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(CNN) -- In 1909, Alice Ramsey blazed a path across America's landscape and society. Millions of women have followed in her tracks, few more precisely than Emily Anderson exactly 100 years later.
Anderson was the lead driver in a re-enactment last summer of Ramsey's journey, when she became the first woman to drive an automobile from coast to coast. Both women drove a 1909 Maxwell DA from New York to San Francisco, California, but they traversed two very different Americas.
"It really was a tremendous effort by so many people to get us across the country," Anderson, an event planner from Seattle, Washington, said. "It showed me the heart of America was open to us in a big way that I don't think would normally be so open had we been in a modern-day vehicle."
Antique car enthusiast Richard Anderson recruited his 34-year-old daughter to drive the 1909 Maxwell DA he and two friends built from parts they scavenged from around the globe, and hand-fabricated when necessary.
"It all came down to a lot of books and manuals and guessing and putting a puzzle back together again with no instructions," Emily Anderson said.
They got the car built and running in time to launch the drive on June 9 at 1930 Broadway, the address where Ramsey's journey began. Several of Ramsey's descendants were on hand, including two who rode along for a few miles.
Anderson's Maxwell soon suffered the first of many breakdowns.
"That was a bit defeating, especially since it was our first day and we were pretty jazzed and motivated to get moving and get on the road," she said.
Temporary repairs carried the car and crew about 1,800 miles to western Nebraska, where a master mechanic worked for more than five hours to fix the problem in a more permanent way.
"It was amazing to me that people would just stop their lives and do whatever they could to keep us moving," Anderson said.
By Anderson's side was Christie Catania, her close friend and co-pilot.
Catania described the co-pilot's job as "navigation, waving, talking to people in the back seat; I was also the blinker, the mirrors, comic relief ..."
Librarian-storyteller Sally Barnett rode in the back seat most of the way.
"I love old cars, and I had read about Alice Ramsey years ago. She's one of my heroine-mentors," said Barnett, 67, of Huntsville, Alabama. "... My part was to dress up as Alice and tell her story."
The Maxwell's fourth seat was reserved for sponsors, dignitaries and special guests along the way, Anderson said.
When she wasn't in the rear of the Maxwell, Barnett was riding in the back seat of other antique cars that fell into formation along the way, forming what enthusiast Leta Nichols of Orangevale, California, called "a 3,000-mile parade."
High-speed collisions with flying insects were a hallmark of the trip.
"You don't realize how valuable a windshield is until you ride in a car without a windshield, Barnett quipped.
"We were really acting as human windshields and bug-catchers," Anderson recalled. "A couple times a day we had a teeth-cleaning."
But at least the 2009 group had well-mapped, paved roads to travel on, part of the reason they were able to cross the country in 30 days, half the time it took Ramsey, who followed the general path of what would become the Lincoln Highway.
"We traveled at a faster rate simply because we could," Anderson said. "Alice only had 152 miles of paved roadway in 1909, and those roads were primarily within the cities. ... Otherwise it was all wagon trails, and that's some difficult terrain to cross."
The social terrain was equally difficult.
Ramsey "fit a category of woman in the early-20th century, late-19th century who was interested in quietly demonstrating that women were as capable as | [
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Both women made the journey from NYC to San Francisco in a 1909 Maxwell DA .
Passing trucks kicked up debris and wind around the open car during 30-day trip .
Anderson's Maxwell suffered many breakdowns and lots of people helped along the way . |
(CNN) -- In 1967, the Mamas & the Papas had a hit with a song that detailed, with bittersweet harmonies, the checkered history of the band. The song, written by the group's John Phillips and his wife, Michelle, was called "Creeque Alley."
Michelle Phillips, Denny Doherty and John Phillips, here in 1998, were members of the Mamas & the Papas.
If the song were to be updated today, it might have to be retitled "Creep Alley."
With the claims by John's daughter, Mackenzie, that she had an incestuous relationship with her father, the story of Phillips and his group -- in music, models of California dreams and California dreamin' -- takes on a darker hue.
The story was already tangled, a motley love- and drug-soaked tale of excess set to the group's distinctive four-part harmonies.
Phillips left his first wife, Mackenzie's mother, Susan Adams, for 18-year-old Michelle, whom he'd met in a San Francisco club while touring in the early '60s, according to the band's biography on Allmusic.com.
The band's lead male singer, Denny Doherty, later had an affair with Michelle; she was forced out of the group for a time. The fourth member, Cass Elliot, had an unrequited crush on Doherty, the biography noted.
After the Mamas & the Papas' success with such singles as "California Dreamin' " and the No. 1 hit "Monday, Monday," the Phillipses bought a Bel Air mansion from which they ruled over the Los Angeles music scene.
In his 1986 memoir, "Papa John," John Phillips, who died in 2001, remembered hosting parties for the Beatles when they visited town.
John Phillips, the band's primary songwriter, was at least six years older than the others and did not shy from the task of addressing the group's pain and confusion in song. In such songs as "Got a Feelin'," "I Saw Her Again Last Night" and "Trip, Stumble and Fall," he cast a cold eye on the band's romantic entanglements, even as his melancholy and sometimes cutting lyrics were often belied by those sunny harmonies and Lou Adler's slick production.
"One doesn't try to hold Cass and Denny and Michelle together," he said in a 1995 interview. "It's a useless task to start with. You just sort of stay out of the way and let things roll as they can."
In 1968, the group split up. There was a 1971 reunion that produced the contractually obligated album "People Like Us," but the experience was "horrible," John Phillips recalled in the liner notes to the group's anthology, "The History of the Mamas and the Papas."
The group members had mixed success after the breakup. Elliot, who died of a heart attack in 1974 (and not by choking on a sandwich, as urban legend has it), pursued a solo career; she had a handful of hits. Doherty and John Phillips also tried their hands at solo careers; the latter's 1970 "John, the Wolf King of L.A.," produced a minor hit and is now considered a classic but sold relatively poorly upon release.
More common were the stories of trouble. Michelle and John Phillips divorced in 1970; late that year, Michelle was married to Dennis Hopper for eight days.
John Phillips, who married Genevieve Waite in 1972, became increasingly immersed in drugs, says his Allmusic biography, to the point where he couldn't finish an album commissioned by the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In 1981, he was convicted of drug trafficking.
By that point, daughter Mackenzie says, she was also a full-blown drug addict.
"I grew up in a place where there were no rules ... which did not serve me well, and everybody, I think, knew that," she said on a reunion special for her '70s sitcom, "One Day at a Time." | [
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John Phillips, who died in 2001, lived life of excess .
Mamas & Papas were leading California group of '60s, with tangled romantic links .
John Phillips was heavy drug user, once convicted of drug trafficking . |
(CNN) -- In 1979, Jarreth Merz, then a young boy in Ghana, saw the dramatic results of a military coup. Watching on an old black and white television set, he and a group of his friends witnessed one of the nation's generals being blindfolded and shot to death by a firing squad. Shortly afterward, his family fled the instability of Ghana and returned to his native Switzerland.
But Africa stayed with Merz, who told his story at the TED Global conference in Edinburgh, UK, in July. He grew up to become an actor and found that he was increasingly being cast as a violent African or a terrorist. "How many terrorists could I possibly play before turning into one myself?"
"I had become ashamed of the other, the African in me."
After 28 years, Merz returned to Ghana to film the nation's 2008 presidential election and, as it turned out, to learn more about himself. "I realized that, when I'd left the country, free and fair elections in a democratic environment were a dream. And now that I'd returned, that dream had become reality, though a fragile reality."
In the first round of voting in Ghana, no candidate attained the 50% of the vote needed to gain the presidency, and an inconclusive runoff was held. People began questioning whether the elections were being manipulated. Merz said there was gunfire and he saw discouraging signs of a possible breakdown in civil order. "And my heart sank, because I thought, here we are again. Here is another proof that the African is not capable of governing himself. And not only that, I am documenting it -- documenting my own cultural shortcomings."
But rather than erupt in violence, the crowd started chanting "We want peace," and eventually, after new voting, a winner was certified and power was transferred peacefully, Merz said. "Ghana taught me to look at people differently and to look at myself differently. And yes, we Africans can."
In his film, "An African Election," Merz told CNN in an interview, "The political system, the democratic system, is tested to the utmost."
The lesson: "You don't have to rebel. You have the freedom to choose, and with that choice comes a responsibility." | [
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His family left for Europe, but he returned in 2008 to film Ghana's election .
After close vote and a runoff, a winner was declared and power transferred .
Merz: Election helped show that democracy is viable in Africa . |
(CNN) -- In 1980, in the pre-Internet, pre-download days when R.E.M. formed in Athens, Georgia, there was no alternative. There was no Americana. There was no grunge.
If you listened to pop music, there were essentially three divisions: Top 40 of the type you heard on the rapidly fading AM radio, the corporate rock of album-oriented FM and what was then called college radio -- a catch-all for the punk, new wave, electronic, low-fi and oddball music that almost never crossed over to the mainstream.
R.E.M. helped to change all that.
They weren't the only ones -- the New York art-punks of the late '70s, notably Talking Heads and Blondie, had hit the Top 40, and fellow Athens scenesters the B-52's had established a national following with their party-down rave-ups.
But it was R.E.M. that, in the words of Allmusic.com's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "transformed the American underground." If, in the '60s, teenagers gathered in their parents' garages in the hopes of being the next Beatles, in the '80s young adults knocked around dormitories in hopes of being the next R.E.M.: melodic, guitar-based and determined not to sell out to the corporate-music crowd.
R.E.M. was the great hope of fame-fantasizing, used-record-store clerks everywhere.
"They did this grass-roots thing that nobody had ever done," said Angie Carlson, a former member of the band Let's Active, which toured with R.E.M. in the mid-'80s. "They sort of bypassed big marketing, and were at the clubs networking with the cool fellow record-store people."
In R.E.M.'s wake came a breadth of artists who turned college radio into a home for guitar-based rock and power-pop: the Replacements, Jason and the Scorchers and the Del Fuegos, among many others. Years later, Nirvana emerged and the whole world broke open. Kurt Cobain, in fact, was a big R.E.M. fan.
Now R.E.M. has come to an end.
"To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band," read a message posted on the group's website Wednesday. "We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening."
The band didn't easily fit labels. Its early sound, led by Peter Buck's ringing guitar arpeggios, might best be described as folk-rock, equal parts Byrds-ian harmony and punk snarl. Alongside was lead singer Michael Stipe's reedy vocals and, more distinctively, his resonant, nonsensical lyrics, full of phrases such as "Cages under cage" and "Hear the howl of the rope." (Pre-Internet, a popular music-geek parlor game involved deciphering R.E.M. lyrics.)
And underneath Buck and Stipe was the rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry, filling spaces with melodic bass lines and powerhouse percussion. R.E.M. may have had its artsy flourishes, but the band also -- in "American Bandstand" parlance -- "had a good beat you could dance to."
The band formed at a time when "underground" really meant something, said Carlson, now of Figure Eight Publicity.
"You couldn't trade (music) on the Internet. You had to know somebody or you had to go the club," she said. "And that's the other reason a band like that was able to thrive -- people went to see live music.
"And they had such a cool vibe in person. They were smart, they were funny, they were charismatic. All of that played into it."
Moreover, the band worked hard, providing a model for others to follow. In the '80s, starting with the 1982 EP "Chronic Town," there was | [
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Group was formed in 1980 in Athens, Georgia .
"They did this grass-roots thing that nobody had ever done," says fellow musician .
Group stayed true to muse, even after becoming million sellers . |
(CNN) -- In 1991, Nirvana changed American rock music with an album that featured a naked baby on the cover. Fred Thorne played in bands for 18 years and says Kurt Cobain's legacy always stuck with him. Now, that naked baby is 17 years old and a high school graduate. The album, "Nevermind," is a classic beloved by music aficionados across the world. It soared to the top of the Billboard charts, swiftly ending the '80s era of dance pop and "hair metal" and replacing it with the "grunge" movement. In doing so, it irreversibly changed the tastes and even lives of millions of musicians and music lovers. "One song changed the way we look at rock music," said Russ Lancaster of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the first track on the record. "Just like the Beatles changed pop music 30 years prior, Nirvana's breakthrough album achieved the same level of power in terms of changing pop music. They weren't singing anymore about happy, funny songs. They were taking a real dark turn to pop music, and it changed everything. Back then it was really different to hear that on the radio. It opened up a floodgate of artists that might never have been heard before that." What artists, exactly? Lancaster says Pearl Jam comes to mind, and that the entire emo genre might never have come into existence if it wasn't for grunge. "It wouldn't have the visibility it has today without the stepping-stone that grunge gave it," he said. iReport.com: Passing grunge onto the next generation Pat Ferguson said grunge also was crucial to indie rock becoming mainstream. "What I appreciate 'Nevermind' the most for was paving the way for other indie bands that I really ended up liking to get put out into the mainstream. Not so much for the exposure they got, but so that everyone could more readily get their product," he said. "It was a world without iTunes, Rhapsody or Napster. The only way you got exposure to music that wasn't pop [or] country was living close enough to a university-run radio station or having a friend who had access to it. It wasn't long after the grunge era started that other indie rock bands like Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Superchunk, fIREHOSE and a wealth of others broke out and started becoming a bit more accessible." iReport.com: 'A lot of bands owe a lot to that record' For Derek Ivy, the influence of Nirvana is a little more personal. Hearing "Nevermind" and the band's other albums inspired him to learn guitar as a teenager, and he still plays in a band called Golden Hours. "Nirvana taught me to play music," said Ivy. "Everybody has the first few songs they ever learn to play, and for me it was mostly this Nirvana stuff. When I hear this album or think of it, I recall the countless afternoons I spent playing these songs on guitar and, later, drums. I remember learning every song on it, and pretty much every other Nirvana song." Ivy said Nirvana front man and songwriter Kurt Cobain was an important influence in his life, musically and otherwise. "Kurt Cobain was one of my earliest and greatest musical influences, as I'm sure countless others can attest to. And he's a tremendous influence on me in a lot of different ways," he said. "When Kurt died, I felt like I'd lost a personal friend, even though I didn't know him and I was only 14 at the time. It was sort of like, here you go, here's adulthood." iReport.com: 'My teenage years would have been considerably less bearable were it not for this band' Cobain was also a profound figure in Fred Thorne's life. Thorne played in bands for 18 years, and he said Cobain's success on the charts and ultimate suicide led him to heed the Nirvana front man's advice: "Be careful what you wish for." " | [
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Pat Ferguson says Nirvana opened the door for indie rock groups of the 1990s .
Fred Thorne and Derek Ivy say they were profoundly influenced by Kurt Cobain .
iReport.com: Share your memories of the grunge era . |
(CNN) -- In 2003, the BET Awards had a priceless moment when Michael Jackson surprised his idol, James Brown, by showing up on stage where the duo thrilled the audience with an electrifying performance. Michael Jackson performed with James Brown at the BET Awards in 2003. This year's show is dedicated to Jackson. Now, both the King of Pop and the Godfather of Soul are gone. Sunday night's 9th Annual BET Awards is sure to be filled with tributes to Jackson, whose videos and performances were a staple for the network in his heyday. BET has already paid tribute to the singer, going wall-to-wall with Jackson videos Thursday night. Many of the celebrities scheduled to attend the show were also fans of the singer and it is expected that the night will provide an opportunity for them to salute the star. "Words cannot capture the impact Michael Jackson has had on pop culture around the world," said Debra L. Lee, chairman and chief executive officer of BET Networks. "He changed the way we hear and feel and move to music; he epitomized what true musical talent and star power really mean. He is and always will be the King of Pop." Academy Award-winning actor and R&B singer Jamie Foxx is set to host the show. Several of the scheduled performers include artists, such as Ne-Yo and Beyonce, who have acknowledged the influence of Jackson on their music and careers. The annual event is a premier one for the network and this year's plan was to recognize the musical legacy and longstanding career of the legendary soul trio, the O'Jays, with the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Artists Alicia Keys and Wyclef Jean are to be honored with the Humanitarian Award for their respective charitable work. BET CEO Lee said Sunday's show will be dedicated to Jackson and will also pay tribute to his legacy. Lee reflected on Jackson's career and his importance to BET -- which stands for Black Entertainment Television -- in a prepared statement after his death, while also offering heartfelt prayers for the singer's family and friends. "Michael's influence is felt every day in so many ways at BET Networks, and it's been that way throughout our network's entire 29-year history," she said. "We watched him grow up and, like everyone around the world, he feels like he is a member of our family. "He will be missed more than we can say ... but his legend and memory live on in the artists, musicians, producers, dancers, fans and everyone else who looks to him for inspiration." The BET Awards is scheduled to run live on the cable network Sunday at 8 p.m. | [
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Many of the planned attendees expected to pay tribute to Michael Jackson .
Network CEO: "Michael's influence is felt every day in so many ways" |
(CNN) -- In 2004, a bullet ripped away Connie Culp's nose, cheeks and upper jaw. Metal fragments sprayed into her skull and stripped her face away, leaving nothing except for her eyes, her chin and forehead. Culp, an Ohio mother of two, lost the mid-portion of her face after a gunshot wound in September 2004. Without her nose, she could not smell. She breathed through a tracheostomy -- a surgical opening in her neck. Without lips, she could barely speak. But Tuesday, when Culp, 46, the first recipient of a face transplant in the United States, stepped in front of the cameras at a news conference, she was whole. In a soft voice, the Ohio mother of two repeatedly thanked the medical staff and the deceased donor whose nose, upper lip, cheekbones are now hers. "I want to focus on the donor family that allowed me to have this Christmas present," she told reporters gathered at the Cleveland Clinic, where her surgery took place. Watch Culp talk about the surgery » In December, Culp underwent a 22-hour transplant surgery. Although the hospital announced the facial transplant at that time, the patient had remained anonymous until the news conference. During the surgery, tissue from a deceased donor's face was shaped and fitted into position. Multiple layers of tissue, bone, muscle and blood vessels, nerve grafts and each artery and vein were connected. Culp received a nose, lower eyelids and upper lips, as doctors filled in the missing components of her face. Culp could not yet move her facial muscles to form a smile, but she laughed. "Well, I got me my nose." she quipped. Two months after the surgery, Culp was discharged from the hospital and returned home. Before the surgery, Culp could not eat solid foods. She could not taste. "Connie can now enjoy her food," said Dr. Maria Siemionow, who led the transplant operation. "She eats hamburgers and enjoys her pizzas, she's drinking coffee from the cup." Her new face allows her to "blend with society." "As you can see we have now a healthy person and happy person," Siemionow said. "She has reduced dramatically her pain and also she's able to walk on the street without being called names." Since the operation, doctors say Culp's new face has developed more movement. The new facial nerves are growing slowly, about an inch a month. See before and after photos of Connie Culp » "While Connie can do several things now that she was unable to do in the past, as time goes on more and more of the facial nerves will grow," said Dr. Frank Papay, chairman of the Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. "She will become more animated." For years, Culp lived "in tremendous pain, chronic pain, over the entire time," said Siemionow, director of plastic face transplant surgery research and head of microsurgery training at the hospital. Culp told a local television station in a 2008 interview that she had been shot in the face from just eight feet away in an attempted murder-suicide by her husband. In 2005, Culp came to the Cleveland Clinic for treatment. After 30 surgical procedures, none had restored her basic functions. "The last resort and the last option was to consider face transplantation," said Siemionow. Transplant recipients have to take immunosuppressing, anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their life. After the hospital's surgeons, ethical committee members, psychiatry and psychology specialists met with Culp, they decided "that Connie is the right patient," Siemionow said. Doctors involved in Culp's treatment said the surgery was not about aesthetics, but to restore Culp's basic abilities. "We are actually overwhelmed by how great she's doing functionally," Siemionow said. "And I'm re-emphasizing that this is all about functional outcome. Someone who couldn't breathe through the | [
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Connie Culp regained breathing and speaking ability after transplant .
Doctors say she has shown major medical improvements . |
(CNN) -- In 2009, a freshly elected U.S. president who campaigned on the themes of hope and change appointed a veteran negotiator to take a crack at the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Now, 32 months after President Barack Obama named former Sen. George Mitchell as his chief Middle East envoy, the peace process is stalled and the United States faces the diplomatically dangerous possibility of having to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution on Palestinian statehood.
How did it get to this point? The answers are in the intractable nature of the conflict, political pressures faced by the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships, and a steady waning of U.S. influence in the region, exacerbated by the Arab Spring protests that erupted last December.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday he intends to submit an application for statehood to the Security Council, according to U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky, setting up a possible vote as soon as Friday.
U.S. officials have made clear they will veto it, affirming the longstanding backing for Israel, the nation's strongest Middle East ally.
Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes negotiations are seeking to avoid a move certain to evoke Arab protests of American bias and even hypocrisy.
A U.S. veto would amount to Washington blocking an outcome it has publicly supported -- the creation of a Palestinian state next to Israel. However, the Obama administration insists that result must occur through a negotiated deal with Israel.
"We continue to believe and are pressing the point that the only way to a two-state solution, which is what we support and want to see happen, is through negotiations," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said late Monday.
Addressing the possible Palestinian statehood bid, she added that "no matter what does or doesn't happen, this will not produce the kind of outcome that everyone is hoping for, so we are going to stay very much engaged and focused."
Also Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was willing to meet with Abbas in New York to launch direct talks that would continue back in the Middle East after the U.N. General Assembly.
Netanyahu's offer was an obvious attempt to give Abbas a plausible reason to put off the statehood bid, an outcome desired by the United States.
"For President Obama, who came into office speaking about self-determination and promised the Palestinians that it's a new day and a new dawn for them, to go to the Security Council and cast a veto against the Palestinian state is politically problematic," Fouad Ajami, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute think tank, said Monday on CNN.
"It's really a catastrophe for him in the Arab world, but he has no choice but to pass the veto if it came to that," Ajami continued. "The hope is (that) between now and Friday, some exit, some other formula will be found to spare one and all in this confrontation at the Security Council."
Fran Townsend, a CNN contributor on national security issues, said the potential U.N. vote "puts the United States in a very awkward position."
"It is a veto that will most certainly undermine U.S. credibility as an honest broker in the peace process," at least in the eyes of the Arab world, Townsend said.
The latest developments come five months after Mitchell's resignation. He said he only signed up to tackle the world's toughest diplomatic job for two years, but he was clearly frustrated by the inability to restart direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Mitchell, who was 77 when he stepped down, traveled back and forth in the region trying to overcome the decades of hostility and mistrust that bedeviled the peace process. Face-to-face negotiations sought by the United States and its mediating partners from the United Nations, European Union and Russia never materialized.
The Obama administration came into office hoping to seduce the Middle East with a more sensitive and compassionate posture after eight years of the Bush administration that brought war in Iraq and tough posturing against Iran and other enemies of Israel.
In June 2009, Obama used a high-profile speech in Cairo | [
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Palestinians will submit an application for statehood to U.N.
U.S. officials have made it clear they will veto such a move .
Behind-the-scenes negotiations are trying to avoid a move certain to evoke Arab protests . |
(CNN) -- In April 2007, UEFA's executive committee voted to accept a joint proposal from Poland and Ukraine to host the European football Championships in 2012.
Poland faces a struggle to upgrade many of its venues, such as Tenth Anniversary stadium in Warsaw.
The decision to award the tournament to Poland -- a former communist country -- and Ukraine -- a former Soviet Republic -- was viewed with surprise by many in the world of sport as they had defeated a rival bid from established football powerhouse Italy.
In addition to providing economic benefits -- hosting Euro 2008 was worth over $450 million to the Austrian economy according to its government -- staging such a high-profile international event would cap their remarkable transformation into credible democracies in the eyes of the world.
However, both countries have had to address a number of problems. Watch more about Poland's bid »
Political instability remains an issue in Ukraine -- the fragile ruling coalition recently collapsed -- while Poland's national team narrowly avoided a suspension after football's world ruling body FIFA said its federation had done little to stamp out corruption. A match-fixing scandal in the domestic league in 2005 led to about 70 people being arrested, though no one has been prosecuted.
Significantly, neither country has hosted a major sporting event and concerns remain about the shortage of adequate stadiums, high-quality hotels and poor transport infrastructure in both Poland and Ukraine.
With the proposed semi-final venues in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk and the Polish capital Warsaw, fans would currently be faced with a 30-hour train journey to attend both games. Although there are plans to expand and improve the highway linking the nations.
The opening match is scheduled to be staged at a new 70,000-capacity National Stadium in Warsaw when construction work is completed in 2009 at a cost of $800 million. The final will be held at Kiev's redeveloped Olympic Stadium, however all 12 proposed venues need considerable work in order to comply with international standards.
The remaining games will be held in the Polish cities of Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Chorzow and Krakow, as well as the Ukrainian cities of Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk.
Concerns about the readiness of the co-hosts led to a warning in June this year from UEFA President Michel Platini that they risked losing the right to stage the tournament if stadiums in their capitals were not ready.
This prompted a defiant response from the prime minister of Poland, who vowed to prove the skeptics wrong and make the 2012 European Championship an organizational triumph.
"We are aware that there are countries interested in us failing and the only successful rebuke to that will be better coordination and solidarity in our actions," Polish premier Donald Tusk told reporters at the time.
Bizarrely, the head of Poland's Football Association, Michal Listkiewicz, offered Uefa an alternative option for 2012 after voicing his concerns about Poland's ability to overcome its transport issues.
"If the European Championships took place in 2016, we would have no problems about being ready then," Listkiewicz told Germany's Die Zeit Online.
"But realistically we are looking at having no good roads in time for 2012," he said. "From Gdansk (in Poland) to Donetsk (in the Ukraine) is more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles). This is not like in Austria and Switzerland where everything lies close together."
Both countries were given a partial reprieve in September this year after UEFA's executive committee met in Bordeaux to discuss a progress report on preparations for the tournament.
"The executive committee reconfirmed UEFA's commitment to organize Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine," Platini told uefa.com. "At the same time, the committee stressed a number of conditions must be met in order to bring forward the whole project."
"If we don't have the stadiums in Kiev and Warsaw, that's a problem. Ukraine can't afford to send everyone to a country where there is no capital city (ready),'' Platini said. "They are working very hard and we have confidence in them. The president and the prime minister tell me | [
"Who warned both countries to up its progress?",
"Who has warned both countries?",
"Who claims corruption within it's domestic league?",
"Who is fighting internal corruption?",
"What doubts face Poland and Ukraine?",
"Who would host the tournament in 2012?",
"What is the Polish FA working on fixing?",
"Who doubts Ukraine's ability to stage tournament?"
] | [
[
"UEFA's executive committee"
],
[
"UEFA's"
],
[
"FIFA"
],
[
"FIFA"
],
[
"shortage of adequate stadiums, high-quality hotels"
],
[
"Poland and"
],
[
"upgrade many of its venues,"
],
[
"UEFA President Michel Platini"
]
] | Doubts persist about Poland and Ukraine's ability to stage tournament in 2012 .
Polish FA fighting corruption claims within its domestic league .
Other issues include inadequate stadiums and a poor transport infrastructure .
UEFA warned both countries to speed up its progress . |
(CNN) -- In Europe, the English have a reputation. They are notorious for prodigious drinking at Mediterranean resorts, a complete inability to master other languages and the habit of recalling World War Two every time England plays Germany at football -- or when it's time to remind the French of their spineless defeatism.
In turn, the words "perfidious Albion" have for centuries been part of a deep-seated French distrust of the English. "The English lie at mid-point between men and beasts," wrote the French author Robert-Martin Lesuire in 1760. Much more recently, French politicians have railed against "Anglo-Saxon" free-market capitalism as being responsible for the global financial meltdown. Just two weeks ago, French President Nicolas Sarkozy complained that globalization and free trade were at the root of the Eurozone crisis.
For their part, Germans are puzzled by the endless fascination of the British with the wars of the 20th century. "The older generation in particular see it as the last great act of national collective effort and self-assertion, the final episode in the history of the Empire before its imminent dissolution," writes the philosopher Gunnar Beck. He's not making it up. In 2010, an astonishing 850 books about the Third Reich were published in Britain.
Germans are relieved that the French don't have such visceral memories of war but wish they'd have more financial rectitude and a little less flamboyance. The Germans have fond memories of the deutsche mark, which rose out of the ashes with West Germany and was sacrificed for the euro. Chancellor Angela Merkel is conscious of a growing resentment among Germans that they must constantly open their wallets to support the more profligate Europeans.
This strange triangular relationship is often played out in the councils of Europe. But frequently Britain is the odd man out -- the semi-detached and half-hearted member of the European Union. The United Kingdom has always looked across the Atlantic as much as across the Channel to pursue its interests -- a sentiment only reinforced by memories of wartime Atlantic convoys that resupplied Britain and by the allied landings in Normandy.
By contrast, visionaries like Jean Monnet of France and Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, looking out at the ruins of Europe in the late 1940s, sought ways to bind together former enemies. The First World War had supposedly been the "war to end all wars." But this time, when they said "never again," they meant it. "Make men work together. Show them that beyond their differences and geographical boundaries there lies a common interest," Monnet said.
Last week, both Merkel and Sarkozy have summoned the ghosts of conflict to galvanize support for the European ideal, with Merkel warning the continent faces its gravest hour since 1945.
The ideal they are trying to save began modestly enough, with the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952: a single market for the coal and steel of six countries. But that common market was soon extended to become the European Economic Community (EEC), and gradually more aspects of national sovereignty were pooled. It was a Franco-German dream. Britain was too busy divesting itself of empire.
And when it turned from colonies to Europe, it bumped up against Charles de Gaulle, who dominated French politics for much of the post-war period. De Gaulle was innately suspicious of Britain and its "special relationship" with the United States. He twice vetoed British applications to join the evolving common market; and pulled France out of NATO's military command.
Once de Gaulle was gone, Britain -- under the leadership of the pro-European Conservative Edward Heath -- was finally accepted into the EEC. But Heath was in a minority among Britain's Conservatives, who would spend the next generation arguing over Europe.
The centrists saw Europe as essential to Britain's trading and financial future in a world of titans. The "Little Englanders" as they were often scornfully described, thought Europeans elitist, given to endless bureaucracy and determined to undermine a millennium of English self-rule.
And the Germans and the French were usually | [
"What kind of relationship does Britain, Germany, and France have?",
"Explain how has Britain been the odd man out?"
] | [
[
"strange triangular"
],
[
"the semi-detached and half-hearted member of the European Union."
]
] | Britain, Germany and France have long had a strange triangular relationship .
Britain has often been the odd man out, not fully buying into European unity .
Just who is coming along for the latest ride is not entirely clear . |
(CNN) -- In India he's an icon and to the rest of the cricketing world he's simply known as one of the greatest ever batsmen. One the game's greats, Sachin Tendulkar is more than just a player in India, he's an icon. Sachin Tendulkar picked up a bat at the age of 4 in Mumbai and from that day on fell in love with the game. "The only thing that was on my mind was, 'I want to play for India one day,' and I was pretty sure and confident that one day I will," he told CNN in Mumbai. In fact he made his Test debut for India at the age of 16 facing Pakistan's fearsome bowling attack, just two years after making his first-class debut for Mumbai. Despite a baptism of fire in that first international match and getting hit on the mouth by a ball from Waquar Younis, he took his own game forward and has become known for the positivity of his play and the compact efficiency and brilliance of his shot-making. Making his first Test hundred at the age of 17 against England he has racked up the records in a 19-year career. In 2000 he became the first batsman to score 50 international hundreds, and is the highest scorer in One Day internationals. He joined an elite group in 2007 when he became only the third player to pass 11,000 runs in Test cricket. Nicknames in cricket are common, but only if you're a really exceptional player do you get one that's complementary. Tendulkar has joined that elite as the "Little Master" which sits nicely next to other great batsmen, Viv "Master Blaster" Richards and Brian "The Prince" Lara. But perhaps no higher praise came from Australian cricketing legend Donald Bradman who once said that Tendulkar was the only player that reminded him of himself. Like all sportsmen he's suffered from injury, and now 35-years-old, many are wondering if his best days are behind him. Playing for India against England and Australia last summer and at the beginning of 2008, many commentators thought that his normal aggression and daring were missing from his game. His form was also heavily criticized after the 2007 World Cup, and injury forced him out of the international series against South Africa. But for the man used to batting away tricky deliveries, this criticism gets a typical positive response: "I'm not one to dwell on the past. I like to move forward and these challenges, these hurdles in between, they bring the best out of me. They motivate me even more." He's currently facing the challenges of the rapid-fire version of the game in the Indian Premier League (IPL), masterminded by Lalit Modi, that despite it's glitz and hype has been criticized for losing some of the finer points of the sport. "It's so full of excitement. I personally don't feel that it's dumbing-down the game. It's just another version of cricket. If the game is going to be globalized in the form of IPL, then why not? It's better for cricket," he told CNN. | [
"What event was the cricket star the leading run-scorer at?",
"When did he begin his international career?",
"At what age did his international career begin?",
"Who is India's most familiar cricket player?",
"Who is India's best known cricketer?",
"What was the age of the cricket star when he started his internation career?",
"Who is the leading run scorer?",
"What country is the cricketer from?",
"Does the cricketer hold any records?",
"What is his record in One Day Internationals?",
"When did he start his career?"
] | [
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"at the age of 16"
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[
"16"
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"Sachin Tendulkar"
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"Sachin Tendulkar"
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"2007 when he became only the third player to pass 11,000 runs in Test cricket."
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[
"50"
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"at the age of 16"
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] | India's best known cricketer is one of the games best-ever batsmen .
Started his international career when just 16-years-old .
Leading run-scorer in One Day Internationals and holder of many other records . |
(CNN) -- In Jacmel, Haiti, as light rain fell with the darkness Wednesday, Gwenn Goodale Mangine and a group of 35 people prepared to spend their second night sleeping outside on mattresses and cardboard boxes in her driveway.
Everyone is scared to be indoors. It is cold and damp.
The people of Jacmel line the streets, setting tires on fire to light up a town that has been reduced to rubble in many parts and is without power, she said. The flames are all that illuminate what remains of this town on the southern coast of Haiti, about 25 miles from the capital Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
"No one is wanting to go back into their homes, so they were all on the street. It's still like that," Mangine, 32, told CNN, speaking using a fleeting Internet connection. "Hundreds of people are all hunkered down for the night passing time and burning tires to light up the night."
The local airport has now become a refugee camp, she said. Buckets have become toilets. Residents shower using containers filled with water, if they can find it, she said.
Mangine and other residents of the town, with a population of about 34,000, spent Wednesday trying to stock up on supplies, while they remained fearful of continuing aftershocks, looked for survivors and tried to gauge the level destruction.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the perceived shaking from Tuesday's earthquake near Port-au-Prince would have been very strong in Jacmel, and they would be vulnerable to structural damage.
"Schools, homes, churches, businesses, hotels, old historic buildings -- dozens and dozens, gone," Mangine told CNN. "I just kept shaking my head and muttering, 'Oh my word,' over and over."
Mangine and her husband Nick have lived in Jacmel since April 2009 working with the organization "Joy in Hope, " and are houseparents at a home for orphaned children.
Today, along with others in this town, they frantically searched for loved ones -- a task made harder by the power outages and Internet troubles in the wake of the devastation.
In one incident, a staff member's daughter was nowhere to be found after her home collapsed. They feared the worst, but eventually were elated to find out she was OK.
Mangine also helped a 24-year-old man named Hughes find his mother.
Mangine and Hughes drove towards Hughes' mother's house.
From the truck, he spotted her in the distance.
"He jumps out of the car as I am still driving and he yells, 'Manman, Manman!' [Mommy, mommy]," Mangine said. "He runs and hugs her and starts sobbing. His mother, Rosemary, is clinging to him, and sobbing too."
They embraced tightly for more than five minutes, Mangine said.
"Man, it tore my heart out," she said. "I couldn't help but sob myself."
Mangine said she has lived through tropical storms and floods that caused landslides and problems -- problems she attributes to poor construction.
Haiti was 'catastrophe waiting to happen'
At the Hands and Feet Project in Jacmel, Mark Stuart said he believes good construction is what kept their structure largely intact.
"I'm very, very thankful for the quality of the construction here," Stuart said. "It gives us a hope that we will make it."
Hope is alive in Jacmel, Mangine said, but the earthquake caused destruction she couldn't believe.
"This is a whole different scale," she said. "It's the most helpless feeling in the world. We've just heard story after story of people being trapped in piles of rubble -- and there's no way to dig them out. No big machinery. No tools. There's nothing. Nothing."
It lies in stark contrast of what it was more than a day ago.
Before the quake hit, she had just finished English and Creole lessons with a | [
"What residents are sleeping in boxes?",
"What tore a big chunk of the hearts of the Haitian people?",
"how many residents are in jacmel?"
] | [
[
"a group of 35 people"
],
[
"earthquake"
],
[
"34,000,"
]
] | Residents in Jacmel, Haiti, sleeping on mattresses, boxes in driveways .
Gwenn Goodale Mangine tells CNN schools, homes, churches destroyed in town .
Mangine: "There's no way to dig them out. No big machinery. No tools. There's nothing"
Earthquake tore a "big chunk of the hearts of the Haitian people," Mangine says . |
(CNN) -- In Japanese legend they are known as The Kamikaze -- the divine winds -- a reference to two mighty typhoons placed providentially seven years apart which, in the 13th century, destroyed two separate Mongol invasion fleets so large they were not eclipsed until the D-Day landings of World War II.
Marine archaeologists now say they have uncovered the remains of a ship from the second fleet in 1281 -- believed to have comprised 4,400 vessels -- a meter below the seabed, in 25 meters of water off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan.
Scientists are hoping they will be able to recreate the complete Yuan Dynasty vessel from Kublai Khan's lost fleet using a 12-meter-long section of keel. The Mongols ruled China from 1271 to 1368.
According to Yoshifumi Ikeda, a professor of archaeology at Okinawa's University of the Ryukyus, and head of the research team, the section could go a long way to helping researchers identify all the characteristics of the 20-meter warship.
"This discovery was of major importance for our research," Ikeda told a news conference. "We are planning to expand search efforts and find further information that can help us restore the whole ship."
Discovered using ultrasound equipment, the research team says it is the first wreck from the period to have an intact hull, the planks of which are still attached to the keel with nails.
Scientists say its good state of preservation -- they were even able to establish that the planks were originally painted a whitish-gray -- is due to the fact it has been covered by sand.
"I believe we will be able to understand more about shipbuilding skills at the time as well as the actual situation of exchanges in East Asia," Ikeda told reporters in Nagasaki.
How to survive a shipwreck
More than 4,000 artifacts, including ceramic shards, bricks used for ballast, cannonballs and stone anchors have been found in the vicinity of the wreck, linking it to the Yuan Dynasty invasion fleet.
Ikeda said there were no immediate plans to salvage the hull and the first step was to conserve the find by covering the sites with nets.
The Kamikaze -- perhaps better known as the nickname given to the Japanese suicide pilots of the Pacific War -- were a nation-defining event for Japan and set the limits of Mongol expansion in the east.
Historians say the first Chinese attempt to invade Japan in 1274 ended in disaster.
Having initially engaged a numerically superior Japanese samurai force at the Battle of Bun'ei in First Battle of Hakata Bay, the Chinese retreated to their fleet of 300 ships and some 500 smaller craft after just one day of battle on land. A typhoon destroyed a third of the fleet that night and the remnants limped back to port in Korea which was then a vassal state of China.
Seven years later, Kublai Khan amassed an impressive armada of 4,400 ships carrying 40,000 Korean, Mongol and Chinese troops in a bid to finally subjugate Japan. The Japanese, convinced of a second invasion, had spent the intervening years building strategic seawalls which made it difficult for the Chinese to land.
Unable to gain a beachhead after initially taking the island of Iki and Tsushima, the fleet was decimated by a two-day typhoon that hit the Tsushima Straits.
It is believed about 80% of the fleet was destroyed and the Khan's troops either drowned at sea or slaughtered on the beaches by samurai.
According to a contemporary account cited in the book "Khubilai Khan's lost fleet: In Search of a Legendary Armada," by maritime archaeologist James P. Delgado, the losses were so great that "a person could walk across from one point of land to another on a mass of wreckage". | [
"What was found near the wreck",
"Where was the shipwreck found?",
"More than how many artifacts, including pottery shards, cannonballs and anchors were found near the wreck?",
"The vessel is thought to have been part of what?",
"What did the archeoologists find",
"What was the vessel thought to be part of",
"What have marine archaeologists found off the coast of Japan?",
"How many artifacts were found?",
"What is the vessel thought to have been part of?"
] | [
[
"More than 4,000 artifacts, including ceramic shards, bricks used for ballast, cannonballs and stone anchors"
],
[
"in 25 meters of water off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan."
],
[
"4,000"
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[
"Kublai Khan's lost fleet"
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[
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[
"the Yuan Dynasty invasion fleet."
],
[
"the remains of a ship from the second fleet in 1281"
],
[
"More than 4,000"
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[
"Kublai Khan's lost fleet"
]
] | Marine archaeologists have found a shipwreck dating from the 13th century off the coast of Japan .
The vessel is thought to have been part of Kublai Khan's massive invasion fleet .
More than 4,000 artifacts, including pottery shards, cannonballs and anchors were found near the wreck . |
(CNN) -- In Mexico City, the government ran out of surgical masks after handing them out to one of every five residents. A mother and son wear face masks as protection from swine flu at Sydney international Airport in Australia. Manufacturers and pharmacies in Europe are also reporting a surge in demand for face masks. And a Texas-based surgical mask producer says it's ramping up to meet demand and expects a shortage of masks. But their real value seems to be in keeping people who are already ill from spreading the virus, rather than protecting healthy people, experts said. Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday in a press briefing that the "evidence is not very strong" for masks' value outside of health care settings, and outside of settings in which people come into face-to-face contact with a person with an infectious disease. "We would not recommend that people generally wear masks in their workplace as a precautionary measure," he said. Watch for more on staying safe from swine flu » The World Health Organization (WHO) also warns against relying on face masks, especially for those not infected with the virus. "They are mainly useful for people who are already sick, to prevent spreading. Not so much to stop people from catching the virus," Sarah Cumberland of the WHO told CNN. The United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency also told CNN that the use of face masks was not necessary or recommended for protection against the swine flu virus. Although it's not known for sure how much benefit a surgical mask has in preventing the transmission of swine flu, people who have the illness may consider wearing one as a way to reduce the amount they cough and sneeze onto others, said Dr. Arthur Reingold, head of the epidemiology division at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health. "I think that this is a perfectly reasonable thing for someone with a respiratory illness to do," he said. More effective than soft surgical masks is the N95, which is an example of a "respirator." This kind of tight-fitting face covering protects people against breathing very small particles, which may contain viruses. The downside is that it's more expensive, uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time and has to be custom fit, Reingold said, so it's suited for people working in high-risk laboratories. Masks carry both physical and psychological benefits, said Dr. Julio Frenk, former health minister of Mexico and current dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. Masks are a "reminder to people that they should avoid close contact with other persons," he said. "They also have this effect of isolating people and reminding them that they should not be kissing people, shaking hands, things like that." For health care workers, it's important to have high-efficiency masks, which protect better against infectious diseases, he said. But people in the United States should generally not have to wear masks because the cases are localized, he said. By contrast, it is more of a widespread problem in Mexico, especially in the capital city, a "huge urban conglomeration." Measures such as closing schools are the most effective in stopping the spread of the disease, he said. Mexico's schools are closed until at least May 6. By early Tuesday, the swine flu outbreak in Mexico was suspected in 152 deaths and more than 1,600 illnesses, the country's health minister said. Swine flu has reached phase 4 (out of 6) on the pandemic scale, according to the WHO guidelines, but has not yet attained the status of global pandemic. During a flu pandemic, people should consider wearing a face mask if they are sick with the flu, live with someone who has the flu or need to be in a crowded place, the CDC Web site says. If you are caring for a person thought to have pandemic flu or will be close to someone who may have it, consider | [
"What are Manufacturers and pharmacies are reporting a surge in demand for?",
"What are the benefits of masks?",
"What is the more effective type of mask called?",
"What is there a demand for?",
"What is a better mask to buy?",
"what types of benefits do mask carry?"
] | [
[
"face masks."
],
[
"protection from swine flu"
],
[
"N95,"
],
[
"face masks."
],
[
"surgical"
],
[
"physical and psychological"
]
] | Manufacturers and pharmacies are reporting a surge in demand for face masks .
It is unknown exactly how much protection a surgical face mask provides .
A more effective type of mask is called an N95, which is expensive .
Doctor: Masks carry both physical and psychological benefits . |
(CNN) -- In a campaign to cleanse its national police force of "rotten apples," Honduras has placed 176 police officers under investigation for a range of alleged crimes, from corruption to murder.
All the officers belong to the same police post, which is based in a Tegucigalpa neighborhood known as "La Granja," or the farm, Security Ministry spokesman Silvio Inestrosa told CNN Friday.
Officers who worked at the post during the past five years are under investigation, he said.
The police scrutiny comes as distrust of police officers reaches new highs, following the killing of two university students, allegedly by police officers.
"As an institution, we have to strengthen the police, but we have to remove the rotten apples," President Porfirio Lobo said during a speech Thursday.
Honduras has the world's highest murder rate, with a rate in 2010 of 82.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. According to a recent report by the country's own human rights commission, that rate could increase to 86 per 100,000 this year.
Despite the high criminality, Hondurans don't always turn to the police for help. According to residents, the police are sometimes to be more feared than criminals.
This is the context under which two university students last month decided to flee from police instead of being pulled over. According to the national police, the officers shot and injured one of the students and headed toward a hospital. But along the way, police said, the officers instead decided to take the pair to a different location and execute them.
The officers implicated in the killings are from the same district that is under investigation.
Already, four officers who have been charged with covering up the killings have appeared before a judge. The four officers accused of actually carrying out the killings are fugitives.
The investigations and possible firings of the 176 is latest of a series of steps that the government has taken since the outcry over the killings.
Days after the incident, the national police shook up its top ranks.
"In these times of violence it is necessary to have new actions, vitality, energy and teamwork with the benefit of the Honduran people in mind," Security Minister Pompeyo Bonilla said when he announced the changes.
Also, lawmakers on Thursday rewrote the country's policing laws, stripping the national police of its internal affairs department, and handing over such investigations to a new, independent force.
Journalist Elvin Sandoval contributed to this report. | [
"Officers who worked at the post during which time period are under investigation?",
"176 police officers are under investigation where?",
"In Honduras, how many police officers are under investigation?"
] | [
[
"the past five years"
],
[
"Honduras"
],
[
"176"
]
] | In Honduras, 176 police officers are under investigation .
They all worked at the same police post in Tegucigalpa .
Officers who worked at the post during the past five years are under investigation . |
(CNN) -- In a case that drew national attention because it was to be videotaped, convicted murderer Andrew Grant DeYoung was executed by lethal injection Thursday night, a corrections department spokeswoman said.
DeYoung was declared dead at 8:04 p.m. at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, said Joan Heath, the spokeswoman. His last words were: "I'm sorry for everyone I've hurt," according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which was one of the media outlets granted access to the execution. The execution occurred after the state Supreme Court denied DeYoung's motion to take another look at a lower court judge's decision Tuesday allowing the state to replace sodium thiopental with pentobarbital as the anesthetizing agent in the execution, the court's statement said.
That lower court judge's ruling, however, did approve the rare videotaping of the execution at the request of DeYoung's attorneys, who argued that the substitution of drugs would cause needless pain and suffering.
For the first time in Georgia, a videographer was present in the execution chamber to document DeYoung's death and his reaction to a new three-drug lethal injection that anti-death penalty activists said caused unnecessary pain and suffering, according to reports in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. On October 13, 1995, DeYoung was convicted in Cobb County of fatally stabbing his parents, Kathryn and Gary DeYoung, and his 14-year-old sister, Sarah.
His final meal was an institutional one -- chicken and rice, Heath said.
DeYoung's special request for pizza, breadsticks, all-fruit strawberry preserves, Concord grape juice and vanilla ice cream was carried out on Wednesday, Heath said.
With Thursday's execution, Georgia has put to death 51 men since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1973. DeYoung was the 28th inmate put to death by lethal injection, the state corrections department said.
CNN's Bill Mears and Michael Martinez contributed to this report. | [
"What was he charged with?",
"What did lower court allow?",
"What person was convicted of killing his family",
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"what was he convicted of?",
"Who is Andrew Grant DeYoung?"
] | [
[
"fatally stabbing his parents, Kathryn and Gary DeYoung, and his 14-year-old sister, Sarah."
],
[
"the rare videotaping of the execution"
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[
"Andrew Grant DeYoung"
],
[
"Andrew Grant DeYoung"
],
[
"fatally stabbing his parents, Kathryn and Gary DeYoung, and his 14-year-old sister, Sarah."
],
[
"convicted murderer"
]
] | NEW: Andrew Grant DeYoung is executed by lethal injection .
He was convicted of killing his parents and sister .
At the defense's request, a lower court allows for a videotaping of the execution . |
(CNN) -- In a field largely still in its infancy, scientists are making headway toward using stem cells to treat heart ailments. The FDA regulates which adult stem cell techniques are allowed to go into clinical trials. The major focus of stem cell research in cardiology is promoting regeneration of the heart or preventing scar formation, said Jeffrey Karp, who runs a stem cell biology lab at Harvard University. One study reporting successful results in humans involves harvesting patients' own stem cells, purifying them, and injecting them directly into the heart muscle. The stem cells have a surface marker called CD34, which means they are capable of growing new blood vessels. The study, sponsored by Baxter Inc., is the largest adult stem cell study for heart disease in the U.S., said Dr. Douglas Losordo, cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, who is leading the trial. The researchers will present their one-year findings from Phase II of the trial in September, Losordo said. "It's important to point out that this is a use of a patient's own body's repair capabilities," Losordo said. If everything goes well, it's conceivable this treatment could be widely available in a little over four years, he said. The target patient population, consisting of end-stage cardiac patients who have tried all other available therapies, is about 300,000 to 900,000 people, he said. So far, researchers have not found side effects from this method, Losordo said. However, because it is an invasive surgical procedure in which stem cells are delivered through a catheter, there is a risk of perforation of about 1 percent, he said. There is also a small risk of blood clotting from the drug, GCSF, which mobilizes stem cells. Injecting stem cells into the heart muscle carries the risk of arrhythmia, said Techung Lee, associate professor of biochemistry at the State University New York at Buffalo. But Losordo said this risk is theoretical in his trial, and is believed to be very low with CD34 cells in general. Lee and colleagues are working on a less-invasive technique. In a study in mice, they injected stem cells from bone marrow into skeletal muscles of limbs. They found that the stem cells produced growth factors that traveled to the heart, in addition to stimulating the muscle itself to make growth factors that also improved cardiac function. The challenge for translating this method to humans would be that, while each mouse needed only a few million stem cells, each human patient would need close to a billion stem cells for the therapy -- which would be far too expensive and logistically difficult. "This is a problem that's been experienced by everyone in the field," Lee said. He estimates that his method could be available clinically in five years, after researchers find ways to reduce the required number of cells by a factor of 10 or even 100. Another therapeutic possibility is giving a patient an IV of stem cells, which would come from a stem cell bank or a company. The challenge is that the cells may not have the right homing receptors to land in the heart, Karp said. Karp's group is working on an approach to chemically modify the surface of cells to enhance their targeting to specific sites. Results from animal models have shown promising results for targeting sites of inflammation, he said. "Essentially we know the ZIP code of vessels within a certain tissue, we can program the address on the surface of the cell," he said. Lee's and Karp's teams use adult mesenchymal stem cells, which may develop into connective tissue, lymphatic tissue, and blood vessels. These stem cells are largely interchangeable between patients and don't require matching, as organ transplants do. However, as more becomes known about the relatively new field of stem cell therapy, a more specific matching system may be required, said Dr. Joon Lee, cardiologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Some stem cell therapies for the heart are being tested in human clinical trials. Osiris Therapeutics Inc. is enrolling patients in a phase II trial for | [
"When will the therapies be available?",
"what can be given to any patient",
"Who regulates adult stem cell techniques?",
"Who can receive the cells?",
"what does the FDA regulate",
"Who can the adult stem cells be given to?",
"What does most stem cell research use?",
"what uses adult stem cells",
"What organization regulates stem cell research in clinical trials?",
"What does most stem cell research target?",
"When will therapies be available?",
"What can be given to any patient?",
"Who regulates these techniques?"
] | [
[
"a little over four years,"
],
[
"adult mesenchymal stem cells,"
],
[
"The FDA"
],
[
"end-stage cardiac patients"
],
[
"which adult stem cell techniques are allowed to go into clinical trials."
],
[
"patients"
],
[
"patient's own body's repair capabilities,\""
],
[
"scientists are making headway toward using"
],
[
"The FDA"
],
[
"promoting regeneration of the heart or preventing scar formation,"
],
[
"in a little over four years,"
],
[
"own stem cells,"
],
[
"FDA"
]
] | Most stem cell research targeted at the heart uses adult stem cells .
The FDA regulates adult stem cell techniques that are allowed to go into clinical trials .
Unlike organ transplants, adult stem cells generally can be given to any patient .
Therapies be available in a little over four years, although some say five to 10 . |
(CNN) -- In a little-known corner of southern England, more than 130 men are wrapping up in their winter warmers and drinking down their last whiskeys, as they prepare to do battle with their fiercest foes on the fairways. Their goal: a place in the fabled history of sporting rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The "President's Putter" event takes place every January at Rye Golf Club between alumni of the two famous academic institutions. Competitors, whose ages can range from 18 to 85, travel from such far-off places as the U.S., South Africa and Asia in a quest to attach their winning ball to the fabled President's Putter -- a hickory-shafted instrument dating back to the inaugural event of 1920. David Normoyle flew in from Far Hills, New Jersey last week to see in the New Year with friends before heading down to Rye to take part in the event, which is scheduled to start on Friday. He is just hoping the heavy snowfall forecast for the rest of the week will not cause the competition to be called off for only the second time in its history. "There's a great tradition of the event going forward in spite of the weather," says Normoyle, 31, who studied history at Cambridge. "Last year, there was a hard frost and a very thick fog. There's something lovely about the warmth in the clubhouse at the end of the day when it's freezing cold outside. It really adds to the atmosphere of the whole thing." While the competition is always intense -- many players have scratch or single-figure handicaps -- the matches are played in a jovial spirit and the motto of the event is "serious fun." The winner's medal carries the Latin inscription "Primus inter pares," which is loosely translated by the Putter fraternity as "he was lucky to win." The competition takes place over four days, with a dinner held on the eve of the Sunday final, followed by a night out amid the cobbled streets of the medieval town of Rye. "People push the boat out at both ends of the day," says David Bonsall, Treasurer of the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society, which organizes the event. "There are often a few whiskey macs and bloody marys on the first tee to bury the memories of the night before." Entry to the President's Putter is limited to golfing "Blues," the term given to those who play for the Oxford or Cambridge teams at sport. January is the chosen month because if falls at a time when students and graduates are generally on vacation. In its early years, the Putter would be contested by some of the finest players of the day: four of Great Britain's 1926 Walker Cup side were Oxbridge graduates. The record for consecutive appearances is held by World War Two army parachutist Peter Gracey, who played in 57 Putters before finally hanging up his spikes in 2006 at the age 84. Other well-known competitors include the former England cricket captain Ted Dexter, who won the event twice in the 1980s. While the snow flakes continue to fall on the frosty fairways of the course, braver competitors have been out practicing their games. Others have been sharing stories in the warmth of the clubhouse bar as they wait to find out whether their annual pilgrimage has been worthwhile. "It would be a huge disappointment if it didn't happen," says Normoyle. "But we'll make do with whatever the decision is and we'll have fun whatever." | [
"When is the annual President's Putter competition held?",
"What is the age range of the players?",
"Who competes in the annual President's Putter?",
"who is included in the past winners of this event?",
"What event is taking place this january",
"Will the event be called off if the snow is too heavy?",
"what is the age range of the participantss?",
"How many times has weather called off the event?"
] | [
[
"every January"
],
[
"from 18 to 85,"
],
[
"alumni of the two famous academic institutions."
],
[
"Ted Dexter,"
],
[
"The \"President's Putter\""
],
[
"going forward in spite of the weather,\""
],
[
"18 to 85,"
],
[
"second"
]
] | Oxford and Cambridge alumni brave January weather for annual President's Putter competition .
Players aged 18 to 80 travel from U.S., Asia to take part .
Past winners include former England cricket captain Ted Dexter .
Heavy snow threatens to call off event for just second time since 1920 . |
(CNN) -- In a long-awaited speech Thursday in Florida, President Obama will boldly go where no president has gone before, laying out an entirely new vision for the U.S. space program. The firestorm of controversy has already begun
For more than 50 years, presidents have pushed for government rockets to send astronauts to space, the moon and possibly Mars.
But now a new paradigm is being proposed. The moon program is off the table, and Mars is only a distant possibility. NASA is essentially getting out of the astronaut business, letting the Russians and private enterprise take over. The glory days of NASA, some say, are over.
The Obama plan is truly breathtaking, ending an era that lasted from Presidents Kennedy to Bush.
Some specifics:
• The moon program, called Constellation, is being suspended, and its components and $9 billion of research are going down the drain. The Ares rocket, which recently underwent a successful preliminary test, will be canceled. The Orion lunar module will be repurposed as an astronaut "lifeboat" tethered to the international space station.
• The space shuttle program is ending, causing 4,600 workers to lose their jobs. (This was also in the Bush plan, but that proposal included funding the Ares rocket.)
• Without a space shuttle, the U.S. will rely temporarily on Russian rockets to send our astronauts into space.
• Eventually, private enterprise will take over launching our astronauts.
Some critics say that this is all too much, too soon. Private companies may not be ready to pick up the slack for years to transport astronauts.
Conceivably, any political crisis with the Russians in far-away places, such as the Balkans, might affect our access to outer space. And we will just have to swallow our pride when the Chinese plant their flag on the moon sometime after 2020, as they say they will.
Proponents of the plan Obama is expected to describe, however, say that it is long overdue and inevitable. In these trying financial times, the U.S. cannot sustain an ambitious space program. Get real, they say. Let private enterprise take over. It's the American way.
But everyone agrees that the wheel is broken and needs to be fixed. It all boils down to one dirty four-letter word: cost.
During the Cold War, the superpowers gladly opened their treasuries because the space race was a matter of national pride and honor. Since then, the realities have sunk in.
It costs about $10,000 per pound to send anything into near-Earth orbit. (Think of John Glenn made of solid gold.) But when you add in life support and safety factors, it costs about $65 million to send each astronaut aboard the space shuttle, which in turn costs half a billion dollars per launch. To go to the moon would cost perhaps 10 times as much.
There are some positive recommendations that Obama should keep in mind as he plots the future of the space program.
• NASA needs to set concrete goals and deadlines. In the past, the space shuttle and the international space station were used to justify each other's existence. Instead, the space program should hold the feet of the bureaucracies and corporations to the fire. Having a tangible vision of the future, with a clear destination and mission, will hold planners accountable, give a sharp focus to the objectives of the space program and cut waste.
• NASA has to abandon its cost-plus model, where it guarantees its contractors a profit beyond the cost. This model is unsustainable -- the tail wagging the dog. It's an open invitation for bureaucracies and corporations to pad their budgets, rather than operate as efficiently as possible.
• NASA has to inspire competition and innovation. The Hubble Space Telescope and the robotic missions to the planets have been a shining beacon for research based on goals set by scientists instead of the narrow priorities of bureaucracies and politicians.
• NASA has to fund risky, out-of-the-box propulsion systems -- besides the expensive chemical rockets that | [
"what is obama changing?",
"What did Michio Kaku say about Obama's changes to the space program?",
"What did Kaku say the program must rely on?"
] | [
[
"the U.S. space program."
],
[
"The firestorm of controversy has already begun"
],
[
"Russian rockets"
]
] | Michio Kaku: President Obama's changes to space program alter vision that's held for 50 years .
Kaku says cuts and new priorities make some critics believe NASA's glory years over .
Kaku: Program must rely on Russia until private firms can get our astronauts back in space .
Kaku: NASA must streamline operating costs, innovate and set concrete goals for the future . |
(CNN) -- In a most public fashion, congressional lawmakers have been grilling Toyota officials this week about safety defects that have caused some of the automaker's vehicles to accelerate without warning. Accidents and deaths are being linked to these problems.
This is prime political theater. Angry lawmakers are aggressively demanding answers, dressing down their corporate counterparts. Toyota officials are largely apologetic. Toyota President Akio Toyoda wept after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing Wednesday.
What's largely occluded from television cameras, however, are the long, deep ties between Toyota, former federal government employees and current lawmakers, some of whom are (or have been) tasked with providing oversight, upholding public safety and, at the moment, potentially recommending regulatory changes.
Of course, ties do not mean tepid congressional questioning, nor do they mean tough regulations will not result from committee hearings. But as consumers -- and citizens -- watch the hearings transpire, it's worth remembering that Washington is a place where the public interest isn't always politicians' first or only interest.
In 2009, Toyota employed 31 lobbyists, hired to exert influence and defend the company's interests before Congress, the White House and federal agencies, such as the Department of Transportation and Department of Energy.
So who are these Toyota lobbyists working the back channels of government?
Our research indicates that in many instances, they're former members of the U.S. government, earning handsome salaries lobbying on behalf of their corporate client.
Among the leaders in this small army of lobbyists (and registered as such in 2009) are a former congressman, two former chiefs of staff for prominent senator currently serving, a former Department of Energy assistant secretary, a former assistant director of the National Commission on Air Quality and a former special events director for the Republican National Committee.
This is a group that can't be easily dismissed by congressional leaders and their staffs.
In politics, just like any social realm, it's simpler to say "no" to a stranger than someone who used to work for you or with you, or someone you may have even campaigned for. Now, in Toyota's period of political peril, the company will probably need the help of its lobbyists to mitigate damage to its corporate interests.
By December, Toyota had spent about $5.4 million on federal lobbying efforts for 2009, more than Honda, Volkswagen, Nissan or any other foreign automaker.
During the past five years, Toyota's federal lobbying expenditures total nearly $25 million, about enough to buy two new Prius hybrids for every member of Congress.
Among automakers, only General Motors and Ford have each spent more money to lobby the federal government during that time.
As for lawmakers themselves, they, too, have connections to Toyota.
In 2008, the most recent year for which data are available, seven members of Congress reported owning Toyota stock. Rep. Jane Harman, D-California, who represents that district in which Toyota's U.S. headquarters is located, declared in her 2008 personal financial disclosure report that she and her husband owned $315,000 in Toyota assets.
Harman, who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is investigating Toyota, said this week that she'd recuse herself from committee proceedings and votes, an appropriate step to avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest.
No other member of Congress has publicly followed suit, including Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, another Toyota stock owner in 2008 who also sits on the committee.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from West Virginia, doesn't own Toyota stock, but he was instrumental in wooing Toyota to build a factory in his state, once saying he "felt like a full-fledged member" of Toyota's site selection team.
Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, is slated to serve as the Senate's lead investigator into Toyota's safety issues (hearings begin next week) and whether the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration properly monitored safety concerns about the company.
The agency's new chief? He's David L. Strickland, a | [
"What was a major event on Capitol Hill?",
"Hearings were a major event on Capitol Hill involved which car company?",
"They say the public should be mindful of potential for what?",
"Toyota hearings were a major event where?"
] | [
[
"grilling Toyota officials"
],
[
"Toyota"
],
[
"safety defects"
],
[
"House Oversight and Government Reform Committee"
]
] | Toyota hearings were a major event on Capitol Hill .
Less visible were ties between Toyota and current, former members of Congress, co-authors say .
They say the public should be mindful of potential for abuses . |
(CNN) -- In a new anti-Israel, anti-U.S. video, an American al Qaeda member makes reference to his Jewish ancestry for the first time in an official al Qaeda message. Adam Yahiye Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American, is seen in an earlier al Qaeda video. In the video, Adam Yahiye Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American, discusses his roots as he castigates U.S. policies and deplores Israel's offensive in Gaza that started in late December 2008 and continued into January. "Let me here tell you something about myself and my biography, in which there is a benefit and a lesson," Gadahn says, as he elicits support from his fellow Muslims for "our weapons, funds and Jihad against the Jews and their allies everywhere." "Your speaker has Jews in his ancestry, the last of whom was his grandfather," he says. Growing up in rural California, Gadahn embraced Islam in the mid-1990s, moved to Pakistan and has appeared in al Qaeda videos before. He was indicted in the United States in 2006 on charges of treason and material support to al Qaeda, according to the FBI. Gadahn is on the FBI's Most Wanted List, with a reward of up to $1 million leading to his capture. FBI records show Gadahn's date of birth as September 1, 1978. The video -- in which Gadahn speaks Arabic, with English subtitles -- surfaced on Saturday. This account is based on an English transcript provided by As-Sahab Media, the media production company used by al Qaeda. Gadahn's Jewish ancestry has been reported in the news media. But terrorism analyst Laura Mansfield says it is the first time Gadahn acknowledged his Jewish ancestry in an official al Qaeda message. Gadahn says his grandfather was a "Zionist" and "a zealous supporter of the usurper entity, and a prominent member of a number of Zionist hate organizations." "He used to repeat to me what he claimed are the virtues of this entity and encouraged me to visit it, specifically the city of Tel Aviv, where relatives of ours live," says Gadahn, referring to Israel. He says his grandfather gave him a book by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "A Place Among the Nations" -- in which the "rabid Zionist" sets out "feeble arguments and unmasked lies to justify the Jews' rape of Muslim Palestine." But Gadahn says that despite his youth at the time, he didn't heed his grandfather's words. "How can a person with an ounce of self-respect possibly stand in the ranks of criminals and killers who have no morals, no mercy, no humanity and indeed, no honor?" he says in reference to Zionists and Israel. "Isn't it shameful enough for a person to carry the citizenship of America, the symbol of oppression and tyranny and advocate of terror in the world?" Mansfield thinks the video may have been made between late April and mid-May, before President Obama's speech in Cairo, Egypt, addressing U.S. relations with Muslims. Gadahn notes Obama's inauguration, Netanyahu's election in February, and Obama's speech in Turkey in April. Specifically mentioning the Gaza offensive and citing other hot spots such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and Somalia, where the "Zio-Crusader alliance" is fighting his "brothers," he says "this open-faced aggression" comes as Obama has risen to power. He scorns Obama's statements in his inaugural address and in Turkey that America isn't and won't be at war with Islam, and "other deceptive, false and sugarcoated words of endearment and respect." He says Obama's language is similar to words Netanyahu uttered in the Knesset in 1996. Gadahn also backs the idea of targeting "Zio-Crusader" interests anywhere in the world, not just "within Palestine." | [
"What wa sthe name of the suspect?",
"what does he say about his citizenship",
"who is in the video?",
"who criticizes obama",
"What did Adam Yahiye Gadahn say?",
"Which area was the convert from?"
] | [
[
"Adam Yahiye Gadahn,"
],
[
"of America, the symbol of oppression and tyranny and advocate of terror in the world?\""
],
[
"Adam Yahiye Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American,"
],
[
"Adam Yahiye Gadahn,"
],
[
"\"Let me here tell you something about myself and my biography, in which there is a benefit and a lesson,\""
],
[
"rural California,"
]
] | Californian convert to Islam castigates U.S., Israel in al Qaeda video .
Adam Yahiye Gadahn says grandfather was a member of "Zionist hate organizations"
Gadahn criticizes Obama's "deceptive, false and sugarcoated words"
Speaker refers to his American citizenship as "shameful" |
(CNN) -- In a race to beat the flu season, medical institutes across the United States will begin human trials for a new H1N1 flu vaccine starting in early August, the National Institutes of Health announced Wednesday. Concern about the H1N1 virus grew after it spread quickly around the globe earlier this year. In the hope of getting the vaccine to those who will need it most by October, the clinical trials will enroll as many as 1,000 adults and children at 10 centers nationwide, said officials at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the NIH, which will lead the effort. The trials will measure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. The research is a first step toward U.S. health officials' goal of developing a safe and effective vaccine against H1N1, also known as swine flu, which has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization The time frame for developing a vaccine is a tight one. "It's going to be close," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. "I believe it can be [ready by October] if things run smoothly. We hope they will, but you never can tell when you're dealing with biological phenomena like making vaccines and administering them." The announcement of the U.S. trials followed the announcement earlier this week, by an Australian company, CSL Ltd., of the first human trials of a swine flu vaccine. Concern about the H1N1 virus grew after it spread quickly around the globe earlier this year. "This virus has the potential to cause significant illness with hospitalizations and deaths during the U.S. flu season this fall and winter," said Dr. Karen Kotloff, professor of pediatrics and lead investigator and researcher at Maryland's Center for Vaccine Development. "Vaccines have always been a vital tool for controlling influenza. The results of these studies will help to guide the optimal use of the H1N1 vaccines in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world." After careful screening, volunteers will be inoculated and then asked to keep a diary on how they feel. After eight days their blood will be checked and after 21 days they will receive another dose, followed again by diary logs and blood tests. Patients will be monitored two months for safety issues, followed by a four-month and six-month checkup. "The purpose of these trials is always to make sure they are safe," Kotloff said. "But even after six weeks, if things look good, we're pretty sure the vaccine will work." She noted the response to the vaccine may vary in different age groups. "This is because young people have not seen a flu virus like this one before," she noted. "Older adults might have some immunity to the new H1N1 virus as a result of being exposed to similar flu viruses in the past. As a result, older adults might need fewer doses or a lower strength of the vaccine than younger individuals." The vaccine at this point has been tested only in animals, where it has shown to be effective. Further trials will examine questions such as how the vaccine works in combination with the seasonal flu vaccine and whether including an adjutant, a substance that boosts the immune response to vaccines, can make it work better at lower doses. Other trial sites along with the University of Maryland Medical Center are Baylor College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Emory University, Saint Louis University, Seattle Group Health Cooperative, the University of Iowa, and Vanderbilt University. They will be joined by Children's Mercy Hospital and Duke University Medical Center. CNN's Valerie Willingham and Matt Cherry contributed to this report. | [
"When do human trials for the H1N1 flu vaccine start?",
"when do human trials start",
"What will happen to patients in the trial?",
"What results have been seen so far in animals?",
"Who has tested the vaccines so far?",
"what is there concern about",
"What caused concern after it spread around the globe?",
"How long will patients be monitored for?"
] | [
[
"early August,"
],
[
"early August,"
],
[
"be monitored two months for safety issues, followed by a four-month and six-month checkup."
],
[
"it has shown to be effective."
],
[
"only in animals,"
],
[
"the H1N1 virus"
],
[
"the H1N1 virus"
],
[
"two months"
]
] | Human trials for H1N1 flu vaccine start August, says University of Maryland .
Concern about H1N1 grew after it spread around the globe earlier this year .
Patients will be monitored two months for safety issues, followed by checkups .
Vaccine so far tested only in animals, where it has shown to be effective . |
(CNN) -- In a rare move, a senior cardinal spoke before the pope's Easter Mass address at the Vatican on Sunday, saying the pontiff maintains the support of Catholics around the world "who do not let themselves be influenced by the gossip."
"Today, with you are the cardinals from the Roman Curia, all the bishops and priests around the world," said Cardinal Angelo Sodano, former Vatican secretary of state and the dean of the College of Cardinals.
Speaking at the beginning of the Easter Sunday ceremony, Sodano did not specifically mention the sexual abuse scandal that has engulfed the Catholic Church in recent months.
But his remarks clearly referred to those who have criticized Catholic leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI himself, for not having done much more during his years as a top official.
Sodano said the pope has the support of those who work in schools, hospitals and care centers, including 400,000 priests.
"Also with you are the faithful who do not let themselves be influenced by gossip," Sodano said in Italian, using the word "chiacchiericcio," which means chatter or gossip. "May the Lord continue to sustain your mission at the service of the church in the world."
In his Easter message, the pope did not address the scandal that encompasses high-profile abuse cases in several countries including Ireland, France, the United States, Mexico and his native Germany. More and more people have come forward complaining that as children they were victims of abuse by religious leaders, and that the church did little or nothing to stop it.
Some Catholic leaders took the opportunity Sunday to condemn the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
"The lives of survivors of child sexual abuse, the faith of members of the church, and the credibility of church leadership have all been wounded grievously by the evil deeds of priests and religious who exploited their position to wreak havoc on the lives of helpless children. Those wounds were aggravated by serious mismanagement on the part of bishops and other leaders in the Church," said Irish Cardinal Sean Brady in his homily.
He apologized to victims and vowed to do his part to keep the safety of those in the church his overriding concern.
In a letter last month, the pope said he was "truly sorry" for the abuse suffered by victims at the hands of Catholic priests in Ireland.
Also Sunday, Belgium's top Roman Catholic bishop addressed the scandal. "Through a guilty silence, we often preferred the reputation of certain men of the church to the honor of these abused children," said Andre Joseph Leonard, archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel. "Here, as well, we must, by the force of truth, give dignity back to those who were so atrociously exploited."
German Archbishop Robert Zollitsch also brought up the scandal in his Easter address, saying, "We need to go down the path together and take into full view the unfathomable occurrences, the horrible crimes, the dark sides of the church and the dark parts in ourselves. But we cannot leave it at that alone. We need a new beginning."
In a message Friday on the Web site of the Archdiocese of Freiburg, Zollitsch expressed "sadness, horror and shame," as well as his "disappointment over the painful failure of the offenders, and that the victims weren't helped enough because of the misplaced concern about the reputation of the church."
The Archdiocese of Munich and Freising -- once headed by Pope Benedict XVI -- has been criticized for ignoring warnings to keep one of its priests away from children despite the man having been convicted of pedophilia.
The priest, the Rev. Peter Hullermann, was convicted of abusing minors in 1986, but was later allowed to continue his priestly work and to deal with children. A new allegation of abuse recently surfaced against Hullermann, dating from 1998 in the town of Garching.
Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, archbishop at the time, has apologized for allowing Hullermann to work in the town after his conviction.
The German Diocese of Regensburg confirmed last month that four Catholic priests and two nuns have been accused of | [
"What did some Catholic leaders condemn?",
"who is angelo sodano"
] | [
[
"hierarchy."
],
[
"former Vatican secretary of state and the dean of the College of Cardinals."
]
] | NEW: Some Catholic leaders condemn church hierarchy in wake of abuse scandal .
Cardinal says pope has support of the faithful, including 400,000 priests .
Cardinal Angelo Sodano spoke before Vatican's Easter Mass ceremony .
Pope's Easter message asks God's help with international crises, disasters . |
(CNN) -- In a scene from NBC's "Parenthood," two parents are attempting to get their 8-year-old son ready for school. The child insists on wearing a pirate costume to class, again. His father asks him to take it off so he won't get teased. His mother says it's OK, mainly so she can get him out the door on time.
It could be a scene from any prime-time comedy. But its context in "Parenthood" is unusual.
The 8-year-old boy, the son of main characters Adam and Kristina Braverman, has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.
What is Asperger's syndrome?
Perhaps because tackling a sensitive issue such as living with a child with special needs can take a deft touch from the writers, producers and actors, a storyline dealing with autism spectrum disorders isn't something that's been portrayed often in Hollywood.
The most recent regular prime-time character with Asperger's was Jerry Espenson on ABC's "Boston Legal." The character's run lasted from 2005 until the show ended in 2008. Another ABC show, "Grey's Anatomy," introduced a short term character during the 2008-2009 seasons. Dr. Virginia Dixon appeared in a three-episode arc.
"Parenthood" is one of the few shows that have included a regular character with Asperger's from the beginning.
The show has gotten good reviews in general and favorable comments from people affected by the disorder.
One CNN.com reader named Dani, who has an 8-year-old with Asperger's, wrote, "Overall I think it's been really true to the behavior our Aspie kids display -- which is often confused for being naughty or a lack of discipline. Thanks for doing your homework NBC!"
Because the show has received good reviews and positive feedback from families affected by the disorder, it may seem apparent that including a character with Asperger's was a good move. Executive Producer Jason Katims says it wasn't so clear at the beginning.
"I think there were moments everybody had of whether to do it, including myself," he said. "I felt like it was a big thing to take on. It's a very personal thing to me."
He's not exaggerating. He has a son with the disorder, and though he had an intimate knowledge of dealing with Asperger's, he sought out experts to help shape the characters and the stories.
"When I decided to take this on, I felt an enormous responsibility to make this as real as possible," he says. The show consults with psychologists, teachers and other parents "to make the depiction of both this character and his parents as accurate as possible."
A behavioral therapist consultant works with Max Burkholder, the actor who plays Max Braverman, and with Monica Potter and Peter Krause, the actors who play Max's parents, Kristina and Adam Braverman.
The consultant also works with other cast members whose characters interact with Max and with the show's directors.
NBC has been very supportive, Katims adds. He said there was a conversation with the network, not about whether to introduce the storyline, but how quickly.
Peter Bell, the executive vice president of Autism Speaks, the country's largest autism science and advocacy organization, said his group hadn't worked with "Parenthood" on scripts, but Bell was on set recently to be a part of the May 18th episode. He had a chance to talk with the actors and production staff.
Bell called the cast and crew "thirsty" for information about Asperger's and autism. "I was really struck by how wonderful they all were and how interested in the topic they are."
The work the cast and crew has put into the show seems to have drawn the audience's interest. The day after the episode in which Max was diagnosed, Asperger's was one of the most searched subjects on Google.
That pleased Katims. He says a character like Max can help take the mystery out of Asperger's, which | [
"What station airs \"Parenthood\" ?",
"\"Parenthood\" portrays a family in which the son has what syndrome/",
"is there a child with asperger's syndrome?",
"What syndrome is shown in \"Parenthood\"?"
] | [
[
"NBC's"
],
[
"Asperger's"
],
[
"8-year-old boy,"
],
[
"Asperger's"
]
] | NBC's "Parenthood" portrays a family in which the son has Asperger's syndrome .
Autism in its various types isn't often depicted in prime-time television .
Producers use consultants to keep the storyline as accurate as possible .
The show has faced some criticism over lack of realism . |
(CNN) -- In a television interview, the mother of a man charged in the murder of an Auburn University freshman repeatedly says she's sorry about the suffering the victim's family is enduring. Courtney Larrell Lockhart was arrested Friday in Phenix City, Alabama, about 35 miles from Auburn. "I never thought Courtney would do this. I never, never thought," Courtney Larrell Lockhart's mother Catherine Williams told CNN affiliate WRBL on Saturday. "But I'm sorry for that family and I'm sorry. I'm just sorry," she said. "I got nothing else to say. I'm just sorry for the loss of that family." Police announced Saturday that they had arrested Lockhart, 23, of Smiths, Alabama, in connection with the shooting death of Lauren Burk, 18, of Marietta, Georgia. Watch the mother cry and apologize » Lockhart faces charges of capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a robbery and capital murder during an attempted rape, police said. Also, Lockhart is facing robbery charges in the Phenix City, Alabama, area, said William Clanton of the Phenix City Police Department. Clanton did not know how many robberies Lockhart was suspected of committing. Lockhart is being held in the Russell County jail, but is expected to be moved to Lee County soon, where Auburn University is, Clanton said. Burk was found shot Tuesday night on North College Street, a few miles north of campus. She died later at a hospital. Minutes after police responded to a call reporting an injured person and found Burk, they received a report of a car -- which turned out to be Burk's -- on fire in a campus parking lot. Authorities believe gasoline or another accelerant was used to ignite Burk's car, Auburn Assistant Police Chief Tommy Dawson said Friday. Police were investigating whether a gas can found in downtown Auburn was related to the case. Memorial services for Burk were held Saturday and Sunday at a Marietta church and synagogue. A campus-wide memorial service will be held Monday. A memorial service was held Sunday in Athens, Georgia, for another slain university student Eve Carson, the Athens Banner Herald reported. Carson, 22, the student body president for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was found shot to death in a suburban neighborhood not far from campus about 5 a.m. Wednesday. Her car was found Thursday, in another neighborhood to the west, about a block or two from where she lived with roommates. On Saturday, police released two surveillance photographs of a "person of interest" taken by an ATM camera in the Chapel Hill area, Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran said. The person appeared to be using one of Carson's ATM cards and was driving a vehicle that was possibly hers. Curran called the photographs the "biggest break" in the case, which he said still appears to be random. Reminders of the popular student president appeared on the jerseys of the university's men's basketball team Saturday night as they took on Duke University's Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina. The top-ranked Tar Heels wore jersey patches that read "Eve." Many of Duke's fans donned small light-blue ribbons as a show of support. There was a moment of silence for Carson before tip-off. The ribbons and moment of silence say "a heckuva lot about Duke University," UNC Coach Roy Williams told reporters after the game. The Tar Heels won 76-68. E-mail to a friend | [
"Who was charged in the slaying?",
"Who said she's sorry for suffering of victim's family?",
"Where is Lockhart being held?",
"Who is accused of a crime?",
"Where did the crime occur?",
"Who is sorry for the suffering?"
] | [
[
"Courtney Larrell Lockhart"
],
[
"Courtney Larrell Lockhart's mother Catherine Williams"
],
[
"Russell County jail,"
],
[
"Courtney Larrell Lockhart"
],
[
"North College Street, a few miles north of campus."
],
[
"mother of a man charged in the murder of an Auburn University"
]
] | Courtney Larrell Lockhart's mother says she's sorry for suffering of victim's family .
"I never thought Courtney would do this," mother tells television station .
Lockhart charged in Tuesday slaying of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk .
Lockhart is being held in the Russell County jail, authorities say . |
(CNN) -- In a videotaped interrogation with Peruvian police broadcast Monday, Joran van der Sloot admitted that he hit, strangled and ultimately killed a 21-year-old woman last year in his Lima hotel room.
Footage of the confession by the 24-year-old Dutch national was aired by America TV, a CNN affiliate, as well as other Peruvian news organizations. In it, an interrogator twice asks van der Sloot in Spanish whether he killed Stephany Flores. Both times, he answers yes.
The admission is part of a lengthier conversation in which van der Sloot explains that he met the young woman in a casino in Miraflores, and then they went to his hotel room. There, the suspect said, he began hitting her after noticing that she had pulled up news about him on his computer.
Wearing a hooded sweatshirt and smoking a cigarette, a seemingly calm van der Sloot answers a series of detailed questions about the case on the video. Among other things, he describes hitting the victim in the head with his elbow and putting two hands around her neck.
Van der Sloot was arrested in June 2010 in relation to Flores' death but was not formally charged until this month.
The three Peruvian drivers who allegedly helped him flee to Chile after the incident are also charged in the case. Prosecutors want five-year prison sentences for them and fines of about $1,800.
Before he resigned as van der Sloot's lawyer this year, Maximo Altez told In Session that his client attacked Flores after she found something on his computer that tied him to the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, who vanished while on a graduation trip to the Caribbean island of Aruba in 2005. Van der Sloot was arrested twice but never charged in connection with Holloway's disappearance, which remains unsolved.
"My client ... admits having murdered the victim, but not with ferocity, for profit or pleasure, nor any of the other element(s) that make up this murder, but only by violent emotion that overtook him at the time he was attacked by the victim," Altez said in a motion that was given to In Session.
In a September 2010 jailhouse interview with a Dutch television station, van der Sloot refused to answer questions about the Flores case, saying it is "not in my best interest to talk about it at all." But he maintained that police tricked him into making a confession, saying they would not let him call his mother, talk to anyone or arrange for an attorney.
Van der Sloot's present attorney, Luis Jiminez Navarro, said this month that this client was willing to confess to a "simple homicide" charge in relation to Flores' death but not to more serious charges that would carry longer prison terms.
Both the accused and the victim's family disagree with the indictment proposed by prosecutor Miriam Riveros Castellares. She asked a three-judge panel to indict van der Sloot on charges of qualified murder and simple robbery, which carry 28-year and two-year sentences. He would also have to make a restitution payment of $73,000 to the victim's family, if convicted.
The judges received a proposed counter-indictment in writing from Navarro on September 12, proposing van der Sloot would confess to the simple homicide charge that carried a 20-year maximum prison sentence.
But the attorney for the family of the victim told the three judges that the prosecutor's proposed indictment against van der Sloot had "mistakes," a news release from the court said.
According to Navarro, the Flores family's lawyer Edward Alvarez Yrala asked the court to charge van der Sloot with a charge similar to aggravated murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. | [
"Where is the video aired?",
"Who killed Stephany Flores?",
"Who confesses to killing Stephany Flores?",
"What has Sloot's Lawyer said he will confess to?",
"When was he arrested?",
"The video on America TV aired on which day?",
"What homicide will the client confess too?",
"When was Van der Sloot arrested?",
"Who tells police he killed Stephany Flores and describes how he did it?"
] | [
[
"America TV,"
],
[
"Joran van der Sloot"
],
[
"Joran van der Sloot"
],
[
"\"simple homicide\""
],
[
"June 2010"
],
[
"Monday,"
],
[
"Stephany Flores."
],
[
"June 2010"
],
[
"Joran van der Sloot"
]
] | A video is aired Monday by America TV and other Peruvian news organizations .
Van der Sloot tells police he killed Stephany Flores and describes how he did it .
He was arrested in June 2010 and charged this month in the woman's death .
His lawyer has said his client would confess to "simple homicide" but not other charges . |
(CNN) -- In an age of unromance, of Internet dating, of gut reaction cynicism -- I love hearing a story about how Lenny Ann Low of Sydney met her fiancé Alan of Glasgow. Lenny Ann Low made sure every week to do something scary that would in some way alter her future "Tell the story again!" I would beg her in the manner of a child wanting to be read her favorite fairytale, never tiring of the narrative, always smiling with delight at the ending. Lenny met Alan when she was in Edinburgh at the annual comedy festival. She was lining up for a hot tuna melt and a latte at a station café with 9 minutes to catch a train back to London. She stood at the back of the long queue thinking, probably, of anything but love -- when she locked eyes with the young man behind the steaming coffee machine -- the man who in a few short minutes would be making her latte, than in an even shorter minute later would be consigned to the distant memories of coffee makers past. But when their eyes locked from over the Gaggia machine down the snaking queue, Lenny felt an unmistakable current. Could this be love? And if so -- what could be done in the nine minutes she had left in the country? Lenny knew exactly what to do as she had formulated a plan that she had been following for some years. Called Future Friday it was a game she played with herself each week. In order to gain more confidence and "get out of a rut" she decided that by Friday each week she would do something scary that would in some way alter her future. Minutes ticked up. She moved up the queue. She ordered her tuna melt. She took her coffee and sat in the train. Six minutes until it pulled out bound for London. She thought of Future Friday. She wrote her email address on a piece of paper, leapt off the train, raced back to the café, barged through the queue and gave Alan her address. "Email me!" she told the stranger as she thrust the paper in his hand and bounded back to catch her train. He did email when she was on a plane halfway to Australia. They emailed for a while, then eventually he came out to Sydney. They got on with the business of falling in love and next month they will marry. Unlike other pundits with a self-help plan, Lenny's not promising hers will deliver riches, fame or love. What she does say however is that if you follow it, you will have a lot of adventures and take all sorts of risks that will enrich your life in many ways. Lenny explains how it works: "Future Friday is so simple it's embarrassing. By Friday at the end of every week you must do something that is good for your future that is a risk or something scary." For Lenny, "it could be something like getting pap smear, making a dental appointment or telling someone that you fancy them or ring someone out of the blue and asking them if they've got a job. I've done all those things." Feeling like she was stagnating inspired Lenny to develop the scheme. "Being in a bit of a dead-end job made me want to do this - I thought I needed a trigger. It also lets you off the hook -- you can say I've done my Future Friday now -- I don't have to do anything else for the rest of the week." Lenny isolated particular areas of her life that she had neglected. "I put off making a dental appointment for five or six years. I put off telling men they were nice. I put off my pap smear all my life." The list of things to do each week for Future Friday then became "a combination of exciting thrills and horrible must dos." Lenny made sure she told all her friends about Future Friday so she could get extra support during the difficult weeks. "You'd get praise. I | [
"What does she call her plan?",
"What has she done so far?",
"Who created Future Friday?",
"Which day must her plan be done by?",
"What did Lenny Ann Low create?"
] | [
[
"Future Friday"
],
[
"something scary"
],
[
"Lenny Ann Low"
],
[
"Friday each week"
],
[
"Future Friday."
]
] | Lenny Ann Low created Future Friday to gain more confidence .
She must take one risk that is good for her future by each Friday .
Lenny has done stand-up comedy, flew a jetfighter, and met her fiancé Alan . |
(CNN) -- In an age when many people become celebrities through looks or connections, Jennifer Hudson's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way: through talent, hard work and a close-knit family.
Jennifer Hudson is in a new movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," and recently released her first solo album.
At a time when the singer is in a new movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," and recently released her first solo album, Hudson is now back in the public eye largely due to a family tragedy.
Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death Friday in their Chicago home. The body of the singer's missing 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found in an SUV on Monday morning.
Julian's stepfather, William Balfour, was detained over the weekend for questioning in connection with the case, a police spokesperson told CNN. He was subsequently transferred to prison on a parole violation charge, the spokesperson said.
Balfour's mother has acknowledged that her son has been questioned about the shootings, but said he had nothing to do with the crime.
No charges had been filed against anyone in connection with the murders. iReport.com: Reaction to Hudson family tragedy
The tragedy is a sad turn for the 27-year-old actress and singer, who first earned national notice for her performances on "American Idol" in 2004 and won an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2006's "Dreamgirls."
Hudson's singing career began in her church choir in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Englewood when she was a child. She remained devoted to singing all the way through Chicago's Dunbar Vocational High School, where there is now a Jennifer Hudson Room. (She's in good company; Dunbar's alumni include Lou Rawls and two of the Staple Singers.)
"People would say it was unusual for such a small girl to have such a big voice," she told Reuters in 2006. "They would say, 'She sounds like she's grown.' "
After finishing school, she performed in the musical "Big River" at a Chicago-area dinner theater and took a job on a cruise line.
In 2003, she auditioned for "American Idol" in Atlanta, Georgia, and managed to earn her way to the top-rated show with a performance of "Easy to be Hard," the "Hair" ballad popularized by Three Dog Night.
"Idol" proved to be an uneven experience for Hudson. After the show narrowed down its 12 finalists, she started slowly, at times almost being voted off, but eventually her song choices -- including Elton John's "Circle of Life" and Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" -- made her one of the favorites. Sir Elton himself believed she was the "best of the lot." 'Idol' friend speaks out about Hudson case
In the end, Hudson didn't even come close to making "Idol's" final two, being voted off midway in the show's run. However, her performances had established her as a talent to watch, and in May 2005 -- several months after finishing the traditional post-"Idol" group tour -- she was contacted by a casting agency about the part of Effie, the tragic soul of "Dreamgirls."
In the musical, which concerns an all-girl trio much like the Supremes, Effie is a weight-challenged musical powerhouse who begins as the group's leader but is dropped as both performer and lover by the group's manager for the more statuesque singer Deena. The role features the musical's showstopping song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," and won Jennifer Holliday a Tony Award when "Dreamgirls" ran on Broadway.
Hudson was unfamiliar with "Dreamgirls" when she auditioned, but she allegedly beat out almost 800 other women for the role -- including her former "Idol" rival, Fantasia Barrino, who had been the third-season winner.
The role's high-pitched emotions were a | [
"Whose rise to fame came the old-fashioned way?",
"Who did Hudson find dead?",
"What show did Hudson first appear on?",
"Hudson's first national recognition came on what show?",
"What was Hudson's first recognition?",
"Number of people Hudson beat out for role in Dreamgirls?",
"Where did Hudson gain recognition?",
"Who were found dead in Chicago?",
"Whose rise to fame came the old fashioned way?",
"Whos rise to fame came the old fashioned way?",
"Hudson's brother and nephew were found dead in what city?",
"Who did singer beat out?"
] | [
[
"Jennifer Hudson's"
],
[
"mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason"
],
[
"\"American Idol\""
],
[
"\"American Idol\""
],
[
"performances on \"American Idol\" in 2004"
],
[
"almost 800"
],
[
"\"American Idol\""
],
[
"Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson,"
],
[
"Jennifer Hudson's"
],
[
"Jennifer Hudson's"
],
[
"Chicago"
],
[
"800 other women"
]
] | Jennifer Hudson's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way .
Hudson's mother, brother, nephew found dead in Chicago, Illinois .
Singer beat out more than 800 other women for role in "Dreamgirls"
Hudson's first national recognition came on "American Idol" |
(CNN) -- In an age when many people become celebrities through looks or connections, Jennifer Hudson's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way: through talent, hard work and a close-knit family. Jennifer Hudson is in a new movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," and recently released her first solo album. At a time when the singer is in a new movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," and recently released her first solo album, Hudson is now back in the public eye largely due to a family tragedy. Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death Friday in their Chicago home. The body of the singer's missing 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found in an SUV on Monday morning. Julian's stepfather, William Balfour, was detained over the weekend for questioning in connection with the case, a police spokesperson told CNN. He was subsequently transferred to prison on a parole violation charge, the spokesperson said. Balfour's mother has acknowledged that her son has been questioned about the shootings, but said he had nothing to do with the crime. No charges had been filed against anyone in connection with the murders. iReport.com: Reaction to Hudson family tragedy The tragedy is a sad turn for the 27-year-old actress and singer, who first earned national notice for her performances on "American Idol" in 2004 and won an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2006's "Dreamgirls." Hudson's singing career began in her church choir in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Englewood when she was a child. She remained devoted to singing all the way through Chicago's Dunbar Vocational High School, where there is now a Jennifer Hudson Room. (She's in good company; Dunbar's alumni include Lou Rawls and two of the Staple Singers.) "People would say it was unusual for such a small girl to have such a big voice," she told Reuters in 2006. "They would say, 'She sounds like she's grown.' " After finishing school, she performed in the musical "Big River" at a Chicago-area dinner theater and took a job on a cruise line. In 2003, she auditioned for "American Idol" in Atlanta, Georgia, and managed to earn her way to the top-rated show with a performance of "Easy to be Hard," the "Hair" ballad popularized by Three Dog Night. "Idol" proved to be an uneven experience for Hudson. After the show narrowed down its 12 finalists, she started slowly, at times almost being voted off, but eventually her song choices -- including Elton John's "Circle of Life" and Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" -- made her one of the favorites. Sir Elton himself believed she was the "best of the lot." 'Idol' friend speaks out about Hudson case In the end, Hudson didn't even come close to making "Idol's" final two, being voted off midway in the show's run. However, her performances had established her as a talent to watch, and in May 2005 -- several months after finishing the traditional post-"Idol" group tour -- she was contacted by a casting agency about the part of Effie, the tragic soul of "Dreamgirls." In the musical, which concerns an all-girl trio much like the Supremes, Effie is a weight-challenged musical powerhouse who begins as the group's leader but is dropped as both performer and lover by the group's manager for the more statuesque singer Deena. The role features the musical's showstopping song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," and won Jennifer Holliday a Tony Award when "Dreamgirls" ran on Broadway. Hudson was unfamiliar with "Dreamgirls" when she auditioned, but she allegedly beat out almost 800 other women for the role -- including her former "Idol" rival, Fantasia Barrino, who had been the third-season winner. The role's high-pitched emotions were a | [
"Who rose to fame the old-fashioned way?",
"What show brought Jennifer Hudson's national recognition?",
"Who in Jennifer Hudson's family recently died?",
"How many other women did Hudson beat out for a certain role?",
"What was the total amount of women that Jennifer beat to get her role in \"Dreamgirls\"?",
"In what US City were Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew found dead?",
"Where did Jennifer Hudson get her first national recognition?",
"On what TV show did Jennifer Hudson first become famous?",
"How many other women did Jennifer Hudson beat out for her role in \"Dreamgirls\"?",
"Which of Jennifer's relatives were found dead in Chicago?",
"What show did Hudson first appear at?",
"Who was found dead in Chicago?"
] | [
[
"Jennifer Hudson's"
],
[
"\"American Idol\""
],
[
"mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason"
],
[
"almost 800"
],
[
"800"
],
[
"Chicago"
],
[
"performances on \"American Idol\" in 2004"
],
[
"\"American Idol\""
],
[
"800"
],
[
"7-year-old nephew,"
],
[
"\"American Idol\""
],
[
"Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson,"
]
] | Jennifer Hudson's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way .
Hudson's mother, brother, nephew found dead in Chicago, Illinois .
Singer beat out more than 800 other women for role in "Dreamgirls"
Hudson's first national recognition came on "American Idol" |
(CNN) -- In an anguished 911 call, a Georgia man told dispatchers that he arrived home to find "my whole family's dead." Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence in a mobile home park in Brunswick, Georgia. "I just got home," a man identified as Guy Heinze Jr. told the emergency dispatcher in the Saturday call, released Monday by authorities. "I was out last night. I got home just now, and everybody's dead. ... My whole family's dead. It looks like they've been beaten to death." Seven people were found dead Saturday at a residence at the New Hope mobile home park in Brunswick, Georgia, authorities said. Two others were hospitalized in critical condition; one of them, identified by police as 19-year-old Michael Toller, died Sunday. The remaining survivor remained in critical condition on Monday, police said. A neighbor of Heinze's placed the call and put him on the phone, as well as the mobile home park's maintenance man. The park manager also called 911, sobbing as she told dispatchers, "Please hurry." Listen as the 911 operator hears a family has died » Police said Sunday that they have "no known suspects" in the case. "We are not looking for any known suspects," Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said. "That doesn't say that there are no suspects. They're just not known to us." Heinze was arrested Saturday night and faces charges of possessing a controlled substance and marijuana, as well as evidence tampering and making false statements to a police officer, Doering said. He said Heinze has been cooperative and stopped short of naming him a suspect in the deaths. "We're still looking for anybody and everybody that may be related to this," he said. "That naturally includes [Heinze]. Of course we're looking at him." "I don't know what to do, man," an emotional Heinze told the dispatcher. "My dad, my mom, my uncle, my cousin ... my dad, he's laying there dead. That was my dad." "It's a house full of people that live there," the neighbor said during the call. "I know there's a baby. I don't know if the baby was in there or not." At one point, while the maintenance man, identified only as Mike, talked to dispatchers, Heinze went into the mobile home and reported that his cousin, identified as Michael, was still breathing. Asked to describe Michael, the maintenance man said that Michael is a "young man with Down's syndrome." Heinze reported that the youth's "face is smashed in," he said. Heinze got back on the phone to talk to a supervisor, repeating that Michael was breathing, although he appeared to be having trouble breathing and needed an ambulance. The dispatcher assured him that help was on the way and tried to question him gently. "People's beat," Heinze said. "Everybody is dead." Asked what the mobile home looked like, he yelled, "It looks like a [expletive] murder scene." At the dispatcher's suggestion, Heinze tried to question Michael, asking him, "Where do you hurt?" There was no response. Doering said Sunday that police think at least one person not in custody may have information in the case. Authorities have not released the identities or ages of the other victims, revealing only that they range in age from children through mid-40s. One additional victim was identified, Doering said Monday, but he did not release that person's name pending notification of relatives. Autopsies on the victims began over the weekend in Savannah, Georgia, and continued Monday, Doering said. Police had been called to the home before, Doering said, but would not say why. He was tight-lipped Sunday about many aspects of the case, refusing to say how the victims died or to give a | [
"What was the name of one of the deceased?",
"whose dad is dead?",
"Who called 911?",
"How many people died at the scene?",
"Who was heard on the 911 call?",
"How many were dead at the scene?"
] | [
[
"Michael Toller,"
],
[
"Guy Heinze Jr."
],
[
"Guy Heinze Jr."
],
[
"Seven"
],
[
"a man identified as Guy Heinze Jr."
],
[
"Seven people"
]
] | Police identify one of deceased as 19-year-old Michael Toller .
Guy Heinze Jr. heard on 911 call telling dispatcher he arrived home to find bodies .
"I don't know what to do, man," Heinze tells 911. "My dad, he's laying there dead"
Police say "no known suspects" in the attack; 7 dead at scene, 8th died later . |
(CNN) -- In an attempt to be frugal amid the economic downturn, Karl Stetson and his family in Seattle, Washington, planned to skip their annual trip to Hawaii. Water rushes toward the shore at Sandy Beach Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. That is until Stetson began noticing airfare and hotel rates plunge this year. Last week, he caved, purchasing plane tickets for less than $450 a person, a sweet deal compared with $600 last year. He booked rooms at Hanalei Colony Resort, among the emerald mountains in Kauai, for 25 percent off, and he was delighted to receive one of the nights free. "We might have done something on the mainland, something more low-key, but the fact that it was inexpensive was a big factor for us to go again," said Stetson, who is taking his wife and two young boys in May. Outdoor enthusiasts, lovebirds and families prudently resisting the urge to visit Hawaii, say aloha to majorly discounted airfares and hotel rates -- many hitting rock-bottom prices -- this year. The bittersweet theory seems to hold true: What is bad for the travel industry has been good for consumers. As Hawaii suffers from its biggest visitor decline since the Great Depression, the state is enticing travelers with discounted deals to offset the toll on its local economy. iReport.com: Toughing out the recession? Airfare to Hawaii from cities in the continental United States has plummeted more than 30 percent in some markets, according to FareCompare.com, an airfare research Web site. Pleasant Holidays, one of the nation's largest privately owned travel companies, is offering vacation packages that include flight and three nights hotel stay in Oahu starting at $299. Online travel giants Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz are all offering sales on Hawaii flights, hotels and activities, and some luxury hotels have rooms for less than $150 a night. "You won't see prices to Hawaii like this again in your lifetime," FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney said. "It might be worth it to take that once-in-a-lifetime trip." For decades, tourists from the United States and abroad have flocked to Hawaii, many captivated by the exotic islands' natural beauty: snow-capped mountains, active volcanoes, breathtaking waterfalls and pristine beaches. Now with the administration of President Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Hawaii, there is a renewed interest for tourists to visit, travel experts say. But travelers have long viewed Hawaii as an expensive destination in comparison with Florida or California. Two adults can expect to spend $673 a day in Honolulu on food and lodging, making Hawaii the most expensive destination in the country, according to the AAA's 2008 Annual Vacation Costs Survey. It is no surprise, then, that in a brutal economy where consumer confidence is low, the islands are having a tough time reeling in visitors, despite discounted prices. The state reported a 12.4 percent decline in visitors, or 72,255 fewer guests, in January compared with the same time last year. The drop, which started last spring, is a reversal of nearly a decade of visitor growth. To make matters worse, visitor spending in Hawaii declined by 13.6 percent in January, and many state officials and experts are worried what that will mean for a state where tourism is the backbone industry. Nationwide, the tourism picture looks bleak, as the number of travelers is expected to fall throughout 2009, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. In the Aloha State, the smaller, more remote islands like Lana'i and Moloka'i are feeling the most pain. They received about a third fewer visitors in January than the year before. "This is a downturn," said Mark B. Dunkerley, who sits on the board of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and is CEO of Hawaiian Airlines. Dunkerley explained that the decline in visitors may be troubling, but the numbers are still as strong as they were a decade ago. "It's not a catastrophe. The clock has been wound back." Signs of decline for Hawaii | [
"What destination has seen steep decline in airfare?",
"When did visits to Hawaii decline by 12.4%?",
"To what destination has airfare plunged?",
"where has Airfare plunged more than 30 percent?"
] | [
[
"Hawaii,"
],
[
"January"
],
[
"Hawaii,"
],
[
"to Hawaii from cities in the continental United States"
]
] | Airfare to Hawaii has plunged more than 30 percent in some markets .
Hawaii reported a 12.4 percent decline in visitors in January .
"You can play 'let's make a deal' with these folks," said Pauline Frommer .
State officials say Hawaii's tourism economy won't improve until 2011 . |
(CNN) -- In an effort to alleviate problems facing the company, Starbucks announced that it will close 600 company-run U.S. stores over the next year. Most of the stores are near another Starbucks and aren't profitable. Nancy Blomquist moved from Georgia to Arizona and sent friends this photo of her first 'houseguest' -- Starbucks. CNN.com asked iReporters to respond to the news that the coffee giant, known for its saturation of the market, is shuttering some retail locations. iReporter mattwilliams says he's happy to see some Starbucks go, opening the market for independent coffee shops. Rusty1978 says he can't imagine how Starbucks is in financial trouble, given that his local store is always packed. Cval predicts more people will give up their lattes as the economy tightens. Below are a selection of iReport responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on Starbucks here Stefan: Starbucks Coffee, no doubt, has been a powerhouse phenomenon in the American barista world. The coffee super-giant has not only introduced, but set a national trend in coffee drinking for years to come ... they have created a culture. Everywhere you look, from street corners, to bookstores and now even supermarkets, there is a Starbucks coffee shop or stand. So what will we do if we no longer have our daily dose of super-charged joe? Go somewhere else. Since they started becoming a national chain, there has been a rush of smaller coffee shops trying to duplicate the relaxing, welcoming feel of Starbucks, and some do well and even exceed the patron's expectations, offering sofa's, tables, background music and even free internet. But what about the coffee? As for those specialty drinks, many small coffee shop owners have started sending their employees to barista school, where they learn how to make the "perfect" cup of coffee / espresso with those perfect little beans. ... It is possible we may see a new coffee shop in town; and maybe, just maybe, the "next big thing". FlashBauer38: I am glad to see Starbucks finally realized you only need one store per city block. I personally do not like or go to Starbucks. I normally get my coffee from Dunkin Donuts on the way to work or buy grounds from them to make at home ... for a reasonable price. I already have to spend $4 a gallon on gas, why would I spend $4 for 12 oz of coffee? cval: You're kidding me, right? Anyone heard of the Mr. Coffee machine? You can get one for $15, and set it to have your coffee ready for you when you roll out of bed, then it turns off an hour later so as not to burn your house down should you forget to turn it off. Starbucks has always been a luxury item, when people need to get back to basics to survive. Maybe people are just realizing this, and it is way overdue if you ask me. It's as expensive as smoking, think of all the money you can put into savings if you brew your own coffee. Johnmcook: "My Starbucks", in the Uptown section of West Village is much more than a place to get a cup of java. It is a real part of the community, a busy, urban, somewhat trendy area near downtown Dallas. I know each employee by name and they know me. I keep track of their progress through college, another's budding music career, and will attend another's wedding. When on the patio with my Chihuahua, they bring him water to help beat the heat or whipped cream as a treat ... If you have ever spent time in the UK... you understand the social importance of meeting at the local pub... my Starbucks is the equivalent of that. You come there to get your favorite coffee but you leave with and come back for ... so much more. rusty1978: Well, amongst all the Starbucks frowners around, I must say it's strong coffee and that's how I like it. | [
"How many stores is Starbucks going to close?",
"Who responds to the news?"
] | [
[
"600"
],
[
"iReporters"
]
] | The Starbucks coffee chain announced Tuesday it will shutter 600 stores .
CNN readers respond to the news, exchange divided opinions of the coffee giant .
iReporter FlashBauer58 says as gas prices climb, pricey drink purchases will fall .
iReport.com: Love Starbucks? What about the chain? Share your opinion . |
(CNN) -- In an unusual step, NASA scientists interrupted testing of the refurbished Hubble Space Telescope to aim the orbiter's camera at Jupiter and capture an image of the planet's mysterious new scar. The revamped Hubble telescope captured these images of an impact scar near Jupiter's south pole. The resulting picture, taken Thursday, is the sharpest visible-light photo of the dark spot and Hubble's first science observation since astronauts repaired and upgraded it in May, NASA said. Earth-based telescopes have been trained on Jupiter since an amateur astronomer in Australia noticed the new mark, probably created when a small comet or asteroid plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere and disintegrated, early Monday. But in its rarified orbit 347 miles above the Earth, the Hubble has a better view of the gaseous planet. This week's event marks only the second time scientists have recorded debris colliding with Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun and the largest in our solar system. The appearance of the impact spot is changing day to day in the planet's cloud tops, making it a priority for scientists to document it quickly. Although the Hubble is not expected to resume full operations until late summer and its new camera is still being calibrated, NASA scientists decided the Jupiter event was too significant not to put the orbiting observatory back into action for a day. "Because we believe this magnitude of impact is rare, we are very fortunate to see it with Hubble," said Amy Simon-Miller of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Details seen in the Hubble view shows a lumpiness to the debris plume caused by turbulence in Jupiter's atmosphere." Jupiter's colorful atmosphere is 86 percent hydrogen and 14 percent helium, with tiny amounts of methane, ammonia, phosphine, water, acetylene, ethane, germanium and carbon monoxide. The chemicals are responsible for producing the different colors of Jupiter's clouds. The object created a mark on Jupiter that has about same diameter as Earth, though the object itself was probably only 50 to 100 miles across, said Anthony Wesley, the astronomer who first noticed the scar. The mystery object was probably moving at speeds of about 50 to 100 kilometers (31 to 62 miles) per second when it struck near Jupiter's south pole, Wesley said. The new image of Jupiter was taken with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3, which was installed by the astronauts aboard space shuttle Atlantis in May. Because it is still being calibrated, the camera's full power has yet to be seen, NASA said. The Hubble has been in orbit since 1990 and can capture images that telescopes on Earth can't, partly because it doesn't have to gaze through the planet's murky atmosphere. The unplanned Jupiter photo shoot will add delays to the recommissioning of Hubble, NASA said. But scientists are at a point in the telescope's reboot where they have enough flexibility to employ Hubble to look at the unexpected astronomical event, they said. | [
"What telescope was revamped?",
"When is the Hubble expected to resume operations?",
"What did the Hubble telescope capture?",
"What planet did the Hubble telescope investigate?",
"Where is the scar located?",
"What is the new camera undergoing?",
"What did the telescope capture?",
"When was the scar created?"
] | [
[
"Hubble Space"
],
[
"late summer"
],
[
"images of an impact scar near Jupiter's south pole."
],
[
"Jupiter"
],
[
"near Jupiter's south pole."
],
[
"is still being calibrated,"
],
[
"an image of the planet's mysterious new scar."
],
[
"early Monday."
]
] | Revamped Hubble telescope captured image of Jupiter's mysterious new scar .
Scar was created when comet or asteroid plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere .
Image was taken by Hubble's new camera, which is still being calibrated .
Hubble is not expected to resume full operations until late summer . |
(CNN) -- In an upstate New York town ravaged by the wrathful remnants of Hurricane Irene in late August, 12 displaced families will break bread together at Thanksgiving dinner.
"We are trying to rebuild," said Ken Aurigema, who with the help of his family will be cooking for at least 30 people Thursday at the Catskill Christian Assembly, one of the few structures in the small town of Prattsville to survive the devastation of the storm and its enduring aftermath.
Upstate New York faced some of the worst and most extensive amount of flooding in Irene's fury, along with New Jersey and Vermont, said Chris Vaccaro spokesman for the National Weather Service.
Over 7 million homes and businesses from North Carolina northward up the Eastern Seaboard lost power in the record-setting 10th billion-dollar disaster for the United States this year, Vaccaro said. Irene broke the previous record of nine billion-dollar disasters set in 2008.
The estimated damage is more than $7.3 billion dollars total.
"Wind is not the only threat -- inland flooding can be one of the deadliest hazards within a tropical storm," Vaccaro said.
Most of the families dining together Thursday previously lived in one of the 15 now-unoccupied houses along Main Street, where creek swelling and flood damage turned those structures into wrecked skeletons of homes that need rebuilding, or that have been condemned.
The dinner invitation extends across Greene County to neighboring towns including Lexington and Windham, where countless homes and businesses also were destroyed.
This was the first time a hurricane made landfall in the New York area since Hurricane Gloria struck Long Island in 1985. Hurricane Bob in 1991 came just shy of touching down east of the Long Island's twin forks.
What began as a Category 1 hurricane in North Carolina had weakened into a tropical storm when it made a second landfall in New York's Coney Island, and continued northward through Connecticut, Massachusetts and then Vermont.
"The Northeast is prone to witnessing a tropical storm system, it's not just Florida the Gulf or (the) Carolinas. If you live along (the) coastline east or south, you are susceptible," Vaccaro told CNN.
"Irene was a reminder of that," he said.
Thanksgiving dinner host Aurigema, an electrical contractor who lost his truck, tools, and customers to Irene, had been living in Greene County with his wife and son for 16 years before the storm slashed through his tiny town.
Irene demolished the first floor of his Prattsville home, drowned his foundation in creek backwash and waterlogged his floor with three feet of flooding that soon after became caked mud.
Having also directed the Catskill Christian Academy for 16 years, Aurigema is grateful the ministry has let him and his family take solace on their grounds for the past two months. He hopes to be out during December, by the 15th or by Christmas.
When he drives down Main Street, Aurigema said, "It's hard to comprehend how you are going to rebuild the town."
"When I leave at night, it's sad to see none of the stores being open. I think for the most part we are on the mend; I am worried about how many people are going to move back here."
Some 20 mom-and-pop businesses, even the grocery store, were out of commission for weeks after Irene shredded the edges of nearby Schoharie Creek, Prattsville town spokesman Al Creazzo told CNN.
Shaun Groden, Greene County administrator said, "There was complete devastation, the entire village, there was not a single building in the entire town that went unscathed. Most were half knocked off (their) foundation, or worse, collapsed."
"There are still houses boarded up, probably just awaiting the wrecking ball," said Groden.
Groden explained that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has categorized most of the damaged structures as being in what are now deemed flood zones, and that banks are reluctant to finance rebuilding in these zones, for fear of future flooding.
"The question is, can you literally pick up a | [
"What town was hit by the tornado?",
"When will they gather?",
"What did Aurigema say?",
"What town was ravaged?",
"Which town was ravaged by Irene?",
"What does the resident say?",
"What holiday will they attend?",
"What will residents gather for on Thursday?",
"What did Ken say?"
] | [
[
"Prattsville"
],
[
"at Thanksgiving dinner."
],
[
"\"We are trying to rebuild,\""
],
[
"Prattsville"
],
[
"Prattsville"
],
[
"\"We are trying to rebuild,\""
],
[
"Thanksgiving"
],
[
"Thanksgiving dinner."
],
[
"\"We are trying to rebuild,\""
]
] | The small town of Prattsville in upstate New York was ravaged by Irene .
On Thursday, residents -- many still displaced -- will gather for Thanksgiving .
"We are coming back to life, little by little," says Prattsville resident Ken Aurigema . |
(CNN) -- In anticipation of more flooding next week, residents of Fargo, North Dakota, began stacking sandbags Wednesday for the second time in just over two weeks along the banks of the Red River.
A trucker relaxes April 1 on sandbag pallets in Fargo, North Dakota, which is preparing for more flooding.
They hoped to fill 1 million, said Fargo spokeswoman Karena Lunday.
"If we get a million, that will be a total of 4 million we've made since the flood started," she said.
The first sandbag effort began about March 23. The Red River crested at nearly 41 feet at Fargo on March 28, breaking a record that had held since 1897, when the Red River reached 40.1 feet.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Tuesday, predicting that melting snow -- and possibly rain -- will start to raise river levels on the Red River south of Oslo, Minnesota, this week.
Lunday said forecasters expected the river to crest there between April 16-18, possibly reaching 35 feet on April 14.
"I don't think people are as worried as they were the last time, but the possibility of getting up to 40 feet is a concern," Lunday told CNN.
The Red River meanders along the border between North Dakota and Minnesota, so many other cities also were bracing for flooding. | [
"who issued flood warning?",
"what is the city's goal",
"What city was filling sandbags?",
"what does the Fargo spokeswoman say?",
"What did the NWS issue?",
"what has the National Weather Service done",
"How many sandbags do they want to fill?"
] | [
[
"The National Weather Service"
],
[
"fill 1 million,"
],
[
"Fargo, North Dakota,"
],
[
"They hoped to fill 1 million,"
],
[
"a flood warning"
],
[
"issued a flood warning"
],
[
"1 million,"
]
] | Fargo spokeswoman says city has goal of filling 1 million more sandbags .
"I don't think people are as worried" as they were in late March, she says .
National Weather Service issued flood warning due to precipitation forecast . |
(CNN) -- In brief remarks to the media just after returning to her hometown of Seattle, an emotional Amanda Knox thanked those who believed in her and supported her fight to overturn her murder conviction in Italy.
"I'm really overwhelmed right now," said a tearful Knox, who arrived to cheering supporters at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. "I was looking down from the airplane, and it seemed like everything wasn't real."
"What's important for me to say is just thank you, to everyone who has believed in me, who has defended me, who has supported my family," she said, her voice shaking. Being with her family, she said, is "the most important thing to me right now."
"Thank you for being there for me," she said.
Knox and her family were on a British Airways flight that landed in Seattle about 8:12 p.m. ET.
Before beginning her remarks, Knox smiled and said, "They're reminding me to speak in English, because I'm having problems with that."
An Italian appeals court on Monday overturned Knox's murder conviction in the 2007 death of her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher. Knox initially was sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Knox's mother and stepfather, Edda and Curt Mellas, also thanked those who have supported their family, as well as the Italian attorneys who fought on her behalf.
"Meredith was Amanda's friend," said Philadelphia attorney Theodore Simon, who spoke at the news conference. Knox wants the Kercher family to be remembered, Simon said as Knox nodded and appeared to fight tears.
Knox supporters in Seattle said they planned a rousing welcome.
"To Amanda herself, we say, 'Way to go, kid,' " Tom Wright, founder of the group Friends of Amanda Knox, said Monday night.
"We look forward to welcoming you home with open arms and open hearts," Wright said, reading a statement. "You have well deserved, and will well deserve, all the joy and warmth and fun of your normal life returned to you."
The statement also said that it was "primarily a sad occasion," and that the group's "deepest sympathies" were with Kercher's family.
CNN affiliate KOMO-TV reported that Wright was among a group of more than a dozen supporters who gathered at a hotel suite to watch the jury return its decision about Knox more than 5,000 miles away.
Afterward, Margaret Ralph was among those crying tears of joy. Asked what she'll say when she sees Knox, Ralph told KOMO, "I won't say anything. I'll just give her a big hug and kiss."
"It was incredible," fellow supporter Kellanne Henry told KOMO, adding that it took a minute to absorb the news. "They finally got it right," she said.
Many Seattle residents took to social media to post messages.
"I am so happy this nightmare is over for you," Seattle resident Jenn Whitney wrote in a posting on one of several Facebook pages devoted to Knox. Whitney said she "cried with joy" when Knox's conviction was overturned. "I pray that God brings you home safely," she added.
"If I had the chance to greet her when she lands back here in Seattle, the only thing I would do is hand her a rose, give her a hug and say 'welcome home!' " Jeff Bamby posted.
On another Facebook page, Tamara Slater wrote, "Amanda you have been in the prayers of so many people, it must be heart warming to know you were never forgotten. Welcome home!"
CNN affiliate KIRO-TV reported that when staff went out to gauge reactions to the news out of Italy on Monday, "We met just a few people in West Seattle who disagreed with Monday's ruling and thought that Knox was guilty."
Jordan Adams said he thought Knox was guilty, but he was willing to accept the decision to overturn the conviction. | [
"what is overwhelmed",
"Who was her friend?",
"what did she say",
"What's the most important thing?",
"what is important to her?",
"What does Knox say she is?",
"What does Knox feel?",
"Who was Amanda's friend?"
] | [
[
"Amanda Knox"
],
[
"\"Meredith"
],
[
"\"I'm really overwhelmed right now,\""
],
[
"for me to say is just thank you, to everyone who has believed in me, who has defended me, who has supported my family,\" she said,"
],
[
"thank you, to everyone who has believed in me, who has defended me, who has supported my family,\""
],
[
"really overwhelmed"
],
[
"overwhelmed"
],
[
"Meredith Kercher."
]
] | NEW: An emotional Knox says she is "overwhelmed"
NEW: She says being with her family is "the most important thing"
NEW: Her family thanks her supporters .
NEW: "Meredith was Amanda's friend," one attorney says . |
(CNN) -- In compiling a new George Harrison greatest-hits collection, the idea was to focus on the flow, his widow, Olivia, told CNNRadio Monday. George Harrison, shown here in 1992, had hits with "My Sweet Lord" and "All Those Years Ago," among others. "It's a collection that spans his career, and we put them together in a way we thought they would just kind of flow, you know, musically, into one another," she said of "Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison," out Tuesday. "But, it's all George, you know." In 1970, the Beatles broke up. Harrison burst out of the palace with "All Things Must Pass," a monster three-record set that featured friends like Eric Clapton, Leon Russell and former bandmate Ringo Starr. Critics and fans agree the album is among the best solo offerings from a former Fab. Although five cuts from "All Things" got the nod on this package -- the title track, "Isn't it a Pity," "What is Life," "The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp" and, of course, "My Sweet Lord" -- this look back displays Harrison's solo work throughout his career. The 19-cut CD extends all the way through "Brainwashed," his final album, featuring that album's chirpy "Any Road" and the hypnotic instrumental "Marwa Blues." The Beatles are present too. Three live Harrison songs from "The Concert for Bangladesh" -- "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" -- sound as good today as they did on that August date in 1971 at Madison Square Garden. And, of course, his bouncy, tongue-in-cheek "When We Was Fab," from his 1987 release "Cloud Nine," shows Harrison looking back without anger. "I think that there is an underlying thread that he always expressed, always a bit of humor, always a bit of longing," said Olivia Harrison. "You know, I don't like to overuse the word spirituality, but, you know, he was interested in things not of this world." Harrison is a two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a Beatle and once as a solo artist. | [
"What is the name of George Harrison's new song collection called?",
"What did Harrison's widow have to say about his songs?",
"What is the name of George Harrison's widow?",
"Who is his widow?",
"What is the new George Harrison collection called?",
"Who is George Harrison?"
] | [
[
"Harrison,\""
],
[
"\"I think that there is an underlying thread that he always expressed, always a bit of humor, always a bit of longing,\""
],
[
"Olivia,"
],
[
"Olivia,"
],
[
"Harrison,\""
],
[
"two-time inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,"
]
] | New George Harrison collection, "Let It Roll," out Tuesday .
CD songs from 1970s "All Things Must Pass" through 2002's "Brainwashed"
Widow: Harrison's songs had "always a bit of humor, always a bit of longing" |
(CNN) -- In death, Michael Jackson is topping charts all over the world again. Stores around the globe are seeing a surge in sales for Michael Jackson's music. Jackson's albums hold the top nine positions of Billboard's "Top Pop Catalog Albums" chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan sales data released Tuesday. Jackson's albums are not eligible for the current Billboard 200 chart, which is for newer albums. But if they were eligible, his record sales would bounce the Black Eyed Peas' current No. 1 album to fourth place, Billboard said. Jackson's albums "Number Ones," "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" all sold more than 100,000 copies last week, close to 20,000 more copies than the Black Eyed Peas' "The E.N.D." Scores of listeners have downloaded Jackson's music on iTunes as well. Jackson's songs were on the Top 10 download lists in 21 countries, according to iTunes' Web site early Wednesday. Watch crowds pack Apollo Theater for Jackson tribute » In the United States and United Kingdom, Jackson's introspective song, "Man in the Mirror," was No. 1 in iTunes downloads. In France and the Netherlands, "Billie Jean" was No. 1. In Sweden, "Smooth Criminal" was in the top spot, while pop fans in Luxembourg preferred "Earth Song." Of the 22 countries that iTunes tracks, Japan was the only one without a Jackson song in its Top 10. Jackson had 25 songs on the Top 75 "Hot Digital Songs" chart, according to Billboard. Twenty-one of the songs were solo tunes, while the other four included Jackson's siblings. | [
"How many of Jackson's albums all sold more than 100,000 copies last week?",
"What app have the music been installed on?",
"Where did listeners download his music?",
"Who has downloaded Jackson's music on iTunes?",
"Whose music sales are soaring?",
"Who's music sales are soaring?",
"What sold more than 100,000 copies?"
] | [
[
"\"Number Ones,\" \"The Essential Michael Jackson\" and \"Thriller\""
],
[
"iTunes"
],
[
"iTunes"
],
[
"Scores of listeners"
],
[
"Michael Jackson's"
],
[
"Michael Jackson"
],
[
"\"Number Ones,\" \"The Essential Michael Jackson\" and \"Thriller\""
]
] | Michael Jackson's music sales are soaring after singer's death .
Three of Jackson's albums all sold more than 100,000 copies last week .
Listeners worldwide have also downloaded Jackson's music on iTunes . |
(CNN) -- In her first interview since giving birth, the teenage daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said having a child is not "glamorous," and that telling young people to be abstinent is "not realistic at all."
Bristol Palin says "everyone should just wait 10 years" to have a baby, rather than when you're young.
"It's just, like, I'm not living for myself anymore. It's, like, for another person, so it's different," Bristol Palin told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. "And just you're up all night. And it's not glamorous at all," she said. "Like, your whole priorities change after having a baby."
The 18-year-old, who gave birth in late December, said she is being helped tremendously by her mother, grandmother, cousins and other family members. She is engaged to teen father Levi Johnston, who is now working for his father and trying to complete school, but said she wishes that she waited another 10 years to have a baby.
It was "harder than labor" telling her parents she was pregnant.
"Well, we were sitting on the couch, my best friend and Levi, and we had my parents come and sit on the couch, too. And we had my sisters go upstairs," Bristol said. "And we just sat them down, and I just -- I couldn't even say it. I was just sick to my stomach.
"And so finally, my best friend just, like, blurted it out. And it was just, like -- I don't even remember it because it was just, like, something I don't want to remember."
Todd and Sarah Palin were "scared just because I have to -- I had to grow up a lot faster than they ever would have imagined," Bristol said.
Her parents insisted that she and her boyfriend hash out a "game plan" immediately. And now her parents and relatives are all pitching in to help take care of the child, particularly when Bristol is at school during the day.
Van Susteren was delicate with the teenager but pointedly asked if "contraception is an issue here."
"Is that something that you were just lazy about or not interested, or do you have philosophical or religious opposition to it," Van Susteren asked.
Bristol quickly answered that she didn't want to get into specifics. The best option is abstinence, the teen said, but added that she didn't think that was "realistic." Watch Bristol Palin say that abstinence is "not realistic at all" »
While her mother was running for vice president, the teenager said her treatment in the media was "evil." She said she read some of the tabloids that wrote about her. People didn't understand, she said, and some media reports perpetuated falsehoods about her experience.
"They thought that, like, my mom was going to make me have the baby, and it was my choice to have the baby," she said. "And it's just -- that kind of stuff just bothered me."
Van Susteren asked, "But this is your issue? This is your decision?"
Bristol answered yes. "(It) doesn't matter what my mom's views are on it. It was my decision, and I wish people would realize that, too," she said.
The network interview was Bristol's idea, the teen said. And she apparently sprung the news to her parents that she was going to speak publicly the day before the network taping. The teen said she wanted to tell her story so that other young people might think twice about having sex.
"I'd love to [be] an advocate to prevent teen pregnancy because it's not, like, a situation that you would want to strive for, I guess," Bristol said.
Gov. Palin made an unexpected appearance during the interview in Alaska, and Van Susteren asked her | [
"What is the age of Bristol Palin?",
"What steps is she taking to encourage young people?",
"What is she getting help from?",
"Who will help her with the baby?",
"What is the age of her son?",
"What time does Bristol Palin wish she had waited?"
] | [
[
"18-year-old,"
],
[
"speak publicly"
],
[
"her mother, grandmother, cousins and other family members."
],
[
"mother, grandmother, cousins and other family members."
],
[
"18-year-old,"
],
[
"10 years\""
]
] | Bristol Palin said she wishes she had waited 10 years to have a baby .
18-year-old is getting a lot of help from family, says baby son is "awesome"
Palin said she's hoping to encourage young people to wait to have sex . |
(CNN) -- In his first executive order as Illinois governor, Pat Quinn established Friday the Illinois Reform Commission as an official state body under the governor's office.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn wants a review of state government practices completed in 100 days.
"I think we are sending a message to the people of Illinois that we understand that integrity is No. 1 when it comes to the government of the Land of Lincoln," he said of his executive order.
Quinn had set up the commission earlier this year when he was lieutenant governor under Rod Blagojevich, whom lawmakers impeached earlier this month and removed from office Thursday.
His executive order "formally establishes the Illinois Reform Commission under the auspices of the governor's office," he said at a news conference.
The commission, led by former U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins, is an independent body that aims to evaluate existing Illinois law and practices in government, according to its Web site.
It says it will release an initial report outlining its findings and recommendations in about 100 days.
Quinn said there is "an integrity crisis" in Illinois. "We're going to start to fumigate state government from top to bottom to make sure that it has no corruption," he said.
The Illinois Senate on Thursday voted unanimously to remove impeached Blagojevich from office.
A second vote, to prevent him from holding future state office, also passed unanimously. Watch reaction to Blagojevich ouster »
Blagojevich said he was sad and disappointed by the Senate's decision but not surprised.
He was arrested on federal corruption charges in December. Federal authorities allege, among other things, that he was trying to sell or trade the Senate seat that became vacant after Barack Obama was elected president. After the governor's arrest, the state House voted overwhelmingly to impeach him. | [
"Who will report to quinns office?",
"What does pat quinn want?",
"Who will report to Quinn's office?",
"Who took over as Illinois governor?",
"What governor was ousted?"
] | [
[
"Reform Commission"
],
[
"a review of state government practices completed in 100 days."
],
[
"commission, led by former U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins,"
],
[
"Pat Quinn"
],
[
"Rod Blagojevich,"
]
] | Gov. Pat Quinn wants "integrity" restored to state government .
Reform commission will report to Quinn's office .
Quinn took over as Illinois governor Thursday when Rod Blagojevich ousted . |
(CNN) -- In his first inaugural address in 1953, newly elected President Dwight D. Eisenhower told the American people, "History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." This was a fitting and powerful response to the popular noninterventionism current of the 1950s from a five-star general who knew how to win a war.
The first and most important job of the president is to be commander in chief. Eisenhower knew that, as so did many of our great presidents. Today, we are in danger of losing that founding virtue.
President Obama's decision to order a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year will most likely lead to disaster. He greatly risks losing a country in which we have invested so much time, resources and, most importantly, human life. And he risks losing it to Iran, the world's largest sponsor of terrorism and our primary enemy in a serious Middle East proxy war.
"The long war in Iraq will come to an end by the end of this year," Obama said Friday. It may come to an end for our troops, but it is far from over for the people of Iraq.
Only very few of the loudest opponents of the Iraq war advocated complete withdrawal. The U.S. military commanders recommended at least 15,000 troops remain. Obama once again ignored his generals, as he did with Afghanistan, and instead pressed ahead with a politically calculated decision.
Another view: "Who lost Iraq" is the wrong question
Perhaps this will gain him praise from the far left of his base, but this will not sit well with a vast majority of the American people. More than 4,000 Americans have died in the Iraq war.
The American people have been impatient with the war, but they know we were successful in Iraq. To throw this all away for political expediency is irresponsible. To be tired is one thing, to be irresolute is another. The frequent refrain of Osama bin Laden was that he could always wait us out and that we would eventually show ourselves to be the weak horse, not the strong horse. And, God forbid, if we lose Iraq, it will be on the shoulders of the commander in chief.
Under Obama's plan, a mere 160 U.S. troops would stay in Iraq to guard the U.S. Embassy. That is hardly enough troops to defend our own people. For comparison, the United States has 1,234 troops in Belgium, 1,894 troops in Bahrain and 678 troops in Qatar, according to the Department of Defense's active-duty military personnel records. We risk another Saigon moment by evacuating Iraq and leaving no support behind.
On my radio show, "Morning In America," Michael Rubin, who is the American Enterprise Institute's Middle East expert and teaches our troops at the Naval Postgraduate School, said with no qualifications that he thinks we will lose Iraq because of this.
Dan Senor, senior adviser and the chief spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq in 2003-2004, told me that the president's decision shocked and perplexed him. Iraq cannot survive sectarian violence and Iranian influence on its own, he added. Baghdad will surely move closer to Tehran in our absence.
Indeed, one can already see the influence of Tehran. Two weeks ago, Iraq publicly defended the actions of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an early and telling sign that Iraq was preparing for the withdrawal of American forces. The Iranians want influence in Iraq; Obama wants out of Iraq.
The president defends his actions on the basis of his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq and former President George W. Bush's withdrawal timeline of 2011. However, just until last week, the Obama administration was negotiating the Status of Forces Agreement with Nuri al-Maliki's government with the understanding that several thousand troops would remain in Iraq -- a clear break from his campaign pledge. More importantly, total troop withdrawal was never a platform of Bush's withdrawal timetable.
We know that Tehran is | [
"Under what Influence Iraq could fall?",
"What decision was wrong?",
"What number of troops do the generals want to remain?",
"How many troops U.S. generals want to remain in Iraq?",
"Who decided to withdraw troops?",
"What is at risk of falling under Iran's influence?"
] | [
[
"Iranian"
],
[
"to order a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year"
],
[
"15,000"
],
[
"15,000"
],
[
"President Obama's"
],
[
"Iraq"
]
] | William Bennett: President Obama's decision on troop withdrawal from Iraq is wrong .
He says it may gain him points with his base, but risks Iraq falling under Iran's influence .
Bennett says U.S. generals wanted at least 15,000 troops to remain . |
(CNN) -- In just a few short weeks, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach could wake up at his home in Englewood, New Jersey, with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi camped a few feet from his front lawn. Gadhafi may be staying in a tent on the front lawn of a New Jersey house owned by the Libyan Mission. The authoritarian ruler of Libya is rumored to be planning to stay in an air-conditioned tent on the front lawn of a house owned by the Libyan Mission when he attends the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September. Members of the predominately Orthodox Jewish Englewood community are less than enthused about a visit from a leader who has made anti-Zionist statements in the past. The recent release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber to Libya has heightened the animosity. On Monday, Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, called for the U.S. Department of State to restrict Gadhafi's travel to the area around U.N. headquarters in New York City, saying in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton he "was particularly concerned by news reports indicating that [Gadhafi] plans to stay in New Jersey, where the families of many Pan Am 103 victims reside." A representative from the Libyan Mission in New York would not confirm Gadhafi will stay in Englewood, only that he is scheduled to come to New York. Gadhafi has a history of setting up his extensive tent when visiting other countries, including Russia and France. Media reports have said that his request to pitch his tent in Central Park had been denied, and the New Jersey property was a likely second choice. Boteach said he had previously been willing to approach Gadhafi's rumored visit with an open mind, but he backtracked after the Lockerbie bomber's release. "Judging by his actions, he hasn't changed one iota," Boteach said. "He loves terrorists and welcomes them as heroes and speaks with a forked tongue. As soon as he had the opportunity he lionized people who committed murderous acts. Gadhafi is a fraud. I don't want him or his security team near my home." Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes said he was not informed of plans to erect a tent on the property, and no special permissions were requested from the zoning department. Only through neighborhood residents and media coverage was he alerted to construction on the house that, according to Boteach, began around three months ago. The mayor said he was "mortified as a Jew and embarrassed as an American that a financier of terrorism is on U.S. soil. [Gadhafi] is someone who has embraced terrorism and has not changed his spots." Wildes said the Libyan Mission has "not paid a nickel" on taxes for the property, and said he would only be "willing to sit down with him if he brings a check to cover years of back taxes and overtime pay for the additional police forces needed for his stay, and apologizes to the Jewish residents and the Lockerbie victims' families of New Jersey." Boteach, in a piece posted Thursday on The Huffington Post, where he is a regular contributor, said the residence had been left "derelict and neglected" for many years until the recent construction. In opposition to Gadhafi's possible visit to Englewood, Boteach said he plans several steps, including legal action, which he said would be in response to construction workers knocking down his fence and cutting down his trees. "My plan is to sue them, extract as much money as possible and use Libyan money for planting trees instead of buying bombs," he wrote in another Huffington Post piece Monday. Boteach and Wildes also are planning a protest at the construction site on Sunday. | [
"where will Gadhafi pitch his tent?",
"Who is less than enthused by Gadhafi's actions?",
"What reason is the mayor embarrased?",
"who was \"embarrassed as an American that a financier of terrorism is on U.S. soil\"?",
"Where is Gadhafi planning on pitching his tent?",
"who is less than enthused?",
"What rumored Gaddafi?",
"Where did they pitch a tent?",
"What was rumored?",
"Who are less than enthused?",
"What religion are the members?"
] | [
[
"on the front lawn of a New Jersey house owned by the Libyan Mission."
],
[
"Members of the predominately Orthodox Jewish Englewood community"
],
[
"\"mortified as a Jew and embarrassed as an American that a financier of terrorism is on U.S. soil."
],
[
"Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes"
],
[
"the front lawn of a house owned by the Libyan Mission"
],
[
"Members of the predominately Orthodox Jewish Englewood community"
],
[
"to be planning to stay in an air-conditioned tent on the front lawn of a house owned by the Libyan Mission"
],
[
"front lawn of a New Jersey house"
],
[
"to be planning to stay in an air-conditioned tent on the front lawn of a house owned by the Libyan Mission when he attends the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September."
],
[
"Englewood community"
],
[
"Orthodox Jewish"
]
] | Gadhafi travels with air-conditioned tent which he stays in .
Rumored to be planning to pitch tent on front lawn of Libyan Mission house .
Members of mostly Orthodox Jewish Englewood are less than enthused .
Mayor "embarrassed as an American that a financier of terrorism is on U.S. soil" |
(CNN) -- In keeping with President Obama's pledge of an administration that is "transparent and accountable," the White House has launched a site that promises to show taxpayers where their stimulus-package dollars are being spent. Visitors to Recovery.gov are greeted with a video message from President Obama. The site, Recovery.gov, allows visitors to track efforts to jump-start a teetering economy in the midst of a slumping housing market and massive job losses. It breaks down the $787 billion package by category: $288 billion for tax relief, $59 billion for health care, and so on. The site promises that more detailed spending information will be posted once federal agencies decide how they are going to allocate the money. Learn more about where the money is going » Using graphs, charts and layman's terminology, the online portal is an example of how the tech-savvy Obama administration is taking its message to the American people. While running for president, Obama harnessed the Web's fundraising and social-networking capabilities to energize his grass-roots campaign. And the moment he was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, administration officials unveiled a sleek interactive version of Whitehouse.gov, the official White House Web site. Recovery.gov, launched within hours of Obama's signing of the stimulus bill Tuesday, continues the theme of offering information in a user-friendly format. Visitors are greeted by a brief video address from Obama. "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan represents a strategic and significant investment in our country's future," the president explains. "The size and scale of this plan demand unprecedented efforts to root out waste, inefficiency and unnecessary spending. Recovery.gov will be the online portal for these efforts." The site will publish information on how the stimulus funds will be spent in a "timely, targeted and transparent manner," Obama said. Edward Glaeser, a professor of economics at Harvard University, said transparency has "been a watch word for good government types for years." "There is sense that taxpayers will feel a lot better about this if they actually know where their money is going," Glaeser said. "Better transparency makes evaluation much easier." Glaeser pointed out that the idea behind Recovery.gov is not entirely new. He noted that the Office of Management and Budget has for years had a site where citizens can learn the available cost-benefit information of several government programs. Clicking on "Where is Your Money Going" on the new site brings up a chart displaying key areas where the $787 billion will be distributed, including tax relief, energy, health care and infrastructure and science. Under "Accountability and Transparency," there is a statement that reads, "This is your money. You have a right to know where it's going and how it's being spent. Learn what steps we're taking to ensure you can track our progress every step of the way." Like other Obama online portals, the site encourages user interaction. The public is invited to share stories on how the Recovery Act is affecting them. Scrolling over a map of the United States reveals data on the number of jobs created and saved in each state. Those with some time on their hands can also read, in its entirety, the full text of the legislation. | [
"What other site is similar?",
"What does the Obama administration promise to be?",
"what website explains economic recovery plan?",
"what is recovery.gov similar to?",
"What does the new White House website explain?",
"What does the new site talk about?",
"What does the administration need to continue to do?",
"what did harvard professor say?",
"What did the Harvard professor say?"
] | [
[
"Obama online portals, the"
],
[
"\"transparent and accountable,\""
],
[
"Recovery.gov,"
],
[
"Office of Management and Budget"
],
[
"show taxpayers where their stimulus-package dollars are being spent."
],
[
"show taxpayers where their stimulus-package dollars are being spent."
],
[
"offering information in a user-friendly format."
],
[
"\"Better transparency makes evaluation much easier.\""
],
[
"transparency has \"been a watch word for good government types for years.\""
]
] | New White House Web site explains economic stimulus spending .
Obama administration continues promise to be "transparent and accountable"
Recovery.gov is similar to other Obama-backed sites .
Harvard professor: "Better transparency makes evaluation much easier" |
(CNN) -- In light of the botched Christmas Day airliner bombing aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 en route from Amsterdam to Detroit, the Transportation Security Administration has announced new enhanced "guidelines" requiring airline passengers traveling from (and through) 14 different countries to undergo especially rigorous security screening before being able to fly into the United States. Under these new TSA guidelines, security screeners will conduct "full pat-down body checks" and extensive carry-on luggage checks for all passengers traveling from a country which the U.S. considers to be a "security risk." These 14 countries are: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Additionally, passengers traveling from any other foreign country may also be checked at 'random' as well. These new rules mean that "every individual flying into the U.S. from anywhere in the world traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening," the TSA said. On its face, this clear use of ethnic, racial and religious profiling will not achieve greater security in the long term for our country. In fact, by targeting only certain passengers for additional screening, "blind spots" can be easily identified and duplicitously exploited by violent extremists wishing our country harm. Defenders of the new rules might say they're only profiling people coming from certain countries, but the fact that 13 of the 14 are Muslim countries makes clear the religious nature of the profiling. This new policy deeply undermines the Obama administration's stated commitment to civil rights, equality before the law, and a much-needed effort to rebuild U.S.-Muslim world relations since the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush. Under international law, countries including the United States that use race, color, ethnicity, religion or nationality as a proxy for criminal suspicion are in violation of international standards against racial discrimination and multiple treaties to which the U.S. is a party. These include the U.N. Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The clear alternative is for law enforcement agencies to focus on actual criminal behavior rather than solely on characteristics such as race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality. Senior international security experts have suggested, for example, that such an approach would have increased the chances that suspected shoe-bomber Richard Reid would have been stopped before he successfully boarded an airplane he intended to attack in December 2001. Among the red flags were that Reid bought a one-way ticket with cash and had no checked luggage. For years, the concept of "racial profiling" has reportedly undermined important terrorist investigations here in the United States. Most notably, these examples include the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in which the two white male domestic terrorists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, were able to flee while officers operated on the theory that the act had been committed by "Arab terrorists" for the first 48 hours of the investigation. Similarly, during the October 2002 Washington-area sniper investigation, the African-American man and boy ultimately accused of the crime reportedly were able to pass through multiple road blocks with the alleged murder weapon in their possession, in part, because police 'profilers' theorized the crime had been committed by a white male acting alone. According to a report last summer by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Rights Working Group to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination: "Both Democratic and Republican administrations [in the United States] have acknowledged that racial profiling is unconstitutional, socially corrupting and counter-productive, yet this unjustifiable practice remains a stain on American democracy and an affront to the promise of racial equality." In fact, not only do such "racial profiling" practices waste limited resources, they simply make us less safe. For example, the arrests of John Walker Lindh (a white, middle-class man better known as the 'American Taliban') and Richard Reid (a British | [
"Who came up with the new TSA guidelines?",
"what does the policy undermine"
] | [
[
"Transportation Security Administration"
],
[
"the Obama administration's stated commitment to civil rights, equality before the law, and a much-needed effort to rebuild U.S.-Muslim world relations since the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush."
]
] | New TSA rules amount to ethnic and religious profiling, says Arsalan Iftikhar .
He says profiling will create blind spots terrorists can exploit .
Iftikhar says scrutinizing behavior is the best way to detect terrorist plots .
Policy deeply undermines Obama administration's commitment to civil rights, he says . |
(CNN) -- In my mind -- and in the law -- there are two kinds of sexual harassment. The first kind is quid pro quo and easy to spot. A really detestable (usually) man gives his (usually) female subordinate employee or student an ultimatum: Put out or lose some opportunity, be it a grade, a job or a promotion.
During the "Mad Men" era, bosses got away with such, and women thought it the price of a life outside the kitchen. No more. Women no longer think this is OK. Professors even lose tenure over this clearly sexist and illegal behavior these days. We've come a long way on the road to equality on this front. Lawyers don't settle such claims for a few months' salary and a promise of silence.
No one knows right now if this is the kind of sexual harassment that Herman Cain is accused of, but I doubt it. For one thing, several others have claimed they witnessed the harassment of the women in question, and such bold threats aren't often made over the dinner table in a restaurant with observers.
But then there is the other kind of sexual harassment, the behavior that makes the workplace uncomfortable, that creates an environment that is hostile to women in general, or just to one person because of her (or his) sex, gender, race or ethnicity. Everyone agrees that workplaces ought not to differentiate between actors simply because of their sex, gender, race or ethnicity.
But beyond that, when sex and gender are involved, we often get into a "he said/she said" dialogue. For example, he believed the jokes were simply funny and created a more friendly setting; she believed they were offensive and created an us (the boys) versus them (her or her and other women) organizational climate where she was always going to be outside the loop, outside informal conversations and social networks that mattered.
Another example might be when a powerful man is attracted to one of his co-workers and simply wants to start some sort of sexual friendship, an offer he perhaps had made many times before and occasionally was accepted. But this time, the woman finds a sexual overture from a married boss intimidating and off-putting. She believes it changes forever the climate of the workplace. Even if he never threatened her status after the "invitation," she didn't believe the professional relationship would ever be the same after what she perceived to be sexual harassment.
If we look at sexual harassment in these terms, as he said/she said, we will never find a solution -- ethical, legal or moral to the problem. At this point, we have yet to create any consensus around the appropriate way to deal with sexual attraction and sexual desire in the workplace. No one can deny that workplaces are often where adults meet their life partners. In a 24/7 work environment, where else do you have to meet a spouse? And indeed, in a world where people often think of themselves as defined by "what they do," it makes sense that those who also do it are the people we have enough in common with to fall for, whether it's to fall in love, or even just in lust.
And yet, we are still in a world where the most powerful class of actors happens to be older men. We do not live in some post-feminist world, where power is yet equally shared. No one wants to anger or displease one's boss, even a little. Nor do we live in a world where the workplaces have become truly integrated by sex. In fact, the most recent research suggests that in the last decade, we've stalled at integration by sex. While women are getting more and more of the degrees, they remain in traditionally female-dominated fields, and are not moving forward in male-dominated ones.
My hypothesis for why is that heavily male-dominated occupations, including politics, are so heavily masculine in their cultures, full of sexual innuendo and -- perhaps -- the kind of sexual | [
"She suggests rule that it's illegal for bosses to make sexual overtures to who?",
"What does sexual harassment cases often involve?",
"Barbara Risman said society hasn't reached consensus on what?"
] | [
[
"women"
],
[
"\"he said/she said\" dialogue."
],
[
"around the appropriate way to deal with sexual attraction and sexual desire in the workplace."
]
] | Barbara Risman: Society hasn't reached consensus on what's OK in workplace .
She says sexual harassment cases often involve "he said/she said" dialogue .
Risman: Men remain more powerful in workplace, so rules must be consistent .
She suggests rule that it's illegal for bosses to make sexual overtures to subordinates . |
(CNN) -- In recent seasons, "Dancing With the Stars" has given exposure to such unlikely dancers as "Cheers" and Pixar favorite John Ratzenberger, magician Penn Jillette and Oscar-winning octogenarian actress Cloris Leachman. Kathy Ireland is among the contestants who will take part in the "Dancing With the Stars'" ninth season. But this year, the show is adding an even more unusual guest: A Hammer. Former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay -- known as "the Hammer" for his tough-minded tactics -- is among the contestants for the show's ninth edition, ABC announced Monday. Host Tom Bergeron and contestant Donny Osmond appeared on the network's "Good Morning America" to make the announcement. "This is the season where we have a cast that is as big as some of your family reunions," Bergeron joked to Osmond, a member of the Osmond family of entertainers. Blog: Are these really 'Stars'? Joining Osmond and DeLay will be Kelly Osbourne; former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin; models Kathy Ireland and Joanna Krupa; singers Macy Gray, Mya and Aaron Carter; actresses Melissa Joan Hart and Debi Mazar; Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin; ex-UFC fighter Chuck Liddell; snowboarder Louie Vito; and actors Mark Dacascos and Ashley Hamilton. Bergeron said this season will be a bit different as the show will have double elimination in the middle of the season. "It will be a ballroom bloodbath," Bergeron said. The new season of "Dancing With the Stars" begins September 21. Last season's winner was gymnast Shawn Johnson. | [
"Name one other contestant scheduled to appear on this season of DWTS.",
"What was also scheduled for the ninth season?",
"What former House Majority Leader was a DWTS contestant?",
"What will the show be adding?",
"What snowboarder?",
"Who else is scheduled for season nine?",
"What word does the host use to describe the ballroom during the double-elimination period?"
] | [
[
"Kathy Ireland"
],
[
"double elimination in the middle of the"
],
[
"Tom DeLay"
],
[
"Tom DeLay"
],
[
"Louie Vito;"
],
[
"Former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay"
],
[
"bloodbath,\""
]
] | Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay among "DWTS" contestants .
Also scheduled for the ninth season: Melissa Joan Hart, snowboarder Louie Vito .
Show adding a double-elimination period: "It will be a ballroom bloodbath," host says . |
(CNN) -- In staging their Fourth of July fireworks show, authorities in Ocean City, Maryland, have faced challenges in recent years from Mother Nature. Fireworks light up the sky over Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the city's 2008 Fourth of July festivities. In 2005, thick fog veiled the celebration. Spectators couldn't see the detailed patterns and colors of the fiery blasts -- they only saw the clouds and haze get brighter. Thunderstorms erupted the next two years, delaying the show in 2006 and then forcing its cancellation in 2007. That year, storms brought winds that were just too strong. "We start taking a hard look at the direction and speed of the wind when it gets to 15 or more knots [about 17 mph]," said Ocean City Fire Marshal Sam Villani. "At 20 knots, we consult the shooters ... to see if our perimeter is safe for the crowds. Twenty-knot [23 mph] sustained winds would probably be our cutoff." As millions gather across the United States on Saturday to celebrate America's birthday with fireworks displays, fire officials will be watching weather forecasts and preparing to make sure revelers are as safe as possible. They often start by banning spectators from a safety zone, or perimeter, around the launch site to protect them from drifting embers that can get as hot as 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. For that reason, fireworks launches over harbors, rivers and other bodies of water can often be larger in scale. "For a venue like New York Harbor, it is common for [launch] barges to be located on the water, well away from land," said Guy Colonna, division manager with the National Fire Protection Agency. "Even if the winds increase, it's possible...[for] the safety of the display not to be compromised." Fireworks shows originating on land have stricter standards for the size of the perimeter, depending on wind speed, because spectators are generally closer to the explosives, Colonna said. Strong winds can make safety trickier. According to the Boston Globe, hundreds of people at a 2005 Fourth of July fireworks show in Canton, Massachusetts were accidentally showered with glowing embers when winds shifted about 10 minutes after the event began. High winds can even cancel a fireworks celebration. Rain, however, will not necessarily stop a show, said Philip Butler of Fireworks by Grucci, a Long Island, New York-based fireworks production company that has choreographed shows for presidential inaugurations and the Olympics. Fireworks don't extinguish in the rain, and as long as operators "keep the powder dry," they will explode, Butler said. Moisture can cause them to change colors, though. "A brilliant blue may appear as a royal blue," he said. Weather challenges are nothing new for Grucci. In preparing for a large show in Dubai, the production company once faced 105-degree heat and a sandstorm. "They told us to simply kneel down and cover our heads with our capes and ride it out," Butler said. Ideal conditions for fireworks are calm winds, comfortable temperatures and clear night skies, Butler said. "When the sky is black and clear, it's like a painter's canvas for us." Some commonly asked questions about fireworks: Do fireworks still work when it snows? Yes. For many New Year's Eve celebrations in cold-weather states, it's often snowing during fireworks shows. Fireworks production companies say the snow acts as a prism, reflecting and shifting the colors. What's the biggest danger that spectators face from fireworks? Statistics show the vast majority of fireworks-related injuries are caused by over-the-counter fireworks instead of burning debris from public fireworks celebrations. The risk of fireworks injury is 2½ times higher for children than for the general population, according to the National Fire Protection Agency. The biggest culprit? Sparklers. The National Fire Protection Agency advises against using your own fireworks. "Leave it to the professionals." For a Fourth of July weather forecast for your area, visit CNN.com/weather | [
"What will change Fireworks?",
"What did high winds cause?",
"What did the weather affect?",
"what has a firework company said",
"What can cancel firework celebrations?",
"what is affecting fireworks"
] | [
[
"Moisture"
],
[
"cancel a fireworks celebration."
],
[
"Fourth of July fireworks show,"
],
[
"will not necessarily stop a show,"
],
[
"High winds"
],
[
"direction and speed of the wind"
]
] | High winds and rainstorms can pose serious challenges to fireworks shows .
Severe weather affected fireworks three of past four years in Ocean City, Maryland .
Winds can cancel a fireworks celebration, although light rain often will not .
One fireworks company weathered a sandstorm before a show in Dubai . |
(CNN) -- In style and substance, Barack Obama is looking like he could be a different president than the candidate voters got to know during the campaign. Barack Obama has taken on a more somber tone as he prepares to take office. His message of changing the country has been replaced by one of repairing the country as he inherits crises that demand immediate action. "I want to be realistic here," Obama said in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "Not everything that we talked about during the campaign are we going to be able to do on the pace that we had hoped." During the campaign, Obama stressed fixing the economy as one of his top priorities, but his recent language has taken on an urgent tone. Obama painted a dire picture of the economy last week, warning that if Congress does not take "dramatic action" on his economic aid package as soon as possible, the nation would face devastating long-term consequences. "For every day we wait or point fingers or drag our feet, more Americans will lose their jobs. More families will lose their savings. More dreams will be deferred and denied. And our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse," he said. It's a far cry from what voters heard from Obama the Democratic candidate, who inspired roaring crowds of thousands by telling them, "This is our moment. This is our time." But with the economy in a recession and people afraid for their financial future, Obama's soaring campaign rhetoric has given way to grim reality. And as if the economic crisis weren't enough, Obama has an international crisis awaiting him as well. The president-elect said Sunday that the suffering on both sides of Gaza's borders has led him to ramp up his commitment to working for a peace deal in the Middle East. These urgent items on Obama's agenda are forcing his team to reconsider some campaign pledges. Just as soon as he went from presidential hopeful to president-elect, Obama warned the nation of tough times ahead and lowered expectations that he would be the one to solve it all. Watch more on the expectations for Obama » "We know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century," he said on the night of his election victory. "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," he said. He told voters that change couldn't happen without them, "without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice." He reiterated that same message this weekend, explaining what it's going to take to reform the government. "Everybody is going to have to give. Everybody is going to have to have some skin in the game," Obama told ABC. iReport.com: What should Obama do first? Some of the pledges Obama might have to rethink include his proposal to give some homeowners a 10 percent tax credit, an idea that has little support in Congress. During the campaign, Obama also told voters, "I don't believe in running up debt for the next generation." But just last week, he acknowledged that the cost of the economic recovery plan he is pushing would be "considerable" and would "certainly add to the budget deficit in the short term." Obama has not put a price tag on his stimulus package, but observers have estimated it would cost in the neighborhood of $800 billion. Obama also has proposed repealing the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy, but now it's more likely that the president-elect will delay any tax increases on the wealthy until 2011, when the tax cuts expire. Some of the maneuvering is aimed | [
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] | [
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] | Obama says not all of his campaign promises will happen at pace he wanted .
President-elect's tone has become more somber as he prepares to take office .
Obama says, "Everybody is going to have to give" to get things back on track .
President-elect's priority is getting his economic recovery package passed . |
(CNN) -- In tests for teacher Tom Farber's high school class, students can demonstrate their mastery of calculus and find out where to get braces or even a haircut. Calculus teacher Tom Farber is selling ad space on tests to defray printing costs. Squeezed by classroom budget cuts, the Rancho Bernardo High School teacher is selling ads on his exams to cover the costs of printing them. "It raises money for the teachers and it's amusing for the kids, so it seems like a win-win," said Luke Shaw, 18, a student at the suburban San Diego, California, school. Parents and administrators also praise Farber, 47, for his creative classroom funding, but he doesn't want it to become the norm. "My intention is, [selling ads] is a stopgap measure," said Farber. "I don't want to be doing this year after year." Instead, he says, government must do more to help educators provide what students need. Farber started letting parents and local businesses sponsor tests this fall after learning budget cuts would limit his in-school printing allowance -- tracked by the school's copy machines -- to $316 for the year. The cost of printing quizzes and tests for his 167 students will easily be more than $500, he said. That meant Farber, whose courses prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam, would have to give fewer or shorter tests, or find money. Farber, who says 90 percent of his students got a 5 -- the top score -- on AP exams last year, said skimping wasn't an option. "It has to be a certain quality, or they won't be ready," he said. So Farber, who says he'd never asked for money from parents in his 18 years of high school teaching, pitched the ad idea to parents at a September back-to-school night. For checks made to the math department -- $10 a quiz, $20 a test or $30 for a final exam -- they could insert an inspirational quote -- their own or someone else's -- or a business advertisement at the bottom of the first page. Watch how teacher came up with ad idea » Of the seven to run so far -- one per test or quiz -- five were quotes, and two were ads from local businesses connected to the parents or someone close. "Brace yourself for a great semester! Braces by Henry, Stephen P. Henry D.M.D.," read one of the ads in small type at the bottom of a quiz's first page. Farber said orders took off after recent media reports. He's collected more than $300, and he believes he'll top $1,000, with some ad buyers paying more than required. All amounts beyond his shortfall will cover colleagues' printing costs, he said. Farber said students and parents have gotten a kick out of the sponsorships. Student Scott Robison, 18, said: "I liked it because all the teachers complain about budget cuts, and he did something about it. It hasn't hurt in any way." Luke Shaw's father, Jay Shaw, said he wants to sponsor a test next semester. And while Jay Shaw praised Farber's idea, "It's just sad it came to the point where he needs to do that," he said. Farber said he doesn't want quiz ads "to become the standard." "What I'm doing now is ... dealing with the economic situation and making sure kids get what they need," Farber said. "Teachers shouldn't have to scrounge for funding. To me, this is what our government is for, to provide necessities, and that's why we pay taxes." But California's budget crisis has forced Farber's school district, Poway Unified, to cut costs, district Superintendent Don Phillips said. The California Federation of Teachers says the state cut more than $4 billion in education spending this year. Phillips said that when the district sought to chop $ | [
"what California calculus teacher had budget for classroom?",
"Tom Farber had what cut at school?",
"Who had their budget cut?",
"Who can sponsor ads?",
"Which teacher expects to raise $1000?",
"How much money did Faber expect to raise?"
] | [
[
"Tom Farber"
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],
[
"Rancho Bernardo High School"
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[
"Tom Farber"
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] | California calculus teacher had budget for classroom supplies cut .
Parents or businesses can sponsor exams with small ad on first page .
Teacher Tom Farber expects to raise $1,000 with ads this school year .
Farber, education officials hope stopgap measure doesn't become the norm . |
(CNN) -- In the Hezbollah militia strongholds in southern Beirut and south Lebanon, they set off fireworks and fired guns in the air. In the northern Israeli city of Haifa, people waved Egyptian and Palestinian flags.
But when Egypt's vice president read President Hosni Mubarak's resignation statement Friday, patrons watching TV in Tavelino Cafe in Amman, Jordan, suddenly turned quiet.
The cafe's Egyptian manager "clearly is not happy about the news," said CNN iReporter Johnny Colt. "Just last night, the man spoke to me at length about Egypt and why Mubarak needed to stay until September. When I asked him how he felt about the Mubarak news, my new friend suddenly told me he cannot speak English and that I should use my computer to find English news."
Such was the disparity of opinions that could be heard in the Middle East about the events unfolding in Egypt on Friday. So, too, were the responses from world leaders and political organizations -- some of whom ascribed starkly different reasons for the historic significance of the moment.
To British Prime Minister David Cameron, Mubarak's departure was an important first step for a nation yearning for democracy.
"Today has been a remarkable day," Cameron said, "particularly for those people in Tahrir Square and elsewhere, who have spoken out so bravely and so peacefully for change in their country."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed Egypt's "historic moment" and paid tribute to Mubarak's decision to resign. He called for steps leading to free elections and reforms and urged Egyptians "to continue their non-violent march to freedom."
For the government of Iran, Egypt's political earthquake meant something entirely different.
"A new Middle East is taking shape, not the Mideast the West had planned for but one which has been created based on Islamic awakening," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast in an interview with state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency called it "joyful coincidence" that Egypt's revolution culminated on the 32nd anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution victory.
Elsewhere in the region, political groups, some of which are hostile to Israel and the West, were quick to attach the success of the Egyptian revolt to their own aspirations.
Mohammed Al-Qubati, a spokesman for Yemen's biggest opposition coalition, the Joint Meeting Parties, said "the map of the Arab nations will change as a result of the revolution."
"Mubarak's fall," Al-Qubati said, "proves that oppression and use of force cannot add life to the current regimes, and time for change has come."
The Joint Meeting Parties is primarily a coalition of Islamists and Socialists.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called Mubarak's ouster "a victory for the Palestinian people."
Hamas, said Zuhri, "calls on the new Egyptian leadership to lift the siege of Gaza and to open the Rafah crossing and assure the free movement between Egypt and Palestine and to start the development construction process of Gaza."
Zuhri's remarks reflected the sentiments of Palestinians in Hamas-controlled Gaza and the West Bank. In Gaza, revelers spilled into the streets, honked car horns and fired guns in celebration.
Israel's two major TV channels carried the announcement of Mubarak's departure live, with images from Cairo's Tahrir Square supplemented by their political and Arab affairs commentators debating what the development means for Israel.
The headline on the website of Israel's largest newspaper, Yedioth Aronoth, read, "Mubarak Quits -- Masses Elated."
The Israeli government said little about the fall of Mubarak.
The Anti-Defamation League in New York issued a statement expressing concern about how the political transformation of Egypt will affect Israel and "what role the Muslim Brotherhood will play in the transition and beyond."
In Lebanon, public reaction appeared muted. Diners in small cafes watched Arab satellite coverage of the Egyptian street celebrations. For some, it brought back nostalgic memories of the 2005 uprising that kicked the Syrians out of Lebanon.
However, | [
"What is the Egyptian army urged to do?",
"what are people watching on tv?",
"who fired guns in celebration",
"WHat did Palestinians do to celebrate the event?"
] | [
[
"\"to continue their non-violent march to freedom.\""
],
[
"President Hosni Mubarak's resignation statement"
],
[
"Hezbollah militia"
],
[
"revelers spilled into the streets, honked car horns and fired guns"
]
] | NEW: Turkish prime minister urges Egyptian army to show "common sense and restraint"
Iranian TV calls revolution's date a "joyful coincidence"
TVs in Middle East cafes tune to Egyptian revolution .
Palestinians in Gaza fire guns in celebration . |
(CNN) -- In the Land of the Rising Sun, the fiscal year is setting in a sea of red. Mount Fuji glows red in the sunset, much like the year-end results of Japanese manufacturers. Electronics makers Hitachi and NEC Corp., and carmaker Nissan all ended the year with a loss. Japan's largest electronics maker, Hitachi lost $8 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, with consolidated revenues down 11 percent from last year. It was the largest loss ever recorded by a Japanese manufacturer, according to Shinko Research Institute. NEC Corporation lost $3 billion in the past fiscal year, down nearly 11.5 percent from last year. Meanwhile, Nissan lost $2.3 billion for the year Declines in the automobile, semiconductor and industrial equipment industries especially hurt Hitachi, as well as write-downs of securities due to the sharp declines in global stock exchanges. Watch more about Japanese stock values » Hitachi said it will cut unprofitable business lines, reduce staff and eliminate factories in Japan and overseas, but gave no specifics. Japanese firms have been hit hard by the credit crisis, which has driven up the value of the yen -- driving up the export cost of products to markets like the US, where consumers are spending less on durable goods such as automobiles and electronic products. | [
"who had the biggest ever loss for Japanese manufacturer",
"What is Hitachi?",
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] | [
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"Hitachi"
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"Electronics makers Hitachi and NEC Corp., and carmaker Nissan all ended the year with a loss."
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[
"credit crisis,"
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"$2.3 billion for the year"
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[
"$8 billion"
]
] | Hitachi's annual loss of $8 billion biggest ever for Japanese manufacturer .
NEC Corp. loses $3 billion; Nissan $2.3 billion .
Japanese manufacturers hurt by strong yen, soft overseas sales . |
(CNN) -- In the age of digital audio, what does good old-fashioned radio still have to offer? Teca Lima, the voice of RadarCultura, consults the Web site before talking into the mic. Plenty, according to the creators of RadarCultura, a community-based Web site and a daily three-hour AM radio program broadcast from Brazil's São Paulo. "Radio is 'now,'" says 22-year-old Brazilian André Avorio, who implemented the Web site. "[Radio] is generally quick and live. This adds a special dynamic to the medium. Moreover, it is still one of the most popular means of mass communication in Brazil. Combining it with the power of the Internet can result in many new possibilities." RadarCultura is an experimental project of the Padre Anchieta Foundation to promote public participation in audio-visual programming, eventually aiming to fuse its radio, television and Web programs into a single interactive, real-time platform. Like many online music sites, RadarCultura is always looking for new music and emerging talents, but its primary focus is to preserve the memory of the Brazilian repertoire by resurfacing classic, forgotten or unknown songs. The Padre Anchieta Foundation also happens to boast the biggest archive of Brazilian music in Brazil, including more than 15,000 songs dating from the 1920's to the present. "Making it easy to search through the vast archive of songs was an important feature since version one of the Web site," says Avorio. Producer Alceu Maynard observes two types of RadarCultura members: "There are people who listen to the show because they are fans of Brazilian music. There are others who like to produce the content on our site -- they collaborate actively with suggestions, playlists and all aspects of programming." Meanwhile, RadarCultura team members Alceu, speaker Teca Lima and project manager Lia Rangel are busy podcasting interviews, moderating conversations, blogging, twittering and keeping the site relevant. Old media gets new blood True to its non-visual origin, RadarCultura's Web site is strictly text-based, with icons that link to votes and streaming audio. And true to its Web-based platform, the site has adopted, and adapted, all Net-native systems for its daily operations. The site itself runs on the free Drupal content-management system, which allows content to rank and flow according to input and feedback from the site's online community. Members who wish to contribute their own audio material to RadarCultura's archive must either podcast it themselves first, or else they may upload it to the U.S.-based Archive.org to clear it of online rights. Given the quantity of music aired from the ever-expanding repertoire, copyright issues are the most common pretext to negotiation, most notably with ECAD, a privately owned civil society for the collection and distribution of copyright managed by 10 Brazilian music associations. Online, however, RadarCultura distributes the entirety of its streaming content under a Creative Commons license. The team has also been experimenting with the free CoveritLive software to enable live blogging, chatting and Twittering among audience, presenters and guests during its online coverage of radio and TV events, including the popular Roda Vivo TV show. RadarCultura's first live event coverage in February 2008 was of Campus Party Brasil, a seven-day tech-fest that saw people camping out in tents with broadband cables while sharing ideas and technological innovations. In April 2008, RadarCultura struck again with its live coverage of Virada Cultural, Brazil's largest cultural event, including art performances and exhibits in the streets of São Paulo during 24 continuous hours, attracting some 4 million people. "I came up with the idea of inviting the audience to report directly from the streets using their mobile phones," says Avorio. "A telephone system was installed, and the calls from the participants were automatically recorded. Our non-stop production team listened to every recording as they arrived and not only immediately published them online but geo-localized them on an interactive map of São Paulo. "It was RadarCultura's first truly collaborative coverage, as the | [
"what is the program about",
"what is the community website",
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] | [
[
"promote public participation in audio-visual programming, eventually aiming to fuse its radio, television and Web"
],
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"RadarCultura,"
],
[
"three-hour"
],
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"the biggest archive of Brazilian music in Brazil,"
],
[
"three-hour"
],
[
"Brazilian"
]
] | RadarCultura is a daily 3-hour radio program and community Web site .
Its father foundation boasts the biggest archive of Brazilian music in Brazil .
Web site invites members to create playlists, vote on, suggest music for air .
RadarCultura also covers live culture and technology events . |
(CNN) -- In the black market of prison life, cell phones have become perhaps the hottest commodity. Now, Texas is among a growing number of state governments going after them. Hundreds of contraband cell phones were found behind bars or in transit to Texas inmates in 2008. Tiny, easy to hide and an unmonitored link for convicts to the outside world, cell phones are valuable contraband, fetching a greater asking price from convicts than some shipments of illegal drugs. John Moriarty, inspector general for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said that one phone can fetch as much as $2,000. "It takes one crooked prison worker to populate a whole prison unit with them," he said. More than 1,200 wireless phones sit in law enforcement evidence rooms, all found behind bars or in transit to Texas inmates in 2008. Moriarty is the investigator and bloodhound the state of Texas uses to trail the illegal traffic. "These are not stupid people," he said of the coordinated efforts to slip phones into the prison and hide them. "There are a lot of hands in between and they all want a piece of the action." Accomplices on the outside vary from family members, to friends to fellow criminals who buy or steal the phones and charge them with minutes. The contraband is then moved through an elaborate series of drop points and usually ferried into the walls of a prison by a guard or trustee -- an escape engineered in reverse. Finding the dirty prison employee is often the key. "Some of these guys make next to nothing, so you can see how easy it could be to corrupt them," Moriarty said. State Sen. John Whitmire, a Houston Democrat and the chair of the state senate's Criminal Justice Committee, became an ally of Moriarty's after one phone call in October. He picked up a phone slip from his secretary and called the number on it -- only to realize he had returned a call to a death row inmate's cell phone. The inmate, he said, was Richard Tabler -- a convicted double murderer who was sharing a wireless phone with nine other inmates. "At first I thought it was a hoax," said Whitmire, who said he called the state justice board and "read them the riot act." Whitmire is one of the sponsors of a bill in the Texas Legislature that would crack down on convicts caught with phones and allow prison systems to monitor and detect cell signals. It's en route to Gov. Rick Perry's desk after clearing both houses of the legislature this week. Other efforts are under way at both the state and federal level. In January, U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, a Texas Republican, introduced legislation that would let prisons jam cell-phone signals within their walls. Last month, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley asked the federal government for permission to do so in his state. Prison officials in Arizona are training dogs to sniff out cell phones. | [
"What are training dogs for?",
"What are dogs trained to do?",
"What clears Texas Legislature?",
"What does the bill crack down on?",
"What are sniffer dogs in Texas prisons looking for?",
"What do inmates in Texas have?",
"What is texas?"
] | [
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"to sniff out cell phones."
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[
"state"
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] | Texas is among a growing number of states going after contraband cell phones .
Savvy inmates, outside accomplices, corrupt guards make problem a thorny one .
Bill cracking down on contraband phones clears Texas Legislature .
Other states training dogs to sniff out phones, seeking feds' help in jamming signals . |
(CNN) -- In the early morning hours Saturday, surviving remnants of a NASA satellite re-entered Earth's atmosphere over a remote stretch of the southern Pacific Ocean, the U.S. space agency said Tuesday.
Nick Johnson, NASA's chief scientist for orbital debris, said on the agency's website that the re-entry point was in the general vicinity of Christmas Island, south of Indonesia.
"It's unlikely that anyone actually observed the re-entry," Johnson said, adding that NASA has yet to receive any reports of a sighting from airplanes, ships or island inhabitants in the region.
A NASA statement on the website, labeled the final status report on the falling satellite, said it entered the atmosphere at 0400 GMT Saturday, midnight on the U.S. East Coast, over "a broad, remote ocean area in the Southern Hemisphere."
The exact coordinates cited by NASA were 14.1 degrees south latitude and 189.8 degrees east longitude (170.2 west longitude).
According to the statement, debris would have landed 300 to 800 miles northeast of the re-entry point.
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite was launched in 1991 on a space shuttle mission and ceased its scientific life in 2005, the NASA statement said.
It broke into pieces during re-entry, NASA said, with 26 chunks weighing a total of 1,200 pounds considered likely to reach the Earth's surface.
According to NASA, space debris the size of the satellite's components re-enters the atmosphere about once a year. | [
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"yet to receive"
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] | NASA has not received any reports of people seeing the falling debris .
The satellite debris entered the atmosphere between Australia and Africa .
About 26 pieces, some weighing hundreds of pounds, were expected to survive re-entry . |
(CNN) -- In the lead up to every New Year's Eve the inevitable question of how to celebrate arises. For most, waterfronts become the focal point of the celebrations.
It's hard not to see why with the amazing firework displays looking even more dazzling reflected in the water.
So jump in a boat or head to the foreshore for our the top 10 places to countdown to 2012.
River Seine, Paris
See Paris, the 'City of Light', be lit with fireworks while cruising down the River Seine on the last day of the year. The Eiffel Tower is the centerpiece for the festivities and from some parts of the river you can get a magnificent uninterrupted view of the famous structure.
Sydney Harbor
Sydney prides itself on holding what it claims to be the most spectacular New Year's Eve celebrations in the world. Thousands of boats anchor in the harbor and millions of people hit the foreshore to witness the firework display with the 'Sydney Opera House' and Harbor Bridge used as the backdrop.
The shores of Kiribati, Pacific Ocean
Leave your worries and the rest of the world behind in 2011 in this tiny Pacific nation. Kiribati is the first place in the world to ring in 2012. Kiribati prides itself on being the first nation to celebrate the New Year, even changing the name of one of its islands before 2000 to Millennium Island to mark the fact it would be the first country to enter the third millennium.
Niagara Falls, Ontario
This is no ordinary waterfront, but with the spectacular backdrop of the Niagara Falls, it's hard to go past Queen Victoria Park in Ontario. The freezing weather does not deter the tens of thousands of people who hit the park to count down to the New Year. Revelers can listen to live music while watching an amazing fireworks display over the world famous waterfall.
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janerio
Brazilians are renowned for their outstanding parties and New Year's Eve is no different. It is one of the greatest celebrations in the South American nation, second only to the Carnival. Millions hit the sands of the famous Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro to watch the firework display over the Atlantic Ocean.
The Bosporus, Istanbul
Celebrate 2012 across two continents on the Bosporus in Istanbul -- the strait that divides Europe and Asia. A fireworks display lights up the Bosporus Bridge while beautiful mosques and other ancient Turkish are illuminated, giving those on the water a stunning view.
Koh Phangan Beach, Thailand
If you want to escape the cold on New Year's Eve then there is no better place to do it than on the beach in Thailand. Koh Phangan is home to Thailand's famous moon parties and on New Year's Eve the celebrations continue. The beach is packed mostly with tourists keen to party well into New Year's Day.
Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong
The vast harbor is lit up when the clock strikes 12 in Hong Kong. Fireworks are set off from the buildings which line the foreshore, using the high-rises as a part of the lighting show and giving the audience a dazzling display.
River Thames, London
If you're willing to brave the chilly winds, a cruise on the River Thames will provide spectacular views. Watch the fireworks with London's iconic new and old buildings in the background such as Big Ben, Westminster and the London Eye.
Victoria and Albert Waterfront, Cape Town
The fantastic sound of African drums beat out at this New Year's celebration in Cape Town. Revelers enjoy a warm summer's evening on the water here, with firework displays and street performers for those onshore. | [
"What are waterfronts used for?",
"What will people watch?",
"Where are many NYE celebrations?",
"Where will they need to brave the cold?",
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] | [
[
"focal point of the celebrations."
],
[
"amazing firework displays"
],
[
"waterfronts"
],
[
"River Thames, London"
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[
"tourists"
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] | Waterfronts across the world are the focal point for many NYE celebrations .
Revelers will need to brave the cold to watch fireworks on the River Seine and Thames .
Party goers who prefer the warmer weather can head to the beaches in Brazil and Thailand . |
(CNN) -- In the midst of a swirl of rumors about Herman Cain, a woman who accuses him of sexual harassment holds a news conference. Her attorney, Gloria Allred, employs her studied grimace as Sharon Bialek tells of an encounter 14 years ago that, if true, constitutes an unreported sexual assault. At his own press conference the next day, candidate Cain issues a heated denial, having earlier hinted at a willingness to take a lie detector test.
How would the court system, America's formal arbiter of truth, evaluate the competing claims?
The courts would refuse to even consider them. In the legal world, courts scrupulously enforce statutes of limitations on accusations of improper or criminal conduct. The rules exist because it is unfair to force the accused to defend against a charge of ancient vintage. Witness memories and evidence have grown stale and the courts believe that evidence is best evaluated and most reliable when it is fresh.
The rare exceptions to this rule almost always involve the abuse of children and particularly heinous crimes like murder. The law provides no sanctuary for women who seek to resurrect sexual harassment claims from as distant as 14 years in the past.
But Herman Cain now exists in the realm of politics and not the courtroom. Cain must find a way to prove his innocence to a skeptical public regarding a suspiciously large number of claims for which the statute of limitations has long since expired. Unfortunately, finding a path to the truth of sex harassment charges can often be a perilous journey.
Today, most professionals structure their interactions with employees of the opposite sex carefully to avoid even the hint of sexual impropriety. Glass-walled office suites are the norm, insuring that employee relationships remain open to public view. The world of "Mad Men's" Don Draper and his blatantly sexual overtures to female employees is mostly a thing of the past. Today's sexual harassment is far more subtle.
Although legitimate claims deserve compensation, the sex harassment litigation story has a seedy underside. False complaints are sometimes rewarded with generous monetary awards and then hidden from public view with confidentiality agreements and sealing orders.
Employment lawyers are accustomed to meeting with CEO clients who are initially defiant and determined to resist a false claim of sexual harassment. They want their reputations and integrity preserved. But when a high-ranking executive is involved, the company rumor vine begins to grow. Depositions are taken. Employees are pulled out of the workplace to back one side or the other. Sterling reputations begin to bleed under the slash of a thousand paper cuts.
And of course, the litigation process is expensive for the company. Knowing this, experienced lawyers often urge even the innocent accused executive to agree to mediate claims informally and avoid the possibility of a very public and very embarrassing federal lawsuit. Legitimate victims are also urged to settle rather than risk losing at trial.
Once mediation begins, the parties are told that public humiliation and legal costs can be avoided with a quiet, confidential settlement. Both plaintiff and defendant are simultaneously silenced by the agreement's penalty provisions. The truth of the claims will never be tested in any public forum.
That is, unless the accused decides to run for public office. Then it appears the art of the leak can undermine the solidity of even the most carefully drafted of confidentiality agreements.
Herman Cain said he never consented to the mediation process. The National Restaurant Association, through its board, might have negotiated its own deal with the two women who made allegations of sexual misconduct against Cain to avoid bad publicity and legal costs. Businesses will often "settle and seal" the case rather than endure the expense and embarrassment of defending even a falsely accused chief executive.
Based on the sketchy reported accounts, the initial case against Cain might have been paper-thin. There is no assertion of overt sexual contact between him and the female employees in question. The website Politico, which broke the story, refers to witness accounts of episodes of conversations filled with "innuendo" and of "physical gestures that were not overtly sexual" but which made female employees feel uncomfortable.
No one who has followed Cain | [
"Did the court hear the cases?",
"who were the women accusing?",
"what claims are often settled out of court?",
"who is accusing Cain?"
] | [
[
"would refuse to even consider them."
],
[
"Herman Cain,"
],
[
"sexual harassment"
],
[
"Sharon Bialek"
]
] | Paul Callan: The women accusing Cain relate encounters from years ago .
The courts wouldn't hear these cases because of statute of limitations, he writes .
Harassment claims, true and false, often settled out of court to avoid bad publicity .
Callan: Cain might win in court, but in politics, what matters is public judgment . |
(CNN) -- In the pre-dawn darkness Saturday, long after her parents and brother were asleep, Atefeh Yazdi lay in bed cradling the house phone and her cell phone in her hands. Atefeh Yazdi visits with her grandfather, Dr. Ebrahim Yazdi, during his trip to America last year. The only light was from a television tuned to the latest news from Iran, and her laptop displaying her Facebook page in hope of any updates on what was happening halfway around the world. "I kind of felt I was more there when I couldn't see the rest of the room, just the TV and the Facebook," the 28-year-old Iranian-American told CNN by telephone from her home in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Repeated calls to relatives in Tehran only got the "annoying" Farsi-language error message. She recounted the thoughts running through her brain all night: "Are they going to really shoot people? What's going to happen? Is this going to turn into massive killing and violence?" In Houston, Texas, Reza Soltani said the anxiety of waiting and wondering was like endless pacing at a hospital during a loved one's operation. "It feels like the operation started last week and it hasn't ended," Soltani, 28, told CNN by telephone. "I'm worried. I'm hoping it will be good but I'm worried it will get very ugly." The jumble of emotions -- fear, hope, anxiety, frustration -- were reality for millions of Iranian-Americans trying to find out if Iranian authorities would crush protests over last week's election. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming victor in voting that opposition groups called rigged. No independent monitors were permitted for the election. A threatening statement Friday by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei increased fears of bloodshed. Iranian authorities have cut off traditional communications such as cell phone connections, and also banned foreign news outlets from covering the protests. Thousands of protesters took to the streets Saturday, even though the demonstrations were banned and police confronted them with clubs, tear gas and water cannons. The uncertainty and unrest strikes close to home for Yazdi, whose grandfather -- a longtime politician in Iran -- was arrested from his hospital bed this week. He's been returned to the hospital, she said, but she doesn't know if he'll be arrested again or what will happen to other relatives. "It's very exhausting," Yazdi said. "I have this feeling I want to be there. I want to book the next flight. I want to be with the people. I don't care about the risks involved." Her parents, who left Iran in the 1970s before the Islamic Revolution, say such talk is foolish, she said. They are as worried as she is, but fear returning now would bring too much risk. "There's a generation gap, a culture gap," she explained. It runs deep, defining her life as an American-born citizen of both Iran and the United States, who refers to Iranians as "my people." "Being born and raised in America, where I was able to voice my opinion, do what I want, say what I wanted, I'm culturally confused," Yazdi said. "I'm not completely American the right way, and I'm not completely Iranian the right way." Soltani also mentioned the generation gap among Iranian-Americans, but he described it as more political. His parents' generation lost everything in the revolution, and will only consider returning when the revolutionary regime has been toppled, he said. Older Iranian-Americans in the United States "actually boycotted the election, saying if you vote you're just legitimizing the government," Soltani said. "We sacrificed everything for you guys, and now you're going to the other team," is how Soltani characterized their attitude. "They think the system needs to go completely," he said. "All they care is for the system to collapse. They think if the system | [
"culture gap exists between who?",
"Who is waiting for news?",
"What did the woman say?",
"Where did the events take place?"
] | [
[
"Iranian-Americans,"
],
[
"Atefeh Yazdi"
],
[
"\"I kind of felt I was more there when I couldn't see the rest of the room, just the TV and the Facebook,\""
],
[
"Iran,"
]
] | Pair describe fear and anxiety as they wait for news .
They believe Iran will be changed forever by the week's events.
Culture gap exists between older, younger Iranian-Americans, woman says . |
(CNN) -- In the second such incident in three days, fighter jets escorted a diverted commercial flight on Friday after an unruly passenger caused alarm onboard. The military sent up two F-16s in response to reports of an unruly passenger aboard AirTran Flight 39, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement. The passenger had become belligerent and refused to leave the restroom, airline spokesman Tad Hutcheson told CNN on Friday. The passenger appeared to be intoxicated, he said. The flight, bound for San Francisco, California, left Atlanta, Georgia, at 9:48 a.m. ET, according to AirTran's Web site. NORAD dispatched the fighters at 1:44 p.m. ET, escorting the aircraft to a safe emergency landing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, officials said. The passenger was detained there and FBI agents from Denver, Colorado, were called to question passengers, Hutcheson said. The other passengers were scheduled to continue their trip at 4:30 p.m. ET, he said. On Wednesday, NORAD escorted a Hawaii-bound plane back to its origination city of Portland, Oregon, after a passenger gave a flight attendant a note that was interpreted as being threatening, the federal complaint and supporting affidavit said Friday. The passenger, Joseph Hedlund Johnson, 56, told the FBI he hadn't intended to scare anyone with the note, which began, "I thought I was going to die," and referenced the television show "Gilligan's Island." | [
"What did the airline spokesman say the passenger was?",
"was the man arrested",
"Where was the Atlanta to San Francisco flight diverted to?",
"Passenger would not leave which area?",
"Where did fighters escort the jet back to?",
"Atlanta-to-San Francisco flight was diverted to what area?",
"what was the cause of his behavior",
"The unruly passenger was aboard what flight?"
] | [
[
"belligerent"
],
[
"The passenger"
],
[
"Colorado Springs, Colorado,"
],
[
"the restroom,"
],
[
"Colorado Springs, Colorado,"
],
[
"Colorado Springs, Colorado,"
],
[
"The passenger appeared to be intoxicated,"
],
[
"AirTran"
]
] | NORAD: Two F-16s dispatched Friday on reports of unruly passenger aboard AirTran flight .
Passenger was belligerent, wouldn't leave bathroom, airline spokesman says .
Atlanta-to-San Francisco flight was diverted to Colorado Springs, Colorado .
Fighters escorted jet bound for Hawaii back to Oregon on Wednesday in similar scenario . |
(CNN) -- In the shadows of Mount Redoubt, Alaskans are calmly waiting for the volcano to erupt -- an event that could occur at any time. Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano spews ash and steam during an eruption in 1989. "The level of seismic activity" has "increased markedly" in recent days at the 10,197-foot peak located about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, the state's most populous city, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory. "We don't have a crystal ball," said Peter Cervelli, a research geophysicist with the observatory, which is aggressively monitoring the volcano. But "we expect based on the past behavior of this volcano that this activity is going to culminate in an eruption." The activity has consisted "of a combination of discrete, relatively small earthquakes and periods of more continuous volcanic tremor," Cervelli said. Scientists raised the alert status Sunday to a "watch" level, the second-highest, based on seismic activity detected January 23. PopSci.com: Predicting eruptions The "watch" status means the "volcano is exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, time frame uncertain, or eruption is under way but poses limited hazards," according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Maureen Burke, 29, a coffee shop manager in Anchorage, said she remembers the last eruption and isn't too worried this time. PopSci.com: Prehistoric explosions wiped out ocean life -- and created petroleum She said living in Alaska and being close to nature, residents just laugh such events off, dealing with them as they come. Falling ash is a potential problem. The best way to protect yourself from the harmful showers of ash is to wear a mask, Missy Moore, 33, said. As an administrator and supervisor of Starbright Early Learning Center in Anchorage, Moore said, "it's really not anything to worry about just yet." PopSci.com: Google Earth environment guide If Mount Redoubt covers nearby cities with ash, Moore said the school will adhere to the public school district's guidelines. "If the [public] school district closes schools, our school closes too. The city of Anchorage advises citizens to stay indoors," Moore said. "The ash can get into your engines and mess up your car." Shana Medcoff, 17, a barista in Kenai, about 50 miles from the volcano, said residents are encouraged to buy air filters for their cars. PopSci.com: Spying on a hostile landscape Mount Redoubt last erupted nearly 20 years ago, in December 1989, and that lasted until April 1990. Geologists think there could be an eruption "similar to or smaller than the one that occurred in 1989-90." Learn more about Redoubt and its history » That eruption spread ash in Kenai and Anchorage, where it disrupted air traffic operations. Cervelli said the ash plumes caused engine failure on a jet. "It's not the closest volcano to Anchorage," Cervelli said, but "it has the potential to disrupt air traffic at Anchorage." The 1989-90 volcano also spurred volcanic mudflows, or lahars, that flowed east down the Drift River. The ash fall was seen as far away as Fairbanks and the Yukon Territory border. The observatory has set up a Web camera near the summit of the volcano and another within Cook Inlet. It plans to do continuous visual surveillance, measure gas output and analyze satellite and weather-radar data. | [
"How tall is Mount Redoubt?",
"What volcano last erupted in 1989?",
"What did scientists raise the alert level to?",
"What did scientists do?",
"When did the volcano last erupt?",
"What does a \"watch\" alert level mean, in terms of severity of alerts?",
"Miles southwest that Mount Redoubt is from Anchorage, Alaska?",
"What alert level did the scientists raise the alert?",
"Where is Mount Redoubt?"
] | [
[
"10,197-foot"
],
[
"Mount Redoubt"
],
[
"\"watch\""
],
[
"raised the alert status Sunday to a \"watch\" level,"
],
[
"December 1989,"
],
[
"the second-highest,"
],
[
"100"
],
[
"\"watch\""
],
[
"100 miles southwest of Anchorage,"
]
] | NEW: Scientists raise alert level to "watch," the second highest state of alert .
The 10,200-foot Mount Redoubt is about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska .
Volcano last erupted in December 1989 .
Eruption could spawn huge mudflows, disrupt flights with ash . |
(CNN) -- In the wake of a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis linked to bacteria-tainted cantaloupe, authorities assured the public that cantaloupe grown in places other than Colorado's Jensen Farms is safe.
But if in doubt about a fruit's origin, they said, it's best to throw it out.
The outbreak -- blamed on the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes -- was first reported September 12. As of Wednesday, it had grown to 72 cases in 18 states and had killed 13 people, officials with the Centers for Disease Control said. The number of cases is expected to rise, as it can take one to three weeks for a person who ingests the bacteria to show symptoms.
All of the tainted cantaloupes were grown at Jensen Farms in Granada, Colorado, although they were shipped to 17 states -- Illinois, Wyoming, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
"It's important to know that if you know the cantaloupe that you have is not Jensen Farms, then it's OK to eat," CDC Director Tom Frieden told reporters during a conference call Wednesday. "But if you're in doubt, then throw it out."
The recalled cantaloupes may bear a green-and-white sticker that says, "Product of USA-Frontera Produce-Colorado Fresh-Rocky Ford-Cantaloupe," or a gray, yellow and green sticker that says, "Jensen Farms-Sweet Rocky Fords."
But not all cantaloupes may have a sticker, Frieden said. Consumers are urged to ask the supermarket or supplier if they know where the cantaloupes came from. If the cantaloupe's origins remain unconfirmed, it should be disposed of, he said.
However, the likelihood of tainted cantaloupes in the nation's food supply is decreasing, thanks to the fruit's short shelf life -- about two weeks, officials said. The recalled cantaloupes were shipped from July 29 through September 10, "so we really are nearing the end of the shelf life of the product in addition to its recalled product," Sherri McGarry, a senior adviser with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), told reporters.
The recall itself should be removing the cantaloupes from shelves, she said, but the shelf life means the tainted cantaloupes will not be edible much longer. "But consumers do have their own practices so we need to be cognizant some folks may hold that a little bit longer than we might expect," she said.
If consumers do have a cantaloupe from Jensen Farms, authorities recommend they don't try to wash off the bacteria. "We want you to throw that product away," McGarry said.
The fruits should be disposed of in a closed plastic bag and placed in a sealed trash can, to prevent people or animals from eating them, the CDC said.
Refrigeration will not kill the Listeria bacteria, which can grow even at low temperatures, officials said. And the longer a contaminated food is stored in the refrigerator, the more opportunity the bacteria has to grow.
"It is very important that consumers clean their refrigerators and other food preparation surfaces" in order to minimize risk, the FDA says on its website. After washing refrigerators, cutting boards and countertops, the agency recommends sanitizing them with a solution of one tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon of hot water and drying them with a paper towel or cloth that has not been previously used.
Jensen Farms has now ended its cantaloupe harvest for the season, so no new contaminated fruit will be entering the market, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said Wednesday.
Although Jensen Farms does produce other products, there is no concern for any other product from the company, McGarry said.
Listeriosis causes fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. It rarely is a serious concern for healthy children and adults, the CDC said, but can be dangerous for older adults or those with weakened immune systems. It can be treated with antibiotics.
The source of the outbreak -- the | [
"what should you do if you have any doubt",
"If there is any doubt about a cantaloupe's origin, what do officials say should be done with it?",
"Health officials say the only contaminated fruit is from where?",
"If consumers don't know where a melon came from, they can do what",
"where is the contaminated fruit from",
"what can the consumers do",
"wher is the only contaminated fruit from"
] | [
[
"throw it out."
],
[
"throw"
],
[
"Jensen Farms in Granada, Colorado,"
],
[
"throw it out."
],
[
"Jensen Farms in Granada, Colorado,"
],
[
"ask the supermarket or supplier if they know where the cantaloupes came from."
],
[
"Jensen Farms in Granada, Colorado,"
]
] | Health officials say the only contaminated fruit is from Jensen Farms .
If consumers don't know where a melon came from, they can ask the store .
If there is any doubt about a cantaloupe's origin, it should be thrown out, officials say .
Consumers should not try to wash off the bacteria . |
(CNN) -- In the wake of the tragic shootings at Columbine High School, some schools across the country turned themselves into near-fortresses. Kindergarden students huddle beneath desks in a lockdown drill. Such drills have become common. They installed metal detectors and security cameras, banned backpacks, required students to carry IDs and posted police in the hallways -- all in the name of keeping students safe. Now, 10 years after those highly publicized shootings in which two young men killed 13 people and themselves, school security has taken another dramatic turn. Some of the noticeable security measures remain, but experts say the country is exploring a new way to protect kids from in-school violence: administrators now want to foster school communities that essentially can protect themselves with or without the high-tech gear. "The first and best line of defense is always a well-trained, highly alert staff and student body," said Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, an Ohio-based firm specializing in school security. "The No. 1 way we find out about weapons in schools is not from a piece of equipment [such as a metal detector] but from a kid who comes forward and reports it to an adult that he or she trusts." See how many homicides have occurred in schools since 1992 » The Obama administration plans to create secure schools indirectly, by improving overall education, getting kids more involved in their studies and strengthening school communities, said William Modzeleski, a high-ranking official in the U.S. Department of Education who handles school security. The trend is reflected in security funding, some of which comes from federal grants. Allocations for the Department of Education's Safe and Drug-Free Schools program were cut by a third between 1999 and 2008, to about $294.8 million last year. And a program that has put about 6,300 police officers in public schools since Columbine was scrapped by the U.S. Department of Justice after 2005, according to Corey Ray, a spokesman for the department. Ray said he's hopeful President Obama's stimulus package will put more police officers in schools. They act as law enforcement officers as well as counselors and mentors to students, he said. Meanwhile, money for a school counseling grant program has increased since Columbine, with $52 million set aside for this fiscal year, compared to $20 million in 2000, the first year the program was funded, according to budget numbers compiled for CNN by the Department of Education. So while there's more money available for counseling, there's still been a steady decline in federal spending for other aspects of school security. Some critics say a lack of available funding for high-tech security upgrades may be behind the shift toward less-costly and more indirect violence prevention measures. "Right now, the economic situation is affecting [school security funding]. Particularly the technology components of security are going to suffer because there's just not going to be the money to do these kinds of things," said Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators. "We're in the process of laying off teachers and staff." Trump, the security consultant in Ohio, said schools have lost their focus on security since Columbine. But he added that many effective security programs cost little or no money -- only the time it takes to train teachers and students how to spot potential problems and how to react if a shooting were to occur. While metal detectors may not be the best tools to prevent school shootings, they still can be useful in some crime-ridden school districts and, along with security cameras, should not be abandoned entirely, Modzeleski said. Some evidence suggests strong school communities -- where kids feel like they can come forward with problems -- can prevent violent crime. A 2008 Secret Service report found that in more than 80 percent of instances of school violence, at least one person, usually a fellow student or peer, had knowledge of the attackers' plans. If people who suspect a problem feel comfortable enough in school to tell a teacher or a | [
"By what percentage has funding for school security dropped?",
"What are they trying to foster?",
"What did the schools add?"
] | [
[
"a third"
],
[
"school communities that essentially can protect themselves with or without the high-tech gear."
],
[
"metal detectors and security cameras,"
]
] | 10 years after Columbine, schools are taking a new look at security .
Immediately after the shootings, schools added cameras and metal detectors .
Now they're trying to foster safer and better school communities .
Meanwhile, overall funding for school security has dropped by about a third . |
(CNN) -- In their attacks on the food stamp program, some Republican presidential candidates are leaving a deeply misleading impression of the nation's leading anti-hunger program. No one aspires to enroll, but for those who must, it is an essential lifeline that addresses one of the harshest impacts of poverty and unemployment -- hunger.
The food stamp program, now officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides about 46 million Americans in about 22 million low-income households with debit cards to buy food each month. Participants include families with adults who work in low-wage jobs, unemployed workers and people on fixed incomes, such as Social Security. About three-fourths of SNAP recipients live in households with children; more than one-quarter live in households with seniors or people with disabilities.
SNAP reduces poverty while providing people with much-needed help to buy food. The program kept more than 5 million people out of poverty in 2010 and lessened the severity of poverty for millions of others, under a measure of poverty that counts SNAP benefits as income.
SNAP is also highly efficient, with one of the most rigorous quality control systems of any public benefit program. In 2010, only 3 percent of payments went to ineligible households or to eligible households in excessive amounts. Payment accuracy has been improving in the past few years, despite a large increase in SNAP enrollment.
While some have attributed that enrollment increase to Obama administration policies -- Newt Gingrich has termed President Barack Obama the "food stamp president" -- in reality it has two main causes that have little to do with this administration.
Millions of people hit by the recession a few years ago became eligible for SNAP. Today's large SNAP caseloads mostly reflect the extraordinarily deep and prolonged recession and the weak recovery that has followed. Long-term unemployment hit record levels in 2010 and has remained extremely high. Today, 43% of all unemployed workers have been out of work for more than half a year; the previous post-World War II high was 26% in 1983.
Workers who are unemployed for a long time are more likely to deplete their assets, exhaust unemployment insurance and turn to SNAP for help. It is one of the few safety net programs available to them. In most states, other programs -- such as cash assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and state General Assistance programs -- have not responded effectively to the rising need brought on by the economy.
More than one in five workers who had been unemployed for over six months received SNAP in 2010, according to Congress's Joint Economic Committee.
The increase in enrollment is also because it's easier for eligible families to participate. Federal and state officials as well as Congress, with leadership from both parties, have worked throughout the last decade to simplify SNAP procedures so that the program can reach more eligible households, particularly working families and senior citizens. These efforts are paying off: The share of eligible individuals who participated in SNAP rose from 65% in 2007 to 72% in 2009, the most recent year for which we have the data.
The recent growth in SNAP enrollment and spending because of the sluggish economy is temporary. One of SNAP's great strengths is its ability to respond, quickly and automatically, to changes in the economy: Enrollment grows during downturns but contracts during periods of economic growth.
The Congressional Budget Office predicts that SNAP spending will fall in the coming years as the economy recovers more robustly and the temporary benefit increases of the 2009 Recovery Act expire. By 2021, SNAP is expected to return nearly to pre-recession levels as a share of the economy.
Over the long term, SNAP is not growing faster than the economy. So it is not contributing to the nation's long-term fiscal problems.
A weak economy has swelled the numbers of unemployed workers and poor families. That's a serious problem that our policymakers need to address. In the meantime, SNAP helps protect the most vulnerable from very difficult circumstances.
Join CNN Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on Twitter.
The opinions expressed in this | [
"What is the need high for?",
"what percent of funds go to ineligible people",
"what is a lifeline for millions of people?",
"how many were ineligible?"
] | [
[
"Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),"
],
[
"3"
],
[
"anti-hunger program."
],
[
"3 percent"
]
] | Stacy Dean: Criticism aside, food stamp program is a lifeline for 46 million people .
Dean: Program is highly efficient; only 3% of funds went to ineligible people .
Numbers of recipients growing because of weak recovery and joblessness, she says .
Number of recipients will go down as jobs increase, she says, but the need is high now . |
(CNN) -- In these eco-conscious times, there are few areas of life that have not been touched by the drive to go green, and golf is no exception. Justin Timberlake has been an advocate of eco-golf at his course in Tennessee. The trend for environmentally friendly golf is rocketing with celebrities such as Justin Timberlake taking up the cause in unveiling one of the world's top eco-golf courses earlier this year. His club, the Mirimichi Golf Course in Tennessee is the first in the country to be designated as a certified Audubon International Classic Sanctuary, re-using 80 percent of the energy it produces. Next month Stockholm will host one of the largest meetings of American and European golf clubs to decide how the game can become more environmentally and socially responsible. Living Golf looks at a selection of some of the best eco-equipment making our greens even greener. The recyclable golf ball: Every club player will be familiar with the age-old problem of losing golf balls -- but what happens to the collection of wayward balls once the search is over? Dixon Golf are asking for their customers to recycle their balls. It is estimated 300 million golf balls are discarded in the United States alone, every year -- that is enough balls to create a solid line from Los Angeles to London and back. Dixon Golf are encouraging golfers to recycle their lost and found by offering a dollar for each ball that is returned to their recycling centers throughout the US and in over 15 countries worldwide. "We're getting the word out there. We don't have the advertising revenue of [bigger] companies but the more people know, the more they chose our eco-friendly balls. "We're also developing our first prototype putter made entirely from recycled crushed golf balls," said company owner Mike Carey. The solar-powered cart: Ever felt like your golf cart could do with that extra bit of oomph? Well, SolarDrive sun-powered, solar-paneled golf cart could be the answer. The SolarDrive sun-powered car - an energy solution for the future? By recharging itself throughout the day, the cart can work in drizzly and damp conditions -- which could be good news for golf lovers in rain-soaked Britain and sun-baked Abu Dhabi alike. The design has proved so popular that golf clubs such as the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course in Hong Kong and Sebonack Golf Club in the United States have recently converted entire fleets to use the power of the sun. General Manager at Sebonack Mark Hissey says it has been a great move for the club: "First, it's a wonderful idea and second they look fantastic. Plus they're financially better for us to run, saving us over two-thirds on our electrical costs." Large-scale gated communities in the UEA are also reportedly keen to use the carts as a more environmentally-friendly alternatives to gas-run vehicles. The biodegradable tee: A littered tee box may be a thing of the past with the biodegradable golf tee. Manufacturers XT-1 believe they are saving over 100, 000 trees with their nifty corn based tee. The manufacturers of the XT-1 claim it will biodegrade within three months. Unlike wooden tees which take up to two years to degrade, XT-1s take just two to three months by way of an interesting eco-system. Once the tee comes in contact with the soil, the corn-based product is attacked by incredibly small microbes (or micro-bugs) that eat away at the tee to corrode the core. A slightly unusual method perhaps but an effective one, as sales in the last few years have soared. Manager Alan Berry told CNN: "We're gaining interest all over the world -- Australia, the Middle-East, Europe and the States. Our sales figures speak for themselves." | [
"Who has developed a biodegradable golf tee?",
"Who aims to recycle discard golf balls?",
"What can SolarDrive use to power golf carts?",
"Which can convert golf carts ?",
"Who aim to recycle some of 300 million?"
] | [
[
"Manufacturers XT-1"
],
[
"Dixon"
],
[
"the sun."
],
[
"SolarDrive sun-powered, solar-paneled"
],
[
"Dixon Golf"
]
] | New developments in golf show that the sport has a drive to go green .
Dixon Golf aim to recycle some of 300 million discarded balls in the U.S.
SolarDrive can convert golf carts so they can run off the power of the sun .
XT-1 have developed a golf tee that can biodegrade in just three months . |
(CNN) -- In trendy neighborhoods of Tokyo customers are lining up for vitamin injections that promise to improve health and beauty. These intravenous vitamin "drips" are part of the latest quick-fix, health fad catching on in Japan: the IV cafe. Each drip pack contains saline solution and specific vitamins and minerals to target a particular health ailment or beauty concern. "I used to take vitamin supplements, but changed to the IV drip because I feel the effects more quickly," a 20-something woman at the Tenteki 10 Café told CNN. She said she receives specific injections to get better skin, burn fat and boost her energy. There are 10 different varieties to choose from at Tenteki. The "orange" variety touts anti-aging properties, loaded with antioxidants. The "placenta pack" is said to help rejuvenate and ease muscle stiffness. Prices range from $20 to $30 per injection, and nurses see about 30 to 40 people each day. Their most common patients are Japanese businessmen who work in the same office building. "I see a lot of businessmen who say they don't have time to sleep. They can't take a break from working and get the vitamin drip for an extra kick of energy," a Tenteki nurse told CNN. "Blue" is the most requested vitamin pack among these men: a concoction of B1 and vitamin E that claims to offer relief from exhaustion. Registered nurses and doctors administer the drips at Tenteki, but there's no conclusive medical evidence to back up the health claims. Many nutritionists actually caution against using injectable vitamin supplements because the quantities are not regulated. "More is not necessarily better...some vitamins and minerals can be toxic in high doses," particularly the fat-soluble ones which the body stores like Vitamins A, D, E and K, explained Claire Williamson, Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. In Europe and the United States vitamin shots are popular among celebrities with hectic lifestyles and little time to sleep, particularly vitamin B 12. Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and singer Robbie Williams have both confirmed they've used the shots as part of their diets to maintain stamina during tours. Dermatological injections of Vitamin C are also popular among women hoping to keep their skin looking young. Former supermodel Cindy Crawford has admitted using such injections to keep her skin firm and wrinkle-free. According to Williamson, it does not matter if supplements are injected into the vein or into the skin. "At the end of the day it will go into the blood stream," she said. Most of these nutrients we can get sufficient from foods, nutrients tend to be better absorbed by the body if they are consumed in foods." | [
"What does celebrities and businessmen take for fatigue?",
"Among whom are the injections popular?",
"What do vitamin injections target?",
"What does vitamin injections target?",
"What is the newest health fad in Japan?",
"what Vitamin injections are popular among celebrities?",
"In which country are intravenous vitamin boosts very popular?",
"What do nutritionists warn?",
"What do the injections target?",
"What are nutritionists warning of?",
"What is happening in Japan?",
"Where are intravenous vitamin boosts the latest fad?",
"What is the health fad in Japan?",
"Who are vitamin injections popular among?",
"What do vitamin injections do?",
"Who uses vitamin injections?"
] | [
[
"B 12."
],
[
"celebrities"
],
[
"a particular health ailment or beauty concern."
],
[
"particular health ailment or beauty concern."
],
[
"intravenous vitamin \"drips\""
],
[
"B 12."
],
[
"Japan:"
],
[
"against using injectable vitamin supplements"
],
[
"a particular health ailment or beauty concern."
],
[
"using injectable vitamin supplements"
],
[
"customers are lining up for vitamin injections that promise"
],
[
"Japan:"
],
[
"intravenous vitamin \"drips\""
],
[
"Tokyo customers are lining up for"
],
[
"improve health and beauty."
],
[
"Tokyo customers"
]
] | Intravenous vitamin boosts are the latest health fad in Japan .
Vitamin injections target specific health aliments and beauty concerns .
Nutritionists warn of vitamin overdose from high quantities of supplements .
Vitamin injections are popular among celebrities and businessmen for fatigue . |
(CNN) -- Incumbent leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won a third term in office after a landslide victory in Algeria's presidential election, media reports said Friday.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika arrives to cast his vote at a school in Algiers.
Bouteflika's victory came despite calls from his political opponents for voters to boycott the polls. They claim the election was a charade, with the other presidential candidates -- from left-wing parties to Islamists -- standing no real chance.
The 72-year-old was elected with over 90 percent of the vote, Reuters.com quoted the official in charge of organizing Thursday's presidential election as saying.
"Bouteflika has won ... 90.24 percent of the votes cast," Interior Minister Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni told a news conference.
Algerian lawmakers, most of them loyal to the president, cleared the way for him to stand for re-election last year by abolishing constitutional term limits. Critics said that would allow him to serve as president-for-life.
Supporters of Bouteflika say he deserves credit for steering the North African country, an oil and gas producer, back to stability after a bloody civil conflict in the 1990s that killed an estimated 150,000 people.
But critics say he is using the threat of renewed violence from Islamic militants to mask the country's deepening economic problems.
"I continue to regard the restoration of civil peace as a national priority, as long as hotbeds of tension and pockets of subversion survive," Bouteflika, running for a third term, said in his final campaign speech on Monday, Reuters.com reported.
He has also promised to spend $150 billion on development projects and create 3 million jobs, his remedy for an economy in which energy accounts for about 96 percent of exports but where other sectors have been choked by red tape and under-investment. | [
"who wins the third term?",
"What percent of the vote did he get?",
"who abolished term limits?",
"How many terms has he won?",
"What did lawmakers abolish?",
"what was the cause of abolishing it?"
] | [
[
"leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika"
],
[
"90.24"
],
[
"Algerian lawmakers,"
],
[
"a third"
],
[
"constitutional term limits."
],
[
"constitutional term limits."
]
] | Bouteflika, 72, win third term comfortably with 90 percent of vote .
Lawmakers abolished constitutional term limits last year .
Political opponents claim vote was a charade .
Algeria is fighting an Islamic insurgency and an ailing economy . |
(CNN) -- Incumbent leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won a third term in office after a landslide victory in Algeria's presidential election, media reports said Friday. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika arrives to cast his vote at a school in Algiers. Bouteflika's victory came despite calls from his political opponents for voters to boycott the polls. They claim the election was a charade, with the other presidential candidates -- from left-wing parties to Islamists -- standing no real chance. The 72-year-old was elected with over 90 percent of the vote, Reuters.com quoted the official in charge of organizing Thursday's presidential election as saying. "Bouteflika has won ... 90.24 percent of the votes cast," Interior Minister Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni told a news conference. Algerian lawmakers, most of them loyal to the president, cleared the way for him to stand for re-election last year by abolishing constitutional term limits. Critics said that would allow him to serve as president-for-life. Supporters of Bouteflika say he deserves credit for steering the North African country, an oil and gas producer, back to stability after a bloody civil conflict in the 1990s that killed an estimated 150,000 people. But critics say he is using the threat of renewed violence from Islamic militants to mask the country's deepening economic problems. "I continue to regard the restoration of civil peace as a national priority, as long as hotbeds of tension and pockets of subversion survive," Bouteflika, running for a third term, said in his final campaign speech on Monday, Reuters.com reported. He has also promised to spend $150 billion on development projects and create 3 million jobs, his remedy for an economy in which energy accounts for about 96 percent of exports but where other sectors have been choked by red tape and under-investment. | [
"Where is Algeria?",
"Won third term of what?"
] | [
[
"North African"
],
[
"in office"
]
] | Bouteflika, 72, win third term comfortably with 90 percent of vote .
Lawmakers abolished constitutional term limits last year .
Political opponents claim vote was a charade .
Algeria is fighting an Islamic insurgency and an ailing economy . |
(CNN) -- India are poised to build a handy first-innings lead over South Africa after Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar scored centuries on the second day of the second cricket Test in Kolkata.
The home side, needing to win to level the series and retain their No. 1 ranking in the five-day game, reached 342-5 when bad light halted play early on Monday, having bowled the Proteas out for 296 in the morning session.
Opener Sehwag smashed a scintillating 165 off only 174 balls faced, hitting 23 boundaries and two sixes as he added 249 for the third wicket with Tendulkar.
The veteran Tendulkar extended his world record of Test tons to 47 as he took on the junior role, facing 206 deliveries for his 106.
Sehwag, who was dropped by J.P. Duminy on 47, had threatened South African Jacques Kallis's record for the fastest half-century but suffered a brief lull in run flow before passing the mark in just 41 deliveries.
He and Gautam Gambhir put on 73 for the first wicket in just 9.2 overs before the latter was run out for 25, then paceman Morne Morkel had Murali Vijay caught behind by stand-in wicketkeeper A.B. De Villiers for seven.
India reached lunch at 97-2 and Sehwag raced to three figures in only 87 balls for his 19th Test century as the duo batted through the middle session, going to tea at 232-2.
They both fell late in the day as part-time bowler Duminy removed Tendulkar and fellow spinner Paul Harris dismissed Tendulkar, then paceman Dale Steyn bowled Subramaniam Badrinath for one.
V.V.S. Laxman (9) and nightwatchman Amit Mishra (1) survived until stumps as India extended their lead to 46.
South Africa had resumed on 266-9 after a late collapse on Sunday, and tailenders Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell added another 30 runs for a final-wicket stand of 35.
Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan finally ended their resistance, trapping Parnell leg before wicket for 12 in his first over of the day to finish with figures of 4-90.
Spinner Harbhajan Singh claimed three wickets on Sunday.
Meanwhile, New Zealand reached 258-5 on a rain-hit opening day of the one-off Test against tourists Bangladesh in Hamilton.
The Kiwis slumped to 66-3 after Monday's start was delayed by an hour due to wet conditions, but Martin Guptill then added 60 with Ross Taylor (40) and an unbroken 100 with Brendon McCullum to guide the home team safely to stumps.
No. 3 batsman Peter Ingram crashed 42 off 47 deliveries before becoming the second of Rubel Hossain's three victims, but it was Guptill's more measured Test best score of 80 that anchored the innings.
The big-hitting McCullum kept the score ticking over as he celebrated his 50th Test with his 16th half-century, ending the day on 58 from 71 deliveries. | [
"What was the score for New Zealand?",
"Where was the second test?",
"What happend the day one in New Zealand?",
"Who was India playing?",
"Who hits 165 as he adds 249?",
"How many runs added the South Africa's tourist?",
"What happen the second day?",
"Tourists from where added 30 runs?",
"What was the score for India?"
] | [
[
"258-5"
],
[
"Kolkata."
],
[
"reached 258-5"
],
[
"South Africa"
],
[
"Sehwag"
],
[
"30"
],
[
"and Sachin Tendulkar scored centuries"
],
[
"Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell"
],
[
"342-5"
]
] | India reach 342-5 on second day of second Test against South Africa in Kolkata .
Virender Sehwag hits 165 as he adds 249 for third wicket with Sachin Tendulkar (106)
Tourists South Africa had added 30 runs to their overnight total of 266-9 .
New Zealand reach 258-5 on rain-hit opening day of one-off Test against Bangladesh . |
(CNN) -- India is trying to reclaim the famous metal-rimmed glasses and some other artifacts from freedom leader Mahatma Gandhi that are up for auction next week in New York, a top official said Saturday.
Mahatma Gandhi was known for his peaceful opposition to tyranny, which led to India's independence.
"The government will be doing whatever is required to get them back," India's culture ministry secretary Jawhar Sircar told CNN.
He said there were "several options" in place for India.
When asked whether India planned any indirect participation in the bidding reportedly scheduled next week at the Antiquorum auction house on New York's Madison Avenue, he said it is one of the "speculative" options.
"I can't disclose what (exactly) those options are. But we are doing something," Sircar remarked.
The glasses are scheduled to be auctioned off along with Gandhi's pocketwatch, sandals, bowl, and plate with letters of authenticity, according to the Web site for Antiquorum, which specializes in watches.
The glasses and other items are estimated to sell for as much as $30,000, the Web site said.
CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report. | [
"what options would Indian officials have?",
"where Auction scheduled to take place?",
"Who is Ganghi?"
] | [
[
"\"several options\""
],
[
"New York,"
],
[
"Mahatma Gandhi was known for his peaceful opposition to tyranny, which led to India's independence."
]
] | Auction scheduled to take place in New York .
Glasses and other items estimated to sell for as much as $30,000 .
Indian official: India has "several options"
Gandhi's pocketwatch, sandals, bowl, and plate among items on auction . |
(CNN) -- India racked up a massive first-innings lead of 347 runs over South Africa on the third day of the second cricket Test in Kolkata as V.V.S. Laxman and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni contributed centuries.
The pair put on an unbroken 259 for the seventh wicket, with Laxman unbeaten on 143 and Dhoni on 132 when the declaration came at 643-6 in the final hour of Tuesday's play.
Their efforts meant that four Indians had passed three figures, following Virender Sehwag's 165 on Monday and Sachin Tendulkar's 106, while four South African bowlers conceded more than 100 runs each.
South Africa, who will return to the No. 1 Test ranking above India with a draw, reached 6-0 at stumps as only five balls of a scheduled 10 overs were able to be bowled due to bad light.
India, who trail 1-0 in the two-match series, resumed the day on 342-5 with Laxman on nine and nightwatchman Amit Mishra on one.
They extended their partnership to 48 before paceman Morne Morkel picked up his second wicket as Mishra was caught at second slip by Jacques Kallis, who had earlier dropped the batsman as did captain Graeme Smith.
Laxman was dropped by J.P. Duminy on 48, and India reached lunch at 431-6 before piling on 117 runs in the two hours after the interval.
Laxman completed his 15th Test century and Dhoni his fourth in only the second time that four Indian batsmen had reached three figures in the same innings.
Meanwhile, New Zealand piled up 553-7 before declaring on the second day of the one-off Test against tourists Bangladesh in Hamilton.
Martin Guptill (189) and Brendon McCullum (185) extended their sixth-wicket partnership to a national record of 339.
Guptill scored his maiden Test ton while wicketkeeper McCullum celebrated his 50th appearance in the five-day game with his highest score.
Seamer Rubel Hossain took both of their scalps in the middle session and ended with his first five-wicket bag, conceding 166 runs.
Bangladesh reached 87-1 at stumps in their first innings, with opener Tamim Iqbal unbeaten on 56 after facing just 48 balls.
He put on 79 for the first wicket with Imrul Kayes, who made 28 before edging spinner Daniel Vettori to Ross Taylor at slip. | [
"who won against bangladesh",
"Which two teams are playing in the test match at Kolkata",
"What was the score that New Zealand declare at in their match against Bangladesh",
"what is india racking up",
"What did india rack up?",
"For which wicket did two batsman add an unbroken 259 run partnership",
"who won against south africa"
] | [
[
"New Zealand"
],
[
"India"
],
[
"553-7"
],
[
"a massive first-innings"
],
[
"a massive first-innings lead of 347 runs"
],
[
"seventh"
],
[
"India"
]
] | India rack up a massive first-innings lead of 347 runs over South Africa in Kolkata .
V.V.S. Laxman (143) and Mahendra Dhoni (132) add unbroken 259 for the seventh wicket .
India declare at 643-6 on day three of second Test and South Africa reach 6-0 .
New Zealand declare on 553-7 on second day of one-off Test against Bangladesh . |
(CNN) -- India tied the three-Test series with Sri Lanka after V.V.S. Laxman overcame back problems to score an unbeaten century on the final day of the deciding match in Colombo to seal a five-wicket victory.
Set 257 to win, the top-ranked tourists made it home comfortably following a fourth-wicket partnership of 109 between Laxman and veteran batsman Sachin Tendulkar, with Suresh Raina's 41 off 45 balls completing a fine turnaround.
Laxman followed up his first-innings 56 as he ended the match unbeaten on 103 from 149 balls, scoring his 16th Test ton despite needing the help of a runner.
"He proved today why he is called very, very special," Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told reporters. "He always comes up with innings that have a huge bearing on the game.
"It was very important for him to score runs as the team needed it most to level the series. I think it is a very special innings. Hopefully, he plays plenty more innings like this for us."
Laxman, a veteran of 113 Tests, said he had struggled to keep momentum due to his back pain.
"I started my innings well, but during the partnership I had a lot of discomfort and the spasms didn't allow me to move freely. Once I was into my 30s it became very painful," he said.
"It was difficult. You don't want to create confusion and also not break the rhythm. If you see, Sachin got out once I took the runner. But I was in such pain that I thought that the best decision in team's interest was to have a runner instead of just giving away the wicket due to pain."
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said the turning point was when his side were bowled out for 267 in their second innings the previous day.
"If we had just tried to bat till lunch, the ball would have got softer and we could have scored a lot more runs. But unfortunately, we played some poor strokes," he said.
"Otherwise we could have batted out the day and put the heavy roller on today and declared."
Resuming on 53-3 in their second innings on Saturday, India soon lost nightwatchman Ishant Sharma for four as off-spinner Suraj Randiv claimed his fourth wicket.
But Laxman joined Tendulkar, who made a patient 54 off 122 balls -- his 56th half-century in his record 169th Test appearance -- before also falling to Randiv at 171-5.
Tendulkar had been dropped by a close fielder when on 18 also off Randiv, who claimed his first five-wicket haul in just his second outing after coming in to replace retired world record-holder Muttiah Muralitharan.
Raina, who scored 120 on debut in the previous drawn Test, hit the winning runs with a six off Chanaka Welegedara just before the scheduled tea break.
Meanwhile, Pakistan reached 19-1 at stumps of the second day of the second Test against England, having bowled out the hosts for 251 in Birmingham.
Pakistan, all out for a paltry 72 in their first innings, are still 160 runs away from making England bat again at Edgbaston.
The hosts resumed on 112-2 on Saturday, but spinner Saeed Ajmal took his first five-wicket haul to restrict the deficit. However, Pakistan's bowling options were hit when seamer Umar Gul was ruled out of the rest of the match with a torn hamstring.
Kevin Pietersen returned to form with 80, but had a lucky escape on 41 when he was given not out in bizarre circumstances.
The South Africa-born batsman pulled away from the crease just before Mohammad Asif was about to deliver the ball, signaling he had been distracted by movement behind the bowler.
But then he offered a shot after all and chipped a catch to Pakistan captain Salman Butt, who could not persuade umpire Marais Erasmus to change his decision of "dead ball."
James Anderson later took his fifth wicket of the match as Butt went without scoring. | [
"who scores unbeaten",
"Which country restricted England?",
"Who scores unbeaten 103?"
] | [
[
"V.V.S. Laxman"
],
[
"Pakistan"
],
[
"Laxman"
]
] | V.V.S. Laxman scores unbeaten 103 to guide India to a five-wicket victory .
Laxman notches his 16th Test century after adding 109 with Sachin Tendulkar (54)
Sri Lanka had reduced India to 61-4 in pursuit of 257 to win on final day of third Test .
Pakistan restrict England to 251 in first innings, then end second day on 19-1 . |
(CNN) -- Indian batsman Virender Sehwag admitted he was not too disappointed after he fell seven agonising runs short of a world record third triple-century in the third Test against Sri Lanka. The 31-year-old opener had moved from his overnight score of 284 to 293 before he chipped a flighted delivery from Muttiah Muralitharan back to the bowler who claimed the catch at the second attempt. "I am very happy I got at least 293 runs -- I am proud of what I have achieved," Sehwag told reporters at the close of the third day's play. "Not many people have got two triple centuries and followed that with 293. So there is nothing to be disappointed about. "I tried to take my time, but maybe the ball was not there to be hit. I misjudged the length and the ball went straight into Murali's hands. "I always tell myself to bat the full day, and if there is a ball to be hit, just hit it. If I'm able to bat the whole day we will be in a good position." The innings, which lasted 254 balls and included 40 boundaries and seven sixes, was the backbone of India's highest-ever total of 726-9 declared in reply to Sri Lanka's 393. India skipper Mahendra Dhoni hit an unbeaten century before he opted to declare with a lead of 333 before Sri Lanka saw off a difficult few overs in their second innings to close on 11 without loss. Elsewhere, England claimed a 2-1 series victory over South Africa in Durban after the fifth one-day international was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Andrew Strauss' side became only the third team to beat the Proteas in a home one-day series after the umpires called the match off with the onset of another heavy downpour. Meanwhile, a century from Dwayne Bravo was the highlight of a competitive opening day of the second Test between Australia and the West Indies at the Adelaide Oval. The West Indies won the toss, elected to bat and finished the final session with momentum to be 336 for six at stumps. | [
"Virender Sehwag fell how many runs short of a world record third triple-century?",
"Sehwag made what number before he chipped the ball back to Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan?",
"Who is Virender Sehwag?",
"Muttiah Muralitharan is a spinner for what team?",
"What is the name of the Indian batsman?",
"What was India's highest-ever total?",
"What is the name of the Sri Lankan spinner?",
"How many runs was sehwag short of a record?"
] | [
[
"seven"
],
[
"293"
],
[
"Indian"
],
[
"Indian"
],
[
"Virender Sehwag"
],
[
"726-9"
],
[
"Virender Sehwag"
],
[
"seven"
]
] | Indian batsman Virender Sehwag fell seven agonising runs short of a world record third triple-century.
Sehwag made 293 before he chipped the ball back to Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
India closed the third day of the third Test with their highest-ever total of 726-9 declared in reply to Sri Lanka's 393. |
(CNN) -- Indian telecom services provider Bharti Airtel Limited and South Africa's MTN Group Limited have renewed merger talks with the aim of creating an emerging market telecom giant, both companies announced Monday. Bharti Enterprises chairman and group chief executive officer Sunil Bharti Mittal in New Delhi in November Such a merger would create an operator with combined revenues of over $20 billion and a combined customer base of over 200 million, according to both companies. In addition to savings, "this opportunity also represents a first of its kind in developing an Indian-African initiative that would serve as a shining example of South-South cooperation," said Bharti chairman and managing director Sunil Bharti Mittal. MTN CEO Phuthuma Nhleko called the case for such a deal "highly compelling," saying, a merged company would have "leading positions in three of the fastest growing wireless markets globally -- India, Africa and the Middle East, with no overlapping footprint." Under the potential deal, Bharti would acquire a 49 percent stake in MTN, and MTN and its shareholders would take an approximate 36 percent interest in Bharti. Bharti would also be able to fully consolidate the accounts of MTN under the deal, MTN's statement said. Bharti would serve as the primary vehicle for expansion in Asia and India in particular, while MTN would be the primary vehicle for the conjoined company to expand in Africa and the Middle East, Bharti's statement said. The two sides have agreed to hold exclusive talks until July 31. Singapore Telecommunications, a major existing shareholder in Bharti, will remain if the deal is implemented, according to Bharti. | [
"What is the combined revenue of the merger?",
"Bharti would acquire a 49 percent stake in what?",
"What would create an operator with combined revenues of over $20 billion ?",
"What did MTN CEO Phuthuma Nhleko say about the deal ?",
"What did Phuthuma Nhleko say?",
"What type of revenue will they have?",
"What percent stake would Bharti acquire?",
"What percent stake will Bharti acquire?",
"Who is the CEO of MTN?"
] | [
[
"over $20 billion"
],
[
"MTN,"
],
[
"Bharti Airtel Limited"
],
[
"\"highly compelling,\""
],
[
"merged company would have \"leading positions in three of the fastest growing wireless markets globally"
],
[
"over $20 billion"
],
[
"49"
],
[
"49"
],
[
"Phuthuma Nhleko"
]
] | Merger would create an operator with combined revenues of over $20 billion .
Bharti would acquire a 49 percent stake in MTN .
MTN CEO Phuthuma Nhleko: Case for such a deal "highly compelling" |
(CNN) -- Indigenous Indians located nine survivors of a plane that crashed in a river in the Amazon rain forest with 11 people onboard, according to the Brazilian air force. The nine passengers were in good health, the air force said Friday. Of the two people missing -- a passenger and a crew member -- one is believed to be dead. The air force did not provide further details. The plane was on its way to deliver health supplies Thursday when it crashed. It had taken off from Cruzeiro do Sul in Acre state and was headed to Tabatinga in Amazonas state. The plane landed in the Itui River between the tribe settlements of Aurelio and Rio Novo. Indians of the Matis tribe, who live in Aurelio, initially located the plane and alerted the Brazilian air force, which sent search planes to the site. Before the passengers were located, at least eight aircraft had been dispatched for the search operation, the air force said. Members of the Matis, an indigenous tribe of about 300, live deep in the rain forest. Other area tribes were helping in a search for the two missing passengers along the shores of the Itui. CNN's Mariane Teixeira contributed to this report. | [
"How many people are missing?",
"What is the name of the tribe?",
"What number of people are missing?",
"Matis tribe Indians found what?",
"How many people were missing?",
"Who found the plane?",
"Which air force was alerted?",
"What did the indians find?",
"What was believed of missing persons?"
] | [
[
"two"
],
[
"Matis"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"nine survivors of a plane that crashed in a river in the Amazon"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"Indians"
],
[
"Brazilian"
],
[
"located nine survivors of a plane that crashed in a river in the Amazon"
],
[
"to be dead."
]
] | Two people missing; one believed to be dead .
Matis tribe Indians find plane and alert Brazilian air force . |
(CNN) -- IndyCar said it has launched an investigation into the 15-vehicle wreck that claimed the life of driver Dan Wheldon and expects to have preliminary findings within weeks.
The organization said Wednesday individual members of various motorsports bodies will help it determine factors involved in the fiery incident Sunday at the Las Vegas Indy 300.
IndyCar said it had incorrectly stated Tuesday that the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS) and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the national and international governing organizations, were formally involved in the investigation.
The violent crash raised fresh questions about safety, both in motor sports, generally, and at the Las Vegas track, specifically.
Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, had been pressing efforts to address such concerns.
In an early October story posted on IndyCar.com, the racing series' official website, IndyCar Vice President Will Phillips singled out the 33-year-old driver, his team and Italian manufacturer Dallara for their efforts to fine-tune a safer car model for the 2012 season. Weeks ago, Wheldon was behind the wheel of a new prototype car for the IZOD IndyCar racing series -- one meant to make his sport safer.
"He's focused on what's been needed from him to provide for the feedback to Dallara and be consistent and concise," Phillips said then of Wheldon. "You couldn't have asked for more."
Had he won Sunday's race, the Englishman with the ready smile and engaging manner would have earned a $5 million payout. Instead, he was near the back of the 34-car field when he got mixed up in a crash that featured numerous cars spinning out of control and bursting into flames, spewing smoke and debris.
IndyCar on Tuesday said it was saddened by Wheldon's death.
"The safety of our drivers, their crews, IndyCar staff, racetrack staff and spectators is always our paramount concern," IndyCar said in a statement, declining to comment further on the probe.
A public memorial service for Wheldon will be held on Sunday at the Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, IndyCar said. A fund has been established to help provide for his family. Wheldon was survived by his wife, Susie, and two young sons.
Two drivers seriously injured in the wreck -- J.R. Hildebrand and Pippa Mann -- were released Monday from the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, said IndyCar.
Wheldon's death was the first for the IndyCar circuit since March 2006, when driver Paul Dana was killed in a two-car crash while warming up for the season-opening race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. One of the most famous racing deaths was that of the elder Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR's 2001 Daytona 500.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim said Monday that the sheer speed of race cars, and the minimal distance separating them, means danger lurks around every turn and on every straightaway. Wheldon, for example, was bunched with several other vehicles cruising at about 220 mph when Sunday's crash occurred.
"The fact of the matter is, you're dealing with very, very fast automobiles. They're not heavy cars," Wertheim said. "There is, unfortunately, an assumption of risk when you get into one of those race cars."
Beyond questions about racing's safety generally, the condition of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- and whether or not it was too fast and too crammed with vehicles -- was the subject of intense questioning in the hours after Wheldon's death.
Driver Dario Franchitti told ABC News that the track offered "nowhere to get away from anybody."
"This is not a suitable track, and we've seen it today," he said.
The loop in Las Vegas is 1.5 miles, one mile shorter than the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At the same time, it is wider than many others -- such that more cars can run alongside, and potentially collide with, one another.
CNN's Greg Botelho and David Close contributed to this report. | [
"when will the public memorial be held",
"when is the service being held?",
"what did Dario Franchitti say",
"Where did the crash occur?",
"who said thatthe Las Vegas speedway is \"not a suitable track\"",
"who will the public memorial service be held for",
"what did dario franchitti say about the speedway"
] | [
[
"Sunday"
],
[
"Sunday"
],
[
"the track offered \"nowhere to get away from anybody.\""
],
[
"at the Las Vegas Indy 300."
],
[
"Dario Franchitti"
],
[
"Dan Wheldon"
],
[
"that the track offered \"nowhere to get away from anybody.\""
]
] | Public memorial service for Wheldon will be held Sunday .
IndyCar launches a formal investigation into Sunday's fatal accident .
The two-time Indy 500 winner was testing a safer IndyCar in the weeks before his death .
Fellow driver Dario Franchitti says the Las Vegas speedway is "not a suitable track" |
(CNN) -- Injured Formula One star Felipe Massa is looking forward to taking his first steps towards driving again after passing a series of mental and physical tests in Miami. Felipe Massa has been given the all-clear to begin training as he bids to return to the race track. His team Ferrari reported on its Web site on Tuesday that the Brazilian, who suffered horrific head wounds in Hungary in July, had come through the tests satisfactorily on Monday. "The checks (which included neurometric, impact and cognitive capacity tests) all had a positive outcome, just like the eye exam: everything is in order for Felipe to get back to racing," the statement said. "Now there has just to be carried out some plastic surgery at the brain box, where the spring at the accident at the Hungaroring hit his helmet. "The surgery will take place in the upcoming days. After a short convalescence Felipe can then gradually start with physical preparations." The 28-year-old, who finished second in last year's drivers' world championship, said that he planned to take things slowly following the operation. "I'm very happy about the results," he told www.Ferrari.com before returning home to Sao Paulo. "After the small surgery, in the next few days I can finally start to go to the gym to get back into shape and drive some tests in karts. "On the track with a Formula One single-seater? Let's take it step by step. At the moment I'm concentrating on taking up physical activities, which is a great step forward." Ferrari said Massa was expected to be at 100 percent fitness in time for the 2010 season, but gave no indication whether he would return to racing this year -- he has, however, indicated that he would like to drive at his home Brazilian Grand Prix on October 18. His replacement, test driver Luca Badoer, is not expected to drive at the Italian Grand Prix two weekends away after finishing last in his two races so far. Badoer, who stepped into the breach when F1 legend Michael Schumacher was unable to make a shock return to the sport due to a neck problem, was not allowed to test drive the current Ferrari vehicle during the four-week summer break due to this year's regulations. Veteran Italian Giancarlo Fisichella has been linked with Ferrari after finishing second at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, but his team Force India insist that he will race for them at Monza. Highly-rated Polish driver Robert Kubica is also in the running to replace Badoer, with his team BMW Sauber dropping out of F1 at the end of this season. Badoer's results aside, Ferrari have enjoyed a renaissance since Massa's injury, with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen winning in Belgium to end a personal drought of 26 races and placing third in Valencia. | [
"who suffered horrific head injuries?",
"Where did Massa got his head injuries?",
"who is f1 star?",
"What injuries did he suffer?",
"who expected to drop his struggling replacement Luca Badoer?",
"Who passes the series of tests?",
"When can he begin training?",
"Which tests did he pass?",
"Who can begin training?"
] | [
[
"Felipe Massa"
],
[
"Hungary"
],
[
"Felipe Massa"
],
[
"horrific head wounds"
],
[
"Robert Kubica"
],
[
"Felipe Massa"
],
[
"Monday."
],
[
"a series of mental and physical"
],
[
"Felipe Massa"
]
] | Injured F1 star Felipe Massa passes series of mental and physical tests .
The Brazilian driver can begin training following minor surgery this week .
Massa suffered horrific head injuries after a freak accident in Hungary in July .
Ferrari expected to drop his struggling replacement Luca Badoer . |
(CNN) -- Injuries continue to strike down the planet's top football players ahead of this month's World Cup in South Africa, with Dutch star Arjen Robben's participation in doubt and key Nigeria midfielder Jon Obi Mikel forced to withdraw.
Robben, whose inspired form this season took German club Bayern Munich to the final of the Champions League, has not joined his teammates in flying to Africa after suffering a hamstring injury on Saturday.
He scored two goals after coming on as a second-half substitute in a 6-1 friendly romp over Hungary in Amsterdam, but needs a scan on Sunday after hurting himself trying to execute a fancy backheel pass.
"I would rather lose this match and have Arjen stay fit," Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said on Dutch Web site www.vi.nl. "He felt a sharp pain. That does not bode well. But I do not lose hope."
Robben had returned to action after missing Tuesday's 4-1 international friendly rout over Ghana in Rotterdam on Tuesday.
Earlier on Saturday, Nigeria officials reported that Mikel has decided he has not recovered sufficiently from knee surgery, meaning he joins teammates Michael Ballack (Germany), Michael Essien (Ghana) and Jose Bosingwa (Portugal) from his English club Chelsea in missing the tournament.
The 23-year-old Mikel missed the end of Chelsea's season, which culminated in a league and cup double.
"We have dropped Mikel from the World Cup squad after he told the team he did not want to put his career at risk as his knee injury has yet to fully heal after a recent surgery," Nigeria team official Emmanuel Attah said in quotes carried by the Chelsea Web site.
Another Chelsea player, Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, may also be sidelined for the month-long event after suffering an elbow injury against Japan on Friday.
He had a "successful" operation in Switzerland on Saturday, according to Ivory Coast officials, but they could not yet say if he would be fit to take part.
Mikel followed England captain Rio Ferdinand in being denied a chance to play on soccer's biggest stage, with the defender suffering a knee injury on Friday.
He has been replaced in the 23-man squad by Tottenham defender Michael Dawson, with Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard taking over as skipper and Chelsea's Frank Lampard named as his deputy by coach Fabio Capello.
World champions Italy also have an injury problem, with key midfielder Andrea Pirlo suffering a calf injury against Mexico on Thursday.
The 31-year-old has been ruled out of Saturday night's final friendly against Switzerland, and is battling to be fit for the Azzurri's Group F opener game against Paraguay on June 14.
Marcello Lippi's team came from behind to draw 1-1, with striker Fabio Quagliarella's 15th-minute goal canceling out Gokhan Inler's opener.
Slovakia defender Martin Skrtel also suffered an injury blow on Saturday when he had to go off in the 16th minute of the 3-0 friendly win over Costa Rica after damaging his ankle.
The center-back, who plays for English club Liverpool, had previously played only once since breaking a bone in his foot in February. He is expected to be fit for the World Cup after resting his injury.
In Saturday's other friendlies, the United States beat fellow qualifiers Australia 3-1 with two goals from Edson Buddle and another from fellow forward Herculez Gomez, who came on as a substitute.
The 29-year-old Buddle, starting in place of the injured Jozi Altidore, netted his first goals for his country as he continued the form that has him at the top of the Major League Soccer goalscoring charts this season.
Midfielder Tim Cahill leveled for Australia in the 19th minute.
Hosts South Africa notched another morale-boosting win by beating fellow qualifiers Denmark 1-0 in Atteridgeville, as striker Katlego Mphela netted his fourth goal in three matches in the 76th minute.
Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's team will kick off the tournament against Mexico in Johannesburg's new Soccer City stadium on Friday.
Ghana won 1-0 against Latvia in England with | [
"Who withdrew from Nigeria squad?",
"Who suffered a hamstring injury?",
"Who is in doubt for World Cup?",
"for what reason did Jon Obi Mikel withdraw from Nigeria squad?",
"Who had an pperation on their fractured elbow on Saturday?",
"Who was said to have a successful operation?",
"What team does Mikel play for?",
"Who had a hamstring injury?"
] | [
[
"Jon Obi Mikel"
],
[
"Arjen Robben's"
],
[
"Arjen Robben's"
],
[
"Injuries"
],
[
"Didier Drogba,"
],
[
"Didier Drogba,"
],
[
"Chelsea"
],
[
"Arjen Robben's"
]
] | Dutch star Arjen Robben in doubt for World Cup after suffering hamstring injury .
Key midfielder Jon Obi Mikel withdraws from Nigeria squad due to knee problem .
Ivory Coast still waiting to find out if injured star striker Didier Drogba can take part .
Chelsea player has "successful" operation on fractured elbow on Saturday . |
(CNN) -- Inspectors found mildew on a ceiling and other problems last year at a peanut butter producing plant in Georgia that has been linked to a salmonella outbreak, according to reports released Monday by the state Department of Agriculture. A salmonella outbreak linked to a peanut butter plant has sickened nearly 500 people, the CDC says. But the owner of the Blakely, Georgia, plant -- Virginia-based Peanut Corp. of America -- described the problems as "relatively minor and for the most part corrected on site." PCA this month stopped production at the Blakely plant and launched a nationwide recall of peanut butter and peanut paste made there after July 1, 2008. The New York Times reported Monday that Georgia agriculture inspection reports from 2006 and 2007 depicted a series of sanitation lapses in the Blakely plant. Citing an inspection report from August 23, 2007, the Times noted at least three incidences in which "food-contact surfaces" were "not properly cleaned and sanitized." In an apparent response to the Times article, PCA released a statement saying, "When the observations were noted during inspections by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, corrective action was taken immediately where possible and subsequently when immediate action was not possible." The statement, which PCA sent to CNN accompanied by a copy of a state inspection report from last October, said "the most recent inspection observations by the state [the October inspection report] were relatively minor and for the most part corrected on site." In the October 23, 2008 report, an inspector said she found "mildew and possibly some static dust on ceiling of butter storage room." The report did not specify the amount of mildew. The report continued with the notation, "Correct By: 11/05/2008," but the report did not indicate whether any action was taken or whether a follow-up inspection occurred. Moisture was blamed for an unrelated salmonella outbreak two years ago. That outbreak was traced to a different Georgia peanut processing plant. A June 2008 inspection of PCA's Blakely plant found violations including dust buildup on a fan in the butter room, and "possible metal flakes from metal scrubber which is used to clean outside of equipment," according to an inspection report. The report did not indicate where the flakes were found. PCA has said that the peanut butter and peanut paste made at the Blakely plant were sold in bulk to manufacturers, and that the recall does not involve any peanut butter jars sold directly to consumers. However, more than 125 products that include peanut butter or peanut paste, including Trader Joe's celery with peanut butter packs and nutrition bars from Clif Bar, NutriSystem and Luna, have been recalled in connection with the PCA's recall. See a list of recalled products The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has counted nearly 500 cases of salmonella illnesses in 43 states from the most recent outbreak, and says the bacterial infection might have contributed to seven deaths. The American Peanut Council has a list of peanut products that are not affected by the recall. | [
"How many illnesses have occured?",
"What caused the salmonella?",
"Where was the plant located?",
"Can salmonella kill?"
] | [
[
"nearly 500"
],
[
"peanut butter"
],
[
"Georgia"
],
[
"the bacterial infection might have contributed to seven deaths."
]
] | Inspectors: Plant linked to salmonella outbreak had mildew, other problems last year .
New York Times: Earlier inspections found sanitation lapses at plant .
Outbreak has led to nearly 500 salmonella illnesses, CDC says .
Products made with Georgia plant's peanut butter recalled this month . |
(CNN) -- Insurance giant AIG will have to return to the Treasury Department the $165 million it just paid out in executive bonuses, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Tuesday in a letter to congressional leaders.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said AIG will have to return $165 million in bonuses for executives.
"We will impose on AIG a contractual commitment to pay the treasury from the operations of the company the amount of the retention awards just paid," Geithner wrote. "In addition, we will deduct from the $30 billion in assistance an amount equal to the amount of those payments."
That would be a double payment, essentially a $165 million penalty on AIG for issuing the bonuses.
The move comes after New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo confirmed in a letter to Congress that this year, after receiving federal bailout money, AIG paid 73 employees bonuses of more than $1 million each. Watch congressional reaction to AIG bonuses »
Cuomo also wrote that 11 of the employees no longer work for the company. The largest bonus paid was $6.4 million; seven other people also received more than $4 million each.
AIG is under fire for awarding the bonuses while being kept afloat by more than $170 billion from the U.S. government's financial bailout.
On Tuesday, two key senators also announced a plan to impose a hefty tax on retention bonuses paid to executives of companies that received federal bailout money or in which the United States has an equity interest.
Sens. Max Baucus, D-Montana, and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, are the chairman and top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, respectively. They said companies would not be allowed to restructure the payments to those executives through deferred compensation to avoid the tax.
Grassley and Baucus said all retention bonuses would be subject to a 35 percent excise tax for excessive compensation to be paid by the company and an additional 35 percent tax to be paid by the individual.
"Millions of Americans are losing their jobs -- millions. And to some degree, they're losing their jobs because of actions taken by some of these firms," Baucus said. "At the same time, they're giving themselves bonuses. I mean, give me a break. What are these people thinking? That's part of the problem. They're not thinking."
All other nonretention bonuses of more than $50,000 would be subject to the same tax, the senators said.
"We're trying to address what I think taxpayers would say is salt in their wounds," Grassley said. "The taxpayers are bearing a great deal to get this economy going, help get these corporations turned around, and I think taxpayers are willing to help.
"But when they see the lack of sensitivity on the part of corporate directors -- by giving these bonuses and doing other outrageous things -- there's just so much that the taxpayers of this country are going to stand for."
The provisions would apply to bonuses paid out after January 1, 2009, so it would affect the AIG bonuses in question.
"We should not be here. We should not be in this position," Baucus said. "AIG should not have promised those payments to retain those employees, and the Treasury should have blocked the issuance of the checks. It did not. And employees themselves should not have cashed them in. We should not be here, but unfortunately we are."
Senior Finance Committee aides said the senators had not yet worked out whether individuals would pay income tax on the bonuses as well as the proposed excise tax, or if a combination of the two would be used. Watch why Americans are angry »
"You'll have to wait to see when we introduce the legislation," one of the aides said.
"If our bosses had made a decision, we'd tell you what it was," said another. See a snapshot of facts, attitudes and analysis on the recession »
On Monday, President Obama said he planned to attempt to block bonuses to executives at ailing insurance giant | [
"what will AIG have to do",
"What will AIG have to return?",
"AIG paid people bonuses of what"
] | [
[
"return"
],
[
"$165 million"
],
[
"$165 million"
]
] | NEW: AIG will have to return bonuses given to executives, Treasury secretary says .
AIG paid 73 people bonuses of $1 million or more each, New York AG reports .
New plan proposes retention bonuses would be subject to a 35 percent excise tax .
Grassley: Plan would address taxpayer feeling of "salt in their wounds" |
(CNN) -- Insurgents locked in a standoff with U.S. Marines tricked them by dressing up as women to escape, a task force spokesman said Monday. U.S. Marines scan the site of a blast that hit a U.S. vehicle in southern Afghanistan. Women and children had been caught in the standoff between the armed groups, but some of the women were not what they seemed, according to task force spokesman Capt. William Pelletier. After the Marines began taking fire from insurgents in the town of Khan Neshin, in south Afghanistan near the Helmand River, the militants ran into a multiple-room compound, the U.S. military said. Unsure of whether civilians were inside the compound, the Marines had an interpreter talk to the insurgents, said an official who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly. After some time, a number of women and children left the compound, the military official said. The released hostages told the Marines that there were no more civilians inside the compound, Pelletier said. But the Marines held their fire anyway, the official said. About 4 p.m. (7:30 a.m. ET), in the midst of the standoff, another group of women and children emerged from the compound, the official said. The Marines continued to hold their fire and wait out the insurgents, the official said. Finally, a screaming woman emerged from the compound with a bullet wound to her hand, Pelletier said. Then, another group of women came out, covered from head to toe according to custom, he said, with a couple of children in tow. The Marines attended to the wounded woman while the others walked away. When the Marines went into the compound, they discovered that it empty, Pelletier said. That's when they realized the fighters had dressed up as women to escape, he said. "Apparently these were tall, rather broad-shouldered women with hairy feet," Pelletier said. The Marines' restrained approach differs from previous hits on compounds when airstrikes were readily called in, the official said. Under a new tactical directive for forces in Afghanistan, some of which was unclassified Monday, forces must protect civilians soldiers and must be sensitive to Afghan cultural norms regarding women. Pelletier said that during the standoff, "the Marines didn't have any female forces to do any searches, and they weren't going to violate cultural norms by patting down these women." The standoff in the town of Khan Neshin was especially significant because it has been a Taliban stronghold for several years, and the U.S. military reported that the Afghan government regained control of the town Monday. Coalition forces began talks with local leaders several days ago and have moved about 500 Marines into Khan Neshin, a U.S. military news release said. The government takeover of Khan Neshin marks the first time coalition forces have had a sustained presence so far south in the Helmand River valley, the release said. The mission to secure Khan Neshin coincides with "establishing secure conditions" for August elections in Afghanistan, according to the release. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a six U.S. soldiers were killed Monday by two roadside bombs, a representative for NATO forces said. Four were killed in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Two soldiers were killed in southern Afghanistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Forces said. CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report. | [
"Against whom did Marines face off against in Khan Neshin?",
"Which group claimed responsibility for attack on U.S. military vehicle?",
"What Marines surrounded compound?",
"How many U.S. soldiers were killed by roadside bomb?",
"What was the cause of the clash between marines and insurgents?"
] | [
[
"insurgents"
],
[
"The Taliban"
],
[
"U.S."
],
[
"six"
],
[
"a blast that hit a U.S. vehicle"
]
] | U.S. Marines faced off against insurgents in southern town of Khan Neshin .
Marines surround compound, held fire because of civilians .
6 U.S. soldiers killed by roadside bomb in northern Afghanistan .
Taliban claim responsibility for attack on U.S. military vehicle . |
(CNN) -- Intensifying violence, food shortages and widespread drought are driving an increasing number of Somalis to seek asylum in Yemen, the United Nations' refugee agency said Tuesday. A man brandishes a knife while others carry old notes during a demonstration against record-high inflation. More than 15,000 refugees have arrived in the Yemeni port city of Aden since January, compared with 7,166 people in the first four months of 2007, according to a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Many of those seeking asylum brave treacherous boat trips across the Gulf of Aden. Consequently, the number of boats landing in Aden has jumped from 60 to 361 since January while the number of fatalities has remained constant, according to UNHCR. The agency attributed the surge to strife in Somalia, where riots continued in the capital city of Mogadishu for the second day Tuesday. According to news reports, Somali soldiers killed at least two people Monday during the protests over rising food prices. Watch protesters take to the streets » Somali refugees pay as much as $150 to cross the Gulf of Aden in search of asylum. Because of its proximity to the war-torn country, Yemen is a common destination for Somalis fleeing economic hardship, famine and war. Yemen is also an attractive location because Somalis receive automatic refugee status in the fellow Muslim country. New smuggling routes across the Red Sea have also led to increased numbers of refugees in Yemen, according to the UNHCR. Refugees often die before reaching Yemen because of dangerous sea conditions and overcrowded vessels. Others die at the hands of their smugglers, who order the passengers to jump overboard when the Yemeni coast guard approaches the vessel. Yemen's coast guard stepped up patrols of its coastline this year in an attempt to deter smugglers, according to the UNHCR, which operates shelters and reception centers for refugees in Yemen. The coast guard has also seized boats and given them Somali fishermen affected by the 2004 tsunami. | [
"What sea leads to Yemen?",
"What in Somalia is causing more refugees?",
"Month the refugess have been coming since?",
"What has been contributing to the increase in numbers?",
"Where have refugees gone since January?",
"Number of refugees that have come to Aden?",
"What does the agency attribute to a surging number of refugees in Yemen?",
"What is a major port city in Yemen?",
"What country did many of the refugees come from?",
"How many refugees came to Aden?",
"What is the surge of refugees to Yemen attributed to?",
"What is the number of refugees that have come to Aden?",
"Where have the refugess come to?",
"How many refugees have come to port city of Aden?",
"To what does the agency attribute a surging number of refugees?",
"How many refugees have come to Aden since January?",
"What else has contributed to increase of refugees to Yemen?",
"What kind of new routes are contributing to the increase?",
"What is also contributing to the increase?"
] | [
[
"Red"
],
[
"violence, food shortages"
],
[
"January,"
],
[
"violence, food shortages and widespread drought"
],
[
"Yemeni port city of Aden"
],
[
"More than 15,000"
],
[
"violence, food shortages and widespread drought"
],
[
"Aden"
],
[
"Somalia,"
],
[
"15,000"
],
[
"Intensifying"
],
[
"More than 15,000"
],
[
"Yemen,"
],
[
"More than 15,000"
],
[
"violence, food shortages and widespread drought"
],
[
"More than 15,000"
],
[
"New smuggling routes across the Red Sea"
],
[
"smuggling"
],
[
"violence, food shortages and widespread drought"
]
] | Agency attributes surging number of refugees in Yemen to unrest in Somalia .
More than 15,000 refugees have come to port city of Aden since January .
New routes across the Red Sea to Yemen also contributing to increase . |
(CNN) -- Inter Milan are through to the semifinals of the Champions League after Wesley Sneijder's first-half free-kick gave them a 1-0 victory at CSKA Moscow, for a 2-0 aggregate win.
Dutchman Sneidjer scored the only goal of the game in the sixth minute when his low-free-kick deceived goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev after his defensive wall jumped in unison -- allowing the shot to go underneath them.
Following their 1-0 defeat at the San Siro last week, that meant the Russian champions needed to score three times to advance to the last four stage for the first time in their history.
But their mission became impossible three minutes after the interval when substitute Chidi Odiah was sent off for a late challenge on Samuel Eto'o, resulting in a second yellow card.
From then on, Italian champions Inter Milan were always in control.
Sneijder and Dejan Stankovic both had shots well saved by Akinfeev, while the goalkeeper produced a superb save to keep out Diego Milito when the Argentine international went through on goal.
The home side rarely threatened after being reduced to 10 men and Inter comfortably held on to reach the last four of the competition for the first time since 2003. | [
"Who scored the only goal as Inter defeat CSKA Moscow 1-0?",
"who scores only goal",
"The 2-0 aggregate victory means Inter reach the last four for first time since when?",
"who is through to the semi-finals",
"Who went to the semifinals of the Champions League?",
"who scored the only goal",
"who reached the last 4"
] | [
[
"Dutchman Sneidjer"
],
[
"Dutchman Sneidjer"
],
[
"in their history."
],
[
"Milan"
],
[
"Milan"
],
[
"Dutchman Sneidjer"
],
[
"Inter Milan"
]
] | Italian champions Inter Milan through to the semifinals of the Champions League .
Wesley Sneijder scores the only goal as Inter defeat CSKA Moscow 1-0 .
The 2-0 aggregate victory means Inter reach the last four for first time since 2003 . |
(CNN) -- Inter Milan came from behind to win for the second time in a week to keep their Italian title hopes alive with a 3-1 victory over relegation-threatened Atalanta on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho's team followed up the stunning midweek victory over European champions Barcelona to move two points clear of second-placed Roma, who host Sampdoria on Sunday.
But key Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder is in doubt for the second leg of the Champions League semifinal in Spain on Wednesday after coming off at halftime with a thigh injury.
Atalanta, third from bottom with three matches to play, took a shock fifth-minute lead through Simone Tiribocchi but Inter hit back with three unanswered goals as they did against Barca.
Argentina striker Diego Milito scored his 20th Serie A goal of the season to level with a lob in the 24th minute, then Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga scored his first for the defending champions with a shot that deflected in off teammate Sulley Muntari.
Cristian Chivu, playing at left-back in a revamped defense due to absent Brazilian right-back Maicon's dental problems, sealed victory with 13 minutes to play with a super long-range shot to extend the Nerazzurri's unbeaten home run to 40 league games.
The Romanian was delighted after scoring his first goal for Inter following his move from Roma in 2007.
"We're pleased with the victory. It wasn't easy because we were behind, but we knew how to react," he told the club's Web site.
"It was an important goal for me and the team: for me because it hasn't been an easy period for me, and for the team because we have to keep winning until the end. Roma's game tomorrow? I won't watch it. The last time I watched Roma, they won.
"From tomorrow we will start thinking about Barcelona. It's a historic moment for us. We have to give our all."
Third-placed AC Milan crashed to a 3-1 defeat at European hopefuls Palermo in Saturday's late match, and now trail their city rivals by nine points with three matches to play.
Palermo moved above Sampdoria into fourth spot after going 2-0 up in the first 18 minutes with goals from defender Cesare Bovo and Uruguayan striker Abel Hernandez.
Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf pulled one back for the visitors 10 minutes after halftime, but striker Fabrizio Miccoli restored the Sicilians' two-goal cushion on 66. | [
"Who came from behind?",
"Who was second placed?",
"Who came from behind with goals?",
"Who is in doubt about Wednesday's trip to Barcelona?",
"Who was in doubt?",
"Who was in doubt on a trip?"
] | [
[
"Milan"
],
[
"Roma,"
],
[
"Milan"
],
[
"Wesley Sneijder"
],
[
"Wesley Sneijder"
],
[
"Wesley Sneijder"
]
] | Inter Milan go two points clear of second-placed Roma with 3-1 win over lowly Atalanta .
Wesley Sneijder in doubt for Wednesday's trip to Barcelona due to thigh injury .
Inter come from behind with goals to Diego Milito, McDonald Mariga and Cristian Chivu .
Third-placed AC Milan crash 3-1 at Palermo, who move above Sampdoria into fourth . |
(CNN) -- Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has been accused of "physical and verbal aggression" towards a journalist after Sunday's 1-1 Serie A draw at Atalanta. The Italian Sport Union of Journalists (USSI) condemned Mourinho's alleged actions against Corriere dello Sport's Andrea Ramazzotti. A statement from the USSI urged Inter president Massimo Moratti, and the country's governing sporting bodies to investigate. It read: "The physical and verbal aggression of Inter coach Jose Mourinho towards our colleague Andrea Ramazzotti marks one of the lowest and alarming moments in the relations between football and sporting press. "Mourinho was already cited, prior to the Champions League game with Rubin Kazan, for his uneducated and disrespectful tone that he used towards certain colleagues. "This aggression marks an irresponsible and unacceptable escalation. USSI expresses not only its indignation, but a strong concern for gestures and the unspeakable behavior that only increases tensions and controversies. "It asks president Moratti to intervene energetically so that a member of his club (Mourinho) adapts to the great tradition of civility of the club and of the Moratti family. "It asks as well of the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) that the sporting justice panel intervenes to examine the behavior of Mourinho for eventual sanctions." Mourinho watched Sunday's game from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban. Reports in Italy have claimed a heated argument took place between Mourinho and Ramazzotti outside the team bus. Mourinho has not commented on the incident but Moratti told the club's official Web site: "For the moment I don't want to comment as I still don't have all the facts, but I'm sorry. "I will talk to the head of the union to find out what he means by energetic action." | [
"What is the Inter coach accused of?",
"Where did the confrontation happen?",
"What is the name of the Inter coach?",
"What does the acronym USSI stand for?",
"What did the union condem?",
"What was Jose accused of?"
] | [
[
"\"physical and verbal aggression\""
],
[
"Atalanta."
],
[
"Jose Mourinho"
],
[
"The Italian Sport Union of Journalists"
],
[
"Mourinho's alleged actions against Corriere dello Sport's Andrea Ramazzotti."
],
[
"\"physical and verbal aggression\""
]
] | Inter coach Jose Mourinho accused of "physical and verbal aggression" towards a journalist .
The alleged confrontation happened following the 1-1 Serie A draw at Atalanta on Sunday .
The Italian Sport Union of Journalists (USSI) have condemned Mourinho's alleged actions . |
(CNN) -- Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has played down the threat posed by Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi as two of European football's giants face off in the Champions League semifinal on Tuesday night.
Messi has been in scintillating form all season, scoring all four goals in Barca's quarterfinal second leg victory over Arsenal.
The Argentine will spearhead the Barcelona attack in the first leg clash at Milan's San Siro stadium, but Mourinho sees the 22-year-old as just one part of a formidable team.
"What we know is that he is an important player but football, for me, is not about marking man to man, Mourniho told reporters at a pre-match press conference in Milan.
"It is not one against Messi and 10 versus 10, it will be 11 v 11, although he deserves special attention."
Mourinho is charged with plotting a path past the reigning European, Spanish and World Club champions who are seeking to become the first team to defend the European Cup since AC Milan in 1990.
Inter drew 0-0 at home with Barca in the group stage of this season's competition and were beaten 2-0 in Spain.
"Barca deserved to win in November," said Mourinho, who worked as a translator at Barcelona in the 1990s before becoming a manager and leading Porto to the Champions League trophy in 2004.
"They are as strong now as they were then, but we are much stronger. I don't mind if the football world considers them favorites, I think we have a 50% chance of playing in the final."
Barcelona arrived in Milan on Monday evening after being forced to travel for 14 hours by road because of the volcanic ash cloud hovering over Europe.
"It is not the ideal situation for us to travel 14 hours by coach after a league game and before a semi-final against Inter, but you cannot stop a volcano, can you?," said Barca coach Josep Guardiola.
"We decided to use two buses to have more space and I didn't travel with the players because I think it's better for them not to always have their coach with them."
Guardiola is wary of the threat posed by a side who knocked out English Premier League leaders Chelsea in the last 16 and have won the Italian league title the last four years.
"They're a very strong team and we'll need to play well twice. We'll play our game and try to score as many goals as possible," he said.
"But we could lose because we're playing against one of the best teams in Europe." | [
"How long did Barcelona's journey take?",
"Who are the defending champions?",
"Who arrived in Milan on Monday?",
"What does Mourinho play down?",
"Who played down the threat posed by Barcelona?",
"When did Barcelona arrive?",
"When will the semi-final take place?"
] | [
[
"14 hours"
],
[
"Barcelona"
],
[
"Barcelona"
],
[
"threat posed by Barcelona superstar Lionel"
],
[
"Milan coach Jose Mourinho"
],
[
"Monday evening"
],
[
"Tuesday night."
]
] | Mourinho plays down threat posed by Barcelona star Messi in Champions League semifinal.
Inter take on the defending champions in Milan on Tuesday night.
Barcelona arrived in Milan on Monday after a 14-hour journey by road. |
(CNN) -- Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho will be banned for the next three Italian Serie A games following a gesture he made during Saturday's controversial 0-0 draw against Sampdoria.
League leaders Inter had two players sent off, while Sampdoria also had a man dismissed in a fiery encounter at the San Siro.
Is your boss a "Special One?"
Former Chelsea coach Mourinho was seen to cross his arms in the manner of being handcuffed -- a gesture aimed to suggest that Inter were being victimized by match officials -- after the first-half dismissals of defenders Ivan Cordoba and Walter Samuel.
Mourinho, who has also been handed a $55,000 fine for the gesture, is now bannded from the touchline for the matches against Udinese, Genoa and Catania as Inter try to hold off the challenge of a rampant Roma side at the top of the table.
To add to Inter's problems, Esteban Cambiasso and Sulley Muntari were handed two-game bans for their behavior towards match officials after the game, joining Samuel and Cordoba on the suspended list.
The controversy comes just 48 hours before Inter host Mourinho's former club Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League -- the first time he has come face-to-face with the Londoners since his dismissal in September 2007. | [
"Who is the Inter Milan Coach?",
"What was the score during the draw with Sampdoria?",
"What gesture did he make?"
] | [
[
"Jose Mourinho"
],
[
"0-0"
],
[
"Jose Mourinho"
]
] | Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho will be banned for the next three Serie A games .
It follows a 'handcuff' gesture made during the 0-0 draw with Sampdoria .
Leaders Inter had two players sent off in the first half of a stormy encounter . |
(CNN) -- Inter Milan have won the Italian Serie A title for a fifth successive season -- and the 18th time in their illustrious history -- after Diego Milito's goal gave them a 1-0 win at Siena on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho's side needed nothing less than a victory to secure the Scudetto and they achieved that feat in the 57th-minute when striker Milito collected a pass from fellow-Argentine Javier Zanetti, before firing home a shot with the outside of his right foot.
A draw would have allowed second-placed Roma to snatch the title with a win at Chievo and Claudio Ranieri's side kept up their side of the deal with a 2-0 success.
Mirko Vucinic volleyed home Daniele De Rossi's through-ball in the 39th minute and Italian international De Rossi added a second on the stroke of half-time with a superb long-range strike.
With only 45 minutes remaining of the season, Roma were in pole position to win their first title since 2001 -- but Milito's strike ensured Inter became the first team since Juventus in the 1930's to win five titles on the bounce.
The result, which condemned Siena to relegation to Serie B alongside Atalanta and Livorno, also means Inter Milan will now face Bayern Munich in next weekend's Champions League final in Madrid with both sides bidding for a unique treble.
"This is an incredible joy, a reward for all the hard work we've put in over the year," Milito told reporters. "From tomorrow we will think about that great Champions Lague final."
Like the Bavarian giants, Inter have now added the league title to their domestic cup triumph -- and Saturday's Bernabeu showdown now ensures one of the two teams will secure a rare treble of trophies this season.
For Mourinho, who has overseen Inter's last two Scudetto wins, there is the added incentive of joining a select band of coaches to have won the Champions League with two different clubs, following his success with Porto in 2004. | [
"How many years did he win the title?",
"Who won the Italian Serie A title?",
"Who scored the only goal?",
"What did Inter Milan win?",
"who won the Italian Serie A title for a fifth successive year ?",
"in what positon do Rome finish?",
"who scores the only goal ?"
] | [
[
"18th"
],
[
"Milan"
],
[
"Diego Milito's"
],
[
"Italian Serie A title"
],
[
"Milan"
],
[
"second-placed"
],
[
"Diego Milito's"
]
] | Inter Milan win the Italian Serie A title for a fifth successive year after beating Siena 1-0 .
Diego Milito scores the only goal as Inter add the Scudetto to their Italian Cup triumph .
Roma finish two points behind in second position after a 2-0 victory at Chievo . |
(CNN) -- Inter Milan kept their seven-point lead at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win over Fiorentina in the San Siro in Sunday's late match in Italy. Ibrahimovic powers home a 30-meter free-kick in stoppage time at the San Siro. Inter showed no signs of their Champions League disappointment at Manchester United as Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck in each half. Ibrahimovic scored the opener after 11 minutes but Inter had to survive some nervous moments against a committed away side before he sealed victory in stoppage time with a thumping free-kick. Title rivals Juventus had won 4-1 at Bologna on Saturday evening to put the pressure on Jose Mourinho's men. Inter's arch-rivals AC Milan also enjoyed an important win on Sunday with a 5-1 thrashing of Siena to stay third. Veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi scored twice, including his 300th career goal in the away victory. David Beckham, who shrugged off an injury to play, set up Inzaghi for his first goal and the side's second. Andrea Pirlo scored the opener from the penalty spot, while Alexander Pato also netted twice, as Milan proved too strong for their opponents -- for whom Massimo Maccarone was on target. Roma lost further ground in the race for the fourth Champions League place as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Sampdoria. Julio Baptista gave the visitors a seventh-minute lead but Giampaolo Pazzini headed home an equalizer before the same player put the home side ahead after a mistake from goalkeeper Doni. But Baptista leveled from the spot after Marco Padalino was penalized for fouling Max Tonetto -- the player who missed the decisive spot-kick in the midweek Champions League defeat by Arsenal. | [
"What nationality is Zlatan Ibrahimovic?",
"Who reached 300 career goals?",
"Who scored twice for the leaders at the San Siro?",
"What Swedish player scored two times?",
"What was the score of AC Milan versus Siena?",
"Who achieved 300 goals?",
"Who did Inter Milan defeat?",
"What number of career goals did Filippo Inzaghi reach?",
"Who defeated Fiorentina?"
] | [
[
"Swedish"
],
[
"Filippo Inzaghi"
],
[
"Zlatan Ibrahimovic"
],
[
"Zlatan Ibrahimovic"
],
[
"5-1"
],
[
"Filippo Inzaghi"
],
[
"Fiorentina"
],
[
"300th"
],
[
"Milan"
]
] | Inter Milan defeat Fiorentina 2-0 to re-open seven point lead in Serie A table .
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores twice for the leaders at the San Siro .
Filippo Inzaghi reaches 300 career goals to help AC Milan hammer Siena 5-1 . |
(CNN) -- Inter extended their lead at the top of Serie A to nine points after beating AC Milan 2-1 in a thrilling San Siro derby on Sunday, dealing a fatal blow to their city rivals' Serie A title hopes in the process. Dejan Stankovic celebrates scoring Inter's second goal in the superb 2-1 victory over city rivals AC Milan. Jose Mourinho's side, who were the home team in the 150th league meeeting between the two Italian giants, should have taken an 18th minute lead when a fine flowing move resulted in Esteban Cambiasso crossing from the left for Dejan Stankovic to score. However, the Serbian midfielder just delayed his shot on goal, allowing Masssimo Ambrosini to come back and produce a goal-saving challenge in the area. Inter did eventually take the lead in the 29th minute, but the goal was shrouded in controversy. Maicon's cross from the right was met by the head of fellow-Brazilian Adriano, but the effort clearly brushed off the striker's arm before finding its way into the net. Milan were struggling to cope with the pace of Inter's attacks and it was no surprise when the league leaders doubled their advantage two minutes before half-time. A long free-kick out of defense was headed down by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dejan Stankovic was on hand to crack home a superb shot on the half-volley. Inter were inches from making it 3-0 in the 47th minute when Milan again failed to deal with a long ball. Georgian defender Kakha Kaladze slipped over when trying to deal with the danger, allowing Adriano a free run on goal. However, the striker fired just wide with Ibrahimovic unmarked in the area begging for the ball. David Beckham had a quiet match for Milan and the England midfielder was eventually substituted in the 55th minute for Filippo Inzaghi, seemingly holding a hamstring injury. The chances kept coming for Inter. On the hour mark the superb Ibrahimovic was denied by a brilliant reflex save from goalkeeper Christian Abbiati. However, against the run of play, Milan gave themselves hope with a 71st minute strike. Ronaldinho produced some Brazilian magic to lay a delightful ball through for Marek Jankulovski on the left -- and the Czech layed a simple pass square for Alexander Pato to find the corner of the net. That goal brought Milan to life. Inzaghi had a shot well saved by goalkeeper Julio Cesar and the same player then headed home a Pato cross, but the linesman correctly flagged for offside. The longer the game went on, Pato began to have more influence, and the teenager nearly levelled for Milan in the 78th minute but Cesar did well to save with his feet. Then, in the final minute, Inzaghi again went desperately close, producing another fine save from Cesar as Inter held on for a classic and vital victory. Meanwhile, Juve's title hopes were dealt another blow as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Sampdoria -- meaning Claudio Ranieri's side have now won just one of their last four matches. The visitors took a 10th minute lead when Giampaolo Pazzini was left unmarked to score from a pass from Antonio Cassano. The home side dominated proceedings but could only score once when Amauri headed home a Sebastian Giovinco cross in the 62nd minute. Despite plenty of chances, the hosts could not find the winning goal, with Pavel Nedved (twice) and Alessandro Del Piero hitting the woodwork. Elsewhere, Fiorentina held on to fourth spot and the final Champions League qualifying position as they remarkably came back from 3-0 down at Genoa to snatch a 3-3 draw with Adrian Mutu's equalizer deep into injury time. Roma, who had won 10 of their previous 13 matches, drop to sixth after they were well beaten 3-0 at Atalanta, for whom Cristiano Doni scored twice. | [
"Where did Juventus play to a 1-1 draw?",
"What team hopes to take another blow?",
"Who defeated AC Milan 2-1?",
"Who defeated AC Milan?"
] | [
[
"San Siro"
],
[
"Inter"
],
[
"Inter"
],
[
"Inter"
]
] | Inter extend their lead in Serie A to nine points after defeating AC Milan 2-1 .
Adriano and Dejan Stankovic score the goals that settle the San Siro derby .
Juventus' hopes take another blow as they draw 1-1 at home to Sampdoria . |
(CNN) -- Interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti installed himself as leader of a new unity government late Thursday, a move that drew condemnation from ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya. Making a late night public announcement, Micheletti said his entire cabinet had resigned to clear the way for a reconciliation cabinet to be named. "This cabinet is a result of an ample participation of different sectors of civil society as well as the political parties," he said. "Tonight with this new government, we're answering the call for the unity of all people of Honduras." He did not identify any of the new cabinet members. Representatives for Micheletti and Zelaya signed an agreement October 30 to form a reconciliation government that would rule until a new president, to be chosen in a November 29 election, takes office in January. The deal included the possibility of Zelaya's reinstatement to the presidency, but contained no guarantee. The pact called for the unity government to be named by Thursday. The agreement also stipulated that the nation's congress, in consultation with the supreme court and other institutions, would vote on whether Zelaya would be returned to power. That vote did not occur Thursday. Zelaya told local media that Micheletti's actions violated the accord, which he called "a dead letter." The reconciliation government, he said, must be led by the democratically elected president of Honduras. "How can a person who has not been elected by anyone lead a government?" he said. Zelaya was flown out of the country by the country's military June 28 but secretly returned to Honduras on September 21, obtaining refuge in the Brazilian Embassy. Micheletti sent Zelaya a letter earlier this week asking him for the names of people the deposed president would like to have in the unity government. Zelaya did not answer the letter. Micheletti said Zelaya's refusal to answer gave the interim president the right to name all the members of a new government. "With this agreement, we have made an important step to strengthen our democracy," Micheletti said. "Despite the fact that Mister Zelaya did not send any of his representatives ... we're still looking for an opportunity for these citizens of Honduras to be integrated in the government of reconciliation." The Organization of American States, the United Nations, the European Union and the United States condemned the coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated. The United States and others imposed economic sanctions, which some analysts say have started to hurt Honduras. Many nations, including the United States, also said they would not recognize the winner of this month's presidential election if the vote is held under Micheletti's rule. The United States seemed to shift that position after last week's accord. Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, told CNN en Español this week that the United States would recognize the winner of this month's presidential election even if Zelaya is not returned to power beforehand. Shannon played a key role in obtaining last week's agreement. The political crisis stemmed from Zelaya's desire to hold a referendum that could have changed the constitution to allow longer terms for the president. The country's congress had outlawed the vote and the supreme court had ruled it illegal. Micheletti and his supporters say Zelaya's removal was a constitutional transfer of power and not a coup. | [
"What kind of government was formed?",
"What did the Interim President Roberto Micheletti announce?",
"where is the unity government formed",
"What did Zelaya call last week's accord?",
"Who is the interim president?"
] | [
[
"unity"
],
[
"his entire cabinet had resigned"
],
[
"Honduras.\""
],
[
"\"a dead letter.\""
],
[
"Roberto Micheletti"
]
] | Interim President Roberto Micheletti announces formation of new unity government .
Unity government formed without input of deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya .
Negotiators for Zelaya and Micheletti reached unity deal last week .
Zelaya calls last week's accord a "dead letter" |
(CNN) -- Internet attacks shut down the social networking site Twitter for about two hours on Thursday morning and caused glitches in other sites like Facebook and LiveJournal, a blogging site. Some Twitter users expressed near-panic that the site was not working properly Thursday. It's unclear if the attacks were coordinated against the social media sites. Twitter says its site's blackout was caused by a "denial of service attack," which likely means a hacker used a herd of infected computers to send bad information to the site to overwhelmed it. A post to Twitter's blog said its Web site was back online before noon ET, but the site's users still were reporting problems. "We are continuing to defend against and recover from this attack," the message from the company says. Facebook and other social networking sites appeared to be affected by Twitter's shut-down, too. Twitter runs applications through those sites and there was speculation that the glitches were related. "Earlier this morning, we encountered issues within our network that resulted in a short period of degraded site experience for some visitors," said Facebook spokeswoman Kathleen Loughlin. "No user data was at risk, and the matter is now resolved for the majority of users. We're monitoring the situation to ensure that users continue to have the fast and reliable experience they've come to expect from Facebook," she said. Twitter's site went down around 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday and was back online by about 11:30 a.m. It's unclear who plotted the attack against Twitter and what their motives may have been. Internet attacks sometimes hit Web sites as they become popular. Security experts say financial motives often are behind modern cyber-attacks. Watch Mashable's Adam Ostrow on the Twitter outage Twitter -- a micro-blogging site where users post 140-character messages to their followers -- has soared in popularity in recent months. According to comScore, a Web tracking firm, the site had 44 million unique visitors in June. Thursday's incident highlights the degree to which people depend on online social networks to feel connected to the world. Some Twitter and Facebook users expressed near-panic that the sites were not working properly. Others reacted with ambivalence. This is not the first time Twitter has been hit with a cyber-attack. Last month, a hacker broke into the personal Google accounts of Twitter employees, stealing personal information and company financial reports and posting them online. In an e-mail to CNN.com, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said that incident is not related to Thursday's security breach. "There's no indication that this attack is related to any previous activities. We are currently the target of a denial of service attack," Stone said in the e-mail. "Attacks such as this are malicious efforts orchestrated to disrupt and make unavailable services such as online banks, credit card payment gateways, and in this case, Twitter for intended customers or users. We are defending against this attack now and will continue to update our status blog as we defend and later investigate." Don DeBolt, director of threat research at CA, a computer security company, said it's too early to tell who or what may be behind the Twitter attack. But he said denial-of-service attacks target specific Web sites. "To be effective, [these attacks] need to be focused on a Web site or a series of Web sites," he said. "It's not going to be something where malware (harmful software) is going to be deployed and then randomly attacks Web sites." John Harrison, a researcher with Web security firm Symantec, said it is very difficult to learn the identity of the attacker, or attackers, as they could be anywhere on Earth and the infected network could span several countries. Logging on to sites such as Twitter while they are under attack only makes the situation worse because it adds to the overloading of the system, he said. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team says it's impossible for Web developers to fully | [
"who says attack is not related to a recent breach in Twitter security?",
"What kind of attacks hit Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal?",
"How long was Twitter down?",
"What happened Thursday morning?",
"Is it clear who caused the attacks?",
"what hit Thursday morning with denial-of-service attacks?",
"How long was Twitter shut down by the attack?",
"what The attack shut Twitter down for at least two hours?"
] | [
[
"Biz Stone"
],
[
"Internet"
],
[
"two hours"
],
[
"attacks shut down the social networking site Twitter"
],
[
"unclear"
],
[
"Twitter"
],
[
"two hours"
],
[
"Internet"
]
] | Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal hit Thursday morning with denial-of-service attacks .
The attack shut Twitter down for at least two hours .
It's unclear who caused the attacks .
Twitter co-founder: attack is not related to a recent breach in Twitter security . |
(CNN) -- Internet giant Google has been stopped from gathering images in Greek cities for its Street View service until it provides further guarantees about privacy. One of Google's Street View camera cars capturing images in central London. Launched in the U.S. two years ago, Street View provides users with access to 3-D "pedestrian's-eye" views of urban areas by zooming into the lowest level on its Google Maps and Google Earth applications. It has since been rolled out in more than 100 cities in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Italy, Britain and the Netherlands. The images are obtained from cars specially-fitted with cameras that drive around towns and cities taking panoramic 360 degree shots of everything from pedestrians in the street, to customers sitting in street cafes. Despite pledging to recognize local privacy laws, Google has come under fire from privacy campaigners who fear the application could be abused by criminals or even snooping government agencies. Do you agree? Share your thoughts below In April, a group of villagers in a picturesque English village chased away one of the search engine's camera cars as it attempted to photograph their homes. Fearing the appearance of their well appointed properties on the Web site would attract criminals scouting for burglary targets, villagers in Broughton, north of London, summoned the police after blocking the car. A month earlier, the BBC reported that Google was forced to pull a number of images from Street View after receiving complaints about pictures that included a man entering a London sex shop, and a drunken reveler being sick at a bus stop. The search giant has now run into trouble in Greece after being blocked by the country's privacy watchdog from expanding its service there. The Hellenic Data Protection Authority wants further clarification from Google about how long it will store images for and the measures in place to make people aware of privacy rights. In a statement, a Google spokesperson told CNN: "Street View has not been banned in Greece. We have received a request for further information from the Greek DPA and we are happy to continue discussing these issues with them and provide information they request. "Google takes privacy very seriously, and that's why we have put in place a number of features, including the blurring of faces and license plates, to ensure that Street View will respect local norms when it launches in Greece. "We believe that launching Street View in Greece will offer enormous benefits to both Greek users and the people elsewhere who are interested in taking a virtual tour of some of its many tourist attractions." | [
"What do the residents of a UK village say it will help?",
"Who is the Greek watchdog?",
"Who wants more information about Google's privacy measures?"
] | [
[
"Street View camera cars"
],
[
"The Hellenic Data Protection Authority"
],
[
"The Hellenic Data Protection Authority"
]
] | Greek watchdog wants more information from Google about privacy measures .
Privacy campaigners say Street View could be abused .
Residents of one UK village say it will help burglars scout targets .
Google says it isn't breaking any laws and takes privacy very seriously . |
(CNN) -- Internet sensation Susan Boyle came up short, coming in second during "Britain's Got Talent" finale on Saturday. Fans cheering on Susan Boyle react after she comes in second during "Britain's Got Talent." Boyle was upset by winner Diversity, a 10-person dance group from Essex and East London, England, ranging in age from 12 to 25 years old. The group won 100,000 British pounds ($161,000) and will perform for Queen Elizabeth II in the Royal Variety Show. "The best people won," Boyle said. The dancers appeared shocked Saturday when it was announced that they had won. The group was formed in 2007, and in the same year won the United Kingdom Dance Championships. The group's choreographer "tries to create a dance style that is eye-catching and entertaining" and uses films such as 2007's "Transformers" for inspiration, the show's site said. Boyle wowed the crowd Saturday night with an encore performance of the song that first made her so famous around the world -- "I Dreamed a Dream," from the musical "Les Miserables." After her performance Saturday, the crowd and judges gave Boyle, who wore a floor-length gown, a standing ovation. Boyle finishes second » "You had the nerve to come back here tonight, face your critics and beat them," judge Simon Cowell told her. "You did it." Boyle had vowed to leave the television show before the finale, after a hectic week, but recanted and performed at the finale Saturday. The 48-year-old Scottish singer wowed audiences and judges during her audition in April when she belted out "I Dreamed a Dream." Her performance earned her a string of global television appearances. During the semifinals Sunday, she started off by missing the first note of her performance of "Memory" from the musical, "Cats." Watch Boyle's semifinal performance » She redeemed herself to earn a standing ovation and a spot in Saturday's finale. The global fame and the "odd bit of negative press" in the past week have been too overwhelming for her, judge Piers Morgan told CNN's "Larry King Live" on Friday. "She's just had a pretty rough week because I think the full enormity of what has happened to her is beginning to hit home," Morgan said. "Earlier this week, she had a lot of tears. ... At one stage, she was going to leave the show. So, fortunately, we've calmed everything down." Watch how Boyle may be feeling the pressure » Boyle said that that she has put the tumultuous week behind her and is getting ready for the finale. "It's all I've been thinking about," she said on the show's Web site. "I'm not going to throw away my big chance now." "Britain's Got Talent" defended Boyle on its Web site, saying that media reports of an emotional outburst "have been taken out of context." The unemployed charity worker has inspired millions in the face of pop music's penchant for pre-processed princesses. Before she sang during her audition, the unassuming single woman with a loose mop of curly hair drew snickers from the audience, including notoriously hard-to-please judge Simon Cowell. The scowls and eye-rolling were replaced by wild cheers as soon as she sang the first line. Cowell later apologized for poking fun at her during the auditions stage. "You are one special lady," he said last week. "You really are." Reporters made their way to her quiet home in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, much to Boyle's great surprise. "I keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, because you have to," Boyle told CNN last month. Asked what has been the most surprising change since her audition, she responded simply -- "The way everyone seems to have embraced me. The way they seem to | [
"What show is Piers Morgan a judge on?",
"What dance group won Britain's Got Talent?",
"Who is a show judge on Britain's Got Talent?",
"Who came in second?",
"What is the name of the dance group that won Britain's Got Talent?",
"How many people are in the dance group Diversity?",
"What did Diversity win?",
"Who came in second to the dance group Diversite?"
] | [
[
"\"Britain's Got Talent.\""
],
[
"Diversity,"
],
[
"Piers Morgan"
],
[
"Susan Boyle"
],
[
"Diversity,"
],
[
"10-person"
],
[
"\"Britain's Got Talent\""
],
[
"Susan Boyle"
]
] | NEW: 10-person dance group Diversity seemed shocked to win "Britain's Got Talent"
48-year-old Internet sensation Susan Boyle came in second .
Show judge Piers Morgan says Boyle thought about leaving show after rough week .
Singer catapulted into media spotlight after her audition wowed audiences worldwide . |
(CNN) -- Investigators are searching property that once belonged to one of five members of a Missouri family arrested on multiple child sexual abuse charges for "a body or bodies," the Lafayette County sheriff said Wednesday. Sheriff Kerrick Alumbaugh said his department and other law enforcement agencies investigating the case are seeking witnesses and more possible victims. "I believe that there is, and I believe every investigator here, after seeing the evidence, believes there's more victims," Alumbaugh said. "Pedophiles don't stop at one." Burrell Edward Mohler Sr., 77, and his sons Burrell Edward Mohler Jr., 53; David A. Mohler, 52; Jared Leroy Mohler, 48; and Roland Neil Mohler, 47, are being held in the Lafayette County Jail with bails ranging from $30,000 to $75,000. Six children, who are siblings, came to law enforcement authorities with stories of sexual performances, mock weddings, rape with various objects, and a forced abortion, according to court documents obtained by CNN affiliate KSHB in Kansas City. The documents provide graphic details of the alleged abuse, provided by one of the children, whose names are being withheld. All of the charges stem from those documents, Alumbaugh said, adding that he expected additional charges based on other victim statements. Read story from CNN affiliate KMBC Alumbaugh said investigators were also searching several properties for glass jars that some of the victims may have buried containing notes detailing the alleged abuse. Read story from CNN affiliate KCTV The alleged abuse took place from the mid-1980s until 1995 and possibly beyond, the sheriff said. Additionally, he said, investigators are following other leads as well. Read story from CNN affiliate Fox4KC.com "There has been indications there are a body or bodies in various locations," Alumbaugh said. Investigators have been working the case since August, he said, when the first of the now-grown children came forward. | [
"When did the abuse allegedly start?",
"What was the property searched in relation to?",
"What are officials searching for?",
"what does the Sheriff said about the officials?",
"At least, until when did the alleged abuse continues into?",
"What was Missouri family linked to?",
"what was the reason behind the investigators search property?",
"What did sheriff said?",
"on what year does the alleged abuse started according to the Sheriff?"
] | [
[
"mid-1980s"
],
[
"\"a body or bodies,\""
],
[
"\"a body or bodies,\""
],
[
"are seeking witnesses and more possible victims."
],
[
"1995 and possibly beyond,"
],
[
"multiple child sexual abuse charges"
],
[
"for \"a body or bodies,\""
],
[
"his department and other law enforcement agencies investigating the case are seeking witnesses and more possible victims."
],
[
"mid-1980s"
]
] | Investigators search property linked to Missouri family arrested in child sex abuse case .
Officials searching for "a body or bodies," sheriff said Wednesday .
Alleged abuse started in mid-1980s, continued at least into '90s, the sheriff said . |
(CNN) -- Investigators discovered four more bodies Tuesday at the Cleveland, Ohio, home of a convicted rapist -- making a total of 10 since last week, Police Chief Michael McGrath said Tuesday. Authorities on Tuesday charged Anthony Sowell with five counts of aggravated murder after unearthing the bodies of women at his home last week, police said. Sowell, 50, also was charged with rape, felonious assault and kidnapping, police said. His arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Police arrested Sowell on Saturday, two days after discovering the decomposing bodies of five females inside his home and another woman's body outside the house. Earlier Tuesday, a source close to the investigation had told CNN that a seventh body had been found in the home. The source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, did not reveal the gender of the seventh body found at Sowell's home. The source did not say exactly where the body was found at the residence. Authorities found the first two bodies last week while trying to serve an arrest and search warrant on Sowell related to a sexual assault investigation, and an intensive search began. Sowell was not home at the time; officers found him after a tipster told them of his whereabouts. The decomposing bodies of the first six women, all of whom were African-American, could have been lying where they were found for "weeks, if not months or years," Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller III told CNN on Saturday. All six deaths were ruled homicides, Lt. Thomas Stacho of the Cleveland Police Department said Monday, with five of the deaths due to strangulation. About a month ago, a woman accused Sowell of rape and felonious assault, Stacho noted last week. Investigators obtained the warrants that set off the search after the "cooperation of the victim," he said. Officers serving the warrants Thursday discovered the badly decomposed remains of two bodies on the third floor of the house, he added. A subsequent search revealed what appeared to be a freshly dug grave under the stairs in the basement. On Friday, investigators returned to the house, dug up the grave and found a third body, Stacho said. A further search of the house and property found two more bodies in a crawl space and a sixth body in a shallow grave outside the home. Five different burial methods were used on the victims, and the bodies were in varying states of decomposition, said Miller, which made it difficult to determine the ages of the victims. Stacho said Sowell makes his living as a "scrapper." "He walks around and picks up scrap metal and takes it to junk yards to make a few pennies," he said. Sowell was convicted of a 1989 rape and was imprisoned from 1990 to 2005, Stacho said. CNN's Karan Olson contributed to this report. | [
"Where were the bodies found?",
"How many bodies have been found?",
"What is he charged with?",
"How many more bodies were unearthed?",
"Who killed them?",
"What is the total number of bodies found?",
"Where are the bodies located at?",
"What total of bodies was there?",
"How long could the bodies have been there for?"
] | [
[
"Cleveland, Ohio, home of a convicted"
],
[
"10"
],
[
"five counts of aggravated murder"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"charged Anthony Sowell with five counts of aggravated murder"
],
[
"10"
],
[
"Cleveland, Ohio,"
],
[
"10"
],
[
"\"weeks, if not months or years,\""
]
] | NEW: Four more bodies unearthed on Tuesday, Cleveland police chief says .
Total of bodies found at home of Anthony Sowell is up to 10 .
Sowell, 50, has been charged with five counts of aggravated murder .
Bodies could have been there for "weeks, if not months or years," coroner says . |
(CNN) -- Investigators expanded their search into Texas Monday for a 7-year-old girl who was reported missing after her mother was found dead in Oklahoma Sunday night.
Authorities also are trying to find the dead woman's estranged husband, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
The girl -- Aja Daniell Johnson -- was reported missing from Geronimo, Oklahoma, late Sunday, the bureau said.
Her mother, Tonya Hobbs, 37, was found dead inside a parked RV Sunday night, the bureau said. Hobbs and her daughter were visiting Hobbs' estranged husband, Lester William Hobbs, at his sister's home, the bureau said.
Lester Hobbs, 46, and Aja are missing and are presumed to be in Hobbs' car, said investigators who issued an Amber Alert to try to find her. Lester Hobbs is not Aja's biological father, police said.
Texas authorities also issued an Amber Alert, Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Lisa Block said. Authorities believe Hobbs has connections to Rockport, Texas, and the alert was issued preemptively, she said.
Tonya Hobbs and her daughter were last seen Saturday night. Authorities did not say how Hobbs died, but the bureau said investigators believe someone killed her.
The RV belonged to Lester Hobbs, and was parked at his relatives' home, Richard Goss, agent in charge of the state bureau of investigation's Lawton, Oklahoma, office, told reporters Monday. Hobbs' relatives became suspicious Sunday after they did not see Tanya Hobbs or Aja, and one of them pried open the door and discovered Tanya Hobbs' body, he said. Lester Hobbs and Aja were gone, Goss said.
The Hobbses were separated, but apparently Tanya Hobbs was visiting Lester Hobbs in an attempt to reconcile, Goss said. The couple had been together for about five years.
A medical examiner was performing an autopsy, the bureau said, and police want to question Lester Hobbs about the death.
He and the girl are believed to be traveling in his car, a white 1992 Toyota Paseo with Oklahoma tag number 577-BPW. The two-door car has no hubcaps, and the rear passenger window is covered in plastic, the bureau said.
The Comanche County, Oklahoma, Sheriff's Office said Aja has a medical condition that requires medication.
"Our main concern at this time is to find the little girl," Sheriff Kenny Stradley told reporters. "We know that she does need some medication," and authorities were checking leads regarding that, he said. He did not specify Aja's medical condition.
Goss said Lester Hobbs has an extensive criminal history but did not elaborate. The Sheriff's Office said he had prior felony convictions.
Lester Hobbs was supposed to appear in court in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, on a DUI charge, Goss said, and did not appear, so a warrant has been issued for him.
Aja's biological father was awarded emergency custody of her in November, according to Oklahoma County District Court documents obtained by CNN affiliate KWTV of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At a hearing, Tonya Hobbs -- identified as Tonya Dunkin in the documents -- and the girl's father, John Johnson, agreed that she would have supervised visitation with Aja and keep the girl away from Lester Hobbs, the documents said.
Aja is 4 feet tall and weighs 59 pounds, Goss said. She has brown eyes, and her hair is brown with the ends dyed black.
Lester Hobbs is about 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The agency released a picture of him and said he has a mustache but no longer has a goatee.
Geronimo is about 12 miles south of Lawton, Oklahoma, in the south-central part of the state. | [
"What was issued as authorities extend search into Texas?",
"Who was believed to be traveling in a white 1992 Toyota Paseo?",
"where in the authorities extend search",
"Who are the authorites looking for?",
"Who was found dead Sunday night?",
"What was issued after authorities extend their search?"
] | [
[
"Amber Alert,"
],
[
"Lester William Hobbs,"
],
[
"Texas"
],
[
"a 7-year-old girl"
],
[
"her mother"
],
[
"an Amber Alert"
]
] | NEW: Amber Alert issued as authorities extend search into Texas .
7-year-old was reported missing after mother was found dead Sunday night .
Authorities seek mother's estranged husband, say she, girl visited man at his sister's home .
Man, girl believed to be traveling in a white 1992 Toyota Paseo . |
(CNN) -- Investigators have arrested a third suspect in the killing of a prominent doctor near Houston, Texas. Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez was found dead at his ranch last month, police say. The Texas Rangers arrested Misael Sotollo, 18, Tuesday evening in a Houston apartment, the Austin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Sotollo and two others -- brothers Cristobal Galvan Cerna, 23, and Moises Galvan Cerna, 18 -- are charged with murder in the death of Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez. Bail has been denied for all three, according to authorities. The doctor was chief of the critical care section at Houston's Methodist Hospital and "a pulmonary medicine leader," according to the hospital system's Web site. Gonzalez was found dead August 22, after deputies responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at his weekend ranch, in a rural and isolated area outside Bellville, Texas, authorities said. Bellville is about 50 miles west of Houston. The suspects were already at the home when the Gonzalez family arrived around noon, law enforcement officials said. The doctor was able to enter his home and obtain a handgun in an attempt to defend himself and his family, authorities said. Gunshots were exchanged, and the doctor died at the scene, they said. Also wounded in the shooting was ranch hand Noel Galvan Cerna, who worked for Gonzalez and is the brother of two of the men in custody in the killing. Sotollo is their cousin. An officer responding to the Gonzalez home on the robbery report was met by vehicles leaving the location, Austin County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Paul Faircloth said, and a person in one vehicle fired on the officer. Neither the officer nor his patrol car was struck, and the officer did not return fire, Faircloth said. The officer was able to provide a detailed description of the vehicles, he said. The officer found Gonzalez' wife and toddler unharmed inside the home. | [
"what do police say?",
"who was found shot dead",
"who was killed in the gunfire",
"who was injured in the attack?",
"where was Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez found shot to death?"
] | [
[
"Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez was found dead at his ranch last month,"
],
[
"Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez"
],
[
"Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez"
],
[
"Noel Galvan Cerna,"
],
[
"at his ranch"
]
] | Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez found shot to death at his ranch on August 22 .
Police say Gonzalez arrived at the rural home to find suspects already there .
He was able to get his gun from the house but died in ensuing gunfire, police say .
Ranch hand was injured in the attack; the suspects are his brothers and cousin . |
(CNN) -- Investigators have found the bodies of three small children and the father who allegedly abducted them from their home in Columbus, Georgia, two weeks ago, the FBI said Wednesday. Eddie Harrington threatened to kill his children before disappearing with them, police say. "It is my sad duty to report that deceased bodies of these children and Eddie Harrington were located this afternoon," said FBI Special Agent Gerald Green. A coroner would confirm the identities, he added. The remains were discovered in a wooded area of Columbus by a person walking nearby, Green said. Watch the FBI say the bodies were in a car » Eddie Harrington, 28, whom police described as depressed, took the children March 5, police said. Before he left, Harrington sent a letter indicating his intent to kill his twin 23-month-old girls, Aliyah and Agana Battle, and his son, Cedric Harrington, 3, officials said. The day before Wednesday's grisly discovery, the children's mother told CNN's Nancy Grace that Harrington had threatened them before. "He's just told me he'll do anything to keep me at that time, and he said that he was going to take them and ... kill himself and the kids," Agena Battle said. "But then later on, he told me that it was just to prove to me that, you know, what he'll do for me." Battle also described the moment earlier this month when she knew something was wrong. "I got home and I realized that the kids weren't there, and Eddie wasn't there either, and when I looked on the dresser and read the note, that's when I realized that my kids are in trouble," she said. A week ago, a tearful Battle publicly begged her boyfriend not to harm the children. "I am asking the public to please help me. I want my children home where they belong, with me," she said at an FBI news conference. "Please, if you see Eddie, the car or the children, please call 911. Please help me and keep them in your prayers." Watch the mother's tearful plea » A child abduction alert was issued in Georgia after the children disappeared. "We have great concern for the safety of these children," Green said at the time. It was unclear what sparked Harrington's decision to take the children, authorities said. E-mail to a friend | [
"When was the last time Harrison was seen?",
"Where was she last seen?",
"Who threatened the kids before?",
"What was Harrington's whereabouts?",
"What are the children's ages?",
"What did the children's mother say?",
"What did Harrington threaten to do?",
"Where was Harrington seen?",
"Where was Harrington last seen?",
"Who has threatened the kids before?",
"Who did he kidnap from their home?"
] | [
[
"two weeks ago,"
],
[
"their home in Columbus, Georgia,"
],
[
"Eddie Harrington"
],
[
"The remains were discovered in a wooded area of Columbus"
],
[
"23-month-old girls, Aliyah and Agana Battle, and his son, Cedric Harrington, 3,"
],
[
"that Harrington had threatened them"
],
[
"kill his children"
],
[
"Columbus, Georgia,"
],
[
"Columbus, Georgia,"
],
[
"Eddie Harrington"
],
[
"three small children"
]
] | NEW: Children's mother says Eddie Harrington had threatened the kids before .
Harrington was last seen in Columbus, Georgia, March 5 .
Police say he was depressed, threatened to kill kids .
He took twin girls, 23 months, and boy, 3, from their home . |
(CNN) -- Investigators have heard a signal from the flight data recorders of the Yemenia Airways plane that crashed last week, they announced Sunday. Search parties continue their operation to locate the Yemenia Airbus A310 off the Comoros Islands Saturday. "A signal was picked up from two acoustic transmitters from the plane's flight data recorders during a sea search to locate the data recorders this morning," the French air accident investigation agency, known as the BEA, said in a statement. Commonly known as "black boxes," the data recorders should contain information to help determine what caused the crash. The Yemenia Airways Airbus 310 crashed into the Indian Ocean early Tuesday, carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members. It originated in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and went down just miles from Moroni, the capital of the Comoros Islands. One person, a 13-year-old French girl, survived. Bahia Basari, who lives in Marseille, escaped with cuts to her face and a fractured collarbone. Watch teen survivor from crash » The teen's father, Kassim Bakari, told a French radio network that his wife and daughter were flying to Comoros to visit relatives. "When I had her on the phone, I asked her what happened and she said, 'Daddy, I don't know what happened, but the plane fell into the water and I found myself in the water... surrounded by darkness. I could not see anyone,'" Bakari told France Info. The head of the rescue team in the Comoros told French radio RTL that the teenager beat astonishing odds to survive. "It is truly, truly, miraculous," Ibrahim Abdoulazeb said. "The young girl can barely swim." Another rescuer told France's Europe 1 radio that the girl was spotted in the rough sea, among bodies and plane debris in darkness, about two hours after the crash. The Airbus 310 plane tried to land at the airport in Moroni, then made a U-turn before it crashed, Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said soon after the accident. A French official said the nation had banned the plane after it failed an aviation inspection in 2007. "Since this check-up, we have not seen the plane reappearing in France," said Dominique Bussereau, the transport minister. But Yemenia Airlines was not on the European Union's list of banned airlines, he added. Passengers on the flight included 66 French citizens, 54 Comorians, one Palestinian and one Canadian, according to Yemeni and French officials. The crew was made up of six Yemenis, two Moroccans, one Ethiopian, one Filipino and one Indonesian. The Comoros Islands are between the east African country of Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar. | [
"who are helping to search for debris and bodies?",
"who is the suvirvor from the crash?",
"Who is searching for debris from the plane",
"Where are the Comoros Islands?",
"what Data recorders should contain information to help determine?",
"when was the crash?",
"Who was the only person to survive the crash?"
] | [
[
"parties"
],
[
"One person, a 13-year-old French girl, survived. Bahia Basari,"
],
[
"Search parties"
],
[
"the Indian Ocean"
],
[
"caused the crash."
],
[
"early Tuesday,"
],
[
"13-year-old French girl,"
]
] | Comoros Islands lie between east African and the island nation of Madagascar .
Data recorders should contain information to help determine what caused the crash .
Teenage girl only person to survive plane crash off Comoros islands .
French, U.S. divers are helping to search for debris and bodies from the plane . |
(CNN) -- Investigators have named Casey Anthony a suspect in the mid-June disappearance of her toddler daughter, Caylee, Florida authorities said Wednesday.
Casey Anthony had been called a "person of interest" in her daughter's disappearance.
Police had previously labeled Anthony -- who authorities said didn't report the 3-year-old child's disappearance until mid-July -- a "person of interest" in the case.
"Casey is a suspect," said Orange County Sheriff's Department Capt. Angelo Nieves. "She has been uncooperative, leading investigators down the wrong path and lying to them. She has not provided any credible information about the last time she saw her or where she was left."
Casey Anthony of Orlando, Florida, was arrested July 16 on suspicion of telling detectives lies about Caylee's disappearance. She was released on bail after that arrest and subsequent arrests on unrelated theft charges.
Authorities said weeks ago that evidence suggests Caylee is dead. Investigators found evidence of human decomposition in the trunk of Anthony's car, authorities have said.
Law enforcement sources also suggested that a strand of hair found in the trunk of the car was Caylee's. Watch Nancy Grace speak to Casey Anthony's "babysitter" »
Authorities also have said they found traces of chloroform in the car Anthony drove and Internet searches of chloroform Web sites on her computer.
Anthony and her daughter have garnered national headlines and served as fodder for nightly crime shows. Protesters have held vigils outside Anthony's home pleading with her to give police more information about Caylee's whereabouts.
In connection with her July arrest, Anthony was charged with child neglect, making false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation.
CNN's Andrew Iden and Natisha Lance contributed to this report. | [
"What was the name of Casey Anthony's daughter?",
"Who was reported missing aa month after her disappearance?",
"Who was reported missing a month after her June disappearance?",
"What state did the investigation take place?",
"What was Caylee Anthony's age when she went missing?",
"What state was Caylee Anthony from?",
"When did Caylee Anthony go missing?",
"Who suggests the Florida toddler is dead?",
"Who has been leading investigators down the wrong path?",
"Police have said that evidence suggest Florida toddler is what?"
] | [
[
"Caylee,"
],
[
"Caylee,"
],
[
"Caylee,"
],
[
"Florida"
],
[
"3-year-old"
],
[
"Florida"
],
[
"mid-June"
],
[
"evidence"
],
[
"Casey Anthony"
],
[
"Caylee is dead."
]
] | Police: Casey Anthony has been "leading ... investigators down the wrong path."
Caylee Anthony, 3, reported missing month after her June disappearance, police say .
Police have said evidence suggests Florida toddler is dead . |
(CNN) -- Investigators on Tuesday released the identities of eight people who were killed in a mobile home in southeastern Georgia. Guy Heinze Jr. faces drug charges and is accused of evidence tampering and making false statements. A ninth person remains in critical condition, the Glynn County Police Department said. Police identified the victims as Michelle Toler, 15; Michael Toler, 19; Russell D. Toler Jr., 20; Chrissy Toler, 22; Joseph L. West, 30; Russell D. Toler Sr., 44; Guy Heinze Sr., 45; and Brenda Gail Falagan, 49. They were found dead Saturday in Brunswick, Georgia, about 300 miles southeast of Atlanta, on the Atlantic coast. Police said autopsies were completed Monday, but they did not offer any information about the findings. Authorities did not identify the hospitalized victim. A man who found the bodies called 911 Saturday to report in an anguished voice that he had arrived home to find "my whole family's dead." Hear the frantic 911 call reporting the slayings » "I just got home," a man identified as Guy Heinze Jr., 22, tells the emergency dispatcher in the call, released Monday. "I was out last night. I got home just now, and everybody's dead. ... My whole family's dead. It looks like they've been beaten to death. "I don't know what to do, man," an emotional Heinze tells the dispatcher. "My dad, my mom, my uncle, my cousin. .... My dad, he's laying there dead. That was my dad." A neighbor placed the call and put Heinze on the phone as well as the mobile home park's maintenance man. The park manager also called 911, sobbing as she told dispatchers, "Please hurry." Officers found seven people dead in the residence at the New Hope mobile home park. An eighth person died Sunday. Heinze was arrested Saturday night and faces charges of having a controlled substance and marijuana as well as evidence tampering and making false statements to a police officer, Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said. According to an arrest warrant, Heinz provided "investigators with false and misleading information about his whereabouts and involvement in the circumstances leading up to him calling 911 to report the deaths of his family members." No further details were available. The arrest warrant also said that he removed a shotgun from the residence and hid it in the trunk of his car. He had Darvocet, a narcotic painkiller, and marijuana in a pill bottle in the center console of his car, according to the arrest warrant. Doering said Heinze has been cooperative. He stopped short of naming him a suspect in the deaths. "We're still looking for anybody and everybody that may be related to this," he said Sunday. "That naturally includes [Heinze]. Of course, we're looking at him." Heinze's attorney, Ron Harrison, said his client, who has a bail hearing Wednesday, denies any involvement in the killings. The arrest warrant, he said, alleges that his client took a shotgun from the house and hid it in his car. Asked how Heinze was doing, Harrison said, "Not well. Not well at all. You come across this murder scene, you call 911, and then you end up in jail." Police have said they have "no known suspects" in the case. "We are not looking for any known suspects," Doering said. "That doesn't say that there are no suspects. They're just not known to us." The 911 call paints a picture of violent chaos. At one point, while the maintenance man, known only as Mike, talks to dispatchers, Heinze goes in the mobile home and reports that his cousin, identified as Michael, is breathing. The maintenance man said that Michael is a "young man with Down syndrome." Heinze reports the youth's "face is smashed in," he said. Heinze | [
"How many people were found dead?",
"What was happend in Glynn County?"
] | [
[
"eight"
],
[
"eight people who were killed in a mobile"
]
] | NEW: Warrant claims caller took shotgun from house .
Investigators release names of eight people found dead in mobile home .
Ninth person hospitalized in critical condition, police say .
Glynn County, Georgia, police have been tight-lipped about case . |
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