge is eating into the vitals of our society," said political commentator K.G. Suresh. A day before Hazare, 72, began his hunger strike, the office of the Indian prime minister expressed its "deep disappointment" over the protest. Singh's office noted in a statement that the prime minister met with Hazare and his colleagues last month. "I appreciate and share your concern on corruption," the statement quoted Singh as having told Hazare. Nonetheless, a subsequent meeting between social activists and a federal committee ended unsuccessfully over demands the government accept their version of the bill in totality, Singh's office said. As politicians from different parties visited Hazare at Jantar Mantar, the reformist announced he would allow no leader to share his platform. Rather, Hazare alleged corruption was all pervasive in India's political establishment with only few exceptions. Last weekend, a former government minister in India was among a dozen defendants charged in a multi-billion-dollar telecom scandal. Andimuthu Raja, a former telecommunication minister, is accused of being involved in a scheme involving the underselling of cell phone licenses at the height of India's lucrative telecom boom. Police have questioned several high-profile executives in connection with the suspected below-price sale of radiowaves in 2008. Politicians, bureaucrats, and corporate officials linked to the probe have denied any wrongdoing. According to a government audit, the treasury lost as much as $31 billion from the 2008 sale of the second-generation wireless spectrum. The damning audit report came on the heels of allegations of massive fraud in sports and real estate. Two parliamentary committees are conducting separate inquiries into the case. Investigators are already probing complaints of financial malfeasance in the Commonwealth Games that India hosted in October last year. Several politicians, military officials, and bureaucrats have also been the subjects of a separate inquiry for allegedly taking apartments meant for war widows.
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Hazare's fast-unto-death comes in the wake of a series of high-profile scandals . He wants a citizen ombudsman legislation widened . The prime minister's office expresses "deep disappointment" over the protest .
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(CNN) -- Mark Collier grew up in the mountains of Vermont. Every autumn, he would see an influx of tourists flood his state to get a glimpse of the brilliant fall leaves. He didn't get what the big deal was. "Why do people come to look at the trees?" he wondered. But as he got older, he developed an interest in photography. And that made him stop taking the vibrant autumn color for granted. Great leaf-peeping experiences . "I suddenly began to notice the stunning colors that seemed to blanket the hills in fire each fall as the days got shorter and the nights became colder," he remembers. "Slowly but surely, as I gained experience and insight, I began to really understand what a special place Vermont is, and I began to fall in love with my home and the stunning colors." Collier is now a staff photographer for the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus. This year, he decided for the first time to document the fall beauty of his state. He shared his images alongside dozens of other photographers on CNN iReport. The best of his shots, along with other images of autumn around the world, are in the gallery above. Hit the trail: 7 gorgeous hikes .
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iReporters share great shots of fall foliage . Mark Collier of Vermont was late to appreciating his state's splendid display . Share your travel photos with CNN iReport .
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(CNN) -- The search for an American -- whose wife says he was shot on a lake that straddles the U.S.-Mexican border -- has been suspended, a Mexican official said Friday. David Hartley was reportedly shot to death September 30 by gunmen investigators believe are linked to a Mexican drug gang. At present, there are no Mexican agencies actively searching Falcon Lake for Hartley. But the mother of Tiffany Hartley -- the woman who says her husband was shot -- says she's "hopeful that they'll restart on Monday," after meeting with Mexican officials on Friday. Cynthia Young, Tiffany's mother, said said that she, her daughter and Tiffany's dad met with Mexican and American officials for about 8 hours on Friday. Young would not specify which officials attended the meeting but said the family was told that the Mexican government was "restrategizing" how it is handling the search for Hartley's body. Young said that the day mostly entailed Tiffany refiling a witness statement with Mexican officials, recounting what happened on the day she said he was killed. Young said the meeting occurred in McAllen, Texas, where Tiffany and her husband had recently relocated. Earlier in the day, Tamaulipas state attorney general spokesman Ruben Dario Rios explained the decision to halt the search. "Our investigators have taken a temporary recess so that we can better assess the strategies we are using to find the body. We are currently considering other approaches to our search," he said. The search was suspended on Thursday. Responding to local reports that it may have been threats of imminent gun battles by the Los Zetas cartel that led to Mexican officials to suspend the search, Dario Rios said, "Negative." "We have no official information of threats on our investigators." Tiffany's mother said that "we're very disappointed" in the development. "The longer this goes the less chance there is of finding David," she said. Tiffany Hartley told authorities the couple was on a sightseeing trip on Falcon Lake, a reservoir on the Rio Grande. She believes the attackers may still have her husband's body. Dario Rios said earlier Friday taht Tiffany Hartley has not responded to the attorney general's formal request for more information about the incident. "We still have not spoken to her," he said. Young had said her daughter is willing to meet with Mexican authorities on her terms and on U.S. soil, not in Mexico. Tamaulipas state governor Eugenio Hernandez Flores, in Washington for annual meetings on Mexican-U.S. partnerships, was scheduled to meet with FBI officials during his visit Friday to pledge cooperation as authorities look into the matter. He told CNN that Mexican police had deployed dozens of searchers but have found neither a body nor a jet ski. Tiffany said she met with the lead Mexican investigator in the death of her husband days before the police officer was killed and his severed head delivered to authorities in a suitcase. U.S. and Mexican authorities vowed the search for Hartley's husband would continue despite the investigator's slaying on Tuesday. "I met him. He sat right next to me," Hartley said, referring to Mexican state official Rolando Armando Flores Villegas. Her remarks aired on CNN's "American Morning" Thursday. "We talked through a translator and he just seemed like a really good guy who really wanted to just do good for -- you know, his country," Hartley said. Hartley said she wonders if the death of the lead Mexican investigator will hamper the search for her husband. "It definitely makes me worried that nobody is going to want to take over," she said. On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States is doing everything it can to find Hartley and told ABC's "Good Morning America" that she is "sickened" by the case. "I hope that we can [find him]," said Clinton. "I mean, the beheaded body of the brave Mexican investigator that just showed up shows what we're dealing with." She said the United States is "supporting local law enforcement, supporting the authorities on the border, doing everything that we know to do to try to assist in helping to find the body and helping to find the perpetrators." A report issued by a Texas-based think tank suggested Thursday that Hartley's death may have stemmed from a case of mistaken identity in the ongoing war between two Mexican drug cartels. The Stratfor report, which cites anonymous sources, noted that Hartley worked for an oil and gas company with operations in Reynosa, Mexico. The couple had lived there for two years and had only moved to McAllen within the past few months, the report said. The truck they drove to Falcon Lake on September 30 still had a license plate from Mexico's Tamaulipas state. The couple drove their personal watercraft to the Old Guerrero area of the lake, which the report said is a "known battleground in the ongoing war in the Los Zetas and Gulf cartels." The sources told Stratfor both cartels have been known to conduct surveillance and countersurveillance operations on personal watercraft, so Zetas scouts identified them as possible Gulf spies, because of their license plate and their method and direction of travel on Falcon Lake. They were then apparently confronted by "Zetas enforcers," Stratfor said. The sources told Stratfor the attack was unauthorized by senior Los Zetas members and "a damage control campaign is currently under way ... to identify and eliminate those who engaged the Hartleys without proper authorization." Protocol involves prompt disposition of a body to ensure no evidence can be brought against the group, the report said. Sources said that "once Hartley was identified as an American, his body was destroyed the same day as the incident to prevent a backlash from the U.S. government against the group," Stratfor said. "With the heavy diplomatic and public pressure on both U.S. and Mexican authorities to find David Hartley's remains in the investigation, the decapitation of Flores Villegas was a stern signal to both the United States and Mexico that no body will be produced and to leave the situation alone." Falcon Lake is about 70 miles west of the Hartleys' home in McAllen. CNN's Ed Lavandera, Eric Fiegel and Nick Valencia contributed to this report.
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Tiffany Hartley meets with Mexican authorities in Texas . Mother is hopeful the search will resume Monday . No Mexican agencies are actively searching for David Hartley . Hartley's wife says he was shot on Falcon Lake on September 30 .
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(CNN) -- Call it the Twitterfication of social sharing. As if it wasn't enough for Twitter to limit our bursts of inspiration to 140 written characters, it has now rolled out Vine, a video-sharing app that limits your videos to just six seconds. What can you do with six seconds of smartphone video (which, for now, is available only on iPhones, causing an aggravated Android Nation to again wail and wait)? Not re-enact "Lawrence of Arabia" using action figures. That would take 2,270 Vine posts, give or take. Nor can you document a successful rodeo bull ride; those require at least eight seconds. As the tech press largely fawns over the new tool's potential, we're taking a look at some of the ways the tool might affect your Twitter feed and the Web as a whole. And it seems only appropriate that we analyze Vine's six-second bursts in six points. Here's what Vine could do: . 1. Spur creativity . If, as the Bard wrote, brevity is the soul of wit, the six-second time limit could in fact inspire creativity. That's the logic behind Twitter itself, really. Once derided by critics as an example of society's increasingly gnat-like attention span, the site's 140-character limit has in many cases inspired users to be as witty, insightful or informative as they can be in as few words as possible. Twitter is sometimes called a "microblogging" site. Considering some of the long and winding blog posts we've read over the years, there's some value in spurring users to make their point quickly. Maybe Vine will do the same for Web video. "My guess, given the enthusiasm for Twitter so far, is that people are going to do really cool things," Scott Klemmer, co-director of the Human-Computer Interaction Group at Stanford University, told Wired, a CNN content partner. "One of the things we know about creativity is that constraints are essential for getting people to do creative stuff. If you come up with the right constraints, that's a benefit, not a drawback." And here's an example: . (Of course, if you desperately need a 10-minute loop of sniveling King Joffrey from "Game of Thrones" getting slapped to a Led Zeppelin soundtrack, we've still got YouTube.) 2. Spam up your feed . A vine can be a lovely thing. Think Wrigley Field or the Ivy League. But it can also be a noxious weed. In the first 24 hours, the primary theme of most of the Vine videos we've seen has been "Hey, I'm making a Vine video!" We're not immune from this ourselves. That will probably change, in many cases, as creative folks fine-tune their craft. But let's be honest: Among Twitter's millions of users are a lot of people who will probably be sharing the banal and the stupid. And, if Web history holds true, clips of themselves naked. Hopefully, you've crafted your "follow" list to keep most of these people off your screen. Otherwise, you could find yourself clicking on a lot of videos of people's food. Which, as we all know, is what Instagram is for. 3. Turn Twitter into Facebook's video alternative . It surprisingly took a few months after Facebook bought the aforementioned Instagram, an app that lets users slap groovy-looking filters onto their photos, for it to cause a falling-out with Twitter. Facebook pulled Twitter's ability to show Instagram images in its feed. That's reserved for FB now. You can still post them to Twitter, of course, but followers see only a link that takes them to Instagram's website. Fair enough, we suppose. Why let a competitor reap the benefits of an app you just shelled out a reported $1 billion to buy? So, if that makes Facebook the go-to platform for social photos, maybe Vine makes Twitter the default place for fun mini-videos. As the platform strives to turn a profit, the Vine clips may give users a new reason to linger. 4. Invite more "Oops" moments . Delete all you want. Once you tweet something, it's out there forever. Ask Chris Brown. Or Gilbert Gottfried. Or Anthony Weiner. Put videocameras in the hands of millions, give them a platform to share the results with the rest of those millions, and bad decisions are sure to ensue. Often after a few cocktails, or if you're a celebrity. Given a new tool with which to share, or overshare, we all can expect more Twitter missteps. Many of us can't wait. 5. Continue the rebirth of "GIFs" OK, this one is already under way. Years after the Web gave us Peanut Butter Jelly Time, folks have rediscovered the joy of watching something quick and silly happen over and over again. Vine builds on this idea. Your six seconds (or fewer) of video loops for as long as the viewer lets it run. This can be disconcerting and annoying. But as folks get creative, it could also be clever. The first person to re-enact "Dramatic Chipmunk" has our undying devotion. (Fun discovery: That YouTube classic is exactly six seconds long). A Vine isn't actually a GIF (Graphic Interchange Format is the full name). But it can take advantage of the same instincts that have made GIFs an enduring Web feature. 6. Press the competition . Vine isn't the only mobile app jockeying to be the "Instagram of Video." Viddy, Tout, SocialCam and even the ill-fated Color all wanted to become the front-runner in this emerging social field. Twitter may have shut down that argument when it acquired Vine for an undisclosed amount. Sure, the mobile space has its share of stories in which the bantamweight manages to dance around a heavy hitter. Remember when Facebook Places was supposed to crush Foursquare? But Vine will be sitting right there in front of Twitter's more than 140 million users. The others will need to innovate or die. Have you seen any Vine videos you really liked, or made some of your own? Let us know in the comments.
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With Vine, Twitter adds video to its short bursts of text . The new app could spur more creativity among Twitter users . It also might lead to lots of boring little videos in your feed . The launch may crown Vine as the leader in the "Instagram for Video" race .
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(CNN) -- Satellite photographs on NASA's website show hundreds of hot spots generated by wildfires across central and western Russia. State media reported that the images showed 368 hot spots across Russia on Saturday. RIA Novosti quoted a spokeswoman for ScanEx, which analyzes the images, as saying that central Russia's Moscow, Ryazan and Nizhny Novgorod regions are the most affected. Smoke clouds, which have become a serious health hazard, can clearly been seen on the satellite images, blanketing large swaths of the country. State media reported that carbon monoxide levels in Moscow were more than six times the maximum allowable concentration, and other toxic substances permeated the city air at nine times the normal level. The disaster has killed more than 50 people and left dozens hospitalized, according to Russia's health and social development ministry. Meanwhile, Russia thanked the United States for coming to its aid. "Russia is grateful to the United States over the assistance in tackling the wildfires raging across the country," said the Russian Foreign Ministry, according to news reports. The United States sent some $4.5 million in aid that included water tanks, pumps, hand tools, fire-protective clothing and medical kits, according to the U.S. State Department. RIA Novosti reported that thousands of Russian emergency workers and military personnel have been working around the clock for almost three weeks to fight the fires in 22 regions, which have so far left more than 3,500 homeless.
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Satellite images on NASA website show wildfire hot spots across Russia . State media report that photographs show 368 fires burning on Saturday . Russia's foreign ministry says it is grateful to the U.S. for aid .
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(CNN) -- The mother of an Ohio-born man is "hanging on by a thread" after her son disappeared earlier this month in violence-wracked Syria, according to family members. Obada Mzaik, a dual American and Syrian citizen, went missing on January 3 after he traveled with his brother on a flight from Detroit to Damascus, his uncle, Dr. Firas Nashef, told CNN. Mzaik was studying civil engineering at a private university in the Syrian capital and had planned to pursue a master's degree in the United States, his uncle said. The 21-year-old student was born in Columbus, Ohio, but moved with his family back to Syria when he was child. He had enrolled in a seasonal program at a Michigan community college. His uncle said Mzaik returned to Syria earlier this month with his brother, Obaie Mzaik, to visit family and prepare for the start of the new semester in Damascus. The 19-year-old brother said that upon their arrival, they were detained by security officers for questioning, according to Nashef. The younger brother was soon released, but the officers kept Obada Mzaik for further questioning. "In his mind, he was expecting to see his brother in the morning," said Nashef. "But that never happened." Mzaik's family is now fearing the worst. "We hear some horrendous stories from over there," said Nashef. "And my sister is hanging on by a thread," he said of the missing student's mother. "We're all hanging on with a bit of hope. But she's angry and she has no information." This month's arrest isn't the first time the 21-year-old has been detained by Syrian security forces. Last summer, he was arrested and held for 37 days for "spreading fliers about the revolution," according to his uncle. A Facebook page, meanwhile, is calling for Mzaik's release. The U.S. State Department also weighed in Tuesday, saying it's aware of reports of his disappearance. "We are working with local authorities to ascertain (Mzaik's) welfare and whereabouts," said State Department spokesman Noel Clay. Mzaik is at least the second U.S. citizen to have disappeared this month in Syria, raising questions as to whether the missing men could usher in a more public State Department presence in the restive country. Abdelkader Chaar, 22, is thought to have been arrested in Aleppo, Syria, five days after Mzaik disappeared. Chaar was born in Syracuse, New York, moved to Aleppo with his parents when he was a boy and is a medical student at Aleppo University, his uncle said. His family has not been told why he was arrested, said Sam Chaar, who spoke to CNN from Arizona. Read more about the arrest of Chaar . The disappearances of both men come as anti-government demonstrations raged throughout the country. Protesters last week focused their attention on political prisoners and demanded the release of detainees. At least 10 people were slain in clashes Friday, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition activist group. For more than 10 months, Syria has been in the throes of an anti-government public uprising and a brutal security crackdown against protesters. The United Nations last month estimated more than 5,000 deaths since mid-March. Opposition groups estimate more than 6,000 people have died. Also, the Arab League is extending its monitoring mission to see whether the government is adhering to an agreement to end the violence. Arab League extends its mission in Syria . The Arab League has called on President Bashar al-Assad's regime to stop violence against civilians, free political detainees, remove tanks and weapons from cities and allow outsiders, including the international news media, to travel freely around Syria.
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Obada Mzaik, a dual American and Syrian citizen, went missing on January 3 . The 21-year-old student was born in Columbus, Ohio; he was in Syria with his brother . He is at least the second American citizen to have gone missing in Syria this month . Mzaik's family back in the United States is now fearing the worst .
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Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- A Cuban court has convicted 14 government officials and businessmen and a Chilean entrepreneur for corruption and bribery involving the state-owned airline and a tourism agency. Marcel Marambio, a Chilean businessman with close ties to the Communist government, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison for bribery, fraud and falsification of documents, according to a notice published in state media on Tuesday. Marambio was president of Sol Y Son, a tourism agency jointly owned by the Cuban state and Chilean investors. His brother Max Marambio, a long-time friend of Fidel Castro, was sentenced in absentia in a separate corruption trial earlier this year. The 14 Cubans, all employed by Cubana de Aviacion airline or Sol Y Son, were sentenced to between three and 10 years of prison. State media said they were convicted because they received "cash bribes and personal perks" but did not provide details about what they provided in exchange. Courts have launched a number of corruption cases since President Raul Castro assumed the presidency of Cuba in 2008.
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A Chilean businessman had close ties to the government . He was president of an agency jointly owned by the Cuban state and Chilean investors . The 14 Cubans were convicted because they received "cash bribes and personal perks"
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(CNN) -- Russia's prime minister Vladimir Putin will not going to Zurich to help his country win the 2018 World Cup and has complained of "unfair competition" in the bidding process. Putin was expected to go to the Swiss city to put the case for Russia, but is sending his deputy Igor Shuvalov in his place. The Russian bid has gathered pace in the buildup to Thursday's vote to decide the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Putin was expected to join other political heavyweights like former U.S. president Bill Clinton and British prime minister David Cameron in last-minute lobbying of FIFA executive members. But in a speech broadcast on Russian television, Putin confirmed he would stay at home and also appeared to criticize corruption allegations made against executive members by British media organizations. Blog: Which countries will win the right to host World Cups ? "I would like to note that recently we have watched with disappointment as an obvious campaign was being unleashed against members of the FIFA executive committee," he said. "They are being dragged through the mud and compromised. I interpret this as unfair competition. We believe that such methods of competition are entirely unacceptable. "Under these circumstances, I think it would be best not to go out of respect for the members of the FIFA executive committee, so that they could make their decision in peace and without any outside pressure." The former Russian president said he had spoken with FIFA president Sepp Blatter on the telephone and put the case for his country to host the World Cup for the first time. "The world football championship has never been held either in Russia, or anywhere else in eastern Europe," he said. "Russia has both the will and the capabilities, including financial, to organize this major sport event." Russia is competing against England and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Netherlands and Belgium for the right to host in 2018. Australia, Japan, South Korea,Qatar and the United States are battling it out for the 2022 rights. The 22-man FIFA executive committee will make its decisions on Thursday.
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Vladimir Putin will not be going to Zurich to back Russia's 2018 World Cup bid . Putin tells Russian television that FIFA executive members are under unfair pressure . Russian prime minister speaks with FIFA president Sepp Blatter on telephone . British PM David Cameron and former U.S. president Bill Clinton are in Swiss city .
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(CNN) -- Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, serving a seven-year sentence after last year's conviction on a charge of abuse of authority, has been on a hunger strike for four days because she was beaten unconscious in prison last week, she said Tuesday. But the prosecutor said Tuesday that his office immediately investigated Tymoshenko's claim and didn't find proof to substantiate her allegations. A medical expert was sent, but Tymoshenko refused an examination, said Gennady Tyurin, general prosecutor of Kharkiv region. He said he has declined to open a criminal case. "The investigation is over," Tyurin said. Last October, a Ukrainian court found Tymoshenko guilty of abuse of authority for signing gas contracts with Russia and sentenced her to the seven-year prison term. Prior to the alleged beating, Tymoshenko was discussing with officials a transfer Monday to a hospital for health reasons, she said. But on Friday evening, her cell mate left the cell, and then "three sturdy men" entered, threw a bed sheet over her, dragged her off the bed and applied "brutal force," she said in a statement. "In pain and despair, I started to defend myself as I could and got a strong blow in my stomach through the bed sheet," she said in a statement. Tymoshenko was dragged "into the street," she said. "I thought these were the last minutes of my life. In unbearable pain and fear I started to cry and call out for help, but no help came." She fell unconscious, and when she came to, she was in a hospital ward, she said. Tymoshenko went on her hunger strike the day after the beating, Saturday, she said. She stopped taking food "to draw attention of the democratic world to things happening in the center of Europe, in the country named Ukraine," she said. Tymoshenko charged that "the president of Ukraine is steadily and pedantically building a concentration camp of violence and lack of rights." She is asking for a "public international investigation" into the administration of President Viktor Yanukovych and added, "we must do everything possible to remove the Yanukovych regime." In April 2011, the Ukraine's Prosecutor General's office opened a criminal case charging Tymoshenko with signing overpriced gas deals with Russian energy provider Gazprom that inflicted damages to the country amounting to more than 1.5 billion hryvnas (almost $190 million at the current exchange rate) and that Tymoshenko had allegedly no right to sign. The court ruled Tymoshenko must repay the money, and she is banned from holding public office for three years. Tymoshenko narrowly lost to Yanukovych in a presidential election in February 2010, and she became his fiercest opponent. She has repeatedly brushed off all charges against her as political, calling the trial a "farce" and naming the judge a "stooge of Yanukovych's administration," appointed to "fabricate" the case. Amnesty International has slammed the verdict as "politically motivated" and called for the release of Tymoshenko, who was prime minister from January to September 2005 and December 2007 to March 2010. CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.
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Ukraine's former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, hasn't taken food since Friday night . She is in prison serving a seven-year sentence for abuse of authority . The prosecutor says his office investigated and found no "proof" of her allegations .
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(CNN) -- Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has set off a political firestorm in Pakistan with his claims that he was brokering an offer from Pakistan's civilian leaders to the Pentagon to unseat the leadership of the Pakistani military. Those accusations forced the resignation on Tuesday of Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, who Ijaz says orchestrated this proposal, which was delivered in a unsigned memo in May to Adm. Mike Mullen, then-U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state that is home to a number of Taliban groups that attack U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan and also is home to what remains of al Qaeda's "core" organization. Haqqani helped smooth over many tense moments in the important U.S.-Pakistan relationship, including the shooting in January of two Pakistanis by CIA contractor Raymond Davis and the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in northern Pakistan in May. Ijaz has said that the offer to get rid of the leadership of the Pakistani Army was sanctioned by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. The story is an explosive one in Pakistan, where relations between the civilian government and the military leadership are often tense and the United States is deeply unpopular. Writing in the Financial Times on October 10, Ijaz explained that, "The embarrassment of bin Laden being found on Pakistani soil had humiliated Mr. Zardari's weak civilian government to such an extent that the president feared a military takeover was imminent. He needed an American fist on his army chief's desk to end any misguided notions of a coup -- and fast." Haqqani denies being involved in any such scheme, and Mullen says that while he did receive a memo that made this kind of offer-- delivered to him by Obama's former National Security Adviser James L. Jones -- he ignored it because it just didn't seem credible. According to Ijaz, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, Pakistan's powerful military intelligence chief, recently traveled to London to meet with him, where he "forensically tested" Ijaz's evidence, which consists of Blackberry messages between Ijaz and Haqqani. While the affair has already brought down Haqqani, a longtime critic of Pakistan's military establishment and a well-known figure in diplomatic and national security circles in Washington, it could also damage the country's civilian government. Haqqani's wife, Farah Ispahani, is President Zardari's spokeswoman and a prominent member of the governing Pakistan People's Party. The man at the center of it all . Who is Mansoor Ijaz, the Pakistani-American businessman at the center of this twisted tale? Born to a family of Pakistani immigrants in Tallahassee, Florida, Ijaz grew up in rural Virginia, the son of two college teachers. After getting an undergraduate degree in nuclear physics from the University of Virginia and an MA in engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the early 1990s Ijaz founded Crescent Investment Management, a New York investment firm. Crescent was politically well-connected. Ijaz's partner in the firm was retired Air Force Lt. General James Alan Abrahamson, who played an instrumental role in President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars"). Another Washington heavyweight, the former CIA director R. James Woolsey, was chairman of the board of Ijaz's publicly listed company, Crescent Technology Ventures PLC, based in London. In the mid-'90s, Ijaz gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democratic Party, and hobnobbed with the Clintons at fund raising events. In 2003, journalist Richard Miniter, in a book titled "Losing Bin Laden: How Bill Clinton's Failures Unleashed Global Terror", relied on Ijaz as the principal source for the key part of his thesis, which concerned the five years Osama bin Laden spent in Sudan in the early and mid- 1990s. Miniter described multiple attempts Ijaz made between August 1996 and 1998 to interest the Clinton administration in improving relations with Sudan, as well as Sudanese offers to hand over intelligence on al Qaeda. In his account to Miniter and in later writings, Ijaz claimed to have helped draft a proposal for Sudan to provide intelligence on al Qaeda to the Clinton administration, and that Sudan had offered to arrest bin Laden. Clinton administration officials did not take Ijaz up on any of his offers to help because they viewed him as "a Walter Mitty living out a personal fantasy," according to Miniter. And the 9/11 Commission, which interviewed Ijaz, concluded that were was no "credible evidence" that the Sudanese had made any offer to hand over bin Laden. In a 2004 interview with Fox News about Iraq, Ijaz, in his then-capacity as a foreign affairs analyst for the network, made another sensational claim: Chemical warheads were being smuggled into Iraq for a potentially catastrophic attack against American troops. And to top it off, Ijaz strongly suggested that the whole plan was given the green light by hardline Iranian mullahs. The story had everything to attract attention -- Mad mullahs! WMD on the loose in Iraq! (At last!) And the threat of thousands of potential American casualties. Ijaz now concedes, "This was an erroneous report based on information I had received from a former intelligence official on the ground in Iraq. I did not second source this story." Ijaz also told CNN, "I have written over 170 op-ed columns, appeared over 200 times on television and have not once had a word of what I said retracted due to factual errors." (Ijaz has written one op-ed for CNN.com). Ijaz told Fox in 2003 that "eyewitness sources" placed Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Iran. Asked by host Brit Hume about the sourcing of the story, Ijaz responded, "I can just tell you that the source is unimpeachable. It is from inside Iran. These are eyewitness accounts." There was, of course, nothing to this story. Ijaz now says, "At the time I made it, I believed the source who had given the data to me." Described as a "U.S. nuclear proliferation and terrorism expert," Ijaz told the Gulf News newspaper in 2006 that Iran not only had a nuclear bomb, it was seeking to "duplicate them in large numbers before revealing their existence to the world." Five years later, Iran still does not have a nuclear weapon, but Ijaz asserted to CNN, "They had in my view then, and it remains my view now, at least one nuclear weapon stored in component parts." In August 2003 Ijaz told the British newspaper The Guardian that he had learned that the Bush administration had brokered a deal with Pakistan's dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, not to capture or kill bin Laden so as not to cause unrest in the Muslim world. Ijaz told The Guardian "There was a judgment made that it would be more destabilizing in the longer term (if bin Laden were captured or killed). There would still be the ability to get (bin Laden) at a later date when it was more appropriate." Ijaz provided no evidence for this claim, and the idea that the Bush administration would do a deal to let bin Laden go free is ludicrous on its face. Ijaz told CNN "I stand by my comments, taken in full context, throughout that article." Peeling back the layers of the story . Pakistan's government and Pakistani and American journalists continue to look into story behind "Memogate." What is puzzling about all of this -- if the allegations are true that Ambassador Haqqani used Ijaz to propose a deal to remove Pakistan's military leaders to Mullen -- is: Why would Haqqani use Ijaz to do this? After all, Haqqani has many formal and informal contacts at the Pentagon, and Ijaz has a history of making sometimes exaggerated or erroneous claims, and his record as an unsuccessful freelance diplomat with Sudan in the 1990s is a matter of public record. Finally, if Haqqani was looking for a discreet back channel to the Pentagon, Ijaz turned out not to be the ideal messenger as he was the person who outed the whole affair in the pages of the Financial Times last month. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter Bergen and Andrew Lebovich.
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Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. resigns over memo to Adm. Mike Mullen . Peter Bergen, Andrew Lebovich: Memo spoke of ousting Pakistan national security team . A Pakistani-American businessman disclosed the events in an opinion article . Authors: It's unclear why ambassador would use go-between to make the "offer"
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(CNN) -- She's been called Italy's answer to Michael Moore, and she doesn't pull any punches -- even when the subject she's taking to task is Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi. Filmmaker Sabina Guzzanti puts the prime minister's handling of the L'Aquila earthquake, which killed nearly 300 people and devastated the city when it struck last year, under deep scrutiny in her latest documentary "Draquila -- Italy Trembles." Recently screened at Cannes Film Festival, the documentary is creating a stir among critics and the Italian government alike. Even though he has been dogged by allegations of corruption and fraud -- which he strongly denies -- as well as criticism of his personal lifestyle, many Italians still support Berlusconi. There are so many scandals in Italy, the picture can get quite complicated, Guzzanti told CNN. At home, she is a well-known political satirist and critic of the government. She decided to focus on one disaster, L'Aquila, to show how abuse of power, corruption and misinformation have contributed to what she presents as the precarious state of democracy in Italy today. "The idea was this: Explain Italy through L'Aquila," she told CNN. The Italian government has responded angrily to the film, whose title is a combination of the words "Dracula" and "L'Aquila." Culture Minister Sandro Bondi refused to attend Cannes, where the film was shown as part of the festival's special screening program. Bondi issued a statement, dismissing the documentary as "propaganda" and saying it "offends the truth and all of the Italian people." Guzzanti is used to incurring the government's displeasure. "Raiot," a political satire TV show she wrote, directed and acted in, was cancelled after just one episode on a state-owned television network following a defamation suit filed by Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset TV network. In a retort, she made "Viva Zapatero," a 2005 film that examines censorship. So, what is it about "Draquila," Guzzanti's fourth feature, that has created an uproar among Berlusconi supporters? Guzzanti argues that Berlusconi, whose ratings were suffering when the earthquake hit in April last year, took advantage of the tragic event to improve his image and boost the public's opinion of him. The documentary uses straightforward language to paint a stark picture of what the filmmaker sees as Berlusconi's exploitation of the tragic event. "Opinion polls showed his popularity was plummeting. So, when, at 0332 on April 6, 2009, an earthquake awoke even those in the Big Brother house, and when it emerged an entire town was destroyed, for Berlusconi it was like God reaching out to him again," a voiceover says in the film. Watch a clip of the film . In the wake of the quake, Berlusconi made a last-minute decision to move the G8 Summit to L'Aquila from Sardinia -- a gesture that attracted world attention -- and took advantage of photo opportunities in several trips to the leveled city. Even more damning, though, is the documentary's examination of the reconstruction efforts in L'Aquila. In particular, the film takes issue with the role played by the Civil Protection Authority. The film argues that the government agency has amassed such immense power under Berlusconi that it can dodge the law -- when granting reconstruction contracts, for instance -- all in the name of emergency and safety. For Guzzanti, investigating the aftermath of the earthquake and the power of the Civil Protection Authority is a way of examining Italy's drift into authoritarianism. "They became like a private army of the prime minister with licence of spending money and making laws," she said of the agency. "And I was shocked and started to investigate." Her film has won praise, not only for its high degree of scrutiny, but for its even-handedness as well. The Hollywood Reporter described "Draquila" as a "straightforward and surprisingly balanced documentary." While her probing style and knack for ruffling feathers make it easy to draw comparisons with Michael Moore, Guzzanti distinguishes herself with an ability to control her outrage. As Variety pointed out in its review: "While she's omnipresent, this is not the Sabina Guzzanti show; the helmer knows she doesn't need to constantly register her outrage for it to come across." Grace Wong and CNN's Neil Curry contributed to this report.
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Documentary screened at Cannes takes aim at Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi . The film, "Draquila," takes issue with the way the prime minister handled the L'Aquila earthquake . Italian Culture Minister boycotted Cannes because of the film, which he called "propaganda" Filmmaker Sabina Guzzanti: "The idea was this: Explain Italy through L'Aquila"
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London (CNN) -- Instagram is hoping to extract more value from photos uploaded in the past, co-founder Kevin Systrom said Tuesday. Systrom, making one of his first public appearances since Facebook acquired his photo-sharing app in April for $1 billion, said he wants to expand the software to go beyond the "10-hour" time frame viewed by most users. "We're still really hard at work on our product ideas," he told attendees at Le Web London -- an offshoot of Europe's biggest internet conference, usually held each December in Paris. "We're going to see Instagram evolve in really interesting ways, and I'm really excited about it." With the Facebook deal still under financial scrutiny in the United States, Systrom gave few other details about what changes its 50 million users can expect. Seven tech-behavior faults that aren't so bad . Systrom said Instagram's success lay in its ability to help people communicate visually and express themselves to a wider audience in new, creative ways. "If it's an honest, genuine photo, it will go far," he said. But he admitted there was considerable room for improvement. He said the company plans to introduce "channels" to organize the flow of images and help users find the best ones. Instagram's passionate users wary of Facebook takeover . "I think we need to do a better job of creating these channels and silos that allow people to learn new things about the world," he said. "We have the content -- it's about exploring it." To escape the sense that Instagram's feed is merely a snapshot of the past few hours, Systrom said his developers are working to find better ways to curate older content. "We are trying really hard to take all the data that you've put into Instagram and let you see into the past," he said. Instagram or Facebook Camera? Systrom appeared alongside celebrity chef and British TV personality Jamie Oliver, an avid Instagram user. Oliver, who has led healthy-eating campaigns in the United Kingdom and the United States, spoke about the democratizing power of the Web, but was more blunt in his assessment of what images attracted the widest circulation: "boobs, pretty girls and dogs." Systrom offered his own inspiration to other startup companies looking to follow in his footsteps. "Entrepreneurs need to focus on solving problems," he said. "If you try to solve big problems, there will always be funding."
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"We're going to see Instagram evolve in really interesting ways," co-founder says . CEO Kevin Systrom said Instagram will introduce "channels" to organize data flow . Instagram hopes to curate older content and become more timeless . Facebook acquired Instagram, a mobile photo-sharing app, for $1 billion in April .
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(CNN) -- The intelligence community and the Obama administration have been under tremendous scrutiny since the attack on the Benghazi consulate in Libya and an investigation is under way. But some aspects of intelligence gathering and analysis are worth keeping in mind before drawing conclusions about whether this attack could have been thwarted or if its specific nature could have been publicized sooner. I should disclose my bias up front: I'm a former CIA analyst, and believe there is an innate "inevitability of failure" in intelligence collection and analysis. This doesn't mean we shouldn't hold agencies accountable if reasonable signs were missed in Benghazi, but assessments often take time, evolving as new information and evaluations of the credibility of conflicting reports emerge. Instead of trying to turn the Benghazi attack -- and the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans -- into a partisan blame game, policymakers would be better served by thinking about how to enhance U.S. intelligence capabilities. Richard Betts writes in his seminal 1978 piece on intelligence failures, "Analysis, War, and Decision: Why Intelligence Failures are Inevitable," that "intelligence failures are not only inevitable, they are natural." In his 2002 piece, "Fixing Intelligence," he notes that "even the best intelligence systems will have BIG failures." Betts says so much information is being collected around the globe regarding so many potential targets, with so many enemy actors adopting deceptive tactics to mislead analysts, that uncovering every threat and thwarting every possible attack is virtually impossible. This overwhelming abundance of information, Betts says, may result in false alarms -- making it more difficult to discern if the threat of an upcoming attack is real. The global stream of information constantly includes vague information regarding security risks. The tragic events in Benghazi mark the first killing of a U.S. ambassador since 1979. But the rarity of this kind of terror attack actually demonstrates the overarching success of U.S. intelligence agencies in keeping Americans safe. People have questioned why the administration didn't immediately report that the Benghazi attack was the work of terrorists. But we don't know whether analysts had enough credible intelligence on hand at the time to be absolutely sure of the nature of the attack. Reports indicate that the intelligence community's evaluations evolved in the following days and weeks as information came in, and policymakers were briefed as assessments changed and solidified. This is common practice. It's also important to keep in mind that the better a state's intelligence capabilities, the more reports it collects, making assessments take longer as mountains of information are sifted through. These realities are significant as the intelligence community's role in the Libya attack is examined under a political microscope. Government e-mails sent about two hours after the attack and obtained by CNN show that an Islamist group, Ansar al-Sharia, had claimed responsibility for Benghazi on Facebook and Twitter, one of many channels of information intel analysts need to examine before reaching conclusions. The group denied responsibility the next day. Claims such as these need to be corroborated. Sometimes multiple groups claim responsibility after attacks; obviously claims of responsibility are often false. It's also possible that the attackers had ties to multiple groups, or had different motives. Expecting policymakers to publicly examine and go through every conflicting piece of intelligence collected in the hours before and after an attack would be unreasonable and potentially even damaging to national security. Instead of making political hay out of the circumstances surrounding Benghazi, we should be focusing on how to improve our intelligence collection and analysis capabilities. But we should also avoid overreacting with ill-considered major organizational overhauls in response to one particular attack. One improvement we could make right away is to invest in recruiting high caliber people to the intelligence community to create an analyst reserve corps. Betts has proposed this idea, and it merits renewed attention. Such a team could comprise nonpartisan trained intelligence experts from various government agencies, academia and the private sector who would be mobilized when an incident happens. Another idea would be to create the equivalent of an intelligence special forces team made up of individuals from inside the ranks or from outside professions. Additional scholarships could be offered to recruit students from top colleges and graduate schools. We could also promote academic research into the realm of intelligence. There is a wide array of academic literature on military tactics and strategy, war, sanctions and negotiations, but little in the field of the role of intelligence in conflicts. In the final days leading up to the election, we must evaluate the performance of intelligence gathering in Benghazi in a fair and objective manner, with every effort to omit our biases and political views. The intelligence community prides itself on such objectivity in its work and in serving both Democratic and Republican administrations. The public and policymakers should afford analysts the same courtesy by holding their judgments of the intelligence community to the same standard. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tara Maller.
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Critics ask why Benghazi attack was not called the work of terrorists right away . Tara Maller: Assessments evolve over time as intel and evaluations of credibility come in . Analysts must consider multiple and conflicting reports, false leads and claims, she says . Maller: We need to understand the nature of intelligence and risk of false conclusions .
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(AOL Autos) -- At the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and MINI showed the world what electric vehicles of the future will look like. And the future of driving looks fun. The Dodge Circuit EV can blast from 0-to-60 mph in around 4 seconds. Those in the know realize that sometime in the future, the vast majority of light cars and trucks in the US will feature electric final drive systems. The motors used in these systems will be powered by batteries, fuel cells, on-board generators, and perhaps even the sun. But this open issue doesn't change the inevitability of this reality. Given our current economic times, reality demands practical, tangible, and achievable ideas of what electric vehicles (or "EVs" for short) might actually look like. This is it ... Chrysler . Three of the four electric vehicles Chrysler showed in Detroit, Michigan, were shown at other events and even to Washington bureaucrats. Each of these vehicles is a running prototype, not some pie-in-the-sky-we'll-never-build that idea. ENVI is the special group of engineers at Chrysler that develops the company's EVs. To date, the ENVI group has developed four electrically powered models, each quite different from the other: a Dodge Circuit EV sports car (rear-wheel drive), a Chrysler Town & Country minivan (front-wheel-drive), a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (all-wheel-drive), and now a Jeep Patriot (front-wheel-drive). Chrysler promises to offer at least one of these models in 2010, and three more by 2013. AOL Autos: Dodge Circuit EV photos . Chrysler approaches electric vehicles with simple plug-and-play engineering. Every one of their vehicles uses similar electric drive motors (only varying in power output), advanced lithium-ion batteries, and a power management controller. Each plugs in to 110- or 220-volt household outlets for recharging. The Chrysler and both Jeeps use an on-board range-extending battery charger (a generator). This generator automatically turns on after the vehicle's initial batter charge has been spent (usually within a range of 40 miles), supplying extra voltage that give these three vehicles an estimated range of approximately 400 miles. The generator is powered by a small gasoline-powered engine that runs with exceptional efficiency. This technology is similar in concept to what General Motors has shown in their Chevrolet Volt, a vehicle that should be ready for production in 2010. AOL Autos: Cadillac Converj photos . The Dodge Circuit carries a larger battery pack and no generator, so its range on the charge it carries is approximately 150-200 miles. Its large battery pack combined with compact dimensions and the exceptional torque provided by its electric motor blast the car from zero-to-sixty mph in around four seconds, exceptionally fast for any sports car regardless of engine type. Mercedes-Benz . Mercedes-Benz used the 2009 Detroit Auto Show to showcase their Concept BlueZERO vehicles. The Mercedes approach was to develop one efficient body style, and then equip it with three different electric drive packages. AOL Autos: Mercedes Stirling Moss photos . Much of the hardware for the all-electric front-wheel-drive propulsion units is built into what Mercedes calls "sandwich-floor" architecture that the company uses on several production cars. The design helps keep heavy components mounted low on the chassis for better handling, enhanced safety, and maximized interior room. All three Concept BlueZERO vehicles include electric drive and batteries. The E-Cell uses a large battery pack that is said to deliver a range of 120 miles. The F-Cell utilizes a smaller battery pack, but supplements the vehicle's range with a hydrogen fuel cell. The fuel cell produces electricity to recharge the battery pack that extends cruising range to 240 miles. The E-Cell Plus, with a range of approximately 360 miles, is the distance champion. The key is the on-board generator powered by tiny 1-liter turbo-charged three-cylinder gasoline engine. The engine and generator are located in the rear of the BlueZERO. For the record, when you see photos of these cars together, the E-Cell is lime green, the F-Cell is mint green, and the E-Cell Plus is orange. Toyota . Adding to its line of popular hybrid vehicles in the U.S., Toyota just confirmed plans to add as many as 10 new gas/electric hybrid vehicles in the next few years. On their way toward that goal, Toyota showed their all-new, third-generation Prius plus the new Lexus HS250H. AOL Autos: 2010 Toyota Prius photos . Important to this story, Toyota also committed to selling a battery powered electric car in 2012 for the U.S. market. Toyota debuted what their all-electric vehicle might be at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, and it's an urban commuter called the FT-EV. The little four-seater is based on Toyota's popular iQ, a car that's already a hit in Japan. The good news is that the iQ is a real car, so the FT-EV will not be a glorified golf cart or a neighborhood vehicle with severely limited capabilities. The claimed range for the FT-EV is 50 miles. As we went to press, details were still sketchy about the FT-EV's running gear. As Toyota releases more details, we'll bring them to you. Mini . While standard MINI models like the Cooper are comparatively easy on gas compared to larger cars, under the ownership of parent company BMW, MINI is testing the limits of how green a MINI can be. AOL Autos: 2010 BMW Z4 photos . Perhaps following the performance of the stunt cars used in The Italian Job (2003), BMW decided to investigate a battery-powered MINI. They introduced the MINI E coupe last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the car was on display again in Detroit. The "charged" MINI E can run up to 150 miles on a full battery pack. Charging is accomplished through standard 110- or 220-volt outlets. The electrified MINI weighs 600 pounds more than a standard MINI Cooper and because of the bulk of the required battery pack, the interior seats only two. Performance from the 204-horsepower motor equals the gas-powered MINI, with a 0-60 mph run in 8.5 seconds. BMW will produce only 500 MINI Es for the United States (if it were easy to make electric MINIs, they'd make more). The limited-production run will be split between New York and L.A. on one-year closed-end leases. After the leases expire, BMW will ship the MINIs back to Germany for evaluation. This scenario mimics what General Motors did with their EV1 electric vehicle about a decade ago.
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Latest technologies debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show . Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and MINI show what electric cars of future will be . Toyota confirms plans to add as many as 10 new gas/electric hybrid vehicles . The "charged" MINI E can run up to 150 miles on a full battery pack .
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(CNN) -- A West Virginia state judge pleaded not guilty to federal conspiracy charges Wednesday for allegedly plotting to frame his secretary's husband in crimes, after the secretary broke off an affair with the judge. Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury, 57, was arraigned Wednesday on two counts of conspiracy against rights, according to a federal indictment based on grand jury findings. According to allegations in federal documents unsealed last Thursday, the alleged five-year vendetta included plotting to plant drugs under the husband's car, recruiting a state trooper to arrest the man on bogus theft charges, and persuading a police officer to arrest him on groundless assault and battery charges, the documents say. "Judge Thornsbury set off on a campaign to persecute his secretary's husband, his romantic rival. In the process he corrupted the system of Justice in Mingo County for his own nefarious purposes," U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said. His trial date was set for October 15, and he was released on a $10,000 bond. Thornsbury's attorney, Stephen Jory, declined to comment on the charges. Thornsbury, who had "engaged in intimate physical contact" with his secretary, according to the indictment, asked her to leave her husband in 2008. She refused. Michael Callahan, who represents the secretary and her husband, on Friday called the incidents that led up to the indictment a "terrible abuse of a public office." Callahan represented the husband in two criminal cases allegedly conjured up by Thornsbury. The charges were dismissed in both cases. "I represent both RW and KW as they begin the process of putting their lives back together and seek their own justice. At this time, my clients are unwilling to make any public statements or do any interviews," Callahan said in a statement to CNN. The secretary and her husband were identified in the indictment only by their initials, K.W. and R.W., respectively. West Virginia state judge faces federal conspiracy charges . When the federal charges against Thornsbury were announced, West Virginia's highest court, the Supreme Court of Appeals, voted to suspend the judge without pay, and also voted to suspend his law license, according to an official news release from the high court. According to the indictment, the conspiracy charges stem from three alleged incidents: . • In 2008, Thornsbury allegedly tried to have a friend plant illegal drugs in a metal box under the husband's pickup truck. The friend agreed to do it but never went through with it, according to the indictment. As part of the scheme, the judge had "purposely cultivated a relationship" with a state trooper, apparently to have the trooper investigate after the drug plant was done, according to the indictment. • Thornsbury "repeatedly insisted" that the same state trooper get an arrest warrant for the husband, for supposedly stealing "scrap mine bits" from the coal company where he worked and selling them. The husband was subsequently arrested, but charges were dismissed. Callahan, the attorney for the husband, said not only did the man have permission to take and sell the scrap bits that were "refurbished," then sold back to his company, the company approved of the practice. • Thornsbury allegedly seized upon an argument between the husband and some of his relatives to cause the arrest of the husband a month after the argument. A family dispute in 2012 led to one of the husband's relatives pulling a gun outside a convenience store, according to the indictment. The husband called police, and even though investigating officers saw a store videotape of the incident and they concluded the relative was the aggressor, Thornsbury allegedly persuaded another officer to arrest the husband weeks later on charges of assault and battery. Charges were later dismissed. Thornsbury has been Mingo County's sole circuit judge since 1997, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Thornsbury was first appointed to the state bench by the then-governor to fill a vacancy 1997, according to Jennifer Bundy, public information officer for the state Supreme Court of Appeals. Thornsbury subsequently was elected to serve as circuit judge.
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Michael Thornsbury, 57, is arraigned on two counts of conspiracy against rights . He's accused of plotting against his secretary's husband over a 5-year period . Indictment: Plot included drug plant attempt, bogus theft charges, groundless arrest . His trial date was set for October 15, and he was released on a $10,000 bond .
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New York (CNN) -- When writer-actor John Leguizamo shows up to do a show in New York, fans outside the theater are surprised to see him ride up on a bicycle. "People go, 'Hey, John, I thought you'd be in a limo.' "This is my limo, my green limo. I'm saving the planet for your kids and your grandkids," says the performer, who has starred in award-winning one-man shows on Broadway and appeared in dozens of films and TV shows. Biking gets you places faster, reduces your carbon footprint, lowers noise, makes you fit and lowers your stress level -- unless you get impaled on the door of a suddenly opened cab or cut off by a guy from New Jersey. Leguizamo thinks urban biking is a form of transportation that dramatically improves the environment and riders' physical and mental health. New York City's government shares Leguizamo's enthusiasm about biking, having added 200 miles of bike lanes in the past three years. The city says it has seen a 45 percent increase in commuting by bike. Leguizamo took CNN on a tour of his favorite biking spots and shared his thoughts about the best way to get anywhere fast in the nation's biggest city: . CNN: How long have you been biking? Leguizamo: I started biking when I was 7 years old, and I've been biking in Manhattan ever since I got that first bike. I grew up in Queens. Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Astoria, Corona, I started going to high school in Manhattan when I was 15, and I moved to Manhattan when I started going to NYU. In high school, on the weekends I would bike to Central Park over the 59th Street bridge. Very Paul Simon and Garfunkel. At NYU, my bike was stolen. The pole I locked it to was a fake pole, and I came back and the pole was gone. I thought at first that I had chained my bike on a different block, but then I realized there was a hole in the concrete. CNN: Why should people bike? Leguizamo: There are a lot of great reasons. First of all, we all want to lower our carbon footprint, and this is one of the great ways, reduce pollution, reduce traffic, reduce noise pollution, improve your heart with reduced stress. When you're out there, it makes you friendlier. You get a little bike rage, but that's only when people cross you. I usually get to places with a lot of great energy and a lot more relaxed. I just saw this old good lady, she must have been in her late 60s, and she had like an adult tricycle, and she had her guitar in the back and a loud horn, and she was smiling and biking down Fifth Avenue. It was great. And for a lot of people who can't run, biking is a lot less stress on your knees. CNN: What are the biggest risks of biking in New York City? Leguizamo: Kamikaze cabs, buses, tourists, people from New Jersey. A Jersey plate will always try to cut you off for sure. And you know Miami and Connecticut plates are always going to go way slow, but that's not as dangerous. And then the crazy pedestrian that comes out between two big vans that block the view, that jump out. There's more danger for them than for you, but you don't want to hurt nobody, either. Opening the door on the street side, my God, that's the most dangerous: passengers opening up the street door instead of the curb door. That should be taught in school. That should be part of your SATs. It's amazing too the amount of cursing you hear from drivers, bikers, cabbies. You learn to curse in every language. CNN: How can you get started biking? Leguizamo: Start slowly in parks until you get maximum skill, and then start taking less busy streets. Just go slow. Don't try to race. If you go slow, you will learn all the urban tactics that you need for biking in Manhattan. You will learn that people are going to do the craziest things. People are going to cut you off. Expect the unexpected at every second. You gotta look for potholes, doors swinging, pedestrians. It's a massive amount of focus. But the fact that you survive and you're home, you feel incredible. And it's so great. It relieves so much stress. I always lose weight. It keeps my cardio up, too. Every time I get tested, they say, "You have the heart of a 20-year old." They're not talking about my liver. CNN: What about the equipment you need? Leguizamo: Get a recycled bicycle, recycle a bicycle, you know, something old and beat up. If you can't and you're too high-maintenance, get something really fancy and wreck it. Get sandpaper and a screwdriver, and you got to mess it up. Because if it looks shiny and nice, no matter what massive lock you have, somebody's going to cut it. If you recycle a bicycle, you get the cheapest lock, and you don't have to carry that massive chain that will weigh you down. You got to have some rain fenders, some rain guards, or then you can only bike and be messy. You can't bike in your suit as much if it rains. And if you're going to ride at night, you've got to have lights, either on your bike or your helmet. I like it on the helmet because people can really see you. And get a front light and a back light. And you need something for the hem of your pants. Either tuck them in your sock or get one of those little pant grips. When I don't pay attention, my jeans have gotten caught many times on the chain. Wear elbow pads, wrist guards, a Kevlar vest. It's Manhattan. Although we're not the murder capital any more. Is it Philadelphia? Or Arkansas? CNN: What about the tourists who come to New York? Should they try biking at all? Leguizamo: No, not in Manhattan. You have to know what you're doing. You can bike on the West Side Highway. That's good for kids and tourists. In Manhattan, you need to know the terrain. You gotta be alert and know what those signs of danger are. If you're a tourist, you're going to be looking at the Empire State Building. "Look at how big and beautiful all those Art Deco buildings are." All of a sudden: Pow. Crash.
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John Leguizamo thinks urban biking is a winner all-around . It cuts carbon emissions, saves time, improves health . New York added 200 miles of bike lanes, saw 45 percent increase in bike commuting . Added benefit: "You learn to curse in every language"
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(RollingStone.com) -- Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera -- all four coaches of "The Voice" -- joined producer Mark Burnett, host Carson Daly and the show's social media maven Christina Milian for a press conference Sunday night at Burnett's Malibu home. Looking out at the panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, Levine quipped, "So this is what reality TV buys you." That, or maybe just knowing what makes for good TV. And Burnett and his team have demonstrated a knack for spotting opportunities. Last season there was shock among fans when singer Jesse Campbell, one of the favorites to win the title, was eliminated by coach Christina Aguilera. Even her fellow coaches expressed their disbelief. This season, which starts September 10th, they'd be able to do something about it, thanks to a new element called "the Steal," which allows judges to pick up a contestant who's been ousted by another coach. Journalists got a sneak peak at a recently taped battle round between two of Green's competitors, who each delivered a smoking rendition of Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love." As soon as Green carried out the unenviable task of choosing just one, the other coaches hammered on their buttons and made their pitches to bring the loser onto one of their teams, just like they do in the battle rounds. Judges can only pick two additional team members, which will lead to a new cycle of the show called "Knockout Rounds," where the teams will pare down before beginning the live episodes. The new opportunity for poaching has added a lot to the show, the coaches told Rolling Stone. "It's nice to throw those elements in to kind of spice things up," Levine said. "Those things definitely help keep it fresh for us." It also adds more pressure, Shelton said. "There's nothing that's more nervewracking than knowing, 'Okay, both these singers did really good and I gotta pick one and I know damn good and well one of these other three are gonna steal the person I don't pick,'" he said. "There's a chance that person may go on and win this and that's gonna make me look really stupid. That definitely goes on in your mind. As an artist and somebody on television I have enough of an ego that I don't want to look that stupid. I want to look brilliant." Ultimately, though, he recognizes it's great for the show and viewers. "It's going to be so exciting for people watching at home," Shelton said. "Here's the truth, as much as we want to sit up here and talk about how different this show is, and it is, what people love the most is those damn buttons. People love to see us hit those buttons and somebody's life is changed at that moment. This is another way of changing somebody's life later on in the show, where they think all hope is lost, they're going home, the next thing you know the button gets pushed and they're right back in the game again. That's pretty exciting." The new components add another element to what Levine, Aguilera and Shelton call "the best season yet." Only Green holds out on that, saying, "A few memorable things have happened thus far, but season three isn't completed yet, so I don't know if this is the favorite season yet." For the four coaches, though, the biggest strength of this season is their bond. In the first clip shown at the junket, the four are seen performing the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up," and they resembled a band, much more than they did in the combined performances of the first two seasons. What helped meld them into a tight, family-like unit is the way all four work with contestants, Aguilera said. "Over time we see how each of us react as coaches, giving such heartfelt advice and attention to these up-and-coming young fresh talents and it's so nice to see," she said. "It's refreshing because we came into it not wanting to knock anybody down and I think we all respect that. We might take shots at each other, but never the talent. So there's just a magic, there's a bond there that's unbreakable at this point." Shelton concurred, recognizing the quartet is now joined together by the success of the series. "We're always going to be connected to each other through this show," he says. He admitted there have been some rough moments, like any family. "We've been through a lot of s**t with each other, no doubt," he said. "We've had fights, ups and downs and weird moments and f**k-offs and all that stuff. But all friends go through that I think and you either go through it and you never speak to each other again or you go through it and your relationship is even stronger. We didn't have to come back together, but we did, and our relationships are stronger." Levine agreed that the coaches have left the rockiest moments behind them. "We are getting along better than we ever have and I guess our energies have all congealed and we're very, very close at this point," he said. The show will run this year in both the fall and spring seasons, which could result in one or more of the coaches having to take a sabbatical to go on tour. Although Burnett said the coaches have their "chairs for live," the assembled journalists were keen to speculate on who the replacement coaches might be. Green shut down the speculation while nicely summing up the bond among the current four. "For me, there's nobody comes to mind that can replace my Blake, my Adam and my Christina," he said. See full story at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone.
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The competition is adding an element called "the Steal" Coaches will have the option of picking up a contestant another coach has dropped . Levine says the coaches have left the rockiest moments behind them .
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(CNN) -- As part of CNN's Defining America project, CNN iReport is conducting a cultural census. We're asking people to share a self-portrait, show off their handwriting, tell us what they typically eat for dinner, and more. This quiz on stereotypes is part of our series focusing on the self-portrait project.
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Can you judge a book by its cover? Find out. This quiz is based on data from CNN iReport's cultural census .
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(CNN) -- Americans set a record for number of votes cast in this presidential election but failed to make history with the percentage of voter turnout, experts said. A record 2.9 million voters cast ballots Tuesday in Missouri. Curtis Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate, said Thursday that percentage turnout was lower because Republicans stayed away from the polls. Disappointment over Sen. John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, combined with a perception that the ticket would lose, prompted many would-be Republican voters to ditch the polls on Election Day, Gans said. "There was real hostility ... amongst moderate Republicans" that McCain would choose the conservative governor, Gans said. "And then there was a gradual perception that the party was going to get whomped." Nevertheless, between 126.5 million and 128.5 million Americans cast ballots this year, according to a report by the electorate study center. Successful Democratic get-out-the-vote initiatives contributed to that number, which shattered 2004's mark of 122.2 million. The report surveyed 47 states and the nation's capital. Twenty-two of those states and the District of Columbia reported an increase in voter turnout this year, the center said. GOP turnout increased in only eight of the surveyed states, according to the report. The percentage of registered voters casting ballots this year is projected at 60.7 to 61.7 percent, according to the center -- a figure much lower than the modern-day record set in 1960 -- 67 percent. Democrat Barack Obama's campaign is credited with building a sophisticated organization at local levels in key states that energized voters to register and to stand for hours in line to cast early ballots. Nationwide, early votes totaled at least 31.7 million in at least 30 early voting states, said Michael McDonald, a professor at George Mason University. McDonald, who also produced projections of voter turnout, estimated Friday that 130.9 million ballots were cast by 61.5 percent of Americans who were eligible to vote. The final tally is expected to be counted by early December, he said. Gans said many people believed this election's turnout would shatter the 2004 mark because of the high amount of early voters, including African-Americans and younger voters, who historically vote in lower numbers. "We failed to realize that the registration increase was driven by Democratic and independent registration and that the long lines at the polls were mostly populated by Democrats," he said. Voter registration increased this year by more than 10 million people, Gans said. See percentage of voting-age population that voted on Election Day 2004, 2008 » . Absentee ballots tend to flow in at the last minute, McDonald said. But this year, with so many people participating in early and absentee voting ahead of the election, there may not be a large flood of absentee ballots, he said. He said Friday that turnout rates rose in states that became battlegrounds in this election. On the other hand, he said, voter turnout in states that lost battleground status was lower or held steady, compared with 2004. Battleground state North Carolina's turnout rate had the largest increase from 2004, according to the center. The state reported a 69 percent turnout rate -- up from 56.8 percent in 2004, according to center data. Missouri, another battleground, reported a record number of voters on Tuesday: 2.9 million. But its turnout percentage -- 69.4 percent -- failed to make history. In Maine, the secretary of state's office projected a record-setting 80 percent turnout among registered voters, which would break Maine's previous record of 74 percent in 2004. Georgia, which saw a 61.3 percent turnout, up from 54.7 percent in 2004, also had a record high turnout, according to data from the center. In 1908 -- when the voter pool was much smaller because African-Americans and women were denied the vote -- 65.7 percent cast ballots in the race between William Howard Taft and William Jennings Bryan. Towering above this year's turnout was the historic race of 1860, when Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas faced off, attracting 81.3 percent. CNN's Debra Alban contributed to this report.
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Report: About 127 million votes cast, shattering 2004 record . Turnout percentage about 61 percent, compared with 1960's 67 percent . Early voting tracker: 31.7 million voted early in at least 30 early voting states . Another expert's estimate projects nearly 131 million Americans voted .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Love hurts, especially for jilted lovers on Valentine's Day. With that in mind, a London tourist attraction is offering visitors the chance to curse former boyfriends, girlfriends or spouses -- and get a discount on the entry price at the same time. "Hex your Ex" is the Valentine's Day promotion at the London Dungeon, a house of horrors that takes visitors through elements of the city's bloody, gruesome, and torturous past. To qualify, visitors must bring a picture of their ex -- or anyone who has shunned them -- then rip it up and throw it in a smoking cauldron, spokeswoman Kate Edwards told CNN. Visitors can then select from a range of curses to inflict on their ex. "If you happen to be single or freshly shunned, this is a way to move on and have a great way of doing it," Edwards said. Hexing your ex will earn you £5 ($7.20) off the entry price. "It's very therapeutic, but it means in times of the credit crunch, you get money off as well," she said. The "curses" are meant to be taken lightly, she said. All were developed by the Dungeon's creative team. "They involve marvelously bad things happening to your ex," she said. "Nothing deadly, obviously. It's obviously tongue-in-cheek."
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London tourist attraction offers visitors chance to curse former lovers . Visitors must bring picture of their ex, rip it up and throw it in cauldron . They can then select from a range of curses to inflict on their ex .
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(CNN) -- Mexico's top security official says the Sinaloa drug cartel was likely behind the kidnapping of a group of four journalists, two of whom were freed in a police rescue. The kidnappers wanted to use the reporters, who were connected with some of Mexico's largest news organizations, to force the media to transmit "criminal messages," Mexican Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna told reporters Saturday. A federal police rescue freed two of the four journalists, who were kidnapped Monday while covering a riot at a prison in the northern state of Durango, Garcia Luna said. A third was released Thursday. But the whereabouts of the fourth reporter were unclear Sunday. The two rescued journalists sat beside Garcia Luna and described their captivity to reporters Saturday. "It is a sad and bitter experience that nobody wants even the worst of their enemies to go through," Multimedios camerman Javier Canales said, noting that he suffered psychological abuse and threats. "Since the moment they took us, we thought they were going to kill us," Televisa Laguna photojournalist Alejandro Hernandez said, according to state news agency Notimex. Their kidnapping was a high-profile reminder of an issue that has been increasingly common amid Mexico's escalating drug war: violence against the journalists who cover it. The journalists were kidnapped Monday while reporting on a protest by inmates and relatives at a local prison, which made news after Mexico's Attorney General's office revealed guards there let free a squad of imprisoned hit men to carry out a massacre of 17 people in a nearby town. The journalists were abducted in the Laguna region, Mexico's National Commission for Human Rights said -- an area which has been the scene of vicious fighting between the Zetas crime group and the Sinaloa cartel. It includes the state of Durango and parts of neighboring Coahuila. On Friday, the signal of one of Mexico's largest television networks faded to black for almost an hour as a symbolic protest. "We will not pretend that nothing is happening," said Denise Maerker, anchor of Televisa's "Punto de Partida" as she opened the show. Critics have said the government does not do enough to hold criminals accountable. On Friday, Mexico City's Milenio newspaper published an editorial calling on the government to step up its game to solve the hostage situation. In the editorial, journalist Ciro Gomez Leyva alluded to demands from the kidnappers for the media to publish certain images in return for the release of the journalists. "That is not our duty. The media is not designed nor equipped to negotiate in a hostage situation," Gomez wrote. Garcia Luna said Saturday that investigations would continue to determine who was responsible. "The Mexican state is above any criminal organization or group and is much stronger than these organizations," he said. The powerful Sinaloa cartel, which Garcia Luna said may have been behind the kidnapping, transports multi-ton quantities of drugs from Mexico to the U.S., according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Forbes magazine has estimated the fortune of its leader, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, at $1 billion. He escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001. CNN's Krupskaia Alis and Gustavo Valdes contributed to this report.
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Mexican official says Sinaloa cartel was likely behind the kidnapping . Police rescue two of the four kidnapped journalists . Another reporter was released last week . The journalists were kidnapped while covering a prison protest .
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(CNN) -- The pilot of a Boeing 737 was in the cockpit, preparing to take off with 101 passengers, when police arrested him for flying with a fake pilot's license, investigators said. The 41-year-old Swedish man was poised to fly on Tuesday night from Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, to Ankara, Turkey, when investigators "caught the pilot red-handed during his flight preparation," according to a statement from the Dutch National Police Services Agency. Authorities charged him with forgery and flying without a valid license, the statement said. It's apparently not the first time the man, whose identity was not divulged, has tried to fly without a license. Investigators in Sweden charged the man several years ago with flying with a fake license, but they did not pursue the case because they couldn't find him, said Anders Lundblad, a spokesman for the Swedish Transport Agency. The Swedes got a tip recently that the man was flying for a Turkish company and that he would soon be in the Netherlands, Lundblad said. They passed that information to Dutch police, which led to the pilot's arrest at the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. The man said he had flown for 13 years for companies in Belgium, Great Britain and Italy, the Dutch police said, though it was unclear whether he had a license for all or part of that time. He recently had a valid license to fly small commercial airplanes, but that license had expired and would not have allowed him to fly passenger aircraft, the Dutch statement said. Lundblad also said the man once had a valid pilot's license. "Why he never renewed it I guess only he knows," he said. CNN's Per Nyberg and Claudia Rebazza contributed to this report.
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41-year-old Swedish man poised to fly from Amsterdam to Ankara . Authorities charged him with forgery and flying without a valid license . Swedish investigators charged man several years ago with flying with a fake license .
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Beijing (CNN) -- The diplomatic drama over Chen Guangcheng showed promising signs of a resolution Friday, with China indicating the activist could apply to travel to the United States and New York University announcing it has invited him to be a visiting scholar. China was incensed after Chen, who broke out of house arrest, sought refuge at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. He left the embassy after six days and went to a hospital, where he was reunited with his wife and their two children. Since then, he has made several pleas to be allowed to leave China, including a call to a U.S. congressional hearing. China's decision to allow Chen to travel abroad to study was seen as a significant sign of progress in what has been a thorny and controversial impasse. "As a Chinese citizen, he may apply like other Chinese citizens according to the laws and normal procedures of the relevant departments," said Liu Weimin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States was "encouraged" by Liu's statement. "From the beginning, all of our efforts with Mr. Chen have been guided by his choices and our values, and I'm pleased that today our ambassador has spoken with him again, our embassy staff and our doctor had a chance to meet with him, and he confirms that he and his family now want to go to the United States so he can pursue his studies," she told reporters in Beijing. New York University said Friday it has invited Chen to be a visiting scholar, working with its law programs. Chen would be in New York or one of the university's global sites, the university said in a statement, adding that the blind activist, 40, has "long-established relationships" with faculty at the NYU School of Law. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland earlier said Chen had been offered a fellowship from an American university, where he could be accompanied by his wife and children. "The Chinese government has indicated that it will accept Mr. Chen's applications for appropriate travel documents," Nuland said. "The United States government expects that the Chinese government will expeditiously process his applications for these documents, and make accommodations for his current medical condition. The United States government would then give visa requests for him and his immediate family priority attention." U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke, who spoke with Chen by phone for 20 minutes, said Chen told him he wants to travel to the United States for study, senior U.S. officials said. The U.S. officials said that as long as Chen has a legitimate offer from an accredited institution and is serious about studying in the United States, he would be given a student visa. "We believe steps will play out expeditiously," one U.S. official said. The news that embassy staff had an opportunity to meet with Chen underscores the progress in the case. Chen had said early Friday that U.S. Embassy officials had told him Chinese security personnel stopped U.S. diplomats from entering his hospital room Thursday. He is in a Beijing hospital for treatment of a foot injury suffered during his escape. But the embassy staff and doctor met with Chen at the hospital for 45 minutes, the senior U.S. officials said. Friday was the 10th birthday of Chen's son, and embassy staff brought him presents. Clinton's long-planned visit to Beijing for strategic and economic talks became dominated by a flurry of negotiations between Chinese and U.S. officials over the Chen case. The diplomatic headache came just months before a presidential election in the United States and a once-in-a-decade change of leadership in China. The uproar prompted sharp Republican criticism of the Obama administration as soft on autocratic governments that abuse their citizens, and it has touched a nerve politically. In one remarkable development, Chen called into a congressional hearing Thursday chaired by Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey. "China pledged to guarantee my constitutional rights and called me a free man," Chen said, speaking from his hospital room early Friday in Beijing to congressional commission members who listened by speakerphone in Washington, 12 times zones and thousands of miles away. "I want them to keep their commitment by allowing me to travel abroad to recuperate," he said. "I want to go to the United States and rest for a while, since I haven't had a Sunday in seven years." The Chinese comments came as U.S. diplomats spoke with Chen in the hospital. The officials also met with Chen's wife, Yuan Weijing, according to a senior State Department official who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Clinton was due to leave China on Saturday for Bangladesh. It remains unclear whether a fresh deal over Chen's future will take shape before she departs. Chen, Bo rewriting China's script . Chen said he was worried about his relatives in his hometown in the eastern province of Shandong, which he fled last month. He said he has not been able to contact some of them and blamed local Chinese officials for his living situation there. "They have installed seven surveillance cameras in my house," he said. "In addition to have the guards stay in my place, they are building an electric fence around my house. They even scoffed, 'Let's see what this blind guy can do to us.' " In a telephone interview with CNN, Chen expressed optimism that U.S. officials would act on his behalf. "I believe they will help me," he said. Until last month, Chen had been forcibly confined to his home for 18 months after serving four years in prison, apparently over his legal advocacy for what he called victims of abusive practices such as forced abortions and sterilizations by China's family planning officials. When Chen left the embassy, U.S. officials announced that they had worked out a deal with China for his future and that Chen was leaving of his own free will. The officials said the Chinese government had committed to relocate Chen to a "safe environment" away from the province where he and his family say they had suffered brutal treatment by local authorities. In addition, the officials said, China agreed to investigate those allegations of mistreatment and promised Chen would face no further legal issues. Under the agreement, Chen was to be granted the opportunity to pursue university studies in the safe location. Locke said one of the proposals "allowed for the possible transfer some day to an American college or university." But Chen subsequently indicated he regretted having abandoned the embassy and made pleas through CNN and other international news organizations to U.S. leaders to get him out of China. His statements prompted bewildered reactions from U.S. officials, who reiterated that the decision to leave the embassy was Chen's and that he had repeatedly said he wished to remain in China. Did Obama betray a Chinese hero? On Friday, Chen mollified his tone compared with the comments he made a day earlier, when he said he was "very disappointed" in the U.S. government because he felt American officials had lobbied for him to leave the embassy and abandoned him at the hospital. Instead, he expressed "deep gratitude" to American officials in Beijing for having treated him "extremely well" during his six-day stay in the embassy. Jerome Cohen, an American law professor and friend of Chen, offered an explanation for Chen's statements after he left the embassy. "Everything changed when he got to the hospital," said Cohen, who advised Chen by phone while he was inside the embassy. "All of a sudden, the people who had worked so hard to secure his future from our embassy and our State Department, they were tired as can be and they went home to sleep." Chen is "in a very fragile emotional state," Cohen said. "You have to understand the enormous pressures in which he's been living and recently operating. And it got to be too much." Chen's case has touched a nerve in China. Comments from Chinese officials reported by state media have criticized what they call "interference" by Washington. Cohen said he is hopeful a deal can be reached to get Chen out of China. "They're practical people," he said, referring to China's leaders. "They're going to want to get rid of him and his family in the most humane appearance possible." Human rights advocacy groups, meanwhile, questioned whether Beijing would stick to its promises about Chen's future, noting that several of his friends and family members have been detained or are unaccounted for. Visitors unwelcome in Chen's hometown . One of those friends -- the fellow activist who revealed Chen's dramatic escape to CNN last week -- reappeared Friday after being missing for a week. He Peirong had been unreachable since she told a U.S.-based human rights organization that the Chinese security services had arrived at her home. On Friday, she said by phone, "I just got home and I'm doing OK." She declined to comment further. ChinaAid, a Texas-based Christian human rights organization, said it remained concerned about Chen's relatives and other human rights figures in China. "The fight for freedom and rights continues," said Bob Fu, ChinaAid's president "Beijing gives Chen freedom with one hand and beats rights defenders with the other." CNN's Jill Dougherty, Jaime FlorCruz, Steven Jiang, Dan Lothian, Eunice Yoon, Jethro Mullen and Stan Grant contributed to this report.
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New York University wants Chinese activist to work with its law programs . China says Chen can apply to study abroad "like other Chinese citizens" U.S. Embassy staff had a chance to meet with Chen, Secretary Clinton says . Chen says he wants to go to the United States to "recuperate"
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Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- Criminal defendants are expected to make initial appearances in federal courts in Phoenix and Tucson on Friday in connection with what one federal agency calls the largest human smuggling investigation in its history. U.S. and Mexican authorities arrested dozens of people Thursday in what U.S. officials say is "the culmination of a comprehensive year-long" investigation focusing on shuttle buses operating along the border between Arizona and Mexico. "This operation has dealt a serious blow to the infrastructure of some of Arizona's most prolific and profitable human smuggling organizations -- organizations that made their money by moving people," John Morton, homeland security assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. The investigation is called Operation In Plain Sight because of what officials call the "brazen nature" of the shuttle services, allegedly part of a confederation of illegal immigrant smuggling rings. The investigation "included unprecedented cooperation with Mexico's Secretariade Securidad Publica," and it "ultimately implicated high-level members of human smuggling organizations" in northern Mexico and the Arizona cities of Phoenix, Tucson and Nogales, ICE said. Eight hundred agents and officers from nine federal and local law enforcement agencies fanned out across Arizona on Thursday, making arrests in the three above cities, plus Rio Rico, and shutting down businesses. Authorities in Mexico and Tennessee also made arrests. ICE, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, said owners and employees of five Arizona commercial shuttle services are among the 47 criminal suspects taken into custody after search and arrest warrants were executed in Arizona. Mexican agents made four criminal arrests, according to Virginia Kice, ICE's Western regional communications director. Authorities announced two arrests in Tennessee, a location underscoring the national reach of the smuggling operation. Here's how the rings operated, federal authorities said: Smugglers would help illegal immigrants enter the United States near a border city such as Nogales. They would then be transported to Tucson, where one of the shuttle vans would take them to Phoenix. Once there, they would rendezvous with another vehicle and be taken to a drop house, and they would then be moved to cities all over the United States, authorities said. Illegal immigrants were allegedly issued phony tickets for shuttle trips, which enabled drivers to claim they were operating legitimate businesses if they were stopped by law enforcement. While most of the smuggled people identified in the investigation came from Mexico and Central America, others came from far-flung locations, such as China. "The defendants wrongly believed they could operate with impunity by hiding behind the veil of legitimacy these businesses provided. Using our investigative expertise, we've dismantled these transnational organizations and literally seized the engines that were driving the criminal enterprise," Morton said. The timing of the raids has drawn criticism from immigration rights groups. "I think we're getting absolutely mixed messages," Jennifer Allen, director of Border Action, said Thursday. "I saw that just yesterday, first lady Michelle Obama said she wants to see immigration reform happen, and then we wake up this morning and we have ICE raids intensively throughout the state of Arizona." The first lady visited Mexico this week, where she met with her counterpart, Margarita Zavala de Calderon. ICE officials say politics played no role in the operation. They say the massive investigation and resulting sweep represent a shift in enforcement strategy. For years, law enforcement officials concentrated on busting illegal immigrant drop houses. Now, federal officials say, they are after the transportation networks that supply the smugglers' human cargo. CNN's Casey Wian and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
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Operation in Plain Sight deals "serious blow" to smugglers, Homeland Security official says . Eight hundred agents and officers from nine agencies mobilized in Arizona . Owners, employees of 5 Arizona shuttle services are among those taken into custody . Saying U.S. sends "mixed messages," raids' timing draws ire of immigration group official .
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(CNN) -- Since the early days of pop music, the music industry has been searching for the secret formula to writing a successful song -- for that special alchemy that separates a Grammy-winner from a dud. For a period in the 1970s and 80s, the self-styled King of Pop Michael Jackson seemed to have stumbled upon it, but somewhere along the line he, too, seems to have misplaced it. Hit Song Science claims to be able to predict whether a song will be a pop hit . But now a piece of software claims it can compute whether a song has chart-topping potential, and a number of record companies and musicians are using Hit Song Science (HSS) to gauge whether they have a hit on their hands. The software, developed by Barcelona-based Music Intelligence Solutions, works by breaking down more than 60 elements of a song, including melody, harmony, tempo, pitch, octave, beat, rhythm, fullness of sound, noise, brilliance and chord progression, and compares it against a database of over 3.5 million past commercial hits. The program organizes songs into clusters with similar-sounding equivalents and then rates the song on a scale of one to ten, with a score of 7.3 being deemed likely to do well in the music charts. Curiously, clusters of songs do not necessarily contain songs that sound the same to the human ear, but from a mathematical perspective they share similarities. HSS analyzed music from Norah Jones' first album before she broke through and the program's algorithms placed her in a cluster with Linkin Park, Aerosmith and JayZ. If you have ever wondered why you sometimes find yourself humming along to some smooth jazz on the radio when you consider yourself a strict thrash metal fan only, then perhaps HSS has discovered the scientific answer. Besides Norah Jones, the program also predicted success for Mika, while "Turn Your Car Around," a song penned by Ben Novak, a singer-songwriter from New Zealand, was rated as a potential hit by HSS, who recommended it to Sony Music in the UK. It eventually ended up as a vehicle for ex-Blue band member Lee Ryan and scored a respectable UK chart position of 16 in 2005. Record producer Carlos Quintero, director of Orixe and Jamm Records in Spain, believes that the software has a high accuracy rate. "I was very skeptical when I was told about it for the first time," he says. "I thought it was science fiction. "But when we choose a tune for an artist and we like it and feel it will be a hit, the surprise is that 85 percent of the time the tracks we have chosen get a positive analysis from the software." The emergence of hit prediction programs such as this -- New York-based Platinum Blue Music Intelligence provides a similar service -- raises concerns that the creative element of writing music would be eroded by breaking it down into mathematical algorithms. But Quintero claims the program in no way writes a song, it simply tells you whether it has the potential to be a hit. He says he mainly uses the software to tweak and refine songs so that he can maximize his chances of scoring a high chart position. "There was a particular case where we had to revise the song as at first it wasn't completely right. Using the software, we managed to make it work," he explains. "The problem with the software is that it can only indicate whether a song is suitable or not. It's up to the producer, the technical team and the artist to make it suitable in the first place." Quintero has since become a member of Music Intelligence Solutions' advisory board, so he is bound to have a positive take on the service. Jimena Llosa, General Manager EMEA of Music Intelligence Solutions, claims the company has thirty to forty clients in the record industry in Europe and the U.S., but she says she cannot reveal who they are, citing privacy issues. CNN attempted to contact several record companies in London, but A&R departments claimed they had not heard of the service, suggesting either a certain coyness to admit using it or that it is not as widely used as Music Intelligence claims. The software can also be used as a way of recommending new music to audiences. In Spain, cellular phone company Orange is using the technology in its New Talents enterprise. Listeners can enter in their favorite songs and the program will suggest songs they might enjoy according to its cluster system. Óscar Sainz is one musician who has profited from this new way of connecting musicians with an audience. A national tennis monitor by profession, he struggled to make an impact in the music industry despite the best efforts of Pablo Pinilla, one of Spain's most successful music producers. But since the Orange initiative his career has taken off and he is now selling well through Orange and touring the country. "A machine or at least mathematical or scientific formulas that could analyze the parameters that a song needs to be a hit? The truth is I doubted it at first," he says. "My first instinct was it must be a con. "Don't ask me what parameters they use, or formulas, or machines they use, because I don't know. But it works." But the software has its skeptics. Jim Elliot, writer and producer of Kylie Minogue's new single "2 Hearts" is unconvinced about the accuracy of the program. He entered tracks from her new Album "X" and they were, unsurprisingly, rated as potential hits. But he also entered a little-known, unreleased, song by 70s band Gong that included cows mooing, and it was also rated as a potential chart-topper. He thinks that the program negates the unpredictability of human behavior. "The fact is that it's the human errors introduced in the music-making process that are always the most interesting," he says. "Who would have thought Lily Allen would do so well? I doubt anyone would have predicted that. "It's so hard to categorize music. There's a real danger of doing that. If you are writing and producing music you can try to fit it to certain formulas but it's so abstract that it has to be free -- and then something good will happen." With just one fifth of their musicians making a profit for today's record companies, executives are always searching for new ways to narrow the risk margin. Hit Song Science may become a useful string in their bow in the elusive art of predicting a hit. Otherwise they will have to keep relying on tried and tested -- and more human -- methods, such as gut instinct. E-mail to a friend .
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Barcelona company claims its software can tell if a song will be a pop hit . Hit Song Science analyzes song's melody, harmony, tempo, beat . Software cannot write hits, just predict whether they will find success . Company says A&R departments are using it to tweak tracks for the top .
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(CNN) -- Myanmar's courts convicted 22 Buddhists this week for sparking anti-Muslim violence and bloodshed in March, according to a state-run newspaper. At least 43 people died and thousands more were displaced as a result of violence in the city of Meiktila, in central Myanmar, with the Muslim population sustaining the bulk of the casualties. Those convicted this week received prison terms ranging from one to ten years in prison, including hard labor, the state-run New Light of Myanmar reported. Anti-Muslim sectarian attacks in Meiktila began March 20, reportedly after an argument between a Muslim gold shop owner and two Buddhist sellers. The wave of violence that swept the city included beatings, arson and immolations. Many Muslims claimed local police took no action to stop the riots. After three days, President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency, allowing the military to enter the city and restore order. Sein said the government did not intervene immediately in order to avoid endangering the country's "ongoing democratic transition and reform efforts." "I would like to warn all political opportunists and religious extremists who try to exploit the noble teachings of these religions, and have tried to plant hatred among people of different faiths for their own self-interest: Their efforts will not be tolerated," he said. This week's convictions continue to highlight the fragility of ethnic relations in Myanmar, also known as Burma, as it emerges from decades of military repression. Authorities have released thousands of political prisoners and pursued peace talks with rebel groups in the past two years.
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Myanmar convicts 22 Buddhists for anti-Muslim violence, bloodshed in March . At least 43 people died, thousands displaces in central city of Meiktila . Riots began March 20, lasted for three days, until state of emergency declared . Myanmar, also known as Burma, is on path of democratic, economic reform .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's father wants a judge to order the pop star's estate to pay him a monthly allowance, according to papers filed in court Friday. Joe Jackson, the 80-year-old Jackson family patriarch, was not named in Michael Jackson's 2002 will, which left his wealth to his mother, Katherine Jackson, his three children and undisclosed charities. Brian Oxman, Joe Jackson's lawyer, filed the petition Friday asking for him to be included in the family allowance. The matter will be considered Tuesday when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff convenes the next hearing on matters related to the probate of Jackson's will, Oxman said. The filing does not publicly specify how much Jackson's father is requesting. Howard Weitzman, one of the lawyers for the estate's special administrators, said Joe Jackson's request "will be considered as are all requests for money from Michael's estate." "It was quite surprising to learn of the request," Weitzman said. Michael Jackson's mother and his three children receive a court-ordered allowance from the estate totaling more than $86,000 a month, according to court documents. The money is in addition to the maintenance of the home -- which is owned by the estate -- in Encino, California, where Katherine Jackson lives with her grandchildren, the papers said. Although Joe and Katherine Jackson are still married, Joe Jackson lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Joe Jackson is credited with launching and guiding his family's show business success, but Michael Jackson had publicly criticized his father's parenting skills. Tuesday's hearing could also see a new challenge by the Jackson family of the 2002 will. Michael Jackson died June 25, but the probate of his will has been slowed by a series of court squabbles between Katherine Jackson's lawyers and the two men now in control of the estate. John Branca and John McClain, who are named as executors in the will, were appointed temporary special administrators to run the estate until the process is completed. Katherine Jackson replaced the lawyers representing her in the estate case last month with attorney Adam Streisand. Another Jackson family lawyer said the change was made because the case was about to take a "new direction" based on "new evidence" uncovered by the family. Attorney Londell McMillan pointed to questions about the authenticity of the signature on Michael Jackson's will. Tuesday's estate hearing will be Streisand's first appearance in the case. A trial has been tentatively set for December to decide any challenge of the will, although Streisand said last month he expected it to be set for early next year. The A&E network announced Friday that "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty" television series will launch with two hours of programming on Sunday night, December 13. Four of Michael Jackson's brothers -- all except Randy Jackson -- are involved in the show "as they prepare for a Jackson Five reunion, while also coming to terms with Michael's tragic loss," the network said. An A&E programming executive said the "deeply intimate portrait will provide viewers with a raw and honest look inside a musical dynasty."
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Joe Jackson, who was left out of will, wants judge to give him allowance . Michael's mother, Katherine, Michael's children get bulk of the estate . Michael Jackson had publicly criticized his father's parenting skills .
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(CNN) -- In a presidential campaign laden with historic twists, the biggest shock may be yet to come: With three weeks to go, the first of two remaining debates tonight, and most Americans yet to cast their ballots, the final surprise may be that there are no surprises left. This campaign for president may be over. There is a good chance that the Denver debate was the watershed that carries this election to its conclusion. If so, Barack Obama has only himself to blame. Yes, the polls show a very close race, but the momentum has belonged to Romney since his superior showing in the first debate. Long ago, Team Obama displayed a heartbreaking lack of faith in its candidate and his prospects. Abandon hope, all ye who campaign here; they never tried to get Barack Obama re-elected president. Constrained by the paucity of their achievements and the poverty of their ideas, perhaps they felt they had no choice: We can't win, they concluded, but maybe we can stop the other guy from beating us. Obama's thin campaign only tried to stop his opponent from winning. Get instant updates on the second presidential debate on CNN's live blog . Until this last month, the president's "This is a one-man race" marketing philosophy was working -- but only with the assistance of an opponent who ran as if his shoes were tied together. Mitt Romney had allowed Obama to paint him as an unacceptable alternative. He also helped the president with 47% of the brushstrokes. Team Romney's inability to introduce their candidate as a good and decent man has frustrated Romney's core supporters, who've longed to hear more about their man's munificence and compassion. Romney's campaign seemed equally unable to acquaint voters with the transformational business leader who, as Ann Romney describes, has routinely done things others thought "impossible." All that changed two weeks ago in the pure Denver air. What millions of dollars of ads had not been able to do, Mitt Romney did for himself. The Romney who showed up in the first debate did not, as Obama had led voters to expect, have horns and tail. Instead, he was the most unexpected candidate of all: a reasonable alternative to good-hearted but flailing president. In debate one, Romney even admitted he was having fun, an emotion we were not led to think he was programmed to express. iReport: Share your questions for moderator Candy Crowley . In the presence of an acceptable Republican replacement, the only theory of the president's campaign, that voters had no choice but Obama, began to break down. Voters began to suspect there was no alternative, not to Obama, but to Romney. Suddenly, Barack Obama was the man who wasn't there. If the 2008 election was about hope and change, the 2012 contest has always about strength and certainty. In these turbulent and uncertain times, the most unacceptable quality in a leader is weakness. In one flashing moment in a primary debate, Tim Pawlenty refused to say to Romney's face what he had said absent his presence, that Romney had created "Obomneycare." Without hesitation, voters neutered Pawlenty. General election voters may have seen similar weakness in Obama, as he sleepwalked with unmasked indifference through his greatest political challenge. If our president wasn't equal to the defining moment of his own re-election, how can we trust him to rise to the test of fixing the economy? Now, with only three weeks to go, Obama's campaign marinades in its powerlessness. Doubts metastasize as the administration moans that no one asked the president to protect our Libyan ambassador, as if it had not been his responsibility. He's started losing female voters, treating women as no more than a constituency of sexual organs and then hiding behind his secretary of state's skirt. He pretends to protect women, Hispanics, seniors, when he cannot protect himself. Obama, Romney face big hurdle in town-hall format: Unpredictability . Debates are the most primitive moments in our democracy. In these primal contests, we test those who would lead our country. We send our gladiators into the coliseum to see if they have the authority to command an unexpected moment, satisfying our blood thirst for strong leadership. There is no bigger test. Tonight we should expect a solid performance from both men. Romney has been doing "Ask Mitt Anything" Town Halls for five years. On the stump these days, he connects with ease, telling stories of the people he's met, moved by their hopes and suffering. His growth is evidence that our campaign process is not only built to pick presidents but to shape them. Obama is gifted in the town-hall debate format, too. His performance against John McCain was stately; but one debate alone is probably not enough to rebuild what he has destroyed, the image of constancy and strength. Five things to watch for in Tuesday's debate . It takes only a moment to reveal feebleness. It requires many to reestablish certainty. One good debate tonight will help re-energize Obama's base but not our country's confidence in him. Whether victory belongs to Romney or Obama, we do not know but this cake may be baked: The Denver debate may have eradicated the opportunity for both candidates to change the outcome of this election. Mitt Romney may have already won this election: Even if the president has a strong performance tonight, he failed us on the economy, failed us in Libya, failed us in Denver. How can we trust that Barack Obama won't fail us again? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alex Castellanos.
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Alex Castellanos: What if there are no more surprises in the presidential campaign? He says the momentum since the first debate has been all in favor of Romney . It may be too late for Obama to make up for his debate weakness, Castellanos says . Castellanos: Both candidates have shown they can handle town hall format .
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(CNN) -- For all of our post-2012 election talk about the changing culture, the changing demographics and, perhaps, a changing party, preliminary thoughts out of D.C. about the 2016 election have us headed toward not much change at all: Clinton vs Bush ... again. I am as intrigued by the prospects of these two juggernauts, Jeb and Hillary, locking ideological horns as I am repulsed by the thought of half of my life being dominated by two family names. One, Clinton, has risen from the ashes after the White House. The other name, Bush, is so toxic that the past two Republican nominees avoided saying it in public, opting instead to skip their combined 12 years in office and head straight back to Reagan. Face it, Hillary has baggage, but Jeb has Bush, and that, moreso than his record as governor of Florida or ideas for the future, will determine, at least at the beginning, how he is received. That explains why more than a few conservatives were not thrilled to hear that he was thinking of running. Is it fair for a 59-year-old man to be judged by the actions, or inaction, of his father and brother? Of course not. And we certainly wouldn't judge Hillary solely based on our opinion of Bill. Yet, as we know, politics is a lot of things but fair is not one of them. I can already see some super PAC funded by -- oh, that's right, they don't have to tell us -- creating ads morphing George H.W. Bush into George W. Bush and then Jeb Bush, with a Michael Moore voiceover saying, "same name, same failed policies." Politics: Jeb Bush Jr. hopes dad will run for president . That would be great for Clinton, or whoever eventually claims the Democratic nomination, but not necessarily good for the country. It's not a good thing for the country when voters are robbed of the opportunity to hear smart ideas for superficial reasons. Like Howard Dean's infamous yelp or Jon Huntsman's quiet demeanor. And in my book, discounting the idea of a candidate because of his brother's shortcomings is superficial. If someone doesn't like Jeb Bush, let it be because of the record of Jeb, not because of the record of everyone in the White House named Bush. There are things I like about Jeb and things I don't, but both are based upon what he has done. And if we want an election based upon substance instead of that GOP primary circus we had in 2011, that is how we need to judge both Clinton and Bush. Assuming, of course, it is Clinton and Bush. The speculation is here, but the reality is years away, and a lot can happen. Politics: Behind the scenes of Clinton's "shuttle diplomacy" Jeb may not find the conservative support he needs because many view him as a RINO (Republican in name only) while Hillary says she's tired. (And I'm sure she is ... tired of not being president.) We heard a lot of talk about change after this year's election. The biggest change that's needed is a move away from hyperbolic reactions to inconsequential events. In August 1988, Jeb's father, in a brief meeting with President Reagan, introduced three of his grandchildren to the Gipper this way: "These are Jebby's kids from Florida, the little brown ones." Call me crazy, but I doubt at any point in Jeb's life would he introduce his children to anyone as "the little brown ones." This isn't to paint the father as anything scandalous but to make the point that Jeb is his own person, with his own thoughts and own ideas. Earlier this year, Jeb Bush spoke his own mind, calling the rhetoric during the Republican primary disturbing and saying that his party was behaving stupidly with regard to Latino voters. I don't recall his brother or dad being that bold in criticizing his own party. Jeb deserves to be credited, or discredited, on his own merit, not on the record of the men who served as president before him. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of LZ Granderson.
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LZ Granderson: For all the talk of change, 2016 may be another Bush-Clinton race . Bush name carries negatives; so toxic that McCain and Romney avoided it, he says . LZ: It's not fair to judge Jeb Bush by the actions of George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush . He says we should examine the potential candidates on their merits, not family names .
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San Diego, California (CNN) -- When you refuse to acknowledge a group of people in all their nuances and complexities, or depict them as predictable and one-dimensional, or dictate for them a code of acceptable behavior, it is a blatant sign of disrespect. It would be offensive for someone to suggest that all Italian-Americans think a certain way, all Irish-Americans behave a certain way or all African-Americans vote a certain way. So it is with 50.5 million Hispanic Americans, who come in every variety imaginable. You might know this from what you consume daily in the form of political messaging, media images and advertising campaigns from Madison Avenue. What better time to assert the right of Hispanics to be unpredictable and complicated human beings than Hispanic Heritage Month, which gives Americans the chance to learn more about, and pay respect to, the nation's largest minority. In 1968, Congress set aside one week each year to honor the contributions and culture of Hispanics. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation expanding the period to 30 days: September 15 to October 15. A generation or two ago, the challenge for Hispanics was simply to get noticed by corporations and political parties. That happened. Ten million votes cast in a presidential election, and roughly $1 trillion in buying power, is hard to ignore. Today, the new challenge is to get those same corporations and political parties to see Hispanics as they really are as opposed to how others want them to be or assume them to be. For example, in the past several weeks, I've been asked often on radio and television interviews to predict where the Hispanic vote will go in the 2012 election. My answer: Just about everywhere. Will Hispanics take a chance on the Republican presidential nominee -- especially if it is Texas Gov. Rick Perry who has a record of attracting Hispanic support to the point of being attacked by Republican rivals who mistakenly cast the immigration debate as "us" vs. "them" and put Hispanics in the "them" camp? Or will they double down by sticking with President Barack Obama who, while earning two-thirds of the Latino vote in 2008, also heads an administration that has repeatedly lied to and manipulated Hispanics by promising immigration reform but delivering only record numbers of deportations -- more than 1 million since Obama took office? My answer: Yes. Both those things will happen. And more. This is not a monolith. The Hispanic population in the United States is made up of conservatives, liberals, middle-of-the-road moderates, Republicans, Democrats, independents and everything in-between. It's true that most Hispanics are registered Democrats, just like they have been for the past five decades dating back to the "Viva Kennedy" clubs in 1960. But it is also true that Hispanics have -- in gubernatorial, congressional and presidential races over the years -- been willing to cross party lines and support moderate Republicans who eschew anti-Hispanic nativism and craft a message that appeals to them. You see that sort of thing much more often at the local and state level than you do in the federal arena. But it happens everywhere. The list of Republicans who enjoyed significant Hispanic support in their political careers is long and distinguished. It includes George W. Bush, John McCain, Jeb Bush, Rudolph Giuliani, Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and two former Arizona governors -- Fife Symington and Jane Hull. Of course, among Hispanics, there are differences in geography, economic status and educational attainment that help shape how they see the world and their place in it. There are also ancestral differences. According to the 2010 census, about two-thirds of those 50.5 million people are Mexican or Mexican-American. The other third is made up of Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans, Salvadorans, Brazilians, Guatemalans, Hondurans, Colombians, Venezuelans and others. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American and self-described "son of exiles" who is being talked about as possibly landing on the 2012 Republican presidential ticket, is the darling of South Florida. Yet, if Rubio were on the GOP ticket, he is likely to be very unpopular in the Southwest where many Mexican-Americans resent Rubio's hard line on illegal immigration. It's easy to talk tough about border security or oppose "amnesty" when you represent a community in which came here on the red carpet of the Cuban Adjustment Act, a relic of the Cold War that makes it almost impossible to remove Cuban immigrants once they arrive on these shores. But besides those differences, there are also similarities. Regardless of their backgrounds or biographies or biases, Hispanics want what the rest of their countrymen want: The chance to work for a brighter tomorrow, the right blend of rights and responsibilities and the respect that comes from being seen as individuals and not just part of a group. And why not? That's the American way. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette Jr.
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Ruben Navarrette: Don't stereotype Hispanic Americans . He says Thursday marks beginning of Hispanic Heritage month . People ask which candidates are going to get the Hispanic vote? Navarrette: America's 50 million Hispanics aren't a single bloc .
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(CNN) -- Flamboyant and fearless, Roberto Cavalli is the peacock of the fashion world; with his body-hugging clothes, he woos women the world over. Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli . But his clients are no dainty damsels: Cavalli's women are Amazonian warriors and Grecian goddesses, whose armor is fashion and whose weapon is sex. His colorful creations are unabashed celebrations of the female form: dresses slashed to the hip or barely skimming the buttocks, necklines that plunge where no other designer dares. Cavalli's woman knows she looks fabulous, and isn't afraid to show it: to her, it's not just clothing, it's an announcement that she's arrived. Born in Florence in 1940, Cavalli was immersed in an intensely creative environment from childhood. That influence came from his father, a tailor, and his artist grandfather, Giuseppe Rossi, whose work is shown in the famous Uffizi Galleries. Following in his father's footsteps, Cavalli studied textile design at the local art institute. By the early 70s, he had developed an innovative technique for printing on lightweight leather, and his Florentine flair had led to commissions with Hermes and Pierre Cardin. In 1970, he presented his first namesake collection at the Salon for Prêt-à-Porter in Paris. His trademark work with unconventional fabrics like embellished denim and leather, mixed with wild animal prints and exotic patterns, was embraced by the jet set and Cavalli opened his first boutique in Saint Tropez in 1972. Cavalli married his wife, Eva Duringer, a former Miss Universe, in 1980; she is now his business partner and right-hand woman. His fondness for bright color, exotics, fur and bold prints -- which he designs in his factory on the outskirts of Florence -- have won him a name as the king of fashion excess. Beloved by A-listers and pop princesses, these are not clothes for the shy: this is old-school glamour, infused with power, wielded by women who have flounced and shimmied their way to the top. See Cavalli's designs on the catwalk » . His main line is sold in over 50 countries worldwide, along with his diffusion lines RC Menswear and Just Cavalli, plus a children's line, knitwear, accessories, eyewear, watches, perfumes, underwear and beachwear. He's even ventured into Cavalli-branded vodka and wine. His collaboration with high-street fashion store H&M in November 2007 caused stampedes as his fans flocked to get their hands on his creations, desperate to capture some of that Cavalli magic at tiny prices. Some have asked whether his latest collections have taken a more gentle direction -- but the tiger's inner fire still burns bright. Spring/Summer 2008's bold flower prints and flirty feathered dresses were followed by Autumn/Winter 2008's flowered dresses that at first glance appear dewy and fresh -- but look closer, and the hip-hugging cut belies their innocence. Cavalli is adored by his celebrity clientele, who flaunt his show-stopping creations on red carpets from Los Angeles to Sydney. Fans of his work include Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyoncè Knowles, Charlize Theron and Victoria Beckham. If anyone sums up the glamour and glitz of show business, it's Cavalli: fashion as theatre, shameless decadence where the whole world is a stage. That's underlined by his eponymous 133'9" long yacht, built 2004, and color-coordinated, naturally, with his helicopter and fleet of cars.
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Florence-born fashion designer Roberto Cavalli is known for his bright, sexy clothes . He is the grandson of Impressionist painter Giuseppe Rossi and the son of a tailor . His clothes are adored by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham . Cavalli's extravagant lifestyle includes color-coordinated yacht, cars and helicopter .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Obama administration is abandoning a controversial plan to charge private insurers for treatment of veterans' service-connected ailments. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel met with veterans' groups on Wednesday. In an statement Wednesday night, the White House said that although the president believes the plan would raise more money for veterans' care, the administration is dropping the idea after hearing the objections of veterans groups. "The President listened to concerns raised by the VSOs [veterans service organizations] that this might, under certain circumstances, affect veterans and their families' ability to access health care," the White House said. "Therefore, the president has instructed that its consideration be dropped." News of the change of heart originally came from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who disclosed the decision to reporters while meeting with a group of veterans on Capitol Hill. "President Obama has listened to the concerns expressed by veterans' leaders and veterans' service organizations," Pelosi said. "We will leave no veteran behind." Veterans' representatives and members of Congress have angrily opposed the proposal, which White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said was never finalized. Leaders from 11 veterans groups discussed their position in a meeting Wednesday afternoon with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. "We stood firm on our stance that there is no way to support charging veterans' insurance companies for service-connected treatment," said Jim King, executive director of AMVETS, a leading veterans' advocacy organization. Emanuel indicated that the proposal was "a dead issue," King added. "The administration was quick to say [that if veterans were] going to fight it, [the White House wasn't] going to push it." Another attendee, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, said Emanuel was quick to come back after hearing the veterans' groups stand firm and tell them, "Let's clarify, it is dead." "They made the right move -- they listened to us. Now we can move on to bigger more important issues," Rieckhoff said. The meeting was very short, said King. Despite the difference in opinion, King said the atmosphere was cordial and "everybody seemed comfortable." On Monday, the groups met with President Obama, Emanuel, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and Steven Kosiak, director in charge of defense spending for the Office of Management and Budget. The administration saw the plan as a way of raising more than $500 million in revenues for the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, veterans groups saw it is a violation of what they said is the government's moral obligation to treat veterans injured during service to their country. In addition, they believed it would lead to veterans and their families losing their private insurance or premiums rising because of the high costs of treating many service-related injuries. The head of the Senate Veterans Affairs committee, Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said Tuesday his committee would "not advance any such legislation." His counterpart in the House, Bob Filner, D-California, said his committee wouldn't take up the proposal either. In a statement released by his office, Filner said the idea is "DOA" and said the budget "cannot be balanced on the backs (or legs, or kidneys, or hearts) of our nation's combat-wounded heroes." The president pushed back during the meeting on Monday, telling the groups that private insurance companies were getting a free ride. He challenged the veterans to come up with an alternative way to raise revenues. AMVETS planned to propose that billings be pursued more aggressively for injuries not related to service. But AMVETS director King said Emanuel didn't ask for suggestions in Wednesday's meeting. A 2008 Government Accountability Office study found that about $1.7 billion in treatment that could have been charged to private insurance never was, nor was it collected by the VA. CNN's Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.
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White House chief of staff meets with veterans groups . Administration wanted to charge private insurers for treatment of veterans . Vets' groups and members of Congress have angrily opposed the proposal .
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(CNN) -- Ethan Fisher is small for his age. The 8-year-old looks 6, though his natural athleticism aids him on the baseball field. He's outgoing and spontaneous -- a bundle of energy with big blue eyes and a welcoming smile. You'd never guess from looking at him that Ethan has Fanconi Anemia, a rare blood disorder that may one day kill him. "He's the ask-for-forgiveness child," his dad, Florida State University head football coach Jimbo Fisher, says with a laugh. The FSU Seminoles have had an outstanding year. They're undefeated at 13-0. Their quarterback, Jameis Winston, recently won the 2013 Heisman trophy. The team is set to play Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game on January 6. Basically, Jimbo Fisher is on fire. "I love what I do," he says. "The more success I have, the more awareness I can bring to this disease." In December 2010, Ethan fell ill with the flu. The Fishers were visiting family in Alabama, so his mom took Ethan to an urgent care clinic. A blood test revealed his platelet count was low. Probably nothing to worry about, the doctors told Candi Fisher. Just follow up on it when you get home. A few months later, Ethan was diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia. "All we knew about the disease was what we looked up online," Jimbo says. "It was all the worse-case scenario. We thought it was a complete death sentence. "That day was..." After a moment, he finds the word: "devastation." Fanconi Anemia is an inherited blood disorder that affects about 1 in every 130,000 people, says Dr. Margaret MacMillan, a pediatric hematologist oncologist at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital. Patients with Fanconi Anemia can't repair their DNA. When their bodies make new cells, they come with mistakes -- big ones that can lead to birth defects, bone marrow failure and cancer. Acute myelogenous leukemia is seen 15,000 times more often in FA patients than it's seen in children in the general population. FA patients are also more at risk for head and neck, breast, and brain cancers. Close to 100% need bone marrow transplants before they reach adulthood. Other than stunted growth, Ethan didn't show any external signs of Fanconi Anemia, MacMillan says. About 60% of cases present with a birth defect, such as a shortened thumb. But the average pediatrician will see only one or two cases in a career, and it's difficult to diagnose. "Most patients go into full bone marrow failure before they ever find out," she says. When he was diagnosed in 2011, doctors estimated Ethan would need a bone marrow transplant in three to five years. His blood is tested every few months, and once a year the family travels to Minnesota to get a bone marrow biopsy. "It's hard ... for the parents, because he's a ticking time bomb," MacMillan says. A bone marrow transplant will buy Ethan more time, but it's not a cure. And the procedure itself is dangerous, requiring up to a year of recovery. "Time isn't really on our side, or anybody's side, with this disease," Candi says. The prognosis for Fanconi Anemia patients is difficult to predict, MacMillan says. Research suggests the average lifespan is between 20 and 30 years, but the data are based on past success rates for bone marrow transplants. When MacMillan started at the Minnesota hospital 16 years ago, the survival rate after a bone marrow transplant was about 20%, she says. Now it's 85%. The Fishers created the nonprofit Kidz1stFund shortly after Ethan's diagnosis to increase awareness and raise money for research about Fanconi Anemia. In September, Jimbo joined forces with Paul Chryst, head coach at the University of Pittsburgh, to promote his cause. Players from both teams wore "I fight Fanconi" decals on the backs of their helmets during the televised Labor Day game. "We thought, we can go private with this and keep it within, or we can go out publicly and not only help Ethan, but help all those kids who don't have a voice -- whose dads aren't the head football coach," Jimbo says. To date, Kidz1stFund has given more than $1.5 million to MacMillan's program. Donations stream in from all over the country. Most are in $100 or $200 amounts from fans who hear about Ethan and want to help. But the donation Candi remembers best came from former FSU player Andrew Datko, who gave $5 the night the foundation's PayPal account was set up. "Five dollars to him was a lot of money because those players rely on their program money heavily," she says. "It touched my heart." The FSU players have been "unbelievable," Jimbo says. They've all signed up for the bone marrow donor registry. Several have already donated bone marrow to help another child in need. And they're great with Ethan, who is doing his best to live life as a normal kid. His parents have told him about his Fanconi Anemia, but haven't explained the seriousness of the disease. "He's very aware that all of these people have come together and are trying to help," Candi says. "He has the rest of his life to worry." Through the foundation, the Fishers have met other families who've been through similar struggles. A 15-year-old who hasn't yet gone into bone marrow failure gave Candi hope that Ethan could hold out a few more years. A practicing attorney named Christopher showed the Fishers that FA patients can live well into their 30s if the bone marrow transplant is successful. And Logan Stevenson, the 2-year-old who served as his parents' best man before passing away in August, cemented their resolve to do everything they can to fight Fanconi Anemia. "God put us on this path for a reason," Candi says, "And I don't feel he's going to let us down." For Jimbo, that means winning as many football games as possible to keep FSU -- and Kidz1stFund -- in the spotlight. "Oh, we're definitely going to try to win the championship."
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FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher's son has Fanconi Anemia, a rare blood disorder . Fanconi Anemia affects 1 in every 130,000 people . Almost all FA patients need bone marrow transplants before they reach adulthood . The prognosis for Ethan Fisher is hard to predict, due to old data .
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Washington (CNN) -- A half-dozen contract security officers at the federal courthouse where baseball's Roger Clemens was put on trial last month are in trouble with their employer for accepting gifts from Clemens' defense team after the judge declared a mistrial, the U.S. Marshals Service said Thursday. Clemens, under a six-count indictment accusing him of lying to Congress during an investigation of illicit steroid use, may still face a re-trial on those charges. He has pleaded not guilty. U.S. District judge Reggie Walton had declared a mistrial soon after the jury had been seated, when prosecutors introduced testimony he previously ruled inadmissible. After the mistrial, according to the Marshals Service, a number of courthouse security officers employed by a contractor received baseballs autographed by Clemens, reportedly in appreciation of their escorting him through a large mob of media covering the trial. The security company confirmed the gifts, the Marshals Service said. "These alleged violations did not jeopardize judicial security," the Marshals Service said, leaving any discipline up to the contractor that is conducting it own investigation. While no laws were broken, "It is a violation of the contract for Court Security Officers to accept gifts in connection with official duties," according to a policy cited by the Marshals Service. At risk could be a $5 million security contract for the company in place since 2008. In the statement sent to CNN Thursday, the Marshals Service said "six employees have been identified as being involved in the incident." The service said the security company has proposed disciplinary actions, "and those recommendations are being reviewed by the Marshals Service." The statement did not elaborate on the proposed disciplinary actions. Meantime, the guards remain scheduled for duty, the statement said.
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Courthouse guards face possible punishment from their employer for accepting gifts . Roger Clemens' defense team sent autographed baseballs to guards . Clemens' federal case leads to mistrial; he may face a re-trial .
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(ESSENCE) -- Two weeks ago, 3-year-old Jaquan Reed was fatally shot on Chicago, Illinois', West Side. Men participate in the Million Father March to support children going to school. While the case shook the city, such shootings involving children are no longer rare in the Windy City. Within the current academic year, 36 Chicago-area students were killed. Essence.com spoke to Phillip Jackson, a well-known political activist in the city and also founder of Black Star Project, a Chicago-based community outreach group, about what is being done to end the senseless shootings involving children. The following is an edited version of that interview: . ESSENCE: There have been so many shootings and deaths. Please tell us what's happening in Chicago? ESSENCE: Xerox names Ursula Burns CEO . Phillip Jackson: This is a national catastrophe that is happening while we as a country do nothing. We're asking for national attention. This is a pandemic. We will not be able to solve this problem in Chicago unless they can solve this same problem in Houston [Texas] and other cities. Watch our panelists talk about the growing violence in Chicago » . ESSENCE: The nation's first black president is from Chicago. And you still do not feel like there is enough attention placed on this problem? Jackson: Newspapers from all over the world have come to our offices this past week to say, "What is happening in President Barack Obama's backyard?" And 75 percent of the children murdered here in Chicago happened within eight miles of President Obama's former house. So if he doesn't respond as president, and we are hoping he does, he needs to respond as a resident. ESSENCE: What has been the police response? Jackson: They've put together a 400-unit gang SWAT team. They're trying to match guns with the gangs. But with all of that they can't stop one murder because they're approaching it from the wrong way. ESSENCE: Obama's time in office . ESSENCE: What is the right way to approach it? Jackson: Instill strong families and strong communities. Build strong parenting groups. Do you know what has been the best mentoring organization in the United States of America? Street gangs. ESSENCE: In other cities, where there is a lot of gang violence, like Baltimore [Maryland], there are regular people in the community coming together and trying to fix it. What are regular people doing about this in Chicago? Jackson: First of all, they're raising their voices. Number two, they're rallying, they're marching, and they're organizing. That's what this effort is going to take. Number three, they're engaging in recreational programs. ESSENCE: Toledo cops say teen provoked them . So there is more happening at the grassroots level than at the federal level. But those people cannot succeed without support. And that's why we're asking President Obama to bring his resources. ESSENCE: What is the mind-set of Chicago youth with all of these horrendous acts of violence occurring? Jackson: Hopelessness, desperation, anger. They live in America. They see how America takes care of the whole world but won't take care of them in the communities in which they live.
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Essence speaks to political activist in Chicago about children's deaths . 36 Chicago-area students killed in current academic school year . 75 percent of children killed within 8 miles of President Obama's former house . Children see how America takes care of the world but not them, activist says .
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(CNN) -- Growing up near the South Side of Chicago, a good portion of my youth was spent on the fields or on the courts. Whether it was baseball in the summer or basketball in the winter, being an athlete pretty much defined my existence. Sports were the No. 1 thing I cared about. (It didn't hurt that Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were in pursuit of their six NBA championships at the time.) Needless to say, staying in shape and getting enough exercise were not problems I had to deal with. In high school, my participation in sports meant more training. Practices and workouts were exhaustive and took up a good portion of my afternoons and evenings. Playing sports helped me develop friendships, hone my skills and stay in great shape. Once again, getting enough exercise was not a problem. Then I hit the ripe old age of 22. Get fit and others will follow . After high school, my fitness levels began to decline. Besides my poor eating habits, I attribute this to one factor: I'd been benched. My access to team sports was dwindling, and there was an extreme unlikelihood that the NFL and NBA would be knocking on my door any time soon. Daily practices and games were replaced by long work hours, dinner out with friends and nights in front of the TV. I joined weekend sports leagues where beer, not winning, was the primary goal. (Not that I complained.) Staying in shape and getting enough exercise were now big problems. T-shirt tales: The athlete I used to be . I was not prepared to enter the world of individual sports in order to stay active. I found going on a "long" run or swimming laps in the pool to be quite boring. Where were my teammates? Where were the screaming coaches? Throughout my life, the concept of "team" had been stressed on a daily basis, and now it was nowhere to be found. I realized that I needed to find a team. I needed to be a part of something bigger than myself. Believe it or not, my biggest reason for applying to the CNN Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge was not the free bike or the cool gear. Rather, I loved the idea that we would be competing in the triathlon in Malibu as a team: six people, from all parts of the country, coming together for one goal. The journey thus far would not have been possible without my Fit Nation teammates and coaches. I rely on them daily for their motivation, their expertise and their unwavering support. Getting fit for the family I love . Being a part of a team has always played a large role in my success as an athlete, on and off the field. The camaraderie and accountability present within a team setting are things I have been unable to replicate when going at it alone. My sudden cardiac arrest in October 2011 created a daily reminder of my health and my need for exercise, but my selection to the CNN Fit Nation team pushed me to think deeper about where I am right now, where I've been and where I hope to go. My team is the reason I'll complete my workout this afternoon, and my team is the reason I will cross the finish line in September. Follow Doug's journey on Twitter @TriHardDouglas .
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Participating in team sports helped Douglas Mogle stay fit as a teen . After high school, practices were replaced by long work hours, dinner out . Now Mogle hopes the Fit Nation will inspire him to push his fitness limits .
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(CNN) -- Security screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport singled out Mexican and Dominican passengers for nearly two years, according to a federal report obtained by The Star-Ledger newspaper. The racial profiling was so prevalent in 2008 and 2009 that some TSA employees at the airport referred to their colleagues as "Mexican hunters," a Star-Ledger story based on the 2010 internal report said. A TSA spokeswoman described the situation in Newark as "isolated" and said the agency took action to fix it. "While the actions referenced in the report were based on intelligence reports regarding false documentation, criminal or illegal activity and the possible impact on transportation security, TSA's policies were overstepped," spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. According to the Star-Ledger, the report said TSA agents stationed at the Newark airport would stop Mexicans and Dominicans, asking them additional questions, reviewing their passports and visas and searching their luggage. The report did not specify how many agents were involved, but "leaves no doubt that the process was widespread," the newspaper said. "The report said Mexican and Dominican passengers were singled out for scrutiny of their travel documents as an easy way to drive up the number of referrals by Newark's (behavior detection officer) unit so that it would appear productive," the newspaper said. Farbstein said the TSA does not permit racial profiling, and a manager accused of promoting profiling in the report is no longer in management with the agency. "Eighteen months ago, TSA took immediate remedial action and retrained the entire behavior detection workforce at Newark," she said. Four managers in the report were cited to be disciplined by the TSA, the Star-Ledger said. One manager who was demoted after the investigation told the Star-Ledger that he denied the accusation and had appealed the demotion decision. Several officers quoted in the report said they were directed to use racial profiling, but others said they had never witnessed the practice or been told to use it, the newspaper said. The Transportation Security Administration said the newspaper did not obtain the report through the Freedom of Information Act and declined to provide a copy to CNN. A story published by the Star-Ledger Sunday said the newspaper had obtained the report, but did not disclose how. Ed Barocas, legal director of the American Civil Liberities Union in New Jersey, called the report "alarming and astounding." "The possibility that TSA supervisors coached screeners to profile passengers based on race is deeply disturbing. ... We hope the TSA takes the proper steps immediately to ensure there is no racial profiling in our airports or that screeners are even given the perception that they should profile passengers based on race," he said in a statement. There are about 3,000 behavior detection officers at 161 airports in the United States, and plans to expand the program are in the works. In April CNN obtained a list of 70 indicators the officers use to identify people who might pose a threat to aviation. None of those indicators referred to or suggested race, ethnicity or religion. At the time, the TSA told CNN no single behavior on the list would, by itself, ever be enough to draw increased security scrutiny. An officer would only select a passenger for closer examination if they showed several signs of stress, fear or deception, the agency said. CNN's Ines Ferre, Mike Ahlers and Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report.
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Star-Ledger: A federal report says some TSA officers were known as "Mexican hunters" An inquiry focused on behavior detection officers at the Newark airport, the newspaper says . The TSA says it does not permit racial profile and its policies were "overstepped" The legal director of New Jersey's ACLU calls the report "alarming and astounding"
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(CNN) -- May we spend a few minutes discussing a major part of American life where there has been a shocking lack of diversity? This has to do with presidential elections. And it's not what you think. Throughout U.S. history, Ivy League colleges have had an outsized proportion of alumni who became president. Harvard alone has eight. If, as is widely expected, it's Barack Obama versus Mitt Romney in November, the Ivy League is the guaranteed winner again, because it will be Harvard against Harvard. (Harvard's Romney has even, in speeches, criticized Harvard's Obama for spending too much time "at the faculty lounge at Harvard.") In fact, it has been 28 years since a non-Harvard-or-Yale graduate has been elected president. George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama all went to one (or both) of those universities. In four of those elections, the winning Ivy Leaguer ran against another Ivy Leaguer (Michael Dukakis, incumbent President George H.W. Bush, Al Gore, John Kerry). But that's not the oddity we're discussing today. We all know, and have known for a long time, that in presidential elections, as in much of American life, the Ivy League has a leg up. And many of our presidents, to their credit, have come from small, non-glitzy colleges. Lyndon Johnson hailed from Southwest Texas State Teachers College. Richard Nixon went to Whittier College. Ronald Reagan went to Eureka College. Nine presidents either never went to college at all, or never received a degree. They were no slouches; they include Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman. Here, though, is the strange, almost inexplicable, thing -- and it stands out for those of us who attended, and really liked, Big Ten schools: . No graduate of a Big Ten university has ever been elected president. Isn't that something? Heart of the country, large student populations, fine faculties, national renown -- yet in the history of the United States, the voters have not even once seen fit to send a Big Ten graduate to the White House. It's not that talent, leadership and creativity are lacking in Big Ten students. Every member of the Big Ten (there are 12 schools in the conference now, since the addition of Penn State and Nebraska) has had numerous graduates -- undergraduate and advanced-degree -- who have done remarkable things. Neil Armstrong, of Purdue, was the first human to set foot on the moon. Jack Welch, of the University of Illinois, led General Electric during glorious years. George Gallup, of the University of Iowa, founded the legendary public opinion poll. Cynthia Ozick, of Ohio State, is a widely acclaimed author. Barbara Franklin, of Penn State, went on to become a U.S. secretary of commerce. James Earl Jones, of the University of Michigan, became an esteemed actor. Arthur Goldberg, of Northwestern, was a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Mildred Jeffrey, of the University of Minnesota, was a women's movement, labor and civil rights leader who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. William S. Harley, of the University of Wisconsin, was the co-founder of Harley-Davidson. Alfred D. Hershey, of Michigan State, was a Nobel Laureate for physiology/medicine. Ernie Pyle, of Indiana University, left for a reporting job just before graduating, and went on to become perhaps the most admired newspaperman who ever lived; the university brought him back to present him with an honorary degree. And Johnny Carson, of the University of Nebraska ... well, he was Johnny Carson. Which just may have been better than being president. The list of Big Ten achievers goes on and on. Yet voters have sent no one from a Big Ten school to the White House. (If you're thinking, what about Gerald Ford, the president from the University of Michigan? Yes, he became president, but the voters never elected him on a presidential ticket, a fact that bothered him for the rest of his life. When he did run on his own, he was defeated by Jimmy Carter, of Georgia Southwestern College, Georgia Tech and the U.S. Naval Academy). You would think that being from the Big Ten would provide a campaign plus. Heartland, breadbasket, center of the nation, the warm symbolism of all that. Ivy League graduates may take pride in their education, but they tend not to stress their Ivy Leagueness to voters in a presidential campaign: Like being rich, being from the Ivy League is something that may be privately savored, but that, in national elections, is best not flaunted in front of those without the same advantages. Being from the Big Ten, on the other hand, would seem to be a ticket to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But it hasn't. Julian E. Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University (alma mater of Presidents James Madison and Woodrow Wilson), said that he, too, is puzzled by this. One reason for it, he said, may be that at universities that have a tradition of educating future presidents, "students often become part of networks of classmates who go on to do big things in Washington. These networks are essential when potential candidates are identified to run for president." Still, said Zelizer, whose work regularly appears in the CNN Opinion section, "It is unclear why someone from the Big Ten would not be president, given the great quality of these institutions and impressive record, including in politics, of many of these graduates." So what could it be? Is it simply a jinx? You might be tempted to say that the Big Ten is the Chicago Cubs of presidential politics -- except, even though it has been more than a century, the Cubs did win a World Series. You might be tempted to say that the Big Ten is the Susan Lucci of presidential politics -- except that the soap opera actress, after years of being passed over, finally was awarded an Emmy. The Big Ten has a Council of Presidents and Chancellors. I asked some of its members what they make of this. Not surprisingly -- speaking from the middle of the country -- they were optimistic and proud. France A. Cordova, president of Purdue University, said: "If you knew our current students and could witness their abilities as young leaders, you would be as confident as I am that we will see a Boilermaker become the POTUS." Ohio State president Gordon Gee expressed great contentment about his part of the nation: "As to no president coming from the Big Ten, I would say that many have come from Big Ten country -- we just have sent them off elsewhere. That is ending, by the way." "We did offer, twice," said University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler, pointing out that Minnesota graduates Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale were Democratic nominees for president. They were defeated by Nixon and Reagan. "You never say never," Kaler said. "Of course it could happen." And Sally Mason, president of the University of Iowa, summed it all up with a sure-handed sense of sunny Big Ten perseverance: . "In the words of Randy Travis and B.B. King, perhaps 'It's Just a Matter of Time.'" The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene.
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For 28 years, America's president has been either a Harvard or Yale alumnus . Bob Greene notes that Big Ten grads have never been voted president . He says even the Cubs won a World Series, and Susan Lucci won an Emmy . Big Ten university presidents predict the drought will end one of these days .
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(CNN) -- The storm system behind Monday's Oklahoma twister brought strong rainstorms to parts of the South on Tuesday evening before heading toward the Great Lakes and the Tennessee Valley. Tornado watches continued for portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Those watches were set to expire by 10 p.m. CT Tuesday. What to know about tornadoes . The threat of a few strong tornadoes, large hail and thunderstorm wind gusts remained in northeastern Texas, southwestern Arkansas, extreme southeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Louisiana, CNN Meteorologist Sean Morris said. "The threat for strong tornadoes will rapidly diminish in these areas after sunset, with the main threat becoming damaging straight line winds during the overnight hours," Morris said. "Isolated tornadoes will still be possible." Rainstorms pushed through the Dallas area on Tuesday afternoon. A ground stop at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was later lifted. Storms are expected to move east on Wednesday and will extend from the Great Lakes south-southwestward into the Ohio River Valley and into the Deep South. Primary threats will be damaging winds and large hail, according to the National Weather Service. Isolated tornadoes also will be possible. Storms weren't restricted to the Great Plains and Midwest. The National Weather Service said weather spotters on Tuesday afternoon reported a possible tornado near Copake, New York, near the Massachusetts border. Track the severe weather . Mobile tools to help you survive tornado season . 10 deadliest U.S. tornadoes on record .
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Storm system moving eastward toward Great Lakes, Tennessee Valley . Tornadoes possible in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana . Threat of tornadoes expected to diminish overnight .
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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- A well-known Iranian filmmaker has written an open letter calling for the release of journalist Roxana Saberi. In a letter, Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi blames himself for urging Roxana Saberi to stay in Iran. Bahman Ghobadi said he kept quiet about the arrest and conviction of the Iranian-American journalist at the request of her family. After Saberi was convicted last weekend and sentenced to an eight-year prison sentence, he said he felt he had to do something. He told CNN that Saberi, whom he described as his fiancee, is caught in a "game of politics." In his letter, which has been posted by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Ghobadi blames himself for urging Saberi to stay in Iran despite her desire to leave. Also, he writes, "My letter is a desperate call to all statesmen ... and to all those who can do something to help." "From the other side of the ocean, the Americans have protested against her imprisonment, because she is an American citizen," he writes. "But I say no, she is Iranian, and she loves Iran. I beg you, let her go! I beg you not to throw her in the midst of your political games! She is too weak and too pure to take part in your games. Let me be present at her trial, sit next to her wise father and gentle mother, and testify she is without guilt or reproach." The 40-year-old filmmaker said that Saberi was planning to leave the country, but he kept her from leaving until his latest film -- which will be shown at this year's Cannes film festival -- was completed. Ghobadi won the 2000 Golden Camera award at the Cannes festival for his feature film, "A Time for Drunken Horses." Saberi, 31, was sentenced Saturday to eight years in prison after a one-day trial that was closed to the public. The decision prompted sharp denunciations from President Barack Obama, as well as other U.S. and international officials. Iranian officials initially said Saberi was held for buying a bottle of wine. The Foreign Ministry later said she was detained for reporting without proper accreditation. On April 9, word emerged that Saberi had been charged with espionage. Saberi's lawyer has said he will appeal the verdict. Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi has ordered the head of Tehran's Justice Department to make sure the appeals process is quick and fair. Ghobadi wrote that he is "optimistic about her release, and I firmly hope the verdict will be canceled in the next stage of the trial." "My Iranian girl with Japanese eyes and an American ID, is in jail. Shame on me! Shame on us!" CNN's Igor Krotov and Shirzad Bozorghmehr contributed to this report.
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Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi writes letter calling for release of jailed journalist . Filmmaker says fiancee Roxana Saberi is caught in a "game of politics" Journalist "is without guilt or reproach," filmmaker's letter says . "Shame on me! Shame on us!" the letter concludes .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Police officers responsible for protecting the British royal family handled firearms when drunk, traded pornography and steroids and sat on Queen Elizabeth II's throne in comical poses, it has been alleged in a London court. The former royal protection officer was responsible for security at Buckingham Palace. The allegations were made Tuesday by John Cooper, the lawyer for former royal protection officer Paul Page, who is accused of defrauding colleagues and friends to fund a life of luxury, The British Press Association reported. According to PA, the claims were made during a lengthy cross-examination of Adam McGregor, a colleague of Page who left service at London's Buckingham Palace in 2005, who has accused the former officer of "conning" him out of thousands of dollars. At one point Cooper "suggested" there had been a procedure among armed officers at the palace whereby one officer on duty would sleep while the others kept watch for their superior. McGregor denied any knowledge of this and all other allegations of wrongdoing among his colleagues at the iconic Royal residence. However, when pressed further he did admit to sitting on one of the thrones, but did not recall doing any "comical poses." The court also heard that officers protecting the royals lost more than £250,000 ($365,800) to a spread betting venture called "The Currency Club," one of a number of apparently successful sidelines Page allegedly set up to clear spiraling debts, PA said. According to the BBC, Page extracted around £3 million ($4.4 million) from some 57 lenders or investors. Cooper suggested that McGregor had been "one of those police officers" using mobile patrols to deliver cash to other police officers based in Royal Protection who were involved in financial matters. The accusation was again denied by McGregor. He instead claimed he had been "totally sucked in" by Page. "I was totally sucked in by Paul he is a very charismatic person," he said, before adding that he had acted "very naively and very stupidly" in some of his dealings with his former colleague. The prosecution claimed much of the money was promptly laundered by Page's wife before being gambled away, as Page himself hid his dishonesty behind a " veneer of credibility" fueled by a fleet of expensive cars and claims he was a highly "adept" property developer and market speculator, PA said. Father of five Page, 37, from Essex in south-east England, has denied five charges -- two of fraudulent trading, one of intimidation, threatening to take revenge and making a threat to kill between January 1, 2003 and March 30, 2007. His wife Laura, 42, denied "being concerned in an arrangement facilitating dealings with criminal property," intimidation and threatening to kill.
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Paul and Laura Page accused of defrauding colleagues to fund a life of luxury . Page's lawyer suggested other royal officers were involved in wrongdoing . Prosecution: Page's colleagues lost $365,800 to a spread betting scam . Royal Protection service responsible for security of Britain's Royal family .
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(EW.com) -- In the years since its 1981 release, Sam Raimi's cabin-in-the-woods cheapie "The Evil Dead" has been elevated to the realm of myth. You won't find many films as near and dear to the hearts of horror nerds. The legacy isn't based on the fact that "The Evil Dead" had a great screenplay, because it didn't. In fact, the plot is as basic as they come: Five college students drive out to a shack in the middle of nowhere, mess with an old reel-to-reel tape recorder that plays malevolent incantations, and unleash bloody Lovecraftian hell. The film's effects were cut-rate even for the early '80s, and the acting (other than a charismatic breakout turn by lantern-jawed B-movie icon Bruce Campbell) was amateurish at best. What made it a fright flick for the ages was its 22-year-old wunderkind director's dime-store ingenuity and gonzo wit. Raimi jerry-rigged cameras onto two-by-fours and whipped them around like Orson Welles on speed. His off-kilter angles gave the movie a weird, anxious energy. It was an eye-popping debut...and a hard act for anyone to follow. A certain subset of genre purists and Fangoria subscribers already have their knives out for the remake. But they can put them away. The new "Evil Dead" is not only made with an affectionate nod and a wink to the 1981 version, it's also the bloodiest, goriest, slapstickiest horror movie since, well, "The Evil Dead." 'American Idol' exit: 'I want to do so much' Directed with gutsy promise by newcomer Fede Alvarez (and produced, and thus blessed, by Raimi and Campbell themselves), the update doesn't mess with the original's bare-bones formula too much. It barrels right into the familiar story, placing five old pals in a run-down cabin, having them discover an old book filled with demonic illustrations and harrowing warnings, and once again releasing the gruesome genie from the bottle. Other than "Suburgatory's" Jane Levy, the cast isn't weighed down by too many familiar faces, which seems right since these are pretty much interchangeable folks lining up for the body count. And what a juicy, splattery body count it is. In "Evil Dead", blood sprays in arterial geysers like the fountains outside the Bellagio in Vegas. One possessed character licks a box cutter, butterflying her tongue in half. Another has rats pouring out of her mouth like clowns piling out of a VW Bug. Eyes are stabbed with hypodermic needles, limbs are severed with electric carving knives, and chain saws do what chain saws do. Did I mention it's a comedy? 'American Idol': Singer exiting tonight is... Some will have a hard time seeing it that way, I know. The audience I saw it with screamed, gasped, and buried their faces in their dates' necks. But horror films and TV shows such as The Walking Dead are like a foreign language. Either they speak to you or they don't. The new "Evil Dead's" delirious gross-out scenes spoke to me, and they go further than any mainstream picture I can think of. How a movie this graphic and gooey managed to finagle an R rating is a mystery. But I'm not complaining. As a diehard fan of the original and the genre, who am I to look such a wonderfully stomach-turning gift horse in the mouth? B+ . See the original article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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Directed by Fede Alvarez, "Evil Dead" doesn't mess with the original's formula . A subset of genre purists and Fangoria subscribers have their knives out for the remake . Other than "Suburgatory's" Jane Levy, the cast isn't weighed down by familiar faces .
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Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI is monitoring the case of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning and has not ruled out getting involved through diplomatic channels, the Vatican said Sunday. As he has in the past in humanitarian cases, the pope would intervene if asked by authorities in another country and would do so through proper diplomatic channels, not publicly, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a statement. "The Holy See is following the case with attention and participation," Lombardi said. "The position of the church, which is opposed to the death penalty, is that stoning is a particularly brutal form." According to Italy's official news agency ANSA, the Italian government is leading the case for clemency for the woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. Ashtiani was sentenced to death by stoning after she was convicted of adultery. Iranian judicial authorities say a final verdict in her case has not yet been made, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported recently. In July, Iran's judiciary said the case was under review. A large photo of Ashtiani has been hung outside Italy's Equal Opportunities Ministry to draw attention to her plight, ANSA reported. "'This unprecedented act aims to mobilize opinion and contribute to saving Sakineh from a brutal, unacceptable sentence,'' Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Equal Opportunities Minister Mara Carfagna said in a joint statement, according to ANSA. Italy's Foreign Ministry told ANSA that it is pursuing clemency for Ashtiani through diplomatic channels. ''The case is being followed closely by the foreign ministry and personally by Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who has given instructions for close bilateral relations to be maintained with the Iranian authorities so that they consider clemency in this specific case,'' a recent ministry statement said. Italy is one of Iran's most important trade partners in the European Union, with bilateral trade exceeding $8 billion in 2009, according to a report on the website of the Iranian-Italian Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, Ashtiani also faces a sentence of 99 lashes because of a photograph in a newspaper, but opponents of the execution say it is a case of mistaken identity. Iranian authorities imposed the sentence after they saw the photo of a woman without a head scarf in the newspaper, said the International Committee Against Stoning, a human rights group. In an apology, The Times of London, which ran the photo on its front page August 28, said the woman was wrongly identified as Ashtiani. The Times said the photo actually is of Susan Hejrat, a political activist living in Sweden. Iranian law requies all women, regardless of their faith, to wear garments that cover their hair and bodies. According to the Times, one of Ashtiani's former lawyers, Mohammed Mostafaei, gave the paper the photo. Mostafaei told CNN on Saturday that he still thinks the photo may be of his former client. The Times reported that Mostafaei said Ashtiani's 22-year-old son had e-mailed the lawyer two photographs three months ago and told him both were of his mother. "One was the widely used picture of Ms. Ashtiani with her face obscured by a chador [cloak], and the other was the one used by The Times ... That showed the full face of a woman," The Times said in a statement Friday. Ashtiani's son, Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, wrote in an open letter that another lawyer sent the newspaper an authentic photo of his mother, but that it did not appear in the Times article. The letter was circulated by the International Committee Against Stoning on Friday. "We do not know how that picture was originally obtained, nor to whom the picture belongs," Ghaderzadeh said in the letter. "My mother has been called in to see the judge in charge of prison misdemeanors and he has sentenced our helpless mother to 99 lashes on false charges of spreading corruption and indecency by disseminating this picture of a woman presumed to be her [Sakineh] without hijab," he wrote. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran did not answer a CNN telephone call early Sunday morning. The Committee Against Stoning said Friday "it is Mr. Mostafaei's responsibility to provide an explanation as to why he has disseminated [a] counterfeit photo and information regarding Sakineh's case; his action has only led to increased pressure on Sakineh and her family." "We strongly condemn this barbaric new sentence of 99 lashes imposed by the Islamic Republic against Sakineh and we demand that this sentence be abandoned immediately," the committee said. Mostafaei told CNN that Ghaderzadeh three months ago gave him two photos -- one of Ashtiani wearing a hijab (covering) and one without it. The lawyer said he immediately released the photo of Ashtiani wearing the chador and sent the Times the photo of her without the hijab more recently. Asked about whether the photo printed by the Times is of Ashtiani, Mostafaei said, "In my opinion it is Ms. Ashtiani. It was given to me by her own son. If it is not indeed her, it looked just like her. She was wearing religious clothes in the photo. She had the same face, same everything." Ashtiani, who is being held in Tabriz, Iran, no longer has visitation rights, the family told CNN. CNN's Mitra Mobasherat contributed to this report .
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NEW: Italy is leading the case for clemency for the woman, news agency reports . Pope Benedict XVI is closely monitoring the case, the Vatican said Sunday . The pope would intervene through diplomatic channels and not publicly, the Vatican said . The woman was convicted of adultery but Iran says a final verdict has not been reached .
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Sydney (CNN) -- Vast flooding covering much of eastern Australia could remain for weeks, as more than 1,200 residents remain out of deluged homes Wednesday. As of late Wednesday night, the Fitzroy River was hovering around 9.2 meters (30 feet), CNN meteorologist Jennifer Delgado said. "The river has crested, it appears, and it looks like it is going to be slowly falling as we go through the next several days," Delgado said. Are you there? Send us your video and photos via iReport . By next week, floodwaters could remain at levels of about 8.5 meters (28 feet), Delgado said, but flooding could still affect the region for "several weeks." The seasonal flooding in the state of Queensland intensified last month after monsoon rains caused rivers to spill over their banks and reach record levels. The floodwaters cover an area the size of France and Germany combined and now stretch into the state of New South Wales. Images from CNN affiliate Seven Network Australia showed residents traveling down the streets in boats. From the sky, the tops of houses and trees poked out from seas of murky brown water. Snakes whipped about from under the water's surface. Flooding fueled by cyclone, La Nina . Neil Roberts, Queensland minister for police, corrective services and emergency services, said Wednesday that 1,200 to 1,500 people had to be evacuated in parts of Queensland. Roberts said some residents probably can't return to their homes for at least another week. He said the recovery could take "many months, and potentially over a year." Roberts said the government had an emergency cabinet meeting Wednesday and appointed a major general to lead a recovery task force. The flooding has affected the global transport of commodities such as coal and steel, as rail lines used to move such goods out of Queensland have been destroyed. Forecasters predict even more rain in the coming days. Delgado said 20 centimeters (8 inches) could fall through Thursday. On Tuesday, relief teams continued rushing supplies into the eastern city of Rockhampton. In some of the state's more rural areas, farmers said they were scrambling to send tons of crops out before waters damaged them and flooding made their transport impossible. Police said 10 people have died as a result of flooding since November 30 -- many of them swept away by swift waters. An airport in Rockhampton, a city of about 75,000 people, closed Sunday and was expected to remain closed for weeks, according to Emergency Management Queensland. At least 200,000 people have been affected by prolonged flooding, police have said. Police have warned residents who have been allowed to return to their homes about placing valuables outside to dry, saying some people could be tempted to take such items. Additional police have been deployed to affected communities. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged residents to stay away from the floodwater. On Friday, she toured the devastation and said the flooding in Queensland will cost "hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars." Journalist Michael Best contributed to this report.
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NEW: A Queensland official says 1,200 to 1,500 people are out of their homes . Meteorologist: Flooding could continue for weeks . At least 10 people have died in flooding since November 30 . The floodwaters cover an area the size of France and Germany combined .
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(CNN) -- Thabo Mbeki, who succeeded Nelson Mandela as South Africa's president 14 years ago, says the ailing revered statesmen will pull through. "I know the doctors who are working with him are very good people, very good doctors and I am quite certain, I am quite certain that, one of these days, Madiba will go back home," Mbeki said over the weekend, calling Mandela by his clan name. Mandela, 94, is considered the founding father of South Africa's modern democracy. He has been hospitalized in Pretoria since June 8 for a recurring lung infection -- a legacy of his years of imprisonment under South Africa's now-defunct apartheid regime. Mbeki is the second president in South Africa's post-apartheid era ushered in by Mandela. Mbeki served from 1999 to 2008 after Mandela emerged from prison in 1990 and became the nation's first black president four years later. Jacob Zuma currently serves as president. "What the government has been saying is that his condition is critical but stable is correct. But I think we need to add to that that indeed his health is improving. The medical care that he is receiving is in fact excellent and as I say, I am quite certain that one of these days the doctors will agree that he can go and stay at home rather than in hospital. Certainly that is our hope and our wish, but I think that is what will happen," Mbeki said. Mandela became an international figure while enduring 27 years in prison for fighting against apartheid, the South Africa's system of racial segregation. A court document released recently revealed that Mandela's health had declined so sharply on June 26 that his family was considering whether to take him off life support. The next day, however, Zuma announced that Mandela's condition improved from critical to critical but stable.
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Thabo Mbeki says Nelson Mandela's "health is improving" Mbeki succeeded Mandela as president; he thinks "Madiba will go back home"
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(CNN) -- When Entertainment Weekly published the first trailer of USA Network's new series "Common Law" in November on its website, readers were abuzz with excitement. According to the synopsis, the show revolves around two quarreling Los Angeles homicide detectives, played by Warren Kole and Michael Ealy, who are ordered to go to couples therapy. While many were keen to see "Think Like a Man" star Ealy again, it appeared that most commenters were sure they would like "Common Law" because they knew what to expect. "Another light-hearted show that is PERFECT on USA," one user, Tim Mahoney, said. "I'll always give a USA Network show a chance and rarely have I been disappointed," another user named Kaiulani said. Now, six months later, "Common Law" is set to kick off the network's 2012 summer line-up that includes returning shows "Royal Pains," "Burn Notice," "Suits," "White Collar," "Necessary Roughness" and "Covert Affairs." The buddy-cop show, which will premiere at 10 p.m. ET Friday, will form a crucial part of USA's annual and popular summer block. The network even claimed that it "owns summer" in a recent news release. According to ratings tracker Nielsen, USA averaged 3.61 million viewers in primetime from May 30 to August 21 last year. The newspaper USA Today also reported in January that USA Network had an average of 3.2 million total viewers and remained the top-rated cable network for the sixth consecutive year in 2011. Over the years, this success has largely been attributed to USA's original series, which are often character-driven comedy-dramas that are fun and set in bright and beautiful locations, which have become almost synonymous with destination summer viewing. The 'Characters Welcome' branding . Jon Turteltaub, executive producer of "Common Law," told CNN that the show was originally written to air on CBS, but was picked up by USA because the focus on the detectives' relationship and therapy sessions seemed to be a better fit for them. "USA does work differently, they push characters over plot," he said. "They were really interested in well-developed and fully drawn characters. For the creators of the show, that's music to our ears." Turteltaub said that he sees this priority not necessarily as a formula, but more of "a guiding principle of things that have worked." "USA has been very clear about not letting the story bog down the tone," he said. "The feel of your show is more important than the police procedural details. If we are loving the characters and feeling a sense of entertainment and fun, then three clues to solve the crime is fine, not five." This emphasis is what drew Cory Andrew Barker to USA shows in the first place, so much so that he eventually ended up doing research on the network's programming theme. Barker, who just graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio with a master's degree in popular culture, said he was intrigued by how the shows were tonally similar and yet often popular. In his university-approved thesis, "Genre Welcome?: Formula, Genre and Branding in USA Network's Programming and Promotional Content," he explained how the network has carved its own niche. The show that really heralded the network's present style was "Monk," Barker found. When Tony Shalhoub's Adrian Monk, a brilliant detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder, was introduced in the summer of 2002, USA at that time was mostly known for reruns. Barker, who also runs a blog called TV Surveillance, argues that since then, USA has branded itself with its "Characters Welcome" slogan to signify its shows' "quirky, sort of left-of-center" personalities. These characters tend to work toward "the greater good" in ways not always in tandem with the law, have an overarching goal and happen to live in sunny locales. For example, the character of Monk solves crimes with his detailed-oriented abilities, lives in San Francisco and throughout the series is trying to figure out who murdered his wife. This pattern of elements or formula, Barker said, can be found in most of USA's shows, making them recognizable and easy to pick up and consume. So audiences are loyal as they automatically have an idea of what the next USA show will be like and view the network as unique. "If you are a person who likes USA shows, you will probably like 'Common Law,' " Barker told CNN. "You have watched nine shows like these, so why wouldn't I try this?" Robert Bianco, a TV critic for USA Today, has reviewed several USA Network shows and summarized the cultural perception of the network this way: "They have a very clever, successful marketing position for themselves, as the home of these 'blue sky,' mostly crime-based dramas with more of a comic twist than you would get on [for instance] FX." Blue skies, all season long . The "blue sky" that Bianco refers to is the approach or philosophy that USA shows tend to have. The lighter theme is favored over a gloomy or gritty scenario because the objective is not to be overly somber, he said. "The cable dramas these days have become very serious, and the network procedurals tend to be in the darker side of crimes," Bianco said. "USA shows tend to be glossier, on the sunnier side." Jeff Eastin's USA series "White Collar" is a good example. The show is about a con man named Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) who, after getting caught by the FBI, helps them solve white-collar crimes using his expertise. Eastin, the show's creator executive producer and show runner, said that since the crimes mostly involve white collar offenses such as art forgery, the lighter elements of the crime are shown and stressed on. " 'White Collar' ... we're a good prototype show for 'blue sky,' what USA is," Eastin said. "There's a certain classy slickness to the show, just in the general world of police shows ... [It's] pushing for that cleverness [in a] sort of high-end world." A part of that slickness also comes from the shows' locations. "Burn Notice" is set in Miami, "Royal Pains" in the Hamptons, "Psych" in Santa Barbara, all of which bring to mind warm weather, beaches and an abundance of sunshine. Eastin said that for the New York City-set "White Collar," there is a tendency to shoot in places where the architecture can be exploited. Barker said that these settings, along with the warm weather timing of the premieres, capture the allure of summer and are all about escapism. "You are sort of immediately drawn to this place where you might want to take a vacation to," he said. Future of USA Network . Many critics have pointed out that despite the likely success, USA's cookie-cutter model for its shows can only go so far and that viewers might tire of similar series. But Bill McGoldrick, USA's executive vice president of original scripted programming, said he doesn't look at it that way. He said that when they go through show pitches, they certainly look for characters that stand out because of their background or relationships. However, McGoldrick added that while the network focuses on a feel that "puts you in a good mindset" it is not the motivating factor. "We definitely stay away from the word 'formula,' he said. "It's a dirty word here." McGoldrick, who worked on "Monk" and "Psych" early in his career, said that USA, like any other network, is evolving. When "Monk" was being developed, network executives at the time were not that interested in serialized character development or just procedurals. "In those days, we saw that there were not a lot of shows doing throwback, where you could mix comedy and drama," McGoldrick said. "Where you didn't have to be so earnest and serious like 'Law and Order' and 'CSI.' " After the success of "Monk" and the fan-base growth of "Psych" and "Burn Notice," McGoldrick said that USA is encouraging its older shows to have continuous and rougher plots and is green lighting new shows such as "Suits," which have more edge. "Covert Affairs," "Fairly Legal" and "Necessary Roughness" not only deal with more provocative subjects, but also have female leads. USA's political miniseries, "Political Animals," starring Sigourney Weaver as the secretary of state, is set to premiere this July. Bianco said that the new direction might be challenging because the blue sky and escapist vibe might not accurately portray real life -- such as the workings of a law firm in "Suits" versus the workings of a law firm like in CBS' "The Good Wife." But he said that there is no need for USA shows to compete with the more serious shows for the fear of becoming too formulaic. "I don't think there is anything wrong with simple, enjoyable entertainment when you pull it off well," Bianco said.
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New series "Common Law" is set to kick off USA network's 2012 summer line-up . USA's original series are often character-driven comedy-dramas set in beautiful locations . Bill McGoldrick, the executive VP of programming, said they are picking up edgier shows .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A 19-year-old Jordanian bent on committing "violent jihad" was arrested Thursday after undercover FBI agents foiled his attempt to bomb an office tower in Dallas, Texas, authorities announced late Thursday. Authorities say a suspect tried to set off a bomb attached to a vehicle at the base of the Fountain Plaza tower. Federal officials said Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, who entered the U.S. illegally and lived in Texas, tried to set off an improvised explosive device attached to a vehicle at the base of the 60-story Fountain Plaza office tower. Counterterrorism officials arrested Smadi on Thursday before publicly disclosing a similar, but unrelated, terrorism sting arrest in Springfield, Illinois, Wednesday. A federal law enforcement official familiar with the cases said authorities feared word of the Illinois arrest could tip off the Texas suspect of an undercover sting operation. In a criminal complaint filed with Smadi's arrest, counterterrorism officials said the suspect had been under "continuous surveillance" because of oft-stated determination to inflict damage and death against the United States, which he deemed to be an enemy of Islam. "The identification and apprehension of this defendant, who was acting alone, is a sobering reminder that there are people among us who want to do us grave harm," said James Jacks, the top federal prosecutor in Dallas. After casing a Wells Fargo Bank in the office tower in July, Smadi told an undercover agent he would target the facility, according to authorities. Initially Smadi told the agent he wanted to conduct the bombing on September 11, but decided to wait until Ramadan ended September 20, authorities said. "Unbeknownst to Smadi, the FBI ensured the [vehicle-borne IED] contained only an inert/inactive explosive device, which contained no explosive materials," the Justice Department said in a written statement. Smadi will make his first court appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Dallas on Friday. The charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Justice Department officials said the Dallas case was unrelated to the similar FBI sting in Springfield, Illinois, a day earlier when FBI undercover agents foiled a plot to bomb that city's federal building. In neither case did authorities find ties to known terrorist groups.
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Authorities: Man, 19, tried to set off bomb at the base of 60-story office tower . Hosam Maher Husein Smadi arrested Thursday . Authorities: FBI ensured device wasn't explosive after learning of Smadi's plans . Smadi had revealed plans to an undercover FBI agent, authorities say .
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(CNN) -- Two Alaskan volcanoes that began minor eruptions weeks ago are showing their strongest seismic activity yet, emitting small amounts of lava and ash along with smoke plumes, the Alaska Volcano Observatory said Tuesday. The observatory warned of more vigorous activity with the Pavlof and Veniaminof volcanoes, both on the Alaskan Peninsula -- though that will likely just mean more ash. Pavlof, a snow-covered, cone-shaped mountain, has been erupting since early May. While its activity since then has waxed and waned, seismic activity increased since Tuesday morning and the volcano has started continuously shaking, said David Schneider, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Some lava is flowing, and the volcano is spewing a cloud of steam and ash that has risen as high as 28,000 feet, said Schneider, at the observatory in Anchorage. "It's a pretty good size, but not high enough to affect overflying aircraft between America and Asia," he said. "It's more of a problem for local aviation." Pavlof is near the town of Cold Bay, a regional transportation hub whose long World War II-era runway serves flights to area villages, Schneider said. The ash has at times affected those local flights. Veniaminof, about 60 miles from Pavlof, started showing activity in early June and began erupting June 13, Schneider said. It has also produced a lava flow and an ash plume, though not as high as Pavlof -- only about 8,200 feet. Veniaminof is a broad mountain topped with a large, flat ice field, and in the middle is a small cone that produces the lava and ash. The eruptions of both volcanoes compare to those in the past, where activity lasted for weeks or months before dying down again. The main hazard now, Schneider said, is ash fall, which is more of a nuisance than anything else. "So far there's been trace amounts of ash, so it's just a fine coating," he said. "Our best estimate of what is going to happen is similar to what's happened in the past -- this level of activity and some level of ash."
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The volcanoes are both on the Alaskan Peninsula . They began erupting weeks ago but are now showing stronger seismic activity . They are producing small amounts of lava and ash . One of them is producing smoke plumes as high as 28,000 feet .
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Washington (CNN) -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the former enlisted man who earned his sergeant stripes as a grunt in the jungles of Vietnam, is cutting the budgets of the Pentagon's top brass by 20%. And he's sharing the pain, cutting his own office budget by a like amount. "Early estimates indicate that the total savings could be in the range of $1.5-$2 billion," Pentagon press secretary George Little said in a statement released Tuesday night. Much of the money savings will come from a cut in the number of people working for the Department of Defense leaders, but there's no word yet on how many people might lose their positions. "Personnel reductions associated with these savings will be determined during the development of detailed execution plans," Little said. The plan goes into effect in October 2014 and will last until 2019. Budget cutting has been a main priority at the Defense Department for several years, even before Hagel took over. The Pentagon said this is not one of the budget issues that can be reversed when sequestration goes away. "These cuts will be implemented even if Congress lifts sequester-level budget caps," Little said.
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Hagel wants to tighten spending at Pentagon . Personnel reductions have not yet been determined .
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Editor's note: This is another in a series of Business Insider commentaries debunking common tech myths. (Business Insider) -- Apple and CEO Steve Jobs have celebrated a string of huge hits over the past several years, including the iPhone, the iPad and the MacBook Air. Reviews have been mostly glowing, sales have been strong and investors have cheered, sending the stock up 40% over the past 12 months. Apple, which was struggling a decade ago, is now the world's most admired and highly valued tech company. But Apple is not perfect. In fact, the company has several weaknesses to address: . 1) The cloud. Apple has been bragging about how the iPad 2 is a "post-PC" device, but you still need to plug it into a computer to activate and sync it. The easiest way to get photos off your iPhone is to email them to yourself. You still can't sync your iTunes music over Wi-Fi or 3G. This is a shame. Apple needs to think about the cloud the way Google does -- as the future of mobile services. You shouldn't be tied to a USB cord to access files. You shouldn't need a PC to use a "post-PC" iPad. You shouldn't have to email a map link from your computer to your iPhone. Perhaps this is part of Apple's new version of iOS, due sometime this year. (See our list of suggestions for iOS 5 here.) The company has a huge new data center in North Carolina and can't be blind to the fact that other companies -- Dropbox, Amazon, Google, etc. -- are doing very cool things with the cloud. But for now, Apple is still weak here -- MobileMe and Apple's iOS push notifications not withstanding. 2) Social. Apple has tried to do "social" a bit with Ping, its social network based around iTunes music, and GameCenter, its social gaming service. They aren't huge hits. Apple has not been able to go as deep integrating Facebook or other social networks into its products as some Android devices or Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 have. Some of this could be to reduce Apple's dependence on other companies, so the iPhone is more reliable. But it seems that Apple and Steve Jobs don't really get social, and don't see its value. That could burn them in the long run. Or perhaps, again, this could be addressed in the next version of iOS. For instance, Apple could go a long way by making the iPhone's built-in Photos app more social, like the popular Instagram app. And Apple's marketing boss Phil Schiller is all over Instagram. So it's not like the company isn't highly aware of what's out there. This isn't to say that Apple should replicate Facebook, or even try to build its own general-purpose social network. But integrating your existing online social connections could be useful for many of Apple's products, ranging from the iPhone's address book to the App Store to photo sharing. So it's time for Apple to do more here. 3) The living room. The new Apple TV just got a small upgrade, in the form of live video streaming for MLB and NBA games. But it's still the weakest of Apple's products, with a relatively limited selection of video. And it's definitely not something TV companies like Comcast or DirecTV are worried about. Apple could improve Apple TV with an app store within the next year or so -- gaming could be big! -- and more video content sooner. But it's a challenge, because this is a situation where Apple has to decide between being a good platform -- and allowing rival companies like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon to thrive -- and being a dominant content seller by keeping an iTunes monopoly. The good news for Apple is that no one else is really putting up a fight here yet. Google TV isn't a big success, while Boxee, Roku and TiVo Premiere haven't caught on with mainstream consumers. So Apple can take its time. Heck, Apple may even come out with an actual television someday. Also, these are all areas where Apple is relatively in control of its destiny, and can make improvements. There are some other areas where Apple is vulnerable, such as the threat posed by Google's Android system, and possible production problems because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. But that's a different list. Copyright © 2010 Business Insider.
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Is the iPad 2 really "post-PC" if you have to plug it into a computer to activate and sync? Apple's Ping and GameCenter "social" products fall flat compared to Android . Apple TV is no threat to established TV companies like Comcast or DirecTV .
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(CNN) -- Given the chance, the United States would go after high-value terrorism targets in Pakistan or elsewhere in the same way it took out Osama bin Laden, President Barack Obama made clear in an interview with the BBC broadcast Sunday. "We are very respectful of the sovereignty of Pakistan, but we cannot allow someone who is actively planning to kill our people or our allies' people, we can't allow those kind of active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action," Obama said in the interview conducted last week. "And our hope is and our expectation is that we can achieve that in a way that is fully respectful of Pakistan's sovereignty. But I had made no secret. I had said this when I was running for the presidency, that if I had a clear shot at Bin Laden ... that we'd take it." The raid by U.S. Navy SEALs in the early hours of May 2 on a compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan, killed bin Laden and four others. It has strained U.S. relations with Pakistan, which accused the United States of disrespecting their country's sovereignty and invading Pakistan's air space during the secret bin Laden raid. "We've killed more terrorists on Pakistani soil than anywhere else, and that could not have been done without their co-operation," Obama told BBC. "But there's more work to do. And my expectation is, is that over the coming months, this can be a wake-up call where we start seeing a more effective co-operative relationship." Last week, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tried to calm the tension during a previously planned trip to Pakistan. Kerry told Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and other officials in Islamabad on Monday that the United States need not apologize to Pakistan for the raid but that it it was in both countries' best interest to mend the frayed relationship.
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President Obama tells the BBC that U.S. security is paramount . The U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden has strained relations with Pakistan .
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(CNN) -- A Virginia woman is being hailed as a hero after she reportedly lifted a car off her father and performed CPR, saving his life. Alec Kornacki was in the family garage Saturday working on a car when a jack holding it up slipped, according to Kristen Kornacki, another one of his daughters. Lauren Kornacki, the daughter who rescued him, found her father pinned to the ground and unresponsive. "She proceeded to lift up the car, pull him out and then give him CPR," said Kristen Kornacki. Lauren Kornacki, 22, who lives in Glen Allen, near Richmond, is trained as a lifeguard, according to CNN affiliate WWBT. "It flashed like, oh my God, I'm going to lose my dad," she told the affiliate. "I knew I had to get his heart beating again." Alec Kornacki is being treated at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. A call seeking comment on his condition was not immediately returned. He has several broken ribs, some numbness and other fractures, but likely suffered no permanent damage, according to WWBT. He is still in the ICU. According to his daughter Kristen, Alec Kornacki is "healing fantastically." His family shot a brief video of him walking in the hospital hallway, slow but steady. "He is walking and talking and laughing and joking. He's feeling pretty good," she said. "He's Superman, that's for sure." CNN's Chandler Friedman contributed to this report.
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"He's Superman, that's for sure," says daughter of man alive after being pinned under a car . Another daughter is said to have rescued him from underneath a car . The father is still in the ICU .
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(Financial Times) -- The sales director for a supplier to Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive is close to despair. She has been selling parts for 20 years but now, she said, more people than ever needed to be bribed to guarantee orders. "In the past, we would give a purchasing manager a red envelope. But now even assembly line workers will call me threatening that if we don't pay up they will find some problem with our product," she said, asking to remain anonymous for fear of the potential consequences. "The rot has reached the roots." Her exasperation is shared by many. China is gripped by a sense that corruption has never been as bad as it is today and that it has started to shake the very foundations of the country's economic development. Xi Jinping, who became president on Thursday, has been driving an anti-graft campaign ever since he took over as Communist party chief in November. Mr Xi identified fighting corruption as a priority in his first speech as leader and has promised to show no leniency over an issue that he and others have warned could be a threat to the party's rule. Beijing has subsequently cracked down on the flood of gifts and banquets from which even small-time party officials have benefited. And, at the annual session of the National People's Congress, the rubber-stamp parliament that has been meeting in Beijing this week, Mr Xi's approach has raised hopes that tougher rhetoric will translate into systemic reform. "We have received indications that the National People's Congress Standing Committee will put a broad anti-corruption law on its legislative agenda for the coming five years," said Dennis Han, an NPC delegate and long-time campaigner for legislation to force officials to publicly declare their assets. But the problem runs far beyond officialdom. According to Transparency International, Chinese people say corruption is at its worst in the private sector. In the group's 2010/2011 Global Corruption Barometer, the sector scored worse than the civil service, judiciary or the police. Daimler did not respond to requests for comment about the claims made by the supplier's sales director about its Chinese joint venture. The executive said her company gave her Rmb20,000 ($3,300) for handouts during lunar new year, when cash gifts in red envelopes is traditionally given in a practice often used as a cloak for bribery. Even so, she said, she struggled to meet the ballooning demand for new year gifts from even lowly employees at the Daimler joint venture on the outskirts of Beijing. "The Germans only occupy the top layer of management, and everything below that is done by Chinese, the Chinese way. The Germans don't know," she said. Although China has many laws and regulations banning corruption, the country has long struggled to contain it among officials. Lang Sheng, deputy head of the NPC's law committee, said further anti-corruption legislation would be one of the focal points of the congress's work in the coming years. Plenty of people remain sceptical about the party's willingness to root out corruption. A bout of transparency would be likely to reveal graft at the very top of the party and Beijing has reacted angrily in recent months to scrutiny by international news organisations, including Bloomberg and the New York Times, of the wealth of Mr Xi's family and that of Wen Jiabao, the outgoing premier. Reformists are not giving up, however. Mr Han failed for seven years in a row to get a proposal making it mandatory for officials to disclose their assets on the NPC's agenda. This year, however, he has changed tack. He now believes that waiting for asset declaration requirements to be included in a broader law is more realistic as it would give the leadership more time. Any change is likely to take time. Legal experts say China will probably have to amend parts of its criminal code and several other laws in the process. Even those who believe that change is possible think that means it will take a decade before it becomes reality. © The Financial Times Limited 2013 .
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People in China say corruption is worse than ever . China's new president has promised to root out graft . Some remain skeptical that reforms will materialize . NPC delegate Dennis Han is calling for asset declaration requirements for officials .
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(CNN) -- There is a region of the world where the weather is always hot and humid and it rains almost every day of the year. Sounds predictable, right? But weather in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ, can be volatile and dangerous. Air France Flight 447 went down in a volatile zone along the equator between South America and Africa. The Intertropical Convergence Zone, which circles the Earth near the equator, is where officials say Air France Flight 447 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean. While weather has not been cited as a reason for the plane's crash, the tragedy does call attention to the region. The ITCZ is a belt of low pressure that wraps around the planet. Clouds and storms form along it because it is literally where the winds of the world's hemispheres meet. High pressure in the Northern Hemisphere churns air from the northeast toward the equator. On the flip side, air is steered from the southeast by high pressure in the Southern Hemisphere. The winds that move this air toward the equator are also known as "trade winds" and converge in the middle of the tropics. That's where the Intertropical Convergence Zone name comes from. Here, air and water temperatures are typically in the mid-80s. The warm, moist air is heated further by the blazing tropical sun. Steamy air, coming off the ocean, rises until it hits cooler, drier air aloft, forming clouds and thunderstorms. These gigantic storms contain volatile updrafts and downdrafts that can move at speeds of 100 mph. The height of these storms also can tower to more than 10 miles in the air. Even if you stacked two dozen of the world's tallest skyscrapers on top of each other, they still wouldn't reach the tops of the biggest thunderstorms of the ITCZ. Former Air Force meteorologist Tim Vasquez wrote about thunderstorms over the Atlantic at the time of the Air France plane's disappearance on his Web site, weathergraphics.com. "Based on the infrared satellite imagery, I was able to. . .estimate the altitude of the thunderstorms at around 51,000 feet," he told CNN in a phone interview. Vasquez himself has flown through the ITCZ at least half a dozen times. "I remember flying from Guam to the Philippines, constantly weaving around the thunderstorms. Sometimes, though, pilots are forced to fly through them," he said. That's because commercial airliners cannot fly above 50,000 feet. In addition, ITCZ thunderstorms can merge with one another to stretch far and wide, covering hundreds of miles. The crew of Air France Flight 447 reported severe turbulence shortly before the plane disappeared. How did the plane break into pieces? » . When it's not storming in the ITCZ, the weather can be completely calm, with little to no wind. This stretch of ocean was particularly dreaded by sailors of the 19th century, who named it "The Doldrums," because its lack of wind could leave them stuck at sea, unable to propel forward. Despite these challenges and dangers, planes and ships successfully cross the ITZC every day, thanks in part to technology that has made it easier to see where the thunderstorms are. Here are some commonly asked questions: . Can hurricanes form in the ITCZ? It's extremely rare for a hurricane to form near the equator. However, the ITCZ doesn't stay in one place all year long. In the summer, for example, it drifts more northward, where it's possible for tropical cyclones to develop from the thunderstorms there. What does the ITCZ have to do with the "monsoon season" in Asia? Since the position of the ITCZ fluctuates, the location of the heaviest rainfalls varies depending on the time of year. When the zone drifts more northward in May and June, it brings the rainy season to places like Southeast Asia and India. The term "monsoon" refers to a seasonal reversal of winds.
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Weather in the ITCZ, where the Air France plane went down, is volatile . The zone circles the Earth near the equator and can produce violent thunderstorms . These storms contain updrafts and downdrafts that can move at speeds of 100 mph . Because the storms are so huge, it can be difficult for airliners to avoid them .
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(CNN) -- Alex Rodriguez is the rare athlete who transcends the sport in which he is considered one of the greatest players of all time. It hasn't been easy. There have been glamour moments: the baseball superstar dated Madonna, Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz, among others. Handsome, rich and dapper, "A-Rod" is considered a man-about-town. The tabloids loved it all and once renamed him "Stray-Rod." The larger-than-life behavior cost him his marriage, by which he had two children, in 2008. On the diamond, the slugger's performance has been exceptional, though he has been recovering from off-season hip surgery and, more recently, a tight quadricep this year. Rodriguez, MLB negotiating suspension, ESPN says . His long list of accomplishments makes him a living legend still in the game, and fans flock to the field just to see the great Alexander Rodriguez at bat one more time. The New York Yankee third baseman is a three-time American League MVP, 14-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove. He owns one World Series ring, with the Yankees in 2009. The baseball records have been sullied, however, by his prior admission of using banned substances in the early 2000s and by newer allegations this past year of having used performance-enhancing drugs. Those scandals take on bigger meaning because of Rodriguez's unique mark in baseball: He has the largest contract ever in American sports, at $275 million over 10 years, signed with the Yankees in 2007. His detractors call it the worst deal ever because of Rodriguez's health and playing lapses as well as his roguery, including when he flirted with two blond female fans sitting near the Yankees dugout in playoff game in October. The team was swept in the American League Championship Series. War of words between A-Rod and Yankees . This season is supposed to begin the last great hurrah for Rodriguez, the early verses of a swan song. Even he acknowledged it. He just turned 38 on July 27, and he was recovering from his second hip surgery since 2009 -- "definitely the hardest surgery I've had to overcome," he told CNN. Rodriguez is poised to surpass major milestones: 3,000 hits, 2,000 RBIs and 2,000 runs. He now has 647 homers, and while he admitted he hasn't been the long-ball hitter he used to be, maybe a couple of more seasons could put him at the 700 mark. He recently expressed the urgency of the moment. Performance enhancing drugs in sports . "Look, there's no hiding it. I'm not a spring chicken anymore. I'm not 28. I'm going to be 38 here in July. But I do think I can contribute," Rodriguez said last month. "I think I can be a force in the middle lineup, a big right-handed bat for our team, but I'm at a different stage of my career. Is it realistic to go out and hit 40, 50 home runs? I don't think so. But can I go out and have nights like I did last night and do that several times a week? I think so." Rodriguez was referring to his home run in a minor league game in mid-July, where he was testing his surgically repaired hip. His return date to the Yankees lineup has been a cipher all season. The injury didn't help him in a bigger controversy about his health: Rodriguez was accused of having ties with the now-shuttered Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in south Florida and taking performance enhancing drugs. Judge: MLB can sue Florida clinic . Rodriguez has denied the accusation. The stakes are intensified because it's not the first time he has faced issues about doping. In 2009, he admitted to using "a banned substance" over three years when he was playing for the Texas Rangers beginning in 2001. Media reports said the drug was steroids, and pundits relabeled him "A-Roid." The admission -- along with the recent allegations -- could alter his legacy: Some sport analysts say Rodriguez may struggle, once he retires, in the Hall of Fame voting selection process. In whatever way history may judge him, there's no denying how Rodriguez has made much of his life. His was a rags-to-riches story: He was born in New York City to Dominican Republic immigrant parents. His father was a shoe salesman and a catcher in Dominican pro baseball. His mother held two jobs, as a waitress and secretary. Opinion: The worst sports contract ever . His parents moved him and their two other children to the Dominican Republic when Alex was 4. The family then moved to the Miami area when Alex was 8. Later, his parents divorced, but not before Alex learned some baseball from his father. His mother sent him to a Christian private school, where he became well-groomed, well-mannered and a high school athlete who excelled at just about every sport. By 18, at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, he was playing for the Seattle Mariners at shortstop. Much bigger than the typical shortstop, he helped redefine the position. He won many awards and honors at Seattle, then at the Texas Rangers, and finally at the Yankees, who signed him in 2004. As he became wealthy, he donated millions to charity, including for facilities and scholarships benefiting youngsters in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade in south Florida. Rodriguez never forgot that he spent a lot of time at the Miami club as a boy of divorced parents. Rodriguez talks with CNN .
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Alex Rodriguez, 38, is the son of Dominican Republican immigrant parents . The three-time A.L. MVP and 14-time All-Star is one of baseball's greatest players . With richest contract in sports history, A-Rod is well-known for his romantic exploits . He gives money to Boys & Girls Clubs where he spent time as a boy of divorced parents .
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(CNN) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reversed her opposition to a vote on offshore drilling on "Larry King Live" on Monday night, saying she would consider a vote if it were part of a larger energy package. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urges the release of oil from strategic reserves as a way to bring down gas prices. Pelosi and fellow House Democrats have staunchly opposed Republicans' request for a vote on the drilling. Some Republicans stayed in chambers after Congress adjourned for the session, making speeches on energy policies, in an attempt to get Democrats to come back for a vote. Reacting to Pelosi's remarks, House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the speaker should call the House of Representatives back from its summer recess immediately if she is sincere about a vote on off-shore drilling. "Our message to Speaker Pelosi is very simple: We are ready to vote on more energy production and lower gas prices right now, and we should not wait one more day to begin giving the American people the relief they expect and deserve," Boehner said. "If you meant what you said last night, we welcome you and your Democratic colleagues to join us in our historic call to action on American energy." On Monday night, Pelosi said the vote would need to be part of a larger discussion that would include investing in renewable energy resources and releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Those options would help bring both immediate and long-lasting solutions to the energy crisis, she said. In her interview with King, Pelosi talked about what the government and country needs to do to avert the energy crisis and quickly bring down gas prices. The following is an edited version of the interview: . Larry King: OK, Madam Speaker, author of "Know Your Power," why don't you bring [Congress] back? Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Well, it's interesting to hear Sen. [John] McCain talk about bringing Congress back. He wasn't even in Congress this last session when we really had two very important bills on energy -- one to give tax credit for wind, solar and other renewable resources, and another about hybrid cars and the rest. So he wasn't in to vote when were in session and now he's saying call it back in. And then one of the others said to the president, call Congress back in. And the president said no. The president said no. But the point is this: The American people are suffering. We have to do what is best for them. How do we bring down the prices at the pump? We have said to the president, the fastest way to do this if in 10 days the price can come down if you will free our oil. Over 700 million barrels of oil the president is sitting on of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. No. 1, free our oil. No. 2, they want to drill. If they want to drill, we have 68 million acres in the Lower 48 that they can drill in that are permitted and all the rest. Three, stop the speculation. Four, renew -- invest in renewable energy resources, which will bring a faster return than drilling offshore, which will take 10 years and produce 2 cents' reduction in 10 years off the price at the pump. And then use natural gas. Natural gas is so plentiful. It's better for the environment, and it is cheaper. So there are things that Congress can do, and we have voted on this over and over again. But the Republicans and the president have resisted. Instead, they have this thing that says drill offshore in the protected areas. Well, we can do that. We can have a vote on that. But it has to be part of something that says we want to bring immediate relief to the public and not just a hoax on them. King: Would you vote yes on a package that includes drilling? Pelosi: I would not. It depends how the drilling is put forth. But I don't -- that is not excluded, let me say it that way. It depends how that is proposed, if the safeguards are there. Now, mind you, 68 million acres -- 10 million more acres in Alaska where they can drill. But if there's -- if we can get some great things, in terms of renewable energy resources: a renewable electricity standard, wind, solar, biofuels and the rest in that context, because if you make a decision only to go with the offshore drilling, you are increasing our dependence on fossil fuels, and you will never free yourself of that addiction unless you invest in the renewable energy resources that are good for the environment, cheaper for the consumer and will reverse global warming. And the consumer is our first responsibility. The American taxpayer owns this oil offshore, by the way. Let me make this one final point. This oil is owned by the American taxpayers. The oil companies drill. We give them money to drill there. But we get very little in return. So I think as we have this debate, which is a very healthy one to have and I welcome it; we have to review and realign the relationship between our oil, Big Oil's profits and what it means to the consumer and the taxpayer. King: Do you expect -- do you suspect the oil companies of having a lot of clout here, influence over the Republicans? Pelosi: Of course. Yes, they rule. And that's what we'll find out. King: They rule? Pelosi: When we have this vote, when we really define it and where the choice is clear to the American people -- I mean, do you know what -- Exxon Mobil, their last quarter, their profits were historic. Last year, they were historic. They outdid themselves this year already in this second quarter. And they insist that we pay them to drill. They need an incentive to drill in order to make over $11 billion in one quarter. And it just doesn't make sense. We should be using that money to invest in renewable resources, tax credit for wind and solar, etc. and invest in the technologies that will develop the battery and the rest, instead of giving Big Oil more profits. King: Do you expect to get a big enough majority in the Senate and House for the Democrats to overcome anything and get through your proposals? Pelosi: Well, I hope we can do some of it before we even leave this session. I think we can -- hopefully, we can do something before December. I will not subscribe to a hoax on the American people that if you drill offshore, you're going to bring down the price at the pump. Even the president says that's not true. Ten years, two cents -- we're saying 10 days, bring down the price, if the president would free our oil from the Strategic Petroleum [Reserve] -- from our stockpile -- owned by the taxpayers, purchased by the taxpayers. In the next election, I know that we will strengthen our majorities, increase their numbers, and we will have a Democratic president in the White House, and we will be able to address more fully really what I think is the challenge to our generation -- energy security and global warming.
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NEW: House minority leader calls for immediate vote on offshore drilling . House speaker says she'd be open for a vote on drilling as part of a larger package . Pelosi: Releasing oil from strategic reserves would quickly reduce gas prices . "We should be using that money to invest in renewable resources," Pelosi says .
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PHOENIXVILLE, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- After 22 years in private practice and seeing people "kicked around by the system," Dr. Lorna Stuart found herself frustrated with the number of insurance companies and the rules and restrictions that came with them. Because there's no insurance paperwork, Dr. Lorna Stuart says she has more time to spend talking with patients. "The day-to-day time that I spent on paperwork was increasing, while my patients weren't getting the good care that I wanted to give them -- face-to-face time, one-on-one time," she recalls. "I vowed to do whatever little I could about this inequity of care." For Stuart, that vow came in the form of opening her own clinic and treating the uninsured. "Every single person knows somebody without health insurance," says Stuart. "There are so many people that fall through the cracks." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 47 million Americans are currently without medical coverage. So Stuart set out to alleviate that problem where she could -- in her old steel town of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. She confided her desire to start a clinic in the Rev. Marie Swayze, her friend whose parish property was home to a Victorian-style rectory that had become dilapidated from disuse. The two concocted a plan to restore and remodel the mansion into a place that anyone would be happy to visit for quality medical care. Then, leaving private practice, Stuart sold her house and set out to raise $400,000 in donated funds, materials and services. In 2002, these efforts resulted in "The Clinic: Medical Center for the Uninsured," a charitable, sun-filled clinic that has since received more than 40,000 patient visits. Individuals receive free or low-cost primary medical care across eight specialties, regardless of income or locality. Watch Stuart explain how her healthcare dream came true » . "Since there's no need to spend a lot of time doing paperwork, we have time to talk to the patient and really hear what they're saying," says Stuart. "So the patients go away feeling they've been heard, that they've been helped." An arsenal of more than 100 local volunteers, including 20 retired and practicing physicians, assist Stuart in providing expert medical services to more than 800 patients per month from across the southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware area. She even invested in Spanish language audiotape lessons to better communicate with her Spanish-speaking clients. Patients are informed that each visit costs about $60, but they are only expected to contribute what they can toward their care. Watch Stuart explain the benefits of visiting "The Clinic" » . "Many patients pay as little as a dollar or even 50 cents for the same dignified care that patients contributing in full receive," says Mary Ellen Smith, The Clinic's medical resource coordinator. Patient contributions account for 20 percent of The Clinic's $900,000 annual operating budget. The rest comes exclusively from private grants and donations. If The Clinic accepted money made available through government aid programs, they would be significantly restricted in terms of whom they would be allowed to treat, and how. For Stuart, giving good old-fashioned care again has restored her sense of fulfillment. Watch Stuart explain how her clinic provides care to the uninsured » . "Each day, I get to treat the patients whom our medical system has forgotten, without the hassle of insurance paperwork," says Stuart. "Is it any wonder I once again feel the real joy of practicing the craft that I love?" E-mail to a friend .
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Doctor quit private practice, sold her house to open clinic for uninsured . Clinic is housed in restored Victorian-style rectory in old Pennsylvania steel town . Patients pay what they can, even if as little as a dollar or 50 cents . With help from volunteers, including doctors, clinic has reveived 40,000 patient visits .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Timothy Joseph Russert Sr., the father of the late Tim Russert of NBC's "Meet the Press," died from natural causes Thursday, according to his family. He was 85. The elder Russert was the subject of his son's 2004 book "Big Russ and Me." The New York Times bestseller captured the lessons passed down from father to son. "While he was affectionately known to the world as 'Big Russ,' he carried no more important nor meaningful titles than those of father, grandfather, great-grandfather, patriot and friend," the family said in a statement. The younger Russert, who became one of the mainstays of television journalism's political talk as the host of "Meet the Press," died from a heart attack in June 2008 at age 58.
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Timothy Joseph Russert Sr. was the father of the late journalist Tim Russert . He was also the subject of his son's 2004 bestseller, "Big Russ and Me" His son was the host of "Meet the Press" and died from a heart attack last year .
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(CNN) -- After a three-week trial and one hour of deliberations, an upstate New York jury on Monday found Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan guilty of second-degree murder for beheading his wife. In February 2009, Hassan, who founded a TV network aimed at countering Muslim stereotypes, went to a police station in the Buffalo, New York, suburb of Orchard Park and told officers his wife was dead, police have said. Aasiya Hassan had been decapitated, with prosecutor Paul Bonanno saying during opening arguments that the long knife used by her husband had left marks on his office's tile floor. Hassan gave his own closing arguments Monday. Earlier in the trial, he had dismissed his attorney, Jeremy Schwartz, who by trial's end was acting as his legal adviser. "Mr. Hassan has felt that throughout the tenure of his marriage, no one had listened to his side," Schwartz told reporters after the verdict. "It was important for him in the two hours that he had for summation to get across his side and how he saw his marriage." Hassan listened quietly to the jury verdict, Schwartz said. Hassan has the right to appeal after he is sentenced, Schwartz said. According to prosecutors, Aasiya Hassan had filed for divorce less than a week before she died. On the day she died, Aasiya Hassan agreed to take some of her husband's clothes to his office after he had moved out of their home. He had told her he would not be there, prosecutors said. "The defendant viciously killed ... and desecrated her (Aasiya's) body because six days earlier she had dared to file for divorce. Dared to seek a better life for herself and the children," Assistant District Attorney Paul Bonanno said in the prosecution's opening statement. Schwartz, then his client's defense lawyer, said in his opening statement that the couple's marriage was a "sad and unhealthy relationship" and that Aasiya Hassan threatened to embarrass his client and take away his children. "It ended with 'Mo' Hassan in fear of his very life," he told jurors. "Mo Hassan killed his wife, but he is not guilty of murder in the second degree." During the trial, Michael and Sonia Hassan testified that their father had become violent in the past, CNN affiliate WIVB in Buffalo reported. While both said the couple argued, neither recalled a case in which Aasiya -- their stepmother -- instigated a fight. Police earlier said they had responded to several domestic violence calls at the couple's home, but no one had ever been arrested. Hassan was the chief executive officer of the network Bridges TV, and Aasiya Hassan was the general manager. He launched Bridges TV, billed as the first English-language cable channel targeting Muslims inside the United States, in 2004. At the time, Hassan said he hoped the network would balance negative portrayals of Muslims following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Hassan fired three defense attorneys before the trial. Schwartz was the fourth to be dismissed, though he stayed as an adviser.
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A New York jury finds Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan guilty of second-degree murder . After three weeks of testimony, the jury takes an hour to reach its verdict . Representing himself, Hassan defends his actions .
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(CNN) -- A middle-of-the-night fight, a surprise pullout from the Grammy Awards, leaked photos, a police investigation -- new pieces of the puzzle of the alleged assault of pop singer Rihanna by her boyfriend Chris Brown have been emerging since early February. Singers Rihanna and Chris Brown, shown performing in December, are rumored to be back together. Then, nearly three weeks after the alleged battery, the couple was reportedly together again. The reconciliation was reported just days before Brown's arraignment, which is expected Thursday in Los Angeles, California. Update: Chris Brown charged with two felonies . Brown, 19, has issued an apology for "what transpired" but neither he nor Rihanna, who just turned 21, has directly addressed the allegations. Many would ask why anyone would return to an abusive partner after leaving, but therapists who treat both abusers and victims say it's common. The effect is like a "pendulum of pain," said Steven Stosny, counselor and founder of the anger and violence management program CompassionPower, which treats people convicted of abuse in the home. Abuse victims will "leave out of either fear, anger or resentment," he said. "But then, after the fear, anger or resentment begins to subside, they feel guilt, shame, anxiety, and that takes them back." After a violent incident, there is often a "honeymoon period" during which the abuser may apologize profusely, give the victim gifts and persuade the victim to stay, experts say. But when that period is over, the abuser may once again become violent. Blog: The tangles of domestic abuse . The reasons for returning to an abusive partner may relate to the days of early humans, who had to fend for themselves in the wild. The powerful psychological mechanisms that lead people to stay in abusive relationships may have developed for survival reasons, Stosny said. "To leave an attachment relationship -- a relationship where there's an emotional bond -- meant certain death by starvation or saber-tooth tiger," he said. Abuse happens in both low-income and high-income couples, said Joanna Snawder, who counsels students and community members at the Metropolitan State College of Denver in Colorado. A wealthy woman who has never worked may not want to change her lifestyle, while a poor woman may be financially dependent on her boyfriend or husband. Regardless, women may not want to break off an abusive relationship because they are afraid to be independent, don't know how to take care of themselves or don't want to face shame from friends and family, she said. Sometimes the abuser can get his partner to stay with him through manipulation, for instance, telling a woman that he will kill himself if she leaves him, said Mark Crawford, a clinical psychologist based in Roswell, Georgia. Crawford has seen many women stay in relationships because they couldn't bear the guilt of an outcome such as this. "There are some women who need to be needed so badly they'll put up with anything," Crawford said. "Even if the guy beats the crap out of them, they just feel that responsible for the other person." The term "the cycle of abuse" is often used to describe how coming from an abusive family is believed to make an individual more likely to be an abuser or to stay in an abusive relationship. "Unless we do a lot of psychological work, we often repeat family structures and dynamics that seem normal to us," Snawder said. On the other hand, some people who grow up in abusive households do not repeat the behavior they saw at home, she said. One student Snawder advises voluntarily went back to her abusive boyfriend after having a restraining order placed against him. They are together, but the man is assaulting the young woman again. "It's really important that a woman reach out and get support from friends, family or a counselor who can help her see that she doesn't have to go back to that relationship," she said. Men aren't always the abusers. There are relationships in which the woman is the abuser and the man is the victim, and all of the behavioral patterns happen in reverse. For instance, the woman makes the man feel like it's his fault for being beaten, Crawford said. "Those men just don't have the sense of self to say 'This is not acceptable,'" he said. Stosny's celebrity clients who have been abusive to their romantic partners may have been negatively affected by their rise to fame early in life, he said. They see themselves as above others, and feel they are entitled to punch someone whenever they feel like it. "I had one professional basketball player who sexually assaulted a girl. He really in his heart didn't believe that she didn't want to have sex with him," Stosny said. Can there ever be a happy ending for an abusive relationship? Experts agree that it's unusual, but a relationship in which a partner has been violent can become healthy again if, and only if, the abusive person seeks counseling to change his or her mindset. "If you don't believe that you have a problem, and you believe the person drove you to it, you're going to have a really hard time seeing that you have a problem," Snawder said. In practice, however, the victim usually just needs to move on to someone else, she said.
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Chris Brown and Rihanna are reportedly back together despite rumors he beat her . A victim's return to her abuser is common, therapists who treat both say . Women who are beaten often feel overwhelming guilt, shame and anxiety . Abuser may try to psychologically manipulate victim into thinking it's her fault .
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(CNN) -- Three years ago, I was just another American working mom when a famous Chinese publisher, CITIC Press, contacted me to write a book for China's single ladies. At first I wasn't sure if I was the right person for the task. Yes, I'm ethnic Chinese, but I'm Chinese-American. How could I write something useful for women in China? But after CITIC pursued me for a year, I agreed. My resulting book, "Do Not Marry Before Age 30," became a best-seller in China and has become embedded in its pop culture and urban consciousness. My life has also changed. I've developed a burning passion for empowering Chinese women, and I now work full-time in China's booming fashion and lifestyle media. All this has given me an intimate look at urban Chinese women, their lives and their dreams. Chinese women want what all women want . Many Chinese women now are well-educated -- in fact, Businessweek reported that U.S. business school enrollment is driven by women from China. Naturally, these women want to put their education to good use in their careers. In their marriages, they also have new dreams. They don't want a traditional Chinese marriage based on responsibility. They want love. Reality dating shows are legion in China, and like the idealistic Charlotte in the American TV show "Sex and the City," Chinese women want to "dream the impossible dream." In short, Chinese women today want what all women want -- great careers, true love, and maybe, a child who's happy and successful (most Chinese women are still restricted to having one child under government policy). Sex and power are deeply intertwined in China . The current generation of women is caught in a transitional moment in Chinese history. For thousands of years, Chinese society has been structured around the family unit. Men were the heads of household, women the caregivers. Women lived to please others. Now, there is an epic clash unfolding in Chinese society between women's newfound dreams and traditional notions of a woman's role. The title of my book, "Do Not Marry Before Age 30," is an attack on the fact that women in China face brutal social pressure to marry by age 27 lest they be labeled "leftover women." In China, sex and power are deeply intertwined. Concubine culture lives on, whereby mistresses are an acceptable and even expected accoutrement for men in power. Chinese social media regularly features photos of corrupt government officials with their mistresses. Perhaps inevitably in a society where power avails men of women, sexual harassment and domestic violence are rampant. Women's media are the messengers of history . Ancient traditions are codified into a range of laws in China that are unfair to women. But in a culture where women always have been second-class, laws will change only when enough women recognize their own selves and say "I'm not gonna take it anymore!" That's where pop media comes in. Naomi Wolf wrote in "The Beauty Myth" that American women's magazines were the "first messengers in history to address the majority of women...to tell them they have a right to define themselves first." This applies equally to China now. That's why many writers and editors who care about women's culture are fighting to redefine beauty in China, show that strong is beautiful, and profile women who've ignored the rules, defined their own lives, and who as a result are lovely and amazing at every age. Abuse thrives in silence, and the only way to overcome injustice is for us all to start truly connecting with our own selves and with those around us. Women's media prompts the dialogue needed in order for change to happen. We're all making culture now. It's up to each one of us to ensure the culture we create is based on dignity and mutual respect for everyone. Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Joy Chen.
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Chinese women want what all women want: great careers, true love, maybe a child . Clash between Chinese women's newfound dreams and traditional notions of female role in society . Chinese women's media is helping women redefine themselves .
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OKAZAKI, Japan (CNN) -- At Spencer Morrey's home, there are two constant sounds: his dad, Craig, murmuring, "You're okay, Spence. You're okay, buddy," and the sound of a machine clearing the toddler's airway. Spencer Morrey, pictured with his father Craig, has severe cerebral palsy and requires 24-hour medical care. Both sounds come every few minutes, in between hugs, tears and kisses. Spencer has severe cerebral palsy and requires constant, 24-hour medical care. In Japan, a country that lacks sufficient medical services for disabled children, the only person to care for Spencer is his father. Morrey says his wife left, overwhelmed by the strain of their son's medical condition. That would be pain beyond what most parents could imagine. But Spencer's mother fled while pregnant with Morrey's daughter, Amelia. In more than a year, Morrey says he has only seen his daughter four times. "She wouldn't recognize me," Morrey said, with Spencer propped on his lap. "She wouldn't call me daddy. She's just starting to talk now. But she's not going to know who I am. I think she deserves my love. And I think she deserves to be with Spencer and Spencer deserves to be with her." Morrey, a native of Chicago and a U.S. citizen, was married to a Brazilian woman of Japanese descent. They divorced in a Japanese court. Under Brazilian law, Morrey would likely have joint custody and guardianship of both children. What do you think about Spencer's case? Have your say . But in Japan, where only one parent gets custody of a child in a divorce, the family courts have left the case in legal limbo for a year because they have not decided which parent legally has custody of the children. Typically, the parent with physical custody of a child retains custody. Morrey has stayed in Japan the last year, trying to get the courts to recognize that he has joint custody of the children in Brazil (he has not yet applied for such custody under U.S. law). Watch Kyung Lah's report on the case » . He is afraid that if he heads home for the U.S. with Spencer without that, he could be subject to international child abduction laws, and he also fears such a move could hurt his chances of getting the Japanese family court to give him joint custody of his daughter. Morrey has been forced to quit work to care for Spencer. The financial strain of living off his credit cards is adding to the stress of caring for a disabled child alone in a foreign country. Despite his pleading with court mediators and repeated court filings claiming that joint custody is the law in both the U.S. and Brazil, Japan's slow and antiquated family courts have let the case languish. "Kids need both parents," Morrey said. "Whether the parents are married or not is irrelevant in my mind. The Japanese courts, and I realize you're going against years and years of cultural differences and everything else, but they don't care about the welfare of the child. "In Japan, it's considered too messy. It's too complicated. It deals with personal feelings, so they don't want to deal with it. So the best way is to not deal with it." CNN contacted Morrey's ex-wife four times by telephone and once by fax. She declined to discuss the case. The International Association for Parent and Child Reunion believes there are an estimated 100 American families in situations like Morrey's in Japan and dozens involving those from Britain, France and Canada. One of those cases is that of American Christopher Savoie. Savoie, 38, a Tennessee native and naturalized Japanese citizen, was arrested on September 28 in Yanagawa, Japan, for attempting to abduct his two children, eight-year-old Isaac and six-year-old Rebecca. Watch more about this case » . Savoie drove his children to the nearest U.S. consulate in the city of Fukuoka to try and obtain passports for them. Steps away from the front of the consulate, Japanese police arrested him. Savoie is now in jail, awaiting a decision by prosecutors on a possible indictment. Savoie and his first wife, Noriko Savoie, were married for 14 years before their bitter divorce in January. According to court documents, she fled with the children to Japan in the summer. A U.S. court then gave Christopher Savoie sole custody of the children. But Japanese law recognizes Noriko Savoie as the sole custodian, despite the U.S. order. "It's like a black hole," Morrey said. "If you go through a divorce, there's this joke. If you have an international marriage with a Japanese, don't piss them off because you'll never see your kids again." Not seeing his daughter Amelia again is what is keeping Morrey in Japan. He has been selling off everything he owns, trying to keep himself and Spencer afloat, hoping the Japanese court will bring him some legal connection to his child. He is stuck choosing between caring for his son, who needs the better resources of the U.S., and hoping to be a father to his daughter. "How do you make that choice? It's not -- once you're a dad, you're always a dad."
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Craig Morrey's wife left him to care for their disabled son, Spencer, alone . His wife has sole custody of the daughter she had shortly after . Under Japanese law only one parent gets custody of a child in a divorce . Under U.S. law Morrey would likely have joint custody of both children .
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(CNN) -- As horrified travelers watched, a Greyhound Canada bus passenger repeatedly stabbed and then decapitated a young man who was sitting and sleeping beside him, a witness said Thursday. Police investigate the scene near Portage la Prairie, Canada, on Thursday. "There was a bloodcurdling scream. I was just reading my book, and all of a sudden, I heard it," Garnet Caton, who was sitting in front of the two men, said of the Wednesday night incident west of Portage la Prairie in Manitoba. "It was like something between a dog howling and a baby crying, I guess you could say," Caton said. "I don't think it will leave me for a while." Passengers exited the bus, and a trucker who stopped provided wrenches and crowbars to several of them so they could keep the suspect on the bus until police came, witnesses told Canadian TV. The suspect was seized with the help of negotiators, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Steve Colwell said. Watch Colwell discuss the case » . He said no formal charges had been filed, and he declined to identify either the man in custody or the victim, who were among 34 passengers. There was no immediate indication of what prompted the attack, Colwell said. He said he didn't know how many times the victim was stabbed. Witnesses described the weapon as a large butcher-type knife. Caton told The Associated Press that the victim appeared to be about 19 years old and had gotten on the bus in Edmonton. Colwell praised the "extraordinary" level-headedness and bravery of the bus driver and passengers. "What you saw and what you experienced would shake the most seasoned police officer. And yet I'm told that each of you acted swiftly, calmly and bravely," Colwell said. "As a result, no one else was injured." The police received a call reporting the attack at 8:30 p.m. By the time they arrived at the scene, everyone except the knife-wielder and his victim had left the bus, Colwell said. The incident ended about 1:30 a.m. The bus was traveling along the Trans-Canada Highway from Edmonton, Alberta, to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and was about 45 minutes from its destination when the attack occurred, Greyhound spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh said in Dallas, Texas. Caton said the victim was sleeping with his head leaning against the window when the attack happened. Caton said he shouted at the other passengers, many of whom also were sleeping, to leave. Watch Caton describe what he saw » . "Everybody got off the bus. Me and a trucker that stopped and the Greyhound driver ran up to the door to maybe see if the guy was still alive or we could help or something like that," Caton said. "And when we all got up, we saw that the guy was cutting off the guy's head. ... When he saw us, he came back to the front of the bus, told the driver to shut the door. He pressed the button and the door shut, but it didn't shut in time, and the guy was able to get his knife out and take a swipe at us," Caton said. Caton told the AP that the attacker didn't sit near the victim when he first got on the bus, about an hour before the attack. "He sat in the front at first; everything was normal," Caton said. "We went to the next stop, and he got off and had a smoke with another young lady there. When he got on the bus again, he came to the back near where I was sitting. He put his bags in the overhead compartment. He didn't say a word to anybody. He seemed totally normal." Half an hour later, the attack began, Caton told the AP. "There was no rage or anything. He was like a robot, stabbing the guy." The incident occurred on the first of two Greyhound Canada buses that were traveling together, Wambaugh said. The bus was carrying 37 passengers. As many passengers as possible among those not directly involved in the incident were transferred to the second bus, she said. Others were taken to a hotel in Brandon, where they were met by Greyhound managers and police, Wambaugh said. Once they are released, Greyhound will take them by bus to Winnipeg, and "we will do whatever is required to help them, and that includes counseling," she added. Wambaugh declined to comment further. "I don't want to compromise the investigation," she said. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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NEW: Police say suspect is in custody, no charges have been filed . AP: Witness says attacker seemed normal before slaying, appeared to be about 19 . Man repeatedly stabbed and then decapitated sleeping seat mate, witness says . Trucker helped passengers trap knife-wielding man on bus, witnesses say .
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(CNN) -- A tsunami watch issued for five nations after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean was canceled about two hours later. A tsunami watch in effect after an earthquake in the Indian Ocean has been called off. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had issued the watch for India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh after the quake, which struck at 1:55 a.m. Tuesday (3:55 p.m. Monday ET). Its epicenter was about 163 miles (262 km) north of Port Blair in India's Andaman Islands, and 225 miles south-southwest of Pathein, Myanmar, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake's focus was about 20 miles below the Earth's surface. In general, earthquakes centered closer to the Earth's surface produce stronger shaking and can cause more damage than those further underground. Watch where the earthquakes hit » . "Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated," the warning center said in a bulletin. "Therefore, the tsunami watch issued by this center is now canceled." According to the geological survey, a 6.4-magnitude quake struck near the south coast of Honshu, Japan, 12 minutes after the Indian Ocean quake. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory following that quake, but said that the expected wave would be under 2 feet. CNN's Augie Martin contributed to this report.
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Watch covered India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh . It was issued after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean . Quake with 6.4-magnitude occurred near Japan 12 minutes later .
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(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Fernand is expected to make landfall early Monday, just hours after it formed over the western Bay of Campeche off the coast of Mexico. As of Sunday evening, the storm was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Veracruz and 160 miles (260 kilometers) southeast of Tuxpan, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. Fernand had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was heading west at 9 mph. The storm may strengthen before moving inland, which will happen sometime early Monday morning, the hurricane center said. A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Gulf Coast from Veracruz north to Tampico. Fernand is expected to dump between 4-8 inches of rain over the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo, northern Puebla, southern Tamaulipas and eastern San Luis Potosi, and as much as a foot of rain in some places. "These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the hurricane center said.
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The center of the storm should cross the coast early Monday . A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Gulf Coast from Veracruz to Tampico . Fernand could dump as much as a foot of rain in some places .
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(CNN) -- A St. Paul, Minnesota, hospital says it is working to identify the gap in its system that allowed a stillborn baby's body to wind up at an off-site laundry service. "This was a terrible mistake and we are deeply sorry," Chris Boese, chief nursing officer for Regions Hospital, said in a statement. "We have processes in place that should have prevented this but did not." On Tuesday afternoon, an employee from Crothall Laundry in Red Wing, Minnesota, called police to report that a baby's body had been found in items picked up from the hospital, a statement by Red Wing Police Chief Roger D. Pohlman said. Officers were told that the body fell out of a sheet being prepared for cleaning, the statement said. The male infant had a tag on his ankle and was wearing a diaper, Pohlman stated. Foul play is not suspected, he said. The baby was stillborn on April 4, and his body was placed in the hospital morgue, Pohlman said. "It is unknown how the baby ended up in the linens sent to Red Wing for cleaning." Hospital officials said Wednesday that they were "reaching out to the (baby's) family to notify them of their mistake, and to express deep apologies and offer support."
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Hospital admits mistake in sending body to laundry . Minnesota hospital says it is deeply sorry . Foul play is not suspected, police say .
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Nogales, Mexico (CNN) -- Inside a Mexican jail, Yanira Maldonado wept. A devout Mormon, the Arizona mother of seven said Wednesday she's been turning to scripture to survive ever since authorities falsely accused her of drug smuggling last week. "Reading the scriptures, reading the Book of Mormon, praying, fasting," Maldonado told CNN. "And all the support that I've been getting from my family, my husband, my children, and everybody out there reaching out to help." A judge is weighing whether to set Maldonado free after authorities accused her of drug smuggling and alleged they found 12 pounds of marijuana under her bus seat. Maldonado maintained her innocence Wednesday. "I'm a good mom. I love the gospel. I'm LDS. And we work hard to have what we have," she said. "You know, we're not rich, but we're very honest and we always do our best to help other people." The Mexican military officials who arrested Maldonado haven't made their case yet in court. The soldiers were scheduled to appear Wednesday, but didn't show, according to a defense attorney. Hearings in the case are set to continue Friday. Maldonado's family denies the charges and says they're optimistic the case against her is crumbling. "We have high hopes," Anna Soto, Maldonado's daughter, told CNN on Wednesday. "So I'm just looking forward to that. Hopefully, Friday, I'm praying that she will be home and be set free." It's a situation Maldonado said she never imagined when she boarded a bus last week to head back to the United States after attending her aunt's funeral in Mexico. "I was at the checkpoint. They asked us to get off bus. And they were checking for drugs or I don't know what else," she said. "And they say they found something under my seat. But I never saw anything. They didn't show me anything. It was just amazing all that, what they did." Fearing for her life . Earlier this week, Maldonado's cuffed hands gripped a metal bar as a truck carrying her to testify barreled down the street. One thought went through her mind, she told CNN, crying as she recalled her fear that the fast-moving Mexican police convoy would crash. "I'm not a killer. I'm not a criminal. I'm just here by mistake because people are not doing their work," she said. "This is not right. I need to be back with my family. I need to be out of here. I need help." Since her arrest, Maldonado said her views toward the country where she was born have changed drastically. Asked before by friends about going south of the border, Maldonado never thought twice when she gave advice. "I used to tell people, 'Come to Mexico. It's not true what they're saying. I go every year to visit my family. ... I come, I drive myself, nothing happens.' ... Look what's happening to me now. I cannot say that anymore," Maldonado told CNN. "I don't want anybody to go through this." If she's released from prison, Maldonado says she's not sure whether she'll ever return to Mexico. From a bus seat to a jail cell . Mexican authorities arrested Maldonado last Wednesday as she and her husband, Gary, were on their way back to Arizona. Gary Maldonado said he believes Mexican soldiers at the checkpoint wanted a bribe. A Mexican state official also told CNN it appears that Maldonado was framed. Another daughter, Brenda Pedraza, called the arrest "outrageous." Her mother was recently by her side, she said, cradling her newborn granddaughter. "She's just a wonderful mom and a wonderful grandma and she would never jeopardize her life to lose this, to lose her family," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday. The family relies on Maldonado and misses her, Pedraza said. "I still need her, you know, being a new mom. I still need her advice, her guidance. We've heard that the minimum is 10 years. Ten years is a whole lifespan. We don't have that time, 10 years, to be separated," Pedraza said, choking back tears. "Please, to the officials in Mexico, please do your part and really investigate, because I know my mom has nothing to do with those illegal drugs." After testifying in court on Tuesday, Gary Maldonado told CNN affiliate KTVK that he was feeling optimistic. "We're hoping for the best outcome. ... We don't think they have a case," he said. The Mexican Embassy in Washington said in a statement that a preliminary decision from the judge was expected soon. Questions about arrest . A Sonora state official with extensive knowledge of the case told CNN there are questions about the arrest. "Can you imagine?" asked the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media and did not want to be named. "A passenger by himself or herself would have been unable to carry almost six kilos of marijuana onto a bus without being noticed. She must've been framed." A regional office of Mexico's Defense Ministry said troops conducting a routine investigation stopped the bus Maldonado was riding in and and found 12.5 pounds (5.7 kilograms) of a substance that appeared to be marijuana under her seat. Troops turned the case over to the Mexican attorney general's office, the defense ministry said. Maldonado is being housed in a women's prison in Nogales while authorities decide her fate. The Sonora state division of the attorney general's office said the investigation is ongoing and declined to provide additional information. Her husband was told by authorities that regardless of his wife's guilt or innocence, he would have to pay $5,000 to secure her freedom, the family said. He was able to cobble together the money but then was told it was too late. His wife had been transferred to another jail. U.S. officials monitoring the case . Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, is monitoring the case, his office said. The State Department has also been in touch with the family. "The U.S. Consulate in Nogales is monitoring the case closely," State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters on Wednesday. "They are in regular contact with Ms. Maldonado and her family, and her legal counsel, and they're working to schedule another visit with her. The last time we were able to visit with her was May 24." The State Department estimates that several thousand U.S. citizens are arrested in Mexico each year. But it's unclear exactly how many U.S. citizens have been detained in Mexico, the State Department said. "We don't have the exact breakdown for Mexico, and the embassy would not have that information either," said Elizabeth A. Finan, a spokeswoman for the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affiairs. "However, I can say millions of U.S. citizens travel to Mexico each year, and most have uneventful trips. Arrests happen every day, as you might expect with such a high volume of visitors." Some arrests go unreported to U.S. officials, and sometimes arrested individuals do not request consular assistance, Finan wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "Arrest cases are not uncommon in Mexico," she said, "and our consular officers work hard to assist all U.S. citizens who come to us for help." 'Blind mules' unknowingly ferry drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border . Former Marine released from Mexican prison . CNN's Rafael Romo reported from Nogales, Mexico. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet wrote the story in Atlanta. CNN's Christine Theodorou, Mariano Castillo, Paul Courson, Lateef Mungin and Rene Hernandez contributed to this report.
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An Arizona mom accused of drug smuggling says she is innocent . Daughter to Mexican officials: "Please do your part and really investigate" A Mexican judge is weighing the case against the Mormon mother of seven . Maldonado was on her way back from a funeral when authorities arrested her .
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