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(CNN) -- New York could be the first state in the country to impose a limited ban on a controversial method of drilling for natural gas. This week, the state assembly passed a hydraulic fracturing moratorium bill, which is currently en route to New York Gov. David Paterson's desk. He will have 10 days from then to take action. In the past, Paterson has expressed concern about hydraulic fracturing, which involves cracking thousands of feet beneath the earth's surface to get at valuable natural gas. It is unclear if the governor will sign or veto the legislation. "He'll hear what everybody has to say," a representative of the governor's office told CNN. She would not provide her name. Interactive: See how fracking works . The assembly voted 93 to 43 Monday night to place a temporary moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, so the state can investigate the safety and environmental concerns. The state Senate passed a similar bill in August. The moratorium -- which would only be in effect until May -- seeks to halt new drilling permits for horizontal hydraulic fracturing, dubbed "fracking," a controversial method of extracting natural gas. The drilling process has come under scrutiny because of the potential effects on drinking water, public health and the environment. Can shale gas be produced safely? If signed into law, New York would be the first state to impose a fracking moratorium, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed moratorium in New York was described as "misguided" by Kathryn Klaber, who represents a large natural gas industry coalition in the northeast United States. "Tightly-regulated, environmentally sound natural gas development in New York can and will deliver a much-needed and long-lasting economic shot in the arm to not only communities along the Southern Tier, but for the entire state, just as it is in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and elsewhere," said a written statement from Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. Using hydraulic fracturing, drillers pump large amounts of water mixed with sand and chemicals into the shale formation thousands of feet underground under high pressure. Fracturing the shale around the gas well then allows the natural gas to flow freely. The process has raised concerns about whether those chemicals are contaminating the underground water. Some residents near hydraulic fracturing drill sites along the Delaware River Basin -- located in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania -- have been able to set their water on fire. Watch residents set water on fire . Several residents in rural Pennsylvania have filed a lawsuit against Cabot Oil & Gas, blaming the company for the contamination. The company has said the hydraulic fracturing process is "proven and safe," citing a 2004 hydraulic fracturing study by the EPA that concluded the injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids "poses minimal threat" to underground sources of drinking water. The EPA is currently reviewing its position and plans to issue its report in 2012. Can the EPA regulate fracking? New York City gets roughly half of its water from the Delaware River Basin, which was recently named the country's most endangered river because of the threat of natural gas. Last month, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for a cautious approach to the drilling. "The stakes are high," Bloomberg wrote in a November 17 letter to the Delaware River Basin Commission's Executive Director Carol Collier. "The City has invested more than $1.5 billion in watershed protection programs that have resulted in improved water quality throughout our watershed, as well as to our releases downstream, which benefit all members of the Commission, and the 15 million people who rely on the Delaware River watershed for clean drinking water," Bloomberg wrote. Over the past few years, technological advances and increased profit margins have spurred increased use of hydraulic fracturing, according to the EPA. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates shale gas will make up more than 20 percent of the nation's total natural gas supply by 2020. Currently, most natural gas is burned to produce electricity or heat and cool buildings. When burned, it emits about half the carbon dioxide as coal. For that reason, most of the country's big environmental groups are cautiously supportive of increased shale gas development. But, with the expansion of fracturing, there are increased concerns about its potential effects on the underground water table, public health and the environment. Read Fortune Magazine's special series on fracking . The concerns have prompted an EPA study of the potential problems with fracturing and public hearings to help decide how to conduct the study are almost finished. The EPA -- which held public meetings this year in Binghamton, New York; Canonsburg, Pennsylvania; Fort Worth, Texas; and Denver, Colorado -- plans to begin its actual study in January 2011 and release initial study results by late 2012.
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New York's state assembly passed a limited ban on hydraulic fracturing . Also known as "fracking," it's a controversial method of drilling for natural gas . The EPA is studying whether fracking contaminates ground water .
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military closed its detention facility in southern Iraq on Thursday after a plane carried the last remaining prisoners to another facility in Baghdad. Iraqi detainees walk around Camp Bucca detention centre on May 20, 2008 . The United States has been releasing detainees or transferring custody to the Iraqi government, a goal spelled out in the bilateral security agreement negotiated last year between the two nations. Since February, the Americans have released about 750 detainees from its detention facilities and transferred 200 more to Iraqi authorities each month, the military said. Camp Bucca, in the southern port city of Basra, was one of three prisons operated by U.S.-led forces in Iraq. The other two are Camp Cropper, adjacent to the Baghdad airport, and Camp Taji, just north of the capital. Both camps are scheduled to be handed over to the Iraqis next year. The last 180 detainees from Bucca were airlifted by military transport early Thursday morning to one of those two other facilities. A total of 8,305 detainees still remain in U.S. custody, about half the number at the start of the year. "I'm pleased to say the Camp Bucca detention facility is now closed," said Brig. Gen. David Quantock, the commander of the task force handling the detainee releases and transfers.
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U.S. miliary closes Camp Bucca, a detention center in southern Iraq . Last remaining prisoners were transferred to another center in Baghdad . Closure is in accordance with bilateral security agreement negotiated last year . Two remaining camps set to be handed over to the Iraqis next year .
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Hidden in the alleyways behind Jakarta's fancy malls and in between the high-rise apartment buildings is what Ronny Poluan, a former film maker, calls the "real Jakarta." Ronny Poluan (in cap), who runs "Jakarta Hidden Tours," takes a group through a Jakarta slum. It is not far from the glitz and glam that dominates the capital's skyline, yet it is a side of the city that few foreigners ever see. "I want them to (have an) authentic view," Poluan, who runs "Jakarta Hidden Tours," said as he took a group of Australians through the winding maze of a central Jakarta slum. "I'm running out of rice," an old lady mumbles in the doorway of her tiny dark home as the group passes by. Further along, little girls push their faces into wire fencing, while another group of children draw 36-year-old Daniel Knott into a game of cards. Knott, a volunteer for various NGOs, and his wife, who works for AUSAID, live in Jakarta and have been to the slums before. But it is the first time their friends, Kerri Bell and her husband Phil Paschke, have been to Indonesia. Knott said he felt it was important to bring the visiting couple here. "I think Jakarta is a city of contrasts," he said. "There's a lot of shopping malls and kitschy stuff, but it's also a lot of normal people. And, it's fun to come and hang out with the locals, actually." "It's fantastic," Kerri Bell said. "I've been in Asia once before and we didn't want to just gloss over the surface and see all the things you can see in a western country. It feels to me much more like the real Jakarta, to see what drives it. To see that is so much more valuable than coming and lying on the beach." The tour first took them into a couple of cramped and sweltering soy bean cake and tofu factories --- both staples in the Indonesian diet. Watch Arwa Damon tour through the slum » . The group remarked that there were few other cities where foreigners can wander around the slums, and not just feel safe but welcomed -- and that is what Poluan said these tours were all about. "I want to see people meet people," he said. "The other culture meet the other culture." "It's a pretty big eye opener," Paschke said. "It's the first time I have left Australia, so yes, it's completely different." Poluan ushered the group into a covered market where you can find just about anything. For the group, it was a bombardment of the senses. "I love seeing them," fish seller Rokayah said, laughing. "They are handsome and they are rich. It is rare for me to see foreigners here at the traditional market, and I like talking to them, but I don't understand English." The tour costs around $34 per person. Poluan keeps about half of the money for himself and his NGO, INTERKULTUR. The other half goes to the community. Critics, however, said that this type of direct cash aid was counter-productive. They said the tours were demeaning, exploited the poor, and taught them to be dependent on the handouts of others. "These poor people, we have to educate them," said Wardah Hafidz, coordinator of the Urban Poor Consortium. "We have to tell them that it's not God's will that they are poor, that they also have to fight for themselves. They can't depend on other people forever." This type of criticism angers and frustrates Poluan, who said his tours were about raising awareness on both sides. In the last month, he has also started a microfinance scheme. More importantly though, he said, were the initiatives that he hoped his tours would jumpstart. "They (the foreigners) usually think about how to help, to educate," he said. "They come back again, bring books. I try to make a pushcart library for the children." He said his tours were also about educating foreigners on real issues facing the country. The group weaved its way to the city's train tracks, only barely visible amid the garbage and squalor. It is the site of a constant battle between the track dwellers and the government, which says that living there is illegal and dangerous. Government evictions and the destruction of the feeble structures, usually just bits of plastic tarp and wood, are fairly commonplace. "I am used to it," shrugged 80-year-old Indarjo. He has lived like this for five decades, making his living as a scavenger. He said he has been forced to move over 200 times. He invited the group into his home, and explained that when it rains, he just pulls the flap over. "I feel that I am equal to them. I treat them as my guests," he said. "I believe that they would do the same for me." The visitors were dumbstruck, the impact of what they were seeing, they say, was hard to put into words. It was a sobering but educational look at Indonesia, where some 40 million people live below the poverty line. "It's pretty confronting," Paschke said. "The things you complain about at home don't seem too significant." "It's hard to see something like this and just go home to normal life," his wife, Bell, added as the couple stood in the middle of the tracks. "It makes me motivated to look at the local community and things that we can help out with at home."
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Ronny Poluan leads tours of a Jakarta slum to show visitors the 'real' capital . Tours cost about $34 -- half of that goes to Poluan, the other half to the locals . Some critics say the tours exploit the poor and teach them to rely on handouts . Tour covers a market, soy bean cake and tofu factories, meeting residents .
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(CNN) -- Tjaart van der Walt will seek to upstage two of his most illustrious golfing compatriots and win his first professional tournament at the Africa Open on Sunday. The 37-year-old goes into the final round tied for the lead with 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and one shot ahead of two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen after carding a superb eight-under-par 65 in East London on Saturday. Van der Walt, who finished second in a 2005 U.S. PGA Tour event, eliminated Oosthuizen's two-shot overnight lead as he started with four successive birdies and -- like his fellow South African -- picked up a shot at the final hole. The world No. 347's only blemish at his home event came at the par-four eighth hole, and he was confident he could contend for his first title since turning pro in 1996 in the opening event of the 2012 European Tour season. "At the end of the day, the golf ball doesn't know that they are major champions," he said of his rivals. "I've played at the highest level, I've never won majors or big events, so who knows what can happen. "I do feel as if I am controlling the golf ball as well as I have in a long time. Not just tee to green, but on the greens as well. And that's a good sign for me. I'm entitled to forget the one bad shot I hit all day." Defending champion Oosthuizen's only lapse came at the par-five 11th hole as he took four shots to reach the green. "It was an elementary mistake really. Those little chip-outs seem easy, and I made the basic error of leaving it short of a tree for my approach to the green," the world No. 40 said. Goosen, seeking his first European Tour win for five years, carded a flawless 66 to be on 20-under 199. The 42-year-old, who topped the tour's Order of Merit money list in 2001 and 2002, was one shot clear of fourth-placed Englishman Danny Willett, who shot 65. Another South African, Richard Sterne, was also in contention after firing seven birdies and an eagle in his 64 to claim fifth place on 202. The 30-year-old, a five-time winner on the tour, is making his first outing in almost a year following back problems. Meanwhile, defending champion Jonathan Byrd claimed a one-shot lead after Friday's first round of the PGA Tour's season-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. The 33-year-old, whose only title last year came in Kapalua, carded six-under 67 on the Plantation Course to lead the 28-man field. Fellow American Webb Simpson, who was runner-up in the 2011 FedEx Cup series and the tour's money list, was equal second with compatriots Steve Stricker and Michael Bradley plus Scotland's Martin Laird. PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley was sixth after a 69, while veteran Korean K.J. Choi carded 70. Lucas Glover, who beat Byrd in a playoff at the Wells Fargo Championship last season, withdrew before his tee-off due to a knee injury suffered while paddleboarding last weekend.
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Tjaart van der Walt catches Louis Oosthuzen at the top of the Africa Open leaderboard . Veteran South African cards eight-under 65 to join major winner on 21 under par . Former European Tour No. 1 Retief Goosen is a shot behind going into final round . Defending champion Jonathan Byrd claims a one-shot lead at PGA Tour's opening event .
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Washington (CNN) -- Shots fired at a congressman's campaign headquarters. Windows smashed at Democratic offices across the country. A coffin placed on a lawmaker's lawn. Hate-filled voice mail messages left on members of Congress' phone lines. Those are just some of the incidents reported since the House passed historic health care reform legislation Sunday -- a bill that became the law of the land. The issue has unleashed a deep-seated anger from those worried about a government takeover of health care, and what they deem as the process being "rammed through" Congress. James Leach, with the National Endowment for the Humanities, said that while many of the acts may be protected under First Amendment rights, "that doesn't mean that they're morally justified." "And we have to think of ourselves as, 'what kind of people are we?' " Leach said. "Are we one people working together with rival thoughts, or are we enemies within? And I think there's something that's been let loose in American politics that has to be thought about." That anger was visible in unruly protests by health care activists at the Capitol over the weekend. Republican House members encouraged protesters outside and inside the House gallery, some of whom carried messages like "Vote no or else" or "If Brown won't stop it, a Browning will" -- a reference to newly elected Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown accompanied by a silhouette of a pistol. But the anger has boiled over into physical and verbal threats. Windows have been smashed at Democratic offices in at least three states, and federal agents are investigating whether a cut gas line at the home of a Virginia congressman's brother was related to the lawmaker's yes vote. Republicans have the right to be angry over the Democrat's health care bill, but "resorting to violent measures is exactly the wrong way to send a message," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Thursday night. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-New York, confirmed Thursday that his district office in Queens received an envelope containing white powder and a threatening letter. Later Thursday, Weiner told CNN that initial tests indicated the powder was not a biological agent, but that he still was awaiting final word from the New York Police Department. Workers at the office turned over their clothes for testing and were given protective suits before being allowed to go home a few hours later, Weiner said. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are now looking into the threats, and at least 10 House Democrats have been given extra security. The voice mail has been vicious toward Michigan's Bart Stupak, who switched his vote to seal the deal for the bill. He has released one of the voice mails. Listen to the voice mail . "Stupak, you are a lowlife, baby-murdering scumbag, pile of steaming crap. You're a cowardly punk, Stupak, that's what you are. You and your family are scum," an unidentified caller said. "That's what you are, Stupak. You are a piece of crap." "Go to hell, you piece of [expletive deleted]" another caller said. Read more about Stupak's political future . On Sunday, Democratic Rep. Russ Carnahan of Missouri had a coffin placed on his lawn, said his spokeswoman, Sarah Howard. She said Tea Party protesters at his office in St. Louis had a coffin with them and later brought it to his house. The coffin was later removed, she said. Democratic congressional leaders have demanded Republicans join them in condemning a spate of threats and vandalism that has followed Sunday's vote on the health care system overhaul. The top Republican in the House, Minority Leader John Boehner, condemned the threats and vandalism, telling reporters Thursday that it "should not be part of a political debate." "There are ways for people to channel their anger, and they should do it in a constructive way," he said. Liz Mair, a Republican consultant, said protesters "are unfortunately crossing a line." "When we're talking about violence, vandalism, threats, that crosses a legal line, in addition to being in plain old bad taste," Mair said. "And I think that there's a lot that is in plain old bad taste that is going on." Democrats aren't the only ones being targeted. Rep. Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives, said Thursday that a bullet had been fired through a window at his campaign office in Richmond, Virginia. Watch Cantor warn against Democrats "fanning flames" A Richmond police spokeswoman confirmed to CNN that a bullet was fired at the congressman's office. "We are investigating the circumstance surrounding it," spokeswoman Karla Peters said. Cantor also said that he had received threatening messages but that he would not publicly release the messages out of concern that doing so would only incite further violence. He also accused Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine and Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland -- a member of the Democratic House leadership -- of "fanning the flames" of violence by using threats that have been made against Democratic members "as political weapons." iReport: 'Violent Threats after the Healthcare Signing' "Enough is enough," Cantor said. "It has to stop." Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse hit back against Cantor's claims. "We disagree with the charge made by Rep. Cantor today that Democrats are using acts of violence for political gain," he said. "Let's be clear: Calling on Republican leaders who have contributed in part to this anger by wildly mischaracterizing the substance and motives of health reform to condemn these acts is entirely appropriate." Another Republican -- Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida -- said in a news release Thursday that she received what appeared to be a death threat on her district office's voice mail. "Just wanna let you know I have 27 people that are going to make sure that this b**** does not live to see her next term. Goodbye," the voice mail said, according to the release. Brown-Waite said she contacted both the Capitol Police and the Hernando County sheriff, and they are "looking into the matter and subpoenaing telephone records." At least one of the threats aimed at lawmakers appears to be racially based. House Democratic Majority Whip James Clyburn, who is African-American, said he has received a fax in his office with a picture of a noose drawn on it and had threatening telephone calls at his home. "We're giving aid and comfort to these people, and this stuff gets ratcheted up," Clyburn told CNN. "We in this Congress have got to come together in a bipartisan way and tamp this foolishness down. It doesn't make sense. That's not what a democracy is all about." Democratic officials and liberal Web sites are also upset that Sarah Palin used an image of crosshairs in a Facebook post this week listing 20 vulnerable Democrats who voted for the legislation. She plans to target them this election year with money from her political action committee. Read more about Palin's targeting effort . Palin's team is fighting claims that she is encouraging threats of violence. One House member mentioned her Facebook posting during a Wednesday meeting on safety concerns, a Democratic source told CNN's Dana Bash. Mention of the map brought audible groans to the room, the source said. An adviser to Palin responded by pointing to several instances in which the former Alaska governor has urged supporters to focus their energies on civil debate and action at the ballot box, not extremist activities. CNN's Deirdre Walsh, Dana Bash, Peter Hamby, Ed Hornick, Lesa Jansen and Tom Cohen contributed to this report.
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GOP Rep. Cantor says Dems have inflamed violence by using threats against them . DNC spokesman denies that "Democrats are using acts of violence for political gain" House Democrats have reported threats, other incidents . "Violence and threats are unacceptable," House Minority Leader John Boehner says .
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(CNN) -- Think of Baghdad and for most people what comes to mind is a city of damaged buildings and concrete checkpoints. This is what Caecilia Pieri expected the first time she visited the Iraqi capital just months after the American-led invasion in 2003. Baghdad has a history dating back to ancient Mesopotamia and was later one of Islam's great capitals. But Saddam Hussein's closed regime left the modern city unknown to the outside world. "I had no idea what to expect, but had heard that the modern city had nothing to offer," said Pieri. She was astonished to find a city that she fell in love with. And, surprisingly, what most enthralled her was Baghdad's 20th century architecture, including buildings commissioned by Saddam. "Despite the dust and the traces of looting, despite the U.S. Army and the disorder, I fell in love with the modern city," said Pieri, now head of the Urban Observatory at the French Institute of the Near-East in Beirut. "I discovered the garden city, the beautiful architecture, the lovely houses with central courtyards and roof terraces, the people who were welcoming to foreigners. "In the 20th century, Baghdad managed to mix traditional features, methods of building and details of decor with modernity. "Brickwork has been used in Iraq for 5,000 years, and gives features that you don't see in Syria or Lebanon." Pieri was so captivated that she wrote a PhD on the 20th century architecture of Baghdad and later a book called "Baghdad Arts Deco," published last year. The architectural boom continued under the dictatorship of Saddam, who ruled from 1979 until he was removed by the invasion in 2003, said Pieri. Also on Inside the Middle East: Saudi Women: Pampered or oppressed? "Of course there was great architecture built under Saddam Hussein," she said. "He was really fond of architecture, and I could even say that it's a cliche that many dictators were ... see what Mussolini or Hitler commissioned. "But he was not very consistent in his choices. He happened to commission either great works by great architects, or very kitsch architecture by others." Great architecture of Saddam's regime includes the Baghdad Mayoralty by Hisham Munir and the Ministry of Finance by Qahtan Madfai, both from the 1980s, according to Pieri. "Among the kitsch ones are the horrible Monument for the Unknown Soldier, by the Italian Marcello d'Olivo (1982) and the sadly famous Arch of Victory (1983) by Khalid ar-Rahal and Mohammed Ghani," she adds. Hisham Ashkouri, a Baghdad-born architect who now works in the United States, said, "Baghdad is a beautiful city with an incredible history, it's one of the nicest cities anywhere." Ashkouri, who worked with Hisham Munir, designer of the Baghdad Mayoralty, in Iraq before moving to the United States, added, "There are some historic homes from the Ottoman era that need to be preserved. We should also open our minds to the 20th and 21st century architecture. There was some incredible work in the 1950s." As well as being attractive, the buildings were ahead of their time in terms of the environment: Sustainable and suitable for the climate with their thick walls, says Pieri. The city she speaks of is a world away from that seen by most people on television news reports. "The images on TV focus on events and usually bad events, so they don't have the time to give an insight into the background landscape," she said. Since that first visit in 2003, however, Pieri has witnessed a decline that has seen the city divided by concrete walls, blocks and checkpoints. Also on Inside the Middle East: 'Victims of injustice' in post-revolution Egypt speak out . "Because of the sectarian violence, a decision was taken to divide the city into separate zones. It's frozen the conflict but hasn't brought any fundamental solutions. "Now when you drive down a main road, you see concrete walls or blocks blocking off the side streets," she said. Other problems the city faces include empty buildings being taken over without regulation; once attractive brick buildings being patched up with concrete and metal and courtyard gardens being built on. "There are no regulations, so many of the central areas are being transformed into second rate commercial buildings. In some residential neighborhoods, many of the buildings were left empty or went to people who couldn't afford to maintain them properly or transformed the gardens into warehouses," Pieri said. And then there's the dust. Also on Inside the Middle East: Gaza music students find smart ways around travel ban . "Saddam Hussein cut down many palm trees, both in the city and in the desert," said Pieri. "Now the dust from the desert is really attacking the buildings. It makes them look more dilapidated now than (they) did during the war." There are signs of hope for the future though. There have been programs to re-plant palm trees and the Baghdad Mayoralty held a conference, which discussed preserving the city's heritage, according to Pieri. "There's the beginning of a wider awareness that (Baghdad's) modern heritage is to be preserved," she added. "People are becoming more and more aware that they have something very special in front of their eyes." After the invasion, Ashkouri's company ARCADD announced plans for a privately funded $13 billion Baghdad Renaissance Plan for a new central business district with easy pedestrian access to the historic center and waterfront. However, the plan remains on hold because of security concerns. "If it's the last day of my life I will do it, but it would be a terrible mistake to start now because of the violence in the city. The city requires a lot of reconstruction of the sewers, the water, the roads, the electricity systems. That needs to be the first step," said Ashkouri. "There are efforts to rebuild the city which is remarkable in light of the security situation."
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20th century architecture and traditional styles produce an attractive low-rise city . Some great buildings -- and some bad ones -- were erected under Saddam Hussein . Concrete barricades, dust and neglect have damaged the architecture in recent years .
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(CNN) -- Jurors spared the life of a former Canton, Ohio, police officer who killed his pregnant girlfriend and tearfully asked them for mercy. A judge then sentenced him Wednesday to 57 years to life in prison. Bobby Lee Cutts Jr. stared straight ahead as the jury announced its recommendation to spare him. Bobby Lee Cutts Jr., 30, will be 87 by the time he becomes eligible for parole. He stared straight ahead as the jury of six men and six women recommended that his life be spared. He and his lawyer teared up as the jurors were polled about their decision. Watch Cutts react » . Judge Charles E. Brown added to the sentence, taking other counts into consideration after hearing victim impact statements from the parents and sisters of victim Jessie Marie Davis. She was 26 and nine months pregnant when she disappeared last June. Her body, and that of her unborn child, were found 10 days later at a state park in northeastern Ohio. Whitney Davis, Jessie's sister, directed her anger and grief at Cutts. "You got rid of someone that was an inconvenience. I hate you." Watch Davis' family lash out at Cutts » . She continued: ""You used and manipulated her over and over and still you sit there and you are not crying. I don't believe that you are sorry for what you did. I believe that you are sorry that you got caught up in all your lies. I don't know that you would know the truth."Watch sister tell Cutts she hates him . Cutts took off his eyeglasses as Davis' father, Ned, addressed him: "Don't even look at me." "Your honor he violently murdered her," the anguished father continued. "Five-foot-four, nine months pregnant, that baby could have been delivered." And, tears rolled down Cutts' face as Davis' mother, Patricia Porter, spoke of her grief. "There are mornings I have to cover her picture up, when I can't get out of bed." She continued, "I serve an amazing God, Bobby. A God that forgives and heals and restores people. And all I know today is that I do forgive you, and I know it is only through him that I am able to do that." But she turned the other cheek: "I may not have family to go home to after this, but I pray that you make a way for him to get out of there and begin a new life, and to be able to hold his son." Porter, who is raising Blake, told Cutts the child "knows what you did. You would not believe the stories he has told us." When his time came, Cutts offered no statement, no testimonials to his character. On February 15, the same jury found Cutts guilty of murdering Jessie Davis and their baby, who was to be named Chloe. It was Chloe's death that made Cutts eligible for the death penalty. Jurors convicted him of two counts of aggravated murder -- for terminating a pregnancy and taking her life during the commission of a felony. All the members of the jury are white, as was Davis. Cutts is black. Cutts, who has maintained Davis' death was the result of an accidental elbow to the neck, asked the jury to spare his life and offered a tearful apology at his sentencing hearing Tuesday. Watch Cutts' tearful plea » . "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'm asking you to spare my life," he said. "To imagine that I was responsible for the death of Jessie, the mother of my children and my unborn daughter, is beyond any words that I can express," Cutts added, reading from a handwritten statement. "Words cannot bring them back, nor can they erase the pain I've caused, but I want to apologize," he said. Cutts' lawyer, Fernando Mack, had urged jurors to recommend the lowest available penalty -- 25 years to life -- to allow him to play a limited role in his other children's lives. Mack acknowledged that many of the jurors might still be angry with Cutts for leaving his 2½-year-old son, home alone for more than a day while his mother lay dead in a field. But sentencing Cutts to death hurts Blake even more, he argued. "That is still Blake's father, like it or not. The prosecutor here wants you to kill Blake's father, so now he'll have no parents." Stark County Assistant Prosecutor Dennis Barr attacked Cutts' character and his sincerity on the stand. A police officer should have known better, he said. "Bobby Cutts took an oath to serve and protect," the prosecutor argued. "But on June 14, 2007, Bobby Cutts did not serve and protect. He destroyed." According to testimony, Cutts rolled Davis' body in a comforter and dumped it in a park, leaving toddler son Blake in the house alone at the crime scene in a soiled diaper. "Mommy's in the rug," Blake told police, according to testimony. Prosecutors charged during the trial that Cutts buckled under the financial pressure of additional child support, killed Davis, and then created a cover story to try to get away with it. After the sentencing, prosecutors -- no longer restricted in their comments by a gag order -- told reporters Cutts led authorities to Davis' body, but no deal was made in return. Davis' father, Ned Davis, told reporters, "Our family, in one sense, was fortunate that we had some legal resolution because I know along with this, there are families out there that don't ever get an answer. It doesn't make it any less painful, but at least this part of it is resolved." E-mail to a friend .
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NEW: Judge gives Bobby Cutts Jr. the maximum life sentence . Jury recommended life, with no parole eligibility for 30 years . Cutts Jr. convicted of murdering girlfriend, unborn child . He apologized for killings and asked jurors to spare his life .
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(CNN) -- Has there ever been a rivalry in a sporting team quite like the one between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber? Their fractious, not to say poisonous, relationship reached a new low on Sunday, after the three-time world champion ignored Red Bull team orders to snatch victory from Australian Webber at the Malaysian Grand Prix. With another three weeks before the next grand prix -- the Chinese GP on April 14 -- Webber plans to going surfing as he reflects on his treatment by Vettel and his place in the Red Bull hierarchy. "I'll be catching a few waves on my surfboard and reflecting on everything that's happened," Webber told reporters. "There were a lot of things going through my head in those closing laps," he said. "Not just from today, but from the past as well." The past probably includes the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix, a race in which Webber was flying when, on the verge of a hat-trick of wins, he and Vettel famously crashed -- leading to a sense of ill feeling within the team. Despite protestations in public to say otherwise from team principal Christian Horner, the frustration for Webber is that he is very much the team's understudy. Vettel has long been nurtured by Helmut Marko, titled a motorsport consultant at Red Bull but widely regarded as the eyes, ears and mouth piece of team owner Dietrich Mateschitz, and a figure Webber has not always seen eye to eye with. "Seb made his own decisions and will have protection as usual," continued Webber after Sunday's race, a not too subtle reference to the Australian's apparent place in the Red Bull pecking order. "It's something that Sebastian has apologized for and it's something that we will discuss internally as a team," added Horner, who in February at the launch of the RB9 had insisted: "As a team we will do the very best we can to support both drivers." But former McLaren driver John Watson went so far as to say that Red Bull should suspend Vettel for one race. "If Christian Horner doesn't reassert his authority in the team -- because he has been totally subjugated by Sebastian Vettel yesterday -- then his position in the team is not exactly the role it is designed to be," Watson told BBC Radio on Monday. "The only conclusion I can reach is that Vettel should be suspended for the next grand prix. "You can't take the points away from him and give them to Mark Webber - that's now history and Sebastian has the benefit of those seven additional points." After the event, Vettel was apologetic, suggesting the incident had been a misunderstanding rather than a direct violation of team orders. "I didn't mean to and I apologize, " Vettel told reporters. "I'm not happy I've won, I made a mistake and if I could undo it I would. It's not easy right now and I owe apologies to Mark and the team." The Malaysia Grand Prix also raised more questions about the very essence of the sport with teams handing down orders to drivers rather than allowing them to race. While Vettel ignored a call to stay behind his teammate Webber, Lewis Hamilton benefited from team orders. The 2008 world champion claimed his first podium finish for Mercedes after colleague Nico Rosberg was told not to attack him as both drivers were seeking to maintain their cars. Team orders have long been a controversial part of F1, and were banned in 2002. However, that rule was dropped in 2011 after it became apparent that teams were finding ways around it.
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Sebastian Vettel defies team orders to pass and claim first win of 2013 . German apologized to teammate Mark Webber, who was leading the race . Former McLaren driver John Watson calls on Red Bull to suspend Vettel for one race .
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Tokyo (CNN) -- Workers at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have discovered a radioactive hot spot far more lethal than anything previously recorded at the damaged facility, the plant's owner reported Tuesday. The reading at the base of a ventilation tower between the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors Monday afternoon was 10,000 millisieverts per hour, the Tokyo Electric Power Company announced -- high enough that a 60-minute exposure could kill a man or woman within weeks. A U.S. expert told CNN that radioactive particles most likely concentrated in that area in the first days of the disaster, as plant operators tried to vent the damaged reactors. By comparison, the average resident of an industrialized country receives 3 millisieverts of background radiation per year, while the highest level reported in the days following the disaster was about 400 millisieverts. Tokyo Electric immediately cordoned off the area and is investigating both the cause of the high radiation and how it will affect the recovery work, company spokesman Naoki Tsunoda said. None of the workers who made the discovery have been injured, the company said. The Fukushima Daiichi plant, located about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Tokyo, was flooded by the tsunami that followed Japan's March 11 earthquake. The result was the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, as the plant's three operating reactors melted down and spewed vast quantities of radioactive particles across the surrounding area. The disaster has caused Japan to rethink its commitment to nuclear energy, and Germany has since announced plans to abandon atomic power entirely by 2022. Gary Was, a nuclear engineering professor at the University of Michigan, said the location of the hot spot suggests the radioactive material was filtered from air and steam released to relieve pressure inside the reactors during the meltdowns. "As they were venting, either intentionally or unintentionally, the building air was being sent through filters," Was said. Those filters may have been concentrating radioactive particles "into one spot," he said. Was said the use of a gamma-ray camera could help identify whether the source of the radioactivity was reactor waste products, bits of nuclear fuel or both. Tokyo Electric mounted a gamma-ray camera on a three-meter (9.75-foot) pole to capture images of the hot spot Monday, the company said. Tokyo Electric says it expects to fully wind down the crisis at Fukushima Daiichi sometime between October and January. Engineers are struggling to manage an estimated 100,000 tons of highly contaminated water that was used to cool the reactors during the emergency, and Was said workers may face issues similar to the one discovered Monday as they try to decontaminate that fluid. "Those filters are going to be screaming hot," he said. "As bad as the water is, those filters are going to be worse." CNN's Matt Smith contributed to this report.
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NEW: The hot spot may have resulted from reactor venting, a U.S. expert says . Tokyo Electric Power Company is investigating the cause of the high radiation . These are the highest radiation levels since the early days of the disaster . A single 60-minute dose would be fatal to humans within weeks .
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(CNN) -- St. Francis of Assisi, after whom Pope Francis has taken his name, captures the spirit of many Catholics because church history regards him as the pre-eminent figure passionate about imitating Christ's life. He is known also as a patron saint of Italy, the founder of the Franciscan order of the Friars Minor, an admirer of nature and a servant to poor and destitute. The brown robe of the Franciscans is iconic. "Who doesn't know Francis of Assisi, who abandoned everything from wealth and prestige and who became poor himself," Vatican deputy spokesman the Rev. Thomas Rosica said Wednesday, explaining how the saint inspired Pope Francis' name. "Francis of Assisi is a great, great figure in the church but known especially for connecting with fellow Christians and many people outside the Christian family," Rosica said. Many popes have written and spoken of St. Francis of Assisi, according to the Vatican's website. In an encyclical, Pope Pius XI stated that "there has never been anyone in whom the image of Jesus Christ and the evangelical manner of life shone forth more lifelike and strikingly than in St. Francis." St. Francis "was also rightly spoken of as 'another Jesus Christ,'" Pius XI said. He was born in Assisi in 1181 or 1182, the son of a rich cloth merchant, and he enjoyed a carefree adolescence and youth, particularly with troubadours. He went to war at age 20 and was taken prison for almost a year. He was released and became seriously ill, which began a major turn in his life. When he returned to Assisi, a spiritual change commenced, and Francis abandoned his worldliness. He met with lepers and extended a kiss to one. In rags, he lived among beggars at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. And in one renowned episode, he went to the tattered small church of St. Damian, where Christ on the cross came to life and told him: "Go, Francis, and repair my Church in ruins," recounted Pope Benedict XVI in a 2010 address, according to the Vatican website. "The ruinous state of the building was a symbol of the dramatic and disquieting situation of the church herself," Benedict said. "At that time the church had a superficial faith which did not shape or transform life, a scarcely zealous clergy, and a chilling of love." Francis' father questioned his son's generosity and servitude to the poor. While standing before the bishop of Assisi, Francis stripped off his clothes and renounced his paternal inheritance, Benedict said. Francis lived as a hermit. He went to Rome in 1209 to propose to Pope Innocent III a plan for a new form of Christian life, Benedict said. The Franciscan order was born.
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St. Francis of Assisi is a patron saint of Italy and founder of brown-robed Franciscans . "Who doesn't know Francis of Assisi," Vatican spokesman says . St. Francis "was also rightly spoken of as 'another Jesus Christ,'" Pope Pius XI said . He renounced the inheritance of his rich cloth merchant father .
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After years of rising cholesterol levels from fatty diets and pudgy waistlines, there's finally good news, experts say. More people who are trying to lower their cholesterol are actually succeeding in getting their low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol, down to healthy levels. Research suggests that decreasing LDL -- via drugs, exercise and/or diet -- can ward off heart attacks and strokes. However, there's still room for improvement, according to research from nine countries, including the United States and Canada. And there's good reason to stay focused on lowering your cholesterol: Research suggests that decreasing LDL can ward off heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems. In the new study, which was funded by Pfizer and published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, an international group of researchers led by David D. Waters, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, looked at 9,955 people with an average age of 62 to see whether cholesterol-lowering efforts -- including taking medication or trying diet and exercise alone -- were having the intended effect. For healthy people, the current target for LDL cholesterol is less than 160 mg/dL, and for those with two or more heart disease risk factors, it's less than 130 mg/dL. For people with heart disease, LDL should be less than 100 mg/dL and possibly even less than 70 mg/dL for those at super-high risk. The survey, known as the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project 2, is an update of a similar survey done in the United States in 1996 and 1997. At that time, just 38 percent of Americans in general and 18 percent of people with heart disease who were trying to lower cholesterol actually had their LDL cholesterol under control. Health.com: 4 tips for healthy drinking while dieting . Things have definitely gotten better. Waters and his colleagues found that in 2006--2007, 73 percent of people had their LDL cholesterol in an acceptable range. This included 86 percent of people at relatively low risk of heart problems, 74 percent at moderate risk, and 67 percent at high risk. But just one in three people, or 30 percent, who already had heart disease and at least two other risk factors (such as obesity and smoking) had their LDL cholesterol in the healthy range. About 75 percent of the patients in the survey were taking statins, 16 percent were treated with only diet and exercise, and the remainder took a cholesterol-lowering medication that was not a statin. Statins include brand-name drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor, among others. The findings "should be a wake-up call" to people who already have or are at risk of heart attack and strokes, says Gregg Fonarow, M.D., the codirector of the UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program, who was not involved with the research. People with cardiovascular disease should not "assume that just because they're under medical care that they've optimized their cardiovascular health," he says. Health.com: Ultimate guide to fresh fruits and veggies . However, Dan Hackam, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Western Ontario and the Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre in London, Ontario, says the survey may not be a fair representation of people with high cholesterol. The survey included only people who had been using the same cholesterol-lowering approach for at least three months. "There's lots of people in the general population who should be on these drugs who aren't on them," Hackam says. "I see a lot of patients who've had heart attacks and strokes who aren't on these medications." Nevertheless, according to Hackam, the findings are "very good news." When the original survey was done, he says, there were just a couple of major clinical trials showing the health benefits of cholesterol reduction with statins. Since then, there have been around 50 such trials, he adds, including some with women, minorities, and seniors. "There's just so much more awareness now among physicians of the clinical evidence," he says. Health.com: 10 celebrity couples: Who's healthy, who's not? Fonarow says there are still plenty of doctors out there who don't treat cholesterol as aggressively as they should. "The threat to the patient is something that plays out over many years or decades; it's not an immediate threat," he notes. This time lag can make it difficult for some people to see the benefits of treating high cholesterol just as aggressively as they would a heart attack, says Fonarow. Hackam says he measures his patients' heart disease and stroke risk by giving them a 12-hour fasting cholesterol test and a scan of the walls of the arteries in their neck. If the scan shows fatty plaques, he recommends cholesterol-lowering therapy even if the patient's cholesterol levels are normal. Health.com: New iPhone apps for healthier, more earth-friendly shopping . Other steps people can take, aside from seeing their doctor, include quitting smoking and exercising more, Hackam says. There's even a home cholesterol test -- just like the home glucose tests used by people with diabetes -- that patients could use. "People can be very proactive," he explains. To find out if your cholesterol levels are where they should be, and what to do if they aren't, Fonarow recommends checking out the interactive Web sites run by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. Why are more people hitting cholesterol targets? It probably isn't because more patients are taking their medication properly or sticking with their diet, according to an editorial published with the study. It's more likely that the newer cholesterol-lowering drugs do a better job of curbing LDL, writes Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil, of Weill Cornell Medical College, in New York City. About half of the study participants were taking one of these newer drugs, he notes. Health.com: The medical tests every woman must have . Gotto is a consultant for Merck and other companies and is on the advisory board of DuPont and Novartis. Waters and other study coauthors have received consulting fees from Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies. Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 .
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Study: More heart patients are succeeding in getting cholesterol to healthy levels . In 2006-07, 73 percent of people had LDL in healthy range vs. 38 percent in 1996-97 . Likely that the newer cholesterol-lowering drugs do a better job of curbing LDL . There's still room for improvement, says one expert .
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Washington (CNN) -- The retired general who took charge of relief efforts in New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina said Thursday that the U.S. military should have arrived in earthquake-devastated Haiti 24 hours earlier. "The good Samaritans who moved early on the first day are to be applauded. They made a difference," said Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, a CNN contributor. "What we've got to do now is get the heavy equipment in. I thought the U.S. military could have been there a day earlier. They're on the ground now, and they have a brigade en route, and that's going to make a big difference," he said. Honore, best known for his management of the recovery efforts after the hurricane that killed about 2,000 people on the Gulf Coast, said "time is of the essence" in helping quake survivors. Repairing the seaport at Port-au-Prince and keeping the airport open are key to bringing in equipment, food, water and medicine, Honore said. Regarding the airport, he said, "You need to put the right commander there who's going to be a battle captain and keep those aircraft flowing. You come in, you drop off what you have, you put the sick and wounded on and then move out. No one is standing any time on the airfield. You can be in and out in a half hour." Speaking at the House Democratic Caucus Retreat later Thursday, Obama acknowledged the scrutiny focused on U.S. response. "This is a time when the world looks to us and they say -- given our capacity, given our unique capacity to project power around the world -- that we have to project that not just for our own interests but for the interests of the world as a whole," he said. "And my national security team understands that I will not put up with any excuses for us not doing the very best in this time of tragedy." State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley defended the pace of the rescue. "We are 40 hours into the crisis. In that time, we have reopened the airport and brought it up to 24/7 operations. We continue to look at the port facility, which will be critical to be able to bring in substantial amounts of aid, and we're trying to figure out a strategy for how to function," he said. "We now have multiple search and rescue units on the ground. They're already at work," Crowley added. "Logistics matter. You have an airport with a single runway. So we have things that are queued up. You're going to see a significant increase in the flow, but there is a capacity issue," he said. Airlines such as American, Delta, Jet Blue and United were helping provide assistance to the country in the form of free miles for its program members and seats for aid organizations. American was operating humanitarian flights, with three American Eagle aircraft flying 30,000 pounds of supplies into Haiti on Thursday. Three more such flights were planned Friday. American is also partnering with the American Red Cross by offering one-time awards of 250 or 500 bonus miles for donations. In the afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that Haiti had suspended flights into the Port-au-Prince airport because ramp space -- where aircraft are parked, unloaded, loaded, refueled or boarded -- was overcrowded. There also was no fuel, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said. Several U.S. military units planned to depart from the United States for Haiti during the day, but it was unclear whether all would be able to do so. Among those apparently delayed was a battalion of more than 100 soldiers from the XVIII Airborne Corps based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. They had planned to fly out Thursday afternoon. Paratroopers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, also based at Fort Bragg, were on their way to Haiti, said Rajiv Shah, coordinator for U.S. assistance to the stricken area. He also is administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The 82nd was deployed to New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. The first of about 3,500 paratroopers were to board C-17 aircraft from Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina and arrive in Haiti before nightfall. On Friday, another 800 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne were to deploy. In all, the U.S. military has 329 people in Haiti, including a group that arrived Tuesday night to help open the airfield in Port-au-Prince, the commander of U.S. Southern Command said Thursday. The Southern Command, based in Miami, Florida, is leading the Department of Defense's quake response. "We're working feverishly and aggressively to support and provide life-sustaining capability to the citizens of Haiti," Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser said. "They've suffered a great deal." Offshore, four U.S. Coast Guard cutters and a destroyer were providing support, including helicopter support, he said. A disaster relief assessment team was surveying the area, and a battalion of paratroopers along with a command-and-control element from the 82nd Airborne arrived Thursday, he said. The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson is to arrive in Haiti on Friday morning, carrying 19 helicopters and 30 pallets of relief goods, he said. The carrier will help relief workers get around Haiti's decimated infrastructure "to get good where they need to be," Fraser said. Within four days, 700 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne will be in Haiti, he said. Those numbers will swell considerably. On Tuesday, three more ships will arrive, carrying 2,200 Marines and heavy equipment, he said. By Saturday, 5,000 to 6,000 men and women dedicated to supporting the relief effort will be in Haiti, he said. And a week from Friday, the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship, is slated to arrive, he said. "We are aggressively pursuing every action we can to provide relief to Haiti." The ship is staffed by a crew of 64 and 560 hospital personnel. Rear Adm. Steve Branham, commander of the 7th Coast Guard District headquartered in Miami, said four Coast Guard cutters were in the area, each of them at least 210 feet in length and capable of carrying helicopters. Two more cutters capable of providing heavy-lift capability were en route, he said. Coast Guard aircraft were used Wednesday to move nine critically injured people from the U.S. Embassy in the capital to hospitals in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he said. State Department Counselor Cheryl Mills said U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Ken Merten met Thursday with Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive to coordinate aid efforts. Responding to questions as to whether the United States was in charge in Haiti because of the lack of Haitian government capacity, Mills said, "We have no intention of supplanting the leadership of Haiti. We actually see our role as ensuring that the leadership of Haiti is able to provide the leadership that the Haitian people properly expect them to provide." The United States is providing support to the approximately 45,000 Americans in Haiti, only 300 of whom have expressed an interest in leaving the country, Mills said. Obama has promised $100 million in immediate American relief aid to Haiti, an amount the president said will grow. "This is one of those moments that calls out for American leadership," he said at the White House. "One of the largest relief efforts in our recent history" is now en route to Haiti. The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Tuesday afternoon was centered about 10 miles (15 km) southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, which bore the brunt of the destruction. The port was demolished by the earthquake, which left huge chunks of concrete that blocked the road to truck and other traffic, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported. Those trying to transfer supplies from ships to people who need them will face major hurdles, he said. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States is providing security help to the the United Nations, which was "equally devastated by the collapse of its headquarters" for its peacekeeping force in Haiti. As many as 150 of its personnel are missing. She said a contingent of 2,000 Marines will assist international peacekeepers helping to police Haiti, which has no army. Because the U.S. Embassy is one of the few structures that remains intact, it has become a point of support, providing medical assistance for Americans and Haitians who are able to reach it, Mills said. The United States has been trying to contact U.S. citizens in Haiti to see what they need, Mills said. Embassy families and nonessential personnel have been ordered to leave. CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott contributed to this story.
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NEW: Airlines offer miles for donations, seats on planes for aid organizations . NEW: Obama says he will not put up with U.S. not doing "the very best in this time of tragedy" Haiti suspends flights into Port-au-Prince airport because ramp space is overcrowded . Several U.S. military units plan to go to Haiti, but it's unclear whether all will be able to .
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(Financial Times) -- BT has achieved its biggest sporting coup yet over Sky, winning the rights to show Champions League football matches in a £900 million ($1,442 million) deal. The deal, announced on Saturday, strikes at the heart of two decades of football broadcasting dominance by Sky. However, it is likely to raise questions about whether BT is paying too much for sports rights, to which it has now committed nearly £2 billion ($3.2 billion). The Champions League is Europe's football premier club competition, and BT, Sky and ITV had all hoped to secure some coverage in this week's tender. Under a three-year agreement starting in 2015, BT will be the only broadcaster to show live Champions League and Europa League games in the UK, paying £299 million ($479 million) per season. That is more than double what Sky and ITV currently pay for the same rights, suggesting that BT bid aggressively under its new chief executive Gavin Patterson. In the tender, ITV is thought to have bid about £63 million ($101 million) per season to show one live game per round, representing an increase of less than one-fifth on its current deal. Sky was prepared to increase its payments by a greater proportion, but could not match BT. "It seems BT chose to pay far in excess of our valuation," a Sky spokesperson said in a statement. "If we thought it was worth more, we'd have paid more." TV is part of BT's broader strategy to win customers to its premium fibre broadband packages, which include the sports channels for free at present. The Champions League deal will significantly bolster its channels as serious rivals to Sky in the eyes of viewers and advertisers. BT's shareholders will be keen to see clear returns from such significant investments from a group that has previously focused on cutting costs and streamlining its operations. The group last week revealed a good start in customer numbers, with about 2m people so far having signed up to its channels although the majority would have been existing BT customers. However, the sports rights acquisitions weighed on earnings, and analysts say it is still too early to judge the new sports TV strategy a success. ITV, which was also outbid for rights to FA Cup games by the BBC, had hoped that Uefa would continue to offer some rights to terrestrial television, where advertisers can garner a larger audience. BT has pledged to make some games, including the Champions League final, available free even to those who do not have its pay TV platform. © The Financial Times Limited 2013 .
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The BT deal strikes at the heart of two decades of football broadcasting dominance by Sky . It is likely to raise questions about whether BT is paying too much . Sky was prepared to increase its payments by a greater proportion, but could not match BT . BT has pledged to make some games free even to those who do not have its pay TV platform .
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(CNN) -- G8 summits are often fertile ground for the most grandiose of political promises. True to form, this year's one didn't disappoint: The leaders of the U.S. and the EU fired the starting gun in the race to create the biggest bilateral trade agreement the world has ever seen. Despite tensions surrounding revelations of alleged U.S. spying on key EU figures, the talks officially kicked off this week. But what are the chances of such a deal coming to fruition? Read more: EU envoys meet over claims of U.S. spying on European allies . And by the time each side has had its say, will the new pact really bring the benefits touted today? At a recent event I chaired in Brussels, former World Bank president and one-time U.S. trade negotiator Bob Zoellick was skeptical. Talk is cheap, he said, what matters is what's achieved. Obama visit: Why U.S. now needs Germany more than ever . One thing Zoellick was adamant about is that it will take years to get any definite deal up and running, and by the time concessions have been made the agreement is likely to look rather different to the original blueprint. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership -- or TTIP for short -- is an ambitious project, designed to boost what is already the world's most important inter-regional trading relationship. Both partners are betting it will add generously to the 13 million or so jobs that depend on transatlantic trade, whilst boosting investment in key sectors starved of cash during the global financial crisis. Outgoing World Bank chief: Fix eurozone . Make no mistake, each side needs this deal badly: To speed up the painfully slow recovery and provide an effective counterweight to China, whose cheap exports have put scores of American and European firms out of business. But there are limits to what each side will accept. The logic is by removing all tariffs on goods and harmonizing regulatory standards for the production of cars to crops, the regions will be able to create one gargantuan market for their goods and services. France has so far successfully lobbied to protect Europe's film and music industry while the U.S. could retaliate with its own conditions, meaning the chances of a fully comprehensive framework look slim. Worth up to around $280 billion, the TTIP will cement an alliance between two blocs which already account for almost half of the world's gross domestic product. Richard Quest: US-EU trade deal not in 'our lifetime' All this may sound great in principle but the reality is stronger U.S.-EU ties risk alienating large emerging economies that have been deliberately excluded. China has watched the transatlantic nations' dubious stewardship of the world economy with increasing alarm. It will not take kindly to their stranglehold over world trade. Back in Europe, some are already questioning whether the TTIP's economic benefits will be evenly shared. A survey commissioned by Germany's Bertelsmann Foundation expected U.S. incomes would rise 13.4% per head thanks to the TTIP, whereas those in Europe would only increase 5%. Even among EU member states the trickle down effect is likely to be uneven with the UK's economy likely to grow 9.7% while that of France would expand just 2.6%, the study found. What also remains unclear is the effect increased trade with the U.S. would have on intra-EU commerce upon which many member states are heavily reliant. Still, on balance, even if there are fewer crumbs to be had on its side of the table, Europe has the most to lose if the TTIP doesn't go through. Why? because it has fewer options than America. Dogged by uncomfortably high unemployment and repeated recessions, one gets the sense the European Commission views the TTIP rather like a "get out of jail" card. Faced with no effective policy to tackle its issues, a crisis of leadership and a dearth of funds, Brussels appears to believe the TTIP will prove to be some sort of panacea. Another unknown is whether the business community will buy into the TTIP. Large firms often talk up the merits of free trade but shy away from the cumbersome aspects that new trading environments often offer. The nascent U.S.-EU trade negotiations aim to achieve much but it will take years to work out the details and by the time the TTIP is up and running the economy will probably be back on its feet again. Hopefully by then they will have dreamed up a new name though. After all "TIP" is hardly a promising acronym for the biggest deal on the planet.
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Worth up to around $280 billion, the agreement will cement an alliance between the two blocs . Both partners are betting it will add generously to the 13 million or so jobs that depend on transatlantic trade . But stronger U.S.-EU ties risk alienating large emerging economies that have been deliberately excluded .
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(CNN) -- 1980s nostalgia is about to intensify. This week, ABC television will premiere its new show "The Goldbergs," a sitcom about a suburban middle-class family in the 1980s that loves to yell and scream. The pilot promises to bring back memories of colorful leg warmers, REO Speedwagon, Sam Goody stores, and Simon electronic game units. "Before there were parenting blogs, trophies for showing up, and peanut allergies," the network's online description says, "there was a simpler time called the '80s." While the program will showcase the lighter side of American culture in the 1980s, we should remember the decade was anything but simple when it came to politics. There were huge changes that took place in this pivotal decade that continue to shape politics today. Tax cuts and deregulation: The roots of our current economic policies lie in the 1980s. With Ronald Reagan in the White House, Republicans were able to have a huge impact on taxation and regulation. One of Reagan's signature changes was the tax reduction of 1981, which significantly lowered income tax rates and weakened the ability of the federal government to raise revenue. While there have been tax increases since that time, the trajectory of the overall rate structure has generally moved downward, making it extremely difficult for the government to finance new programs without raising the deficit. The Reagan administration was also very successful at promoting economic deregulation. The idea of deregulation had already gained bipartisan support in the 1970s. Democrats like Sen. Ted Kennedy pushed for the deregulation of the airline industry to help consumers, while conservative economists like Milton Friedman championed deregulation to free up markets. But Reagan sold the idea like no other politician before him. He believed that markets were superior to government at almost every turn. His aggressive push for deregulation of markets would continue to influence debate in the 1990s as Democrats joined the GOP in dismantling New Deal programs that had monitored financial markets. The nation paid the price with the devastating financial collapse of 2008. Life and politics in the 1980s . The end of the Cold War: The end of the Cold War started in the middle of the 1980s. While young Americans such as Barry -- the middle child in the television show and the family upon which it is based -- were mostly worried about what cassette tapes they should buy and getting their first car, Reagan entered into a series of historic negotiations with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev between 1985 and 1987 that culminated with the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987. Following the treaty, the Soviet Union would collapse in the years when George H.W. Bush was in the White House. Since the 1980s American foreign policy has been characterized by a shifting and murky battle against rogue states and terrorist networks. The battle lines have never offered voters or politicians the same kind of clarity as existed in the Cold War, often making it more difficult to mobilize long-term support behind military operations and producing confusion about what policymakers are even trying to achieve. This was true even after 9/11 as the U.S. became bogged down in a war in Iraq that had little to do with the source of the attack. Liberalization of social and cultural values: Even with Reagan and Bush in the White House, American culture continued to embrace the values from the Age of Aquarius. During this decade, Americans were listening to more explicit lyrics in their music, watching television shows and movies that had more sexuality and violence, and listening to radio shows such as Howard Stern's which abandoned the social inhibitions of the 1940s and 1950s, when the original "Goldbergs" aired on radio and television. Beyond entertainment, public health crises -- most importantly the spread of the deadly AIDS virus -- required policymakers to have more honest talks with the public about sexual relations. In 1987, hundreds of thousands of activists marched on Washington to call on the federal government to devote more resources to combating AIDS. As homosexuality became less of a taboo, more gay Americans came out of the closet. There were also celebrities who made a difference. In 1985, the publicist of the actor Rock Hudson, a very close friend of the president, announced that Hudson had AIDS. Although his people said it had resulted from a blood transfusion, the media soon reported that Hudson had been gay. Americans were also living in a country that was becoming even more ethnically and culturally diverse, as the waves of immigration that had swept into the nation since the immigration reform of 1965 remade the cities and suburbs. Americans became familiar with the world that Asian, Latino and other immigrants were building. In recent years, Americans have been giving their strong support to gay rights and rejecting those who warn that recent developments, such as same-sex marriage, are pushing the nation in the wrong direction. There is also very little support for efforts to impose regulations on popular culture, and much more comfort that there is no danger in Americans' having more honest discussions and cultural exposure to sexuality. While some conservatives adhere to hard-line positions on immigration restriction, national polls show that most Americans support a path to citizenship. The 24-hour news media: In 1980, CNN began, and the erosion of the era of network news dominance was under way. The network news established in the 1960s had revolved around three nightly news shows, each approximately a half-hour in length. CNN broke the mold when it began the 24-hour news cycle from its Atlanta studios. With CNN, the flow of information was constant and it was much harder for politicians to respond to the emergence of stories. Other cable news networks soon emerged, including Fox News, CNBC and MSNBC, as cable became a dominant mode of information. The Internet followed this same model, making the news cycle even more intense. This media cycle had a number of effects. It fragmented and decentralized the distribution of news information, making it more difficult for politicians, including the president, to reach broad national audiences, since viewers could tune in to a much wider variety of stations. Once the Fairness Doctrine, which had required stations to give opposing viewpoints equal airtime, came to an end in 1987, the cable networks could air more partisan newscasts. The proliferation of channels and the 24-hour cycle intensified the competition among news outlets to release information as fast as possible and to find stories about political scandal and conflict that would attract viewers. This fueled the partisan polarization that was taking place in Washington during this decade. As viewers watch the antics of the Goldbergs, remembering or learning about what life was like in long-ago suburbia, it's worth thinking about the bigger changes that were taking place outside the home that have continued to shape our politics. The 1980s are much more than nostalgia. We live in the fast-changing world of the 21st century, yet ours is a society that owes much to the way things were three decades ago. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer.
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Julian Zelizer: New TV show may add to nostalgia for the 1980s . He says the era was one that fundamentally shaped the world we live in today . Zelizer: From tax cuts to the 24-hour news media, the 1980s were tremendously influential .
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Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at Israel and warned the United States against pushing for new sanctions on his country a news conference on the sidelines of an Asian security summit here Tuesday. A key item on the agenda at the summit is last week's Israeli raid on an aid flotilla in the Mediterranean. Ahmadinejad said the confrontation revealed Israel's "devilish" nature. "It showed violence and hatred and war-mongering attitudes," he said at the news conference. "The devilish sound of the uncultured Zionists was coming out from their deceit. ... They were holding up the flag of the devil itself." The raid led to the deaths of nine people, all Turkish citizens -- including one Turkish-American. Turkey is urging Israel to accept an international probe into the incident. Ahmadinejad congratulated Turkey, which has been in a war of words with Israel following the raid, for its response. Israel's envoy to Turkey later walked out on an Ahmadinejad speech at the conference. Ambassador Gabby Levy walked out in protest when Ahmadinejad started criticizing the "Zionist regime," said Amit Zarouk, a spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Ankara. Both Israel and Iran are members of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Ahmadinejad and Levy did appear together in a group photo of delegates to the conference, along with dozens of other attendees. "Beleaguered" was how one Western diplomat described Levy's disposition during Tuesday's meeting. Host country Turkey, once Israel's close Middle Eastern ally, has called on member countries to condemn Israel's raid on the aid convoy. The incident has pushed Turkey to side with Israel's enemies Iran and Syria, in harshly condemning the Jewish state. Russia, which is also a member of CICA, condemned the attack as well, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in remarks carried on Russian state TV. "Generally speaking, such actions against civilian vessels are unacceptable," Putin said. "The fact that they were conducted in neutral waters raises many questions, and the incident must be thoroughly investigated. We are sorry for the victims of the incident, and we hope nothing of this kind will happen again." Iran's nuclear program has been another major topic at the summit. The United States expects to bring a new resolution on increased sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program to a vote in the United Nations Security Council this week. A draft resolution saying Iran had failed to meet international requirements and U.N. resolutions was circulating at the world body on Tuesday. CNN obtained a copy from a Western diplomat. The resolution -- which could still be changed before it comes to a vote -- is set to call for tighter restrictions on people, companies and organizations, including the Revolutionary Guard Corps. The targets of the sanctions are still being worked out, the diplomat said. By calling for a resolution instead of sitting down for talks with Iran, the United States is "gravely mistaken," Ahmadinejad said. "Within the framework of respect and justice, we're ready to negotiate with everyone. Anyone who is going to resort to the language of force and aggression, the response is clear," he said. Ahmadinejad went on to commend Turkey and Brazil for recently negotiating a deal with Iran on a uranium enrichment swap. "The initiative marked the beginning of a new path -- the beginning of an end to unilateralism in the world," he said. The United States, he added, missed an opportunity by not embracing the deal. Putin said sanctions against Iran should not be "excessive, or put the Iranian leadership, and above all the Iranian people, in a false position that would put obstacles in the way of Iran's peaceful nuclear energy development." Asked whether the raid on the flotilla last week will change the way countries vote in the Security Council, Ahmadinejad said the raid will actually change many things. For Israel, he said, "it has actually rung the final countdown for its existence. It shows that it has no room in the region and no one is ready to live alongside it. Actually, no country in the world recognizes it, and you know that the Zionist regime is the backbone of the dictatorial world order." In fact, many countries recognize Israel. He added, "Maybe at the Security Council, it will impact temporarily. The Zionist regime, with what it has done, it actually stopped its possibility to exist in the region anymore." CNN's Ivan Watson and Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report.
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NEW: Draft resolution slapping tighter sanctions on Iran circulates at U.N. Russian PM Putin says Israel raid on aid flotilla is 'unacceptable' Israeli ambassador walks out on Ahmadinejad speech . Iranian president says last week's flotilla raid showed Israel's 'devilish' nature .
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(CNN) -- Brazil has confirmed 657 fatalities caused by the H1N1 flu, the highest number of deaths in the world, the nation's Health Ministry said. Brazil registered 7,569 new cases of the virus also known as swine flu from August 25 to 29, the Health Ministry said. However, new cases of the virus had dropped in the past three weeks. In terms of mortality rate -- which considers flu deaths in terms of a nation's population -- Brazil ranks sixth and the United States is 12th, the Brazilian Health Ministry said in a news release this week. Argentina ranked first per capita, Brazilian health officials said.
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Brazil has 7,569 new cases of the virus from August 25 to 29, Health Ministry says . However, new cases of the virus had dropped in the past three weeks . In terms of mortality rate, Argentina ranks sixth, Brazil sixth and the U.S. is 12th .
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(CNN) -- Houston prosecutors will ask a court Thursday to formally exonerate a Texas man after DNA tests ruled out his guilt in a rape for which he served 17 years in prison. George Rodriguez was freed in 2004 after an appeals court found that faulty scientific evidence had been used against him in his 1987 trial. Prosecutors didn't retry him, citing concerns about having the victim -- who had identified Rodriguez as one of her two attackers in a police lineup -- testify again. State officials had denied his request for a pardon, but Harris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos agreed to review his case after she took office in 2009. New DNA tests on the forensic evidence in the case came back February 22 and conclusively ruled out Rodriguez, now 50, Lykos said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "When this scientific inquiry began, there was no legal requirement or mandate for any further work to be done by our office, because the case had been dismissed," Lykos said. "Instead, we acted on the most important obligation of all -- to see that the truth emerges, and that justice is done. Today, we can state that an innocent man has been vindicated." The Harris County District Attorney's office will ask a judge to formally declare Rodriguez innocent at a Thursday hearing, she said. Lykos, a Republican, campaigned on promises to reform the prosecutor's office in Texas' largest city, and she has drawn praise from defense lawyers for creating a post-conviction review process to examine new evidence. The Innocence Project, which won Rodriguez's release in 2004, gave her an award in 2010 for that program. Another man, Manuel Beltran, is now serving a 60-year prison term in connection for rape. The DNA testing also confirmed that another man, now dead but long considered an alternative suspect, also assaulted the victim, who was 14 at the time.
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George Rodriguez was released in 2004 but never formally cleared . Prosecutors say DNA tests rule out his participation in the 1987 rape .
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(CNN) -- They are the "big four" of men's tennis: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Between them they have won every grand slam title since the start of 2010, and 30 of the last 31 dating back to 2005. However, there is a groundswell of opinion that four will become two in 2013, as No. 1 Djokovic and third-ranked Murray continue their ascendance while their older rivals fall away. "With Nadal being seriously injured and Federer not getting any younger, I see the top two players being Djokovic and Murray, they have time on their side," six-time grand slam champion Becker told CNN ahead of the Australian Open. Nadal has not played competitively since last year's Wimbledon in July, struck down by recurring knee problems. A stomach virus then prevented the Spaniard's comeback in 2013's opening grand slam in Melbourne, which starts on Monday. It is the second extended injury layoff of the 26-year-old's remarkable career. After similar problems in 2009 he returned with a vengeance, claiming five more grand slams for 11 in total, including the French Open title last year for a record seventh time . Federer is still going strong in his 32nd year, and during 2012 regained his No.1 spot in the rankings after winning his record 17th grand slam by claiming the Wimbledon title. Djokovic beat the Swiss maestro in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals in London in November as he went back to the top of the global tree, also beating Murray in their round robin group match. Federer then upset home favorite Murray in the semifinals, and former world No. 4 Greg Rusedski told CNN that his performances during last season had "defied logic" after appearing to be on the decline in 2011. Murray, buoyed by his gold medal victory over Federer in the Olympic final and his later U.S. Open success, was expected to beat him again at the O2 Arena, but instead was swept aside in their last four clash. The Scot had been set to again battle with his longtime friend Djokovic, with whom he had a series of classic matches in 2012. The first came in the semifinals of the Australian Open, beaten in five sets by the Serbian, who then overcame Nadal in another marathon six-hour encounter -- the longest grand slam final in history. It was similar fare at Flushing Meadows in September, where Murray turned the tables for his first triumph in the tennis majors, but having to go the full distance after Djokovic battled back from two sets down in the longest final in the tournament's history. And there was yet more to come at the Shanghai Masters, where the pair contested another final where the standard of tennis was of the very highest order. Djokovic survived five match points to conjure up another remarkable win, but for Becker it was the signal of a possible changing of the guard. "It was an absolute classic," the German legend said. "It used to be Federer versus Nadal, now it's Murray versus Djokovic and they are both only 25 years of age." Murray told CNN that the reason for such close matches is their familiarity with each other's game. "We can anticipate what each other is going to do," he said at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi in late December. The pair have been friends and arch-rivals since entering the junior circuits of the world at 11 years of age and Murray has seen his rival develop to become the best in the world. "He has very few weaknesses, great ground strokes, serves well, his returns perhaps the best in the world, moves so well and he now has a lot of belief in himself," Murray said. Even though it was at his expense, Djokovic was pleased for Murray when he finally snapped his grand slam duck at the U.S. Open because "many people had questioned his qualities." "It was great to see that and hopefully our rivalry can develop over the next year," two-time Mubadala champion Djokovic said of Murray, who shares the same birth month -- May. But others believe it would be dangerous to write off Federer and Nadal just yet. Neil Harman, the tennis correspondent of The Times of London, said he was looking forward to normal service being resumed in 2013. "It should never be underestimated what Federer has done for the game, and he shows no sign of going away," Harman told CNN. "And I'm looking forward to Nadal returning at his best ." The rivalry of the big four and their near total dominance of the slams has helped fuel the incredible global interest in tennis despite the economic downturn, with increased prize money, commercial revenues and crowds. Despite Nadal's absence, record attendances are predicted at the Melbourne Tennis Center over the next fortnight as Djokovic and Murray bid to live up to Becker's prediction and Federer does his level best to prove him wrong.
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Novak Djokovic looking to defend his Australian Open title later this month . Andy Murray beat No.1 Djokovic in the final of the U.S. Open last September . Former No.1 Rafael Nadal will miss opening grand slam through injury . Roger Federer goes into his 32nd year as World No.2 behind Djokovic .
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(CNN) -- Botswana has been hailed as one of Africa's success stories and a beacon for democracy on the continent. It's home to Africa's longest continuous multi-party democracy and has remained politically stable since gaining independence in 1966. President Ian Khama took office in April 2008 promising steady progress. At its helm is President Ian Khama, the country's former vice president and son of Botswana's founding president. The diamond trade and disciplined government have helped to transform Botswana from one of the world's poorest nations to a middle-income country. But there are still large problem facing the country, including the world's second high level of HIV infections, according to the World Bank, and a slowing of the countries economic growth. The 56-year-old Khama took over office in April 2008, succeeding Festus Mogae who had been in power for 10 years, promising no radical departure from his predecessor's policies. Khama was born in southern England and trained at the UK's Sandhurst Military Academy before returning to Botswana and later becoming the commander of the Botswana Defence Force. He left the military in 1998 to take up the position of vice president. As the son of Botswana's most popular former president, political analysts inside the country have expected Khama to unite the factions in the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and continue steady economic and political progress. While Khama has only been in power for 11 months, there has been some criticism that his style is too authoritarian. Citing Afrobarometer, an independent research group, Botswana's newspaper Sunday Standard recently wrote that there was a growing public perception that Khama has issued more directives compared to his predecessors. One area in which he has taken a definite line is on his policy towards neighboring Zimbabwe, publicly opposing the government of President Robert Mugabe and declaring it illegitimate. A general election is set for October 2009, with the BDP expected to win. No other political party has held power in Botswana and some commentators fear the emergence of a political dynasty that would affect Botswana's democracy.
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Botswana's President Ian Khama talks to CNN on 'African Voices' Former military general and son of Botswana's first president . Botswana is one of Africa's success stories although HIV and Aids are rife .
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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Like many young men, Josh Nahum loved a thrill. That's why he took up skydiving. But on Labor Day weekend in 2006, he had an accident while skydiving in Colorado, fracturing his femur and skull. Josh Nahum, right, died at 27 from a bacterial infection he got while being treated for skydiving injuries. Josh spent six weeks in the intensive care unit. Slowly, his condition improved, and his doctors predicted that with rehabilitation, he could fully recover in a year or two. But instead of recovering, Josh developed a bacterial infection. He died two weeks later at the age of 27. "One nurse, who was trying to be comforting, said, 'These things happen,' " says Victoria Nahum, Josh's stepmother. "That's true, but they happen way more often than they need to happen." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Josh is one of 99,000 people who die each year because of infections acquired in the hospital. As Betsy McCaughey, the former lieutenant governor of New York, put it, "You don't often come across such a big problem that you can prevent." After being contacted by families like the Nahums, McCaughey started the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. After Josh died, the Nahums started the Safe Care Campaign. These groups, and others, have advice about what you can do to keep yourself safe in the doctor's office and hospital, from the waiting room to the operating room. 1. Bring your own toys . At the pediatrician's office, don't let your child play with the toys or books in the waiting room. "They're covered with bacteria," McCaughey says. Also, don't let your child crawl on the floor; bacteria there could get into cuts on their knees or hands. "This is one place you ought to keep your child sitting still or on your lap," she says. 2. Heat up your car . Yes, we know that sounds strange. But studies show staying warm before and during surgery can help you fight infection. So the Institute for Healthcare Improvement suggests that in cold weather, you heat up the car, wear warm clothes on the way to the hospital, ask the hospital staff to give you plenty of blankets while you wait for surgery, and ask how they plan to keep you warm during surgery. 3. Want to touch me? Wash your hands first. Many people feel uncomfortable asking this. Nahum suggests putting it like this: "I didn't see you wash your hands. Do you mind doing it in front of me?" Dr. Vicki Rackner, a patient advocate, also has a few ideas for lightening things up. "In the hospital, you can have the grandkids make a sign that says, 'Please wash your hands and keep Grandma healthy.' " Watch more on preventing hospital infections » . Another suggestion: Put a dish of wrapped candy near the sink and say 'Could you please wash your hands, and oh, please take some candy with you when we're done.' " If the doctor or nurse has gloves on, are you safe? "Don't be falsely assured by gloves," McCaughey says. "If they put on gloves without washing their hands first, those gloves are immediately contaminated." 4. Ask where that syringe has been . Doctors offices sometimes reuse syringes -- it's unusual, but it happens. In fact, there have been 14 documented outbreaks of hepatitis since 1999 because of reused syringes. The recent outbreak in Nevada, where 50,000 people will be notified that they might have been infected at a colonoscopy clinic, is one example. It's not an easy question to ask, but when someone's heading at you with a syringe, ask if this is the first time it's been used. Dr. Thomas Frieden, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health, suggests phrasing it like this: "I read in the paper that some doctors are reusing syringes. I can't imagine anyone would do that. Do you?" 5. Having surgery? Speak up! A week or so before surgery, ask your doctor whether you should wash your skin daily with a disinfectant such as chlorhexidine to prepare. Also, ask whether you should have a nasal or skin swab for MRSA, the superbug that causes many hospital infections. If you've got it, you can be treated with antibiotics. The day of surgery, if the surgical site needs to be shaved, ask to be clippered, not shaved with a razor, which can create nicks where bacteria thrive. Also on the day of surgery, if your doctor has ordered IV antibiotics just before surgery, make sure you get them, as they're sometimes forgotten. One last note: If you or a loved one has a urinary catheter in the hospital, be extra vigilant -- they can become breeding grounds for bacteria. First, ask if one is truly necessary. "If the patient is awake and oriented and alert and can use a bedpan, it may not be needed," says Dr. John Jernigan, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC. If you get one, make sure it comes out ASAP, since the longer it's in, the riskier it becomes. Ask the same questions about central venous catheters, (also called central lines), another potential host for bacteria. "My brother was in the hospital and needed a central venous catheter for his procedure," Jernigan says. "The day after surgery, I asked the nurse, 'Are you all still using this? Do you still need it?' And she checked and came back and said, 'We don't need it anymore, we'll take it out.' " Nahum says it all boils down to this: Passivity kills. "People need to start participating instead of just being spectators when it comes to their medical care," she says. "You need to do your due diligence." CNN Medical News associate producer Jennifer Pifer and associate archive coordinator Sarah Edwards contributed to this report.
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CDC: 99,000 people die annually from hospital-acquired infections . Don't forget the basics: Make people wash their hands before touching you . Staying warm before, during surgery can help fight infection; ask for extra blankets . Before surgery, if shaving is required, request clippers, not a razor, which can nick .
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(CNN) -- The undersea gusher in the Gulf of Mexico has been brought under control, but the worst oil spill in U.S. history will continue to be felt along the Gulf Coast for some time, Obama administration officials said Sunday. "If you're sitting in Barataria Bay, it's still a disaster. If the folks have not come back to the panhandle of Florida, it's still a disaster," former Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the administration's point man for the disaster, told CNN's "State of the Union." A report from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration last week found three-quarters of the oil spilled between late April and mid-July has been collected, dispersed or evaporated. But Allen said, "We need to keep a steady hand at the tiller to keep the cleanup going." "It's a catastrophe. It's a catastrophe for the people of the Gulf, and it requires our attention until we get the job done," he said. And White House environmental adviser Carol Browner told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the "first phase" of the disaster was over -- but it is "not the end by any means." The well erupted after an April 20 explosion aboard the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon that left 11 men dead. A temporary cap contained the spill on July 15, and nearly 3,000 barrels of heavy drilling mud and cement drove the well back into the ocean floor last week. The final step -- the completion of a relief well that will permanently seal the blowout from below -- is expected to be completed sometime between August 13 and 15, Jim Lestelle, a spokesman for the relief effort, reported Sunday. Lestelle said the rig drilling the relief well was within the final 100 feet of intercepting the blown-out bore. The spill inflicted heavy blows on gulf Coast industries like tourism and fishing, but Allen said some parts of the region are beginning to see a recovery. "It's starting to happen already, but it's happening incrementally, where the oil is not there now, where we've cleaned it up," he said. "Some beaches are reopening. Fisheries are reopening. And that will happen as soon as we can, either by cleaning up the oil or having the areas tested through NOAA and FDA for seafood safety and so forth." The well gushed an estimated 53,000 barrels (2.3 million gallons) of oil per day before it was capped. Since then, fresh, green grass has begun growing again in some of the hardest-hit marshes of southern Louisiana, but oil continues to wash ashore in places. "There's a lot of clean-up working going on here, and that's excellent," Maura Wood, of the National Wildlife Federation, told CNN last week. "But the tide keeps coming and going each and every day." Federal authorities say up to 1 million barrels of oil may still lie beneath the surface of the Gulf. Browner said cleanup crews from the government and well owner BP fought to keep the oil out of beaches and coast marches, but what did reach shore "has to be cleaned up." "Some of it may continue to come on shore, the residual. It'll come on in tar balls and tar mats, and that can be cleaned up," Browner said. In addition, she said scientists are examining marine life in the Gulf, "and right now nobody is seeing anything of concern." CNN's Eric Fiegel, Ed Lavandera and David Mattingly contributed to this report.
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Former Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen: "A steady hand at the tiller" needed for cleanup . "If you're sitting in Barataria Bay, it's still a disaster," he says . Relief well expected to be complete in mid-August . Oil still washing ashore in parts of Louisiana .
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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi continued his sensational scoring form with a hat-trick as Barcelona set a new Spanish record of 16 successive league victories on Saturday. The two-time world player of the year netted all three goals against Atletico Madrid to take his total to the season in all competitions to a staggering 40. The Argentina forward also moved one ahead of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo's previous leading La Liga tally of 23. Real's 1960-61 team, spearheaded by Argentina-born Alfredo Di Stefano, held the previous record. Josep Guardiola's team went 10 points clear of Real, who host Real Sociedad on Sunday, and have now scored 70 goals from 22 league matches -- the most of any team in the main European divisions. Barca have also conceded only 11 times in that period, and the closest they came to a 12th against Atletico at Camp Nou was when Gerard Pique cleared off the line from Felipe Luis with the score at 2-0. Messi broke the deadlock in the 17th minute as he cut in from the right in trademark fashion and fired a left-foot shot from the edge of the box across goalkeeper David de Gea. The 23-year-old doubled the lead in the 28th minute, pouncing after David Villa's threaded pass bounced kindly into his path. The forward duo combined again for the third with 11 minutes to play, with Messi this time teeing up Villa and then reacting fastest when the Spain international's shot rebounded off the legs of De Gea. It was Messi's first hat-trick of 2011, coming off his six in the previous calendar year. He is now on course to easily surpass last season's tally of 47 with more than two months left to play. Messi also hit the crossbar with a second-half free-kick, but was booked for taking it too quickly. The result left Atletico in seventh place on goal difference above Getafe, who won 4-1 at home to Deportivo La Coruna earlier on Saturday. Villarreal retained third place despite suffering a shock 1-0 home defeat by Levante, who moved off the bottom thanks to Valmiro Valdo's winning goal three minutes after halftime. The former Espanyol midfielder collected a long pass and rounded goalkeeper to inflict Villarreal's first home defeat since May, having dropped points only once at El Madrigal this season against fourth-placed Valencia. Athletic Bilbao moved up to fifth with a 3-0 win at home to Sporting Gijon, who had defender Gregory Arnolin sent off for a second booking that led to David Lopez's 15th-minute penalty opener. Gaizka Toquero doubled the lead in the 28th minute and striker Fernando Llorente sealed victory in the second half. The Basques leapfrogged Espanyol, whose European qualification hopes were hit by a 3-2 defeat at second-bottom Almeria. The Barcelona-based team could not come back from a 3-0 deficit inside 18 minutes. That result put Malaga, who travel to Sevilla on Sunday, at the foot of the table. Real Zaragoza were held 1-1 at home by struggling Racing Santander, while Mallorca earned the same result at Osasuna. In Italy, Udinese moved up to fifth place with a 2-0 win at home to Sampdoria as Chile midfielder Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring in the 18th minute and striker Antonio Di Natale netted his 100th league goal before halftime. Sampdoria, who sold star strikers Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini last month, suffered a fourth consecutive defeat to be 13th in the Serie A table. Juventus lifted the pressure on coach Luigi Delneri with a 3-1 victory at Cagliari that lifted the Turin club up to seventh. January signing Alessandro Matri scored the opening two goals against his former club, while veteran striker Luca Toni came off the bench to seal victory six minutes from the end with his first for Juve. In Sunday's top games, leaders AC Milan travel to Genoa, champions Inter Milan host Roma, second-placed Napoli are at home to Cesena and Lazio welcome Chievo.
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Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 to set new record of consecutive La Liga wins . Lionel Messi nets hat-trick as Catalans surpass Real Madrid's previous mark of 15 . Third-placed Villarreal suffer first home defeat of season against lowly Levante . Udinese move up to fifth place in Italy's Serie A, while Juventus also win .
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Beijing (CNN) -- Miami Heat superstar LeBron James on Thursday led the reigning NBA champions into the first of two pre-season matches staged in China against the Los Angeles Clippers. He lived up to the considerable hype that surrounds him. Just a few minutes into the game, James made five straight points, punctuated by a big dunk, to the delight of the thousands of Chinese fans who packed the arena in Beijing chanting "MVP, MVP!" The man dubbed by many as the world's top player notched 20 points, as the Heat beat the Clippers 94-80. The two teams will play again on Sunday in Shanghai. Local fans here were treated to an NBA-style mix of basketball and entertainment, featuring cheerleaders, mascots and DJs egging the crowds to applaud and do "the wave." James is well-known in China for being part of the Team USA that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Basketball-mad Chinese fans watch him regularly in NBA games televised by local sports channels here. In an exclusive interview with Talk Asia, scheduled to air on CNN soon, James noted the Chinese love for the game. "Here in China they haven't seen the game up close and personal the way we have in the States," he said. "They're always excited about the game, no matter where it's played, no matter how it's played, what level it's played at and you can have a great deal of respect for that. "This is my ninth time in this country and every city I've been to has welcomed me with open arms," he added. "Either playing a game of basketball, teaching or inspiring the game of basketball, there's been some great opportunities for me and there have been some great times with the kids here who love the game of basketball." He then credited Chinese former NBA star Yao Ming as a role model. "That's the most inspiring thing," James said. "Not only was Yao in their backyard, he could also really play the game at a high level so it definitely helps a lot of kids as far as saying 'I can do this and I can do it at a high level.'" The NBA is one of the most followed sports leagues in China -- its account even has 52 million followers on Weibo, China's Twitter-like social network site. James was joined on court Thursday by teammate and fellow superstar, Dwayne Wade, who has been recovering from off-season knee surgery, but played for several minutes even though it was only an exhibition game. Wade even wore a pair of Li-Ning sneakers, just days after signing an endorsement deal with Chinese sportswear company of the same name. The Beijing-based company is giving the Miami star his own line of shoes. The Heat point guard becomes the biggest NBA name to endorse the Li-Ning brand since his former Miami teammate Shaquille O'Neal. But he's not the only NBA star to endorse Chinese products. Heat forward Shane Battier has endorsed Chinese sneakers brand Peak since 2006. On the playing front, there has long been a well-established connection between the NBA and the China Basketball Association (CBA), the local professional league founded in 1995. Several Chinese players, such as Yao, played in the CBA before moving on to the NBA. In 2011, the NBA and CBA launched a basketball academy to help train more coaches and players. During the NBA lockdown last year, caused by dispute between NBA players and owners, several stars, including JR Smith and Wilson Chandler, played for Chinese teams in the CBA. China has also emerged as alternative destination for former NBA stars in the twilight of their career. Tracy McGrady, 33, has reportedly signed a one-year deal to play this season with CBA side, Qingdao. The former All-Star, who has played with several NBA teams including the Houston Rockets, finished last season with the Atlanta Hawks. His long-time team up with now retired Houston Rockets center Yao made McGrady a popular figure in China. Qingdao has never made it to the CBA finals. His appearance in the CBA is expected to attract more fans to domestic games. "I am happy for him," James said. "It will be good for the game." James says he follows the CBA and said the league is "very good and growing big." With no Chinese stars currently plying their trade in the NBA, there's a huge opportunity for the country's homegrown stars to show the world what they're missing.
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Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers in China to play exhibition matches . NBA is still hugely popular among China's basketball-mad population . The professional U.S. league has more than 50 million followers on Weibo . China's own pro league has long contributed players to the NBA .
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(CNN) -- Authorities on Monday discovered a package in a mailroom at the University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus apparently sent by the alleged gunman responsible for the theater shooting that left 12 people dead and scores injured, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said Wednesday. It was sent to the school's campus in Aurora, where the suspect, James Holmes, had recently dropped out of a Ph.D. program in neuroscience. CBS News reported that the package was addressed to a psychologist at the university. "Sources say the letter was from a pent-up Holmes to one of his professors," the news organization reported. "In it, he talked about shooting people and even included crude drawings of a gunman and his victims." Warning signs of violence: What to do . School officials said in a statement that a package discovered at the Facilities Services building on Monday had been delivered to the campus by the U.S. Postal Service that same day and was turned over to authorities within hours of delivery. "This package prompted the building's evacuation at 12:26 p.m. and employees were allowed to return by 3:06 p.m.," the statement said. School administrators said that Holmes had taken his preliminary examinations at the school on June 7. A source familiar with Holmes' academic status said the 24-year-old suspect did "poorly" on the oral exam. Three days later, Holmes initiated his withdrawal from the program. "It's very unusual, very unusual for a student to withdraw from our program," Dean Barry Shur told reporters on Monday. Holmes did not divulge his reason for leaving the elite program. "That area of the form was left blank," Shur said. Meanwhile, a composite image began to emerge of Holmes as a child; his classmates at Castroville Elementary School in northern California, where he grew up, referred to him as "Jimmy." But that picture revealed no immediate answers as to possible motive. "He was top of the class," Adam Martinez said. "He was ahead of every student academically." Martinez added, "He got along well with everybody." Holmes' fifth-grade teacher there said the matter has led to introspection. "It's really disturbing to be so close to something like that -- bothers you to your essence," Paul Karrer said. "And particularly, as a teacher, you're thinking, this is one of my kids. And then you also think: Could I have done anything? Or did I see anything? Did I miss anything? You know, could I have done anything to have prevented this? Did I do anything to cause this? The answer is no, but that's what you think and that's how you feel." Opinion: Looking into the minds of killers . As of Wednesday evening, five area hospitals were still caring for 17 patients, six of whom were in critical condition. Several of the hospitals said they would pay for the medical care of uninsured victims out of charity funds. Holmes made his first court appearance Monday. The man who identified himself to police as "the Joker" will continue to be held without bond. He is to be formally charged July 30. Meanwhile, families grappling with Friday's carnage were beginning to bury the dead. On Wednesday, a memorial service was to take place for 51-year-old Gordon Cowden, who took his two teenage children to see the midnight premiere of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises." Cowden's children survived the shooting inside the Aurora theater. Nine miles away, visitation was to take place for Micayla Medek, a 23-year-old woman who had been working toward her college degree. Those who were wounded still face the specter of permanent injury and long recovery periods. In Aurora, actor Christian Bale, star of "The Dark Knight Rises," visited a memorial for the dead and met Tuesday with survivors, CNN affiliate KDVR reported. Stories of survival: Newborn a 'silver lining' One of the victims, Carey Rottman, posted a picture of Bale visiting him in his hospital room on Facebook. "Wow! Thank you so much for the visit Christian! What a great guy! Still in shock!" Rottman wrote, KDVR reported. Petra Anderson suffered four shotgun wounds, including one to her head. But thanks, in part, to a brain abnormality, she survived, her pastor said. "The doctor explains that Petra's brain has had from birth a small 'defect' in it," Brad Strait of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Englewood, Colorado, wrote on his blog. "It is a tiny channel of fluid running through her skull, like a tiny vein through marble, or a small hole in an oak board, winding from front to rear." "Like a marble through a small tube, the defect channels the bullet from Petra's nose through her brain. It turns slightly several times, and comes to rest at the rear of her brain. And in the process, the bullet misses all the vital areas of the brain. In many ways, it almost misses the brain itself," he said. Anderson has started physical and speech therapy and can walk, talk and laugh, said Andrew Roblyer, a family friend. Brain condition saves victim . Shooting victim Caleb Medley's wife, Katie, gave birth to their son, Hugo Jackson Medley, Tuesday morning. Both the mother and baby were doing well, the University of Colorado Hospital said. But Caleb Medley, who was shot in the head, lost an eye and suffered brain damage. "The surgeon came and talked to us and said he'd be in ICU at least a week," said Medley's friend, Michael West, who set up a website to help take care of medical bills and the needs of Medley's family. By Wednesday afternoon, it was more than halfway toward its goal of $500,000. "I knew it was going to rack up in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions," West said of his friend's expected medical expenses. Medley, who had been doing standup comedy routines in Denver and was working full-time at Target, had no health insurance, his brother Seth said. Chloe Anderson has set up a similar fund for her sister, Petra Anderson, an aspiring musician who was also shot in the head. In a video posted Sunday asking for funds, Chloe Anderson notes that her mother was preparing to undergo cancer treatment later this month when Friday's shooting occurred. "My sister's hospital bills on top of that are making the financial reality look pretty daunting," she says. "So that's why we are reaching out to you -- the people who have already asked us what they can do to help." By Wednesday evening, the fund had received more than $184,000 with a goal of $250,000. Money is also streaming in to GivingFirst.org, which is accepting donations for the shooting victims and their relatives. By Tuesday, the amount had reached almost $2 million, Gov. John Hickenlooper said. "The needs will be great and we look forward to seeing the fund grow exponentially," he said. "This money will help those impacted by this tragedy begin to recover and rebuild their lives." Hickenlooper said donors include Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, co-producers of "The Dark Knight Rises." Victims remembered through poignant stories . Sources at Warner Bros. studios told CNN the company made a "substantial" donation. Warner Bros., a subsidiary of CNN's parent company Time Warner, would not divulge how much money it was giving out of respect for the victims, the sources said. Shooting suspect Holmes booby-trapped his Aurora apartment with more than 30 homemade grenades and 10 gallons of gasoline, a law enforcement official who viewed video showing the apartment's interior has told CNN. The sophisticated setup inside the sparsely furnished third-floor, one-bedroom apartment was meant to harm, or possibly kill, anyone who entered -- and tested the skills of bomb squad members charged with clearing it, the official said. Tenants of the three-story, brick apartment building were allowed to return Wednesday night to sleep in their apartments for the first time since early Friday, when police went door-to-door and rousted them. The Holmes family issued a statement Friday saying, "Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved." It added, "We are still trying to process this information." Focusing on the victims, not the shooter . Opinion: Aurora heroes -- Three who gave their lives . Gun background checks in Colorado spike after shooting . CNN's Tom Watkins, Holly Yan, Drew Griffin, Kathleen Johnston, Scott Zamost, Elwyn Lopez, Carol Cratty, Poppy Harlow, Dana Ford, Breeanna Hare, Alta Spells, Ed Lavandera, Nick Valencia and Jessica Jordan contributed to this report.
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"He got along well with everybody," a former grade-school classmate says . Letter inside package "talked about shooting people," CBS News reports, citing sources . School officials say the package was turned over to authorities within hours of delivery . A woman shot in the head survives, thanks in part to a brain abnormality .
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(PEOPLE.com) -- Rock that body, Kirstie! When Kirstie Alley cleared the 100 lb. weight-loss hurdle this summer, it was time for a big, fat celebration. "When I hit that mark, I went, 'That's it!' " Alley tells PEOPLE during her stay in a villa outside Florence, Italy. "I have more energy than I've ever had in my whole life." While Alley's weight has famously fluctuated in recent years, the actress, now 60, hit a wall two years ago. PHOTOS: Hollywood's On-the-Go Fitness Tricks! "My body had gotten really weak," says Alley, whose weight at that time hovered around 230 lbs. "There was nothing positive about being fat." By dancing daily after her dazzling appearance on "Dancing with the Stars," where she finished second, changing to an organic diet and following Organic Liaison, her own weight-loss program, she's turned her life around. "I feel back to normal," says Alley, now a proud size 6. "I have my game again." And she's ready for her next challenge: "What I'm looking for is to be madly, deeply in love," says Alley, who will also star in the upcoming ABC pilot, "The Manzanis." "For the first time in my life, I know exactly what I want in a man," she says. "I want someone who has my back, who is courageous and brave." See full article at PEOPLE.com. © 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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"I have more energy than I've ever had in my whole life," Alley said . By dancing daily and changing to an organic diet, she's turned her life around . Alley will also star in the upcoming ABC pilot, "The Manzanis"
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London, England (CNN) -- "I had to be stitched into those pants," Olivia Newton-John recalls of the skin-tight black trousers she worn in the film "Grease". That fact will come as no surprise to the millions of people who have watched the iconic scene at the end of the smash hit film musical. "But they were quite comfortable," she assured CNN's Max Foster, "despite what they looked like." But those trousers, "made of some sort of shark skin material" she says, plus a string of memorable songs from the film including "Summer Nights" and "You're The One That I Want" helped propel Olivia Newton-John to superstardom which has continued to this day. The British-born actress, who was raised in Australia from the age of five, was already an established singing star -- having won three Grammy Awards -- prior to being cast as Sandy Olssen alongside John Travolta's Danny Zuko in the 1978 film. And many of the songs from that era still rank among her favorites in a recording career which has produced over 30 albums including the 1981 double platinum selling "Physical" -- which spawned the single of the same name and a craze for spandex and leg warmers. "The songs I did with John Farrar [the Australian producer and songwriter] are among my favorites. And a lot of those songs, 'Magic' and 'Suspended in Time' are on 'Xanadu,'" [the soundtrack from the 1980 film]. Of her more recent recordings she cites 2006's "Grace and Gratitude" as another favorite. "It was a healing CD that was very personal for me," she said. After the runaway success of the early 1980s Newton-John was preparing for a comeback in 1992 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosis changed the course of her life forever. After successfully beating the disease, Newton-John talked openly about her experience and became a passionate advocate for early detection and helping other women cope with the disease. "I'm so grateful to be here, 17 years after being diagnosed," she told CNN. "I want to empower other women to be really observant of their breast health and do regular breast self-examination." She also has a Website -- http://www.liv.com// -- which provides information on breast self-examination. "When I talk to women in my age bracket, they're afraid. I understand the fear but if there is something wrong, the earlier you find it, the better chance you have of a healthy outcome," she said. Cancer awareness isn't the only cause she lends her name to. Along with her second husband John Easterling, who she married in 2008, Newton-John helps promote education about rainforests. "We're helping educate the children of the Amazon to realize the importance of the living rainforest so that when the timber and oil companies come in they know to save it." Three decades on from her life-changing appearance in "Grease", Newton-John is still finding plenty things in her life to become hopelessly devoted to.
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Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John speaks to CNN's Connect the World . Star of hit musical "Grease" a prominent campaigner for breast cancer awareness . Newton-John also a passionate advocate of rainforest protection .
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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Police say one thing was clear when authorities showed up at a house in Arizona looking for a California girl who had been missing for seven years. The family inside was hiding something. They were "evasive and untruthful," said Capt. Patrick Maxwell of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Norwalk Station. When family members were asked to produce a birth certificate or adoption papers for Amber Rose Nicklas, they could not. Maxwell says that is when they admitted the 7-year-old girl was not theirs. The child had been missing since September 2003. She was in the care of foster parents in Norwalk, California, when she was snatched by three of her aunts. Two of the aunts were caught at the time but a third got away with the infant. Maxwell says it appears Amber had been living with the same family in Phoenix, Arizona, for most of the time she was missing, but police are still investigating how she ended up with people who are not her biological family. Authorities got a tip that Amber could be at a home in Phoenix and went there with a court order Wednesday afternoon. When investigators tried to serve the court order, they found that a woman in the home had hidden the child in a shower under a pile of clothes and towels, said Phoenix police Sgt. Trent Crump. Amber's identity had been changed, including her name and date of birth, police said. Authorities confirmed Amber's real identity through footprints, photographs and DNA swabs. The child is in state custody in California and prosecutors will file charges, Crump said. CNN's Nick Valencia and Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report.
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Police say the Arizona family holding the girl was "evasive and untruthful" Amber Rose Nicklas is now in the custody of California authorities . Girl's identity is confirmed through footprints and a DNA swab . The girl was abducted from California in 2003 when she was a year old .
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London (CNN) -- A British businessman who is accused of having his wife killed during their honeymoon in South Africa was given two more weeks to prepare his defense against extradition, a judge ruled Thursday. Shrien Dewani's next hearing will be February 8, the judge ruled. He is free on bail until that date, when the timing of the extradition hearing will be set. Dewani is accused of hiring a crew of hitmen to kill his wife during a taxi ride in Cape Town, South Africa in November. Dewani's wife, Anni Dewani, died in an apparent carjacking as the couple took a taxi ride in a crime-ridden neighborhood of Cape Town. Dewani was allowed to leave South Africa, but prosecutors there later accused him of hiring the hitmen to kill Anni. Dewani's lawyers say he is innocent and will fight extradition. Granting him bail in December, British Judge Duncan Ousely rejected concerns from the South African government that Dewani would use his funds and international connections to flee before an extradition hearing. Ben Watson, a lawyer for the South African government, cited hotel surveillance video that he said showed Dewani twice meeting with a cab driver as the sort of evidence indicating Dewani's involvement in a plot against his wife. But Ousely ruled that Dewani, who did not attend the hearing, had a genuine interest in clearing his name and said he has cooperated with investigators from both England and South Africa. Dewani's solicitor, Andrew Katzen, said he was "delighted" with the outcome but declined further comment following the court hearing. In documents, prosecutors detail meetings that Dewani had with the taxicab driver during which he allegedly paid the driver 15,000 South African rand ($2,170) to have hitmen kill his wife and make it look like a carjacking. "The alleged hijacking was in fact not a hijacking, but part of a plan of subterfuge which Shrien Dewani, the husband of the deceased and the accused, had designed to conceal the true facts ... that the deceased was murdered at the instance of the husband," South African prosecutors wrote in court documents. The court documents do not say why Dewani allegedly wanted his wife dead. The driver, Zola Tongo, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in South Africa after admitting to taking part in the killing. CNN's Antonia Mortensen and Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report.
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Shrien Dewani is accused of staging a carjacking to have his wife killed . The killing took place in South Africa, which is seeking his extradition from the UK . He denies staging the killing . He's next due in court on February 8 .
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(CNN) -- Fatma Nabil made history Sunday as she became the first veiled woman to read the news on Egyptian state television. She wore an off-white hijab, or headscarf. Veiled news anchors were not permitted to appear on state TV under the rule of Hosni Mubarak -- a longtime strongman forced from office last year. The ban was lifted by Salah Abdel-Maqsoud, Egypt's information minister and a member of the long-suppressed Muslim Brotherhood. "Finally! The revolution has reached Maspero," said Nabil, according to the information ministry. She was referring to the headquarters of the state TV and broadcast building, which was the site of massive demonstrations during the uprising that toppled Mubarak. Nabil was a former anchor on a Muslim Brotherhood channel. The ban on veiled anchors was issued in 2002 by the then-information minister, Safwat El-Sherif. He was arrested shortly after the Mubarak regime fell, and faces corruption charges.
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Wearing an off-white headscarf, Fatma Nabil makes history . "Finally! The revolution has reached Maspero," she says . The ban was put in place under Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled last year .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- When the economy gets tough, the tough come out fighting. For some businesses, that means bringing out a fighter brand -- a cut-price version of a flagship product, marketed under a new name, and intended to fight back against budget competitors. "Jetstar" is a fighter brand that worked, beating the competition and creating a lasting, money-making brand. When it's done right it can destroy cut-price competition, but done badly it can drive a business to the brink of bankruptcy. Mark Ritson, associate professor at Melbourne Business School, has written an article for the October issue of Harvard Business Review discussing the benefits and pitfalls of launching a fighter brand. He says that over the next six months a number of new fighter brands are likely to appear in response to the recession. "Fighter brands are very unusual but they are becoming increasingly common," he told CNN. "It's high risk and high reward, and when it works it can have astonishing results." Ritson gives the example of Intel, which launched its budget "Celeron" chip in the late 1990s to in response to AMD's low-priced chips, which were threatening Intel's premium "Pentium" brand. Read more business features With "Celeron," Intel came up with a budget alternative to "Pentium" for the lower end of the market and cemented its position as market leader. But Intel's success is the exception rather than the rule. "The majority of fighter brands not only haven't worked, but have gone on to do significant damage to the companies that launched them," said Ritson. General Motors' (GM) "Saturn," United Airlines' "Ted," and Kodak's "Funtime" film range are all high-profile fighter brands that failed. Despite the appeal of taking on the competition in a fist fight, launching a successful fighter brand is easier said than done. "The problem is that fighter brands are almost always a knee-jerk reaction to a problem and are not always well thought out," Neil Saunders, consulting director with Verdict Research, told CNN. Ritson says one element in building a fighter brand is to avoid creating a low-price product that is so attractive that it steals customers who would otherwise be buying that company's premium-brand product. On the other hand, if the fighter brand is too expensive or too low quality, it won't put up much of a fight against the opposition it's designed to attack. Another complication is that even the biggest companies don't have the money and managerial time to distract themselves with a new brand at a time when they should be concentrating on their core products, and then there is the difficulty in operating at an unfamiliar low price level. "The airline industry is a prime example, where people have launched fighter brands to combat the budget airlines and have been notoriously unsuccessful," said Saunders. "If it's not your business model it's not easy to operate, and it's not usually these airlines' business model." United's "Ted," and Delta Air Lines "Song" were launched to combat budget carriers, but they weren't up to the challenge. In fact, Ritson says those fighter brands contributed to United and Delta's bankruptcy. But with its budget "Jetstar" airline, Qantas managed to find the holy grail for fighter brands -- beating the competition and creating a lasting, money-making brand in its own right. So what was different about the Qantas model? "One thing was that Qantas took a long, hard look at the numbers and decided if they could be profitable," said Ritson. "One of the problems with fighter brands is that they are oriented towards destroying a competitor and because of that managers pay a lot less attention to the bottom line." He gives the example of GM's "Saturn," a car designed to take on fuel-efficient, affordable Japanese cars. "Saturn" sold plenty of cars, at least at first, but its high operating costs meant it lost millions of dollars, playing a huge part in bankrupting GM. So given the huge risks involved, should companies even consider launching a fighter brand? "Only do it if you can win and it fits with your existing proposition," says Saunders. Ritson cautions, "The minute you add a new brand to your portfolio it's hundreds of thousands of hours of management time, and millions of dollars in development, advertising and distraction. "Ask the question, 'do I need a fighter brand or is this a real seismic change in the market, which means I need to change my existing strategy with existing brands?' Otherwise you will lose five years and $50 million."
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Fighter brands are designed to fight back against low-priced competition . Done wrong, fighter brands can drive a company to the brink of bankruptcy . GM's "Saturn" is a fighter brand that failed, while Intel's "Celeron" succeeded . New fighter brands are likely to be launched in response to the recession .
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(EW.com) -- Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), a high school physics teacher, has a house the bank is about to foreclose on and a daughter with an (expensive) heart defect. He's also a former mixed-martial-arts champion, and so -- strictly for the money -- he decides to get back in the ring, even if the clawing, kicking, anything-goes bouts threaten to kill him. Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy), an Iraq-war veteran who left the battlefield under mysterious circumstances, is also an MMA fighter, and he too wants back in the ring. The two men are brothers, and were once close. But the only thing that unites them now, apart from their ruthless hand-to-hand prowess, is how much they hate their father, Paddy (Nick Nolte), a recovering alcoholic whose drinking tore the family apart. 'Rescue Me' series finale: Were you satisfied? "Warrior," a two-track drama of fighting and redemption, tells the parallel stories of Brendan and Tommy, and the movie, with its grim, deliberate rhythms and grainy '70s-style look, comes on as if it were no mere sports fable. It's about demon-haunted Irish Catholic men testing and punishing themselves. It's about broken families coming together. It's about economic desperation and about America getting off the ropes and recovering its fighting spirit. If "Rocky" was sweet and inspiring, and "The Fighter" was touching and fascinating, "Warrior" is at times almost gravely self-important. The gifted director Gavin O'Connor ("Miracle") brings the film an affecting, ripped-from-the-guts spirit, even if he can't really hide how many old-movie tropes are floating around in it. PTC slams 'Toddlers & Tiaras' for 'Pretty Woman' hooker costume . Mostly, "Warrior" is a showcase for its up-and-coming stars. Edgerton, from last year's "Animal Kingdom," and Hardy, who stole scenes as the identity forger in "Inception," both have a tense, tough presence, though in a slightly colorless way. You buy them as brothers, and as gnarly brawlers hungry to win, but Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale they are not. In this film, they're closer to the second coming of Tom Berenger and Michael Paré. B . See 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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"Warrior" is a two-track drama of fighting and redemption . It tells the parallel stories of Brendan and Tommy, and has a grainy '70s-style look . "Warrior" is at times almost gravely self-important .
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(CNN) -- When Se Ri Pak won the U.S. Women's Open in 1998, she could not have imagined the impact it would have on the golfing world. Then 20 years old, and the only South Korean on the LPGA Tour, Pak won a titanic 20-hole playoff to claim her second major title in her rookie season. She had won the LPGA Championship earlier that year, but it was her success at Blackwolf Run that triggered a phenomenal boom in female golfing talent in both her home country and Asia in general. Four of the last five U.S. Women's Open champions have been from Korea, most recently Na Yeon Choi -- who on Sunday clinched her first major title with a four-shot victory over compatriot Amy Yang at the same course in Kohler, Wisconsin where Pak inspired so many dreams. "That was 14 years ago. I was only 10 years old and when I was watching TV, my goal was ... my dream was like I just want to be there," Choi said on the LPGA website. "And 14 years later I'm here right now, and I made it. My dream's come true. I really appreciate what Se Ri did and all the Korean players, what they did. It's really no way I can be here without them. "I really wish like 14 years later from now some junior golfer or some young Korean golfer says, 'I was watching on TV how Na Yeon was playing 14 years ago and that inspired me." Feng aims to be 'the Li Na of golf' after historic LPGA win . Pak was there to congratulate Choi, having overcome shoulder problems to take her place in the starting field -- 29 of which were Korean. The five-time major winner wrapped up a round of one-under 71, which was good enough for a tie for ninth, as Choi was playing at the adjacent ninth hole. "I'm trying to give her a little look back, but I don't want her to lose her focus, so I'm trying to not give her a look," Pak said. "But you know, she's already been there many times. She won five times (on the LPGA Tour) already, and of course, this is a little different than a regular event, but she's good enough to be out there, she hung in there." Choi needed to hold her nerve after a triple-bogey at the 10th cut her lead to two shots, and responded with an immediate birdie before a 20-foot par-saving putt at 12 and some lucky bounces off rocks to avoid the water hazard at 13. "That moment (the triple-bogey) maybe I thought I might screw up today, but I thought I needed to fix that. I can do it," Choi said. "So I tried to think what I have to do. So I started to talk with my caddie about just like what airplane tomorrow, or about the car or about the vacation. Not golf." From military kid to major champion: Creamer's salute to U.S. soldiers . The top 10 featured just three American players, as 2010 winner Paula Creamer tied for seventh with Japan's Mika Miyazoto while 2007 champion Cristie Kerr and Nicole Castrale were alongside Pak on four over for the tournament. Germany's Sandra Gal claimed third ahead of South Korea's Ilhee Lee, LPGA Championship winner Shanshan Feng of China and Italy's Giulia Sergas in fourth equal. Defending champion So Yeon Ru of Korea was tied for 14th in a group including 17-year-old American Lexi Thompson, who was seeking to become the youngest winner of a major in either the men's or women's game. She had been tied for third after 54 holes, but closed with 78 -- a better closing round might have made her a winner 10 days younger than Tom Morris when he triumphed at the British Open in 1868. Former U.S. teen prodigy Michelle Wie faded from 13th going into the final round to a tie for 35th after carding 80. She was a shot ahead of a group including 15-year-old Korea-born New Zealander Lydia Ko, who was the top amateur in 39th equal. Ko became the youngest player to win a professional tournament in January when still 14. The world's top-ranked player, Yani Tseng of Taiwan, finished equal 50th alongside veteran former No. 1 Karrie Webb after carding a second successive 78.
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Na Yeon Choi becomes fourth Korean in five years to win U.S. Women's Open . She watched Se Ri Pak win the same tournament at the same venue in 1998 . Pak congratulates Choi after finishing tied for ninth at Blackwolf Run on Sunday . Choi's compatriot Amy Yang claims second place in the major tournament .
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(CNN) -- Howard Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982. While on a business trip in Italy, he visited Milan's famous espresso bars -- impressed with their popularity and culture, he saw their potential in Seattle. From June 2000 to February 2005, Mr Schultz also held the title of chief global strategist. From the company's inception in November 1985 to June 2000, he served as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. From November 1985 to June 1994, Mr Schultz was also the company's president. From January 1986 to July 1987, Mr Schultz was the chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president of Il Giornale Coffee Company, a predecessor to Starbucks. From September 1982 to December 1985, Mr Schultz was the director of retail operations and marketing for Starbuck Coffee Company, a predecessor to the company. Mr Schultz also serves on the board of directors of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. E-mail to a friend .
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Schultz joined the Starbucks company in 1982 . He has held a number of positions in the company including CEO and president . Schultz serves on the board of firectors of DreamWorks Animation .
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Amman, Jordan (CNN) -- Opposition groups in Jordan are upset with King Abdullah II's choice for a new prime minister, saying the decision should have been made in a different way. Jameel Abu Baker, spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said the appointment of Marouf Al Bakhit was a surprise. "The change we demanded should have been done through the formation of a national unity government headed by an agreed-upon personality, and then holding early elections, and setting a new law for democratic elections," he said. In appointing Al Bakhit on Tuesday, Abdullah instructed the new government to take "practical, swift and tangible steps to launch a real political reform process." He said a new election law would be the "main pillar of political development." Opposition parties -- especially the Islamic Action Front -- are demanding that parliament, not the king, choose the government. But it has always been the prerogative of Jordan's king to dismiss and appoint governments. Baker said Al Bakhit's previous term as prime minister had seen election fraud, and the Muslim Brotherhood had not been allowed to take part in political life. Zaki Bani Ershaid, an influential figure in the Islamic movement in Jordan, said Al Bakhit was "not a man of reforms, and so he should stop all plans to form the new government." Another opposition figure, Saeed Thiab of the Union party, said experience with Al Bakhit was not positive, but the party would wait to see what reforms were proposed. Street protests across Jordan in recent weeks have focused on demands for a more open political process, as well as economic grievances. Fuel and food prices in Jordan have risen sharply in recent months, reflecting higher world prices for wheat and oil. The protests have stopped short of criticizing the king -- but are widely thought to have influenced the timing of Tuesday's announcement. King Abdullah acknowledged the reform process "has suffered from many shortcomings" and young Jordanians were frustrated by lack of opportunity. Further protests are expected Friday. CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report .
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King Abdullah II named Marouf Al Bakhit to be Jordan's prime minister Tuesday . The decision should have been made in a different way, opposition groups say . Muslim Brotherhood spokesman: Unity government should have been formed first . Al Bakhit's previous term as PM had seen election fraud, spokesman says .
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(CNN) -- A Southern California bank robber dubbed the "geezer bandit" has struck again, possibly knocking off his 11th bank, the FBI said. The suspect held up a Bank of America branch in Temecula on Thursday. "During (the) robbery, the robber approached the victim teller and presented a demand note for cash," a statement from the FBI said. "The robber carried a leather case which contained a small caliber pistol that he threatened to use, if the teller did not comply with his demands." The FBI believes the suspect is responsible for robbing 10 banks in San Diego County and one in Riverside County. The "geezer bandit" has carried a weapon in at least two of the robberies and should be considered dangerous, authorities said. "In these types of crimes, the potential for violence is significant," April Langwell, spokeswoman for the San Diego office of the FBI, said in May. "The last thing we want to happen is an employee of the bank or a customer to be injured as a result of one man's greed." The robber has been described as between 60 and 70 years old. However, there has been some suggestion that he may be wearing a mask to conceal his real age and make him appear much older than he is, Langwell said. He is approximately 6 feet, 190 pounds, of average build and has been known to wear prescription eyeglasses and various hats and caps, including a blue baseball cap with a script style "P" on the front. CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report.
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"Geezer bandit" may have robbed up to 11 banks . Robber believed to be at least 60 years old . Robberies have taken place in Southern California .
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(CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken jabs at President Barack Obama and the concept of "American exceptionalism" in a New York Times opinion piece, leaving some people impressed and others outraged. Putin was referring to Obama's speech Tuesday night on Syria, in which he said America had an obligation to act in certain situations. "That's what makes us exceptional," Obama said. Last year, as the idea of exceptionalism made headlines during the presidential election, CNN looked at the origins of the term and whether America truly was No. 1. Revisit our series to learn more about the words fueling today's debate: . The power of American Exceptionalism . Whether or not you think it's true, the idea that America was "chosen" by God to lead the world has shaped history in big ways, from the American Revolution to Election 2012. Exceptional? Not by the numbers . Americans may call it "the greatest country in the world," but the United States isn't No. 1 in many areas. What can we learn from those who are ahead of us? Photos: Faces of citizenship . Citizens of 54 countries became naturalized U.S. citizens in a recent ceremony. We asked them about their stories and what they think makes America exceptional. Uniting America on ideals . David Gergen and Michael Zuckerman say candidates don't have to prove their view of American exceptionalism is better, they need to unite liberty and egalitarianism. American by choice . The atmosphere is hushed and quiet as about 150 people take their seats. As big days go, this is one of the biggest. All these people are about to become citizens of the United States. Nationality, identity and the pledge . CNN's Moni Basu describes how she became an American citizen, and the ways that moment has affected her life. Where to find exceptional America . American historians share where they enjoy exploring the history of the United States. Here are some of their favorite spots. America's not perfect, but we love it . Readers debate whether the U.S. is No. 1 and if it matters. Many said there are good and bad things about America, so perhaps we rank well in some areas, but not others.
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Putin opinion piece in New York Times takes issue with "American exceptionalism" CNN series looks at origins of the term and whether America is truly No. 1 .
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Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A special court set up by Afghan President Hamid Karzai that had been prosecuting alleged electoral fraud by 62 parliament members has been dissolved, a presidential spokesman announced Wednesday. Karzai said in a written statement that the country's electoral commission has final say over election outcomes, noting that Afghan courts cannot change electoral results. The decree appears to put an end to months of legal wrangling over the legitimacy of roughly one quarter of the lawmakers in the country's lower house of parliament. But presidential spokesman Siamak Herawi said the commission will now review the court's findings to determine if any lawmakers need to be removed. Critics of the Afghan president have long suggested that the creation of the now-dissolved special court had been part of an effort to stack the lower house with Karzai supporters. Herawi declined to comment on those claims. Meanwhile, four police officers were killed in southern Afghanistan during an inadvertent clash between NATO forces and Afghan police, according to an Interior Ministry statement on Wednesday. The incident occurred in southern Kandahar province late Tuesday evening when NATO "mistakenly attacked a police checkpoint in Arghandab district," the statement said. Two other police officers were also injured in the clash. NATO says it is aware of the incident and an investigation is underway, according to International Security Assistance Force spokesman Capt. Pietro D'Angelo. CNN's Matiullah Mati contributed to this report .
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A special court set-up to prosecute alleged electoral violations is dissolved . 4 Afghan police officers die in clashes with NATO forces, Afghan officials say . NATO "mistakenly attacked a police checkpoint," Afghan officials say . NATO is investigating .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Predatory mice are threatening the albatross population on a remote south Atlantic island and have caused the birds' worst nesting season on record, a British bird charity says. Baby albatross on a remote Atlantic island are threatened by killer house mice. The research from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds indicates bad news for the Tristan albatross, whose only home is Gough Island in the middle of the south Atlantic. House mice not native to the island are threatening the Tristan albatross with extinction, the RSPB said. The mice are also threatening the native population of bunting, one of the world's largest finches, the RSPB said. "Without removal of the mice, both the albatross and the bunting that live there are doomed to extinction," Grahame Madge, a conservation spokesman for the RSPB, told CNN. The mice on the island eat the chicks of the albatross and bunting before they make it to the fledgling stage, the RSPB said. This makes it especially difficult for the albatross population to survive because the birds lay eggs only once every two years -- a very low reproductive rate compared to other birds, Madge said. "What [the mice] are affecting is the ability of the albatross to produce enough young to sustain the population," he said. Adult Tristan albatross are threatened by longline fishing at sea, a practice in which boats put up numerous 100-meter long fishing lines baited with squid or fish. The albatrosses are attracted to the bait and while some manage to steal it successfully, many more get snagged and drown, Madge said. Because of the impact from house mice, introduced to the island by sealers in the 18th and 19th centuries, conservation alliance BirdLife International earlier this year listed both the Tristan albatross and the Gough bunting as critically endangered -- the highest threat level before extinction. Gough Island, a British territory almost midway between Argentina and South Africa, is a place of stunning natural beauty. The island is not inhabited by humans. Gough Island and nearby Inaccessible Island are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. A survey of the albatross on Gough Island in January showed 1,764 adults incubating eggs, the RSPB said. A later survey revealed only 246 chicks had survived to fledgling. "We've known for a long time that the mice were killing albatross chicks in huge numbers," said RSPB scientist Richard Cuthbert, who recently visited the island to assess the problem. "However, we now know that the albatrosses have suffered their worst year on record." The bunting suffer because the mice eat their eggs and chicks, and may also compete with them for food in the winter, Cuthbert said. "The decline in bunting numbers is alarming," said Peter Ryan of the University of Cape Town, who has been studying buntings on the island since the 1980s. "Without urgent conservation action to remove the mice, both the albatross and the bunting are living on borrowed time." The RSPB has been studying whether it is possible to remove the mice. It said trials so far look promising, but it urged the British government to step up funding for the project. It said eradicating the mice from Gough Island would solve the primary conservation threat facing both bird species. The RSPB said it had been working with New Zealand conservationists on a program to remove the smaller mice by dropping poisoned bait from helicopters. Tristan albatrosses are one of 22 species of albatross in the world. Albatrosses principally live in the southern Atlantic but some also live in the Pacific, the RSPB says. Albatrosses are among the largest flying birds, weighing up to 25 pounds (22.5 kilograms). One species -- the wandering albatross -- has a wingspan of 11 feet, the RSPB says. The birds can fly thousands of miles without a pause, and their only need to touch land is to nest and raise their young, the RSPB says.
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Predatory mice are threatening the albatross population on a south Atlantic island . House mice not native to the island are killing and eating chicks . Mice are also threatening the native population of large finches .
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(CNN) -- A growing religion in southern Africa is posing a threat to the survival of wild leopards. For the Nazareth Baptist Church, also known as the Shembe, leopards are seen as a symbol of pride, beauty and wealth, while their skins are viewed as essential attire for church elders who wear them around their necks during traditional ceremonies. A mixture of Christianity and Zulu culture, the Shembe is one of the biggest traditional religious groups in South Africa with around 5 million members. There are fears from conservationists that as the church grows, Africa's leopards, already listed as "near threatened" by the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN), will be pushed towards extinction. "From visiting a few of these (church) gatherings, you realize that it's not 92 or 100 or 200 (leopard skins). We are talking about thousands of leopard skins," said Tristan Dickerson, a conservationist at the Phinda Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal province. Dickerson first found out about the Shembe in the course of helping with a police investigation, after a pile of at least 92 leopard skins was uncovered during a village raid. Many of those skins had been tailored into clothing meant for the church group. Besides being killed by farmers trying to protect their livestock, 150 leopards are legally targeted by trophy hunters each year. But increasingly poachers kill them to profit from their use in traditional medicine and ceremonial dress. "What we are finding is that they are actually being targeted, instead of it being by-catch from the illegal bush meat trade," Dickerson said. "They are actually putting poisons out to target leopards because there is such a high demand for leopard skins now." The feline species is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, and the sale or possession of its parts is illegal in South Africa. Those who wear it as traditional gear, including Zulu royalty and high-profile individuals like President Jacob Zuma, are required to have permits issued by the state. But at Shembe church gatherings, trade in skins is done openly with no law enforcement. Dickerson's attempt to solve this conflict of tradition and conservation has taken him to China where he has been trying to find a suitable fake fur alternative for church members. "I went to Beijing and spent a week there, meeting with factory representatives to try and develop this fur into the level that was needed and the quality that was needed," Dickerson said. And the quality is crucial, because while the church's leadership has warmed to the concept of fake leopard skins, they still have to approve of the product. Dickerson says the church's followers will only be converted to fake items if the leaders say it is acceptable. On a recent trip to Ekuphakameni, South Africa, where the church was founded, Dickerson visited a church gathering and showed his fur samples to a senior preacher. "It's beautiful, but it's not the real thing," said the preacher, Mhlanubanzi Mjadu. "It's like a blanket. After some time, it will wear out. Real leopard skin can last for more than 20 years." Mjadu said he had no idea trade in leopard parts was illegal, and he did not know that the leopard was a threatened species. He said that as an elder he could not wear a fake costume, but he could see a place for fake fur in the church as membership continued to swell and the prices of leopard skin seemed to be rising. "It will help the congregation and protect the leopard from extinction," he said. Dickerson is also hoping that church followers who cannot afford the real thing would find the cheaper version an enticing alternative, but so far they have not shown enthusiasm. At the gathering in Ekuphakameni real skins were being sold for $440 each. "We are improving the product as we speak," Dickerson said. "If we can get one of the leaders to wear one of these things and say to the people, 'This is accepted from now on, we do not wear real leopard skins anymore, we have an alternative,' that statement... would be the pinnacle of this whole project."
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Followers of the Shembe religion in southern Africa strive to wear leopard skins during church gatherings . Poachers increasingly kill leopards to profit from their use in traditional medicine and ceremonial dress . A conservationist is trying to produce a suitable fake fur in China for church members . Church elders and followers have been resistant to using fake fur so far .
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(CNN) -- A Saudi group advocating for democratic reform in Saudi Arabia has announced the cancellation of a planned public sit-in after having been denied a permit for the event by the kingdom's Ministry of Interior. In an e-mailed statement, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) said that the organizers of the sit-in were summoned on Tuesday to the Interior Ministry. They "were informed that the sit-in request was refused without providing further legal justification preventing peaceful assemblies and protests." CNN could not reach Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry for comment. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy where protests and gatherings are prohibited. In a statement dated November 13, ACPRA called on "all Saudis to participate in a public sit-in to demand political reform" on Thursday in the country's capital city of Riyadh. The purpose of the sit-in was to demand a list of 20 rights, among them "ending princes' privileges," "eradicating bribery and nepotism," "fairness and impartiality of the judiciary," "preventing arbitrary detention, torture, and harassment in prisons," and "transparency, accountability, and control over the national income and how it be spent." In a separate letter addressed to the kingdom's interior minister, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the group asked the minister to "provide us the opportunity to peacefully express our demand for political reform, on the basis of the requirements of the allegiance: the stewardship of the nation over the ruler. Because it is the only way to ensure the means to, and the guarantees of, justice and democracy." The letter detailed how, if permission were granted to stage the sit-in, the attendees would "express their feelings peacefully in a very civilized and polite manner." Mohammed Al-Qahtani, president of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, told CNN this was the third time his group had applied for and been denied a permit by the kingdom's Interior Ministry to hold a peaceful assembly within the kingdom. He believes this is in direct violation of Saudi Arabia's membership on the United Nations' Human Rights Council. "They talk the talk but they don't walk the walk as far as allowing people to express themselves peacefully," said Al-Qahtani when describing the kingdom's stance towards groups asking for political reform. Al-Qahtani said he's not surprised permission for the sit-in was denied and that he and members of his group had been expecting this outcome. Al-Qahtani said that even though ACPRA was denied a permit for the planned sit-in, he does see positive signs in all this. "Given the fact that we have been reiterating the same demands before and that we're still free to meet and discuss all this, it's a good indication of how times have changed for the better," said Al-Qahtani. He attributed a lot of the newfound tolerance in Saudi Arabia to its ruler, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who is seen by many as a reformer and who has been promoting national and societal dialogue within the kingdom since ascending the throne in 2005. "If you think about the atmosphere in the country 10 years ago," explained Al-Qahtani, "nobody could have put these demands on the table then -- so now, it seems Saudi Arabia has opened up a bit."
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The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association wanted to stage a public sit-in . It's the third time the group applied for and was denied a permit for peaceful assembly . There are positive signs, though, because the group can still "meet and discuss"
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(CNN) -- The Denver Broncos announced Wednesday night they had finalized a trade that sends high-profile quarterback Tim Tebow to the New York Jets. Tebow and a seventh-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft go the Jets in exchange for picks in the fourth and sixth rounds of the draft. The Broncos said Tuesday that superstar quarterback Peyton Manning, a free agent, would join the team, setting in motion efforts to trade Tebow. But the Broncos-Jets deal didn't come without a hitch. A snag was reported within hours of the Jets' saying they agreed in principle to the trade. ESPN, quoting a source with the Broncos, reported the hangup was over language in Tebow's contract. Sources told ESPN that the Jets believed Denver should pay $5 million in salary advances to Tebow. The Broncos have already paid $1.2 million of the advance, ESPN reported. The Jets have agreed to pay half of the $5 million in compensation back to Denver to finish the trade, ESPN reported late Wednesday. Tebow, an outspoken evangelical Christian, became the Broncos' starting quarterback last year amid great fanfare. He led the team from a 1-4 start to an 8-8 finish in the regular season and their first division title since 2005. The trade comes less than two weeks after the Jets and quarterback Mark Sanchez agreed on a multiyear contract extension. Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said Sanchez will retain his starting quarterback job and Tebow will play in a wildcat-style offense, which uses a quarterback more as a runner. "It will be up to us to put him in the position to be successful," said Tannenbaum. "We think he's going to be a player that can help us. He's a great competitor. He's gonna help us win." A lot of the talk about Tebow, 24, has centered around his demonstrations of his faith. He wore Bible verses on his eyeblack when he quarterbacked for the Florida Gators. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2007. Throughout last season in Denver, Tebow's jersey was flying off the racks and "Tebowing" -- the act of getting down on one knee and praying while everyone around you does something else -- became an Internet meme and widely recognized symbol. Tebow quickly became the public face of FRS Co. and Jockey; for months, it was hard to click on ESPN without hearing his name. Manning, who missed last season because of an injury, was released this year by the Indianapolis Colts, the only team for which he's played in his 14-year pro career. In the subsequent weeks, the Super Bowl XLI victor -- who has been named the National Football League's Most Valuable Player a record four times -- has been hotly sought after by several teams. Broncos executive John Elway, in a statement issued Wednesday night, said, "Tim Tebow deserves an enormous amount of credit for what he accomplished and how he carried himself during his time with the Broncos. From taking over a 1-4 team and leading it to the playoffs to energizing our fans and this community, Tim left an extraordinary mark on this organization. His time in Denver will always hold a special place in Broncos history." Jim Daly, president of the Colorado Springs-based evangelical group Focus on the Family, teamed up with Tebow for an anti-abortion Super Bowl ad last year. The spot illustrated how comfortable Tebow is trumpeting his Christian beliefs. "I think there is going to be this period of mourning for Tim Tebow's departure," Daly said. "I think that that affection that people have for Tebow goes well beyond Denver and his ability to play football." CNN's Dan Merica and Joseph Miller contributed to this report.
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NEW: "He's a great competitor," Jets official says . Tebow will hold special place in Broncos history, Elway says . Deal earlier hit snag over money, ESPN reports . The Broncos signed free agent star quarterback Peyton Manning .
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(CNN) -- Apple is getting pushed around a lot these days. Digerati reaction to the iPhone 5 was "meh," response to the iPad Mini was akin to "it's about time" and we are all more excited about unicorn-like products such as an iWatch and iTV than the things you can buy right now. Apple's strength is its Achilles' heel: We expect it to reinvent on schedule and when, in our infinite wisdom, we believe it is not, we treat it like the kid who no longer belongs in our clique. Some of this is to be expected when a company with as incredible a recent track record as Apple's seems to be resting more on its laurels than finding new battles to win. Since the quixotic introduction of the iMac in 1998 -- reinvigorating the desktop computer well into the age of portables -- Apple has been on a tear: . • The iPod (2001) • The iTunes Store, allowing the purchase of single music tracks (2003) • The Apple retail store (2004) • The iPhone (2007) • The iPad (2010) And you can add to list that Steve Jobs' revitalization of the animated feature film through his acquisition of Pixar. That's a lot of imagination in a very short time. Apple hasn't just dominated the story for a decade: It has written the story of the past decade. That is a lot to live up to. Most companies can't. It's particularly brutal for tech (as opposed to, say, shampoo) companies, which at best can usually hope to set the pace for only about generation until they settle into a comfortable middle class. Call it the Microsoft Curve. Microsoft dominated through the red-hot '90s, the height of the PC era. It isn't going anywhere. It still prints money by selling MS-Office and Windows licenses. But look at a five-year stock price chart, and you'll see it has gone exactly nowhere. The only people dancing for joy about owning a Windows computer seem to be in those Surface Pro TV ads. At the bottom of the pile there is the sad tale of Palm -- the hottest tech company on the planet for far too brief a time. Palm Pilots were once everywhere. But the company stumbled by failing to recognize quickly enough that, in the age of the Internet, no one wanted a portable device that couldn't get online. How Samsung is out-innovating Apple . Another hard luck case is Research in Motion -- now BlackBerry. That company did get the portable device memo, but it spectacularly misjudged the smartphone revolution sparked by Apple. Now Apple is this unfamiliar territory: Successful on paper, products seen everywhere, Macbooks and iPhone placed in seemingly every TV show and movie and yet ... the cool factor is cooling off. There is a big difference between atmospherics and actuality, of course. But nobody wants to be thought of as a has-been in the making. The lesson of tech history is that smart companies crash when they believe what they have already done is all they need to do: that doubling-down and trash-talking the competition is what it takes. Exhibit A? Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer himself, whose initial public reaction to the iPhone was that business customers wouldn't want it "because it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not a very good e-mail machine." This would be a good time to mention that increasingly large numbers of these "business customers" now want an iPhone at work, challenging Microsoft at what has been its enterprise stronghold. Apple's search for its next billion-dollar product . Success is never assured, but it can only be extended only two ways: If you corner the market, impossible in the uberdisruptive tech space, or if you are unabashedly willing to question everything, all the time. Facebook began life as the world's most exclusive private social network -- only Harvard students need apply. But it became a public company worth $68 billion because it decided instead to become the world's least exclusive private network. Even Palm's trajectory might have been different if it had inverted its thinking in time: Imagine a Palm Pilot not as a personal information manager with connectivity, but a connected device with PIM applications, and you have described exactly what the smartphone is today. There is no reason to think Apple won't thrive financially for years to come, just like Microsoft. But its continued reputation as the chief arbiter of cool is being challenged. Apple may still have the best-selling smartphone in the world, but the many others powered by rival Google's Android operating system -- and especially those made by Samsung -- far exceed the iPhone. For years, tech writers reviewed each new smartphone on a simple grading scale: Is this the iPhone killer? None has been, but collectively the point has been made: . No phone has killed the iPhone, but plenty of them co-exist just fine, thank you very much. We expect the unexpected from Apple, and the company does nothing to tamp down these expectations. So when it doesn't dazzle us, ennui begins to creep in. Apple is also burdened by what I called at the time the meaningless milestone of having become the biggest company ever. Where do you go from there? You are either still the biggest, or slipping. Consolidating your lead is fine and all, but it isn't sexy. My own prediction of Apple's prospects is that needs to worry about becoming a mid-packer only after the CEO Tim Cook and designer Jony Ive -- the other tow members of the triumvirate headed by Steve Jobs -- are no longer with the company. Until then, perhaps a decade from now, you bet against Apple at your own peril. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of John Abell.
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John Abell: Reactions to iPhone 5 and iPad Mini were, for new Apple products, lukewarm . Abell: Apple a prisoner of its reputation; we expect new products in quick succession . Android-run products are threatening the once-invincible Apple iPhone, he says . Abell: Apple's being ganged up on, but it will stay strong for at least 10 more years .
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State College, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Penn State students and alumni held a candlelight vigil late Sunday to honor and remember Joe Paterno, the iconic former football coach. Paterno, 85, died Sunday at a State College, Pennsylvania, hospital, according to his family. He had been suffering from lung cancer and had recently broken his pelvis. "It is with great sadness that we announce that Joe Paterno passed away earlier today," said the statement. "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled." Students braved freezing temperatures to attend the vigil on the lawn of the Old Main building on Penn State's campus. They held candles, locked arms, and sung the school's alma mater to say goodbye. Later, they walked over to a statue of Paterno outside Beaver Stadium, which has become a sort of makeshift memorial. "He's more than a coach; his family's more than a family," said Bethanna Edmiston, a local resident and alumna who met her husband at Penn State. "It's extremely difficult for the whole Nittany nation," she said. "Unless you're part of Penn State, you just don't understand what it means." Share your thoughts on Paterno's death . Earlier on Sunday, many fans were seen crying as they stood at the statue. It features Paterno with his index finger outstretched in the "No. 1" gesture. A quote from Paterno, who spent 61 years at Penn State, is on the wall behind the statue. "They ask me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone," the quote says. "I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach." Edmiston said she moved to State College at age 8, as Paterno took the reins at Penn State. "Our family thanks Penn Staters, students & all people for prayers & support for my Dad," Paterno's son, Jay Paterno, tweeted Sunday, "He felt your support in his fight." Family statement: "He fought hard until the end" The gathering at the statue has been ongoing since Saturday night, after a family spokesman said Paterno's condition had worsened. Some shoveled snow so others could walk up and touch Paterno's outstretched hand on his statue. Signs, flowers and candles surrounded the statue, along with photographs of Paterno. "You're our hero," one said. Another one, flanked by candles, simply said: "Coach." Jay Paterno tweeted Saturday night that he drove by the statue, and that the love and support inspired his father. "He died as he lived," the family statement said. "He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been." Media falsely report Paterno's death . Several websites that reported Saturday night that Paterno had died later apologized for the error, including the Penn State student news website Onward State, the first to report the erroneous information. Paterno was fired in November amid outrage over the handling of accusations against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who faces more than 50 counts involving sexual acts with 10 boys since 1994. Sandusky has pleaded not guilty. But several of those gathered at the statue Sunday remembered Paterno as a unifying presence both at the university and in State College. "I want everyone in our whole country to know that Joe united us," said Diane Farley, a Penn State alumna and current university employee. "And I don't want anyone to point fingers at anyone anymore, and I want them to know that State College is a place that cares, because Joe cared, and there's just been a lot of confusion in the past six weeks ... We're all on this Earth together. We're all going to go out eventually, like Joe, and we need to be a little bit more loving and caring with each other." "They're just ordinary people," Edmiston said of the Paterno family. "They lived in the same house since they moved there, not a fancy house, just everyday people. They gave everything they had to Penn State -- not only money, but their time, their efforts. It's just an amazing legacy that he's left behind." Another man said he doesn't believe the scandal will tarnish Paterno's memory. "It won't define him," said the man, who did not give his name. "It wasn't who he was." The family previously said Paterno had a treatable form of cancer. In December, he was admitted to a hospital after fracturing his pelvis when he slipped and fell at his home in State College. Under Paterno's 46-year leadership, the Nittany Lions won two national championships, went undefeated five times and finished in the top 25 national rankings 35 times, according to his official Penn State biography. Sports Illustrated: Paterno's legacy was more than the final chapter . At the time of Paterno's dismissal, Vice Chairman of Trustees John P. Surma said he hoped the school's 95,000 students and hundreds of thousands of alumni would believe the decision "is in the best long-term interest of the university, which is much larger than athletic programs." Paterno told the Washington Post this month he felt inadequate to deal with the initial allegation of abuse against Sandusky. "I didn't know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was," Paterno told the Post. "So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn't work out that way." The former coach spoke with a raspy voice during the interview -- Paterno's first extensive comments since being fired. A Penn State graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, told the grand jury late last year that he had seen Sandusky "with a boy in the shower and that it was severe sexual acts going on and that it was wrong and over the line." He said he had gone to Paterno with what he saw. Paterno said he'd never been told the graphic details revealed in a grand jury report, but that he nevertheless reported the allegations to his boss, then-Athletic Director Tim Curley. Curley and Gary Schultz, a former university vice president, have been charged with perjury and failure to report the abuse allegations, which law enforcement did not learn about for several years. They have pleaded not guilty. "You know, he didn't want to get specific," Paterno said about McQueary. "And to be frank with you I don't know that it would have done any good, because I never heard of, of, rape and a man. So I just did what I thought was best. I talked to people that I thought would be, if there was a problem, that would be following up on it," he told The Washington Post. "I called my superiors and I said, 'Hey, we got a problem, I think. Would you guys look into it?' Because I didn't know, you know ... I had never had to deal with something like that. And I didn't feel adequate," Paterno said. "Joe was Penn State," Edmiston said. "He made Penn State. And it's really a very sad, sad day for all of us." CNN's Sarah Hoye and CNN contributor Sara Ganim contributed to this report.
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NEW: Student, alumni hold a candlelight vigil . Paterno's son to fans: "He felt your support in his fight" The iconic coach died Sunday at age 85 . Paterno was fired over the handling of sex abuse claims against a former assistant .
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(CNN) -- After days of insisting no formal complaints had been made about a teen gang calling themselves the "Roast Busters," New Zealand police now admit a 13-year-old girl made a rape allegation two years ago. The girl, now 15, told 3 News on Wednesday that police officers asked her to re-enact the alleged rape using dolls during a videotaped interview in 2011. "It was traumatizing," she said. The teenager repeated claims she said she'd made to police that she'd been raped by three boys from the "Roast Busters," a gang of teenagers whose online boasts about raping drunk underage girls caused outrage when they were exposed by local media this week. For days, police said they were powerless to arrest the boys because none of their alleged victims had filed a formal statement. However, on Wednesday, they admitted the girl had made a formal complaint just weeks after the alleged attack. "An investigation was launched and the complaint was thoroughly investigated," police said. "Whilst this was a distressing situation for the girl and her family, police determined that there was not sufficient evidence to bring a prosecution." Waitematä Police District Commander Superintendent Bill Searle told 3 News on Thursday the decision not to prosecute the girl's alleged attackers would be reviewed in coming days. He also said he'd be investigating why he wasn't told a formal complaint existed, adding there was a "little bit of disagreement" over what constituted a complaint. "I was briefed there was no formal complaint. As far as I'm concerned what the lady said was a formal complaint. I'd like to apologize to her for any stress that this would have caused," he told 3 News. Opinion: Don't blame women's drinking for rape . He said he'd also be investigating the girl's claims she was asked a "lot of questions" about what she was wearing at the time of the attack. She said officers asked "why did you go out in this skirt?" "It's not part of our policy, it's not part of our general practice to ask these sorts of questions," Searle said. The country's police minister Anne Tolley has asked the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) to investigate the matter, particularly officers' questioning of the then 13-year-old alleged rape victim. "Parents of young girls need to have confidence that complaints to police about sexual assault are investigated thoroughly and appropriately," she said in a statement. Referring to the apparent confusion over whether a formal complaint had ever been filed, she said she was "disappointed" the full facts had not been divulged to her or the country's police commissioner. "I don't expect to be told finer details of police operations. Police must remain independent of politicians. But I do expect police to be talking to each other," she said. In a statement on Thursday, Police Commissioner Peter Marshall welcomed the independent review and said Waitemata District police remained "absolutely committed" to pursuing the matter. "Prosecuting these matters before the court requires a very high threshold, and we only get one opportunity to get it right. This means it absolutely critical for victims that we have the strongest case possible, backed by the appropriate evidence before we can proceed." Earlier this week, Searle told CNN they had been actively monitoring the group since the first alleged offense was committed in 2011. He said police interviewed two boys identified as the group's ringleaders again on Monday, but they hadn't admitted to anything that constitutes a criminal offense. "The online claims themselves are not enough to warrant a prosecution," Searle said. "They might be morally inappropriate and unacceptable to us but we have to deal with evidence that would be admissible in a court of law and we haven't got to that stage yet." Searle declined to confirm how many boys were involved in "Roast Busters," but said the two ringleaders led a "core group," as well as "an associated group." The boys were attending at least two different schools at the time the alleged offenses were committed but all have since graduated, he said. It's believed they're now around 17 to 18 years old. In a video posted to YouTube, two boys made no attempt to hide their faces as they told the camera: "We don't choose the roast, the roast chooses us ... They know what we're like; they know what they're in for." They boasted of their exploits on a number of social media sites, including Ask.fm and Twitter, as well as a Facebook page which has since been shut down. Searle said on Tuesday the boys had recently received death threats but had not requested police protection.
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New Zealand police backtrack on earlier claims they'd received no formal complaints about "Roast Busters" They've confirmed a 13-year-old girl made a video statement two years ago alleging she'd been raped . Officers decided at the time there was not enough evidence to file charges against the boys . Alleged ringleaders have caused outrage with online boasts about raping drunk underage girls .
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(CNN) -- A Miami imam convicted of funneling tens of thousands of dollars to the Pakistani Taliban was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Robert Scola levied the sentence against Hafiz Khan, a U.S. citizen and Pakistani native who ran the Miami Masjid, also known as the Flager Mosque. A jury in March found Khan, 78, guilty of four charges that accused him of supporting and conspiring to support terrorists and a terrorist organization. The charges alleged Khan, who prosecutors said ran the Miami mosque since at least 1999, sent money and other support from the United States to the Pakistani Taliban and its supporters from at least 2008 to 2010. The charges also accused Khan of using a madrassa, or Muslim religious school, that he founded in Pakistan to shelter and support Pakistani Taliban militants. CNN's Kimberly Segal contributed to this report.
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Hafiz Khan was found guilty in March of supporting the Pakistani Taliban . Khan, 78, funneled money to the organization and its supporters, charges alleged . Khan was imam of the Miami Masjid, also known as the Flager Mosque.
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(CNN) -- A plane carrying former President George W. Bush was diverted to Louisville on Saturday night after the pilot reported the smell of smoke. The Gulfstream IV aircraft was traveling from Philadelphia International to Dallas Love Field airports when the pilot reported the smell of smoke in the cockpit, said Holly Baker, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. She said the plane landed safely in Louisville, Kentucky. By early Sunday morning, Bush arrived safely home in Dallas, his spokesman Freddy Ford said. Bush's legacy is on the mend . Poll: You're starting to remember Bush fondly .
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The 43rd president was on a plane from Philadelphia to Dallas . The plane landed in Kentucky after the pilot reported smelling smoke . Bush arrived safely home in Dallas later in the night, his spokesman says .
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Washington (CNN) -- Dressed in yellow full-body sanitation suits, members of the U.S. Park Police combed through tents in the Occupy DC camp Saturday, taking down ones violating park policies. The owners of the tossed tents and other protesters were agitated by the move, but there was little unrest at McPherson Square in downtown Washington. Park police in riot gear first entered at dawn Saturday, and said they were not there to evict protesters, but to check for compliance with "no camping" laws. Still, at one point, there was a confrontation between protesters and riot police. The move comes after a federal judge Tuesday rejected an Occupy DC demonstrator's request to keep park police from enforcing a ban on camping in McPherson park and nearby Freedom Plaza. Living in a public park as a means of protest is not protected by the First Amendment, Judge James Boasberg ruled. The operation was a success and a majority of those in the park cooperated with police, park police spokesman David Schlosser said. Eight people were arrested in the confrontation with police, he said. Four for failure to obey a lawful order, and three for crossing a police line. Another person was arrested for felony assault on an officer and assault with a deadly weapon after Schlosser said the man threw a brick at one of the officers. The officer was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Schlosser said. "The United States Park Police continue to support the right of people to exercise their constitutionally protected rights," he said. Protesters heckled him as he briefed reporters early Saturday. As he spoke, the officer was interrupted by someone who made a rooster sound, and others made ghost-like noises in the background. "In some of the tents we found urine-soaked bedding materials, bottles of urine," noted Schlosser. "In some of the tents we found some dead rats. We also found some live rats, with some rat families." Authorities told protesters Monday that they had to remove camping gear such as sleeping bags and housekeeping materials, but could keep their tents as long as one flap remains open at all times. On Saturday, police began removing the tents from the park that had camping gear inside. Protesters complained and accused the officers of taking down tents that were not in violation. At the outset of their search, police found only one compliant tent, and took down there rest. Once the inspection is complete, the park will be reopened to the public, Schlosser said. Occupy DC is part of a larger activist movement that began last year in New York and quickly spread across the country. While the protesters have highlighted a number of causes, the overarching theme has remained largely the same: populist anger over what activists portray as an out-of-touch corporate, financial and political elite. CNN's Jonathan Helman, Greg Clary and Courtney Battle contributed to this report.
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NEW: Eight people have been arrested, including one for felony assault . An Occupy DC demonstrator failed this week in a court bid to overturn the ban . Occupy DC is part of a larger activist movement that began last year in New York .
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(CNN) -- Former world-class boxer Emile Griffith, who won five titles during the 1960s, died Tuesday just east of New York City, the International Boxing Hall of Fame announced. He was 75. Griffith died Tuesday morning at the Nassau Extended Care Facility in Hempstead, New York. "Emile Griffith was a gifted athlete and a truly great boxer," Edward Brophy, the hall of fame's executive director, said. "Outside of the ring, he was as great a gentleman as he was a fighter." Born in the Virgin Islands, Griffith was 19 when he moved to New York. His had his first big breakthrough -- a Golden Gloves title -- a few years later in 1957. He went pro the following year. Griffith scored his first of three welterweight titles in 1961. He made headlines the next year for his pummeling of Benny Paret after the latter had called him a maricon, a derogatory Spanish term for homosexual, according to Sports Illustrated and other news reports. Paret died of his injuries 10 days later. A 2005 documentary, "Ring of Fire," recalled that bout and how it haunted Griffith for years. Yet he kept on fighting. By the end of the 1960s -- a decade highlighted by his being named the Boxing Writers Association of America's Fighter of the Year in 1963 -- Griffith had won two middleweight championships in addition to his titles in lighter welterweight division. He retired with a record of 85 wins (including 23 knockouts), 24 losses and two draws, according to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which inducted him into its ranks in 1990. People we lost in 2013: The lives they lived .
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Emile Griffith won welterweight and middleweight titles during his boxing career . Benny Paret died days after being pummeled in the ring by Griffith in 1962 . Griffith was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 . "He was as great a gentleman as he was a fighter," the hall's director says .
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Rome (CNN) -- A key religious text co-written by Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict, who stepped down earlier this year, was released by the Vatican on Friday. The encyclical, the first to be published since Francis became pope, sets out the priorities for the Roman Catholic Church. It's called "Lumen Fidei," which is Latin for "The Light of Faith." The groundwork for the 84-page encyclical was laid by Benedict, the Vatican said in a media briefing, while Francis "added further contributions to the existing first draft." The introduction to the text, which is divided into four chapters, reiterates the importance of having faith in a man's life, it said. Francis writes that it is faith that helps man "distinguish from good and evil" and that he "who believes, sees." He stresses that in modern times, faith has become more important than in the past. In the first chapter, he refers to the biblical figure Abraham and explains faith as "listening to the Word of God, the call to come from the isolated self in order to open up oneself to a new life and the promise of the future." Subsequent chapters talk about the connection between "faith and truth," evangelization and how faith is connected to the common good. Vatican Radio said the encyclical completes a trilogy of papal teachings on the three theological virtues -- faith, hope and charity -- that was begun by Benedict with his encyclicals "Deus Caritas Est" in 2005, and "Spe Salvi" in 2007. The encyclicals are circulated to Catholic bishops around the world and help outline the pope's thinking on doctrinal matters. The Vatican has declared 2013 to be the "Year of Faith." The latest encyclical is perhaps unprecedented in featuring the contribution of two living popes. Benedict XVI shocked the Roman Catholic world in February when he announced his resignation, making him the first pope to stand down in almost 600 years. Popes usually serve until their death. He has retired to a life of prayer and seclusion. CNN's Hada Messia reported from Rome, and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London.
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The encyclical is the first to be released under Pope Francis . It was largely written by Pope Emeritus Benedict, before he resigned from the papacy . The 84-page text highlights the importance of faith . Faith helps man "distinguish from good and evil," Francis writes .
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(CNN) -- The Tennis Channel has canceled plans to broadcast a tournament in Dubai because an Israeli player was banned. Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates. Shahar Peer, the 45th-ranked women's player according to the World Tennis Association, qualified to compete in this week's Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships but was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the UAE. The cable network had planned to air parts of the tournament this weekend. "Tennis Channel recognizes that this exclusion has been made by state authorities and neither the tour nor tournament directors themselves," said a statement posted on the channel's Web site Wednesday. "However we also honor the role and proud tradition that tennis has always played as a driving force for inclusion both on and off the courts. "Preventing an otherwise qualified athlete from competing on the basis of anything other than merit has no place in tennis or any other sport, and has the unfortunate result of undermining the credibility of the very nature of competition itself." The announcement comes the same day The Wall Street Journal Europe announced it is dropping its sponsorship of the tournament. "The Wall Street Journal's editorial philosophy is free markets and free people, and this action runs counter to the Journal's editorial direction," the Journal said in a written statement. The paper also said it plans to cancel a special tennis-themed advertising section scheduled for Monday and its backing of a men's tournament in Dubai scheduled for next week. After days of international criticism, including the WTA saying it would review whether the UAE should be allowed to host future tournaments, the event's organizers said Peer was barred from the tournament for her own protection, apparently alluding to Israel's recent military offensive in Gaza. "We do not wish to politicize sports, but we have to be sensitive to recent events in the region and not alienate or put at risk the players and the many tennis fans of different nationalities that we have here," organizers said in a written statement. The statement cited anti-Israel protests before one of Peer's matches at a recent tournament in New Zealand. But this is not the first time the UAE has barred Israeli tennis players. Last year, an Israeli men's doubles team was denied entry. The emirate also cited security concerns then. In a statement posted on the Tennis Channel's site, Peer thanked the cable channel for its decision. "I was very moved and excited to hear about your decision not to broadcast the Dubai tournament following their denial to allow me to participate in the event," she wrote. "You at Tennis Channel were the first ones to add action to the words and this is leading the way to other organizations as well. "All I want is to play tennis and do well. I believe you are helping me to do exactly this."
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United Arab Emirates denies visa to Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer . Tennis Channel: Sport should be 'driving force for inclusion ... on and off the courts' Wall Street Journal Europe drops sponsorship of Barclays Dubai Tennis tourney . Peer thanks channel: 'I was very moved and excited to hear about your decision'
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(CNN) -- A South Florida man killed his wife and son with a crossbow, drove 460 miles to try and kill his other son, and then slit his own throat. The violent, long-distance rampage took Pedro Maldonado Sr. from one end of the state to the other. While the Broward County Sheriff's Office continues to piece together a time line, detectives believe Maldonado shot and killed his 47-year-old wife, Monica Narvaez-Maldonado, and their 17-year-old son, Pedro Maldonado Jr., with a crossbow in their Weston townhouse sometime on Monday. Weston is located about 13 miles west of Fort Lauderdale. The sheriff's report says Maldonado, 53, then drove about 460 miles north to Tallahassee in an attempt to kill his older son, José Maldonado, who attends Florida State University. "His dad did try to shoot him with the same handheld crossbow and the arrow hit Jose's ear," Dani Moschella, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department, told CNN affiliate WSVN. "Then his father tried to choke him, and José luckily was able to get away." José Maldonado never reported the attack to police, but it was his father's confession to a friend on Tuesday that set authorities on his trail. The Broward Sheriff's report says Pedro Maldonado called a friend in Miami and admitted to killing his wife and son. A short time later, authorities found their bodies in the South Florida townhouse. Did Montana newlywed blindfold husband before pushing him off cliff? Later in the day, authorities learned that Maldonado might be in the Lake City area, about 100 miles east of Tallahassee. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office found his SUV at a hotel. After trying to contact Maldonado for hours, they entered his room and found him dead early Wednesday. He slit his own throat, authorities said. Man kills wife, dogs in home . "I knew them. They were good neighbors. I never heard anything from the house -- no screaming, no fighting, nothing," neighbor Ana Maldonado, who is not related to the family, told WSVN. "Terrible. I don't see why parents have to get the kids involved. If you have a problem, solve it. "Do what he did far away, by himself, but leave the family alone." Cops: Husband kills wife with AK-47 . CNN's Carma Hassan contributed to this report.
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Authorities say Pedro Maldonado killed his wife and son with a crossbow . He then drove 460 milles to Tallahassee in an attempt to kill his other son . Maldonado later called a friend, admitting to killing two family members . He took his life in a Lake City hotel room, authorities say .
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(CNN) -- Freezing temperatures plagued much of the nation Thursday after a major storm moved into Canada, but another storm that will dump more snow in the Sierra Nevada was brewing, forecasters said. That storm, which is expected to start overnight, should last several days and eventually make its way eastward, like its predecessor, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. The Sierras, straddling California and Nevada, received more than 3 feet of snow in the last few days. Crews in El Dorado County, California, have been working around the clock this week to restore power to residents who have been left in the dark and cold since Sunday, according to CNN affiliate KXTV. That county, near Lake Tahoe, has received more than 30 inches of snow. Elsewhere, more than 18 inches of snow had accumulated in parts of the Midwest by Thursday, and high winds made the snow difficult to clear. Unusually low temperatures were in store for much of the nation into Friday, the National Weather Service said. "Almost the entire Lower 48 is below normal as far as temperatures. In some cases, 20, 30 degrees," CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said. Freezing or below-freezing temperatures were recorded from Dallas, Texas, and Memphis, Tennessee, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Chicago, Illinois. The temperature in Detroit, Michigan, was 16; in Minneapolis it was minus 5; and in Chicago it was 1 degree. Overnight temperatures were to dip to 17 in Denver, Colorado, and Kansas City, Missouri; 24 in Seattle, Washington; 31 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; 32 in Las Vegas, Nevada; and 27 in Atlanta, Georgia. Lake-effect snow warnings and advisories were in effect for western Michigan and the state's Upper Peninsula, areas that border Lake Michigan, according to the National Weather Service. Lake-effect snow forms when a mass of cold air moves over a body of warmer water. iReport: Share your photos, video . Tens of thousands of people were left in the dark in southeast Michigan, with temperatures that plunged well below freezing, after high winds blew down power lines, according to CNN affiliate WXYZ TV. Schools and government offices were closed in many cities. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, Jeanne Knurr took advantage of having her two children -- Sierra, 12, and Austin, 15 -- home. "We told them we were going to put them to work," she told CNN affiliate WLUK on Wednesday. "We told them before they went to bed that they were going to have to help mom shovel because she's going to be all alone." They didn't seem to mind. "Well, I think shoveling snow's actually better because afterward you actually get to make forts and stuff," Sierra said. "Sleeping in is a lot better." iReport: Thousands join campus snowball fight . High winds made snow removal difficult. Wind gusts reached 50 mph in Omaha, Nebraska; 58 mph in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and 60 mph in Toledo, Ohio. In Omaha, as soon as plows cleared the snow, the wind blew more in their paths, noted former resident and CNN meteorologist Chad Myers as he watched a video clip. Several states reported storm-related deaths. In Northumberland, New York, authorities said a freight train struck a snowplow Wednesday, killing a passenger in the plow, reported CNN affiliate WTEN. In Yale, Iowa, an elderly man was discovered dead Wednesday outside his truck, said Bret Voorhees, spokesman for the state's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. A 28-year-old woman was killed in Omaha on Tuesday night when a truck plowing snow in a parking lot backed into her, police spokesman Jacob Bettin said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. In northern Arizona, dozens of elk hunters were stranded this week by deep snow in the area's backwoods. The Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it has assisted or offered assistance to about 50 hunters Wednesday and Thursday, including some air evacuations. The Arizona Game and Fish Department also has been providing flyovers by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft as rescue crews search for hunting parties and campsites, the sheriff's office said. Brady Smith, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said hunters were warned of the possibility of getting snowed in earlier in the week. The city of Flagstaff, the county seat, received at least 30 inches of snow. The elk hunt ends Thursday. CNN's Chuck Conder contributed to this report.
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Major storm moves into Canada, but another one brewing over Sierra Nevada . More than 18 inches of snow have fallen in parts of the Midwest . U.S. temperatures unusually low, forecasters say; several states report storm-related deaths .
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(CNN) -- In Roseanne Barr's third book, "Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm," the comedian candidly discusses everything from her half-Jewish, half-Mormon upbringing in Salt Lake City, to the sitcom that made her world famous, to ex-husbands and owning her very own macadamia nut farm in Hawaii. "Roseannearchy" certainly won't leave readers wondering how Barr, 58, really feels about the state of the world. "My writing just comes out, and then I try to edit it and try to goose it up or down," she told CNN. When the subject turned to politics, Barr said, "I'm running for president of the United States and prime minister of Israel -- that's kind of a twofer -- on the Solutions Party and the Green Tea Party seeking solutions. And I would advise President Obama, if asked, to do the same, look for solutions." Some fans might be surprised to learn that Barr's first husband, Bill Pentland, wrote the foreword to "Roseannearchy." Pentland was the inspiration for Dan Conner in the sitcom "Roseanne," which ran from 1988 to 1997. "He was always a great writer, and that was our bond when we first met, we were both writers," Barr said. "We had three kids together, and they were the blueprint for Darlene, Becky and D.J. So I thought it was apt [to have him write the introduction], and I think he did a great job." In his foreword, Barr's ex-husband recounts the years the couple spent (pre-kids, pre-fame) living in the mountains of Colorado in the 1970s. (Read: No running water, just a pump.) "We were big hippies and roughing it," Barr said. Barr also said she believes that the legacy of "Roseanne," which lives on in daily reruns in the U.S. on TV Land and Oxygen, lies in the people who watched it and continue to do so to this day. "That's kind of cool," she said. "The fact that they found it and watched it is the best." Barr keeps in touch with most of her "Roseanne" cast mates and is delighted that the show -- which tackled hot-button issues that other shows wouldn't touch in its day -- remains relevant. "A lot of writers were made on the 'Roseanne' show," Barr said. "A lot of good ideas were mined over and over and over from that show." Barr also said she was flattered that "Roseanne" was spoofed on "Family Guy," although she said didn't get to see the episode "because I never know when anything is on, so someone told me about it, but 'Family Guy' is a good show." Barr also discussed how the popular CBS sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" has become a "Roseanne" reunion of sorts. "The Big Bang Theory" stars Johnny Galecki as Leonard; Galecki played Darlene's longtime boyfriend David on "Roseanne." Sara Gilbert, who played Darlene, had a recurring guest role on "The Big Bang Theory." Laurie Metcalf, who portrayed Jackie on "Roseanne," guest-starred as Sheldon's mother on "The Big Bang Theory." Barr hinted at an interest in partaking in an episode when she said, "it's kind of weird that they don't ask me." Perhaps someone should start a Facebook group? As for upcoming projects, Barr said, "I just want to continue to write."
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Roseanne Barr's new book is "Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm" She told CNN that the lasting legacy of her sitcom lies in the show's audience . Barr's running for office "on the Solutions Party and the Green Tea Party seeking solutions"
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Beijing (CNN) -- Explosions at three government facilities in eastern China Thursday left two people dead, including the alleged perpetrator, the country's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. At least six people were injured in the blasts, which occured within a half hour of each other, local officials told CNN. "A car bomb went off at 9:18 a.m. in the parking lot of the Fuzhou city prosecutor's office, followed by a blast at 9:20 a.m. at the Linchuan district government building and another car bomb at 9:45 a.m. near the local drug administration building," said Zhang Baoyun, a spokesman for the government of Jiangxi province, where Fuzhou is located. One body was found in the district government building and another person died in the hospital, Zhang added. Xinhua, citing police sources, reported that one of the people who died in the blast was the man suspected of setting off the explosives. The man was identified as Qian Mingqi, 52, an unemployed resident of the area. Earlier, Xinhua said a disgruntled local peasant farmer had set off the bombs because of an ongoing lawsuit. On the Weibo page allegedly belonging to Qian, the bio line reads: "I am physically and mentally normal, and have no criminal record or history of illegal petitions. When my new house was illegally torn down, it caused me huge financial loss. After a futile ten years of appealing for justice, I am forced to take a path I don't want to." Weibo, the country's most popular microblogging service, is the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Photos from the scene show large crowds gathering near one of the blast sites with a thick plume of black smoke in the air. State-run Xinhua news agency quoted eyewitnesses as saying glass windows were shattered at the eight-story prosecutor's office building, while ambulances rushed in and out of the district government compound. Authorities are still investigating the explosions, while the injured -- including three in serious condition -- are at local hospitals, Zhang said. Fuzhou is a city of nearly 4 million residents some 1,600 kilometers (975 miles) south of Beijing. Last September, clashes between residents and officials in Yihuang, a county in Fuzhou, gained national attention. Three residents doused themselves with gasoline and burned themselves to protest the forced demolition of their homes by the local government. One died in the hospital, prompting widespread outrage that eventually forced provincial authorities to sack several local officials. CNN's Helena Hong and Shao Tian contributed to this report.
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NEW: One of the dead is believed to be the man who allegedly planted the bombs, officials say . One body was found at a government building and another person dies in the hospital . Officials did not confirm reports that the bombings were caused by an angry farmer . The blasts shattered windows at an eight-story office, Xinhua says .
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(CNN) -- Canada's rising star Milos Raonic broke more new ground when he reached the first clay quarterfinal of his short top-level career in Portugal on Thursday. The 20-year-old, seeded fifth at the Estoril Open, set up a clash with French No. 4 Gilles Simon after beating local wild-card entry Joao Sousa 6-3 6-3. Raonic, the second-youngest player in the top-100, is the highest-ranked Canadian in the history of the ATP Tour at 27th. He has leapt up from a year-starting 156th following his first title at the San Jose hard-court event and then a losing final in Memphis earlier this year, also reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open. Is Nadal's clay domination good for tennis? Raonic lost in the last 16 in the European season's opening clay events at Monte Carlo and Barcelona this month, which both had bigger entry fields, as he attempts to adapt his big-serving game to the more subtle surface. "He's the player with some of the best for this season," world No. 22 Simon told AFP of a player who has the third-fastest serve on record. "He's playing well but he doesn't have that much experience on clay. "I think it might be better to play him now instead of for the first time when he may be in the top 15." Simon beat Argentina's Carlos Berlocq 6-2 6-1 in his second-round match. The winner of his clash with Raonic will take on either second seed Fernando Verdasco or South Africa's big-serving Kevin Anderson in the semifinals. Verdasco has dropped from ninth to 15th in the rankings after a run of early exits, but he rebounded to beat another Portuguese wild-card, Frederico Gil, 6-1 7-6 (7-5). Seventh seed Anderson defeated Victor Hanescu 6-4 6-2, avenging his defeat by the Romanian in the second round in Barcelona. Djokovic eases past Ungur in Belgrade . In Belgrade, second seed Viktor Troicki crashed out in second round of his home Serbia Open. The world No. 16, who helped Serbia win last year's Davis Cup final, lost 6-2 6-3 to 52nd-ranked Spaniard Marcel Granollers. Granollers will next face unseeded Italian Filippo Volandri, who beat Ukraine's Illya Marchenko 6-3 1-6 6-3. Third seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez also crashed out against India's Somdev Devvarman. Devvarman, ranked 71st, had lost to the Spaniard in Houston on clay this month but triumphed 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 7-6 (10-8). He will next play seventh seed Janka Tipsarevic after the Serbian beat Russia-born German Mischa Zverev 6-2 6-0. In Munich, third seed Marin Cilic, No. 5 Florian Mayer and fellow German Philipp Kohlschreiber reached the quarterfinals of the BMW Open on Thursday. Croatia's Cilic will take on Russian seventh seed Nikolay Davydenko following his 6-3 7-6 (9-7) win over Argentina's Horacio Zeballos. Mayer beat Russia's Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-4 7-6 (7-1) to set up a clash with young Bulgarian Grigo Dimitrov, while eighth seed Kohlschreiber faces Czech Radek Stepanek after eliminating compatriot Denis Gremelmayr 6-3 6-3. In the semifinals of the Barcelona Women's Open, Italian fifth seed Sara Errani will play Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic. Errani won 6-3 6-2 against compatriot Alberta Brianti, who won the Fes Grand Prix in Morocco last weekend. Another Italian reached the last four after sixth seed Roberta Vinci beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-4 6-1 to set up a clash with Slovenia's Polona Hercog or Spain's Laura Pous-Tio. The top three seeds of the women's event in Estoril all lost in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Top-ranked Alisa Kleybanova of Russia lost 6-4 6-2 to Germany's Kristina Barrois, who came back from 4-1 down in the opening set. The 19-year-old will next face Sweden's 80th-ranked Johanna Larsson, who beat Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva 6-2 7-5. Austrian second seed Jarmila Gajdosova also tumbled out, losing 5-7 6-4 6-2 to Romania's Monica Niculescu. Niculescu will take on Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues, who beat Czech third seed Klara Zakopalova 6-3 7-5.
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Fifth seed Milos Raonic sets up quarterfinal against French No. 4 Gilles Simon . Canadian, ranked 27th, is the second-youngest player currently in the world's top-100 . Second seed Viktor Troicki crashes out in second round of Serbia Open . Top three players eliminated in quarterfinals of women's event in Portugal .
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(CNN) -- Authorities in Cleveland, Ohio, brought in cadaver dogs Wednesday to search the childhood home of a registered sex offender accused in the deaths of 11 women. "We're just trying to cover all our bases," said Scott Wilson, spokesman for the FBI, which is assisting local detectives in the case. Anthony Sowell, 50, was arrested in October after authorities serving a search warrant in a rape case discovered six bodies in and around his current home. Subsequent searches turned up five more bodies, all African-American women. Authorities have said they are looking at the unsolved murders of three women in East Cleveland to determine whether they share any similarities with the remains found at Sowell's home. Wednesday's search comes a day after Sowell was indicted on 85 counts -- including aggravated murder, rape and kidnapping -- in the killings. In addition, Sowell is charged with "brutalizing" three other women and raping two of them, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Bill Mason said Tuesday. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Sowell, Mason said. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday. Sowell is now charged with 11 counts of aggravated murder with a "mass murder specification," meaning multiple people were killed in a similar fashion, Mason said. He also is charged with abuse of a corpse, kidnapping and tampering with evidence. The indictment also alleges that Sowell assaulted women on December 8, 2008, and on September 22 and October 20 of this year. The September and October victims were raped, and the other woman was punched and choked before she escaped, Mason said. Sowell's charges in those incidents include attempted murder, rape or attempted rape, kidnapping, robbery and felonious assault. Sowell already faced charges in the September 22 rape and has pleaded not guilty. On October 20, neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor of his house. Firefighters responded and later notified police. But the woman told officers that she fell off the roof while she was at the home "partying," police said earlier. No charges were filed at the time. Sowell threatened his victims and warned them not to contact police, Mason said. It's possible there are other victims, he added, and urged anyone who has not come forward to do so. Sowell "knew what he was doing was wrong at the time he was doing it," the prosecutor said. As of last month, Sowell was on suicide watch at the request of his public defender, Kathleen DeMetz. She had said a psychiatric evaluation had been ordered but was unlikely to happen until after an indictment was filed. Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid said Tuesday that Sowell has been a "model prisoner," is kept in an isolated unit and has declined visitation requests. Most of the victims were strangled by ligature -- which could include a string, cord or wire -- and at least one was strangled by hand, officials said. Seven still had ligatures wrapped around their necks. All that has been found of one woman is a skull that was wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the home's basement. Sowell served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape and was released in 2005. He was required to register as a sex offender. After the 11 victims were found, police used thermal imaging in mid-November in an attempt to see whether any additional human remains were on the property, and they dug certain areas by hand. No more were found.
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Police "trying to cover all our bases" at Anthony Sowell's childhood home . Sowell has been charged with killing 11 women, all found in or around current home . Sowell indicted Tuesday on 85 criminal counts, including murder, rape, kidnapping .
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(Entertainment Weekly) -- In "Marley & Me," it doesn't take long to learn why Marley, an incorrigibly frisky golden Labrador retriever adopted by Florida newspaper writers John and Jenny Grogan (Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston), is the "world's worst dog." In "Marley & Me," Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston's characters welcome a dog into their lives. He's friendly and lovable, but he devours everything in sight -- drywall, socks, big chunks of furniture (no, he doesn't just chew on them, he eats them). As a dog owner, I can testify that "Marley & Me," based on the real John Grogan's smash 2005 memoir, is the single most endearing and authentic movie about the human-canine connection in decades. As directed by David Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada"), though, it's also something more: a disarmingly enjoyable, wholehearted comic vision of the happy messiness of family life. John and Jenny share an existence that, from the standpoint of our current economic times, already looks like paradise. He's a reporter who gets refashioned, by his testy editor (Alan Arkin), into a lifestyle columnist (only to keep complaining about it -- poor guy!). She's a feature writer who becomes a stay-at-home mom. As the kids come along (three of them), the Grogans move into bigger and bigger houses, yet they have thwarted ambitions, fights that go on for days, and a general attitude of wistful loss toward all the freedoms they have given up to become parents. "Marley & Me" celebrates two ordinary people as they try to fit love, work, children, and one volcanically misbehaved pooch into a single space. Marley may be the dog from hell, but we're meant to see that the Grogans, in their hearts, wouldn't have it any other way. Marley stands in for all the unruliness that can never be domesticated out of life. You can domesticate Owen Wilson, but the shock is how good the role of beleaguered breadwinner looks on him. He and Aniston forge a nimble connection (they even get mad in style), and Wilson has a scene near the end with Marley that's the most wrenchingly tender acting of his career. Using his scratchy, lackadaisical warmth to voice a testament to family, and to where dogs fit into it, he makes you feel like it's a wonderful life indeed. EW Grade: A- . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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"Marley & Me" works as both comedy about dog and profile of family . Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star in film version of memoir . High marks for Wilson, in particular, as newspaper columnist and dog owner .
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(Entertainment Weekly) -- England doesn't yet swing in the transporting, ruefully tender coming-of-age drama "An Education." Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard star as a couple in "An Education." It's 1961, and Jenny (Carey Mulligan), a bright 16-year-old schoolgirl in a tidy London suburb, nurtures aspirations of sophistication that involve smoking cigarettes and dreaming of the day she can sit in a Paris cafe. Beatles-era grooviness and sexual liberation haven't yet reached this corner of the Empire, where cautious, 1950s-style postwar provincialism still prevails -- the same squareness the gents across the pond in "Mad Men" are just beginning to bend. Jenny's dad (Alfred Molina) is fearful and fussy; Mum (Cara Seymour) is resigned. So the good student studies her Latin, grinding for admisson into Oxford University. Life lessons don't begin until she meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), who's in his early 30s, and Jewish, and suave. He's so charmant, he even dazzles Mum and Dad. Being included in David's exotic, if mysteriously shady, universe -- the travel, the jazz clubs that hint at wider horizons, and, oh yes, the sex -- is like a crash course in worldliness. And as this picture of times that were a-changin' demonstrates with quiet, though conventionally built, artistry, worldliness has its discontents. "An Education" is the vivid story of how one girl became a woman -- and how Olde England morphed into the youthquake center of '60s yeah yeah yeah. None of which would be quite so vivid without the beguiling performance of newcomer Mulligan. She's very much an It Girl, with her natural elegance in a brunet upsweep à la Audrey Hepburn. And she's protectively partnered by Sarsgaard in the tricky job of playing sweet yet suspect, a balance he sustains with nonchalance. Equally important players: Dominic Cooper and the divine Rosamund Pike as David's ever-so-knowing pals, Olivia Williams as a teacher who hates to see her prize pupil make poor choices, and Emma Thompson, steaming forth like a battleship as Jenny's headmistress. The movie, in a palette of cloudy blues, is adapted from a vivid memoir by British journalist Lynn Barber and directed by gifted Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig from a screenplay of economical empathy by "High Fidelity" novelist Nick Hornby. Afterward, you'll want to listen to the Beatles sing "She's Leaving Home." It might be a girl like Jenny the lads had in mind. EW Grade: A-minus . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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Carey Mulligan does fine job as teen seeking greener pastures in "An Education" Film is about a girl in 1961 Britain who starts dating 30-something man . Good performances all around, especially from Peter Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson .
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(CNN) -- Ricky Hatton has hung up his gloves after suffering a ninth-round knockout in his comeback fight against Vyacheslav Senchenko. The 34-year-old, who was fighting for the first time since suffering a second-round defeat by Manny Pacquiao in 2009, had hoped to relaunch his career after deciding to return to the ring. 'The Hit Man' as he is affectionately known, had endured a troubled time since quitting the sport following the loss to Pacquiao . Hatton had faced a battle with drink, drugs and depression before deciding to give boxing one last shot. But the former two-weight world champion was shown no mercy by his opponent and was left to rue a career-ending defeat. End game . A badly bruised Hatton told reporters: "I found out tonight it isn't there no more. I'm a straight-shooter and I tell the truth. I can look at myself in the mirror and tell myself I did my best, but there is always an excuse to find. "I got in the best shape I possibly could, but if I hadn't been hit with that body shot I would have just scraped over the line with a points win and I honestly think I would still be telling you all the same thing. "A fighter knows and I know it isn't there any more. It's too many hard fights, I've burned the candle at both ends, I've put my body through the mire in and out of the ring but it doesn't matter how hard I train, I couldn't have done any better. "I'm a happy man tonight. I don't feel like putting a knife to my wrists. I have got the answers I needed. "I got the opportunity and I got the answers and no matter how upsetting it is, I have got to be a man and say it is the end of Ricky Hatton." Career . Hatton became the British light-welterweight champion in 2000 after going 21 fights unbeaten. He followed that up the following year by winning the WBU light-welterweight title. It was in 2005 that he secured his legacy, defeating the then IBF light-welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu. He claimed a points victory over Luis Collazo in 2006 to seal the WBA welterweight title. Defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr in December 2007 hit him hard, but Hatton returned to the ring with victories over Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi in 2008. It was his brutal beating by Pacquiao in May 2009 which looked to have ended his career before he announced his shock return to the sport last September.
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Ricky Hatton has retired from boxing for a second time . The 'Hit Man' was defeated by Vyacheslav Senchenko . Hatton had hoped to relaunch his career after three-year absence . Boxer admits: "It's the end of Ricky Hatton."
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(CNN) -- Organized crime gangs are exploiting a new target for illegal profit: Medicare and Medicaid. Experienced in running drug, prostitution and gambling rings, crime groups of various ethnicities and nationalities are learning it's safer and potentially more profitable to file fraudulent claims with the federal Medicare program and state-run Medicaid plans. "They're hitting us and hitting us hard," said Timothy Menke, head of investigations for the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services. "Organized crime involvement in health care fraud is widespread." One hot spot for health care fraud is Los Angeles, California, where Russian, Armenian and Nigerian gangs have been caught by federal agents. Recent cases include crime boss Konstantin Grigoryan, a former Soviet army colonel who pleaded guilty to taking $20 million from Medicare. Karapet "Doc" Khacheryan, boss of a Eurasian crime gang, was recently convicted with five lieutenants of stealing doctor identities in a $2 million scam. Two Nigerians, Christopher Iruke and his wife, Connie Ikpoh, were charged October 15 with bilking Medicare of $6 million dollars by fraudulently billing the government for electric wheelchairs and other expensive medical equipment. The two, allegedly members of an organized crime ring, entered pleas of not guilty and are being held in a federal detention center. "They deny any allegations of wrongdoing," said their attorney, James Kosnett. Defrauding government-run health care programs involves stealing two types of identities: those of doctors, who bill for services, and patients, whose beneficiary numbers entitle them to medical care and necessary equipment. Criminals are expert at collecting both. Watch doctor tell what happened when his identity was stolen . "That information is very, very valuable to these crooks. And the doctor may work at one clinic but he won't know about the second and third clinic that they've already set up using his identification," said Glenn Ferry, special agent in charge of the Los Angeles region for the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. "They are definitely well-organized, well-schooled on how to commit Medicare fraud." Dr. Gianfranco Burdi had his identity stolen when he was recruited to join what appeared to be a new medical practice near Koreatown in Los Angeles. After the managers failed to show a business license and proof of malpractice insurance, Burdi pulled out. Two years later, the FBI came calling. Agents questioned Burdi, a psychiatrist, about whether he had prescribed $800,000 worth of electric wheelchairs for Medicare patients. "I said no. I am a psychiatrist. Why would I prescribe an electric wheelchair?" said Burdi. "It was shocking." A jury found Leonard Uchenna Nwafor guilty of using Burdi's identification to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment. "I was naive enough to provide them my medical license, my other data," said Burdi. Patient beneficiary numbers are easy to buy along Los Angeles' Skid Row. Impoverished residents of shelters there tell CNN they've accepted cash from recruiters -- known as "cappers" -- to go to bogus medical clinics where they share what they call their "red, white and blue" -- the tri-colored Medicare card that has a beneficiary number for billing the government. "People down here need to eat. Somebody who comes up on a quick hustle, quick money, they going to jump on. I'm one of them, I will," said a man who identified himself as Scott. "They're just defrauding the patients, defrauding the government." Jimmy Rodgers of San Bernadino, California, tells CNN he went to a clinic three times a week, receiving $100 per visit but little medical care. "This is just like Carte Blanche," said Rodgers, holding his Medicare card. "Matter of fact, better than Carte Blanche. Carte Blanche has limitations on it." The clinics, he concedes, were clearly fronts for collecting beneficiary data. "They were no doctors. They were just somebody who had their hand out," said Rodgers, who later cooperated with federal investigators. "And they just ripping the system off and using me as a means to rip the system off." Once criminals have doctor and patient identification numbers, they begin filing false claims. The Khacheryan gang told Medicare that health services were being provided on the 10th floor at 754 South Los Angeles Street. But there is no doctor's office in that decrepit industrial building -- only a mail drop, where the Khacheryan group collected checks from the U.S. government for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The inspector general's office of the Department of Health and Human Services estimates it is on track to recover about $4 billion this year by breaking up health care fraud schemes perpetrated by all types of criminals, from organized rings to corrupt doctors. That amount, though, is only about 5 percent of the annual health care fraud cost in the United States, according to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. Because government health programs operate on the honor system, law enforcement officials say it's easy for organized crime rings and average criminals to cash in at the taxpayer's expense.
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Gangs make millions by getting ID numbers of doctors, patients . Then they file fraudulent Medicare, Medicaid claims for care that never happened . One doctor had his ID stolen, learned it was used to bill $800,000 for wheelchairs . Government to recover $4 billion this year -- but that's just 5 percent of fraud cost .
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(CNN) -- Golfer Rory McIlroy and tennis star Caroline Wozniacki ushered in 2014 by announcing their engagement on social media. In a sign of the times, they used their respective Twitter accounts to spread the news to their millions of followers, posting pictures of themselves with a ring. Northern Ireland's McIlroy, who ended 2013 as the sixth-ranked golfer in the world, tweeted: "Happy New Year everyone! I have a feeling it's going to be a great year!! My first victory of 2014 .shesaidyes!!" Former world number one Wozniacki, from Denmark, reported: "Happy New Year everyone! Rory and I started 2014 with a bang! ... I said YES!!!!" The pair have been dating since September 2011, but if media rumors were to be believed their romance has endured some difficult moments, particularly as both slipped down the rankings in their respective sports in 2013. But the pair were clearly firmly an item when strolling down the fairways at the World Tour Championship in Dubai in November as the Dane followed McIlroy every step of the way in the European Tour finale. It also signaled a return to form for McIlroy, who ended the year by claiming victory at the Australian Open last month. Wozniacki also regained her place in the top 10 of the WTA rankings with her sole tournament win of 2013 coming at the back end of the year in Luxembourg. It served as promise that both will restore their respective fortunes, with two-time major winner McIlroy also looking to move back to the No.1 spot now occupied by his Nike stablemate Tiger Woods.
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Golfer Rory McIlroy and tennis star Caroline Wozniacki get engaged . Took to social media as New Year began to make announcement . Pair have been dating since September 2011 . Both endured difficult 2013 seasons in their respective sports .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The death of a 14-year-old girl in England after she received a vaccination for Human Papilloma virus (HPV) has prompted a widespread freeze on the country's national vaccination program. Millions of girls have received vaccinations for HPV since 2008, the virus that causes 99 percent of cervical cancers. More than 1.4 million girls have received the vaccination in England since the National Health Service (NHS) started administering it in September 2008. Natalie Morton's sudden death Monday occurred within hours after she received a shot of the vaccine Cervarix at the NHS at her school in Coventry. Three other girls at the Blue Coat Church of England school suffered mild symptoms of dizziness and nausea after receiving the vaccine, according to media reports. It remains unclear if the vaccine caused Morton's death. Only an autopsy will be able to determine the exactly cause of death. Glaxo Smith Kline, the manufacturer of Cervarix, issued a recall of the batch of vaccine used in Coventry as a "precautionary measure." Watch reaction to Natalie Morton's death » . "At this stage the cause of this tragic death is unknown," the company said in a statement posted on their Web site. "Following immediate quarantine of the batch involved last night, we have taken the decision to voluntarily recall this batch as a further precautionary measure while the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Natalie's death is conducted." On Tuesday several NHS clinics and schools indefinitely postponed immunizations. "As a purely precautionary measure, we have asked the NHS to quarantine all stocks of HPV vaccine from the batch related to this case," a spokesperson for the NHS said. "Where the local NHS has supplies of vaccine from other production batches, they should continue with the vaccination program." Many clinics were forced to close as they checked the numbers on their batches of the vaccine. What is HPV? HPV stands for human Papilloma virus. Although there are more than 100 types of HPV, only a few of them are known to cause cervical cancer. Most strains of HPV are harmless or cause genital warts. HPV is a common sexually-transmitted disease. Almost half of all women who have sex will be infected at one point in their life, according to the British National Health Service. HPV infects the cells of the surface of the cervix. Infections can clear up on their own or stay for many years without any symptoms and develop into cervical cancer. Ninety-nine percent of cervical cancers are caused by HPV. What is the Cervarix HPV vaccine? The Cervarix HPV vaccine protects against the two strains of HPV (16 and 18) that cause cervical cancer in over 70 percent of women. The vaccine is typically injected in the upper arm, or thigh, in three doses within six months, and is recommended for teenage girls. How effective is the Cervarix vaccine? According to the manufacturer, Glaxo Smith Kline, Cervarix is over 99 percent effective. Is Cervarix the most common vaccine for HPV? No. Gardisil, manufactured by Merck is used by the majority of vaccine programs worldwide. Gardisil protects against four strains of HPV (16, 18, 6 and 11). Strains 6 and 11 cause less serious conditions, such as genital warts. Gardisil proved comparatively effective in trials carried out by Merck. Of 23 million American girls who have already been vaccinated, 32 deaths were reported, though the reports do not determine if the deaths were caused by the vaccine or just a coincidence. Why was Cervarix chosen for the UK? According to the NHS, Cervarix, "was selected because the bid from this company scored higher than the competitor in the adjudication process against pre-agreed award criteria. The pre-agreed award criteria were shared with the manufacturers during the process so that they were fully informed of the criteria against which their bids would be evaluated." When was the vaccine introduced? In September 2008, England began a national program to vaccinate girls aged 12-13, and a three-year catch up campaign offering the vaccine to 13-18 year old girls. Do condoms protect against HPV? Using condoms reduces the risk of HPV transmission, but infection is still possible because HPV can be spread by contact with parts of the body that the condom does not cover. What are the known dangers associated with taking the HPV vaccine? Cervarix has undergone rigorous safety testing as part of the licensing process required in the UK and other European countries, according to the NHS. The most commonly reported side effects are mild swelling or pain at the injection site, nausea, a mild temperature, dizziness, diarrhea and muscle aches. In rare cases allergic reactions in the form of skin rashes and in very rare cases anaphylactic shock has occurred.
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Teenage girl dies after receiving Cervarix vaccination for HPV . England's national vaccination program freezes as batches are recalled . HPV is a sexually-transmitted virus that causes 99 percent of cervical cancers . Almost 1.4million girls in England have already received the vaccine .
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(InStyle.com) -- What better way to wrap up 2012 than with a look back at the year's loveliest dresses? Whether soft and sweet like Keira Knightley's pastel Erdem gown, a complete knockout like the Lanvin mini Emma Stone wore, or something in between like Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's bold and romantic Jenny Packham stunner, these 10 red carpet picks have one thing in common: they're just plain stunning! Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
EVENT: The Art + Film Gala
DESIGNER: Gucci
WHY WE LOVE IT: Sexy can be pretty too! Especially when the dress is in a vibrant hue and accented with ruffles. Jessica Chastain
EVENT: "Madagascar 3's" Cannes premiere
DESIGNER: Giorgio Armani
WHY WE LOVE IT: The actress complemented her gown's Old Hollywood glam with side-swept curls and scarlet lips. Emma Stone
EVENT: The Met Gala
DESIGNER: Lanvin
WHY WE LOVE IT: She may have gone blond, but Stone was still red hot on the carpet in her crimson dress. Biggest Hair Makeovers of 2012 . Naomi Watts
EVENT: The Toronto International Film Festival premiere of "The Impossible"
DESIGNER: Elie Saab
WHY WE LOVE IT: A lovely lavender hue made this plunging gown more sugar than spice. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
EVENT: The BOA Olympic Concert
DESIGNER: Jenny Packham
WHY WE LOVE IT: Talk about lighting up a room! A complementary hue and an off-the-face updo made Catherine Middleton's eyes sparkle. Julianne Moore
EVENT: The 2012 Emmys
DESIGNER: Dior Haute Couture
WHY WE LOVE IT: Never afraid to take a risk, the actress's dramatic silhouette and palette definitely paid off! This Year's Biggest Style Risks . Zoe Saldana
EVENT: The ALMA Awards
DESIGNER: Gucci
WHY WE LOVE IT: The actress looked every inch a goddess in her plunging, pleated gown. Keira Knightley
EVENT: The L.A. premiere of "Anna Karenina"
DESIGNER: Erdem
WHY WE LOVE IT: From her pretty pink lips to her cool mint silk, the actress's pastels were a breath of fresh air. (And who doesn't love a good pocket?) Biggest Rocks of 2012 . Taylor Swift
EVENT: The Teen Choice Awards
DESIGNER: Maria Lucia Hohan
WHY WE LOVE IT: Everyone loves this singer in romantic flowing gowns, but she looks just as ethereal in a backless goddess mini. Selena Gomez
EVENT: The Vanity Fair Oscar party
DESIGNER: Dolce & Gabbana
WHY WE LOVE IT: Cool silver enhanced the singer's always-radiant glow. See more of the prettiest dresses of 2012 at InStyle.com. Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2011 Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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Jessica Chastain looks beautiful at "Madagascar 3's" Cannes premiere . Keira Knightley wore Erdem to the Los Angeles premiere of "Anna Karenina" Julianne Moore took a risk at the 2012 Emmy Awards .
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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The judge in the Lindsay Lohan case will issue an order Wednesday morning concerning the actress' stay in rehab, a court official said. Lohan entered a court-ordered substance abuse rehabilitation program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on August 2, following a 13-day stint in a Los Angeles county jail for a probation violation. Judge Marsha Revel, who ordered Lohan to spend 90 days in rehab, was replaced by Judge Eldon Fox earlier this month. Judge Fox, who has met behind closed doors with Lohan's lawyer and the prosecutor, will hold a hearing in his Beverly Hills courtroom Wednesday morning, a court spokesman said. Fox is expected to issue a new order concerning Lohan during the hearing, the spokesman said. Revel ordered the jail time and rehab after she ruled that Lohan violated her probation from a 2007 drunk driving case.
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Judge Fox will hold a hearing for Lohan Wednesday morning . Lohan's lawyer and the prosecutor met privately with the judge last week . The actress entered rehab on August 2, 2010 . The previous judge ordered 90 days of rehab .
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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Monsoon flooding has left 50,000 people homeless in Nepal and killed at least 74 people in northern India, according to officials. Monsoon rain has bought heavy flooding to southern Nepal, pictured, and northern India. The Nepalese army Thursday used helicopters to rescue residents in southeastern Nepal who were stranded on treetops and roofs after monsoon flooding forced more than 50,000 people from their homes. In northern India monsoon flooding destroyed mud huts and killed at least 74 people, officials said. The deaths were in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The latest casualties bring to more than 300 the number of people killed in India since the start of this year's monsoon season. Nepalese officials said at least four southern villages were inundated with water after the embankment on the Saptakoshi River burst Monday. Some 40,000 people were now living in government-run relief camps; others had gone to other villages to stay with relatives, authorities said. Nepalese Home Ministry officials said there were unconfirmed reports of deaths related to the flooding but authorities could not reach the affected areas to verify those reports. Police and army troops had been using elephants, boats and helicopters to rescue stranded villagers in Sunsari district, about 400 km (249 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, since Monday. Nepal amd India are in the midst of the annual monsoon season. 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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Heavy rains, flooding lash sourthern Nepal and northern India . In Nepal, flooding has forced as many as 50,000 from their homes . India officials say at least 74 people have died in the state of Uttar Pradesh .
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(CNN) -- Two mayors and two state legislators are among 11 public officials arrested in New Jersey as part of a corruption investigation, the U.S. attorney's office in Trenton announced Thursday. Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera is among 11 officials arrested Thursday in a corruption probe. Prosecutors say the state officials accepted cash bribes -- ranging from $1,500 to $17,500 at a time -- from insurance brokerage and roofing companies and in return awarded the companies with public contracts. "To those officials engaged in corruption or thinking about corruption, I will want to tell you you need to think again," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun during a news conference Thursday. "Those who think they can abuse the positions of trust they've been put into to line their own pockets need to think again," he said. "Those who think they have found some clever way to conceal a bribe or believe that the nature of their bribe is insignificant need to think again. There is no safe haven for public corruption," Dun said. State Assemblymen Mims Hackett Jr. and Alfred E. Steele -- both Democrats -- and Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera are among those arrested. Steele also is undersheriff in Passaic County, just outside Newark. Hackett is also mayor of Orange. Watch who is involved » . Also arrested were Keith O. Reid, the chief of staff to the Newark City Council president; Passaic Councilman Marcellus Jackson; and former Passaic Councilman Jonathan Soto. Five current and former school board members in Pleasantville, just outside Atlantic City, were arrested: Jayson G. Adams, James T. McCormick, James A. Pressley, Rafael Velez and Maurice Callaway, who also is on the City Council. A private citizen, Louis Mister, was caught in the sting as well, officials said. "In most cases, the defendants sought to establish and perpetuate a corrupt relationship with the cooperating witnesses to continue receiving bribes," a statement from the U.S. attorney's office alleged. Steele, Hackett and Rivera are charged with accepting bribes totaling $15,500, $5,000 and $5,000, respectively, for arranging insurance brokerage contracts in New Jersey. Steele was also allegedly promised a 15 percent cut of the insurance brokerage business, Hackett an additional $25,000 payment and Rivera a $50,000 payment to an offshore bank account. If convicted, they could be sentenced to up to 20 years in federal prison. Steele's and Hackett's offices declined to comment after the arrests. The Newark City Council president's office issued a "no comment" in response to Reid's arrest. According to the criminal complaints against the officials, the FBI set up a phony company to persuade the suspects to do business with them. Covert recordings were apparently an integral part of the investigation, as the criminal complaints quote or paraphrase each official -- some at length -- about what they were willing to do to help the fake company, what they expected in return and the importance of keeping the arrangements hush. For instance, Reid allegedly coached a cooperating witness on how to surreptitiously accept bribes, warning him not to "let a lot of people in the kitchen" and adding, "You need a buffer or something," according to the criminal complaint. The complaint against Soto states the councilman often spoke in code when talking to cooperating witnesses in the case, once sending a text message in November 2006 about an anticipated bribe: "Any word on that cake?" The following month, Soto allegedly sent a text message to another cooperating witness, saying "Will need that green broccoli for the 1st entree," according to the complaint. Rivera allegedly was more overt, according to the complaint against the Passaic mayor. He often boasted of how he could snare council votes "easy, easy, easy," the complaint says. The complaint also states that when a "key employee" of the city questioned him about the phony company's presentation, Rivera allegedly warned him, "I make the [expletive] decision, and the council. And believe me, I've got the four [expletive] votes on the council. So let's stop [expletive], and let's get this thing rolling." The probe began in mid-2006, "amid evidence of corruption in the Pleasantville School District," according to the statement. "In response, the FBI established an undercover insurance brokerage company purporting to employ the government's two cooperating witnesses and undercover agents," according to the U.S. attorney's office. Pleasantville school board members allegedly accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from the cooperating witnesses, the release stated. The Pleasantville school board members also referred undercover agents to public officials in northern New Jersey, who accepted bribes as well, according to the release. The northern New Jersey officials referred the undercover agents to "still other corrupt public officials," the news release stated. E-mail to a friend .
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Official sent text messages about "cake," "green broccoli," complaint says . U.S. attorney's office says officials accepted bribes of up to $17,500 . Officials allegedly accepted bribes from insurance, roofing companies . Two state legislators, Passaic mayor among those arrested .
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(CNN) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was visiting China on Friday, a South Korean official said, according to state-run Yonhap news agency. The report contradicts earlier ones that Kim's son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Un, was leading the visit. It was unclear whether his son was accompanying him. According to Yonhap, the trip would be Kim Jong Il's third to China in a little over a year. The news follows last week's revelation that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has officially invited Kim Jong Il to attend a nuclear security summit in Seoul next year. South Koreans pay close attention to the movements of the leadership of North Korea, perhaps the world's most secretive regime. North Korean state media is often slow in reporting the Kims' activities. Open Radio for North Korea, a South Korean non-governmental organization, said Kim was visiting China. The organization is partly staffed by defectors from the North. It maintains a network of informants in North Korea. "I checked through my sources, and one had heard from a military officer working at the border yesterday that there was some kind of 'emergency' along the border," said Ha Tae-kyung, the organization's president. "According to that military officer, it was Kim Jong Il who is going -- not his son." His account and the South Korean news agency report could not be independently verified. The term of Chinese President Hu Jintao's term is set to expire next year, prompting some to anticipate greater diplomatic interchange between Beijing and Pyongyang as Kim seeks to forge relations with the incoming leader. It's clear that North Korea needs help, analysts said. "Kim Jong Il wants to get something from South Korea or the U.S. or China -- economic aid or security assurances -- but at the moment he is not getting anything and China is preventing North Korea from further provocations," said Choi Jin-wook of Seoul's Korea Institute of National Unification. "Kim wants to know what China is going to do for them." Heavily sanctioned following several nuclear and missile tests, Pyongyang has been reaching out to South Korea in recent months -- experts say the hardline state is desperate for a resumption of food aid. However, its customary form of leverage -- provocations -- is being restrained by Beijing, And six-party talks, which would offer economic incentives in return for North Korean denuclearization, have been in limbo for more than two years. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who visited Pyongyang and Seoul last month, carried a message from Kim to South Korea's Lee, in which the North Korean leader said he was ready to meet with the South's president "without preconditions." Seoul's policy is to refuse high-level contacts until North Korea apologizes for two incidents last year that killed 50 South Koreans. South Korea accuses the North of torpedoing and sinking one of its warships in March 2010, killing 46 sailors. In November, North Korea shelled Yeonpyeong Island, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians. Last week, however, Lee invited Kim to visit South Korea. "The South Korean government did deliver a message of our invitation to North Korea's leader to visit next year's Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul," the foreign press officer from the presidential office said. Few, however, expect Kim -- a virtual recluse whose political decisions are made behind closed doors and who is reportedly paranoid about personal security -- to engage in such high-profile, transparent statesmanship as an international nuclear summit, or to visit Seoul. The last two inter-Korean presidential summits took place in Pyongyang.
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An South Korean official says Kim Jong Il is in China, according to report . It is his third visit there in slightly over a year . South Koreans play close attention to the leadership's movement in North Korea . It's hard to obtain reliable information from and about North Korea .
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Beijing, China (CNN) -- A court in eastern China sentenced a man to death Saturday for attacking 29 kindergarten students and three teachers with a knife, state-run media said. The Taixing Intermediate People's Court found Xu Yuyuan, 47, guilty of intentional homicide after a half-day trial, Xinhua news agency said. Xu told the court that his rage against society motivated him in the April 29 attacks, according to Xinhua. But he appealed the death sentence, arguing that the punishment was too severe since no one died in the attacks, Xinhua said. Chinese penal code says a person can be convicted of intentional homicide for acting on an intent to kill, the news agency reported. A police probe found Xu had been unemployed since 2001, when he was fired by a local insurance company. He told police he carried out the attack because he was angry about a series of business and personal humiliations, Xinhua said. About 300 people attended Saturday's open trial, according to Xinhua. Xu's sentence was the second death penalty conviction after a recent spate of school attacks that have prompted public outrage across China. Zheng Minsheng, 42, was sentenced to death and executed on April 28 for attacking students in front of an elementary school in Fujian province, killing eight and wounding several others. Zheng also used a knife in the attacks, Xinhua reported. Authorities said Zheng carried out the attack because he was frustrated at "failures in his romantic life," the news agency said. At least four other such attacks on school children in China have been reported since March. Guns are strictly regulated in China, but until recently large knives were not. Chinese authorities have recently issued a regulation requiring people to register with their national ID cards when they buy knives longer that 15 centimeters. Other measures have been put in place. In April, the Ministry of Education ordered kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools to restrict strangers from entering the campuses. The ministry instructed schools across the country to hire security guards, install security facilities and ensure that pupils were escorted home. Schools were also urged to teach pupils to how to protect themselves. In some schools, security guards have been armed with "forks," long poles with semi-circular prongs that can be used to fight assailants.
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Xu Yuyuan, 47, found guilty of intentional homicide over April attack . Xu attacked 29 kindergarten students and three teachers with a knife . Attack one in a spate of school attacks which have prompted outrage .
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(CNN) -- One of Mexico's most-wanted fugitives, an original member of the violent Zetas drug cartel, has been arrested in southern Mexico, officials said Tuesday. Flavio Mendez Santiago, alias "El Amarillo," was arrested Monday in a federal police operation in a town north of Oaxaca, Mexico, Mexico's public security ministry said. The Zetas is one of Mexico's major drug trafficking organizations, which are involved in various turf wars throughout the country that have resulted in thousands of violent killings. Mendez, 35, was on a list of Mexico's 37 most-wanted fugitives. There was a 15 million peso ($1.2 million) reward for his capture. It was not immediately known if someone would claim that money. Arrest warrants were out for Mendez in the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, and the federal district where Mexico City sits. He is being investigated for attempted murder, organized crime, and crimes against health, the ministry said. At one time, he was the personal bodyguard for Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the now-imprisoned leader of the Gulf cartel. The Zetas were created as an enforcement arm of the Gulf cartel, but have since split into their own organization at odds with their former employers. In 1993, Mendez was recruited as a founder of the Zetas. He rose to lead the group's informal spy network of "hawks" in northern Mexico, and most recently was in charge of cartel operations in southern Mexico, the ministry said. He is also believed to be in charge of controlling the flow of illegal immigrants coming into Mexico from Central and South America. Mendez was arrested together with Carlos Alejandro Rodriguez, his personal bodyguard. The arrest is a blow to the Zetas operations, though the organization's top leadership, including bosses Heriberto Lazcano and Miguel Trevino, remain at large. According to the government, there have been more than 34,600 drug-related deaths since President Felipe Calderon began a crackdown on cartels in December 2006.
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Flavio Mendez Santiago was arrested Monday night in a federal police operation . He is under investigation for attempted murder and crimes against health, officials say . Mendez was on a list of Mexico's 37 most-wanted fugitives .
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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Thirty-three people have now died from the MERS coronavirus, the World Health Organization said Friday. Three new cases, including a fatality, were recorded in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom announced this week. Another previously reported Saudi Arabian patient also died from the disease, which lacks a cure or vaccine. Globally, there have been 58 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS, and all have been linked to the Middle East. A statement from the Saudi Ministry of Health said one of three new cases was a 21-year-old man who died after being admitted into intensive care this week. Health officials haven't revealed more details about the young man or whether he had an underlying health condition. The majority of serious illness and deaths have been seen in old, already sick men. The other two cases, according to the health ministry, were in Saudi Arabia's eastern governorate of Al-Ahsa, where most cases of the disease have appeared. One is a 63-year-old Saudi woman who is in stable condition; a 75-year-old man remains in intensive care. The Saudi Arabia ministry announcement Wednesday came a day after the ministry said it had made progress in its research to combat the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak. Studies carried out by researchers from Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom have allowed them to map out the genetic characteristics of the MERS virus, the health ministry said in a statement. This is considered "a positive step to follow-up the development and mutation of the virus over the time, meanwhile, helping in the diagnostic steps, and to find out a quick mechanism of diagnoses," the ministry said. The research was conducted in collaboration with scientists from University College London and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. A full genetic series, obtained from four infected cases in Al-Ahsa, was recorded in the gene bank, said ministry spokesman Dr. Khalid Marghlani. The series is also available to the public on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website. The ministry said it "hopes that this step to contribute to the scientific development; so as to accelerate finding out a vaccine for this disease, and to learn more about this the virus, since there is hardly current information about it up to now, nor there is a vaccine or treatment for it." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is "important that the Saudis released the sequences. It helps us understand the virologic evidence of person-to-person transmission." The virus could be adapting to better grow and cause disease in humans, said Dr. Mark Denison, a professor of pediatrics and longtime coronavirus researcher at Vanderbilt University. Releasing the genetic sequences from four more patients and making them publicly available is essential for allowing researchers around the world to study this emerging disease. Researchers can now start comparing the genetic sequences from these four recent Saudi patients to the genetic sequence from the first Saudi patient, which is also publicly available, he said. "It may give us insights into why the epidemic is continuing" and whether the virus is changing. While the overall number of cases is limited, MERS has been fatal in more than half of patients, according to the WHO. Despite concerns about this new virus, there is "no evidence of widespread person-to-person transmission," according tothe WHO. Cases where it was passed from person to person resulted from close contact between an infected person and someone else. In addition, fewer MERS infections have been seen in health care workers than during the SARS epidemic, the WHO said. But the international organization called for caution, saying it is possible for the virus to move around the world. CNN's Miriam Falco contributed to this report.
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The WHO says 58 cases of MERS have been reported; 33 have died . Researchers have mapped the genetic characteristics of the virus . While cases are limited, MERS has killed more than half of its victims .
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(CNN) -- Dani Pedrosa won a thrilling last-lap duel with championship leader and fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo to claim Sunday's Czech MotoGP in Brno. Pedrosa and 2010 world champion Lorenzo swapped the lead on the 22nd lap of the 5.4-kilometer circuit before the Honda rider claimed a memorable third win of the season. He has cut Lorenzo's lead in the title race to just 13 points with six races left in the elite division of motorcycle racing. Yamaha's Lorenzo had led from pole until Pedrosa took the lead halfway through the race. Lorenzo claimed it back only for Pedrosa to move ahead for the final time and take the checkered flag. "It was half a lap to go and I was a little more nervous than before but... on almost the last corner I got along with him, he tried to release the brakes and we were head-to-head into the corner, but I could... win the race," he told the official MotoGP website. Britain's Cal Crutchlow claimed the first podium spot of his MotoGP career on his works Yamaha ahead of Italian teammate Andrea Dovizioso, who will replace Valentino Rossi at Ducati next season. But they were over 12 seconds behind the leading pair, who dominated from the start. Last year's Brno winner, world champion Casey Stoner of Australia, was absent with a fractured ankle and has conceded his title defense is over as he needs surgery. Stoner will retire at the end of the season and his Repsol Honda team has announced he will be replaced by 19-year-old Spanish prospect Marc Marquez, who will move up from the Moto2 division having been the 125cc world champion in 2010. Marquez won the Moto2 race in Brno, with Germany's Jonas Folger taking the Moto3 honors.
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Honda's Dani Pedrosa wins Czech MotoGP in Brno . Pedrosa cuts lead on title leader Jorge Lorenzo to 13 points . Yamaha's Lorenzo finished second after last lap duel . Cal Crutchlow of Britain on podium for first time .
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(CNN) -- Senegal's octogenarian incumbent president is seeking a third term Sunday, a bid that has sparked deadly protests and threatened the nation's reputation as one of the most stable democracies in Africa. The incumbent . Abdoulaye Wade, 85, came to power in 2000 after multiple unsuccessful runs. One of the continent's oldest leaders, the French-trained lawyer also has a degree in economics. He is seeking a third term against a crowded field of 13 others, including two women. He was initially credited with boosting the nation's infrastructure, but his critics have accused him of autocracy and said he is grooming his son to take over after him. Others have accused the leader of grandiose investments, including a costly towering monument near the capital of Dakar that sparked criticism in a country where poverty is still rife. Other contenders include Ousmane Tanor Dieng, Moustapha Niasse and Macky Sall, the latter of whom considered Wade a mentor. Why are protesters against his run? Senegalese protesters have taken to the streets nationwide since Wade won a court bid to run for a third term despite a constitutional limit mandating two terms. Wade successfully argued that he is exempt because he took office before the term limit was put in place. Wade is among a list of elderly leaders clinging to power in sub-Saharan Africa despite demands for them to step down. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe used his recent 88th birthday to lash out at critics and vowed to run for re-election. The opposition has said it will protest if Wade wins, but analysts say a lack of cohesion among foes and a system that favors the incumbent make it harder to unseat Wade, who is nicknamed the "hare" for his shrewd politics. "Opposition in Senegal is weak due to a lack of interest, resolve and an unfair political and electoral system that's hell bent on guaranteeing Wade's presidency," said Ayo Johnson, an analyst on Africa. Who is behind the protests? Grammy-award winning Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour is one of the forces behind the demonstrations. Last month, the constitutional court barred the singer from running for president, sparking more outrage on the streets. The court said he did not have enough signatures for his application to be valid, which he denies. Other leaders, entertainers and groups have joined the movement to block Wade's bid for a third term. An opposition coalition dubbed M23 has galvanized the protests and maintained the momentum as opposition candidates resumed campaigning. The June 23 Movement, or M23, is named after the date of a major protest last year against a constitutional amendment that would almost guarantee Wade victory. Why is Senegal considered a stable democracy? Senegal gained independence from France in 1960, and is one of the few nations in West Africa that has not had a coup. Past elections have included a smooth transition of power, a rarity in a continent with a history of election chaos, civil wars and coups. Its democracy is rooted in history -- even as a French colony, Senegal had representatives in parliament. "Elections in Senegal have previously been peaceful," Johnson said. "Currently, there is a lot of tension, anxiety, and protesters are already having running battles with police forces loyal to Wade. This would have been previously unthinkable." The Senegalese are becoming "more daring and resolute" in their quest to oust Wade, the analyst said. Is Wade headed for re-election? Analysts say a divided opposition vote makes it easier for him to coast through. "There are 13 presidential candidates with different ideologies and political differences ... making it easy for Wade to streak through a third term," Johnson said. "However, if voting goes to a second round, a weakened Wade will find it difficult to win." Wade would have stiff competition if parties consolidate their vote and rally against one candidate, he said. Conflict in the south also an issue . Despite its badge of honor as a stable democracy, a decades-long separatist rebellion in the southern region of Casamance remains unresolved. The government and rebel leaders have signed a peace accord in the past, and Wade promised to end the conflict when he took over, but the simmering tensions have blemished the nation's reputation.
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Protests as Senegal's octogenarian incumbent president seeks third term . Abdoulaye Wade, 85, came to power in 2000 after multiple unsuccessful runs . Musician Youssou N'Dour is one of forces behind demonstrations . Past elections have included smooth transition of power, a rarity in Africa .
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(CNN) -- If the first presidential debate in Denver was a game changer,Tuesday night's was not. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a spirited, heavyweight bout with several consequential moments. President Obama entered the second presidential debate needing to make up serious ground after his first debate performance. He turned around the narrative from the first debate -- that he was listless and lethargic and on the defensive -- but showing up is one thing, winning is another. Obama needed a convincing win Tuesday night, and he did not get it. Gov. Romney came into Tuesday night's debate needing to prove that his first performance wasn't a fluke -- in other words, that he wasn't Jimmy Carter in the Reagan-Carter debates, when Carter won early on but went on to get dominated by a Reagan comeback. Tuesday night Romney delivered again and proved his performance was consistent and legitimate. He has established himself as a legitimate alternative to the president. Romney was relaxed and not intimidated by Obama's newfound aggressiveness. He was responsive and flexible. He went toe to toe early on, challenging the president directly over the production of oil on government land and winning on the facts. Reality check: Oil production . One of the highlights of Romney's night was when he spoke directly to the African-American man who voted for Obama in 2008, but wondered whether the next four years would be any different if Obama were re-elected. In an encyclopedic fashion, Romney gave a litany of Obama's failed promises and failed record. Romney was at his best when he told the voters in the room to look at the president's record and policies, rather than listening to his rhetoric, and then proceeded to explain the impact of the Obama policies and what he would do differently. In what may be one of the more important political moments of the debate, Romney was asked how he would be different from George W. Bush. Romney effectively distanced himself from Bush on policy specifics, noting he would control deficit spending and champion small business, not just big business. It was an important moment to convince many undecided voters that he is not Bush 2.0. From the first whistle, Obama was stronger, more forceful, and more aggressive, no doubt to the delight of his supporters. If Obama landed punches it was because he threw a lot of them -- mainly on Romney's private equity career and tax returns. But too often his attacks seemed rehearsed and scripted. Romney's empty 'binders full of women' Furthermore, Obama spent more time attacking Romney than focusing on his own vision for the future. Obama didn't lay out a new, bold, or different plan for a second term dealing with the debt or entitlements. Romney was looking to the future; Obama was trying to remind the country of the Bush years and tie Romney to Bush. If there was a key takeaway from the debate indicative of the race going forward, it may be the heated exchange over Libya and the president's handling of the attack on our ambassador. The president was directly asked about the security in Benghazi and who declined the requests for more security in Libya. Obama didn't answer the question. Romney could have called him on it and missed a big opportunity. Then there was the most controversial moment of the night, when moderator Candy Crowley intervened to insert that Obama did in fact call the attacks that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens "terror" attacks in his Rose Garden speech the next day. Obama actually said, "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for." There will be much parsing and spinning of these words, but Romney shouldn't have let Crowley interrupt him and assert her own interpretation. Fact check: Obama's statement on "acts of terror" For two weeks after the president's Rose Garden speech, Obama and his administration peddled the explanation of a spontaneous protest sparked by a YouTube video, before they finally called the Benghazi attack what it really was -- a terrorist attack. Romney should have emphasized this mishandling. He may have missed this moment, but he will have another chance during next week's foreign policy debate. Until now, the momentum of this race has been about impressions and appearance -- Romney's aggressiveness and forcefulness in the first debate versus Obama's listlessness and lethargy. In Tuesday night's debate, Obama gets points for showing up, but that's hardly something for the Democrats to be proud of. The impression Romney made in the first debate he reaffirmed Tuesday night, meaning that Obama has still has ground to make up going into the final debate next week. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William Bennett.
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William Bennett: Denver debate was a game changer; Long Island one wasn't . He says the president needed to score a convincing win but fell short of that . Bennett: Obama was more energetic, but Romney showed he's a credible alternative .
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(CNN) -- If the reports of a proposed $13 billion settlement between the Justice Department and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are correct, the public and the company's shareholders will not see justice done. While the tentative deal is being portrayed as a larger settlement, it really represents the company coming forward with an additional $9 billion. The other $4 billion represents loan workouts that JPMorgan would do anyway to reduce its losses on mortgages that would otherwise cause it greater losses through foreclosure. From the perspective of the company's shareholders, the problems amount to an even bigger loss because of alleged fraud. The full $13 billion would represent a loss to the shareholders, and JPMorgan estimates its future increased legal and investigative costs for its past scandals at $9.2 billion. And so, it will cost JPMorgan's shareholders heavily to buy what could well be a "get out of jail free" card from DOJ for wrongdoers at JPMorgan and the banks it purchased. While the reported settlement wouldn't close down a federal investigation based in California, it remains to be seen whether it will target any current employees of JPMorgan. A settlement of this kind would release JPMorgan and its officers from civil and criminal liability for a wide range of alleged frauds. Many of these alleged frauds added to the profits of JPMorgan and the companies it acquired. The shareholders should not be enriched by fraud. Where officers' frauds created profits that enriched the shareholders, JPMorgan should fire such officers, and the Justice Department should prosecute and recover any fraud proceeds. JPMorgan should pay the damages it caused to others through fraud. In cases where a firm's senior officers engage in a wide range of frauds, the courts should award punitive damages against the officers and the firm. CNN Money: Five things to know about JP Morgan settlement . The problem in terms of justice is when the frauds created fictional profits that enriched corporate officers through unjust bonuses but also created real losses that were booked by the company years later. The shareholders suffer twice from such frauds -- they paid the unjust bonuses and then have to bear the losses. The shareholders' losses are compounded by the legal fees, which are primarily driven by the desire to keep the officers from being prosecuted or their unjust bonuses recovered, and by the fine. The appropriate policy would be for JPMorgan to fire such officers and for DOJ to prosecute them and recover their unjust bonuses. There is a triple failure of accountability for officers of Wall Street companies. DOJ failed to prosecute any elite Wall Street banker for the frauds that drove the financial crisis. The banks have failed to fire and "claw back" the compensation of the officers who led these massive frauds. We cannot deter frauds when we do not prosecute them, fire those responsible or recover the wealth they gained through fraud. JPMorgan's supporters argue that the settlement is unjust for two reasons. First, they argue that DOJ is engaged in a "vendetta" designed to shrink JPMorgan's size to the point that it no longer poses a "systemic" risk to the global economy. Dick Bove, a Wall Street analyst, made the vendetta and shrinkage claims without presenting any supporting evidence. I wish that it were true that the U.S. government was requiring the systemically dangerous institutions (the "too big to fail" banks) to shrink to the point that their failures will no longer cause a global financial crisis. The Bush and Obama administrations have refused to require these huge institutions to shrink. The Dodd-Frank Act does not require them to shrink and though it gives the regulators power to require these companies to shrink, they have refused to use the power. No DOJ settlement requires any of these institutions to shrink. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan's CEO, was an early and strong supporter of President Barack Obama (though he became critical of the administration subsequently), so he is an unlikely vendetta target. Second, JPMorgan's supporters argue it is unjust for the Justice Department to hold JPMorgan financially liable for the damages caused by the frauds of the two enormous failed banks it acquired: Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual. It's true that the Bush administration did encourage JPMorgan to buy Bear Stearns and WaMu. The owners are liable for the liabilities of companies they buy. Any other rule would leave victims of misconduct and fraud unable to recover their losses. Dimon knew that acquirers of failed banks can refuse to buy unless the FDIC agrees to bear the banks' liabilities for fraud. Dimon appeared eager to buy WaMu and Bear Stearns despite their terrible reputations and their collapse. Bear Stearns was notorious in the finance industry, inspiring the phrase: "Bear Don't Care." Yet Dimon chose not to insist that the FDIC retain the banks' fraud liabilities or indemnify JPMorgan against losses because of those alleged frauds. First, the purchase price would have increased substantially if the FDIC had to bear the banks' fraud liabilities. Second, Dimon knew that if the FDIC offered broad indemnification, rival banks could outbid JPMorgan and buy the banks. Without doing the due diligence essential to judging the banks' fraud liabilities, Dimon likely decided that the purchase prices were so low that it was better to buy them immediately without indemnification. It would be unjust to allow Dimon to change the deal five years later because his business decision proved disastrous. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William Black.
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JP Morgan Chase is reported to be in talks with U.S. over $13 billion settlement . William Black says if reports are correct, the public and shareholders will not see justice . Reports say California criminal probe will continue, but it's not clear what may result, he says . Black: Shareholders pay bonuses to execs who profit from frauds, then pay the fines .
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Washington (CNN) -- Twelve new stars have been recently added to the CIA's Memorial Wall, which pays tribute to the 102 men and woman who lost their lives in the line of duty for the spy agency. At a ceremony Monday before the wall in the atrium of CIA headquarters, Director Leon Panetta paid tribute to the fallen officers. "No matter when or where they served, or whether their names are known to the world or only to us, each cherished colleague remains a constant source of inspiration and courage," Panetta said. Seven of the new stars represent the men and women who were killed last December at a CIA post in Khost, Afghanistan, when a believed-to-be informant they were scheduled to meet detonated a suicide vest. None of the clandestine officers are identified by name. The other five stars honor officers who died in recent years while on secret missions. Their names and the details of their work remain classified. "They are our heroes," said Panetta. "They are America's heroes and that's how we will remember them." Hundreds of current and former employees, family members and friends attended the memorial service.
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Stars honor men and women of CIA killed in line of duty . Seven of 12 new stars are for those killed in December in Afghanistan . Five others are for ones who died on secret missions . "They are our heroes," says CIA Director Leon Panetta .
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(EW.com) -- Fifteen songs on one record? It's a bold move — more potential hits, but more potential misses, too. Hard-rockin' Georgia native Jason Aldean, who prides himself on not fitting in a square country box, did it on his 2010 crossover monster, "My Kinda Party," and scored three No. 1s, including the rap-laden ''Dirt Road Anthem'' and the Kelly Clarkson duet ''Don't You Wanna Stay.'' On "Night Train," his fifth album, he aims high and wide again with tracks ranging from ''1994,'' a hip-hoppy tribute to '90s country artist Joe Diffie that asks you to chant ''Joe! Joe! Joe Diffieee!'' (laugh, but then, ugh, you will), to ''Black Tears,'' the ballad of a sad stripper who dulls her pain with cheap sex and cocaine. Enjoy, country radio. 'Walking Dead': Huge premiere ratings . While Aldean can pull off his wilder detours, he's at his best when he hews to traditional themes. There's an urgency in his voice that gives every driving chorus added heat, whether he's singing about a woman (''I Don't Do Lonely Well,'' ''Staring at the Sun''), his country-boy work ethic (''The Only Way I Know,'' with Luke Bryan and Eric Church), or a water tower (literally, ''Water Tower''). And man, does he know how to turn a simple date-night drive into something epic. When he pleads, ''I don't want to waste that moon/And the heat on the hood of this Ford'' on the parkin' ballad ''Talk,'' well, you may not want to waste it either. A- . 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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Jason Aldean includes 15 songs on one record . On his fifth album, "Night Train," he aims high and wide . The Georgia native prides himself on not fitting in a square country box .
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(CNN) -- After an eight-year hiatus, Buffy is back! Not really, but for some fans of Sarah Michelle Gellar it's the closest they can get at this point. The actress made her highly anticipated return to TV on Tuesday night in The CW's "Ringer." Playing ex-stripper Bridget and her wealthy twin sister Siobhan, Gellar's characters are a far cry from her days as the now-iconic vampire slayer on "Buffy." But fans of the late supernatural series agree, they'd follow the actress just about anywhere: And that includes her new film noir-type soap. Though The CW's programming tends to skew a bit younger, "Ringer," which was originally created with CBS in mind, maintains a more adult quality. Potentially perfect for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit, many of whom have likely matured with Gellar, now 34. "This is a good way for fans who loved 'Buffy' to sort of continue on with [Gellar]," Hollywood.com's TV editor Kelsea Stahler said. "Because they're older, I think it can appeal. We don't need vampires or werewolves or the forbidden love between her and Angel. You already love her. The drama is there." The anticipation helps, too. Gellar went off the air on a high note after "Buffy" -- and stayed off. Despite a TV movie, a couple of voiceovers on popular animated series and roles in two film franchises -- "The Grudge" and "Scooby-Doo" -- the actress chose to lay low while beginning a family with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. The pair welcomed their daughter Charlotte in September 2009. "The hiatus actually worked wonders for her," Stahler added. "A lot of 'Buffy' fans were teens when 'Buffy' was first on. They grew up with her -- through 'Cruel Intentions,' 'The Grudge.' And when she went off the grid to do her family thing, people started to miss her as opposed to tossing her aside as a has-been." Like TV bloggers and industry insiders predicted, "Ringer" reeled in a solid audience for The CW. However, its 2.7 million viewers don't quite compare to the 3 to 5 million viewers who tuned into The WB-turned-UPN to watch "Buffy" each week in the late '90s and early 2000s. But TV consumption is a different beast from when Gellar first graced the small screen. Anywhere in the 2 million viewers range is standard for programs on The CW, which spawned from the aforementioned networks. "'Buffy' fans are incredibly loyal," Daniel Malen, the editor of tvaddict.com, said before the show's premiere, adding, "They're 100% going to watch 'Ringer.' ... I'm Sure The CW will be happy with [Tuesday's] numbers." And Gellar's involvement isn't just appealing for viewers. Her "Ringer" co-stars are equally as thrilled to have her aboard. "When we knew Sarah Michelle was attached, that was the biggest draw to the project -- as much as the brilliant script that we both read," Ioan Gruffudd, who plays Siobhan's husband, said at Comic-Con. "The package was just too attractive to turn down." And as if "Buffy" fans weren't enough, throw in fans of "LOST's" Nestor Carbonell, who plays FBI agent Victor on the show. "It's smart casting," Stahler said. "They've picked people who are really going to bring [viewers] along with them." But, as Malen says, "It's easy to get someone to tune in, but people have to enjoy the show. Whether or not the 'Buffy' fans stick around, we'll see." Ryan McFadden, who runs buffyfans.com, said he's sure it will take some time before he can fully separate Gellar from Buffy in her new roles, but he's thrilled to welcome her back to TV. Of course, he adds, there is a chance it won't live up to "Buffy." And Gellar knows it. "You can't top 'Buffy,' " Gellar, who is also co-executive producer of her new series, told EW prior to "Ringer's" debut. "There's no reason to try. It lives in that world, so you have to do something that's interesting for both the audience and for me as an actor. And that's not necessarily the easiest thing to find after a show like that." Get more geeky news and musings at the CNN Geek Out blog . Perhaps unsurprisingly, "Ringer" was met with mixed reviews. The Hollywood Reporter is among the many outlets to compare Gellar's characters to Buffy, noting, "[Gellar's performance] hardly lends confidence that she's capable of being the cornerstone of such a show." The consensus of most reviews being, "give it a few episodes." A boating scene shared by both of Gellar's characters attracted a good amount of negative criticism. Stationary clouds and calm water for miles backs the scene, which New York Magazine describes as "the Sea of Bad Production Values." "They might have gotten stuck in the Comically Phony Visual Effects trade wind and been unable to navigate the difficult waters of the Fake Backdrop Strait," the article states. But, for "Buffy" fan Kelly Creamer, Gellar can do no wrong. "I noticed [the green screen] a bit, but honestly, it was fine to me," she said. "I mean, it didn't look that bad. ... It didn't affect the performance." It's just nice to spend time with Gellar again each week, Creamer added. "It feels like family -- the same kind of comfort."
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Gellar plays ex-stripper Bridget and her wealthy twin sister Siobhan on "Ringer" A boating scene shared by both of Gellar's characters attracted negative criticism . "Ringer" reeled in a solid audience for The CW -- 2.7 million viewers .
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(CNN) -- Former President George W. Bush says he experienced no pleasure when he heard about the death of Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader responsible for orchestrating the deadly terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. "He was sitting in a restaurant in Dallas when the Secret Service told him that President (Barack) Obama wanted to speak to him. He then learned about the assassination," documentarian Peter Schnall told CNN in an interview. Bush "said to us certainly there was no sense of jubilation (and) certainly no sense of happiness," Schnall stressed. "If anything, he felt that finally there was a sense of closure." Schnall interviewed the former president as part of a documentary called "George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview," which is scheduled to air on National Geographic as part of its 10-year anniversary coverage of the 9/11 attacks. The interview covers a broad range of topics tied to Bush's response to the attacks -- a response which remains a source of deep political division both within the United States and overseas. "We could see in the interview that the president was very taken by the events of that day," Schnall said. "He was very emotional." Bush told Schnall that initially he thought a light aircraft had hit one of the towers at New York's World Trade Center. "First I thought it was a light aircraft and my reaction was, man, either the weather was bad, or something extraordinary happened to the pilot," Bush said in the interview. But then-White House Chief of Staff "Andy Card's Massachusetts accent was whispering in my ear -- 'A second plane has hit the second tower. America is under attack.'" Bush was in a Florida classroom for an education event when he first heard about the attacks. "Remember ... he's not in Washington. He's literally flying across the country" in the hours that followed, Schnall told CNN. "They are literally running from an unknown enemy and they're having to make decisions at 40,000 feet on Air Force One." Among other things, Bush ordered the military to shoot down commercial planes that failed to respond to a Federal Aviation Administration demand to land as quickly as possible. For a period of time, the president was unsure if that order was responsible for the crash of United Airlines flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. "Those were decisions that (Bush) had to make. ... They troubled him then, and I think they still trouble him now," Schnall said. "What struck me the most was that during those hours, the days of 9/11, the president was overwhelmed" by events, Schnall added. He was "overwhelmed in the sense that ... (initially) they didn't really know who the enemy was. They didn't know if there were more attacks about to happen." Bush "spoke about that fact that he was journeying through the fog of war." In light of the intense controversy surrounding the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan -- as well as the broader war on terror that followed the 9/11 attacks -- does the former president have any regrets? Bush "kind of looked at me ... and said, 'I hate that damn question,'" Schnall noted. "He did not ever use the word regret. He did not ever say he would do anything differently. " But Bush did acknowledge the controversy and division created by his decisions. "Those decisions that they made ... (have permanently) changed our lives and the world today," Schnall said.
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George W. Bush was interviewed for a documentary airing on September 11 . Documentarian: Bush remains troubled by many of his decisions after the 9/11 attacks . Peter Schnall says Bush recalls "journeying through the fog of war"
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(CNN) -- Taryn Davis was 19 when she married her high school sweetheart. "It was probably the happiest point of my life," she said. "I didn't need someone to complete my life. He made me want to be a better person." Two days after the wedding, Davis moved to Alaska to be with her husband, Michael Davis, who was stationed at an Army base there, putting their honeymoon plans on hold. "He wanted to take me to Hawaii," she remembered. But they never got to take that trip. On May 21, 2007, Davis came home to find two men waiting to tell her that her husband had been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. At 21, Davis was a widow. Consumed by grief, she felt she had nowhere to turn for support. After her husband was deployed to Iraq, Davis moved back home to San Marcos, Texas, away from a military community. "I didn't live near any bases," she said. "When Michael was killed, I was in my senior year in college. I didn't have a connection to military wives." But Davis was not alone. Since 2001, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left 2,829 women without husbands and 46 men without wives, according to a May 2011 report from the Defense Manpower Data Center. "In the beginning after I lost Michael, I honestly wanted to die," she said. "I wanted someone 21 to say, 'I got the knock on the door. I had the two men who said the words that shattered my world. And I am like you and trying to pick up the pieces.' " So she made it her mission to seek out other widows. She contacted a widow whose husband was killed alongside hers. "I gave her a call one day, and I said, 'I want to know all the things that people stopped asking me. I want to know how you met your husband. I want to know how you fell in love, how you were notified, and most importantly, I want to know what makes you get up every day and face life again,' because I didn't know the answers." Davis found other widows on MySpace and used some of the $100,000 she received in military death benefits to buy video equipment. Then she set out across the country to interview six widows in six different cities. "It was in the midst of filming that documentary that I got the idea of starting a nonprofit organization that would allow these women to have a place to share all the things that we basically were asking [in the film]," she said. Four months after Davis' husband was killed, the American Widow Project was born. Since then, more than 750 widows have joined the organization. It started with the website -- a place for young widows to share their stories, learn from one another and find comfort in knowing they're not alone. Then Davis began organizing "getaway" trips so the widows could meet in person. The trips have ranged from skydiving out of planes to rebuilding a house damaged by Hurricane Katrina through the St. Bernard Project. Brooke Toner, a widow who helped rebuild the house in New Orleans, said it was hard to find other people who understood what she was going through. "After Frankie died, I just felt like there was nothing that was going to give me any comfort," Toner said. "I felt like nobody could understand that amount of loss of my best friend, my husband, my soul mate. "I didn't even think that these women could understand that. But I've been fortunate to meet all of them. They're dealing with so much of it, and they're on a similar path. For me, it's comforting." Erin Dructor, who also lost her husband, agrees. "It's opened my eyes to show me different ways on how to be able to handle things to where I feel like I'm not alone," she said. "It's definitely helped me heal more." For Davis, starting the organization has helped her just as much as it's helping other young widows. "In the beginning, it was hard for me to even laugh or smile because I thought if people saw me laughing or smiling, they would think that I was over Michael," she said. "In reality, I've learned that when I'm laughing and smiling and I feel most alive is when I feel my husband the most. "We're all on different journeys. We all have different paths. But to come here on one of our getaways for at least three days and just feel united, feel the love of our husbands and feel the love of our new lives that we're rebuilding together ... that's the thing that gets me through it."
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Taryn Davis founded the American Widow Project after her husband was killed in Iraq . The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced close to 3,000 widows . Widows can share stories on americanwidowproject.org, meet other women on getaway trips .
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(Entertainment Weekly) -- "The Time Traveler's Wife," adapted from the 2003 best-seller by Audrey Niffenegger, is one of those gooey romantic mind-benders, like "Ghost" (which I adored) or "The Lake House" (not so much), in which a couple must come to grips with some trippy impediment to their relationship, such as life after death or a hole in the space-time continuum. Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana star as a couple trying to connect in "The Time Traveler's Wife." Only instead of being milked for elaborate science-fiction thrills, the problem at hand gets treated as a weepy and grandiose inconvenience. Sort of like the metaphysical version of having a husband who takes too many business trips. Henry (Eric Bana) is deeply, and eternally, in love with Clare (Rachel McAdams), and she with him. The only problem is that he has a "genetic anomaly" that causes him to skip around through time without warning. All of a sudden, he will melt out of the present and pop up ... somewhere else, in the future or in the past, without a stitch of clothing on, so that he must scramble for cover and regain his bearings. Then, just as suddenly, he'll pop back into Clare's life -- sometimes when he's too young a man to have any idea who she is. (A little confused? So was I.) More jarringly, he sometimes appears when he's an adult and she's an adoring young girl standing in a pastoral meadow. That's when she falls in love with him -- which is meant to be innocent, but comes off as a bit unintentionally creepy. I mean, is the movie supposed to look like a contemporary version of "The Lewis Carroll Story"? To muddle matters further, Henry is seen at assorted ages, but except for the moment when he shows up at his wedding with sudden streaks of gray in his hair, Bana looks exactly the same in every scene. "The Time Traveler's Wife" is built as a game that the audience learns to play, and after a while, yes, we do get the hang of it. That is, we accept the film's mixture of the playful and the slightly arbitrary; we become romantic time travelers too. Although the script is by Bruce Joel Rubin, who wrote "Ghost," the film's mood doesn't change very much; it's gentle, wistful, gauzy, and placid. Bana, so fantastic in "Munich," has always had to work overtime to prove that an actor who looks like the Aussie gym-rat version of Rodin's "The Thinker" can play a gentle, unassuming regular guy. But he does nicely here. He and McAdams are sweet together, with matching dimples and starry eyes, and we grow eager to see them remain in the same place. In the end, that's all there is to the movie, really. It's a time-travel fantasy in search of a cozy love seat. EW Grade: B-minus . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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Chemistry between Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams saves "Time Traveler's Wife" Movie about man who can travel through time, hurting chances for romance . A lot is silly, just waiting for the couple to get together at the right time .
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(CNN) -- David Baker was 10 years old when the World Cup came to the United States in 1994, and he still has the blue soccer jersey he bought back then. "That's when I 'caught soccer' and became a fan. That's when I said, 'Soccer is a great sport,'" he said. So he was devastated, he said, when the sport's governing body awarded the 2022 tournament to Qatar rather than the United States on Thursday. Not only would winning the bid have boosted the U.S. economy, he argued, it would have been great for the development of soccer in arguably the largest sports market in the world. "It would have been fantastic for the growth of soccer in our country" at a time "when it's primed to take the next step forward -- or the next step back," the North Carolina pastor said. Soccer opened up a whole new world for him, he said. "As a 10-year-old kid, I said these countries [that play soccer] are awesome," he remembered. "For me, that was so neat -- to think that when you kick a soccer ball, you can do that with somebody from any country, any religion, any language." He doesn't expect the United States to have another chance to host the global tournament anytime soon. "That's why today was so devastating," he said. The president of U.S. Soccer, Sunil Gulati, echoed Baker's thoughts. "There's no way around it: I am disappointed," he said minutes after the U.S. bid was defeated. "Millions of U.S. soccer fans worked hard to bring the World Cup to our country," he said. Some of those fans were very big names indeed. Former President Bill Clinton and actor Morgan Freeman made the case for the United States in Zurich, Switzerland, where FIFA executives voted Thursday. "Maybe America's best claim to this World Cup is that we have the only nation you can put the World Cup that can guarantee that no matter who makes the finals, we can fill a stadium with home-nation rooters," Clinton told FIFA executives before the voting. When Ghana knocked the United States out of the World Cup this summer, Clinton said Ghanian-Americans celebrated in Miami and Philadelphia, wrapped in the African nation's flag. American soccer stars Landon Donovan and Mia Hamm, and Attorney General Eric Holder also came out to support the bid alongside Gulati. But it was not to be. Qatar, which promised a carbon-neutral World Cup, complete with air-conditioned stadiums, will become the first Middle Eastern nation to host the tournament, the largest sporting event in the world each time it is held. "We really wanted this for the country. It would have been great for the sport," New York Red Bulls season ticket holder Sebastian Ostolaza told CNN's Richard Roth minutes after the announcement. "It would have been a lot of fun for everyone and we're extremely disappointed to have heard what happened," he said at the team's stadium, where he heard the announcement with friends. But he was gracious to Qatar in defeat. "I think it's great because soccer is a worldwide sport, and to bring the game back to Asia is going bring fans from over there back into it," he said. The United States last hosted it in 1994, when Clinton was president. Team USA acquitted itself well at the World Cup this year, finishing at the top of its group in South Africa before its loss to Ghana. CNN's Kristi Keck Ramsay contributed to this report.
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We really wanted it for this country, fans tell CNN . Bill Clinton and Morgan Freeman made the case for the United States . World soccer's governing body chose Qatar instead to host the 2022 tournament . "I'm disappointed," U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati says .
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(CNN) -- Rioting has flared near Belfast on Saturday after the arrests of three men in the killings of two soldiers in Northern Ireland last week, police said. Two people in masks prepare to throw petrol bombs Saturday in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. Petrol bombs have been hurled at police in Lurgan, a town in County Armagh, 20 miles west of Belfast, police in Northern Ireland said. There are gangs of youths on the streets, authorities said, but there have been no arrests or injuries. Police announced the arrests on Saturday and said the three men have been taken to the police service's Serious Crime Suite in County Antrim. One of them, a dissident republican named Colin Duffy, is from Lurgan. They are the first arrests in connection with the March 7 shootings, which were the first fatal attack on British troops in the province for more than 12 years. The two British soldiers were shot dead at a base in Massereene, in Antrim, as they were preparing to ship out for duty in Afghanistan. The soldiers, Cengiz "Pat" Azimkar, 21, and Mark Quinsey, 23, had already packed their bags and changed into desert uniforms, authorities said. Two masked gunmen with automatic rifles shot them as the soldiers picked up a pizza delivery at the barracks, authorities said. Two other soldiers and the two pizza delivery men were seriously wounded. The shooting has sparked fears of a return to the sectarian violence that Northern Ireland suffered until the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, a period known as The Troubles. A militant splinter group, the Real IRA, reportedly claimed it had carried out the attack on the soldiers. Two days after the soldiers were killed, a police officer was killed in a shooting southwest of Belfast. Constable Stephen Carroll was one of four officers who were responding to call in Craigavon when his vehicle came under fire and he was killed. Three people have been arrested in connection with the police officer's death. The Continuity IRA, a republican splinter group that does not accept the Good Friday Agreement, said it had killed Carroll, Britain's Press Association reported. Politicians from across the political spectrum have condemned the killings, with Sinn Fein deputy leader Martin McGuinness calling the killers "traitors to the island of Ireland." Sinn Fein is a predominantly Catholic party that wants Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and become part of the Republic of Ireland. The party is widely thought to be linked to the Irish Republican Army. Danny Kennedy, deputy leader of the loyalist Ulster Unionist Party, which wants Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, also condemned the attack as "wicked and murderous."
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NEW: Petrol bombs hurled at police after arrests in connection with soldiers' killings . Three arrested over slayings of two soldiers in Northern Ireland last week . Three men also being held in Monday's killing of police officer . Two republican groups have reportedly claimed responsibility for the killings .
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Washington (CNN) -- The September 11, 2001, attacks have led to an intelligence community so large and unwieldy that it's unmanageable and inefficient -- and no one knows how much it costs, according to a two-year investigation by the Washington Post. Ahead of the publication, many in the intelligence community worried that the stories would disclose too much information about contractors and the classified tasks they handle. The Post article that appeared in Monday's edition says its investigation uncovered "a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight. After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to determine." Washington Post: Top Secret America . The Post investigation found that "33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2001," or the equivalent of nearly three Pentagons. "Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States," according to the Post, which added that an estimated 854,000 people hold top-secret security clearances. "There has been so much growth since 9/11 that getting your arms around that -- not just for the DNI [director of national intelligence], but for any individual, for the director of the CIA, for the secretary of defense -- is a challenge," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Post last week. "Look, we know the intelligence community grew significantly and quickly after 9/11," a senior administration official told CNN Monday. "Some of it was inefficient. But we are looking at those inefficiencies. And remember, we have prevented attacks." Acting National Intelligence Director David Gompert issued a statement saying the Post's report "does not reflect the intelligence community we know." "In recent years, we have reformed the (intelligence community) in ways that have improved the quality, quantity, regularity, and speed of our support to policymakers, warfighters, and homeland defenders, and we will continue our reform efforts," he said. "We provide oversight, while also encouraging initiative. We work constantly to reduce inefficiencies and redundancies, while preserving a degree of intentional overlap among agencies to strengthen analysis, challenge conventional thinking, and eliminate single points of failure." The Post said its investigation was "based on government documents and contracts, job descriptions, property records, corporate and social networking Web sites, additional records, and hundreds of interviews with intelligence, military and corporate officials and former officials," most of whom requested anonymity. Although officials were concerned about the content of the newspaper articles ahead of publication, what troubled them the most was "interactive" component of the series, which they said lists the locations where the CIA, the National Security Agency and the other agencies that make up the intelligence community have facilities. Many of those sites are not publicly known, some officials said. Officials worried about the security implications of such disclosures. As one person put it, "these are targeted places to begin with. ... Mapping it out presents counterterrorism and counterintelligence concerns." The officials say there have been discussions with the Washington Post to make changes in the website. It was not immediately known what, if any, changes were made, but an interactive map available Monday morning showed more than 2,000 government work locations and nearly 7,000 for private contractors. In two communications, officials asked the Post not to publish addresses, the senior administration official said Monday. There has been talk in Washington for some time that the Post was working on an investigative series on the intelligence community. But it's only been in recent days that the deep concern of the intelligence officials has become more apparent. The newspaper said it took steps to allay public safety concerns. "Because of the nature of this project, we allowed government officials to see the Web site several months ago and asked them to tell us of any specific concerns. They offered none at that time," the Post said in a message posted on its website. "As the project evolved, we shared the Web site's revised capabilities. Again, we asked for specific concerns. One government body objected to certain data points on the site and explained why; we removed those items. Another agency objected that the entire Web site could pose a national security risk but declined to offer specific comments." The message from the Mission Support Center of the director of national intelligence that was obtained by CNN told contractors, "Employees should be reminded that they must neither confirm nor deny information contained in this, or any, media publication." It warned that foreign intelligence services, terrorist groups and "criminal elements" might want to use the information. "Specifically, we recommend that companies affected by this publication and website assess and take steps to mitigate risk to their workforce, facility and mission," including "re-enforcement of security and counterintelligence protections and steps to enhance workforce awareness." Similar messages from the military and other agencies also went out. CNN's Pam Benson, Barbara Starr, Tom Cohen, Alan Silverleib and Ed Payne contributed to this report.
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NEW: Acting national intelligence director insists there has been major reform . U.S. intelligence community is so big its effectiveness can't be measured, newspaper reports . More than 800,000 people have top-secret clearance . America's intelligence community lacks thorough oversight .
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(CNN) -- The worst secret in boxing is out of the bag: "Sugar" Shane Mosley is the most likely opponent for Manny Pacquiao's next fight. The 39-year-old American boxer used Twitter to announce that discussions between the two camps are at an advanced stage, with confirmation expected in the next 24 hours. "Just excited about the fight with Pac [Manny Pacquiao]. I know you're going to be there," he tweeted to former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis on the social networking website. "The ink hasn't dried yet but it's pretty much a go." Speculation has mounted over who would fight the Filipino eight-division world title-holder on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with Juan Manuel Marquez mooted as another possible opponent. Mayweather fight will define Pacquiao's career . But in a subsequent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Mosley confirmed that he would meet with Pacquiao's representatives on Tuesday to finalize a deal. "We've already discussed the fight about three to four weeks ago, so now we'll go over it again," said Mosley. "Both sides just need to commit to what we've talked about and then I think we're done." Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach had earlier ruled out Marquez while, at the same time, insisting on an important caveat if Mosley was indeed chosen. "[Mosley] won't be an easy fight for Manny," Roach told assembled reporters in the Philippines, where he was celebrating Pacquiao's 32nd birthday. "He can punch with either hand. But if the fight pushes through, I'll insist on a drug test. He's been known to take steroids and it shows in his body." Marquez calls out Pacquiao for rematch . Roach was referring to a 2003 U.S. grand jury submission by Mosley where he admitted using EPO, a performance enhancing drug, as he prepared to fight Oscar De La Hoya. But Mosley never tested positive, and denied knowing what it was or that it was illegal. "I'm disappointed that this is coming out again, four years after I've been to the grand jury and gave my truthful testimony," Mosley said in a 2008 statement, issued after the allegations first came to light. "I even took a lie-detector test back then to let everyone know that I wasn't trying to be an unfair fighter." But it looks like Mosley will now have a chance to fight arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer in the sport to prove his detractors wrong.
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U.S. boxer Shane Mosley reveals that he will be Manny Pacquiao's next opponent . Mosley tells former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis on Twitter that he's "excited" Mosley and Pacquiao's camps to meet in the next 24 hours to discuss terms . The Filipino is booked to fight in Las Vegas in May .
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(CNN) -- Rescuers have found the body of a man who was one of six people aboard a small airplane that crashed Sunday evening near the northern shore of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The Cessna 206 single-engine aircraft went down about a half mile off the coast of Quebradillas. The man's body was found Monday less than 150 feet from shore, Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad said. The Coast Guard launched two more search missions Tuesday morning for four men and one woman still missing. Authorities have not released their identities, nor the name of the man found Monday. "The Coast Guard will continue to search as long as there is the possibility of finding any survivors," Castrodad said. Eighteen divers will conduct searches Tuesday in the area where the body was found, the Coast Guard spokesman said. Volunteer divers from Arecibo found the body Monday, said Jose Daniel Echeverria, spokesman for the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency, which also is involved in the search. As of Tuesday, the Coast Guard will have conducted 12 search operations, eight done by four HH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Air Station Borinquen and four by the Cutter Matinicus, Castrodad said. The search is complicated, he said, by the roughness of the area. "It's like a cliff," he said. "The surf is very rough. It's hard to get in that area." Smaller boats from the emergency management agency and the Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces for Rapid Action are being used because they can reach areas that the Coast Guard cutter cannot, Castrodad said. The private plane, chartered by Tropical Aviation Corp., took off from the Dominican Republic and was on its way to an airport in Puerto Rico when it went down Sunday evening, officials said. The four males and one female onboard were returning to Puerto Rico after spending the weekend in the Dominican Republic, said Noemi Corporan, service manager for Tropical Aviation. The passengers were San Juan residents and had flown to the Dominican Republic on Friday, she said. The airplane took off from Casa de Campo International Airport in the Dominican Republic and was supposed to land at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Carolina to clear U.S. customs before going on to the Isla Grande Airport in San Juan, the Coast Guard said. A 911 emergency operator notified the Coast Guard at 6:51 p.m. Sunday that an aircraft had crashed into the waters off Quebradillas. Searchers found a debris field in the area late Sunday. In the Dominican Republic, meanwhile, a man who said he spent the weekend with the missing passengers said he urged them not to leave Sunday night because of severe weather. Retired businessman Manuel "Manolin" Lecaroz, 64, told El Nuevo Dia newspaper that the group left because one of them had business to conduct Monday morning. He did not have a premonition, Lecaroz said. "It's just that you can't fly when the weather is bad." The winds and heavy rains that were still being felt in Puerto Rico on Monday had ruined the group's chances to spend the weekend fishing and playing golf in the Dominican Republic, which is 79 miles (127 kilometers) away. "It rained every day," Lecaroz told the Puerto Rican newspaper. "The wind was blowing very hard, so much that we couldn't go out in the boat any day." As they left Sunday night, group members hugged Lecaroz and talked about returning later this month to fish and golf, he said.
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Coast Guard launches search missions for five still missing after plane went down . Divers find man's body near shore of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico . Search complicated by the roughness of the area, U.S. Coast Guard official says . Six onboard private plane returning to Puerto Rico from Dominican Republic .
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(CNN) -- Khaled Abdel Nasser, son of late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and a key figure during a 1980s Egyptian revolt, is dead, a spokesman for the Egyptian general prosecutor said Sunday. He was 62. Nasser was battling liver disease and went into a coma two weeks before his death on September 15, said Adel Saeed, the prosecutor's spokesman. He was accused of organizing a revolt against Egypt's peace treaty with Israel, signed in 1979, and also grabbed headlines after being tried in connection with the deaths of two Israeli diplomats in Egypt. He was eventually acquitted. The late president's eldest son was an engineering professor at Cairo University and had lived in Yugoslavia. Nasser was married to Dalia Fahmy, the sister of former oil minister Sameh Fahmy, who is currently facing trial for alleged corruption involving the exportation of gas to Israel.
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Khaled Abdel Nasser was the oldest son of President Gamal Abdel Nasser . He was accused of organizing a revolt in Egypt in the 1980s . He tried and acquitted in connection with the deaths of two Israeli diplomats in Egypt .
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Editor's note: Madeleine K. Albright is former U.S. secretary of state. William S. Cohen is former U.S. secretary of defense. They are co-chairs of the Genocide Prevention Task Force. Madeleine K. Albright served as secretary of state under President Bill Clinton. (CNN) -- In this age of electronic media communications, Americans are increasingly confronted in their living rooms -- and even on their cell phones -- with information about and images of genocide and mass atrocities virtually anywhere they occur. This instantaneous media communication has sensitized many Americans to the suffering of people in all corners of the globe. The Internet has proved to be a powerful tool for organizing broad-based responses to genocide and mass atrocities, as we have seen in response to the crisis in Darfur. With all of this information written and broadcast about the horrors of genocide and mass atrocities around the world, why do they continue? And as public citizens, public officials and policymakers, how can we prevent this horrendous crime that assaults our humanitarian values and threatens our national security? Last year, we agreed to co-chair the Genocide Prevention Task Force, which was jointly convened by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The American Academy of Diplomacy and the United States Institute of Peace. (The final report is to be released next week.) The idea for the task force arose out of a desire by each of these institutions to reach beyond their individual capabilities and build a practical framework that could help the U.S. government better respond to threats of genocide and mass atrocities. Our challenge was to match words to deeds and stop allowing the unacceptable. That task is in fact one of the most persistent puzzles of our times. Many people ask: Why do genocides and mass atrocities happen? There is no consensus as to the causes of genocide and mass atrocities, nor is there one commonly agreed-upon theory that explains the key catalysts, motivations or mechanisms that lead to them. History has shown that genocide and mass atrocities manifest themselves in highly variable ways, and we should not assume that future perpetrators will follow old patterns. However, there are warning signs. Genocide is not the inevitable result of "ancient hatreds" or irrational leaders. It requires planning and is carried out systematically. But that fact also means that there are ways to recognize its signs and symptoms, and viable options to prevent it at every turn, if we are committed and prepared. Our report recommends a number of distinct but interrelated areas where the United States government can develop and deploy more effective strategies to identify and pursue opportunities for prevention of genocide and mass atrocities: . First, we believe that leadership is an indispensable ingredient. Nothing is more central to preventing genocide than leadership -- from the president, Congress and the American people. Making progress requires leaders to summon political will not only after a crisis strikes, but also before one emerges. Second is the importance of early warning. It is critical for policymakers to have good analysis of areas where there is a high risk of genocide or organized violence in order to design effective strategies and spur action. By improving the accuracy of warnings, we will find greater opportunities for preventive action. Early prevention can avert a crisis. Many countries are vulnerable to extreme violence. By engaging leaders, institutions and civil society at an early stage, the United States can help countries steer clear of these dangers. Preventive diplomacy is critical to halt and reverse escalation. Even when signs of preparation for genocide are apparent, there are opportunities to alter leaders' decisions and interrupt their plans. By improving our crisis response system, we will be better prepared to mount coherent, carefully calibrated and timely preventive diplomatic strategies. A willingness to utilize military options to stop ongoing atrocities when prevention efforts have failed is crucial. U.S. military assets can also play an important role in supporting and providing credibility to options short of the use of force, including by deterring violence through military presence or threat. Lastly, we cite the power of international action. The United States has an interest in promoting a system of international norms and institutions that averts potential genocide and mass atrocities before they occur, stops them quickly and effectively when they occur, helps societies rebuild in their wake and holds perpetrators accountable. By working in partnership with others in the global community, the United States will multiply its positive impact. We do not underestimate the challenge. We understand that the next president will face many pressing international priorities, as well as real limitations of time and resources. But we believe that preventing genocide is possible, and that striving to do so is imperative, both for our national interests and for our leadership position in the world. Our report seeks to honor the memory of past victims of genocide and mass atrocities by encouraging future action. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Madeleine K. Albright and William S. Cohen. Other members of the Genocide Prevention Task Force include John Danforth, Thomas Daschle, Stuart Eizenstat, Michael Gerson, Dan Glickman, Jack Kemp, Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, Thomas R. Pickering, Vin Weber, Anthony Zinni and Julia Taft (1942-2008). For more information about the Genocide Prevention Task Force, visit the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, The American Academy of Diplomacy or the United States Institute of Peace.
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Madeleine Albright, William Cohen co-chair Genocide Prevention Task Force . The panel's final report will be released next week after a year of work . Leadership indispensable in preventing genocide, Albright and Cohen say . Also key: early warning, preventive diplomacy, military, international action, they say .
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Washington (CNN) -- Hoping to quell growing concerns in Congress about enhanced security procedures for airline passengers, top administration officials who oversee airport security went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to explain the new methods and why they are needed. The closed, nearly two-hour briefing for congressional staff members included a detailed explanation of new advanced imaging technology that has sparked outrage from some passengers because it captures an image of their bodies through their clothing. Also, Transportation Security Administration officials demonstrated the invasive pat downs required for passengers who either refuse a full body scan or who need a follow-up inspection after an image is taken. "I feel bad for the girl they put in front of 50 people when they were doing a pat down," said one Republican senate staff member about the female TSA employee who was part of the demonstration, reflecting the concerns of many passengers about being touched in their private areas by security agents. However, a Democratic staffer who was there said it was all very professional. "I don't think there was an emotional reaction one way or another," the aide said. "They explained -- based on what we know and what the threat is -- we think this is the best way to mitigate the risks." Another aide, who refused to say if he was a Democrat or a Republican, said the briefing would help lawmakers "understand the difference between a standard pat down and a more rigorous one." A Department of Homeland Security undersecretary and two TSA assistant administrators conducted the briefing, the second of two such meetings on Capitol Hill this week. The security agency set up the briefings after being "deluged" by calls for more information from congressional offices, which were themselves getting questions from angry and confused constituents, according to an administration official who asked not to be identified because he wasn't authorized to speak about the closed briefing. "Folks are getting a lot of concern from the constituents and they just want to be able to answer phone calls that they get at their offices," said the official, who described the session as "a very grown-up exchange of questions and answers." One Democratic aide said the TSA's effort to boost security has become a public relations problem because images of the tough new procedures are disturbing to many people. "It's always tough for the government to get their side of the story out compared to how quickly someone with YouTube video, Facebook, Twitter, all those things, can. For all the things they are trying to do to get the word out, one single isolated incident gets a lot more press than all the efforts they're trying to do," the aide said. Two GOP aides who spoke to CNN complained that despite the briefing being labeled by Transportation Security Administration as "SSI" -- containing "security sensitive information" -- staffers were not required to show identification when they arrived. They simply signed an attendance sheet that was passed around. "They have no clue who was in there," one of the Republican aides said.
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Session provides information for members of Congress to tell concerned constituents . The TSA is holding two such briefings to explain the new procedures . Passenger complaints raise questions that the enhanced pat down goes too far .
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New York (CNN) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg, known in New York City for his tough regulations on everything from large sodas to smoking in Central Park, proposed a new target during his final State of the City speech Thursday: plastic foam containers. "Styrofoam increases the cost of recycling by as much as $20 per ton because it has to be removed," the mayor said. "Something we know is environmentally destructive, that is costing taxpayers money, and that is easily replaceable, I think, is something we can do without." Specifically, the ban will target certain polystyrene foam products, not necessarily Styrofoam, a trademarked product of Dow Chemical Co. used in foam insulation and construction products. "With Speaker (Christine) Quinn and the City Council, we'll work to adopt a law banning Styrofoam food packaging from our stores and restaurants," Bloomberg added. "And don't worry, the doggy bag and the coffee cup will survive just fine." It was not immediately clear how the majority of businesses that use polystyrene foam products would react to a ban. One early response from the Dunkin' Donuts chain was not positive. Instead of an outright ban, it said in a written statement, the company has "reviewed or tested nearly every type of single-use hot cup on the market, but a viable alternative does not yet exist. This is a process, and we will continue to test and try new things until we find a cup that keeps drinks hot, hands cool and is better for the planet. "A polystyrene ban will not eliminate waste or increase recycling; it will simply replace one type of trash with another," it said. Until a solution is found, Dunkin' Donuts has cut the weight of its foam and plastic cups and "offered our franchisees a reusable mug program." Plastic foam product limitations have already been ordered in several other cities, including Seattle, Washington, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Throughout his tenure, Bloomberg has garnered a reputation for bold and sometimes controversial initiatives. Despite public outcry, he pushed to regulate trans fat in food preparation in 2007, signed into law a ban on smoking in most public spaces in 2011, and last March prohibited sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces in certain venues. The mayor has also advocated for, and sometimes financially supported, same-sex marriage, gun control, and several new public health proposals. "Now we are working on obesity and hopefully the courts won't stop us," Bloomberg said of his health policy efforts during a January press conference. "These small public health things that we do really make a difference in people's lives."
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the use of plastic foam containers . Mayor: "Don't worry, the doggy bag and the coffee cup will survive just fine" It is one of many health or environmental initiatives Bloomberg has pursued .
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LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- A trustee for Heath Ledger's daughter has sued an insurance company over a $10 million policy the actor took out seven months before his death in January from a drug overdose. John S. Laviolette, a Los Angeles entertainment industry attorney whom Ledger appointed custodian of the policy, alleges in the lawsuit that ReliaStar Life Insurance Co. is trying to avoid paying on the policy by continuing to investigate whether Ledger's death was a suicide. Under provisions of the policy, the company would not have to pay if Ledger committed suicide. The New York medical examiner ruled Ledger's January 22 death an accidental overdose of six prescription drugs. ReliaStar says in legal papers that it has the right to investigate all aspects surrounding Ledger's death "to determine if the 'Suicide' provision is applicable." If Ledger committed suicide, ReliaStar says, "we will pay only the amount of premiums paid to us." The outcome is pending, a company spokesman said Monday. "We have not rendered a decision on this case yet," said Dana Ripley, a senior vice president for ING Americas, which is ReliaStar's parent company. Ripley declined further comment. Laviolette's attorney, Bill Shernoff, said Monday that ReliaStar is just "looking for any possible loophole." "This information they want now, they should have done that before they issued the policy," Shernoff said. "They want to have this lengthy investigation to drag this out. We think it's a fishing expedition." ReliaStar has asked Laviolette to identify all doctors and hospitals or institutions that had treated Ledger since November 16, 1996. The policy was taken out in June 2007. The money from the policy is supposed to go to Ledger's 3-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose. The company, Laviolette says in the suit, "acted maliciously, fraudulently and/or oppressively with the intention of depriving plaintiff of the insurance policy benefits." ReliaStar replied in court papers that "any and all actions taken by ReliaStar were fair and reasonable and were performed in good faith based on all relevant facts known to it at the time." The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in July, has been moved to U.S. District Court. Ledger died at age 28 in New York . He is best known for starring in "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005, for which he was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award, and his portrayal of the Joker in this year's "The Dark Knight," which was released after his death. Matilda Rose's mother is actress Michelle Williams, whom Ledger met on the set of "Brokeback Mountain." News of the lawsuit broke on the Web site tmz.com, which posted a copy of the suit.
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Trustee for actor's 3-year-old daughter says insurer hasn't paid . Company investigating whether Ledger's death was suicide . If Ledger killed himself, daughter wouldn't get money . Medical examiner ruled January death an accidental overdose .
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(LifeWire) -- Shannan and Marty Boyer of Park Hills, Kentucky, faced a sudden financial quandary one evening. Their 5-year-old, Sean, had just lost his first tooth, and the Boyers realized they didn't know the Tooth Fairy's going rate. Sean Boyer was overjoyed to get $5 from the Tooth Fairy: He'd expected a quarter. "My husband was like, 'Maybe we should give him a twenty?' And I said, 'No! I used to get a quarter!'" says Shannan Boyer, 32, a publicist. They settled on $5, only to find their son in hysterics the next morning last December. "He flipped his lid! He's like, 'I thought the Tooth Fairy only gave quarters! I'm going to be rich!'" she says. "So then we had to backpedal. We said, 'Well, um, she probably does normally give just a quarter, but this was because it was your first tooth." Call it the Tooth Fairy conundrum. When a child puts a tooth under her pillow, there's a good chance her parents are in the next room scrounging through their wallets and scratching their heads. And for divorced parents, Mom and Dad run the risk of doubling up or making each other look stingy. Pre-emptive negotiation is key, says New York book editor Joshua Kendall, 32, father of 6-year-old Sophie. "When the first tooth came out, my ex-wife was out of town, but I called her husband so we could decide together how much to pay for each tooth," says Kendall. "We decided it'll depend on tooth size." A quarter doesn't cut It . At a time when it's common for middle-class kids to receive pricey video game consoles and MP3 players as gifts, some families worry that a few quarters or even a dollar just won't be special enough to match their child's excitement over that gap in his mouth. They also fear too much money could teach children that, in life, making bank is as easy as losing a tooth. Tiffany Bass Bukow, founder of MsMoney.com, likes the idea of using the experience to introduce the concepts of money and value. Parents, she says, can use the loot from that first visit to show a child how to divide up money for spending, saving and charity. But she cautions against giving too much. "In general, I think people are overspending on their children, and that's part of the reason why the generation coming up doesn't have a great work ethic." According to a 2006 survey of 150 mothers conducted by eBeanstalk.com, an online toy store, the Tooth Fairy is giving an average of $2.64, with 60 percent of respondents reporting that they give less than $3 per tooth. Stray too far above the average and you're bound to frustrate some other parents on the block. "If one kid gets $20 and tells the kids at school, then other kids go home and are upset they got less," says Dr. Rhea Haugseth, a pediatric dentist in Marietta, Georgia. She tries to keep the peace on the playground by dropping hints for parents during routine visits: "When a kid says they've gotten $20, I'll say, 'Wow, you must've been the only kid to lose a tooth that night, because usually she only brings one dollar.'" However, those who stray too far below the average -- or, at least, below their child's expectations -- might find they have some explaining to do. Valuable lessons . When his youngest son asked why he got $2 when some other kids at his Los Angeles school got $20, branding specialist Rob Frankel decided to make it a business lesson. "I told him it was actually a franchise, and that we were in a $2 territory. My wife did all she could to keep a straight face," says Frankel, 50. "I was like, 'Do you know what a franchise is? Well, McDonald's doesn't actually own each McDonald's ...'" Gerald Kimber White, 39, a publicist in Norton, Massachusetts, also turned the event into a kind of Finance 101. Two years ago, his son Henry, then 6, announced that he wanted the cash the Tooth Fairy would give him for his first tooth, but he wasn't ready to part with the pearly gem. "So I said I'd buy the tooth for him for $1 and would keep in a drawer so he could visit it," says Kimber White. "But it turns out that the conventional wisdom among first-graders was that the Tooth Fairy gives $2. So he had to figure out what the value of the tooth was to him. Was it worth an extra dollar if it meant losing access to the tooth? Or was it better to have a little bit of money and visiting rights?" In the end, Henry went with the latter option. "I liked his decision process," Kimber White says. "And I like that I'm getting a better rate than the Tooth Fairy." E-mail to a friend . LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers. Anna Jane Grossman is a freelance writer in New York City.
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Parents' dilemma: Tooth Fairy's price for a tooth . Expert: Good time to teach kids about value of money . Dad: His friend got $20, I told my kid we lived in $2 franchise territory . Child takes half price to gain toothy visiting rights .
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(CNN) -- Jenson Button has emerged a surprise contender to join Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in what would be an exciting partnership for the 2010 season. Jenson Button could join Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in an exciting partnership for the 2010 season. Button has not yet agreed a new contract with Brawn and McLaren are interested having struggled to land first choice Kimi Raikkonen. McLaren team principal, Martin Whitmarsh refused to rule out a move for Button and create and all-British pairing at the manufacturer. Asked by British newspaper Daily Mail whether there had been talks between McLaren and Button's representatives Whitmarsh said: "We've talked to a number of drivers. It wouldn't be appropriate to say more than that. "We'll hire the two best drivers available to us as we always have." The world champion's manager Richard Goddard also refused to comment on whether he had held talks with McLaren to increase speculation. Button, meanwhile, made a return to Brawn UK headquarters in Brackley and paid tribute to the staff behind his title-winning success. "I'm really here to say a massive well done and thank you to everyone at the team. We've worked so hard for these achievements for so many years," Button told the Formula One official Web site. "Some of us were here from the beginning back in 1998 and I arrived halfway through our journey in 2003 but everyone has put so much work in. "I know that there have been a lot of very difficult times and over the winter there were times when we didn't think that we would be here at all. "It's very sad that not everyone can be here who worked on this fantastic car. But the team had to become smaller to continue and together we produced a car that has been exceptional this season. "To be able to achieve the constructors' and the drivers' championships in our first year, especially after such a difficult winter, is an amazing achievement. It's been a roller coaster of emotions. "The first few races were magnificent. It looked like it was a walk in the park but it really wasn't. Then we had some difficult races, especially myself but also as a team where we struggled. But we fought back hard and when we needed to improve the car, you guys did it."
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Jenson Button has emerged as a contender to join Lewis Hamilton at McLaren . Button is out of contract with Brawn at has yet to sign a new deal with them . Team principal Martin Whitmarsh refused to rule out a move for Button . Button paid tribute to Brawn's staff at their headquarters in the United Kingdom .
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(CNN) -- The Chinese government is bracing itself for a rush of people wishing to marry when the summer Olympics kick off on August 8 -- because the number carries a special significance in Chinese culture, the state news agency said Sunday. A traditional Ming-style wedding is held in Nanjing, China, last December. The number "eight" (ba) is considered auspicious by many in China because it sounds like the word for "wealth" and "fortune," the news agency Xinhua said. "We've long been prepared for a stampede of newly-wed couples this year," Guo Xusheng, spokesman with the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, told Xinhua. Every year, many couples choose the 8th of August -- the eighth month of the year -- hoping "eighth of the eighth" luck will rub off on them, the news agency said. Nearly 3,400 couples got hitched on the day last year, some waiting all night outside the marriage registration office in Beijing. This year, the civil affairs bureau is accepting online reservations for marriage registrations for the day. The significance that numbers carry in Chinese culture often dictate various aspects of the people's lives there. And of all the numbers, eight is considered one of the luckiest. Beijing, itself, opted to kick off the Olympic Games at 8 p.m. on 8/8/08. E-mail to a friend .
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China braces for rush of weddings on opening day of Olympics . Opening day of Beijing Olympics is August 8, 2008 . The number "8" is considered by many Chinese to carry good fortune .
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(CNN) -- Emmindingen is a small town in southwest Germany, with about 26,000 people and an enviable unemployment rate of just 2.8% . But barely 20 miles away, across the French border, the picture is very different. The Alsatian town of Selestat has a similar industrial base, but an unemployment rate of 7.4%. Among young people, the contrast is even starker, with 23% of under-25s unemployed in the French town, compared to 1.8% in Emmendingen. The differing fortunes of these neighboring border towns illustrate the complaints of many French businesses, as their country heads towards a presidential election. Anne Leitzgen is the president of SALM Kitchens, a family-run business which has operated since the 1930s, and has one of the largest worktop production lines in Europe. Despite a commitment to invest in Selestat, she worries about the increased costs of running a firm in France, saying taxes are higher, labor is twice as expensive, and workers' benefits are double those paid in Germany. Leitzgen says she is concerned the next French government will tax companies like hers out of business. "We are afraid money will be taken from our companies, and afraid that taxes will increase a lot and the situation will become bad for companies our size ," she says. Further, she says, the "relationship between the unions is more constructive and easier in Germany." Across the border is the workplace of Emmanuel Foyer, a Frenchman who lives in his homeland but commutes to work in Emmendingen. Foyer, the sales manager for plastics industry solutions provider Braunform, believes a German focus on the long-term is behind the current success. "In Germany, for sure, we are thinking of the long-term. In a company like this, [there's a] huge focus on training and the future of our employees," he says. "The approach in Germany to keep workers in times of low-load level means we were ready when the economy restarted." The trade-off for German workers is less job security, no national, fixed minimum wage, and less extensive social protections for the unemployed. But the mayor of Selestat, Marcel Bauer, says it is time for France to make these changes to regain its economic competitiveness. "As soon as the next president is in office -- be it the one we've got or a new one -- I sincerely hope that jobs reforms will be put in place immediately," he says. "The system needs to be more flexible. There is a lot that must change, starting with the mindset of employers and employees."
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Two towns either side of the French-German border have contrasting economic fortunes . French Selestat has 7.4% unemployment, compared with 2.8% in German Emmendingen . French businesses say they envy the lower tax and labor costs across the border . They fear the burden on French business will increase after the forthcoming election .
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(CNN) -- Unless governments in the Middle East stop offering "cosmetic changes" to calls for reform, they should brace themselves for another year of protests, Amnesty International warned Monday. The protests and bloodshed will continue unless governments and the international community ensure the demonstrators' demands are addressed, the rights group said in a new report. Protesters are not interested in "piecemeal" reforms, it said. "With few exceptions, governments have failed to recognize that everything has changed," said Philip Luther, director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa. "The protest movements across the region, led in many cases by young people and with women playing central roles, have proved astonishingly resilient in the face of sometimes staggering repression." Protesters want accountability and change in governance, according to Luther. The 80-page report is called "Year of Rebellion: State of Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa." It highlights the success of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in removing their longtime regimes, but underscores the need to institute democracy to ensure past actions are not repeated. "The uprising in Tunisia brought significant improvements in human rights, but one year on, many consider that the pace of change has been too slow, with families of the victims of the uprising still awaiting justice," Amnesty said. In Egypt, for example, military rulers are yet to deliver on demands of the revolution and are in some cases behind attacks that are "worse than under Hosni Mubarak" regime, the report said. Amnesty warned that some governments "remained grimly determined to cling onto power" at all costs, citing an example of Syria. "Syrian armed forces and intelligence services have been responsible for a pattern of killings and torture amounting to crimes against humanity, in a vain attempt to terrify protesters and opponents into silence and submission," the report said. " By the end of the year there were over 200 cases of reported deaths in custody, over 40 times the recent average annual figure for Syria." International powers and regional bodies such as the United Nations and the African Union have taken a stronger stance in some nations than others, the report said. Despite the unequal treatment, the lack of foreign intervention has had it positives, according to Amnesty. "What has been striking about the last year has been that -- with some exceptions -- change has largely been achieved through the efforts of local people coming onto the streets," Luther said. A Tunisian vegetable vendor torched himself out of economic despair last year, sparking the so-called Arab uprisings that led to the toppling of Tunisia, Libya and Egypt leaders. The uprisings continue in a series of other nations, including Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad is trying to cling to power amid monthslong protests. In Yemen, protests led to President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreeing to step down. The Yemeni government has approved the final draft of an immunity law that will give Saleh and his aides immunity from prosecution.
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Report: Protests will rage on unless demands are met . It highlights the success of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya . The report underscores need for democracy in those nations . Protesters want accountability and change, Amnesty says .
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87d1e36110e195ba39ea249281952114b4c6f8d8
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(EW.com) -- "The Sing-Off" has found its new judge: Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jewel is coming to NBC's cult-favorite a cappella competition series this winter. Jewel will join Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman and Ben Folds as judges on the show, and Nick Lachey will return as host. The singer replaces exiting singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles on the show. "There are very few musical artists as accomplished and talented as Jewel," said Paul Telegdy, NBC's president of alternative programming. "Her addition to 'The Sing-Off' judges panel, along with our stellar team of Shawn Stockman and Ben Folds, raises the showmanship of the series up another notch." NBC shelved "The Sing-Off " last year, then revived the competition series for a fourth season in March with executive producer Mark Burnett taking charge. Jewel previously served as an adviser on Burnett's "The Voice" last year. "Jewel is one of America's greatest singer songwriters and is an amazing storyteller," Burnett said. "...The Sing-Off is sure to be its best [season] yet." "The Sing-Off" will return in December. See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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The singer will join as a judge . She had previously served as an adviser on "The Voice" The "Sing Off" had been shelved last year, but was revived .
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(CNN) -- Former world champion Nicky Hayden could miss MotoGP testing in Sepang, Malaysia, at the end of next month after suffering a heavy crash in training. The 30-year-old Ducati rider -- winner of the world championship in 2006 -- suffered a broken left shoulder blade and two fractured ribs in the incident at a private track near his home in Kentucky,. Winter testing begins on January 31, although Hayden, who had only just returned to riding after crashing heavily during the Valencia Grand Prix in November, released a statement saying he hoped to be fit in time. 2012 MotoGP season brought forward . "Obviously,injuries are never good, but it is part of motorcycle racing," said Hayden. "Just like at Valencia, it was kind of a freak accident. I was starting to train again, like I normally do during the winter, at a private track near my house. "I came up behind another rider, and he went to move out of the way. I wasn't going that fast, but he clipped my front wheel and I went down and landed pretty hard on my left shoulder, and that was it." Hayden continued: "It's disappointing, but there's nothing to do about it but heal quickly. Anyway, this doesn't change my expectations for 2012 which, fortunately, is just around the corner." The first race of the new season will take place at the desert circuit of Losail in Qatar on April 8.
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American Nicky Hayden is doubtful for MotoGP testing in Malaysia at the end of January . Hayden broke his left shoulder blade and suffered two fractured ribs in a training crash . 30-year-old Ducati rider Hayden won the MotoGP world championship in 2006 .
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(CNN) -- World No. 1 Tiger Woods lamented a "rough day" after equaling the second-worst score of his professional career on Saturday. The American carded a seven-over-par 79 as he posted a triple bogey and two doubles in his opening nine holes at the Memorial Tournament, to be 16 shots off the lead as he struggled in the windy conditions. "It was a rough day," the defending champion told the PGA Tour website. "It was tough out there from beginning to end." Woods had seemed in good shape to end his five-year wait for a 15th major title at this month's U.S. Open, with four wins already in 2013, but his form at Muirfield Village in Ohio has been his worst this season -- carding 71 and 74 in the opening round of a tournament he has won five times. "It's just one of those things where I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggled out there," said Woods, playing his first tournament since his public spat with Sergio Garcia -- who was accused of a racist remark after saying he would serve Tiger "fried chicken" in response to a question about their argument at last month's Players Championship . "The conditions were tough -- when I missed it cost me," Woods added. "I caught the wrong gusts at the wrong time, made a couple bad swings and all in all it just went the wrong way." Starting on the back nine, Woods posted 44 by the turn -- his worst effort on the PGA Tour. He hit back with three birdies but then dropped two more shots, including a bogey at the last hole. "We didn't hit that many bad shots starting out the day and the next thing you know we are quite a few over par," he said. "It was a tough day. I tried to fight back on the back nine, just didn't quite materialize." World No. 2 Rory McIlroy also struggled in the third round, undoing his good work having earlier completed a weather-delayed 69 that meant he made the halfway cut. The Northern Irishman carded 75 -- three better than his opening 78 -- as he ended the day tied for 64th, two shots ahead of Woods but 14 behind leader Matt Kuchar. Kuchar posted his second successive round of 70 to claim a two-shot lead from fellow Americans Kevin Chappell (68) and Kyle Stanley (73). Kuchar is in form after finishing second at last week's Crowne Plaza Invitational, while he won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in February. Halfway leader Bill Haas dropped to a tie for fourth with Matt Jones and 2010 Memorial winner Justin Rose of England after slumping to 76. Meanwhile, Matteo Manassero stayed in contention for a second successive European Tour title despite faltering at the Stockholm Masters on Saturday. The 20-year-old Italian, who last week became the youngest winner of the tour's flagship PGA Championship, carded one-under 71 to be tied for third in Sweden -- four shots behind leader Mikko Illonen of Finland.
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Tiger Woods struggles with seven-over-par 79 at PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament . World's top golfer is 24 shots off the lead following a difficult third round . He posts the worst opening nine-hole score of his professional career . Second-ranked Rory McIlroy also down the field after just making the cut .
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e5f746e9ed5fa1afcad38cb0a15786b022a2257e
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(CNN) -- Among all the woes of modern air travel -- cramped seating, extra charges for baggage, outrageous prices for airport food -- perhaps nothing frays the nerves of passengers faster than air turbulence. Well, brace yourself for even bumpier skies. And costlier flights. A pair of British scientists are predicting that the white-knuckle rocking and rolling at 35,000 feet is going to get worse. According to a paper published in the scientific journal, Nature, climate change will significantly increase turbulence over the North Atlantic, a popular route between North America and Europe. The report concludes that "journey times may lengthen and fuel consumption and emissions may increase" as a result. READ MORE: CNN Business Traveller . This means additional costs to airlines and, ultimately, passengers. Currently, turbulence causes about $150 million a year in damages to planes and other expenses, said Paul Williams, one of the report's authors from the department of meteorology at the University of Reading. There's a high chance overall industry costs will rise as turbulence intensifies, he said. The report is based on a study of climate model simulations that suggest changes in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere will dramatically increase the jarring rattle, shake, shimmy and sudden drops known all too well to frequent fliers. READ MORE: What women want on the road . "We only looked at winter, as this is when the jet stream is strongest, but we will look at other seasons in the future," said co-author Maoj Joshi, a lecturer in climate dynamics from the University of East Anglia. Study results show that the area above the North Atlantic that will experience "significant" turbulence will double, explained Williams. "Significant" turbulence can be classified as turbulence that would prompt a pilot to turn on the seat belt sign, he said. Joshi told CNN he expects to find similar results when the team looks at the North Pacific region, between Japan and the West Coast of the United States. So, in addition to everything else, expect to hear that "keep your seat belt fastened" reprimand a little more often as you fly the shaky skies.
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Report says passengers should brace themselves for bumpier skies and costlier flights . It says climate change will increase turbulence over the North Atlantic, a popular route . The report is based on a climate model simulations, impact of changes in carbon dioxide levels .
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f73a4f4f53c281bbeeb5dac8e48323b79ee315c4
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