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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- When Patricia Cornwell began writing thriller novels, she ruled the world of forensic science. "I'm very interested in what motivates people, why they do what they do, how they do it," Patricia Cornwell said. "I could treat readers in each book to some new aspect that they wouldn't be familiar with," Cornwell said. Now the author is bombarded with "CSI"-like information from every side -- from "Bones" to "Forensic Files" to, well, "CSI." "It's like you create this monster and find out it's living in the house with you, and it's banished you to a room because it has more power than you," she said. Cornwell knew she had to adapt to the changing entertainment climate. "One of the questions I really did ask myself was, 'What's the one thing I have no one else does?' " The answer was chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, Cornwell's heroine. Scarpetta is independent, feisty and someone Cornwell knows better than she knows herself. To honor that close relationship, Cornwell decided to name her 16th book in the series after its main character, titling it simply "Scarpetta." "I realized, here it is 2008. I finished my first book 20 years ago in 1988. This is a really big anniversary," Cornwell said. In the novel, Scarpetta leaves South Carolina for New York, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured psychiatric patient. The patient has a graphic tale to tell -- one of paranoia and murder. The novelist said her books all have two things in common: First, of course, is a plot twist that allows Scarpetta to make a Sherlock Holmes-like deduction. The second is intriguing character interaction. "What's going on with them in this book? What are they doing with or to each other? Who's in love? Who isn't? Who's on the outs with whom? Because I hope, in the end, [my books] are like high-level, crime soap operas." With two decades of character history, Cornwell has a lot to work with in that area. But her books are also full of intellectual fodder. Scarpetta is a disciplined academic -- a scientist with a law degree. Cornwell spent six years working in a medical examiner's office before writing her first book, and she continues to spend time with professionals to keep up on new forensic technology. In recent weeks she has researched an autopsy in Florida and worked with the National Forensic Academy. If she's going to write about trace evidence, she believes, she's going to go to a trace evidence lab. "I was never a scientific person," Cornwell said. "When I got interested in science I had to learn it after the fact... and that was good because I had already learned how to describe things, how to ask questions the audience would want answered. I was much better able to translate things into a language someone else could grasp." Her dedication to understanding her subject translates into other areas as well. Cornwell became a helicopter pilot, a certified scuba diver and qualified for a motorcycle license, all because she was writing about characters who were doing those things. Fans appreciate Cornwell's enthusiasm and writing style, pushing 12 of her novels onto USA Today's best-seller lists. But Cornwell said "Scarpetta" is actually more uplifting than her last couple of books, which took on a more twisted aura. "I'm glad because I think we live in very dark times and no one wants to read a depressing book now." Still, Cornwell has been delving deeper into her characters' minds with each new book, and "Scarpetta" won't alter that trend. "I'm very interested in what motivates people, why they do what they do, how they do it," she said. "It probably has something to do with where I am in life. I | [
"where Scarpetta leaves South Carolina for new case?",
"what Author still spends time researching forensic science?",
"Where did Scarpetta leave?",
"what is the name of her new book",
"what Patricia Cornwell releases 16th book about Kay Scarpetta called?",
"What was the name of Patricia's 16th book?",
"where is the new case set"
] | [
[
"York,"
],
[
"Patricia Cornwell"
],
[
"South Carolina"
],
[
"\"Scarpetta.\""
],
[
"\"Scarpetta.\""
],
[
"\"Scarpetta.\""
],
[
"York,"
]
] | Patricia Cornwell releases 16th book about Kay Scarpetta called "Scarpetta"
Scarpetta leaves South Carolina for new case in New York .
Cornwell enjoys exploring her characters' minds and criminal psychology .
Author still spends time researching forensic science . |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Why would an award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and single mother want to tack reality TV star onto her long list of accomplishments? Kandi Burruss says she is happy to join the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" cast. For Kandi Burruss, the newest member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, the answer is simple: "I was a fan last year. I love the show." The second season of Bravo's hit show is set to premier on Thursday with Burruss replacing cast member DeShawn Snow. Burruss is well-known in the music industry as a former member of the platinum-selling R&B girl group Xscape and co-writer of such hits as Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills" and TLC's "No Scrubs," for which she won a Grammy. The Atlanta native almost ended up on another reality show with former group mate and writing partner Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, who is the fiancée of rapper T.I. and now stars on BET's "Tiny & Toya" alongside Antonia "Toya" Carter, the ex-wife of Lil' Wayne. The deal for that show didn't work out and Burruss said she was more than happy to sign on with Bravo's wildly successful southern edition of the "Housewives" franchise, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent African-American women in the ATL. Burruss was already friendly with cast mate Lisa Wu Hartwell, whom she met through their mutual friend Cottle. Having watched the show -- which last season enraptured viewers with a mix of constant infighting, lavish lifestyles and a healthy dose of drama -- Burruss said she was more concerned with being thrust into the public eye than she was with getting along with the cast. "The only thing that made me hesitant about wanting to be a part of the show is the fact that people are so critical of the show," she said. "Just dealing with people on the outside judging you. That part is going to be something that I am going to have to get used to." The artist has already had to get acclimated to people smearing her personal life on the Internet. Watch Burruss discuss her time on the show » Newly engaged to a father of six children, Burruss has watched him get attacked in blogs and is protective of the man who she said even her mother isn't thrilled about her marrying. "[The show] has been very, very stressful on the relationship," she said. "I guess [people] couldn't find anything bad [to say] about me, so they wanted to go in on my fiancé." Her caring nature and laid-back personality make Burruss special in the industry, said rapper Rick Ross. "She's a very humble person, maybe one of the most humble people among the biggest songwriters in the industry," said Ross, who collaborated with Burruss on a track for a new solo album she has in the works. "It's good to be around the greats and she most definitely is one of the greatest in the industry." Her home music studio attests to that. The walls are covered with gold and platinum records for her work with several high-profile artists including Alicia Keys, *NSYNC, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Being part of a girl group helped prepare her for the drama of dealing with the other housewives' personalities, Burruss said, though she admitted clashing with outspoken cast mate NeNe Leakes during filming. "I was a fan of hers last year," Burruss said. "All that wild and crazy stuff she says to people, when you're watching it, it's funny, it's hilarious... but when it's directed at you, it's not funny anymore." Burruss got along better with aspiring singer Kim Zolciak, who Burruss will assist in achieving her dream of breaking into the industry. Last season, fans of the show -- and some of the other housewives -- slammed Zolciak for her less-than- | [
"Who is the newest member of the show?",
"Kandi hopes fan will see her in what?",
"Who is the newest member of RHOA?",
"What is the name of the show?",
"Who is the newest member of \"Real Housewives of Atlanta\"?",
"Burruss confirms she doesn't get along with which cast mate?",
"who is the newest member of Bravo's \"Real Housewives of Atlanta\"?",
"Which cast member didn't get along with Burruss?",
"Who is the newest member of Bravo's programme?",
"Who is the newest member of Bravo's \"Real Housewives of Atlanta\"?"
] | [
[
"Kandi Burruss,"
],
[
"the Real Housewives of Atlanta,"
],
[
"Kandi Burruss,"
],
[
"\"Real Housewives of Atlanta\""
],
[
"of the Real"
],
[
"NeNe Leakes"
],
[
"Kandi Burruss"
],
[
"NeNe Leakes"
],
[
"Kandi Burruss"
],
[
"Kandi Burruss"
]
] | Kandi Burruss is the newest member of Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta"
An accomplished singer/songwriter/producer, she was a fan last season .
Burruss confirms she and cast mate NeNe Leakes didn't get along .
The single mother hopes fans will see her in "a good light" |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- You are about to meet Mr. Brown. David Mann and Tamela Mann -- a real-life couple -- star in "Meet the Browns" as father and daughter. He's David Mann, star of the TBS sitcom "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns." To borrow a phrase from the network's marketing -- he's very funny. Mann's character -- "Downtown" Leroy Brown -- is a lovable, sometimes outrageous and always off-the-wall senior citizen who has stolen every scene he's entered in Tyler Perry's plays, movies and TV shows. Mr. Brown no longer has to steal scenes, because TBS -- owned by CNN parent company Time Warner -- has ordered 80 episodes of half-hour comedy, based on the success of 10 pilot episodes. "Just in case I'm dreaming, don't pinch me," said Mann. "I'm living the dream." "Meet the Browns" is a spinoff of Perry's "House of Payne," a sitcom that has yielded strong cable ratings for TBS, and it employs some of the same characters seen in Perry's movies and stage plays -- including a play and film named "Meet the Browns," which is only mildly related to the TV series. The show focuses on Mr. Brown and his daughter Cora, played by Mann's real-life wife, Tamela Mann, as Mr. Brown tries to turn his house into a home for the elderly. Those who have followed Perry's productions know that Cora was the conceived during a brief fling between Brown and Madea, Perry's female alter ego. "If it hadn't been for Cora, Mr. Brown and Madea probably would have killed each other by now," Mann said. "Cora is the glue to this whole thing. Cora keeps everybody grounded." Mann said Mr. Brown's speech and mannerisms are from a combination of people. "Grandfathers, uncles, relatives, you know, different friends you see." he said. "I use to go to a nursing home and just look at people, watch -- 'OK, that's how they're doing this.' " His biggest laughs come from his use -- or abuse -- of the English language which Mann refers to as "Mr. Brownisms." Manipulate becomes "manipudip," while hypnotize transforms to "hepatitis." "You hear them as I spit them out, and it's just like, 'What was I thinking?' " Mann said. Mr. Brown's wardrobe, which is always two sizes too small for his protruding belly, is a bright-colored mix of thrift store specials. "The clothes just kind of happened," he said. "Because, you know, you have that uncle or that relative in your family who just can't let the clothes go?" Since Mr. Brown originated on the stage -- in Perry productions -- Mann had to adjust to the small screen. "I'm very animated and so I just had to make sure I toned that down for the screen because I'm so used to making sure that the person in the front row can see as well as the person in the balcony," he said. "To bring that and condense it down for television was a transition for me." Camera operators are challenged to keep up with Mann as he moves around the set, sometimes re-writing the script. "One word can trigger a whole different thing with us, and that's what I love about working with Tyler Perry," Mann said. "He gives you the freedom to go in there and create. If you see something that can make it funnier, he gives you the liberty to go ahead and do it, create it and make it funny." Perry directs every episode at his new Atlanta studio on a sound stage next to where he also tapes "House of Payne." Mr. Brown never seems too far from Mr. Mann. In mid-interview, he emerges | [
"What role does his wife play on the show?",
"Who is Mann married to?",
"Who plays Mr. Brown in Meet The Browns?",
"What network airs \"Meet the Browns\"?",
"What actress is Mann's wife?",
"Who plays Mr. Brown?"
] | [
[
"daughter Cora,"
],
[
"Tamela"
],
[
"David Mann"
],
[
"TBS"
],
[
"Tamela"
],
[
"David Mann"
]
] | David Mann plays Mr. Brown in "Meet the Browns"
Character known for his mangled speech, off-the-wall actions .
In real life, Mann is married to actress who plays his daughter on show . |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- You don't have to tell the Reverend J. Peyton that these are hard times in Indiana. He's been seeing it for years. The Reverend J. Peyton leads the Big Damn Band in playing the blues. Even down south in rural Brown County, which the country-blues guitarist and his Big Damn Band call home, the struggles on "Main Street" are more than just a political catchphrase. They're a reality. The Rev, as he likes to be called, is well aware of the hardships elsewhere in his state, too. In the northern Indiana county of Elkhart, where President Obama held a highly publicized town hall meeting to discuss the economy and his stimulus package, the unemployment rate has more than tripled over the past year to almost 19 percent -- more than double the national average. "The writing's been on the wall for a long time," says The Rev. "To me, this isn't anything new. It's new that people are covering it -- it's new that it's on the news." The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, made up of The Rev, his wife Breezy on washboard and his brother Jayme on drums, has been touring the country almost nonstop for several years, and they've had a chance to see the harsh realities of the American dream up close. They've made their personal struggles, their family's setbacks and stories from people they meet into lyrical fodder -- and despite the grim subject matter, put on an enthusiastically upbeat, memorable performance in each town they play. Watch the Big Damn Band perform "Worn Out Shoe" » "We don't take it lightly," The Rev says. "I just hope that when people come to the show, we're able to make them feel a lot of different things -- make 'em laugh with us and make 'em hurt with us." It's a tradition as old as the blues. The Rev says on the band's Web site, "I feel like I got to directly be involved in a song. Maybe if I played a different genre of music I'd feel like I could get away with [making stuff up], but this style of music is too honest; you can't lie to people, because they'll see right through it." For The Rev, part of being brutally honest also means keeping it simple, allowing listeners to be engaged with the music without having to search for hidden meaning. Among the songs from the band's latest album, "The Whole Fam Damnily," are "Can't Pay the Bill," "The Creek's Are All Bad" and "Walmart Killed the Country Store." The band gets its ideas from personal experience, says The Rev. "I ain't got cable where I live," he says. "I stay up on current events as well as I can, but I don't really draw from newspapers. I draw from my family and friends." Reviewers have praised the work. "The band bring to their retro-fabricated rootsy Americana an utterly gripping compulsion," wrote the (UK) Independent's Andy Gill, giving "The Whole Fam Damnily" four out of five stars. The Big Damn Band is also the cover story in the April/May issue of Blues Review magazine. What the songs purposefully lack in lyrical flair is made up in sparkling musicianship. The Rev picks his way across old standard-tuned National resonators and acoustic guitars, adding a little slide here and there; Breezy rattles away with metal-tipped baseball batting gloves and washboard, while Jayme keeps rhythm on a rather modest drum set, highlighted by a 5-gallon pickle bucket. It's simple, heartfelt country blues at its best, played by a family that revels in its blood ties. And that's good enough for The Rev. "You get by through things that don't cost much, like music, like laughter, like food. You know, those are the things that I think get you by. | [
"What store name is in the title of a song?",
"The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band is based where?",
"What is the name of the band?",
"Where is Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band from?",
"Where is the band based?",
"What store is used in the song title?",
"What is the name of one of their song titles?"
] | [
[
"\"Walmart"
],
[
"Brown County,"
],
[
"Big Damn"
],
[
"Brown County,"
],
[
"rural Brown County,"
],
[
"\"Walmart"
],
[
"\"Worn Out Shoe\""
]
] | The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band is an Indiana-based blues group .
Song titles include "Walmart Killed the Country Store"
The Rev: Band wants to "make 'em laugh with us and make 'em hurt with us" |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but at any given moment Dana Poole hurts all over. Dana Poole, left, feels aches all over at any given moment from a condition called fibromyalgia. "It's kind of like a burning, but an ache. It's almost like you have the flu," said Poole, 31, a receptionist from Canton, Georgia. Poole is one of almost 6 million Americans who suffer from a chronic condition called fibromyalgia. In addition to widespread pain, patients may complain about fatigue and sleep disturbances, depression, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and heightened sensitivity. "Dana is typical of a lot of fibromyalgia patients," said Dr. Jefrey Lieberman, an Atlanta, Georgia-based rheumatologist. "She came into my office complaining of a lot of diffuse pain all over her body and fatigue. She really didn't know why she was getting it." That's part of the frustration of having fibromyalgia. Experts aren't sure what causes it, but many believe many factors are involved. Some think the condition, which is not progressive or life-threatening, may be triggered by an emotional or traumatic event. Lieberman believed it is related to a disordered sleep pattern and poor exercise. "It appears to be more of a neuro-chemical process," he said. "In other words, there really is no inflammation in patients with fibromyalgia." Health Minute: More on identifying fibromyalgia » Getting a proper diagnosis can sometimes be just as frustrating as finding out what's behind the disease. "Fibromyalgia is to some extent a diagnosis of exclusion," Lieberman said. "There are lot of things it can be confused with such as thyroid disorders, metabolic disorders and certain rheumatologic inflammatory conditions." For almost five years, Poole jumped from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was causing her symptoms. "They were constantly saying I'm a tall, thin female. 'You're getting older -- your body is going to change,' and it was frustrating." Lieberman understood Poole's frustration. "Sometimes fibromyalgia is used as a wastebasket term if a patient has pain and they don't know what it is from," he said. "It is frequently misdiagnosed. In fact, it is overdiagnosed and it is underdiagnosed." Specialists such as Lieberman can make a proper diagnosis based on criteria set by the American College of Rheumatology. "Those criteria are diffuse pain in three or more quadrants of the body and the presence of what are called tender points in the body," Lieberman explained. "There are 18 total tender points, and by definition we like to see 11 of those tender points being present." It's estimated that up to 90 percent of patients are women. Most of them start feeling symptoms in early and middle adulthood. Poole remembered that the pain first started when she was 20. It wasn't until she met Lieberman about five years ago that she got some relief. She took part in a drug study for Cymbalta, one of two medications approved for the management of fibromyalgia. The other drug is called Lyrica. "Both of them are geared toward the patient's well-being as well as improving their pain," Lieberman said. He also encouraged Poole to control her condition through a healthy diet, stress reduction, getting enough sleep and regular low-impact exercise. "We think that aerobic exercise helps to stimulate endorphins and enkephlins from the body which are your own natural pain relievers," Lieberman said. The doctor is quick to point out that even with proper medication and adequate exercise, fibromyalgia has no cure. Although Lieberman said some of his patients report the symptoms tapering off in their mid-50s and -60s, others are faced with years of managing the condition. "For most of my patients, I tell them that I can get you 50 to 75 percent better and many of those patients will jump at that," he said. Poole is one of them, | [
"What is fibromyaligia",
"what says experts",
"What do symptoms incude?",
"How many Americans suffer from chronic illness?",
"how many people suffering chronic illnes",
"What aren't experts sure of?",
"what is the symptoms",
"Is there a cure for this"
] | [
[
"\"It's kind of like a burning, but an ache. It's almost like you have the flu,\""
],
[
"causes it, but many believe"
],
[
"fatigue and sleep disturbances, depression, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and heightened sensitivity."
],
[
"6 million"
],
[
"almost 6 million Americans"
],
[
"fibromyalgia."
],
[
"fatigue and sleep disturbances, depression, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and heightened sensitivity."
],
[
"no"
]
] | Nearly 6 million Americans suffer from a chronic illness called fibromyalgia .
Symptoms include fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression and headaches .
Experts aren't sure what causes it; often misdiagnosed .
It's estimated that up to 90 percent of patients are women . |
ATLANTA, Georgia -- Going back to work after my wife had our first child was an emotional roller coaster. The author says that being "Mr. Mom" is appealing, but putting the idea into practice is harder than it looks. I forced myself out of bed, shaved my beard and got dressed on the morning of my return. I performed these work week rituals while cursing the fact that I matched only one number on my last lottery ticket, so I had to show up that day. After being out of the office for a little more than two weeks on paternity leave, I knew the transition back to work would be tough. I coped with this fact, like any rational new parent would, by increasing the number of lottery tickets that I purchased. Saying goodbye took a while. I made several trips up and down the stairs to get one more glimpse of my daughter before succumbing to the inevitable: my commute, fighting traffic and reintegrating to cubicle culture. I arrived at the office still thinking of my family at home without me. I found myself misty-eyed at the water cooler while I waited for Outlook to load several hundred unread e-mails. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be at home with my daughter. The idea of being a stay-at-home dad, like Michael Keaton in "Mr. Mom," always appealed to me. For the uninitiated, the 1983 comedy is about an out-of-work father faced with domestic challenges while his wife gets a job. A memorable scene has the title character, Jack Butler, trying to sound like he knows what he's talking about to his wife's new boss. He tells him that he plans to wire a new wing of his house in "220, 221, whatever it takes." I identify with the latter part of his character's claim. It's not like me to pretend to know anything about home improvement, but when it comes to caring for my family while balancing my responsibilities at work, I plan on doing whatever it takes. In 2007, 37 percent of working dads admitted that they would leave their jobs if their family could afford it, according to CareerBuilder.com. The "if" in that statistic is a big one. Unlike the characters in "Mr. Mom," my wife and I both need to work. A good sequel to this film may have explored the hijinks that ensued from an overwhelmed parent caring for a newborn while working from home. Nowadays, there's support for all of the Jack Butlers out there. Web sites such as AtHomeDad.org and Rebeldad.com have established online communities dedicated to providing tips and resources for fatherhood. These forums represent a growing fellowship where those with experience can help new dads. Personally, I haven't utilized them much yet because of that old Groucho Marx joke about not wanting to be a member of a club that would have a person like me as a member. Available resources and social acceptance for stay-at-home dads have come a long way since "Mr. Mom's" portrayal of them. In fact, Salary.com calculated that a stay-at-home dad was worth $125,340 a year for the dad portion of his work in 2006. This analysis took into account tasks that range from cooking and cleaning to teaching and serving as a child psychologist. Since I can't convince anyone to pay me my estimated worth as an at-home dad -- and living on one salary isn't an option for my family -- I've considered working from home a couple of hours a week when necessary. Flexible work schedules make sense because they benefit a company by allowing employees to be more productive on their terms. Nevertheless, working from home may not be for everyone. I work for a news Web site, facilitating advertisement opportunities. A lot of my job's communication occurs via e-mail, which is something I can do at home. I'd worked from home before, but not with a newborn in the house. My first test was only for a couple | [
"What is the wage equivalent of a stay-at-home dad?",
"What is a stay-at-home dad's work worth annually?",
"What percentage of working dads would quit jobs if their families could afford it?",
"What percent would prefer to be stay-at-home dads?",
"What movie is said to inspire the work from home dad?",
"What would 37 percent of working dads do?"
] | [
[
"$125,340 a year"
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],
[
"37 percent"
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[
"37"
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"\"Mr. Mom\""
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"leave their jobs if their family could afford it,"
]
] | Poll: 37 percent of working dads would quit jobs if their families could afford it .
Stay-at-home dad's work worth $125,340 a year, according to Salary.com .
Author talks about caring for infant daughter during work conference call .
"Mr Mom" line, "220, 221, whatever it takes" inspires work-from-home dad . |
AUGUSTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Walking into the Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor is a lot like walking into a head shop. One wall is lined with gang monikers and symbols, the other with bongs for smoking marijuana and other drugs -- one even shaped like a skull.
The Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor was set up by authorities to get at the heart of gang members.
Only this head shop was a setup. It was a police front in a sting operation to bust gangs in this Georgia river city that most people associate with the Masters Tournament -- not violent thugs with high-powered weapons.
Authorities said some guns sold to the shop were used in crimes just hours earlier.
The tattoo parlor was the brainchild of Richmond County Sheriff Ron Strength, who wanted to snuff out gangs carrying out violent crimes in his east Georgia community.
The idea was to create a place where the gang members would feel right at home, said sheriff's Lt. Scott Peebles. And that they did.
"We put the idea in their heads that there's no way these guys are in law enforcement," he said.
On Wednesday, more than 100 sheriff's officers, state investigators and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives carried out a major bust after an 18-month joint investigation into the gang activity. Watch cops set up tattoo parlor »
Sixty-eight suspects were arrested on charges ranging from trafficking of illegal weapons to serious drug offenses. Authorities seized more than 300 weapons, including high-powered assault rifles.
Rich Marianos, a special agent with the ATF, said such gang activity is spreading across the nation, with small-town gangs increasing their ties with gangs in major cities.
For instance, New York gangs have begun moving as far south as the Carolinas, where they set up operations to buy and sell guns and drugs, he said.
Chicago gang activity extends more than 60 miles into the Illinois city's suburbs for narcotics and weapons trading. In fact, Marianos said the ATF has begun seeing some Chicago gangs establishing a "pipeline" for illegal arms more than 500 miles away in Mississippi.
"It's not just an urban problem," Marianos said. "We're seeing it all over the country."
The ATF, he said, has seen one of the most dramatic increases in gang activity in the last three years and is cracking down.
"We want to look at a way to go after these offenders and prevent it before it happens," he said. "[We're] making the community safer by disarming the bad guys -- not taking guns away from the American citizen, but going after the people who shouldn't have them in the first place."
That's why setting up a tattoo parlor in Augusta was key. Strength, the Richmond County sheriff, said he remembers when the worst crimes in these parts were lawn mower thefts and vandals pushing over birdbaths. But those days are long gone, with gangs such as the Georgia Deadly Boys and Fairington Gangster Thugs causing mayhem on a regular basis.
"In the past 2 1/2 years, we've noticed some major changes," he said, "with the type of criminal offenses they were involved in."
So he devised the undercover business. The Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor on Tobacco Road was set up on the outskirts of Augusta. It's a location not heavily patrolled by police, but staffed 100 percent by undercover agents.
Business was slow at first, but then things took off. Gang members soon began dropping in to sell guns, drugs and even stolen cars, authorities said. Every transaction was recorded by surveillance cameras around the store.
Soon the shop had so much business the Richmond County Sheriff's Office had to call in reinforcements from the ATF. Four federal agents helped the sheriff's deputies man the counters; others worked behind the scenes.
Vanessa McLemore, ATF special agent in charge, said the teams had to coordinate their behaviors so it seemed like they fit in the store. "They spent a lot of time | [
"what did atf say",
"where are the gangs found",
"did Tattoo parlor run by cops lead to anything",
"Who ran the tattoo parlor in Georgia?",
"What did authorities set-up as part of the ring?"
] | [
[
"such gang activity is spreading across the nation,"
],
[
"Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor"
],
[
"a major bust"
],
[
"Richmond County Sheriff Ron Strength,"
],
[
"Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor"
]
] | Tattoo parlor run by cops leads to major bust of Georgia gangs .
Authorities even set up a MySpace page as part of the ring .
ATF says big-time gangs are gaining ground outside major cities .
ATF agent: "We're seeing it all over the country" |
AUGUSTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Walking into the Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor is a lot like walking into a head shop. One wall is lined with gang monikers and symbols, the other with bongs for smoking marijuana and other drugs -- one even shaped like a skull.
The Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor was set up by authorities to get at the heart of gang members.
Only this head shop was a setup. It was a police front in a sting operation to bust gangs in this Georgia river city that most people associate with the Masters Tournament -- not violent thugs with high-powered weapons.
Authorities said some guns sold to the shop were used in crimes just hours earlier.
The tattoo parlor was the brainchild of Richmond County Sheriff Ron Strength, who wanted to snuff out gangs carrying out violent crimes in his east Georgia community.
The idea was to create a place where the gang members would feel right at home, said sheriff's Lt. Scott Peebles. And that they did.
"We put the idea in their heads that there's no way these guys are in law enforcement," he said.
On Wednesday, more than 100 sheriff's officers, state investigators and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives carried out a major bust after an 18-month joint investigation into the gang activity. Watch cops set up tattoo parlor »
Sixty-eight suspects were arrested on charges ranging from trafficking of illegal weapons to serious drug offenses. Authorities seized more than 300 weapons, including high-powered assault rifles.
Rich Marianos, a special agent with the ATF, said such gang activity is spreading across the nation, with small-town gangs increasing their ties with gangs in major cities.
For instance, New York gangs have begun moving as far south as the Carolinas, where they set up operations to buy and sell guns and drugs, he said.
Chicago gang activity extends more than 60 miles into the Illinois city's suburbs for narcotics and weapons trading. In fact, Marianos said the ATF has begun seeing some Chicago gangs establishing a "pipeline" for illegal arms more than 500 miles away in Mississippi.
"It's not just an urban problem," Marianos said. "We're seeing it all over the country."
The ATF, he said, has seen one of the most dramatic increases in gang activity in the last three years and is cracking down.
"We want to look at a way to go after these offenders and prevent it before it happens," he said. "[We're] making the community safer by disarming the bad guys -- not taking guns away from the American citizen, but going after the people who shouldn't have them in the first place."
That's why setting up a tattoo parlor in Augusta was key. Strength, the Richmond County sheriff, said he remembers when the worst crimes in these parts were lawn mower thefts and vandals pushing over birdbaths. But those days are long gone, with gangs such as the Georgia Deadly Boys and Fairington Gangster Thugs causing mayhem on a regular basis.
"In the past 2 1/2 years, we've noticed some major changes," he said, "with the type of criminal offenses they were involved in."
So he devised the undercover business. The Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor on Tobacco Road was set up on the outskirts of Augusta. It's a location not heavily patrolled by police, but staffed 100 percent by undercover agents.
Business was slow at first, but then things took off. Gang members soon began dropping in to sell guns, drugs and even stolen cars, authorities said. Every transaction was recorded by surveillance cameras around the store.
Soon the shop had so much business the Richmond County Sheriff's Office had to call in reinforcements from the ATF. Four federal agents helped the sheriff's deputies man the counters; others worked behind the scenes.
Vanessa McLemore, ATF special agent in charge, said the teams had to coordinate their behaviors so it seemed like they fit in the store. "They spent a lot of time | [
"what did authorites set up",
"What set the authorities?",
"agency to which the agent belongs?",
"Who run the tattoo parlor?",
"who runs tattoo parlor",
"ATF says what?"
] | [
[
"The Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor"
],
[
"The Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor"
],
[
"Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives"
],
[
"police"
],
[
"undercover agents."
],
[
"such gang activity is spreading across the nation, with small-town gangs increasing their ties with gangs in major cities."
]
] | Tattoo parlor run by cops leads to major bust of Georgia gangs .
Authorities even set up a MySpace page as part of the ring .
ATF says big-time gangs are gaining ground outside major cities .
ATF agent: "We're seeing it all over the country" |
AUGUSTA, Georgia -- Children will be admitted to the Masters for free starting in 2008 and the Par-3 contest will be televised, said Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne.
Children will have the chance to see Tiger Woods in action at the Masters for nothing next year.
The aim is to boost youth interest in golf and Payne said they were the first initiatives of a multi-year plan to use the Masters to promote the sport worldwide.
"We want to inspire the next generation of golfers now. We're serious about exposing youngsters to golf and the Masters," Payne said.
"These initiatives are important first steps and a great kickoff to our ongoing mission of growing the game."
Children aged eight to 16 will be admitted free to Augusta National for tournament rounds starting next year, but only when they are accompanied by an accredited ticket holder, one whose name appears on the badge application.
A new television deal to show the Wednesday Par-3 event on ESPN will give the world a chance to see someone play themselves out of winning the first major championship of the year, if tradition holds.
No winner of the Par-3 competition has ever captured the Masters in the same year since it began in 1960. It is played over a par-27 layout measuring 1,060 yards on the Augusta National grounds.
"The Par 3 Contest is fun and exciting for the entire family. It's an event everyone enjoys and we think it will demonstrate to kids just how fun golf can be," Payne said. E-mail to a friend | [
"What is the Par for the tournament?",
"Who can watch the Masters free of charge?",
"will they be accompanied by an accredited ticket-holder?",
"Who can watch the Masters for free?",
"Who will they have to be accompanied by?",
"can Children 8-16 watch the Masters free of charge from next year?",
"Is the Masters on television?"
] | [
[
"Par-3"
],
[
"Children"
],
[
"Children aged eight to 16"
],
[
"Children"
],
[
"an accredited ticket holder,"
],
[
"for"
],
[
"ESPN"
]
] | Children 8-16 can watch the Masters free of charge from next year .
They will have to be accompanied by an accredited ticket-holder .
The tradition Par-3 tournament will be shown on television . |
AURORA, Colorado (CNN) -- In her best year as a mortgage broker, Laura Glick says she made "six figures." This week she was one of more than 1,200 people attending a job fair and applying for one of 150 jobs paying between $7 and $12 an hour at a new Kohl's department store in a Denver, Colorado, suburb.
Laura Glick says she has a good resume but even getting an interview is difficult.
She has been out of work for seven months and never thought it would take her this long to find a job. It's not the kind of job she thought she would be applying for, but she has a case of the jitters just the same.
"Your heart starts to race, and you get nervous even though it is not some big job like you used to have," she said. "I'll take anything at this point."
Glick is not alone. Many other people have lost their jobs in this tough economy.
A record number of jobless claims was set last month, when first-time claims hit a 26-year high of 589,000 claims in one week. Last week's claims also broke the half-million mark, 524,000, according to a new government report cited on CNNMoney.com.
Glick, 29, has been living on about $1400 a month in unemployment benefits, barely enough to cover her rent and health insurance. To get by she has stopped eating out, given up cigarettes and has stopped taking her pets to the vet for regular checkups.
"Its feels very degrading, some of the places I'm applying," Glick said. "It's really difficult, and its hard to stay positive, but that's the only way you're going to get something is staying positive. And I'm hoping everything happens for a reason and the doors that have been closed are going to be the ones that lead to open ones." Watch could you be an entrepreneur »
Job seekers have been pouring into a hotel ballroom all week for one of the prized jobs. They fill out paperwork and then are taken up to a hotel room in groups of ten or so. The beds have been removed from the room, and they sit in a circle while store managers holding clipboards ask questions. Most are told they will hear back within three weeks.
But some get word right away.
"Hey guess what. I got the job," exclaimed Rebecca Erickson, speaking to her mother on her cell phone. When the other applicants filed out the managers asked her to stay behind and offered her a job. She was so excited she forgot to ask how much the job pays.
"It's only part-time, but I'll take it. There's always room for advancement, and with it being a new store opening you never know, a full-time position may open up," she said.
Erickson, a 31-year old single mother of three, has been unemployed for about two months and has been supporting her family on about $1400 a month in unemployment benefits and food stamps.
"It's awesome; It's great; I love it," she said. "To know that I got a job and they have had over a thousand applications come in for this job, and to know that I am the one to get it is just awesome."
A store opening such as this one is rare. With unemployment at 7.2 percent nationwide and retail sales down for six straight months, there are more going-out-of-business signs than grand-opening signs.
Most of the applicants came alone, but a set of identical twins came here as a team.
"Where ever he goes, I go," said Jeri Hines, here with his brother Jerell. The 23-year-olds seem to always have a smile on their faces and insist on working together. They have spent the past year doing odd jobs such as raking leaves and shoveling snow while working on a comic book.
"Its about a girl running around | [
"how many people applied for a job",
"how many months have retail sales been down",
"a mortgage broker used to earn how much",
"Who is excited after getting a part-time job?",
"What is rare in Colorado?",
"What is the ratio of people hoping for a job to positions that are open?",
"What is the single mother excited about?",
"What is the expected pay for the jobs in Colorado's new store?"
] | [
[
"1,200"
],
[
"six straight"
],
[
"\"six figures.\""
],
[
"Rebecca Erickson,"
],
[
"store opening such as this one is"
],
[
"1,200"
],
[
"got the job,\""
],
[
"between $7 and $12 an hour"
]
] | 1,200 people hoping for a job applied at Colorado store hiring 150 .
Mortgage broker once earned six figures, hopes for $7- to $12-per-hour job .
Store openings are rare with retail sales down for six straight months .
A single mother of three is excited after getting a part-time job . |
AURORA, Colorado (CNN) -- The Atlanta lawyer with tuberculosis who caused an international health scare after traveling to Europe and back underwent surgery Tuesday to remove the diseased portion of one of his lungs. TB patient Andrew Speaker set off an international health scare when he traveled to Europe for his wedding in May. Andrew Speaker, 31, had the roughly two-hour operation to remove the upper lobe of his right lung at the University of Colorado Hospital. He's been under treatment at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver since the end of May. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who observed the surgery for about an hour, explained that the unusual procedure consisted of inserting a video camera in a tube in one small incision in the right side of Speaker's chest, and putting instruments through another incision. When the infected portion of the lung was cut out, it was placed inside a bag while still inside the attorney's chest cavity and the bag was sealed inside a tube before being removed. The main reason for sealing the infected tissue was to prevent it from re-infecting Speaker as it was removed, Gupta said after the operation. Doctors also wanted to make sure they didn't "release any of that tuberculosis bacteria into the operating room, into the rest of the hospital," Gupta said before the surgery on CNN's "American Morning." Watch Andrew Speaker discuss his reasons for having surgery with CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta » Doctors said the operation went well and there was not much bleeding, Gupta said. The portion of the lung that was removed showed the effects of the disease, Gupta said. "A regular lung is very pink with a smooth, glistening surface," he said. "This had a lot of bumps on it, and the areas that were diseased were very dark with white nodules." Speaker will most likely recover at the University of Colorado Hospital for another couple of days, and will return to National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver to finish his antibiotic course. He will still have to continue taking the medications prescribed by his doctors to fight the tuberculosis until cultures taken from him are negative for tuberculosis bacteria for eight weeks. At that point, he will be considered non-infectious, but he will still be monitored by health care professionals. Speaker said it was his decision to have the surgery, which is just one of his treatment options. "With the amount of treatment I'm going to be on, the doctors said if you go ahead and have this surgery, you don't have to worry 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, or 30 years from now if it's ever going to come back, so it's worth the peace of mind to me," the attorney said. Speaker was originally found to have an extremely drug resistant strain (XDR-TB) of the respiratory disease earlier this year, but on July 3 doctors said he had multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), which is treatable with less toxic drugs. Speaker and his fiancee had gone to Europe on May 12 for their wedding in Greece, despite warnings from the Fulton County Health Department in Georgia that he should not fly because he risked infecting fellow passengers. Since then, eight people who shared a flight with Speaker have filed a lawsuit against him, seeking $1.3 million in damages. Rosalind Yee -- an attorney for the plaintiffs who said her clients include a ninth person related to one of the passengers but who was not on the flight -- said all eight passengers have undergone TB tests since they returned home. One of them, a 72-year-old man, tested positive for TB on a skin test, though it was not clear that Speaker was the source. The man's X-rays were normal, she said, and he is awaiting results of further tests. In the past year, there have been about 124 cases of MDR-TB in the United States. About half of those patients have elected to undergo the surgery to remove the diseased portion of | [
"What did speaker do that sparked a health scare?",
"How much is Speaker being sued for?",
"For what amount is Speaker being sued for?",
"What is his reason for surgery?",
"Who had TB-infected lung tissue removed?",
"How many people are suing Speaker?",
"What did doctors remove from Andrew Speaker?",
"What did doctors remove?",
"What amount is he being sued for?"
] | [
[
"traveling to Europe and back"
],
[
"$1.3 million"
],
[
"$1.3 million"
],
[
"tuberculosis bacteria"
],
[
"Andrew Speaker"
],
[
"eight"
],
[
"diseased portion of one of his lungs."
],
[
"the diseased portion of one of his lungs."
],
[
"$1.3 million"
]
] | NEW: Doctors remove TB-infected lung tissue from Andrew Speaker .
He said decided to have surgery so he won't have to worry about TB in future .
Speaker sparked health scare after flying with disease .
Eight people on flight with Andrew Speaker sue him for $1.3 million . |
AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) -- Garry Mauro will never forget that night in 1972 when he says Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham ignored the post-election party surrounding them, instead preferring to huddle in a corner and talk about changing the future. Hillary and Bill Clinton worked on George McGovern's 1972 campaign in Texas before they wed in 1975. The young then-unmarried couple, attending Yale Law, weren't interested in letting off steam with their Democratic colleagues in Austin, Texas, according to Mauro, who's now a strategist with Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. The three were among a group of Young Turk Democrats working that summer to register voters in Texas. The Clintons had just started dating, said Mauro, who years later became Texas land commissioner. "They obviously had a lot of respect for each other, and they would spend hours talking to each other." More than 35 years on, Hillary Clinton has returned to Texas -- running a hard-fought campaign of her own and telling voters about her days there in the '70s. Mauro recalls the night it was all over in 1972, after Democrat George McGovern lost to Republican Richard Nixon. He says he and the Clintons decided to let loose in lively Austin, paying $1.50 to see a Texas singer by the name of Willie Nelson before rambling back to a colleague's tiny apartment. "It was 2 o'clock in the morning, and everybody else had probably had too much to drink, except for Bill and Hillary -- who were drinking [soda] and having this intense discussion about the issues," said Mauro. "I'm absolutely certain that 99 percent of what they were talking about was changing things in the future." Mauro's story underscores how Sen. Clinton's lifelong political journey has come full circle in Texas. With the March 4 primary just days away, the place where the New York senator got her first job in presidential politics may become her launching pad to the White House -- or perhaps one of her final battlegrounds. Clinton and her Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama have been dueling in the state for weeks, as polls show the candidates locked in a razor-thin race to win the biggest share of 193 Texas delegates, who are crucial to sewing up the party nomination. Another key state, Ohio, also holds its primary March 4 to allocate 141 delegates. Former officials from Clinton's husband's administration have openly discussed the challenges Clinton faces from Obama, who has defeated the New York senator in the past 11 contests. Exit polls after previous primaries show Obama is cutting into Clinton's base by gaining support among blue-collar workers and Latino voters. Former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers called Texas a "do-or-die test." President Clinton's former strategist James Carville said if the New York senator fails to win Ohio or Texas, "This thing is done." And the former president himself said if voters in Texas don't deliver, "I don't think she can be" the party's nominee. Mauro underscored the historic importance of the '08 election. "We couldn't have conceived of a woman running for president in 1972," said Mauro. "It never would have occurred to people that you'd have a presidential race between a woman and an African-American." Obama leads Clinton in the crucial delegate count -- 1,369 to 1,267, according to CNN calculations. The count includes superdelegates who have publicly declared their support for one of the candidates. Superdelegates consist of elected and party officials who are allowed to vote at the Democratic National Convention. They are free to vote for any candidate and are not bound by primary or caucus results. To win the nomination, 2,025 national convention delegates are needed. Neither candidate is expected to garner enough delegates in the remaining primaries and caucuses to take the nomination outright, and the roughly 800 superdelegates are likely to be the deciding factor. Mauro and the Clintons cut their political teeth in Texas during the 1972 election, knocking on doors and registering people -- many of them minorities -- to vote. | [
"Who recalls for post-election?",
"who recalls party",
"who is the ex-clinton official",
"What did Dee Dee Myers call Texas",
"when was the party"
] | [
[
"Mauro"
],
[
"Garry Mauro"
],
[
"James Carville"
],
[
"\"do-or-die test.\""
],
[
"1972"
]
] | Longtime Clinton pal recalls boozy post-election party in '72 .
Newly dating Clinton and Rodham display early political intensity .
Will Texas rev up Clinton's White House bid -- or end it all?
Ex-Clinton official Dee Dee Myers calls Texas "do-or- die test" |
AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, needing a win in Texas to derail Sen. Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, sought Thursday to contrast her opponent's rhetorical skills with what she called her superior ability to govern. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton face off in a high-stakes debate. "I do think that words are important and words matter," Clinton said at a debate at the University of Texas. "But actions speak louder than words." Obama responded by laying out issues he's worked on in the Senate and others he'd support as president -- then called it ridiculous to suggest his supporters are "being duped." "The implication is that the people who have been voting for me or involved in my campaign are somehow delusional," he said. Obama said his supporters perceive the reality of what's going on in Washington very clearly, and they want to see it change. "What they see is that if we don't bring the country together, stop the endless bickering, actually focus on solutions and reduce the special interests that have dominated Washington, then we will not get anything done." Watch Obama talk about his plan to change Washington » Much of the 90-minute debate featured the two candidates staking out similar positions on issues like Iraq, the economy and immigration. Watch the candidates weigh in on the economy » "It was a very odd debate -- the questioners had to beg them to differ with each other," said CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider. See what CNN's political team thought of the showdown » The debate was the first the two have participated in since they met in Los Angeles January 31. Five days later, the two effectively split the victories on Super Tuesday. But since then, Obama has rolled to 11 straight wins, a streak that leaves Clinton needing wins in delegate-rich Texas and Ohio on March 4. Vermont and Rhode Island also hold primaries that day. Texas is the biggest prize, with 193 Democratic delegates. Going into those primaries, Obama leads Clinton by 140 pledged delegates. Responding to a question from the panel, Clinton's sharpest attack on Obama came when she went after him for borrowing lines from a speech by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, his campaign co-chairman, in his own campaign speeches. The Clinton campaign has called that plagiarism. "If your campaign is going to be about words, they should be your own words," she said. "Lifting whole passages isn't change you can believe in; it's change you can Xerox." Watch the spat over plagiarism » Some in the audience booed Clinton for the line. "This is where we start getting into silly season in politics," Obama replied, saying Patrick is a friend who suggested he use the lines. "People start getting tired of it." A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll out Monday suggests the Democratic race in Texas is a statistical dead heat. Watch uncommitted Texas students discuss debate » In the survey, taken before Obama's Tuesday victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii, 50 percent of likely Democratic primary voters support Clinton as their choice for the party's nominee, with 48 percent backing Obama. The poll's margin of error is 4.5 percentage points. Two other recent polls also show the race statistically even. With so much at stake, analysts said Clinton needed a very strong performance in the debate, the only time the two candidates will share a stage in Texas before the state's primary. "Texas is the endgame. Hillary Clinton has to stop Obama in Texas. This means she has to do something to shake the race up. She has to raise doubts about Obama and get Democrats to rethink whether they really want to rally behind him," Schneider said. In a state where Hispanic voters are expected to make up a large share of the March 4 electorate, the pair fielded questions on immigration reform and dealing with Cuba's government in the wake of President Fidel Castro's | [
"what is the CNN senior political analyst name?",
"When is the Texas primary?",
"What were some issues that Clinton and Obama debated on?",
"Where is the tight race?",
"What channel does Bill Schneider work for?",
"When is the primary in Texas?",
"When is Texas' primary?",
"Who is CNN senior political analyst?",
"Who called the debate odd?"
] | [
[
"Bill Schneider."
],
[
"March 4."
],
[
"Iraq, the economy"
],
[
"in Texas"
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"March 4."
],
[
"March 4."
],
[
"Bill Schneider."
],
[
"Bill Schneider."
]
] | Clinton, Obama discuss immigration, economy, taxes in mostly civil debate .
"It was a very odd debate," says CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider .
Clinton, Obama in close race in Texas, polls show .
Texas holds its primary March 4 . |
Aboard the Tea Party Express (CNN) -- From the stage, Deborah Johns is the angry conscience of the tea party movement. A protester uses a Nazi swastika to make a point at a Tea Party Express stop in Dallas, Texas. "Question everything your government is doing," she tells a crowd of about 100 from the bus's stage in the parking lot of the Winners casino in Winnemucca, Nevada. Under a setting sun on the steps of the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, Johns says: "Our men and women took an oath when they put on the uniform to defend and protect this country from enemies both foreign and domestic. I think we've got some domestic enemies in the White House." On a sunny afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, Johns works the crowd of about 2,000 into a frenzy. "The men and women in our military didn't fight and die for this country for a communist in the White House," she says, and the crowd erupts in a chant of "U-S-A, U-S-A!" Watch rally participants converge on Washington » On the bus, Johns slips off her heels and slips on a pair of ankle socks. She curls up under a quilt her grandmother made. She favors skirts and cardigans -- a pit bull in cashmere. She leads the rallies in each city with Mark Williams, a former talk radio host who now writes books and makes the rounds on cable TV chat shows. Both work for Our Country Deserves Better, the conservative political action committee sponsoring the Tea Party Express bus tour. The tour concluded Saturday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington after a 34-stop tour that began August 28 in Sacramento, California. Williams is the showman of the bunch. His signature line when he gets the mic goes like this: "You can have our country when you pry it from our ... cold ... dead ... fingers!" Again the crowd erupts. Watch scenes from Tea Party Express rallies » Seldom seen on stage are the two gurus of the tea party movement, veteran politico Sal Russo and his protégé, Joe Wierzbicki. They are charged with turning the passion on display at the tea parties into political action. They have three goals: Defeat President Obama's health care reform efforts, win back the House and Senate in 2010 and take the White House in 2012. Russo grew up in a house full of working-class Democrats in Monterey, California, and nearly gave his father a heart attack when he became a Republican. His first paid gig in politics was working for Ronald Reagan's 1966 California gubernatorial campaign, and he has worked in conservative politics ever since. Russo often watches the raucous tea party events from his perch in the bus. Besides Johns and Williams each event features several musical acts and featured speakers. The crowd is its own sideshow. Tea partyers are a creative lot, and many in the crowd express themselves by way of their clothing and signs. See some of the getups and signs » "Obamacare Condense Cream of Crap soup" reads a sign in Sparks, Nevada. In Dallas, Texas, a darker mood prevails. A homemade sign with "Obama Lies" features a bold, black swastika. As the tour moves on, Nazi imagery becomes more prominent -- and sometimes confused. One sign at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, has Obama's portrait sandwiched between pictures of Adolf Hitler and communist philosopher Karl Marx. In Canton,Ohio, Obama and Hitler adorn a sign reading "Hitler made great speeches, too." In Elko, Nevada, over a Basque supper of oxtail, lamb and sweetbreads, Russo assesses the tea party movement. "There are some people who are mad at everyone," he says, "but there are others who say, 'How do we move beyond this and turn it into action?'" Rare is the conversation with Russo in which he doesn't bring up the name of his idol and one-time boss, Ronald Reagan. But if there is | [
"What bus tour concludes Saturday?",
"Which bus tour concludes Saturday at U.S. Capitol?",
"Who express bus tour?",
"bus tour concludes where?"
] | [
[
"Tea Party Express"
],
[
"Tea Party Express"
],
[
"Tea Party"
],
[
"at the U.S. Capitol in Washington"
]
] | Tea Party Express bus tour concludes Saturday at U.S. Capitol .
Fury at Obama, government in general apparent at rallies along route .
Two operatives organize tour, seek ways to turn passion into action .
Clear leader, moderated message eventually will emerge, organizer says . |
Adults who were exposed to large amounts of secondhand smoke during childhood have lungs that look different on CT scans from those of people who grew up in a smoke-free environment, a new study suggests. The harmful short-term effects of secondhand smoke are well known; the long-term consequences aren't as clear. Specifically, their lungs have slightly more, and larger, emphysema-like "holes" than those with less smoke exposure, says Gina Lovasi, M.P.H., Ph.D., of Columbia University, and her colleagues. Although breathing tests showed that the smoke-exposed lungs were functioning just fine, Lovasi said the changes could signal an increased vulnerability to developing emphysema and other lung problems down the road. Health.com: Should smoking around kids be illegal? Emphysema is a progressive lung disease characterized by shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, and weight loss. About 24 million people in the United States have emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis, which together are known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however about half of those people don't realize they have COPD. The lung condition is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States, and smoking is a major cause of COPD. Health.com: I'm a nonsmoker, but I have emphysema due to a rare genetic condition "The interesting part about this is that we don't know a lot about how the lungs change over time and whether they heal completely after being exposed to tobacco," says Lovasi, who is scheduled to present her findings on Tuesday at the American Thoracic Society's 105th International Conference in San Diego. "We can still see a difference even decades later." The harmful short-term effects of breathing other people's cigarette smoke are well known, but the long-term consequences aren't as clear. To investigate, Lovasi and her team looked at CT scans of the lungs of 1,781 nonsmoking 45- to 84-year-olds taking part in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) trial. Health.com: 5 celebrities who had -- or are at risk of -- the lung disease COPD About half of the study participants said that no one with whom they lived during childhood smoked cigarettes at home, 31 percent lived with one person who smoked at home, and 17 percent lived with two or more smokers. Lovasi and her team checked the lung CT scans for large areas where the density was similar to air (lung tissue is naturally denser than air), and also calculated what percentage of their lungs was made up of these "holes." Health.com: My smoker's cough turned out to be emphysema "The lungs are supposed to have air in them, but it's important that the air is interspersed with blood vessels so that we can get the oxygen out of the air," she says. "Small holes can expand over time and merge to form larger holes." For people who hadn't grown up with smokers, 17 percent of their lung tissue had this air-like density, while "holes" made up 20 percent of the lung area of people who had lived with at least two smokers during childhood. The more heavily smoke-exposed study participants also had more relatively large holes in their lungs. In comparison, "someone with emphysema would typically have between 30 percent and 60 percent of the lungs classified as air-like (or emphysema-like) using the threshold we used for our study," says Lovasi. Health.com: 1 in 3 smokers would kick habit to protect pet Lovasi says she and her colleagues will be following the MESA participants over time to see how their lungs change, and whether people with more early smoke exposure are indeed more vulnerable to lung problems later on. Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com | [
"What is the number of people in the US that have emphysema or chronic bronchitis?",
"HOw many people are infected with emphysema?",
"What did the lungs of adults who grew up with secondhand smoke have?",
"What are the holes characteristic of?",
"How many people in U.S. have emphysema?",
"Characteristics of emphysema are what?"
] | [
[
"24 million"
],
[
"About 24 million"
],
[
"exposure,"
],
[
"were exposed to large amounts of secondhand smoke during childhood"
],
[
"About 24 million"
],
[
"shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, and weight loss."
]
] | Lungs of adults who had grown up with secondhand smoke had more "holes"
Many "holes" --less dense areas of lung-- are characteristic of emphysema .
Even though smoke-exposed lungs functioned fine, there's concern for future health .
About 24 million people in the United States have emphysema, chronic bronchitis . |
African football federation president Issa Hayatou has exclusively told CNN that Togo were not disqualified from the Africa Cup of Nations but were granted permission to leave.
The Togo squad flew back home from Angola on January 9 after three of their travelling party were killed and two players seriously injured by a machine-gun attack which occurred as their bus crossed the border into the northern, oil-rich state of Cabinda two days earlier.
It had initially been first thought that Togo had been disqualified after they failed to show for their first group game against Ghana on Monday.
But Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Hayatou has since confirmed to CNN that they had not been expelled from the tournament but were granted special dispensation.
"Togo wasn't disqualified - I want to tell you that Togo wasn't disqualified. Togo left the competition following the tragic events that the delegation went through," Hayatou told CNN.
"Because of what happened the Togolese delegation didn't have the morale or the conscience for them to participate in the tournament.
"We tried to convince them to stay and that life continues after all and that we share their sorrow and suffering.
"We completely understand what happened. The players wanted to stay but the government for their reasons didn't want the Togolese to stay so they left.
"CAF did everything possible to make sure that the Togo team stayed here for the Africa Cup of Nations. We acted and they left.
"Contrary to whatever you are saying they didn't get disqualified. They are the ones who decided to leave which we consented to. There is a difference.
"We would have wished them to stay. We would have wished them stay. We have done everything to possible so that Togo stays.
"They couldn't stay. The players wanted to stay but the political authorities didn't want the delegation to stay."
Group B has now been reduced to three teams: Ghana, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
Angolan authorities have arrested two people involved in the attack, state media reported, while goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale remains in a stable condition in a South African hospital but needs a ventilator as he recovers from being shot.
Hayatou also defended CAF's handling of the incident and, in particular, criticism about the amount of time they took to respond.
He added: "When we were told that Togo was attacked we immediately stopped our meeting that we were organizing. We are in Luanda and they were attacked far away!
"We organized ourselves to go see them and this was done quickly for us to help our Togolese brothers. But people who say that we acted very late. I think that it is not right for the press to say so.
"On behalf of the federation, we managed that incident, not just the incident but the tragedy, with lots of tact and lots of honesty, and lots of courage. "The incident happened; everyone should have taken his own responsibility." | [
"Where was the tournament at?",
"When did Togo fly home?",
"What did Hayatou tell CNN?",
"How many of Togo's travelling party were killed?",
"What happened to their travelling party?",
"Who is the CAF president?"
] | [
[
"Angola"
],
[
"January 9"
],
[
"Togo were not disqualified"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"machine-gun attack"
],
[
"Hayatou"
]
] | CAF president Issa Hayatou has exclusively told CNN that Togo were not disqualified from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Hayatou insisted Togo had not been expelled from the tournament in Angola but were granted dispensation.
Togo flew home on January 9 after three of their travelling party were killed and two players seriously injured by a machine-gun attack. |
After years of rising cholesterol levels from fatty diets and pudgy waistlines, there's finally good news, experts say. More people who are trying to lower their cholesterol are actually succeeding in getting their low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol, down to healthy levels. Research suggests that decreasing LDL -- via drugs, exercise and/or diet -- can ward off heart attacks and strokes. However, there's still room for improvement, according to research from nine countries, including the United States and Canada. And there's good reason to stay focused on lowering your cholesterol: Research suggests that decreasing LDL can ward off heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems. In the new study, which was funded by Pfizer and published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, an international group of researchers led by David D. Waters, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, looked at 9,955 people with an average age of 62 to see whether cholesterol-lowering efforts -- including taking medication or trying diet and exercise alone -- were having the intended effect. For healthy people, the current target for LDL cholesterol is less than 160 mg/dL, and for those with two or more heart disease risk factors, it's less than 130 mg/dL. For people with heart disease, LDL should be less than 100 mg/dL and possibly even less than 70 mg/dL for those at super-high risk. The survey, known as the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project 2, is an update of a similar survey done in the United States in 1996 and 1997. At that time, just 38 percent of Americans in general and 18 percent of people with heart disease who were trying to lower cholesterol actually had their LDL cholesterol under control. Health.com: 4 tips for healthy drinking while dieting Things have definitely gotten better. Waters and his colleagues found that in 2006--2007, 73 percent of people had their LDL cholesterol in an acceptable range. This included 86 percent of people at relatively low risk of heart problems, 74 percent at moderate risk, and 67 percent at high risk. But just one in three people, or 30 percent, who already had heart disease and at least two other risk factors (such as obesity and smoking) had their LDL cholesterol in the healthy range. About 75 percent of the patients in the survey were taking statins, 16 percent were treated with only diet and exercise, and the remainder took a cholesterol-lowering medication that was not a statin. Statins include brand-name drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor, among others. The findings "should be a wake-up call" to people who already have or are at risk of heart attack and strokes, says Gregg Fonarow, M.D., the codirector of the UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program, who was not involved with the research. People with cardiovascular disease should not "assume that just because they're under medical care that they've optimized their cardiovascular health," he says. Health.com: Ultimate guide to fresh fruits and veggies However, Dan Hackam, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Western Ontario and the Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre in London, Ontario, says the survey may not be a fair representation of people with high cholesterol. The survey included only people who had been using the same cholesterol-lowering approach for at least three months. "There's lots of people in the general population who should be on these drugs who aren't on them," Hackam says. "I see a lot of patients who've had heart attacks and strokes who aren't on these medications." Nevertheless, according to Hackam, the findings are "very good news." When the original survey was done, he says, there were just a couple of major clinical trials showing the health benefits of cholesterol reduction with statins. Since then, there have been around 50 such trials, he adds, including some with women, minorities, and seniors. "There's just so much more awareness now among physicians of the clinical evidence," he says. Health.com: 10 celebrity couples: Who | [
"What percent of people had LDL?",
"Levels are being lowered how?",
"What is there room for?",
"What percentage of people had LDL in healthy range?",
"What were gotten to healthy levels?",
"What does a better job curbing LDL?"
] | [
[
"73"
],
[
"via drugs, exercise and/or diet"
],
[
"improvement,"
],
[
"30 percent,"
],
[
"low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol,"
],
[
"drugs, exercise and/or diet"
]
] | Study: More heart patients are succeeding in getting cholesterol to healthy levels .
In 2006-07, 73 percent of people had LDL in healthy range vs. 38 percent in 1996-97 .
Likely that the newer cholesterol-lowering drugs do a better job of curbing LDL .
There's still room for improvement, says one expert . |
Alexandria, Virginia (CNN) -- Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on 11 counts of corruption. Jefferson was also ordered to forfeit more than $470,000 after his conviction for using his office to solicit bribes. He will also have to pay $1,100 in special assessments. The case against the former nine-term Louisiana Democrat included allegations of influence-peddling and the discovery of $90,000 in cash in his freezer. Judge T.S. Ellis will determine at a hearing next Wednesday whether Jefferson will remain free pending appeal. Until then, he is free. "The court's sentence today reaffirms the principle that all people -- no matter what their title or position -- are equal before the law," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman in a statement. "In a stunning betrayal of the public's trust, former Congressman Jefferson repeatedly used his public office for private gain. The lengthy prison sentence imposed on Mr. Jefferson today is a stark reminder to all public officials that the consequences of accepting bribes can and will be severe." Jefferson's family was in the courtroom when District Judge T.S. Ellis handed down the sentence. He had faced up to 150 years in prison. "This sentence should be a clear signal that our society will not tolerate bribery," U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride said in a written statement. "It's not just another cost of doing business in government. "Mr. Jefferson's repeated attempts to sell his office caused significant damage to the public's trust in our elected leaders. This sentence will begin to repair that damage and to restore that trust. "Mr. Jefferson is well-known for the $90,000 found in his freezer. It is our hope that he will now be well-known for the tough sentence handed down today, showing that no one -- including our elected officials -- are above the law." Jefferson, of New Orleans, still faces the forfeiture of nearly $500,000 -- money a jury said is linked to criminal activity for which he has been convicted. On August 5, a jury found Jefferson guilty on four bribery counts, three counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud and one count of racketeering. He was acquitted on five other counts, including wire fraud and obstruction of justice. He had remained free prior to Friday's sentencing. Jefferson was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 4, 2007, about two years after federal agents said they found the money in his freezer. Authorities said the cash was part of a payment in marked bills from an FBI informant in a transaction captured on video. The trial was delayed while it was resolved whether an FBI search of Jefferson's congressional office was constitutional. Defense attorney Robert Trout had asked the judge for leniency, citing Jefferson's personal history of humble beginnings and long-standing public service. Prosecutors, in turn, filed a response saying Jefferson deserved no preferential treatment since he "still chose to cheat, steal and lie." "Congressman Jefferson has still not accepted responsibility for his own criminal conduct," prosecutors wrote. He "still rationalizes his own unethical, illegal and immoral conduct." CNN's Paul Courson contributed to this report. | [
"Of what was Jefferson found guilty?",
"How many years was Jefferson's prison sentence?",
"How long was William Jefferson sentance to prison?",
"Which state did he represent in Congress?",
"When was Jefferson found guilty?",
"What state was WIlliam Jefferson from?",
"What was Jefferson found guilty of?",
"Until when does Jefferson remain free?",
"Who gets 13 years in prison?"
] | [
[
"11 counts of corruption."
],
[
"13"
],
[
"13 years"
],
[
"Louisiana"
],
[
"August 5,"
],
[
"Louisiana"
],
[
"11 counts of corruption."
],
[
"next Wednesday"
],
[
"Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson"
]
] | NEW: Jefferson remains free at least until Wednesday hearing .
Ex-Rep. William Jefferson gets 13 years in prison, 3 years' supervised release .
The former Louisiana Democratic congressman faced up to a 150-year sentence .
In August, Jefferson found guilty of bribery, money laundering, wire fraud, racketeering . |
Alhambra, California (CNN) -- At first, the pool builder thought his Bobcat bulldozer struck garbage as he dug a hole in a residential backyard. After all, in the older neighborhoods of San Marino, California, people used to bury their garbage.
But the plastic bag didn't contain trash.
Jose Perez, operating the Bobcat with his father as a co-worker, asked his dad what was inside. His father grabbed an 18-inch piece of reinforcement bar to poke around.
"He looked inside it, and he mouthed to me that there were bones in it," Perez testified Wednesday in a Los Angeles County court. "He thought it was a dog, but it didn't look like a dog.
"I told him to drop it, and he did," Perez continued. "It was a human skull."
As the prosecution witness referred to the plastic bag and the pool digging project in a photograph on a big screen in court, defendant Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, in a blue jail jumpsuit, stared intently at the scene where prosecutors accuse him of murdering a man in 1985.
The skull was found nine years later, on May 5, 1994, Perez testified.
The testimony was evidence that Los Angeles County prosecutors began presenting during a preliminary hearing for the German-born Gerhartsreiter, who has garnered renown for impersonating a Rockefeller and inspiring a movie about the caper. He is now accused of killing a Southern California man who has been missing since the mid-1980s.
Frank Sheridan, a forensic pathologist, testified the skull suffered at least one blow to the forehead and at least two blows to the right side. The several fractures were made at or about the time of death, said Sheridan, who is also the medical examiner of San Bernardino County in California.
The shape of two fractures also indicated an object with a curved surface, such as a baseball bat, was used to deliver the blows, Sheridan said under questioning by a prosecutor.
"This individual was alive when these fractures occurred," said Sheridan, who examined a reconstructed version of the skull. In his career, he has performed 8,000 autopsies, he said.
"There's a lot of force involved in these blows," Sheridan added. "Each one of them would have rendered the person unconscious.
"The injuries we're talking about here would have very clearly been fatal in the absence of medical care, and they could have been fatal even with medical care," he said.
At the pool construction site, investigators eventually found nearly the entire skeleton of a man whose height was between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 7 1/2 inches, testified Judith Daye, a physical anthropologist who worked for the Los Angeles County's coroner office and reviewed the bones at the site.
The missing bones included a kneecap, four fingers and a few toes, a common occurrence with buried remains, "especially the hands and feet because the bones are very small," Daye testified.
Many discovered bones were inside clothing that was wrapped in plastic, such as the pelvis inside jeans and the upper torso bones inside a shirt, Daye testified.
The preliminary hearing, to determine whether Gerhartsreiter should be bound over for trial, is expected to last six days, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Gerhartsreiter, 50, is accused of killing John Sohus, who was 27 at the time of his 1985 disappearance. His mother once owned the San Marino home where the remains were found.
During the Wednesday hearing, Los Angeles County Judge Jared Moses rejected a defense request that Gerhartsreiter be referred to as "Mr. Rockefeller" in court. The defense attorney said he and other attorneys on the team knew Gerhartsreiter as "Mr. Rockefeller."
But the judge said: "I get individuals in court who have a number of akas," a police term meaning "also known as," but "I have never seen a circumstance in court where a person is referred to by one of his akas."
Gerhartsreiter, who has | [
"What was found fractured?",
"at least how many blows did the skull receive",
"Who is accused of murder?",
"who was accused of murder",
"what was found after the skull's discovery",
"who did he clam to be",
"What is Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter accused of",
"Who did he once claim to be?"
] | [
[
"human skull.\""
],
[
"two"
],
[
"Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter,"
],
[
"Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter,"
],
[
"nearly the entire skeleton of a man"
],
[
"impersonating a Rockefeller"
],
[
"of killing a Southern California man who has been missing since the mid-1980s."
],
[
"Rockefeller"
]
] | NEW: Almost entire skeleton found after skull's discovery, anthropologist testifies .
The fractured skull received at least three blows, a forensic pathologist says .
Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter is accused of murder .
He led a life of multiple identities and once claimed to be "Clark Rockefeller" |
Although it may have been Jon and Kate Gosselin's unusual family that landed them a reality show, it is their marital problems-- to which much of their audience can likely relate-- that have made them a household name in recent weeks. Jon and Kate Gosselin's marital problems have give their TLC show record-breaking ratings. During the previous four seasons of TLC's Jon & Kate Plus Eight, the couple has bickered, eye-rolled, and jabbed its way through adventures in rearing now 9-year-old twins and now 5-year-old sextuplets. In this past Monday's record-breaking fifth-season premiere (9.8 million viewers), Jon and Kate finally addressed the very topic that has kept them on tabloid covers for weeks: Their marriage is on the rocks. Even without the stress of eight children, rolling cameras, and public scrutiny, all couples encounter tension in their relationships. Below, five trigger points that have tested Jon and Kate in their reality-TV run -- and how to make sure the same stressors don't take a toll on your relationship. Stress trigger No. 1: A growing family Whether you're bringing home one new baby or six, expanding your brood requires adjustment. Sleep deprivation can trigger depression and anxiety, said Dr. Ken Robbins, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin. New moms are also at risk for postpartum depression, and both parents will likely feel stretched for time. Health.com: 4 Myths about healthy sex Then there's the issue of intimacy, which will undoubtedly be affected with children in the house. "Sex lives of people who have children are worse -- there's data to prove it," said Dr. Andrew Goldstein, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the author of Reclaiming Desire. "But a relationship is not like a job where you just have to accomplish what is necessary; you can't just put it on autopilot." Smart solutions: Couples need to work together to find creative ways to support and appreciate each other through this transition. • Adjust sleep schedules so that one partner sleeps while the other is awake with the baby. • When possible, get a friend or relative to occasionally help out at night so mom and dad have some time to cultivate their relationship one-on-one. Especially as kids get older, make sure they understand that mom and dad need time to themselves. • Be aware of the signs of postpartum depression like appetite changes, trouble concentrating, loss of energy, and hopelessness. Health.com: 6 Rules for a healthy postpartum slim-down • Make activities that promote mental health -- such as exercise and social time -- a top priority. Stress trigger No. 2: Career changes Before Jon & Kate Plus Eight, the Gosselins worked like the rest of us-- she as a nurse, he as an IT consultant. But things have changed since their family morphed into reality-show fodder, with Kate parlaying her notoriety into a career that includes two books, television appearances, and publicity tours. "Kate's career has taken off and I'm a bit lost," Jon told People magazine in April. Any couple going through a similar change -- whether one partner loses a job or takes on a new one-- can experience tension in the relationship. Smart solutions: Couples should speak honestly and listen carefully to each other to see if a career change has affected their relationship. • The partner who is earning less money may struggle with a diminished self-esteem and feel extra sensitive, while the other may feel resentful about being the primary breadwinner. But both partners need to respect the other's role and recognize their situation as shared. In the case of Jon and Kate, "the only reason she can do what she does is because he probably takes care of the kids while she's giving a lecture," Goldstein pointed out. • Find family and friends dealing with this same issue. Talking about shared struggles can help couples gain perspective and give them a chance to feel good about using their experience to help others. | [
"All couples encounter what?",
"What number of children do Jon and Kate have?",
"how many trigger points have tested Jon and Kate?",
"What is Jon and Kate's last name?",
"What number of trigger points have tested Jon and Kate;?",
"What trigger points have tested Jon and Kate?",
"What problems are the Gosselin's having?"
] | [
[
"tension in their relationships."
],
[
"eight"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"Gosselin's"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"A growing family"
],
[
"marital"
]
] | Jon and Kate Gosselin's marital problems are what audience likely can relate to .
Even without eight children, all couples encounter tension in relationships .
Five trigger points have tested Jon and Kate; tips on preventing the stressors . |
Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are the blind husband and wife team from Mali who first gained widespread international attention in 2005 with their album "Dimanche a Bamako". Amadou and Mariam have made the crossover to find international pop success. After writing and performing together since they met at Institute of Young Blind of Bamako in 1977, their international break-through came when world music heavyweight Manu Chao produced their commercial hit album. With a more pop-friendly sound but with the couple's positive and mesmeric vocals and Bagayoko's guitar playing, the duo have been feted by musicians across the world; the played opening sets for the Scissor Sisters and will be the opening act for Coldplay on their latest tour. Having made the transition from world music to international pop sensations the couple talk to African Voices about their journey through music, coping with the setback of blindness and how their careers are on a high over 30 years after they began singing. Watch the show on CNN on Saturday July 25, 12.30, 21.30 GMT and Sunday July 26, 18.00 GMT. | [
"where did they meet?",
"What band did they open for?",
"What couple became international music stars?",
"In what year did their album bring them crossover fame.",
"Where are the blind husband and wife team from?",
"Where did they first meet?",
"When did the couple meet?",
"In what year did they meet?"
] | [
[
"Institute of Young Blind of Bamako"
],
[
"Scissor Sisters"
],
[
"Amadou"
],
[
"2005"
],
[
"Mali"
],
[
"Institute of Young Blind of Bamako"
],
[
"1977,"
],
[
"1977,"
]
] | Blind husband and wife team from Mali have become international music stars .
Met at Institute for Young Blind in Bamako in 1977, married three years later .
2005 album brought them crossover fame; opening act for Coldplay before solo tour . |
Americans love beef; we eat nearly 63 pounds per person each year. Although that's a lot, the amount is down from our 1976 high of 89 pounds. When buying beef, we tend to stick to what we know, which may be why almost 60 percent of our beef dollars go for ground beef. Even as an experienced chef, I often brought home familiar cuts. But researching my book, "Field Guide to Meat," led me to expand my repertoire to tasty, if less familiar, cuts like hanger steak and tri-tip. Soon you can do the same, knowing which cuts to choose for maximum flavor and nutrition. A 3½-ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein and is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and phosphorus. Beef Background Humans began domesticating cattle, Bos taurus, about 8,500 years ago. Columbus first brought cattle to the New World, and by 1690, descendants of Columbus' cattle ranging in Mexico were driven north and became known as Texas Longhorns. Others arrived later with the colonists. America's top five cattle breeds are Angus from Scotland, Hereford from England, Limousin from France, Simmenthal from Switzerland, and Charolais from France. More than 90 percent of the beef we buy originates in America, while most of the rest is Canadian bred. The beef we eat comes mostly from 18- to 24-month-old steers, averaging about 1,000 pounds, and yielding about 450 pounds of meat. Each is divided for wholesale into eight primals (major portions): the chuck (shoulder and upper ribs), the rib, the loin, the sirloin (hip), the round (upper leg), the brisket (breast), the plate (belly), and the small flank. Organs like liver and kidneys are called variety meats. When evaluating your choices at the grocery store, here are a few key terms and facts to know: • Grain-finished: Nearly 75 percent of U.S. beef comes from cattle fattened on grain (usually corn) for three to six months in feedlots. Since corn is not a natural part of a cow's diet, cattle fed on it may experience stress and other ailments, so they are routinely treated with antibiotics. They also receive growth hormones to increase their size (and value, as beef is sold by weight). Until recently, inexpensive corn has helped keep down the price of beef. • Grass-finished: Grass- or pasture-finished beef comes from cattle that forage on grasses and legumes. Their meat is lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories than grain-finished. (Because it is quite lean, cook rare to medium-rare for juiciness.) Grass-fed beef has a distinct flavor, often described as bold, complex, and gamy. Many people believe that grass-fed cattle are a more sustainable choice. However, raising grass-fed cattle is time-consuming and requires large open spaces, variables that raise its price. Most is imported from Canada, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil. • Aging: Dry-aging is the traditional process preferred by many steak lovers. The concentrated, intense flavor of dry-aged beef develops as it hangs in special temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms from 10 days to six weeks. The longer the aging, the better the flavor and tenderness, but also the more the shrinkage as water evaporates and a dark crust develops, which must be cut away. About 90 percent of American beef is sold as large vacuum-packed cuts. During the average seven-day period the beef spends "in the bag," it ages in a process called "wet-aging." • Processing and packaging: Until the 1960s butcher shops bought beef as half- or quarter-carcasses. Packers then began selling vacuum-packed beef, the same large cuts sold at warehouse club stores. Retailers refrigerated the boxes until needed, then opened the package and cut the meat into portions for sale. Next came case-ready meat, which precluded the need for skilled butchers on-site in markets | [
"How many pounds of beef does each person consume every year?",
"How many pounds of beef per person each year are consumed ?",
"What do people tend to stick to?",
"When did humans begin domesticating cattle?",
"What type of beef do most of us stick with?"
] | [
[
"63"
],
[
"63"
],
[
"we know,"
],
[
"about 8,500 years ago."
],
[
"ground"
]
] | Humans began domesticating cattle, Bos taurus, about 8,500 years ago .
Americans today consume nearly 63 pounds of beef per person each year .
Most of us tend to stick with beef cuts we know . |
An Israel air force pilot, the son of an astronaut who died aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003, was killed Sunday in an F-16 fighter jet crash, Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. A military helicopter hovers over the Hebron Hills, site of the jet crash Sunday of Israel air force pilot Assaf Ramon. Lt. Assaf Ramon died in the crash near the Israeli community of P'nei Chever in the southern Hebron Hills, the IDF said. The F-16 crashed "during a routine flight as part of the advanced pilot training course," the statement said. The wreckage of the plane was found by search and rescue forces, the IDF said. Ramon was posthumously promoted to captain, officials said. He was the son of Col. Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut. The elder Ramon died February 1, 2003, with six others aboard the space shuttle Columbia when it broke apart over Texas, minutes before it would have landed in Florida. Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan, Israel air force commander, launched an investigation into the crash, the IDF said. All F-16 training flights were canceled until further notice. Nehushtan and Maj. Gen. Avi Zamir, head of the Personnel Branch, "visited the home of Rona Ramon and informed her of the tragic event," the IDF said. Rona Ramon is Assaf Ramon's mother and the widow of Ilan Ramon. The younger Ramon excelled in an IAF pilot training course last month, received a presidential honor, and was given his pilot's wings by President Shimon Peres, Israeli military officials said. Funeral arrangements were pending. | [
"Who informed mother?",
"What happened to Ramon's father?",
"What happened to Lt. Ramon?"
] | [
[
"Nehushtan and Maj. Gen. Avi Zamir,"
],
[
"died aboard the space shuttle Columbia"
],
[
"died in the crash near the Israeli community of P'nei Chever in the southern Hebron Hills,"
]
] | Lt. Assaf Ramon fatally crashes during routine flight, Israel Defense Forces say .
IDF: Personnel Branch brass "informed [mother Rona Ramon] of the tragic event"
Assaf Ramon's father died February 1, 2003, aboard the space shuttle Columbia . |
Anatalya, Turkey (CNN) -- Lapped by the pristine waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Turkish coastal city of Antalya attracts millions of sun-seeking tourists each year, beguiling them with its sweeping scenery, picture-perfect beaches and blazing sunshine.
It is this abundance of sunlight -- Turkey receives greater annual solar radiation energy than Spain and Germany according to estimates by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission -- that has prompted Antalya's local authorities to push ahead with plans to harness the city's solar potential.
"We aim to make Antalya the leader of solar power generation of Turkey and to promote it to the world as 'The Solar City,'" says Antalya's mayor Mustafa Akaydin.
The declaration comes as the sun-soaked city, located some 700 kilometers south of Istanbul, starts rolling out its ambitious plans to use solar power to generate electricity, emulating the successful example of cities like Barcelona, Spain, which has put in place regulations requiring solar panels to be fitted to all large new buildings.
In April, the city opened the "Antalya Solar House," an ecological research and educational center designed by architectural firm Temiz Dunya to raise awareness about the benefits of renewable energy and promote eco-tourism.
The zero-emission structure, which was built with ecological materials, generates most of its energy using photovoltaic panels (22kW in total) as well as a windmill and heat pumps.
'Living' buildings could inhale city carbon emissions
These systems are supplemented with gray-water recycling -- re-use of used water from bathtubs, showers and so on. -- and passive solar heating features such as a greenhouse to collect heat during the winter months. It also has a green roof that facilitates rainwater harvesting and acts as heat insulation.
"The building is also very significant because it is Turkey's first energy positive building," says architect Mehmet Bengu Uluengin, the designer behind the Solar House. "It actually produces more energy than it consumes."
The architect says the structure has fascinated the local population while helping to change perceptions that buildings can only be big energy consumers.
"The idea that having a building that not only provides its own energy but actually gives some back is a totally new phenomenon for Turkish people," says Uluengin, who is also a professor at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University. "They like it, they find it very intriguing."
Local authorities expect around a thousand people to visit Solar House each month, including students, green investors and hotel owners. They say the project is just the first part of a long-term initiative to turn Antalya into a climate-friendly city -- other initiatives include a waste management facility that will convert the city's sewage into biogas.
"Antalya has already been the pioneering city of green energy (in Turkey)," says Akaydin. "We are trying to make Antalya the leader of agriculture, tourism, park and garden lighting, energy generating and (solar) panel producing."
While educating the local population about achieving energy efficiency, Uluengin says the technology used in the Solar House can also help Antalya -- Turkey's biggest coastal resort and home to several five-star hotels -- to become an ideal destination for eco-conscious tourists.
"There are several hotels which are considering green energy to attract customers," he says.
"A hotel which can say that ... if you're staying here your carbon footprint is zero for the duration of your stay -- this is becoming very interesting for people worldwide," he adds.
For the moment, however, sunny Antalya is still far from being branded a green resort -- local authorities estimate that eco-visitors account for just 1% of the city's tourism.
Mayor Akaydin says that Turkey is missing a trick by failing to exploit its clean energy capabilities.
"Turkey has a very big potential in solar and wind energy. Unfortunately, the insufficient and wrong policies of the government prevent the promotion of them," he says.
Turkey's geothermal potential
Despite receiving plenty of sun, Turkey has been remarkably sluggish | [
"what was developing a sound solar industry",
"what does turkey's tourist hotspot want?",
"Who wants to generate solar power?",
"What city wants to become climate-friendly?",
"what did antalya launch?",
"what did turkey wants to do",
"What become a climate-friendly city",
"What country is slow in developing a solar industry?"
] | [
[
"Turkey"
],
[
"become an ideal destination for eco-conscious"
],
[
"Antalya's mayor Mustafa Akaydin."
],
[
"Antalya"
],
[
"the \"Antalya Solar House,\""
],
[
"promote it to the world as 'The Solar City,'\""
],
[
"Antalya"
],
[
"Turkey"
]
] | Antalya has launched a long-term initiative to become a climate-friendly city .
Turkey's tourist hotspot wants to use solar power to generate electricity .
The country has been slow in developing a sound solar industry . |
Andrew L. Shapiro is founder and president of GreenOrder, a strategy and management consulting firm that specializes in energy and the environment and is a subsidiary of LRN. Brad Bate and Ted Grozier, consultants at GreenOrder, also contributed to this article. Andrew Shapiro says society should aim to transform all jobs into "green jobs." NEW YORK (CNN) -- In a recent CNN commentary entitled "Green jobs: hope or hype?" Samuel Sherraden argues that green job creation will be insufficient to bring America out of recession. But Sherraden narrowly defines green as a "sector," and fails to see its potential as a strategy for the revitalization of the entire economy. When the public debate is focused around the precise number of green jobs created in, say, a solar panel factory, we miss the opportunity as a country to think more broadly about greening the economy -- and building a foundation for real growth and competitiveness. The aspiration to create "green jobs" should really be seen as shorthand for two public priorities -- immediate job creation and long-term transformation of the economy for sustainability and prosperity -- and both goals can be addressed simultaneously. However, in judging our progress, a simple tally of jobs in "green sectors" is only a partial indicator of the impact and thus can be misleading. A lot depends here on definitions. For example, Sherraden cites a 2008 report produced by Global Insight on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which identifies a little more than 750,000 green jobs in the United States today. A report in the same year, from the American Solar Energy Society, counts more than 9 million green jobs in the United States. This is not to say that one report is better than the other, but to point out that much difference -- in this case, more than 8 million jobs -- depends on how you count. The critical point Sherraden misses is that it's not just job creation in new green industries that matter, but also new jobs in traditional industries -- or the retooling of old jobs -- to make those industries greener. A great example is the real estate industry. Energy efficiency retrofits of buildings and homes have the potential to yield significant savings in energy costs while creating work for building engineers, electricians, contractors, manufacturers and people in a whole host of other industries that would not typically be considered "green." By comparison, 10 or 15 years ago anyone who used a computer was considered to have a "tech job," but now nearly everyone uses a computer (and a cell phone and a PDA) and yet we don't call all jobs "tech jobs." We talk about how technology has changed every industry and profession. Moreover, even investments in sectors we recognize as green can have other positive economic impacts. Investing in wind power, for example, creates jobs in wind turbine manufacturing plants as well as jobs in the industries that supply the plant with parts, jobs producing the materials that make up these parts, jobs producing the electricity used in the plant, and so on. There is solid evidence that investment in green economic activity will result in more jobs than many other comparable investments because a greater proportion of funds would go toward labor and would remain in the United States. The Center for American Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute examined the impact of comparable investments in the oil and gas industry, tax refunds to stimulate household spending, and six specific energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies. They concluded that $100 billion of investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency would create approximately 2 million jobs, compared to 1.7 million jobs from stimulating household spending and about half a million jobs from investment in oil and gas. By investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency as strategies for our economy, we will create jobs in the United States, not just green jobs. More importantly, we lay the groundwork for American economic competitiveness and moral leadership in a carbon-constrained world. If we fail to support environmental innovation through investment and public policy, the United States will find itself at a disadvantage relative to | [
"What can be the key to revitalizing economy?",
"Who argues that only a small number of jobs are green?",
"Who is Andrew Shapiro?",
"What does Shapiro say?",
"What will green jobs do?",
"What will be transformed?"
] | [
[
"\"green jobs.\""
],
[
"Samuel Sherraden"
],
[
"founder and president of GreenOrder,"
],
[
"society should aim to transform all jobs into \"green jobs.\""
],
[
"creation and long-term transformation of the economy for sustainability and prosperity"
],
[
"all jobs into \"green jobs.\""
]
] | Andrew Shapiro: Skeptics argue that only a small number of jobs are green .
He says green industries and jobs can be the key to revitalizing economy .
Shapiro: As economy goes green, jobs will be transformed .
He says U.S. will lose competitive edge if it doesn't invest in renewable energy . |
Ann Arbor, Michigan (CNN) -- Even among the hundreds of applications, this one stood out. Most applicants to creative writing programs submit stories about the angst of their suburban childhoods. This writer's stories concerned the daily ordeals of a boy living with his family on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya, and the horrific plight of a Rwandan girl whose mother is Tutsi and father Hutu. Not only did the applicant have what writers call "material," he was blessed with an uncanny ear for human speech and the poetry to describe his characters' very unpoetic lives. I can still remember the young Kenyan boy watching his mother decant the glue she intends to sniff. The glue, the boy tells us, "glowed warm and yellow in the dull light," and when his mother had poured enough, "she cut the flow of the glue by tilting the tin up. The last stream of gum entering the bottle weakened and braided itself before tapering in midair like an icicle." Still, this applicant gave us pause. The writer had so much to say, he seemed to be trying to channel a raging waterfall through the tiny funnels of two short stories. His use of punctuation was idiosyncratic, to say the least. And the applicant was a priest! Would the other students be willing to share their stories, rife as these tend to be with profanity, drugs and sex, if a clergyman was in the room? And would this particular clergyman understand what all great religious writers know -- that true literature doesn't spring from one's certainties about the universe, but rather from one's questions? That said, how could our students be inhibited by a classmate who didn't hesitate to describe a 12-year-old Kenyan prostitute being paid by rich white tourists to perform sexual acts with their monkey? As to the shapelessness of the applicant's prose and the eccentricity of his punctuation, anyone with this writer's gifts could be taught to structure his material and punctuate his characters' speech correctly. If I still felt apprehensive about having a priest in my workshop, that anxiety vanished when Uwem Akpan walked in the room. Rather than wear his clerical garb and collar, Uwem showed up in a blue and maize University of Michigan sweatshirt. With his wide, gap-toothed smile, wall-shaking laugh, disarming candor and gleeful giggle, he exuded magnetic charm. Nor was Uwem out of place for being the only Nigerian in his cohort. Despite what the judges of the Nobel Prize might say about American writers being too insular to compete with their European counterparts, this country's MFA programs provide one of the only spaces on the planet where writers of many races, religions, nationalities and sexual orientations can come together. Writers find common ground not through the homelands they once inhabited but the thematic questions with which they grapple. Early that first semester, I assigned a story by Philip Roth called "Defender of the Faith," in which a Jewish sergeant who has witnessed the horrors of the concentration camps must decide whether to grant special favors to the Jewish recruits in his command or enforce strict impartiality. I didn't know whether Uwem would connect to Roth's quintessentially Jewish outlook. But the moment the discussion started, Uwem's hand shot up. "This is the story of my continent!" he declared. If Africans continued to put tribal allegiances above universal fairness, Uwem said, progress would remain unattainable. This abhorrence of tribalism is what makes Uwem so open-minded. Like most people who are comfortable in their own skins, he is wonderfully able to inhabit the skins of others. One semester, he audited a seminar on Holocaust literature. The professor had no idea who Uwem was, so she couldn't help but be surprised when he asked, "Can you tell me, please, how is it that people can do such terrible things to one another?" If anyone else had asked that question, the professor might have thought he was simpleminded. But she could tell that this mysterious stranger was asking his question in the most profound way, from the depths of | [
"What is Akpan blessed with?",
"What was there concern about?",
"Who has a poetic writing ability?"
] | [
[
"an uncanny ear for human speech and the poetry to describe his characters' very unpoetic lives."
],
[
"having a priest in my workshop,"
],
[
"Uwem Akpan"
]
] | Eileen Pollack: There was concern about Uwem Akpan's application to a writing program .
She says he fit in well and his talent soon became evident .
Akpan's blessed with great talent for hearing people and with poetic writing ability, she says .
His book of stories about African children has been selected by Oprah's book club . |
Apex, Nevada (CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that he is "very proud" of having told Barack Obama early on that he believed he was a viable candidate for president and could win election.
Responding to the controversy surrounding a newly published remark he made privately about Obama's race in 2008, Reid sought to emphasize his longstanding support for the nation's first African-American president.
"I can still remember the meeting that took place in my office with Sen. Barack Obama, telling him that I think he can be elected president," Reid said.
Obama "was kind of surprised that the Democratic leader was calling this new senator over to suggest that he could be elected president," he added.
A new book quotes Reid, D-Nevada, as saying privately in 2008 that Obama could be successful as a black candidate in part because of his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."
Reid said Monday that numerous prominent African-American officials, including NAACP Chairman Julian Bond and Attorney General Eric Holder, have called him to offer support amid the controversy that began over the weekend.
"I've apologized to everyone with the sound of my voice that I could have used a better choice of words," he said after an event announcing a new energy project in his home state. "And I'll continue doing my work for the African-American community."
Reid said that "as a very young man," he became a leader of civil rights efforts, including the integration of the gaming community.
He added that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called him to say he should "tell everybody that you have done more for diversity in the United States Senate than all the rest of the people put together."
Asked whether he should apologize to voters, Reid -- who had issued a statement over the weekend apologizing "for offending any and all Americans" -- did not answer directly and instead cited the support he has received from around the country and within his own state.
"I'm not going to dwell on this any more," Reid said. "It's in the book. I've made all the statements I'm going to make."
iReport: What do you think about the words Reid used?
The book he referred to, "Game Change," went on sale Monday. The authors write that "Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination."
Reid apologized in a statement sent to CNN over the weekend. "I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words," he said.
He added, "I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans, for my improper comments. I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama's legislative agenda."
Reid called the president Saturday and apologized. In a statement issued after the call, Obama expressed support for Reid, saying, "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."
Speaking to CNN contributor Roland Martin, Obama described Reid as "a friend of mine. He has been a stalwart champion of voting rights, civil rights."
"This is a good man who has always been on the right side of history. For him to have used some inartful language in trying to praise me and for people to try and make hay out of that makes absolutely no sense," he said in the interview, which will air this month.
"I guarantee you the average person, white or black, right now is less concerned about what Harry Reid said in a quote in a book a couple of years ago than they are about how we are going to move the country forward, and that's where we need to direct our attention."
A senior administration official said Monday that Obama will go to Nevada in February | [
"What did Obama say?",
"What has Reid apologised for?",
"who has always been on right side of history?",
"to who harry reid apologizes?",
"who apologizes to Obama for remarks?"
] | [
[
"\"This is a good man who has always been on the right side of history. For him to have used some inartful language in trying to praise me and for people to try and make hay out of that makes absolutely no sense,\""
],
[
"offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans,"
],
[
"Reid"
],
[
"any and all Americans, especially African-Americans,"
],
[
"Reid"
]
] | NEW: Obama: Reid is friend who "has always been on right side of history"
Sen. Harry Reid apologizes to Obama for remarks made during 2008 campaign .
Key Republicans have called Reid's comments racist and say he should step down .
Reid emphasizes longstanding support for President Obama . |
Arlington, Virginia (CNN) -- The mantra in Washington during the current winter storm is "stay home," but some doctors and nurses really do need to get to hospitals to take care of the sick.
So, many of them rely on a group of hardy volunteer drivers for transport.
Adrian Stanton was running Virginia Hospital Center's command center Wednesday morning, coordinating the driver pickups and drop-offs. He described the volunteer drivers as "unbelievable saviors for us."
One of those volunteers is Scott Long, who left his home at 6 a.m. to pick up two nurses before heading to the hospital, where he picked up another nurse to take her home. Long initially said he does it because he thinks it's the right thing to do. But he later admitted he also does it because it he enjoys it.
"My wife can stay with the kids. I get to play in the snow and nobody can yell at me for being out driving in the snow," he told CNN.
"I had a police officer the first day pull up at a stoplight and yell at me for being on the road. I told him I was driving for the hospital and he laughed and said, 'Well then, have fun.'"
Long drives a 1995 Jeep Wrangler for his pick-ups. He says he likes the Jeep better than his four-wheel drive.
"The reason is the short wheel base. I can actually turn around in a single lane in traffic, whereas if I had my bigger four-wheel drive, it doesn't turn around and it's not as nimble," he said.
As Long was making that point, his Jeep started sliding sideways along the road. But he didn't miss a beat as he regained control.
"Like where we just slid out there, the Jeep can handle it better than the truck," he said.
The volunteer drivers are offered a gas voucher from the hospital, but Stanton said most of them turn it down. Stanton has an active list of about 30 people who drive for the hospital during inclement weather. Wednesday morning he said the drivers had done somewhere near 50 pick-ups and drop-offs in the previous 24 hours.
The hospital workers appreciate the volunteer drivers.
"I didn't have any other options," said James Schmidt. He heard about the rides from e-mails and texts that the hospital sent to its employees.
One intensive-care nurse said she had driven herself to work the past few days. "I don't know how I made it," she said, adding, "God bless" the drivers.
One night-shift supervisor named Lynne said she received a ride from Long on Thursday morning. She lives only a few miles from the hospital, but didn't think she would be able to make it home in the snow.
Lynne said, "This is worse than ..."
Long finished her sentence: "... anything so far." | [
"Who got up St 6 a.m. to begin shuttling workers?",
"How many people drive for Virginia Hospital Center during inclement weather?",
"what kind of weather",
"What did Long say?"
] | [
[
"Scott Long,"
],
[
"30"
],
[
"winter storm"
],
[
"\"My wife can stay with the kids. I get to play in the snow and nobody can yell at me for being out driving in the snow,\""
]
] | About 30 people drive for Virginia Hospital Center during inclement weather .
Hospital transport coordinator: Volunteer drivers are "unbelievable saviors for us"
One volunteer, Scott Long, got up at 6 a.m. to begin shuttling hospital workers .
Long: "I get to play in the snow and nobody can yell at me for being out driving in the snow" |
As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues high-level talks with Mexico's leaders this week, her comments about responsibility in the U.S.-Mexico drug trade have struck a chord with officials familiar with U.S. anti-drug efforts. Mexican federal police have been deployed openly in Ciudad Juarez, which borders El Paso, Texas. Clinton said the United States' "inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border" was a major contributor in Mexican violence along the border. She went on to say that the United States has "a co-responsibility." In an interview Wednesday on "American Morning" with CNN anchor John Roberts, former Drug Enforcement Agency special agent Robert Strang talked about the three-pronged approach needed to curb drug use in America and the need to bust distribution rings. Strang is also CEO of Investigative Management Group. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity: John Roberts, CNN anchor: Everybody's blaming Mexico for [the U.S. drug trade], but the secretary of state yesterday said, 'Hey, the United States shares a lot of the blame because of the pent-up demand here, the insatiable demand for drugs.' Do you agree with her? Watch Clinton say, "We have to do a better job" » Robert Strang, former DEA special agent: Let's face it, the average first drug use is 12 years old in our country. That means kids that are in the sixth grade are trying drugs for the first time. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, all these drugs are coming across the border because we demand them. We have the cash to pay for them, and we really are pretty much the No. 1 consumer in the world for these drugs. Roberts: Is the United States doing enough to try to curb demand? The Office of National Drug Control Policy, I don't remember much coming out of it during the Bush administration, and I haven't seen anything come out of it in the Obama administration. Strang: We're trying all the time. I'm on the board for D.A.R.E. America, and that is teaching kids about the dangers of drugs and violence in schools. And constantly, we're trying to get money federally for this program and police officers go into the school. They teach the kids. It's a wonderful program in those trouble years, the fourth, fifth and sixth grade especially, and we need to have a little bit more money in this area. amFIX: React to Strang's comments about U.S. anti-drug effort There's three things, John: It's treatment, it's enforcement and it's education. And it's like a three-legged stool. If all three things don't work, it's going to fall down. So, we can send all of the agents in the world down to the border. We can seize all the coke, heroin, methamphetamine that we want. If we don't have treatment on demand, and if we're not educating our kids in our country about the dangers of drugs, the problem's going to grow. Roberts: When you see the Department of Homeland Security prepared to spend these hundreds of millions of dollars on border security, what do you think? Strang: I'm happy that they're doing something. This is a small piece of the enforcement operation. The best thing to do is like the case that we saw three weeks ago, when the DEA announced 750 arrests involving 250 cities between Mexico and the United States, mostly in the U.S., this huge distribution network. Because when you dismantle those networks that constantly are putting drugs from the cartels to the street, when you can put those guys in jail, when you take their assets, then you have an impact. Watch how drugs from Mexico enter U.S. » Roberts: But would you like to see them take some of that money, and you know, they take, I think, what, $700 million, and they throw it at the border. Would you like to see them | [
"What should money go to?",
"Who is Robert Strang?",
"What should go to prevention programs?",
"What is Strang's job title?"
] | [
[
"D.A.R.E. America,"
],
[
"former Drug Enforcement Agency special agent"
],
[
"$700 million,"
],
[
"CEO of Investigative Management Group."
]
] | Robert Strang, former DEA special agent, says drug use starts as early as 12 .
Strang: "We can send all of the agents in the world," but border patrol not enough .
Money aimed at financial institutions should go to prevention programs, Strang says . |
Asheville, North Carolina (CNN) -- President Obama prayed Sunday with the Rev. Billy Graham at Graham's mountaintop home before leaving North Carolina to attend the memorial service for 29 West Virginia coal miners killed in a recent explosion.
Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Graham at his family home, according to Graham spokesman Larry Ross. He is the 12th president, dating back to Harry Truman, to meet with the so-called "pastor to the presidents."
"I am pleased to have had President Obama in my home this afternoon," Graham said in a statement, adding that Obama sought the meeting while on vacation in Asheville for the weekend. "My son Franklin and I enjoyed a brief visit with the president, followed by a time of prayer together."
During the meeting, Ross said, Obama shared some insights about his faith and the challenges of being commander-in-chief.
"Like others before him, President Obama shared how lonely, demanding and humbling the office of president can be, and how much he appreciated the counsel of people like Mr. Graham and the prayers of so many citizens," Ross said.
The two men also discussed their love of golf and the city of Chicago, where Graham attended school and held several of his religious crusades, Ross said.
At the end, Graham presented Obama with two Bibles -- one for him and the other for first lady Michelle Obama, Ross said. The two men then prayed together, with Obama first praying for Graham and then Graham "concluded with a prayer for the president, his family and his administration," according to Ross.
Obama was "extremely gratified" that Graham made time for the meeting and private prayer, White House spokesman Bill Burton said.
The visit was a follow-up to Obama's telephone call to Graham on the evangelist's 91st birthday in November, Burton said. At that time, the two agreed to meet as soon as possible, according to Burton.
Ross told CNN the visit came together hastily after the White House officially inquired on Friday, after Obama arrived in North Carolina.
Obama and his family vacationed in Asheville over the weekend, and the first couple played tennis Sunday morning before their departure, Burton said.
The meeting with Graham came three days after the Army rescinded an invitation for Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon on the upcoming National Day of Prayer. The Army decision was because of controversial comments about Islam by the younger Graham.
Billy Graham's statement referred to the upcoming event without mentioning the controversy involving his son.
"As we approach the National Day of Prayer on May 6, I want to encourage Christians everywhere to pray for our president, and for all those in positions of authority, and especially for the men and women serving in our military," Graham said in the statement.
In December, Franklin Graham told CNN's Campbell Brown that "true Islam" could not be practiced in America because "you can't beat your wife, you cannot murder your children if you think they've committed adultery or something like that, which they do practice in these other countries."
Franklin Graham later tried to temper his remarks by saying that he had Muslim friends.
Last week, he said he regretted the Army's decision but stood by his comments.
"I don't like the way they treat women, the way they treat minorities. I just find it horrific. But I love the people of Islam," he said, adding some of his work has been in Muslim nations.
The Army, which oversees the National Day of Prayer ceremonies at the Pentagon, feared that if Graham spoke at the Pentagon on May 6, Islamic militants would publicize his comments, potentially fueling tensions in Muslim nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan, where U.S. troops are deployed.
Graham's invitation was not the only controversy swirling about the National Day of Prayer this year.
Last week, a federal judge struck down as unconstitutional the 1952 law that established the day, saying it violated the ban on government-backed | [
"Whi is the first sitting U.S president to visit Graham home?",
"Who is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Graham home?",
"How many bibles did Graham present Obama with?",
"who visits graham",
"who was gratified",
"The Army pulled the invitation for Graham's son to speak where?",
"Graham presented Obama with two what?"
] | [
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"President Obama"
],
[
"Pentagon"
],
[
"Bibles"
]
] | Obama is first sitting U.S. president to visit Graham home, Graham's spokesman says .
Obama was "extraordinarily gratified" for the meeting, White House says .
Graham presented Obama with two Bibles -- one for him, other for Michelle Obama .
Army pulled invitation for Graham's son to speak at Pentagon on Day of Prayer . |
Asuncion, Paraguay (CNN) -- Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo underwent prostate surgery early Friday, his spokesman said. The surgery, which was performed at the Italian Hospital in Asuncion, had been scheduled for weeks, spokesman Augusto dos Santos told reporters. The procedure was performed under local anesthesia, the spokesman said. Lugo's doctor, Nestor Martinez, said the operation was a transurethral resection, a surgery in which an instrument is inserted into the urethra to remove a section of the prostate that is blocking urine flow. Enlarged prostates are common among men as they get older. Lugo is 58. The surgery involved nine doctors and three nurses and took about an hour, Martinez said at a news conference. Lugo arrived at the hospital at 4 a.m. ( 2 a.m. ET), was wheeled into surgery at 5 a.m. and was in the recovery room by 6 a.m., Martinez said. The Paraguayan president's office released post-surgery photos of an alert-looking Lugo chatting with doctors and nurses while lying in a hospital bed. Lugo is a former Roman Catholic bishop who has been involved in several paternity controversies in the past year. He is expected to remain in the hospital until Saturday afternoon and then recuperate for three to four days in the presidential residence, spokesman dos Santos said. Lugo will carry on a restricted agenda while recuperating, the spokesman said Journalist Sanie Lopez Garelli contributed to this report. | [
"What president underwent prostate surgery?",
"Lugo will remain in the hospital for how long?",
"What was Lugo former job?"
] | [
[
"Fernando Lugo"
],
[
"until Saturday afternoon"
],
[
"Roman Catholic bishop"
]
] | Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo underwent prostate surgery Friday .
Lugo will remain in the hospital for a few days and then recuperate in the presidential residency .
Lugo is a former priest who has been involved in several paternity controversies in past year . |
Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Greece's cabinet voted Wednesday to support Prime Minister George Papandreou's call to hold a referendum as soon as possible about the latest bailout plan, ministers coming out of the meeting told a CNN affiliate.
The vote was unanimous, though some of the ministers expressed criticism prior to casting their votes, CNN affiliate Mega Channel reported.
The cabinet vote came hours before German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and senior figures from the International Monetary Fund and European Union were to meet Wednesday with Greek officials at an emergency meeting in Cannes, France, ahead of the G-20 summit.
Their meeting comes a day after U.S. and European stock markets tumbled after Papandreou's call for the referendum on international aid for his country.
A "no" vote could theoretically force Greece to crash out of the euro and send shock waves through the global financial system.
Papandreou is seeking public backing from the Greek people for last week's bailout deal, which took months to reach.
But the move created turmoil in domestic politics, with Papandreou forced to hold an emergency Cabinet meeting late Tuesday, and angered his European counterparts.
Sarkozy and Merkel issued a terse statement on Tuesday saying they were "determined to ensure the full implementation, without delay, of decisions adopted by the summit, which are necessary now more than ever."
White House spokesman Jay Carney struck a similar note, saying Papandreou's move reinforced the need for Europe "to elaborate further and implement rapidly the decisions they made last week."
German and French markets closed down about 5% Tuesday, while London's FTSE fell 2.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average index closed down nearly 300 points.
Greece's former deputy finance minister, Petros Doukas, a member of the opposition New Democracy Party who is not currently in office, told CNN he doubted the referendum would take place.
Papandreou is under enormous pressure from Europe, the markets and opposition forces within Greece to backtrack on the proposal, Doukas said.
He described Papandreou's actions as a political gamble that had gone wrong, with the prime minister having tried to make the opposition parties share the pain of unpopular reforms. He suggested Papandreou would have to call elections or stand down as leader, as Greece was "not governable" with him as prime minister.
The announcement of the referendum rattled Papandreou's hold on power, as a lawmaker defected from his party, leaving him with a majority of only two in Parliament.
Milena Apostolaki announced her resignation from the PASOK party, saying the call for a referendum was "a deeply divisive procedure."
The deal reached last week would see the country's sky-high debts cut in half, but it comes with strings attached, which have led to angry demonstrations in the streets of Greece.
Reflecting that anger, Greece's opposition leader, Antonis Samaras, called Tuesday for a snap election, but it is unlikely he has the votes to force one.
Papandreou has called for a vote of confidence Friday, separate from his call for a referendum on the international bailout.
Elena Panaritis, a fellow PASOK lawmaker who advises Papandreou on economics, said she would support the confidence vote, saying the prime minister had been under heavy political pressure from inside and outside his party.
International lenders are demanding that Athens raise taxes, sell off state-owned companies and slash government spending, which would mean firing tens of thousands of state workers.
The Institute of International Finance, a global association representing many of the world's biggest banks, reaffirmed its commitment Tuesday to the bailout agreement reached last week, saying it would work closely with all parties to implement it.
The European debt crisis claimed its first American victim shortly before Papandreou announced the referendum on Monday, as MF Global filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving top Wall Street creditors holding more than $2 billion in debt. The commodities and derivatives brokerage was run by ex-Sen. Jon Corzine, a former head of Goldman Sachs.
Constantine Michalos, chairman of the Athens Chamber of Commerce, said Papandreou's referendum move had taken everyone by surprise | [
"how many points was dow jones down",
"What was unanimous?",
"What could send greece crashing",
"Was the vote unanimous",
"What could send Greece crashing out of the euro?",
"The Dow Jones was down how many points?",
"What did the vote follow?"
] | [
[
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[
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],
[
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] | NEW: Vote was unanimous, ministers tell CNN affiliate .
Vote followed tumultuous day in the markets, with Dow Jones down 300 points .
Europe needs to push ahead with the deal, White House spokesman says .
A rejection of the deal could send Greece crashing out of the euro . |
Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will meet Monday with the leader of the country's main opposition party to discuss who will become the nation's next prime minister -- a day after an announcement that Papandreou he will step down amid the country's financial crisis.
Papandreou's planned resignation -- announced by President Karolos Papoulias -- is contingent on the approval of the controversial 130 billion euro bailout deal.
On Sunday, Papandreou met with Antonis Samaras -- the leader of the New Democracy party, Greece's leading opposition party -- and agreed to form a new government.
During Monday's meeting, the two will discuss who will serve in the new government as well as who will be the next prime minister, according to a statement from the president.
New national elections will be held sometime after the bailout is implemented, but no more details nor a timeline of future events were disclosed.
Earlier Sunday, Samaras told reporters that once Papandreou resigns, everything will "take its course" and "everything else is negotiable."
The move appears to close one chapter in Greece's tumultuous political and economic saga, as Papandreou had become a lightning rod for critics for his leadership of the south European nation as it tackles a prolonged financial plight.
It also paves the way for passage of an agreement that Papandreou negotiated October 26 with European leaders. The deal would wipe out 100 billion euros in Greek debt, half of what it owes to private creditors, and includes a promise of 30 billion euros to help the public sector pare its debts -- making the whole package worth a total of 130 billion euros ($178 billion).
But Greece's turmoil is far from over. The bailout -- the second it has received from the European Union and International Monetary Fund -- would be accompanied by additional austerity measures such as slashing government jobs, privatizing some businesses and reducing pensions. It also comes at a time when Greece's economy -- and to some extent the global economy -- is still staggering.
Though Greece ranks 32nd in terms of gross domestic product, experts say it wields a disproportionate influence internationally. Economists worry that a Greek default on its debt could pull down larger European economies -- particularly those of Italy and Spain, as well as struggling Portugal and Ireland.
Eurozone finance ministers are scheduled to meet Monday in Brussels, Belgium.
Within Greece, the bailout's passage would be a significant victory for Papandreou. He has insisted repeatedly in recent weeks that it needs to be approved -- signaling that he'd be willing to resign as prime minister, a job he has held since 2009, as long as that happens.
Earlier Sunday, Greece's president met ahead of a Cabinet meeting with all party leaders -- including Papandreou, who heads the socialist PASOK party, and Samaras.
Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos is likely to remain in his post as finance minister in a new government, sources told Greek television.
Candidates for the prime minister's job include Petros Moliviatis and Loukas Papaimos, according to Greek television.
The new government will have a life of four months, according to Greek television, citing sources, and elections will take place in early spring.
On Monday -- in addition to a meeting between Papandreou and Samaras -- the Greek president will hold another meeting open to heads of all Greece's political parties.
CNN's Diana Magnay, Jim Boulden and Andrew Carey in Athens and Matthew Chance and Hada Messia in Rome contributed to this report. | [
"Who will not be head of the new government?",
"What was Papandreou's previous position?",
"What is the name of the opposition leader?",
"What are the terms of this deal?",
"Who made the statement 'Papandreou won't be head of the new government'?",
"Where is Samaras from?"
] | [
[
"Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou"
],
[
"Greek Prime Minister"
],
[
"Antonis Samaras"
],
[
"slashing government jobs, privatizing some businesses and reducing pensions."
],
[
"Antonis Samaras"
],
[
"Greece's"
]
] | Eurozone financial leaders will meet Monday in Brussels .
Papandreou won't be head of the new government, a statement says .
He and opposition leader Samaras will talk Monday to plot details .
The deal hinges on Greece approving a 130 billion euro bailout deal . |
Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Greek lawmakers voted to approve a new round of tough budget-cutting measures Thursday, despite a second day of angry protests in which one demonstrator died.
Tens of thousands rallied outside the parliament building as lawmakers debated the unpopular measures, aimed at bringing down the country's huge national debt.
After a peaceful start, violent clashes broke out between anarchist rioters and the police, and between the anarchists and some union demonstrators who wanted to keep the protest calm.
Tear gas was fired into the crowd, while rocks and fire bombs were thrown.
The protester who died was a member of the PAME workers' union, lawmaker Makis Voridis told parliament. Hospital officials told CNN he was a 53-year-old man who suffered cardiac arrest.
The Greek minister for health said the demonstrator had been taken to an Athens hospital without a pulse and could not be revived, but he had no injuries. Earlier reports suggested he had been injured.
Lawmakers approved the austerity measures by 154 in favor to 144 against, despite nationwide protests and a two-day strike that has gripped the country.
The new bill is expected to lead to around 30,000 job losses and further cuts to wages and pensions for workers in the public sector.
"We have no hope. The only hope we have is the strength of the people," said protester Vagelis Filezis, a civil engineer, before the vote.
He said Europe's leaders were trying "to save the banks but they don't think about the people."
And he warned Italy and Spain, which are also facing debt crises: "Look at us. This is where you will be in two to three years."
Organizers had urged protesters from all over the country to come to Athens Thursday, suggesting the crowd could be larger than the 70,000-plus police estimated Wednesday.
Organizers estimated the turnout Wednesday at 120,000, which would make it one of the biggest protests in the country in years.
Police said there were about 40,000 people on the streets Thursday morning -- fewer than at the same time a day earlier -- and about 3,000 police officers.
The mood early in the day was good-natured, but when violence erupted later it was unusual for the fighting that broke out between different groups of protesters,as well as confrontations with police.
On Wednesday, clashes between protesters and police in front of the Greek parliament building left at least six protesters and 15 police officers injured, authorities said. At least 15 people were arrested.
Some marchers Thursday accused the government of planting troublemakers in the crowd to spark violence.
"They have never been caught," said teacher Thannasis Karametsus. "Why not?"
Protesters aimed to shut down wide sectors of the country during the two-day national strike.
"Don't bow your head, it's time for resistance and struggle," marchers chanted in the capital Wednesday as they gathered for the union-backed demonstration.
"I'm here for my children and everyone else's children. Those punks in there have destroyed everyone's lives," said former railway worker Diamandis Goufas, 62, pointing at parliament.
Greeks are angry at yet another round of planned austerity measures as Greece tries to bring down its stratospheric debt.
Lawmakers are trying to cut government costs to reassure international backers it is doing enough to earn the bailout funds they have promised to pour into the country.
European Union leaders are scrambling to minimize the effect of Greece's debt on their common currency, the euro.
Over the weekend, finance ministers from the world's largest economies pledged their commitment to take "all necessary actions" to stabilize markets.
They aim to keep banks well capitalized so they can weather the effects of any defaults by Greece or other indebted countries, such as Portugal, Spain, Ireland or Italy.
But there appears to be a split between France and Germany -- Europe's two largest economies -- on how to do it.
Germany has stressed that individual European states should inject capital into domestic banks that lack sufficient buffers. But analysts | [
"Clashes break out in Athens between who?",
"Clashes break out in Athens between",
"Who passed new austerity measures despite protests?",
"which broke out in Athens?",
"European Union leaders worry that Greek debt threatens which currency?"
] | [
[
"anarchist rioters and the police,"
],
[
"anarchist rioters and the police,"
],
[
"Greek lawmakers"
],
[
"violent clashes"
],
[
"euro."
]
] | NEW: Greek lawmakers pass new austerity measures despite protests .
Clashes break out in Athens between different groups of protesters and police .
One protester dies after cardiac arrest, hospital officials say .
European Union leaders worry that Greek debt threatens the euro . |
Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Protesters and police clashed violently in front of the Greek parliament building Wednesday, as tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Athens on the first day of a two-day general strike over austerity measures.
At least six protesters and 15 police officers were injured amid the disturbances, police said, and at least 15 people were arrested.
Strikers in Greece aim to shut down wide sectors of the country, as lawmakers debate a new round of tough cost-cutting measures.
Lawmakers passed the new austerity law in principal in an initial round of voting Wednesday, by 154 votes in favor to 141 against, with five lawmakers absent. Parliament must still vote on each article of the legislation Thursday before it can become law.
"Don't bow your head, it's time for resistance and struggle," marchers chanted in the capital earlier as they gathered for the union-backed demonstration.
The violence broke out around lunchtime in one corner of the square, beside Parliament House, as a group of protesters dressed mostly in black threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at police.
Officers fired tear gas and stun grenades, or "flash bangs," in return, sending noisy detonations echoing round the square.
Smoke filled the area by mid-afternoon as a fire burned in front of the finance ministry, forcing many peaceful demonstrators to move away.
Police estimated that more than 70,000 people were protesting in Athens, and said they planned to put between 2,500 and 3,000 officers on the streets. Organizers estimated the turnout at 120,000 people.
Initially, most of the protesters gathered peacefully in front of Parliament House waving union flags, red flags and banners.
"I'm here for my children and everyone else's children. Those punks in there have destroyed everyone's lives," said former railway worker Diamandis Goufas, 62, pointing at parliament.
Greeks are angry at yet another round of planned austerity measures as Greece tries to bring down its stratospheric debt.
Lawmakers are trying to cut government costs to reassure international backers it is doing enough to earn the bailout funds they have promised to pour into the country, with the latest austerity measures expected to pass Thursday.
The new bill would lead to around 30,000 job losses and further cuts to wages and pensions for workers in the public sector.
That has left at least some Greeks furious at the countries demanding that Greece bring down its spending.
"We are not lazy; it's the Germans, they want to take our blood," said Eleftherios Zarkados.
At least one student said Wednesday that Thursday would not mark the end of the battle between politicians and the public.
"We will continue to resist even if the measures pass," said Sophia Titou, 21, a law student who works at an oil refinery.
Many on the streets say they are angry that the well-off people they believe are benefiting from corruption and tax evasion are not being pursued, while public sector workers pay the price for Greece's woes.
European Union leaders are scrambling to minimize the effect of Greece's debt on their common currency, the euro.
Over the weekend, finance ministers from the world's largest economies pledged their commitment to take "all necessary actions" to stabilize markets.
They aim to keep banks well capitalized so they can weather the effects of any defaults by Greece or other indebted countries like Portugal, Spain, Ireland or Italy.
But there appears to be a split between France and Germany -- Europe's two largest economies -- on how to do it.
Germany has stressed that individual European states should inject capital into domestic banks that lack sufficient buffers. But analysts say France is opposed to this idea because it could jeopardize the nation's top-tier credit rating.
European leaders are expected to hear concrete details about how the plan might work at a European Council meeting Sunday.
European Union heads of state are widely expected to finalize the plan in early November at a meeting of the Group of 20 world economic powers.
CNN's Andrew Carey, Diana Magnay and Ben Rooney contributed to | [
"What did the Greek lawmakers pass?",
"How many people were injured in clashes?",
"What has been passed in Greece?"
] | [
[
"the new austerity law"
],
[
"six protesters and 15 police officers"
],
[
"austerity law"
]
] | NEW: Greek lawmakers pass new austerity measures in an initial round of voting .
At least six protesters and 15 police officers are injured in clashes, police say .
Backers demand that Greece get its finances in order to get more bailout money .
European Union leaders worry that Greek debt threatens the euro . |
Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Thousands of people marched through Athens Thursday as part of a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest further austerity measures by the embattled government.
The strike began at midnight and caused all government-run institutions -- including schools, airports, trams, subways, and most buses -- to close down. Banks and the media were also shut, meaning no broadcast news Thursday and no newspapers Friday.
There were small clashes with police and protesters threw two petrol bombs at officers in Constitution Square, in front of the Parliament building. Police fired some tear gas and pepper spray in return, but otherwise the march was relatively calm.
Sixteen people were arrested and two police officers were injured, police told CNN. Many people appeared to be suffering from the tear gas.
The protesters are angry about further government measures aimed at cutting Greece's massive deficit. They oppose the cutting of benefits and salaries, and the raising of taxes, and want more of the measures to be aimed at the wealthy.
The government says Greece has to modernize its tax structure as the country suffers from tax avoidance and other structural impediments to job growth.
But younger workers say they already pay high taxes, have little job security and make less money than older generations.
Some of the same measures prompted large demonstrations and some violence two weeks ago, but polls at the time still showed the majority of Greeks backing the government plans.
Since then, government has introduced a third round of austerity measures in Parliament amounting to $6.5 billion of cuts and tax increases, and that has caused support for the government to slip -- polls now show only a bare majority in favor of the government's actions.
The Greek government revealed late last year that its budget deficit was 12.7 percent of its gross domestic product, far exceeding the European Union limit of 3 percent. Countries participating in the EU must agree to that condition and other economic goals.
Greece aims to reduce that deficit to 8.7 percent this year and reach the EU target by 2012.
Thursday's strikes were rescheduled from March 16, when European Union officials plan to go to Athens and assess Greece's financial pledges to Europe. Protesters moved the strikes to Thursday in order to maximize disruption, because both public and private sector workers would be able to strike.
The Greek government has said it will not back down in the face of strikes.
CNN's Jim Boulden contributed to this report. | [
"Who were angry about the measures",
"How many petrol bombs were thrown?",
"When did strikes begin",
"What began at midnight?",
"When did the strike begin?",
"What was thrown at officers",
"What was the amount of austerity measures?"
] | [
[
"The protesters"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"at midnight"
],
[
"The strike"
],
[
"midnight"
],
[
"two petrol bombs"
],
[
"$6.5 billion"
]
] | Protesters angry about measures aimed at cutting Greece's massive deficit .
Strike began at midnight and caused all government-run institutions to shut .
Small clashes reported, two petrol bombs thrown at officers in central Athens .
Austerity measures amount to $6.5 billion of cuts and tax increases . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- A number of states, including Georgia, already are putting things in place to opt out of the controversial No Child Left Behind Law, following President Barrack Obama's announcement Friday that states can now apply for waivers.
The law, passed in 2001, requires, among other things, that public schools meet targets designed to make all students proficient in math and reading by 2014 or face penalties. The administration will begin reviewing applications to waive some of the demands the law places on states, Obama said Friday.
Top education officials in Georgia said Friday that it should be up to each individual state to decide how best to evaluate student performance in the classroom. Following the president's announcement, Georgia State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge described his state's alternative to closing the achievement gap.
The College and Career Ready Performance Index, "lets states determine how they approach the guiding principles," Barge said Friday. Georgia is one of a handful of states, including Kentucky, Delaware, and Wisconsin that have expressed interest in waivers seeking flexibility from No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
Barge and U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) personally delivered Georgia's request for a waiver to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Tuesday.
Barge said the waiver will give schools more flexibility. "It will not be a matter of the entire accountability label hinging on a single test," he said.
Under the administration's new guidelines, states will be encouraged to devise standards of accountability that do not treat all schools the same.
"The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level," Obama said in a statement.
In order to gain approval for waivers, states must present the U.S. Department of Education with credible alternative plans to measure performance.
Georgia's proposal focuses on several indicators to measure student performance, including reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies, offering an index that will vary based on grade level.
"With NCLB, science and social studies teachers were not measured to determine adequate yearly progress," Georgia Department of Education Communications Director Matt Cardoza said. "Many times, those teachers would feel their subjects were not as important. Now, there are multiple indicators, including science and social studies."
States that do not apply for waivers will still be expected to meet the guidelines set out by No Child Left Behind. States may submit official applications for waivers by mid-November. Waivers could be granted in early 2010.
CNN's Lesa Jansen contributed to this report | [
"Georgia lays out is plan to measure what?",
"Who announces state waivers?",
"An alternative plan to measure what?",
"Georgia is seeking what?",
"What did Obama announce?",
"What state is mentioned?",
"Who announced the waivers?"
] | [
[
"student performance,"
],
[
"President Barrack Obama's"
],
[
"performance."
],
[
"to opt out"
],
[
"states can now apply for waivers."
],
[
"Georgia,"
],
[
"President Barrack Obama's"
]
] | President Obama announces state waivers to No Child Left Behind .
Georgia is among a number of states seeking a waiver .
Georgia lays out its alternative plan to measure achievement . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- A woman charged with sending threatening packages to two lawmakers, including a U.S. representative, was killed Sunday after she tried to attack a police officer at her home near Atlanta, police and the lawmakers said Monday.
Jameela Barnette, 53, was armed with a knife and handgun when a police officer knocked on her door on Christmas morning as he responded to reports of an alarm inside, Cobb County Police said.
She opened the door and started assaulting the officer with the weapons, police said. The officer shot her, and Barnette died at the scene.
Barnette was the same woman who sent threatening packages earlier this year to U.S. Rep. Peter King of New York and New York State Sen. Greg Ball, their offices said Monday.
Barnette was indicted in U.S. District Court in Atlanta in October on two counts of sending threatening packages. She pleaded not guilty in November and was released on $20,000 bond, according to court records.
Earlier this month, the court also ordered Barnette to undergo a mental evaluation.
The package sent to Ball contained a hoax weapon of mass destruction, said Ball spokeswoman Brittany Oat.
The indictment said it contained threatening messages and a vial of an unknown liquid, labeled "Zyklon B," which Barnette indicated was a biological agent or toxin. The vial of liquid was in fact perfume oil, according to CNN affiliate WXXA-TV in Albany, the New York state capital, which spoke to Barnette in April.
The package also contained a toy monkey wearing the Star of David, as shown in photos released by Ball's office.
Barnette told WXXA-TV she was a grandmother and a Muslim upset with Ball for holding hearings earlier this year on New York City's vulnerability to terrorism.
"He keeps messing with Muslims," Barnette told the station in April. "Muslims have not been harassing anyone."
Barnette said she was not a threat and did not want people to think she was a dangerous person for sending the package.
A representative for Barnette could not be reached Monday.
Also in April, Barnette sent a bloody severed pig's foot and note to King's office on Capitol Hill, King said Monday. The package never reached King or his staffers because all mail to the U.S. Capitol is screened.
The note was laced with anti-Semitic rants, including statements such as "evil Jews will return this hoof to Palestine," a congressional source familiar with the situation said at the time. King is not Jewish.
"The woman, who called me a 'Muslim basher,' wrote 'kiss my black Muslim ass,'" King said in a statement Monday.
"I believe this was all a result of the blind and false hysteria stirred up by opponents of the radicalization hearings I convened in March," King said.
The officer who fired on Barnette on Sunday was treated for his injury and released at the scene, and is now on administrative leave pending investigation, according to the police department in suburbuan Atlanta.
CNN's Ashley Corum, Carol Cratty, Sara Pratley, and Melissa Gray contributed to this report. | [
"What was in the package?",
"Who was killed attacking a officer?",
"What provoked her to attack the office?",
"What has she been charged with?",
"Who is Jameela Barnette?",
"What did the package contain?",
"Who received the threatening packages?",
"Which two lawmakers?"
] | [
[
"a toy monkey wearing the Star of David,"
],
[
"Jameela Barnette,"
],
[
"she was a grandmother and a Muslim upset with Ball for holding hearings earlier this year on New York City's vulnerability to terrorism."
],
[
"sending threatening packages to two lawmakers,"
],
[
"A woman charged with sending threatening packages to two lawmakers,"
],
[
"a hoax weapon of mass destruction,"
],
[
"U.S. Rep. Peter King of New York and New York State Sen. Greg Ball,"
],
[
"U.S. Rep. Peter King of New York and New York State Sen. Greg Ball,"
]
] | The woman, Jameela Barnette, was killed as she tried to attack an officer, police said .
She had been charged with sending threatening packages to two lawmakers .
Both packages contained threatening letters and one contained a hoax WMD .
U.S. Rep. Peter King and New York State Sen. Greg Ball received the packages . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- Engine problems forced the pilot of a Delta Air Lines aircraft to turn back Thursday night shortly after takeoff from Atlanta, the company said Friday.
The aircraft returned to Atlanta without incident, spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said.
Passengers aboard Flight 1442 from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina, told CNN affiliate WSOC that they had been airborne about 10 or 20 minutes when one of the engines appeared to catch on fire. Laughlin could not confirm the report of flames, but said crew members reported smoke in the cabin following the incident.
Passenger Ginger Heath said the incident began with a shaking sensation, followed by "sparks, a great big boom and lots and lots of fire" from the engine. "After that smoke starting coming out of the air vents."
Other passengers told CNN affiliate WBTV that they heard a "huge crashing sound" and felt what seemed like "bad turbulence."
"I kind of thought I was going to die for a second," one passenger interviewed by WBTV said.
"A couple of people got hysterical," passenger Atiim Browne told WSOC. "The lady behind me was crying. A couple of people kind of looked at it, you know, as life flashing before their eyes and stuff like that. But again we got back on the floor within a couple of minutes so it wasn't too bad."
Delta mechanics were inspecting the aircraft Friday, Laughlin said.
CNN's Ayesha Durgahee contributed to this report. | [
"What did a Delta spokeswoman say the airline can't confirm?",
"What heard passengers aboard Delta Flight?",
"Which report does Delta spokesperson?",
"What did passengers aboard the Delta flight say they heard?"
] | [
[
"report of flames,"
],
[
"\"huge crashing sound\""
],
[
"The aircraft returned to Atlanta without incident,"
],
[
"a \"huge crashing sound\""
]
] | NEW: Passengers aboard Delta flight say they heard crash, saw fire and smoke .
Smoke inside the cabin followed report of engine trouble, airline says .
A Delta spokeswoman says the airline can't confirm the reports of fire . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- Jonathan Hanson and Katina Wright are determined to give their infant daughter a bright and stable future despite the cloud of uncertainty they face after years without steady work.
Once successful real estate agents making six figures, Hanson and Wright are now living on the poverty line.
"We made some good money," Hanson said. "But with new regulations in real estate and different laws and just the amount of foreclosures on the market, it literally took our business away."
The last few years have been a downward spiral, says the Atlanta couple, who have been living off their savings. They've sold jewelry and cars, and now they're trying to sell their home to survive. Every day, they are faced with a tough decision.
"You have to pick and choose what you want to do," Hanson said. "It's either eat that day or pay a bill."
They're not alone. Millions of American families have slipped into what the U.S. Census Bureau defines as poor. About 46.2 million people are considered to be living in poverty, 2.6 million more than last year.
"Those that are in dire need, they'll sell all their personal belongings to survive," said Sal Dimiceli, one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2011.
Through his weekly newspaper column, Dimiceli hears from dozens of people each week who are facing hard times. And for decades, he has made every effort to help them get back on their feet.
Through his nonprofit, The Time Is Now To Help, Dimiceli has provided about 500 people a year with food, rent, utilities and other necessities.
"We get them back on a track (so) that ... their pride is given back to them," Dimiceli said this year. "They can catch up."
There haven't been this many Americans living in poverty since 1993, according to the Census Bureau.
More than 15% of the population is now considered poor. The rate is 22% for children, meaning at least one of every five U.S. kids is living in poverty.
"If you qualify as being in poverty today, then you're really in deep poverty," said Mark Bergel, founder and executive director of A Wider Circle, a Maryland-based charity that provides furniture and other basic necessities to needy families.
Bergel told CNN's Lisa Sylvester that the numbers used to define poverty today are extremely low and "based on an outdated formula from the '60s."
The Census Bureau defines an individual as poor if they make less than $11,139 a year. The dollar amount rises for every member added to the household.
For example, the average family of four is considered poor if they make less than $22,314. For a family of three like Hanson, Wright and their daughter, the threshold is just a little more than $17,000.
"There's a lot of people suffering," said Karen Lee, a financial planner and author of several books, including "Simple Steps to Help People Get Unstuck Financially."
Lee said it's important for people who've never faced poverty to keep a positive outlook and believe that things can get better.
"I have seen people go from riches to rags to riches to rags," she said. "You can rebuild, and you can completely change careers and rebuild."
That's what Hanson and Wright are doing.
Hanson is betting on a new business he started: building security cages for air conditioners to prevent copper theft.
Wright is teaching herself Web development.
"I literally threw my Rolodex away, because it was all real-estate-related," she said. "It's no longer of any use to me. So being able to let go is going to be a person's biggest advantage." | [
"Who is Sal Dimiceli?",
"Who is CNN Hero?",
"One of every five American children is considered what?"
] | [
[
"one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2011."
],
[
"Sal Dimiceli,"
],
[
"living in poverty."
]
] | Poverty levels are the highest since 1993, according to the U.S. Census Bureau .
At least one of every five American children is considered poor .
Many families face tough decisions every day on bills and basic necessities .
CNN Hero Sal Dimiceli has helped the working poor for decades in Wisconsin . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- Most adults have a warm spot in their hearts for LEGOs, the colorful interlocking building toys. The iconic name conjures up images of creative creatures and thought-provoking things built by imagination.
On a recent January weekend, LEGO held a job fair of sorts in the form of a contest, a two-day building contest called Brick Factor. The winner was awarded a full-time position of master model builder at the new LEGOLAND Discovery Center due to open in Atlanta in the spring.
There were plenty of LEGO lovers interested. People like Megan Sims.
"Of course it's a dream job," she said. "You get to play with LEGOs and kids all day. Who wouldn't want that job?"
Joshua Bohn, a college student who is a self-proclaimed lifelong LEGO enthusiast, said that among LEGO lovers this job is coveted among all others.
The master model builder for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Dallas agrees.
"It's an important job" said Cal Walsh. "The job is responsible for all the LEGO bricks in the Discovery Center".
Walsh also got his job by winning a contest. He said working for the company is like getting paid to play.
The Atlanta contestants were narrowed down on the first day by several rounds of tasks, or builds. In the first, competitors built an animal in 45 minutes. This gave birth to lions, ducks, fish and alligators. There were even some angry birds.
Build two was a little more complex; the contestants were charged with building an Atlanta icon. Entries included Ray Charles singing, the immensely popular Peachtree road race and the Fox Theatre, a well-known Midtown entertainment venue.
Twelve contestants were selected for the finals, in which they created a model that best described them. They had one hour.
Zack Cole, an architecture student, knew immediately he would build a guitar, but he wasn't the only one. "I know someone else is making a guitar, I guess ill have to make mine better."
Sims, a mother of two and the only woman left, chose to build Wonder Woman.
"As a mom, sometimes I feel I need to be a superhero to get things done."
Bohn's homage to theater, a stage scene depicting Romeo and Juliet, was selected the winner.
"I feel like I was when I was 3 or 4, when I got my first LEGO set," Bohn said. | [
"What did contestants have to do?",
"LEGO contest winner will receive what job?"
] | [
[
"built an animal in 45 minutes."
],
[
"full-time position of master model builder at the new LEGOLAND Discovery Center"
]
] | LEGO contest winner will receive job at new Atlanta Discovery Center .
Contestants were given a time limit and a theme to create something .
Winning sculpture depicted Romeo and Juliet on stage . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- Nearly 700 patients and 100 employees at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta have been exposed to tuberculosis after coming in contact with a hospital employee carrying the disease, a hospital spokesman said Thursday.
The Georgia Department of Community Health and the hospital have identified 680 patients who were exposed to tuberculosis between November and February, said hospital spokesman Lance Skelly.
Patients will begin getting tested for tuberculosis next week, Skelly said. To date, no patients or employees have reported symptoms of tuberculosis, he said.
The hospital and the department began notifying people about the exposure this month, after an Emory employee was diagnosed in April with the infectious disease, he said. The employee did not know he had tuberculosis when he came in contact with employees and patients, the hospital said.
The hospital took extra precautions by contacting patients who were in the hospital for 90 days before the day the employee is known to have developed the disease, Skelly said. "That is a major reason the numbers are so much higher."
All hospital employees are screened for the disease and must receive screenings each year, it added. A hospital statement did not say whether the employee had been screened.
About 11 million people in the United States are infected with latent tuberculosis, which is symptom-free and is not contagious.
Of those, 5 to 10 percent go on to develop active tuberculosis, which can be spread to others through the air, such as through coughing or sneezing. It can be fatal if not properly treated.
Symptoms of tuberculosis include chest pain, a bad cough (possibly with blood), weakness and a fever. While tuberculosis usually impacts the lungs, the kidneys, brain and spine may also be affected.
Both the number and rate of tuberculosis cases has been on the decline since 1993, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The number of reported deaths nationwide dropped from 644 in 2006 to 544 in 2007, the most recent year for which such data is available, the CDC said. | [
"Since when have they been on the decline?",
"What can be fatal if not properly treated?",
"When does the TB exposure occur?",
"Who unknowingly exposed patients and staff to TB, the hospital says?",
"What has been on the decline since 1993?"
] | [
[
"1993,"
],
[
"tuberculosis,"
],
[
"between November and February,"
],
[
"employee carrying the disease,"
],
[
"Both the number and rate of tuberculosis cases"
]
] | NEW: Number and rate of TB cases has been on the decline since 1993, CDC says .
A hospital employee unknowingly exposed patients and staff to TB, the hospital says .
The exposure occurs between November and February .
TB can be fatal if not properly treated . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain told supporters Saturday that he is suspending his presidential campaign, which has become hobbled in recent weeks by allegations of sexual harassment and an Atlanta woman's claim that they carried on a 13-year affair.
While he will still be able to raise and spend campaign funds because he did not officially drop out, Cain's White House bid is effectively over.
Cain said he came to the decision after assessing the impact that the allegations were having on his wife, his family and his supporters.
Cain and his wife, Gloria, held hands as they walked up to the podium where Cain made his remarks in Atlanta. The crowd chanted, "Gloria! Gloria!" before the candidate spoke.
Even as he stepped aside under the weight of the allegations that have dogged him, Cain said that he was at "peace with my God" and "peace with my wife."
He repeatedly called the allegations "false and untrue," and added that "the (media) spin hurts."
"I am not going to be silenced and I will not go away," Cain said, announcing what he called his Plan B: A website, TheCainSolutions.com, through which he will continue to advocate for his platform.
His catchy "9-9-9" economic plan is not going anywhere, he said.
"Your support has been unwavering and undying," Cain told his supporters.
He will endorse another of the Republican presidential hopefuls soon, he said.
Other candidates were quick to react.
"Herman Cain provided an important voice to this process," Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann said in a statement. "His ideas and energy generated tremendous enthusiasm for the conservative movement at a time it was so desperately needed to restore confidence in our country."
Fellow Georgian Newt Gingrich said the "9-9-9" plan "got our country talking about the critical issue of how to reform our tax code and he elevated the dialogue of the Republican presidential primary in the process."
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he knew the Cains made a "difficult decision. He helped invigorate conservative voters and our nation with a discussion of major tax reform."
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Cain brought "a unique and valuable voice to the debate over how to reform our country's uncompetitive tax code and turn around the economy. I understand his decision and wish him and his family the best."
Recently, Cain acknowledged that Ginger White's allegations of an affair have led to a drop in campaign contributions, and a Des Moines Register poll showed his support among likely Republican Iowa caucus-goers has fallen to 8%, down from 23% in October. The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.9 points, the newspaper said.
Respondents said they were most concerned that Cain does not understand important issues, but said the allegations against him contribute to their concern, the newspaper said.
This week, White told the news media that she and Cain engaged in an on-and-off affair for more than 13 years. She described the affair as "very casual."
White issued a statement, through her attorney, after Cain's announcement Saturday.
"Ginger White respects Mr. Cain's decision regarding his campaign and indeed would have respected any decision he made," the statement said. "That being said, she is disappointed that he has not apologized for the public statements he has made about her and other women who have spoken out."
In a fund-raising letter Tuesday night, Cain referred to White as "troubled."
Two women -- Sharon Bialek and Karen Kraushaar -- previously accused Cain of sexually harassing them in the 1990s while he was head of the National Restaurant Association. Two other women also have said Cain sexually harassed them while they worked at the association, but they have declined to be identified.
Cain told the Union Leader in New Hampshire that he repeatedly gave White money to help her with "month-to-month bills and expenses." But | [
"What did the Des Moines register report ?",
"what allegations were made of cain?",
"will cain endorse another candidate soon?",
"Who will Cain endorse?",
"What Cain will do about new candidate?",
"What dogged the candidate?"
] | [
[
"showed his support among likely Republican Iowa caucus-goers has fallen to 8%, down from 23% in October."
],
[
"sexual harassment"
],
[
"of the Republican presidential hopefuls"
],
[
"another of the Republican presidential hopefuls"
],
[
"endorse"
],
[
"the weight of the allegations"
]
] | NEW: Woman who alleges an affair with Cain wants an apology .
Cain will endorse another candidate soon .
Cain's Iowa support fell to single digits, the Des Moines Register reports .
Candidate was dogged by allegations of sexual harassment and an affair . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- Ryan Brunn, the man who this week was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murdering a Georgia girl, apparently killed himself in his prison cell Thursday, a corrections spokeswoman said.
Georgia Department of Corrections spokeswoman Kristen Stancil said that Brunn was found unresponsive at 4:15 p.m. in his cell at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. Brunn was pronounced dead at a hospital at 5:37 p.m. due to an apparent suicide, she said.
The case since has been referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to Stancil.
Brunn had entered a guilty plea Tuesday at a hearing in a Cherokee County courthouse, during which he described in detail how he enticed, molested and killed 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole, avoiding a potential death sentence by lethal injection.
The girl's father, Ricardo Galarza, told CNN en Espanol that news of Brunn's death partly made him "feel good but, on the other hand, it doesn't because my daughter will never be with me again."
Galarza said that he felt that a lifetime of Brunn being watched after, "eating three times a day (and) sleeping with air conditioning" while in prison was not enough.
"What I wanted was for them to put him in the electric chair and burn him," the father said. "I would have taken him there myself and prepared it, so he would burn."
Jorelys' mangled body was found in a trash compactor three days after she went missing on December 2 from an apartment complex in Canton, about 40 miles north of Atlanta.
According to the indictment, Jorelys was severely beaten and stabbed repeatedly in the face, neck and chest.
Brunn, 20, who worked as a maintenance man at the same apartment complex, was arrested on December 7 and charged with the crime.
Last week, Brunn was indicted on 13 counts including murder, aggravated assault, cruelty to children, aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, false imprisonment, abandonment of a dead body, making a false statement and sexual exploitation of children.
He told the court Tuesday that he had never talked to Jorelys before the day of her murder. He said he devised a plan after he found one of her skates.
Brunn took a picture of the skate and approached her with it, asking if the skate was hers. She said yes, and Brunn promised to take her to it.
Instead, he took her to an empty apartment and instructed Jorelys to pull down her pants. He then put tape over her face and cut her throat with a razor. At this point, she was still alive, he told the court.
He said that he then took Jorelys to the bathroom and beat her to death with the skate. He said he did not have sex with the girl.
Increasingly, Brunn told the court, he grew concerned about what he had done. So he took a receipt, wrote on the back of it, "She is in the trash can," and taped it to the compactor.
He admitted lying to investigators who had questioned him about the case. Brunn said he knew right from wrong, adding he "never had an idea of killing a child in my life."
"I'd like to apologize for everything I've done, and I do deserve everything that you're about to give me," he said in court. | [
"Who was found dead?",
"What girl was dound dead in a trash compactor after she went missing?",
"What did the father say?",
"What murder did he plead guilty to?",
"Where was the little girl found dead at?",
"What person died of an apparent suicide in Georgia?",
"Which method did the Victim's father prefer Brunn to die?",
"Who pleaded guilty?",
"What victim's father says he would have preferred Brunn to die?"
] | [
[
"Ryan Brunn,"
],
[
"Jorelys Rivera."
],
[
"Brunn's death partly made him \"feel good but, on the other hand, it doesn't because my daughter will never be with me again.\""
],
[
"murdering a Georgia girl,"
],
[
"in a trash compactor"
],
[
"Ryan Brunn,"
],
[
"electric chair"
],
[
"Ryan Brunn,"
],
[
"Jorelys Rivera."
]
] | Victim's father says he would have preferred Brunn die "in the electric chair"
Ryan Brunn died of an apparent suicide, a Georgia corrections spokeswoman says .
He pleaded guilty Tuesday in the murder of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera .
The girl was found dead in a trash compactor three days after she went missing . |
Atlanta (CNN) -- Veteran sports broadcaster Jim Huber, a former CNN journalist, died Monday at the age of 67. He was recently diagnosed with acute leukemia.
Huber, who spent more than 27 years with Turner Broadcasting, most recently worked for Turner Sports' TNT network, covering golf and the NBA.
"We are saddened by the passing of our colleague and friend Jim Huber," said David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports for Turner Broadcasting.
Before his move to Turner Sports, Huber was an anchor for CNN/Sports Illustrated, a 24-hour sports news network.
Huber started at CNN in 1984 but began his career in print journalism, covering the NFL at the Miami News, followed by The Atlanta Journal, where he covered the city's professional football and basketball teams.
He was also the author of three books, the most recent published in May. "Four Days in July" follows pro-golfer Tom Watson's improbable run at the 2009 British Open title.
Death of a sports poet
Watson, just shy of his 60th birthday at the time, was eventually beaten in a playoff by fellow American Stewart Cink.
Huber's reporting garnered a number of awards, including an Emmy for his "Olympic Park Bombing" essay and six Sportscaster of the Year awards from The Associated Press.
"Jim's award-winning talent to write, host and moderate was well known -- but his passion for golf, playing, watching and promoting golf was something that the PGA of America and PGA.com will always hold near and dear," PGA.com's John Kim wrote Monday. Huber wrote a weekly column for the Turner Sports website.
Levy called Huber "a gentleman and a wonderful individual," and said he "will be deeply missed."
Huber is survived by his wife, Carol, and son, Matt. | [
"How many books has he written?",
"How many years was he at Turner?",
"What covered Huber recently for TNT?",
"What network did he cover golf for?",
"how long was he with Turner Broadcasting?"
] | [
[
"three"
],
[
"27"
],
[
"golf and the NBA."
],
[
"Turner Sports' TNT"
],
[
"27 years"
]
] | Jim Huber spent more than 27 years with Turner Broadcasting .
Most recently, Huber covered the NBA and golf for TNT .
His awards include an Emmy .
He was also the author of three books . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- A third beluga whale belonging to the world's largest aquarium has died, the Georgia Aquarium announced late Monday. The exact cause of Nico's sudden death on Saturday is inconclusive from the initial necropsy or animal autopsy. The Georgia Aquarium hopes to find out more information in the months ahead from a more detailed necropsy. "As we work with and care for the many animals at the Georgia Aquarium, we become attached emotionally," said Dr. Gregory D. Bossart, chief veterinary officer at the aquarium. "The loss is not unlike that of faithful dog or special horse that has been a part your life for years." Nico died at Sea World in San Antonio, where he and two other beluga whales had been moved temporarily while the Georgia Aquarium is undergoing renovation. Nico was scheduled to return home to Atlanta next month with companions Maris and Natasha. Nico arrived in Atlanta with Gaspar, two whales obtained from a park in Mexico. Both animals suffered "significant health issues" from their times in a foreign park and were essentially "living on borrowed time," said Bossart, who had been caring for the two whales as far as nine years ago, while they were still in Mexico. "We rescued Nico knowing that he had health issues due to his prior home, but we were confident that we could provide a better quality of life for his final years," Bossart said. Gaspar was suffering from a bone disease contracted before arriving at the downtown Atlanta aquarium and was euthanized in January 2007. Another beluga whale, Marina, died 11 months later from complications of old age. Beluga whales or white whales, whose name is derived from a Russian word meaning white, typically live in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions including Canada, Russia, Greenland and the U.S. state of Alaska. They can live up to 35 years. The belugas are not the only high-profile deaths at the Georgia Aquarium, which opened in late 2005. A pair of whale sharks have also died at the eight-million-gallon facility, the only one outside Asia to display the giant fish. CNN's Dave Alsup contributed to this report. | [
"What where the results of the autopsy?",
"What is happening at the Georgia Aquarium?",
"Where in the world did Nico die?"
] | [
[
"inconclusive"
],
[
"undergoing renovation."
],
[
"Atlanta, Georgia"
]
] | After autopsy, the cause of Nico's sudden death Saturday is inconclusive .
Nico died at Sea World in San Antonio, where he was kept temporarily .
The Georgia Aquarium is undergoing renovations, which is why Nico was moved . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- After 2,000 years of Christian prayer, many faithful still don't know how to pray effectively, pastor Daniel Henderson says. "Most Christians pray out of crisis or pray a grocery list," he said, making "God a lifeline of last resort." Henderson teaches that prayer should be about worshipping God, having a one-to-one relationship through prayer. "Every believer wants to be intimate with God and experience his power in a personal way," he said. "Many are hungry to be more effective, because they haven't been taught." Teaching is what sends Henderson across the country. He's on "The Creative Prayer Tour," a series of workshops that will have stopped in 14 cities by year's end. Henderson also is an author and head of a group called Strategic Renewal, based in Forest, Virginia, which aims to strengthen churches through worship-based prayer. The prayer workshop was life-changing, said pastor Jeremy Johnson of Arcade Church in Sacramento, California. Johnson said the training helped turn him from an angry recovering alcoholic to a spiritual life pastor. "It changed my perspective on prayer from being ask, ask, ask to building a relationship with God," Johnson said. "It went from God being a vending machine to actually having a relationship with him, acknowledging who he is as opposed to what he does." Such is the demand for the prayer summits that Henderson speaks at 20 to 30 churches and to as many as 13,000 college students annually, he said. Even pillars of the Christian faith struggle with prayer. "As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear," Mother Teresa told the Rev. Michael Van Der Peet in 1979, expressing her concern about decades seemingly going by without her prayers being answered. Henderson cites The Lord's Prayer in the sixth chapter of the book of Matthew as the blueprint for Christians, containing what could be called the four Rs of prayer. He breaks down the passage this way from the New Living Translation of the Bible: Reverence -- "Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy." Response -- "May your will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven." Requests -- "Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us." Readiness -- "And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one." The Lord's Prayer is a simple invocation that is recited weekly at many Christian churches and comes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, a compilation of his teachings. "It's OK to use a set formula/pattern," according Cyndi McDonald, an associate minister at First United Methodist Church in Marietta, Georgia. "The disciples asked Jesus how to pray, and he gave The Lord's Prayer." No matter how people pray, it's a part of American life, according to a recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The study shows that 75 percent of Americans of all faiths -- including Christians, Jews and Muslims -- report praying at least once a week, while 39 percent attend services weekly. McDonald said the numbers could use some interpreting. "What do they mean by pray? A quick blessing over a meal? An hour spent in solitude?" she asks. For Henderson, the prayer statistics point to a yearning for God. "The hunger is there for a personal faith. It indicates a spiritual hunger that won't be satisfied," he said. "It's a personal thing and very real beyond the walls of church." | [
"What are the four R's?",
"What did the Pastor say?",
"Who said \"Most Christians pray out of crisis or pray a grocery list\"?",
"What does Henderson want to transform?",
"Who seeks to transform how Americans pray?"
] | [
[
"Response"
],
[
"to pray effectively,"
],
[
"Daniel Henderson"
],
[
"prayer"
],
[
"pastor Daniel Henderson"
]
] | Pastor Daniel Henderson: "Most Christians pray out of crisis or pray a grocery list"
His 14-city "Creative Prayer Tour" seeks to transform how Americans pray .
Henderson cites The Lord's Prayer as the blueprint for Christians .
Remember the four R's: Reverence, Response, Requests, Readiness . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- As Christmas season went into full swing this year, Glen Fullmer's 7-year-old son came home from school with an assignment: Make a poster illustrating his family holiday traditions. The boy wasn't sure how to proceed because he and his family are Baha'is, not Christians, and they have no holidays during the Christmas season. Thus, Fullmer encountered the "December Dilemma" -- the term used for the quandaries and anxieties non-Christians and interfaith couples face during Christmas season. Fullmer, a Baha'i faith spokesman who lives in Evanston, Illinois, said he saw the poster assignment as a "teachable moment" for his 4-, 7- and 10-year-old sons who associated holiday traditions with Christmas. He reminded his boys that Baha'is have a gift-giving and charity period in February called Ayyam-i-Ha, a stretch of time not unlike the Christmas season. And he helped his son design the poster about that holiday, which precedes a fasting period and then the Baha'i New Year in March. "His classmates asked him questions about the holiday, and one of his friends came up to him and wants to celebrate that holiday," Fullmer said, pleased that his son's peers helped him reaffirm his identity. Navigating the Christmas season can be a challenge for the millions of people who don't celebrate the holiday. Many acknowledge and sometime embrace the season's customs, such as gift-giving and sending out greeting cards, while at the same time they are conscious of maintaining their own religious identities. "They strongly try to maintain their own integrity, but they really want to find bridges across holidays," said the Rev. Dr. Paul Numrich, a professor at the Theological Consortium of Greater Columbus in Ohio. "I think that's the majority." L.S. Narasimhan, chairman of the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, is a Hindu and doesn't celebrate Christmas. But he said he admires the Christian celebrations of his friends and has attended Christmas Eve services at several churches. "Hindus are typically more open-minded and tolerant. Hinduism is very comfortable in accommodating a diversity of ideas," he said. "It is very common for Hindu families to have Christmas trees at their homes, purely as a fun thing to do for their children. When they visit shopping malls, Hindu parents in general are comfortable with a photo-op for their little kids with Santa." But at the same time, there are pressures about the encroachment of Christianity on Hindu life. "Television commercials, good selection of merchandise and great sale prices persuade Hindu-Americans to take advantage of the shopping spree," Narasimhan said. "Several Hindu temples have risen up to the challenge and added some special Hindu prayers and ceremonies to engage Hindus who are on winter holidays but not on overseas vacations." Dr. Shefali Chheda, an Atlanta-area pediatrician, is a Jain -- practicing a religion with Indian roots. Growing up in Houston, Texas, she said her parents "felt comfortable letting us celebrate Christmas," perhaps to help fit into American society and maintain a sense of normalcy. "The spirit and meaning of Christmas, of helping others and of giving, are nice messages. Therefore, it is hard to consciously object to it," Chheda said. "Jains, as a whole, are a minority in India. Many Jains celebrate Hindu holidays, so celebrating Christmas with Santa and a tree and presents is no different. Since Jains wholeheartedly believe in 'ahimsa' -- peace toward all living beings in thought, word and action -- the Christmas spirit is a very Jain-like philosophy." The religious aspect of Christmas -- believing Jesus is the savior and that December 25 is his birthday -- is not celebrated in Jainism, but the customs and symbols are interwoven into daily life, she said. "Now that I have toddlers in the house, they come home with stories about Christmas. They sing songs about Rudolph and Santa, and Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah. But it's Santa that everyone talks | [
"What season do they embrace?",
"What types of problems do Non-Christians and interfaith couples experience with holidays?",
"Non-Christians and interfaith couples experience anxiety at what time?",
"What do they remain conscious of?",
"For what reason do interfaith couples face anxieties during holidays?",
"What do non christian couples face?"
] | [
[
"Christmas"
],
[
"\"December Dilemma\""
],
[
"Christmas season."
],
[
"maintaining their own religious identities."
],
[
"\"December Dilemma\""
],
[
"\"December Dilemma\""
]
] | Non-Christians and interfaith couples often face quandaries and anxieties during holidays .
Many acknowledge and sometime embrace customs of the Christmas season .
Others remain conscious of maintaining their own religious identities . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- An elections board certified Kasim Reed on Saturday as the winner of the Atlanta mayoral runoff election by a margin of 620 votes. Barry Garner, director of Fulton County's elections board, told CNN on Saturday that former state senator Reed was declared the winner of last Tuesday's runoff election against City Councilwoman Mary Norwood. Garner said Reed received 42,348 votes compared with Norwood's 41,728. Norwood has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to request a recount, Garner said. He said if a recount is requested, it will begin Wednesday morning. In the initial vote among eight contenders, Norwood received 45 percent of the votes to Kasim Reed's 37 percent. Lisa Borders came in a distant third with 14 percent of the vote, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A candidate needs 50 percent plus one vote to avert a runoff. CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report. | [
"By when must Norwood ask for a recount?",
"What election board is Kim Reed the winner of?",
"What is the deadline to ask for recounting?",
"By how much did Reed defeat Norwood?",
"Who won the Atlanta mayoral runoff?",
"How long will Norwood have until Tuesday?",
"Who won for mayor of Atlanta?",
"Who was defeated by 620 votes?"
] | [
[
"has until 5 p.m. Tuesday"
],
[
"Fulton County's"
],
[
"until 5 p.m. Tuesday"
],
[
"a margin of 620 votes."
],
[
"Kasim Reed"
],
[
"5 p.m."
],
[
"Kasim Reed"
],
[
"Mary Norwood."
]
] | Elections board: Kasim Reed is the winner of Atlanta mayoral runoff .
Reed defeated Mary Norwood by 620 votes, elections board director says .
Norwood has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to ask for a recount, elections official says . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- As soon as he heard the news about Haiti's earthquake, Myk Manon began planning to get himself and two fellow power specialists from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association into the heart of the disaster zone.
On January 16, four days after the 7.0-magnitude quake had flattened much of Port-au-Prince and killed more than 200,000 people, the three engineers flew into the Dominican Republic, then drove into Haiti's capital, parked their truck in front of the U.S. Embassy -- where they figured they'd be safe -- and went to sleep.
They would need it -- the city was dark, except for a few lights from private generators, and they knew their expertise would be in demand beginning the next morning.
Here's what they found: All four power plants serving the city were off line; power lines lay on the ground all over the place; the earthquake had tossed 56-ton transformers from their bases. "They literally jumped up 10 inches and tipped over," said Manon, 61, a California native and former Peace Corps volunteer.
After finding $65-per-night rooms in a two-story, wooden hotel that had survived the earthquake, the men set about trying to find out how much of Electricity of Haiti's (EdH) system of substations and generators had also survived.
But they found that the power system had already been in extremis. Before January 12, only 60 percent of Port-au-Prince's 3 million residents had electricity; nationwide, the figure was 40 percent, Manon said.
Many of them were simply stealing it, tapping lines feeding streetlights. Before the quake, the capital had 60,000 paying customers, but there were 150,000 connections to the grid, and the power company was losing $1 million to $2 million per month, he said.
"In Haiti, that's a lot of money," he said.
He credited donations from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for having kept Haiti's lights on. Now, to get them on again, Manon faced the task of replacing thousands of poles, many of which had been crushed by toppling buildings.
Manon and his colleagues, Bud Stanley and Christian Ponce, worked to get live lines to critical sites, like hospitals, water pumping stations and grocery stores.
The men had at their disposal four trucks and 30 EdH workers, some of whom had lost their own families.
As they went to work, the engineers carted what they could from the power company's warehouse, which had been condemned and was to be torn down. But there weren't enough poles, lines and other equipment needed to reilluminate a city the size of Port-au-Prince, he said.
Nor were there any maps that would tell the engineers where the wires went once they left the plant. So they gave their teams GPS units and created the nation's first maps of its electrical grids, Manon said.
The Haitian workers were inventive with the tools they had -- primarily pickup trucks carrying ladders -- but they had a view of safety that concerned their American counterparts.
"Safety is not a primary concern in the Haitian electric sector," Manon said. "It would scare you to death."
Few wore basics, like hard hats, safety goggles or gloves, he said.
Manon recalled a 1970s-vintage Ford truck that had been donated by one of their U.S.-based cooperatives to the Dominican Republic to help restore electricity after Hurricane Georges knocked out power nationwide in 1998. He made a couple of calls and found it sitting in a garage on the Dominican side of the island, paid a mechanic to get it running again, and had it driven to Haiti.
That -- combined with two other trucks from the Dominican Republic and four other Haitian line trucks that "sort of work" and were already in the country -- was it for the specialized equipment needed to make rapid line repairs. The rest of the work is being done by people using pickup trucks and ladders, he said.
They got the first of the capital's four plants back on | [
"How many power lines were off line?",
"How many power plants were offline?",
"When did they fly in?",
"Who was flown to Dominician Republic for days after the quake?",
"What was off line?",
"How many had power before the quake?",
"What percentage of the capital's residents had electricity before the quake?"
] | [
[
"All four"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"January 16,"
],
[
"three engineers"
],
[
"All four power plants serving the city"
],
[
"60 percent of Port-au-Prince's 3 million residents had electricity; nationwide, the figure was 40 percent,"
],
[
"60 percent"
]
] | Engineers fly from U.S. to Dominican Republic 4 days after quake, drive to Haiti .
They find 4 power plants off line, power lines down, 56-ton transformers off their bases .
Before the quake, only 60% of capital's residents had electricity; 40% nationwide .
With scant safety supplies and tools, team and Haitians restore service to 25% of customers . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Bernice King, the youngest child of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., has been elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a spokeswoman for the group said Friday. King, 46, was elected as the SCLC's first female president, said Renee Richardson. King's father was SCLC's first president. The organization was founded in 1957. The other finalist for the post was former Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Wendell Griffen, 57, who lost his recent bid for re-election. Griffen, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, is also pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock. King is a minister at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia. She also is a motivational speaker and author. "It is a destiny call," she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week. "It is part of my father and mother's legacy and a continuation of the legacy he started in the '50s and '60s through this organization. I believe that the hand of God is leading me." Her brother, Martin Luther King III, was president of SCLC from 1997 to 2004. They and sibling Dexter King were locked in a bitter legal battle over their parents' estates until late September, when a judge ordered them to begin negotiations. The three were able to reach a settlement. King succeeds the Rev. Byron Clay, who has been interim president since the Rev. Charles Steele Jr. resigned earlier this year. The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery led the group from 1977 until 1997. The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy was president from 1968 to 1977. Ralph Luker, a retired history professor at Morehouse College and co-editor of the first two volumes of "The Papers of Martin Luther King," says SCLC's challenge going forward is giving the organization a sense of mission. "There's been ... no real vision, and that's a dramatic change from its early years," he said. "For too long it's been a program here, had a cause there, but the group's rationale for being hasn't been clear." The group, which has chapters and affiliates throughout the country, has lobbied extensively on a variety of issues related to civil rights. CNN's Debra Krajnak and Maria White contributed to this report. | [
"Who was the first organisations president?",
"Her father was the organizations first what?",
"Who was Bernice King's father?",
"Who is the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.?",
"Who is the slain civil rights leader?",
"What is Bernice King the first female president of?",
"Who is the youngest daughter of slain civil rights leader?",
"What is she the first female president of?",
"Who was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's first president?"
] | [
[
"King's father"
],
[
"president."
],
[
"Jr.,"
],
[
"Bernice"
],
[
"Martin Luther"
],
[
"Southern Christian Leadership Conference,"
],
[
"Bernice King,"
],
[
"Southern Christian Leadership Conference,"
],
[
"King's father"
]
] | Bernice King is the youngest daughter of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
She is the first female president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference .
Her father was the organization's first president . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Early-morning commuters in much of the Deep South, braced for the possibility of a second round of snow and ice, had an easier-than-expected ride Monday as warmer temperatures kept winter weather at bay.
Most winter weather advisories and warnings were canceled early Monday except for portions of northern Alabama and Georgia at higher elevations. However, the advisories and warnings stretched into Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Forecasters had warned of an additional 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulation in the South on Sunday night into Monday morning. The Deep South had up to 6 inches of snow in some areas Friday.
But "the accumulating snow that was in last night's forecast isn't going to happen," CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said Monday. "It is now too warm."
As of 5:30 a.m. ET, the temperature in Atlanta was 41 degrees, well above the freezing mark, and rain was falling. Forecasters initially had expected the rain to turn into snow after 1 a.m. Monday.
Snow flurries are forecast later Monday as an Arctic front moves through, Morris said, but no accumulation was expected outside mountainous areas. The weather will be "not nearly as bad as what was forecast," CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said.
Hundreds of flights were canceled out of Atlanta in anticipation of the newest round of winter weather.
Delta Air Lines said Sunday that it was canceling 400 flights from early morning through noon Monday, the majority in the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia. AirTran Airways canceled 48 flights scheduled to depart or arrive in Atlanta between 8 and 10 a.m. Monday, and a spokesman said more cancellations were possible.
Beleaguered states in the mid-Atlantic region also may catch a break from the heavy snowfall initially predicted.
A snow emergency set to take effect Monday morning in Washington will not happen. The National Weather Service was forecasting a slight chance of snow before noon, then a mix of rain and snow, with an above-freezing high of 36 degrees.
The area already has shoveled itself out of a season record snowfall of 55.9 inches, according to preliminary National Weather Service estimates.
iReport: Share your pictures and videos
Slick conditions in Kansas on Sunday caused at least two massive pileups, one of which involved as many as 30 vehicles. Video showed cars, vans and trucks sandwiched on a small bridge, with emergency workers climbing over vehicles to reach the injured. The extent of injuries was not immediately known. Portions of Interstates 70 and 35 were closed for hours, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Drivers involved in the I-70 pileup described poor visibility conditions to CNN affiliate KSHB in Kansas City, Missouri.
"It happened too fast," said motorist Sam Skramstad, who was driving home to Colorado. "It was just there and I headed for the guardrail and it didn't move. And then I just kept getting nailed from behind."
He said his wife went to the hospital with chest pains after the crash.
Friday's storm system crawled from Texas to the Atlantic Coast, starting before dawn Thursday and lasting until Saturday morning. During that period, 8.8 inches of snow fell on Harkers Island, North Carolina, according to weather service data.
Other notable snowfall totals include: 14.9 inches in Duncanville, Texas; 6 inches in Belleville, Alabama; 6.1 inches in Shreveport, Louisiana; 8 inches in DeKalb, Mississippi; and 7.3 inches in Columbia, South Carolina.
As of Friday, according to the National Weather Service, 68.1 percent of the United States was covered with snow, compared with 51.2 percent in January. Every state except Hawaii had some snow cover. | [
"What does CNN say is going to happen?",
"What are the conditions about cause in Kansas?",
"What was canceled?",
"Where were most weather advisories not canceled?",
"Where were flights canceled as the system approached?",
"What causes two massive pileups?",
"What did slick conditions in Kansas cause?"
] | [
[
"second round of snow and ice,"
],
[
"Slick"
],
[
"Hundreds of flights"
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"northern Alabama and Georgia"
],
[
"Atlanta"
],
[
"Slick conditions"
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[
"caused at least two massive pileups, one of which involved as many as 30 vehicles."
]
] | NEW: Most weather advisories canceled Monday except higher elevations in Alabama, Georgia .
NEW: CNN meteorologist: "Snow that was in last night's forecast isn't going to happen"
Hundreds of Atlanta flights for Monday were canceled as system approached .
Slick conditions in Kansas cause at least two massive pileups . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- For all the ballyhoo about Black Friday, the crown jewel in the holiday shopping calendar has been something of a bust for retailers. That's led to a shift in how the day is being handled this season.
Historically, nobody outside the retail world was really familiar with the idea behind Black Friday. But sometime in the '90s, it suddenly became the thing to do to camp out overnight the day after Thanksgiving and wait for stores to open with their door-buster deals at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.
But talk about inefficiency. The crowds that waited so long would thin out by 9 a.m., and stores were more like ghost towns the rest of the day. And retailers probably didn't make any money on the stuff they were selling anyway!
Then there have been the actual physical dangers of having large crowds of people mill around and then dash like mad to snatch up deals. During Black Friday 2008, a Wal-Mart employee was actually trampled to death by a mob of shoppers in New York.
All of these factors have prompted retailers to rethink Black Friday. And in a new development, the deals will be available from right now throughout the remainder of the holiday season. No need to freeze your butt off in a long line overnight!
For example, I picked up a laptop at Best Buy for $249 on November 11. It was part of a one-day sale that the electronics retailer held to kick off the holiday shopping season.
You can monitor the best deals out there on any number of Web sites dedicated to Black Friday deals. Some of the ones I've checked in the past have included blackfriday.info, gottadeal.com and bfads.net.
While we're on the topic of holiday shopping, you'll no doubt be asked to buy extended warranties on some of your purchases. I want to reiterate my annual refrain that they aren't necessary and are really just a waste of your money.
Modern electronics seldom fail. In fact, flat-panel LCD and plasma TVs fail at only a 3 percent rate during the first three years of ownership, according to Consumer Reports. Why would anyone buy a warranty when you have a 97 percent chance that your TV will work perfectly for that long?
Yet most people have a strange psychology about what they'll throw their money at. The Journal of Consumer Research found that people are more likely to buy a warranty on something they enjoy than on something they don't. So a business owner may not buy a warranty on operational equipment, but he or she will do so on a big-screen TV!
The reality is that extended warranties have massive costs and just aren't a good investment. For example, The New York Times found one popular Nikon camera where the warranty was 27 percent of the purchase price. For laptops, a warranty can be up to a third of the sale price.
Yet there is a free way to extend a manufacturer's warranty. Many credit card issuers will double the warranty up to one additional year if you use their card to make the purchase.
Now that's the Clark Smart approach to spreading some holiday cheer to your gift recipients and your own wallet! | [
"What is being handled differently this season?",
"What should you monitor on websites?",
"Retailers are rethinking the day because they don't make what?"
] | [
[
"Black Friday,"
],
[
"the best deals out there"
],
[
"money"
]
] | There's a shift in how Black Friday is being handled this season .
Retailers rethink the day since they don't make as much money .
Deals will be available throughout the remainder of the holiday season .
Monitor the best deals out there on any number of Web sites . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Freedom lovers everywhere over a certain age recall the thrilling news 20 years ago that Nelson Mandela had been released from a Cape Town, South Africa, jail.
After 27 years of isolation and hard labor, the world's most famous political prisoner emerged without bitterness, his humanity intact. When asked what he most missed while in prison, Mandela replied that it was hearing the sounds of children laughing.
Now 92 and frail, Mandela has declined to participate in this week's many celebrations in his honor except one: the opening of Parliament and the address to the nation by South African President Jacob Zuma.
As with all things political in this young and often raucous democracy, politicians and pundits are debating whether Mandela should have skipped this event as well. Zuma's last admission of personal misconduct, fathering his 20th child out of wedlock with the daughter of close friend, has become a national scandal and international embarrassment.
Just two years ago, he confessed to having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive family friend, who then accused him of rape. In a country coping with one of the world's highest incidence of HIV/AIDS, and with a strong official commitment to gender equality, many of Mandela's most fervent admirers don't want him seen anywhere near Zuma.
But Mandela went to jail not to demonstrate personal virtue but in a commitment to freedom, equality and the rule of law, which his appearance in Parliament reaffirms. Zuma is the duly elected president of a nation defined by strict allegiance to a democratic constitution.
Zuma has respected the rule of law and shows no inclination to use his huge parliamentary majority to rewrite the constitution for political advantage.
When Mandela was president, he defied his political advisers and voluntarily appeared before a magistrate so a claim of defamation against him could be adjudicated under due process, available to all citizens. Mandela expects no less from his successors; nor should we.
Preventing abuses of power whether by a privileged minority or by an unrestrained majority is a growing challenge for South Africa's fledgling democracy. The electorate is increasingly restive over policies that have failed to reduce chronic unemployment in excess of 25 percent, curb corruption or address extreme economic and social inequities.
Nor have policies been able to adequately overcome the legacy of damage caused by apartheid to family and community values, education and other basic services. The nation is struggling with a lack of respect for authority and the rule of law, especially among a growing number of alienated youth.
South Africa still has many advantages, including an economy larger than the combined gross domestic products of the rest of sub-Saharan Africa minus Nigeria, and it draws talent and strength from immigrants and political refugees who have created what Kenyan political scientist Ali Mazrui calls "the world's second global nation after the United States."
At issue is whether South Africans can uphold the minimum of shared values necessary for sustaining peace and allowing a decent society to flourish.
Mandela must continue to embody the roles for South Africans that Washington, Lincoln and King serve in protecting and advancing democracy in America. And like them, Mandela's example inspires others and has become a global public good.
President Obama recalls in "Dreams from My Father" how South Africa awakened his interest in politics as a young college student, provoking him to address a public rally for the first time and to describe events there as "a struggle that demands we choose sides. Not between black and white. Not between rich and poor. No, it's a harder choice ... between fairness and injustice. Between commitment and indifference, a choice between right and wrong..."
Mandela rarely talks about his own character but in his autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom," says he credits any success he has achieved to a trait inherited from his father, "a stubborn sense of fairness." It is an ideal few have upheld to Mandela's standard -- but one we should all seek to emulate.
The opinions in this commentary are solely those of John Stremlau. | [
"When was Mandela released?"
] | [
[
"years ago"
]
] | John Stremlau: 20 years ago today, Nelson Mandela was released from Cape Town jail .
Stremlau: After 27 years, Mandela emerged "without bitterness, his humanity intact"
Mandela maintains commitment to democracy, freedom and rule of law, he writes .
Mandela is inspiration in troubled nation that desperately needs it, Stremlau says . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Health officials on Friday reported a slight decrease in H1N1 flu activity nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 43 states now have widespread flu activity, compared with 46 states last week and 48 states at the beginning of November. "It's still much greater than we would ever see at this time of year," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a news conference. Schuchat added that while some parts of the country are seeing a small decline in flu cases, other areas, including Maine and Hawaii, have seen a bit of a surge. It's too early to know if the worst is over in terms of the flu season, she said. "Even though we saw a little bit of a decrease this week, it is still higher than the peak activity in many years," she said. Flu season doesn't usually start until December. But when the H1N1 virus emerged in April, the spread of the flu never stopped, effectively stretching last year's flu season into the new one. The CDC also said 21 more deaths from H1N1 in children were reported in the past week, bringing the official toll of confirmed pediatric H1N1 deaths in the United States to 171. Schuchat said the number doesn't reflect the true picture. "We believe the estimates we provided last week give a better picture of the full toll that the virus has taken in the first six months of the pandemic," she said. Last week the CDC reported that it estimated 540 children had died from complications of this flu virus so far. In an effort to limit further spread of the virus as millions of Americans begin traveling for the holidays, the CDC has launched a public awareness campaign. Schuchat urged everyone to take simple precautions. "Travel only when you are well," she told reporters. "Wash your hands often. ... Cover your cough and sneeze with tissues or with your sleeve. ... And get vaccinated against flu, particularly if you're in a targeted population." Watch why Santa wants a flu shot More people will be able to get vaccinated, according to the CDC, because more vaccine continues to be available. States have been able to order a total of 54.1 million doses of H1N1 vaccine so far, Schuchat said. "That number is 11 million doses more than we were at a week ago." In response to a report from Norway that a couple of people died from a mutated form of the H1N1 virus, Schuchat said the CDC is aware that the mutated form had been identified, but that H1N1 vaccine and antiviral medications still are effective against H1N1. Some cases of H1N1 that show resistance to the antiviral Tamiflu have been identified in North Carolina and Wales. But Schuchat said Tamiflu-resistant influenza viruses have been "quite rare" so far. Tamiflu doesn't cure the flu, but can reduce symptom severity and duration of illness by about a day if taken within the first day or two of getting sick. | [
"States have ordered what amount of doses?",
"What does the CDC caution?"
] | [
[
"54.1 million"
],
[
"\"Travel only when you are well,\""
]
] | 43 states have widespread flu activity compared with 48 at beginning of month .
Prevalence still higher than the peak activity in recent years, CDC says .
So far, states have been able to order 54.1 million doses, 11 million more than a week ago .
CDC cautions against traveling if you're sick; suggests getting vaccine, sneezing into sleeve . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- In an attempt to re-create the experience of a manned mission to Mars, an international team of researchers will lock themselves up in a windowless capsule for about a year and a half -- time required for a round trip to the Red Planet.
Starting Thursday, an all-male "crew" of six -- three Russians, a Frenchman, an Italian-Colombian and a Chinese -- will spend 520 days in the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of a special facility in Moscow and will follow a strict regimen of exercise and diet.
Organizers at the European Space Agency and Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems hope the project will shed light on the physical and psychological effects of the long isolation that future Mars astronauts will experience.
"This study is not useful only for Mars, but also for life on Earth," 27-year-old Diego Urbina, the Italian-Colombian participant, said in a news release.
The researchers will communicate with mission control via the internet, with occasional disruptions and a 20-minute delay to imitate the effects of space travel.
They will perform tasks similar to astronauts at the international space station, such as maintenance and scientific experiments, but for a longer period of time. They will follow a seven-day week with two days off, except when special and emergency situations are simulated.
The latest isolation test is the last and longest part of the Mars500 experiment that began in 2007. The first phase was a 14-day simulation that mainly tested the facilities and operational procedures. The second phase followed in 2009, when four Russian and two European crew members were shut into the facility for 105 days.
Missions to the Red Planet have thus far been unmanned. In January, NASA told CNN Radio that the agency was close to a deal to merge its Mars program with the European Space Agency's, a big step toward manned missions.
In the meantime, NASA is preparing for the launch of its newest robotic space exploration vehicle, the Mars Science Laboratory, late next year. It weighs roughly one metric ton and is about the size of a small automobile. | [
"How many men will be in the facility?",
"organizers hope project will do what?",
"How many men will be in the special facility in Moscow?",
"What will the project shed light on?",
"how long will mars500 be locked up?",
"Who will be locked up in a windowless capsule for about a year and a half?",
"What is the purpose of their mission?",
"How long will the team be in a capsule?",
"How many people will be in it?"
] | [
[
"six"
],
[
"shed light on the physical and psychological effects of the long isolation that future Mars astronauts"
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[
"six"
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[
"experience."
],
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"international team of researchers"
],
[
"re-create the experience of a manned"
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[
"for about a year and a half"
],
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"six"
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] | Mars500 team to be locked up in a windowless capsule for about a year and a half .
Six men to be in cramped, claustrophobic conditions in a special facility in Moscow .
They'll talk to mission control via internet, do tasks similar to space station astronauts .
Organizers hope project will shed light on psychological, physical effects of Mars mission . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- In some parts of the South, Friday's rare snowfall didn't pack the punch anticipated, but it still forced the closure of schools and the cancellation of flights.
Cities put emergency crews to work throughout much of the region while state offices and schools were shut down.
An estimated 8 inches fell in De Kalb in eastern Mississippi, while 200 miles south in metro Biloxi, snow fell but didn't stick, the National Weather Service reported.
"We had flurries for about five minutes where I am, that's it," said John DeMiller, owner of the Petit Bois Grocery in Biloxi.
DeMiller's 10th-grade daughter stayed home from school Friday after the Mississippi Department of Education closed all schools due to inclement weather. DeMiller hadn't expected much snow, and when schools were closed in his town without accumulations, he was flabbergasted.
"I'm going, 'they just lost their mind,' " he said.
Share your winter weather photos, stories
Just north of metro Biloxi, though, 1-2 inches fell and black ice could pose a problem as wind chills drop, National Weather Service forecaster Phil Grigsby said.
Officials in Georgia were bracing for enough snow to paralyze parts of the state.
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which canceled hundreds of flights, had reported 4 inches of snow, National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Darbe said. Numerous accidents have been attributed to the dangerous conditions, he said.
Temperatures were to fall to the mid- to upper-20s in the Atlanta area after the snow tapered off sometime between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, he said. Traffic accidents were expected to increase as slush turned to ice late Friday, he said.
The clear skies already over parts of western Alabama are expected to move into Georgia later this weekend, Darbe said.
In Louisiana, Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis announced state government offices were closed in 42 parishes.
Earlier in the day, iReporter Susan Sharman in Bastrop, Louisiana, said she couldn't believe snow was falling over her town.
"I haven't seen snow like this in Bastrop in over eight years," she said.
Metro Baton Rouge, Louisiana, saw about an inch of snow on its streets, while the rest of the area got 1 to 3 inches, Grigsby said.
But Mardi Gras revelers don't have much to worry about. The very early morning snow shouldn't interfere with parades Friday evening, he said. Windchills in the 30s, however, mean paradegoers need to bundle up before the fun. Drivers should also be wary of any black ice that may form on bridges and overpasses, he said.
Yasamie Richardson of Alabama Emergency Management said conditions could be "very, very dangerous," in her state and the likelihood of power outages was "very great." She said authorities were encouraging people to prepare for the possibility of losing electricity.
"My husband and I haven't seen snow since we were stationed in Massachusetts and my children have never seen it," Sara Johnson in Wilmer, Alabama, said in a CNN iReport as the first flakes began to fall Friday morning.
The weather system pounded parts of Texas on Thursday, leaving a record 12.5 inches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The National Weather Service said the 24-hour total in the area topped the previous record of 12.1 inches set in 1964.
"For the DFW Metroplex this is amazing," said iReporter Brent Dow.
See Dow's photo of a Texas-size snowman
West of Dallas, in Irving, Texas, Michael Whiteside was awakened at 2:45 a.m. Friday "to the sound of my patio roof collapsing from the weight" of the snow, he said in a CNN iReport.
At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where American and American Eagle canceled about 230 flights, officials were working to ramp up departures Friday. An Airport spokesman said Friday afternoon that most flights were running on time.
There was some relief in sight for the South. Warmer weather was melting the snow Friday in Dallas, and | [
"How much snow did Dallas-Fort Worth get?",
"How many inches of snow did Dallas-Fort Worth get?",
"Is there snow in Atlanta?"
] | [
[
"12.5 inches"
],
[
"12.5"
],
[
"4 inches of"
]
] | NEW: Caution advised overnight because lower temperatures may freeze roads .
"This is amazing," CNN iReporter says of snowfall in Dallas-Fort Worth area .
Flights canceled in Atlanta; Dallas-Fort Worth gets 12.5'' of snow, a 24-hour record .
Are you snowed in? Send us your iReports to tell how you're staying warm and digging out . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Jennifer Thomas was looking at life with renewed energy: She had just survived a serious operation, and she was at a crossroads in her career.
After 20 years as a producer in the stressful business of TV news, the challenge wasn't there for her anymore. For eight weeks, as she recovered from the removal of a large noncancerous tumor from her uterus, Thomas thought about her next steps.
"I told myself I was going to work to do the things that I enjoy, things that are related to the news," she said. Thomas had recently conducted news production workshops for kids, so she already knew that she "loved people and talking to people about the news. That made me start thinking that if I could do it all the time and get paid for it, I'd really enjoy it."
Within a year, Thomas had left her job at CNN's HLN network to start a Georgia-based media consulting business with clients such as singer/actress Jennifer Holliday, former Bell Biv DeVoe singer Ron DeVoe, actor Boris Kodjoe, actress Nicole Ari Parker and former supermodel Beverly Johnson.
During her journey, Thomas learned that working for yourself often requires scary first steps, generous friends and mentors, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
She's the first to say that her story is not typical in any way, as she seemed to meet good luck at every turn.
After her surgery, Thomas, who also had worked at CNN and NBC, began saving money and planning her business. As if on cue, HLN offered her a buyout to leave the company as part of a downsizing.
"It was my light bulb 'a-ha' moment," Thomas said. "I was excited because in the back of my mind, it was what I had been praying for."
An opportunity to write a blog for a popular local women's magazine got her some local attention. A journalist friend e-mailed Thomas, saying that he had connected with Johnson and suggesting that they meet.
"She called out of the blue," Thomas said. " 'Hi, Jennifer! It's Beverly -- the model!' I was shocked."
Johnson needed no introduction. Thomas was very familiar with the first African-American model to win a cover on American Vogue magazine. In that year, 1974, Thomas said Johnson's beauty and status spoke volumes to her as a role model.
"When she called, I was like, 'shut up!' We were all like, 'no way!' I didn't think anything would come from it, but eventually, she said she would love to be my client."
Thomas made short work of helping Johnson successfully pitch her women's health campaign to CNN, NBC and ABC.
"It was huge for me," Thomas said. "It showed me that the skills I may have taken for granted were very valuable to others. Here I was doing what just came natural to me -- working with the media -- and I'm helping an iconic figure. It gave me such a feeling of gratification, and it gave me so much more confidence."
But snagging Johnson as her first client wasn't easy. She had to start with smaller steps -- and the first step was a doozy: dealing with the fear.
"For me, it was fear of failure," she said. "Anyone who has worked with me knows I am driven to succeed, and failure is not an option."
"But I'm a woman of faith," said Thomas, a preacher's daughter with strong ties to her church. "Friends told me that 'faith will give you the wings to fly when you jump off that cliff.' "
One way new consultants can boost their confidence is by compiling a list of experience and skills they've gained during the past five years -- including successful projects, implementations and innovations. Experts recommend referring to that list whenever confidence dips.
Thomas said | [
"Any other clients?",
"What is the name of the journalist launching a consulting business?",
"Who does her client list include?"
] | [
[
"Boris Kodjoe,"
],
[
"Jennifer Thomas"
],
[
"singer/actress Jennifer Holliday, former Bell Biv DeVoe singer Ron DeVoe,"
]
] | Journalist leaves TV to launch consulting business .
Clients include Beverly Johnson, Boris Kodjoe, Nicole Ari Parker, Ron DeVoe, Jennifer Holliday .
Her tips: Love your work, save money, find mentors, set goals, take breaks .
Expert: Unemployment has increased number of less-than-qualified consultants . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Kevin Garibo hasn't known life outside a hospital. Born three months ago with respiratory issues, he needed a procedure to breathe on his own. Nurses prod at him, medical machines hum around him and tubes are more present than teddy bears. But in the arms of Chris Haack, who strokes his cheek and speaks in a soft whisper while rocking him in a chair, little Kevin is one blissed-out baby. Haack, a retired nurse from Roswell, Georgia, is a trained volunteer with "Baby Buddies," a program in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. As nurses race around administering medical care, she can comfort the tiny patients and stand in for parents who can't be there all the time to give the positive attention -- not the attention associated with pain or discomfort -- that is key to a baby's development and integral in forming trust. "They need to be touched, they need to be loved, and that face -- that's why I do it," Haack says, peering down with a smile at Kevin, whose eyes are locked on hers. "I get more out of it than I probably give." Studies show that giving, which extends beyond packages wrapped in ribbons, does a person good. In this holiday season, CNN introduces with this story a special series we're calling "Giving in Focus: The 12 Days of Goodness," in which we'll highlight acts of kindness and generosity that we hope will inspire. Has someone done a good deed for you? Share your story One person who can attest to the power of giving is Cami Walker, a 36-year-old woman who received a prescription to give when her multiple sclerosis, a diagnosis she got at age 33, left her a physical and emotional wreck. She could barely get out of bed, and yet Mbali Creazzo, a friend and spiritual mentor, single-handedly killed Walker's pity party. She said, "'Cami, you really need to stop thinking about yourself. ... You're feeding this disease,'" Walker remembers. "She said, 'I have a prescription for you. Give away 29 gifts in 29 days.' " Creazzo, a South African born medicine woman who lives in Oakland, California, explained that the idea, rooted in indigenous practices, was taught to her, although the number of days prescribed may have been different. "Altruism has been going on for thousands of years," said Creazzo, 58. "Why it's so powerful at this moment is because of what's happening in the world today. People are looking for that place inside of them where they are of some use." Walker, who lives in Hollywood, California, dismissed Creazzo's suggestion at first but came back to it when she realized she had nothing to lose by trying. What followed made her a convert to the idea. Whether she simply called a friend to offer support or bought iced-tea for a homeless guy on a hot day, the simple actions made a difference. She said her mood lifted, her ability to get around improved and the progression of the disease stopped. "I don't see it as a cure. I still have MS," said Walker, who went on to write the best-seller "29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life" and create an online community at 29gifts.org, where Creazzo is also involved. "I really don't think about the limitations of my disease. I wake up more focused on what I'm capable of." A long list of scientific and widely accepted studies point to the benefits a giver gets, said Stephen Post, author of "Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life by the Simple Act of Giving." One study looked at preteens who'd first been surveyed in the 1920s in Berkeley, California. Those who displayed generosity and a giving attitude grew up to have lower rates of heart | [
"what can Ripple effect of giving affect?",
"What does author say?",
"how many days of giving made MS more bearable for author?",
"What do studies show?"
] | [
[
"Your Life\""
],
[
"A long list of scientific and widely accepted studies point to the benefits a giver gets,"
],
[
"29"
],
[
"that giving, which extends beyond packages wrapped in ribbons, does a person good."
]
] | Nurturing hospitalized babies serves patients as well as volunteers .
Author says 29 days of giving changed her life, made MS more bearable .
Scientific studies show physical and mental benefits of giving attitudes .
Ripple effect of giving can affect individuals, communities and world . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Love it or hate it, the Hummer came to symbolize American might over the years -- tires the size of Texas, a chrome grill that looked primed to eat up wimpy cars in its path, and its drivers with egos to match their mammoth-mobiles.
But the iconic vehicle -- a symbol for macho men like Arnold Schwarzenegger and ridiculed worldwide by environmentalists -- is headed toward the auto graveyard.
General Motors last week announced the likely end of the Hummer after a deal with a Chinese automaker fell through. The news thrilled many who have protested the guzzler for years: Good riddance!
But for Hummer owners, the reaction remains mixed. Most mourn the impending death of their beloved behemoths but celebrate the fact that the Hummer won't be outsourced to China: Whose harebrained idea was that anyway?! Ain't no Hummer meant to be made in China!
Owners are hoping for a last-minute buyer to emerge before the Hummer joins the maligned Pinto in the scrapyard. GM has said it is trying to salvage the Hummer, setting May 1 as a deadline for other possible deals to be made.
A single sticky note, left on Russ Builta's 2005 Hummer, sums up the emotion stirred by the super-sized SUVs. "You are polluting our air and abusing our national resources," the unsigned note said. "And all because of greed and selfishness. You should be very ashamed of yourself."
Builta, who served in the Marine Corps, still gets mad: "It was not even on recycled paper!"
Builta installed a supercharger that gave his Hummer a whopping 600 horsepower. When he really mashed the pedal, it got 1 mile per gallon. "It would just move," he told CNN iReport.
Check out Builta's mega-ride
After the HMMWV rolled off the AM General assembly line in Indiana on January 2, 1985, it represented a new breed of American military might and toughness.
In 1992, production of the civilian Hummer began, instantly creating a fraternity among owners of the SUV-on-growth hormone. They exchange photos of their trucks, chat over the Internet and plan for their next muddin' sessions.
They laugh at tree huggers who give them the finger as they cruise down the road.
"I hate to see it die," says iReporter Michael Tawdy of Tennessee, who owns a 2006 H3. "You can go anywhere you want."
Hummer: What might have been
The Hummer even shares its name with a sexual term. How many cars can stake that claim? And the vehicle became fodder for late-night comedians and Internet jokes.
"You might be driving a Hummer," says one joke on a Web site devoted to the vehicle, "if you can't reach far enough to slap the person sitting in the passenger seat."
The grass-roots social justice group CodePink created an anti-Hummer campaign during the height of the Bush administration, including a Top Ten Reasons Not To Buy A Hummer. At the top of the list: "The Gas Mileage Alone Will Kill You."
Billy Paniaha of North Carolina gets speechless when talking about his chrome-and-gray-mobile. "I love my Hummer," he told iReport.
In one photo, he's leaning against his mud-caked Hummer, which looks like it just wallowed in a pigpen. "Trust me, these tree huggers in their Priuses. ... If a Prius hits me, I won't get hurt. They will."
Paniaha hot-dogs in mud
Raymond Winbush isn't your ordinary Hummer owner. A lover of his giant SUV, he also owns -- are you ready for this? -- a Toyota Prius.
"People think I'm kidding when I say I have both cars, but I do," said Winbush, an author and the director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University.
"If you combine my carbon footprint ... I don't feel real guilty about it."
A resident | [
"What did the sticky note left on Hummer say?",
"who came to define machismo in America",
"Who came to defime machismo in America?",
"What was written in the sticky note?"
] | [
[
"\"You are polluting our air and abusing our national resources,\""
],
[
"Hummer"
],
[
"the Hummer"
],
[
"\"And all because of greed and selfishness. You should be very ashamed of yourself.\""
]
] | Hummer came to define machismo in America .
"You should be very ashamed of yourself," sticky note left on Hummer said .
Hummer owners rally behind their beloved behemoths . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Photos of the nude and decapitated body of a murdered hiker, sought by a writer on assignment for Hustler magazine, will not be released, a judge in Georgia ordered Wednesday.
The decision came as state lawmakers considered legislation that would ban public release of graphic photos of crime victims. First Amendment lawyers say the legislation could have a chilling effect on open records requests.
DeKalb Superior Court Judge Daniel Coursey issued a temporary order restraining the Georgia Bureau of Investigation from releasing "any and all photographs, visual images or depictions of Meredith Emerson which show Emerson in an unclothed or dismembered state.
Emerson's family sought the order after learning of the request for copies of crime scene photos of the 24-year-old, attorney Lindsay Haigh said. Emerson's admitted killer, Gary Michael Hilton, received a life sentence in exchange for leading investigators to her body in the north Georgia mountains on January 7, 2008, six days after Emerson disappeared.
The judge's order came on the same day the Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously passed "The Meredith Emerson Memorial Privacy Act," which would prevent gruesome crime scene photos from being publicly released or disseminated, according to Rep. Jill Chambers, the bill's principal sponsor.
House Bill 1322 would prevent the release of photographs of the bodies of crime victims that are "nude, bruised, bloodied or in a broken state with open wounds, a state of dismemberment or decapitation," said Chambers.
"We have to walk the line between open record laws and the constitutional provisions that allow women to be able to be photographed nude or in pornography when they knowingly and willingly offer their bodies for dissemination," she said.
"Meredith isn't in a position to give that kind of permission to have her exploited in that kind of venue," Chambers said. "We're not only protecting future victims of crime, we're protecting the integrity of what happened to Meredith."
The bill allows credentialed journalists, lawyers and law enforcement to view such photographs at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's headquarters, Chambers said, but not make copies of them.
Hustler did not respond to a request for comment on the judge's ruling except to say that it is exploring its legal options.
"Hustler is aware of the GBI's refusal to honor its reporter's request for copies of the Emerson crime scenes photos, which were to be used in a news story about this crime. Hustler and Mr. Flynt disagree with the GBI's position, and are currently exploring all legal options available to them should the decision be made to go forward with the story," the company said in an e-mail.
Members of the state Legislature were quick to condemn the request.
"I think that the request is sickening, disgusting, vile and I think it's very, very hurtful for this family," House Speaker David Ralston said in a Monday press conference.
Current statute prevents the release of autopsy photos without the permission of next of kin, but a "gray area" in the law left open the question of whether crime scene photos could be released, Ralston said.
"I am a big proponent of open government. This goes against the grain for me. But in this case, when you have these kind of photographs that depict victims of crime where there may have been sexual assault or mutilation of the body, I just think it goes beyond the pale," he said. "We're going to narrow it to those situations so we don't have this kind of situation again where we pause and wonder is this something we have to release or not."
"Meredith was a daughter, a friend and a mentor to many. She lived life to its fullest and was taken from us deliberately and maliciously," her family said on www.righttohikeinc.com, the charity Web site established in Emerson's memory.
"Her family and friends live everyday with this tragedy and to know that the possibility of any images, other than those that portray the beautiful, young woman we knew, could be disclosed to the public or may | [
"What type of photos did the reporter seek to find?",
"who blocks release of photos",
"What magazine does the reporter work for?",
"What did the house panel OK?"
] | [
[
"nude and decapitated body of a murdered hiker,"
],
[
"DeKalb Superior Court Judge Daniel Coursey"
],
[
"Hustler"
],
[
"\"The Meredith Emerson Memorial Privacy Act,\""
]
] | Judge blocks release of photos of Meredith Emerson "unclothed or dismembered"
Hustler magazine reporter seeks crime scene photos of Emerson's body .
House panel OKs measure preventing release of gruesome crime scene photos .
Hustler says it is reviewing its legal options . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Snow and ice dealt a major blow to U.S. air travel Thursday, while much of the nation shivered from record low temperatures. At least 400 flights at Chicago, Illinois', O'Hare International Airport were canceled. Arriving flights were being delayed an average of 45 minutes and outgoing flights about 30 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Chicago's Midway Airport and Newark International Airport in New Jersey also reported delays. Those bottlenecks were affecting flights at many other international airports. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service was keeping an eye on a dangerous mix of ice and snow expected in the Southeast, where temperatures have dipped between 10 to 35 degrees below normal for the past two weeks, said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines offered to issue winter weather travel waivers to Delta and Northwest passengers on flights to, from or through five states. Travelers can change their schedule without fees until Saturday if their routes include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi or Tennessee. The arctic blast that began last weekend has been blamed for at least seven deaths across the nation. Share your photos, video of winter weather Record-breaking lows were forecast for two-thirds of the country, for most areas east of the Rockies. For some regions, even lower temperatures are on tap through the weekend, forecasters said. "But the brunt of the cold air will ride down the Mississippi River," said CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano, reporting from Memphis, Tennessee. Marciano said temperatures have been the lowest there in more than a decade. "You have people not used to this weather, and homes are not built for this weather. Yesterday alone, the city [Memphis] went around to turn on the heat for homes when people have not been able to pay [their utility bills]." Alabama issued a warning to drivers Thursday night, urging them to stay off icy roads as driving conditions were "becoming dangerous" with numerous accidents reported. Trooper Curtis Summerville with the Alabama State Patrol said the biggest problem on the roads was black ice on overpasses and bridges. But, he said football was helping keep people at home as University of Alabama fans cheered on their team in the National Championship Game against the University of Texas. A wind chill advisory was in effect until Friday in Arkansas, where readings were expected to drop below zero with winds of over 30 mph. A dusting of snow in Atlanta on Thursday night left roads slick after two weeks of below normal temperatures. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers noted that it was warmer in Fairbanks, Alaska, than it was in Atlanta on Thursday morning, calling the cold front sweeping the nation one that "we probably haven't seen for 15 years." 29-car pileup near Atlanta airport In the Deep South, Florida was under a state of emergency because of the threat to the state's lucrative citrus and vegetable industries. Gov. Charlie Crist issued an order Tuesday aimed at helping farmers salvage what they can by lifting weight limits on trucks so already-harvested crops can more easily reach markets. Also suffering in the cold: sea turtles. Florida Fish & Wildlife officers have rescued 120 sea turtles after water temperatures in the 40s shocked their tropically inclined systems, according to CNN affiliate WPBF. "Their bodies are shutting down because they're too cold," Karrie Minch of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge told WPBF. "If we don't rescue them, they'll end up expiring." Elsewhere Thursday, the high in Bismarck, North Dakota, was around 11 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of minus 35. Forecasters said the wind chill could dip to 52 degrees below zero overnight. Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were forecast Thursday for the upper Plains to the Northeast and as far south as Kentucky and Tennessee. Up to 7 inches fell in parts of Illinois. School districts in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, called off classes Thursday and city governments reported burning through their entire snow removal budgets with a full two months of winter left. Jeras said the long stretch | [
"how many deaths have occured during the cold weather",
"How many deaths were attributed to deep freeze?",
"How many flights were cancelled at Chicago O'Hare International Airport?",
"What is the cause of the at least 7 deaths in some areas?",
"Approximately how many flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport were canceled?",
"how many flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport were canceled",
"In which city do the city officials turn on heat for those who can't pay utility bills?"
] | [
[
"seven"
],
[
"seven"
],
[
"least 400"
],
[
"The arctic blast"
],
[
"At least 400 flights at Chicago, Illinois', O'Hare International Airport were canceled."
],
[
"least 400"
],
[
"[Memphis]"
]
] | About 400 flights at Chicago O'Hare International Airport canceled .
Expected high in Bismarck, North Dakota, minus 11, wind chill as low as minus 35 .
At least 7 deaths attributed to deep freeze, which is reaching record lows in some areas .
In Memphis, Tennessee, city officials turn on heat for those who can't pay utility bills . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Some southern states were getting a second round of unseasonal snow Tuesday, prompting airlines to cancel flights and schools to close for the day.
Parts of several southern states remained under a winter storm warning Tuesday, as a developing low-pressure system threatened to spread snow and rain across portions of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and the Carolinas, the National Weather Service said.
Snow fell north and west of metro Atlanta, Georgia, although the city, with a temperature hovering just above freezing, saw mostly rain.
The weather prompted schools in several northern Georgia counties to close, according to CNN affiliates.
Airlines also canceled flights. AirTran Airways has canceled 69 flights in and out of Atlanta, and is expected to cancel more this afternoon, spokesman Christopher White said.
"Should the [weather] event continue into the evening, there is a possibility of many more cancellations," he said. He said the airline is offering free rebooking and changes for anyone traveling to or from Atlanta.
Delta Airlines said it has made about 250 cancellations for flights leaving Atlanta. "Depending on the severity of the storm some additional thinning may be necessary," spokesman Anthony Black said.
The airline is offering to reschedule Tuesday travel plans for those concerned about the weather, at no fee. Customers will have to pay any increase in fares, according to the Web site.
The National Weather Service said snow will continue Tuesday afternoon across northeast Georgia and the western half of upstate South Carolina, although it will taper off later.
Total snowfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are expected, mainly in areas along and north of I-85.
The same amount of snow is expected from Shelby, North Carolina to Gaffney and Union in South Carolina, the National Weather Service said.
Snow is also possible in Tennessee, Kentucky and northern Alabama, it said.
CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report. | [
"How many flights did Delta Air Lines cancel on Tuesday?",
"Who canceled 250 flights Tuesday?",
"What was issued for the Southeast?",
"Who canceled 69 flights for Tuesday?",
"What cities in and out flights were cancelled?",
"Where were storm warnings issued?",
"Which airline cancelled 69 flights?",
"How many flights did AirTran Airways cancel on Tuesday?"
] | [
[
"250"
],
[
"Delta Airlines"
],
[
"winter storm warning"
],
[
"AirTran Airways"
],
[
"Atlanta,"
],
[
"southern states"
],
[
"AirTran Airways"
],
[
"69"
]
] | Storm warnings and winter weather advisories issued for the Southeast .
AirTran Airways has canceled 69 flights into and out of Atlanta for Tuesday .
Delta Air Lines cancelled about 250 flights Tuesday . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Staring at the throngs of media representatives who came out to hear and see her Friday, Jessica Colotl took another step into the fight for her future.
The undocumented student from Mexico whose case has become a lightning rod in the immigration debate had been released on $2,500 bond just a couple hours earlier. The 21-year-old student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia surrendered Friday morning to authorities in response to a warrant for her arrest issued Wednesday night by the Cobb County Sheriff's Office.
Standing nervously before the crowd, Colotl fought back tears when people cheered for her. The media bombarded her with questions as she tried to give voice to her struggle.
Just a week earlier, she'd been released from a deportation facility in Alabama after being stopped in March for a minor traffic violation.
"If I were to be deported, I'd have to start all over again," she said. "I'm hoping for the best."
The sheriff's office said she gave a false address when stopped for that violation, a felony charge that her attorney denies.
A spotlight has been trained on Arizona since Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law a bill that requires law enforcement officials to seek proof of legal U.S. residency from anyone whom they have stopped on suspicion of having violated the law.
But advocates working with Colotl point out that a little-understood program already gives local authorities in many states the latitude to act as immigration officials -- a right that is often abused, they say.
"The future of Arizona already exists in Cobb County and Gwinnett County [also in Georgia]," said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.
Near him were other Colotl supporters, some holding signs reading "Education not deportation."
Under the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) program, state and local law enforcement can partner with the federal agency to gain some immigration enforcement authority in their own jurisdictions. If they conclude that someone is in the country illegally, they can turn that person over to ICE. Last year, a change to the partnership program prioritized the detention and arrest of those who have allegedly committed crimes.
The Cobb County Sheriff's Office is one of 71 law enforcement agencies in 26 states that have entered into this partnership program, according to the ICE website.
Labeling the program a "civil rights disaster," Mary Bauer, legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said it "leads to racial profiling, distracts police from looking for real criminals and destroys families."
The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia called Friday for an end to the program.
"Jessica's case is yet another outrageous example of the unaccountable local enforcement of immigration laws in Cobb County gone awry," said Azadeh Shahshahani, ACLU of Georgia's national security/immigrants' rights project director.
Colotl's legal problems started in late March when her car was stopped on the Kennesaw State campus. Born in Mexico but living in the United States since she was 11, she could not produce a driver's license, so she handed over as identification an expired passport from Mexico.
She was arrested the next day and turned over to immigration officials. She spent more than a month in the Etowah Detention Center in Alabama.
Friends came out in force and marched on campus in her defense. Earlier this month, she was released, and her deportation was deferred for a year, which will allow her to finish her studies. She hasn't returned to classes yet, but looks forward to earning her degree.
"I'm just trying to live the American dream and finish my education," she said.
Calling Colotl "a symbol of what's wrong with the immigration system," immigration attorney Charles Kuck thanked ICE for allowing his client to stay in the country for a year to finish her studies. He then set out to educate people about the challenges facing Colotl, providing a reason why she did not have a license.
"Jessica can't start the process to become a U.S. citizen because she | [
"What is the name of the undocumented immigrant?",
"How long has Colotl been in the US?",
"When did Colotl come to the US?",
"who was arrested?",
"what the name of the university were she studies?",
"Who is Jessica Colotl?",
"What did Colotl say?",
"what does colotl say?"
] | [
[
"Jessica Colotl"
],
[
"since she was 11,"
],
[
"since she was 11,"
],
[
"Jessica Colotl"
],
[
"Kennesaw State"
],
[
"undocumented student from Mexico"
],
[
"\"If I were to be deported, I'd have to start all over again,\""
],
[
"\"If I were to be deported, I'd have to start all over again,\""
]
] | Jessica Colotl, an undocumented immigrant, was arrested, detained after traffic violation .
In U.S. since she was 11, she is close to graduation from her university in Georgia .
"I'm just trying to live the American dream and finish my education," says Colotl .
Advocates and lawyers for Colotl liken case to "witch hunt" and say system is flawed . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how an international flight into Atlanta's major airport landed on a taxiway instead of a runway early Monday. FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said Delta Flight 60, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, was cleared to land about 6:05 a.m. Monday on Runway 27R but landed instead on Taxiway M, which runs parallel to the runway. The flight had 194 passengers and crew aboard, according to CNN affiliate WXIA. No other aircraft were on the taxiway, and there was no damage to either the taxiway or the plane, a Boeing 767, Bergen said. A runway or taxiway collision, particularly with one plane preparing to take off and carrying a full fuel load, would be catastrophic. Bergen said she isn't sure whether or when other aircraft have ever landed on the taxiway at Hartsfield. Both Runway 27R and Taxiway M are 11,890 feet long, Bergen said, but the runway is marked with white lights while the taxiway is marked with blue lights. Delta spokesman Anthony Black said the airline is cooperating with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation, as well as conducting an internal investigation. The pilots of the flight have been relieved from active flying pending the completion of these investigations, Black said. Bergen and Black said a medical emergency was reported on the plane, but neither offered any details. The incursion came just two weeks after the FAA announced that serious runway incursions were down 50 percent from the year that ended September 30, 2008, over the year ending on the same date this year. The FAA said there were 12 serious incursions in 2009 and 25 in 2008. Only two of the serious incursions involved commercial airliners in 2009, compared with nine in 2008. The FAA defines a serious incursion as one in which a collision is narrowly avoided, or there was a significant potential for collision that resulted in the need to take quick corrective action. | [
"Was the plane damaged?",
"Where should the plane have landed?",
"Where did the plane land?",
"Where is taxiway located?",
"Was there any damages?",
"Where did the plan landed?"
] | [
[
"no damage"
],
[
"Runway 27R"
],
[
"taxiway"
],
[
"runs parallel to the runway."
],
[
"no"
],
[
"on a taxiway instead of a runway"
]
] | Plane landed on taxiway instead of runway Monday morning, FAA says .
No other plane was on the taxiway; aircraft wasn't damaged .
The taxiway is parallel to a runway, but they're marked differently . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the oldest civil rights groups in the nation, will announce the successor to Chairman Julian Bond on Saturday as the organization strives to prove its relevance and influence to a new generation.
NAACP Vice Chair Roslyn Brock has emerged as the favorite to fill the seat left by Bond, a civil rights leader who has held the post since 1998.
Bond, a stalwart of the civil rights movement, helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, known for its student sit-ins in the early 1960s, and served as the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center. He served in both houses of the Georgia Legislature, totaling two decades in office, before leading the NAACP.
"I think he's been enormously effective; he's just a thoughtful person with a rich history in civil rights struggles," said historian Patricia A. Sullivan, whose book, "Raise Every Voice," chronicled the history of the NAACP.
Sullivan said Bond brought his experiences from the forefront of the civil rights movement to his role as chairman to take on disparities in the criminal justice system, education, housing and unemployment to the national level.
Most recently, amid internal, grass-roots level tensions over whether the NAACP would support same-sex marriage, Bond appeared at the National Equality March in Washington in October.
"I'm fond of saying there's no such thing as saying gay rights or black rights. There's civil rights, and every American deserves civil rights," he said at the time.
"He's very clear on what has long been the NAACP message of civil rights and inclusive democracy," Sullivan said.
Bond also is known for some of his political criticism, doling it out consistently against the Republican Party and the Bush administration in the earlier years of his tenure.
At the 2001 NAACP convention, which was held before the September 11 attacks, Bond sharply criticized some of President George W. Bush's political appointments, saying Bush had "selected nominees from the Taliban wing of American politics, appeased the wretched appetites of the extreme right wing and chosen Cabinet officials whose devotion to the Confederacy is nearly canine in its uncritical affection."
Bush spoke before the NAACP in 2000, during his first run for the presidency, but he did not make another appearance until 2006, during his second term.
Bond has called out Democrats as well, complaining they are too often "not an opposition; they're an amen corner. ... When one party is shameless, the other party cannot afford to be spineless."
"Julian has been very effective," said Mary Frances Berry, former chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. "He came out of a tradition of conflict and advocacy, and has taken on people rather vocally at times.
"Probably, the next person will need to take into account the change in terms of people they're dealing with."
Bond, 70, indicated he was ready to leave the organization in 2008, but stayed on in 2009 as the NAACP celebrated its 100th anniversary.
At the time, there was talk about whether the organization was still relevant in what some observers called a "post-racial" United States. John McWhorter, a linguist and conservative political commentator, spelled it out in a February 2009 column titled, "If the NAACP ceased to exist tomorrow, would it have a significant effect on black America?"
For Bond, the answer was obvious.
"We have for the first time a black man who can open the doors to Air Force One, but we now know his children couldn't go to a pool in Philadelphia," Bond said in July, referring to a decision by a suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, swim club to revoke privileges of a largely minority day care center last year.
"So, as long as this disparity exists, we're not the national association for the advancement of one colored person, we want all colored people to advance," he continued. "And for us | [
"NAACP Vice Chair Roslyn Brock has emerged as what?",
"who is the favorite"
] | [
[
"the favorite to fill the seat left by Bond,"
],
[
"Vice Chair Roslyn Brock"
]
] | NAACP Vice Chair Roslyn Brock has emerged as the favorite .
Some question need for NAACP in "post-racial" American .
Bond says group is needed as long as racial disparity exists . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- The optimism once held by many Americans has been "beaten out" of them amid a lagging economy, threat of terrorism and two ongoing wars, according to a professor at Emory University.
"All of those things ... have made people start to be much more doubtful than they used to be," says Patrick Allitt, a British citizen who teaches American history.
Allitt recently wrote about what he describes as "America the miserable" -- the mood swing he has seen in his 30 years in the U.S. -- for The Spectator, a British magazine.
Read the professor's full essay
Allitt spoke with CNN about his perspective. Below is a transcript of that conversation, which has been edited:
CNN: How would you describe the change in America since you first came to America?
Allitt: The change is this: I don't get the same sense of intense self confidence as I used to feel when I first came to America, even though that was a period that's usually remembered as a pretty grim time -- the Jimmy Carter years when there was a lot of stagnation and inflation and a general feeling of malaise. Even so, to me, it seemed incredibly energetic here. People in America worked much, much harder than they did in Britain. They seemed more upbeat. They had faith in progress. And there was this feeling of being intensely wide awake for the first time. But now, I think some of that optimism has been beaten out.
Counter: Why there's reason for optimism
It's been a very tough 10 years since 2001, hasn't it? The attack on the World Trade Center, the growing fear of terrorism, the difficulty of prevailing in the wars, obviously, more recently the recession. All of those things, collectively, have made people start to be much more doubtful than they used to be.
CNN: Do you attribute it to a change in American mentality or are we exposed to an array of different beliefs through the ever-expanding media landscape?
Allitt: It's certainly true there are far more media than there used to be ... that devote a lot of time to people who are dissatisfied. In other words, if somebody's happy, that isn't news. It's certainly news when they become dissatisfied in some way or they have some kind of problem to deal with. In that sense, I suppose there's an inherent bias in favor of bad news.
But I think it's more than that. I've spent most of the last 30 years in the company of academics, who also tend to be pessimistic people. They tend to have very high ideals for America. When they see it doesn't live up to its ideals, it makes them disappointed and sometimes embittered. So it may be that, if I spent more time with less educated people, I wouldn't have this sense quite so acutely.
I think that's quite possible.
CNN: You write: "The decline of American confidence isn't just a temporary blip on the screen brought on by the recession." Elaborate on that for me.
Allitt: Even before this recession began, I guess it was in October and November 2008 when things really started to go bad. Already by then, I was having a feeling that the general national optimism was less emphatic than it used to be.
In the first five or six years of the last decade, there was this feeling that things were going wrong, particularly that the wars were grinding on interminably and that it was very difficult to prevail. It wasn't the same kind of decisive conflict as World War II where you're fighting against a nation-state and you can clearly detect when you're winning. The dispersal of the enemy and the very shadowy character of terrorism tends to be very depressing to confront. You have to maintain a high degree of vigilance and sometimes you have to take comfort in thinking what's extraordinary is what didn't happen; there wasn't another major attack.
That doesn't feel like a victory. | [
"What is the name of the British professor?",
"What is the mood like according to Allitt?",
"what does Patrick Allitt say about u.s. optimism?"
] | [
[
"Patrick Allitt,"
],
[
"miserable\""
],
[
"have made people start to be much more doubtful than they used to be,\""
]
] | British professor recently wrote about what he calls "America the miserable"
Patrick Allitt says U.S. optimism has been "beaten out" of country in recent years .
Allitt says mood is like "Avatar," which showed Americans to be "greedy and incredibly violent" |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Tiger Woods has changed his cell phone number and is not talking to some of his famous friends, NBA legend Charles Barkley said, following Woods' sex scandal that erupted last month. Barkley and filmmaker Spike Lee talked about their concern for the golfer during the taping of a one-hour special -- "With All Due Respect" -- to air Sunday on HLN, a CNN sister network. "I think when you have these fires in your life, as I call them, you need to talk to somebody else who is famous who [has] been through things in their life," Barkley said. "I don't think you can talk about it to your family and friends, because your family and friends, they're not famous." Lee said he had hoped Barkley or retired NBA star Michael Jordan could counsel Woods on how to survive the crisis. "He's insulated," Lee said. "If Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan can't get to him, and those are his boys, then other people are making bad moves." Woods, in a written statement that acknowledged "my infidelity," announced last week that he is taking "an indefinite break" from professional golf. The 33-year-old golfer, who tops the sport's world rankings, has been mired in controversy since he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion in late November. The crash prompted authorities to cite him for careless driving and fine him $164. | [
"What did filmmaker say about Tiger Woods?",
"What is the golf star doing?",
"What famous friends does tiger woods have?",
"What caused Charles Barkley to know Tiger Woods?",
"What did Charles Barkley say?",
"who acknowledged infidelity",
"who has changed his number",
"who should tiger lean on"
] | [
[
"\"He's insulated,\""
],
[
"taking \"an indefinite break\""
],
[
"Charles Barkley"
],
[
"sex scandal"
],
[
"Tiger Woods has changed his cell phone number and is not talking to some of"
],
[
"Woods,"
],
[
"Tiger Woods"
],
[
"Barkley or retired NBA star Michael Jordan could counsel Woods"
]
] | Tiger Woods should lean on his famous friends, NBA legend and filmmaker say .
But Woods has changed his number and isn't talking, Charles Barkley says .
Barkley: "You need to talk to somebody else ... famous who [has] been through things"
Golf star, who acknowledged "infidelity," is taking a break from the sport . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Tiger Woods' comments Friday may become the most scrutinized apology in history, fodder for dinner tables and Internet chat rooms alike: Was he genuine? Was it a PR stunt? Can he do anything to restore people's faith in him?
The biggest knock on golf's biggest star is that it took him three months to utter any words publicly about his infidelity and then did so in a controlled environment. That's a no-no, according to apology etiquette.
"If you have to take time to say 'sorry,' you're not being authentic. We don't need extra time to rationalize whether we're sorry or not," said Glenn Llopis, the founder of the Center for Innovation & Humanity, a California-based think tank.
It seems everyone is apologizing for everything these days. In February alone, there has been a bevy of "I'm sorries," from a tearful John Mayer for his use of the n-word to Toyota's top boss for the automaker's repeated shortcomings.
But do apologies still carry weight, or does the flood of mea culpas dilute their meaning?
Lauren Bloom, a business ethics expert and the author of "The Art of the Apology," says, "It's never too late to say 'I'm sorry.'
"But saying 'I'm sorry' in a tightly controlled environment," she says, "makes it look more and more like an exercise in 'let's check the box and do what my PR people tell me to do.' "
Woods delivered his apology in front of a small hand-picked crowd that was not allowed to ask questions. "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated," he said. "I am the only person to blame."
Read full story about Woods' apology
How would Bloom rate Woods' authenticity?
"I thought he was very authentic," she said, adding with a laugh, "He was most authentic when he was attacking the media."
"But I think he was very sincere. I think he had a very tough thing to say today, and he sucked it up and did well."
Bloom has six essentials to an effective apology: Say sorry sincerely; take responsibility; make amends; express appreciation to fans and friends who have stuck by you; listen to the people affected by your actions; and do better next time.
"He did pretty well. He checked all the boxes," she said. "We now have got to see changed behavior. ... I hope he follows through on it. I think America would love to welcome him back."
Watch Tiger Woods' apology
Bloom says the importance of an apology shouldn't be overlooked. There was a time, she says, when people viewed apologizing for your actions as weak. That perception has since changed, because Americans now recognize that people are inherently flawed.
"Folks are starting to wake up to that," she said. "Most of the time, people are ready to forgive and forget."
Who has given an effective public apology? She says actor Hugh Grant, who hit the talk show circuit immediately after his infamous encounter with a prostitute in 1995.
A bad apology? John Edwards, according to Bloom.
"Serial apologies," she says, "they never work."
In his apology, Woods said that he had undergone 45 days of in-patient treatment and that he would return to therapy Saturday.
"I have a long way to go, but I've taken my first steps," Woods said. "I need to regain my balance and be centered."
Therapist Gregory Jantz, who has treated sex addiction for 25 years, says relapse is common. His Seattle-based facility has seen only a 5 percent "full recovery" of addicts.
"This is not a go-into-rehab-and-be-finished type of addiction."
An apology is important | [
"What did business expert say?",
"What did the ethicist say about apologies",
"When did Tiger Woods apologize?",
"What did Tiger Woods say in February?",
"What did the expert say never works",
"What did the ethics expert say?",
"What sport figure apologized",
"What did Tiger Woods say?"
] | [
[
"\"It's never too late to"
],
[
"\"It's never too late to"
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[
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[
"\"I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated,\""
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[
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],
[
"\"It's never too late to"
],
[
"Tiger Woods'"
],
[
"\"I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated,\""
]
] | "If you have to take time to say 'sorry,' you're not being authentic," ethicist says .
Tiger Woods' apology the latest "I'm sorry" in February .
Society needs apologies, but "serial apologies ... never work," business ethics expert says . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Turn back time, more than 90 years, to a cold case that won't gather dust. It's a classic whodunit, starting with the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl and ending in a lynching. It was grist for a prosecutor's political aspirations, a case that was appealed all the way to the country's highest court and a story hotly debated in the national press. At the center of it all was Leo Frank, a northern Jew who'd moved to Atlanta to supervise the National Pencil Company factory. When the body of Mary Phagan, a white child laborer, was found in the basement, law enforcement homed in on Frank. He was tried and convicted, based on what most historians say was the perjured testimony of a black man, and sentenced to death. But when the governor commuted his sentence in 1915, about 25 men abducted Frank, 31, from the state prison and hung him from a tree in Marietta, Georgia. Considered one of the most sensational trials of the early 20th century, the Frank case seemed to press every hot-button issue of the time: North vs. South, black vs. white, Jew vs. Christian, industrial vs. agrarian. In the years since, it has inspired numerous books and films, TV programs, plays, musicals and songs. It has fueled legal discussions, spawned a traveling exhibition and driven public forums. Who murdered Mary Phagan? What forces were behind the lynching of Frank? Why should we still care? Answers to these questions, or theories, keep coming. "Leo Frank was not a good ole Southern boy. He was different and not ashamed of being different," said Ben Loeterman, whose new documentary, "The People v. Leo Frank," will air Monday on PBS. "The test of us as a society is not necessarily how we treat the best among us but how we treat the most questionable." Mixed in with ongoing analysis of the Phagan-Frank story are the descendants of those involved, people who learned of their connections differently and carry these legacies forward in unique ways. The accused "The story goes that no one in my family talked about it," said Cathee Smithline, a 62-year-old great-niece of Frank. Frank was the one who handed Mary Phagan her check when she stopped by the factory on April 26, 1913, Confederate Memorial Day. The night watchman, Newt Lee, would find the body and call police early the next day. Smithline, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, was 16 when she first heard about the case. Her mother sat her down, told her a story about what a man in the South had been through, said it was based on her uncle and handed over a book: "A Little Girl is Dead." It turns out Smithline's mother got the news in her teens, too, when her boyfriend turned to her after seeing "They Won't Forget," a 1937 Hollywood film. "You know that's about your uncle," he said. She'd grown up hearing Uncle Leo died of pneumonia, and after asking family about it, the truth was revealed, followed by the words, "We will never talk about this again," Smithline said. "I think it was a family embarrassment," she said. "My grandmother [who died when Smithline was 1] was very close to her brother. It cannot be easy to tell someone your brother was lynched and why." The first victim Mary Phagan Kean was 13 when the story hit her. She was in a South Carolina classroom, and her name stopped short a teacher taking attendance. "Mary Phagan, you say?" she recalled the teacher asking, peering up from his list. He wanted to know if she was related to a girl with that name who died in 1913. Confidently, she told him she wasn't. But the boys on the playground taunted her anyway, telling her she was reincarnated from a dead girl | [
"When was Phagan murdered?",
"Who was convicted of her murder",
"Who was murdered in 1913?",
"What year was Mary Phagan's murder",
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] | [
[
"April 26, 1913,"
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"Leo Frank,"
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[
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[
"1913,"
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[
"North vs. South, black vs. white, Jew vs. Christian, industrial vs. agrarian."
]
] | Mary Phagan's murder in 1913 spawned an Atlanta trial that's still talked about today .
Leo Frank was convicted, later lynched by mob of respected community leaders .
Case hit hot buttons: North vs. South; Jew vs. Christian; black vs. white .
Story continues through new books, films and descendants from all sides . |
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Want to boost your spending power? Try giving your wallet a break by shopping at a dollar store. Americans have embraced the four leading chains -- Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and the 99¢ Only store -- in droves during the recession. This year, Dollar General's sales were up almost 10 percent quarter-over-quarter, and they're opening 450 new stores, according to The New York Times. Dollar Tree, meanwhile, planned to open 235 new stores this year. And Family Dollar's early 2009 numbers pointed to sales being up 6.5 percent year-over-year. But despite the booming sales, Consumer Reports' Money Adviser has taken a close look at this hot retail segment and found that not everything is a deal. Before I tell you what they say to stock up on and what to pass on, I want to clarify something. There are important distinctions to note among the chains. Dollar General and Family Dollar both price the majority of their items at $1, but they also offer some merchandise at higher price points. Dollar Tree and the 99¢ Only chain are the only true dollar stores where everything is $1, with no exceptions. So what did Consumer Reports find? Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles, paper bags, composition notebooks, plastic cups, security envelopes, napkins, foam plates and tissue paper are among the best deals. Yet they advised against buying jewelry (too much lead content), electrical products (possibly fake UL labels), medication (expired products) and vitamins (probably not to be from reputable sellers) at any dollar stores. Now, I've routinely bought medication like ibuprofen at dollar stores and have not found it to be past expiration date. Of course, some would argue that I can get a better deal on ibuprofen at a warehouse club. But unless you're in constant pain, who can use all those 12 million pills in the bulk container before they expire?! The research that Consumer Reports did reminded me of a similar report in Good Housekeeping several years ago. At that time, the women's magazine compared four knockoff products from the dollar stores versus four brand name products purchased elsewhere. The products included generic glass cleaner, body lotion, dishwashing liquid and detergent. The brand name products were Windex, Lubriderm, Dawn and Tide, and they proved to better than their generic counterparts. For example, a teaspoon of Dawn washed 19 dishes, while a teaspoon of the dollar brand washed only six! As for the detergent, the dollar brand failed to wash out a mustard stain that Tide did. So the message is, let the buyer beware at the dollar stores. Certainly, there are some deals to be had, but you've got to be picky. | [
"what failed tests?",
"What has recession done for dollar stores?",
"where was spending boosted?",
"what has boosted spending at dollar store?",
"what boosted spending?",
"What are the best deals?",
"Do some dollar stores have expensive items?"
] | [
[
"generic counterparts."
],
[
"sales were up almost 10 percent quarter-over-quarter,"
],
[
"dollar store."
],
[
"the recession."
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[
"at a dollar store."
],
[
"Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles, paper bags, composition notebooks, plastic cups, security envelopes, napkins, foam plates and tissue paper"
],
[
"they also offer"
]
] | Recession has boosted spending at dollar stores .
Cotton rounds, gift wrap, birthday candles among the best deals .
Not all dollar stores are equal; some have more expensive items .
Some knockoff products from dollar stores failed tests against brand names . |
Austin, Texas (CNN) -- A man accused of flying a small plane into an Austin building housing an Internal Revenue Service office last week was one of two people killed in the incident, Texas authorities confirmed Monday.
The man who authorities say was the pilot, Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III of Austin, and Vernon Hunter of Cedar Park have been identified as the two people killed Thursday, according to the Travis County medical examiner's office.
Both men died from blunt force injuries, said Sarah Scott, chief administrative officer for the medical examiner.
Authorities say that on Thursday, Stack flew a single-engine plane into a seven-story building that held offices for nearly 200 IRS workers. Two other people were hospitalized.
Hunter and his wife, Valerie, worked at the IRS office in the building, his brother Harold L. Jackson told CNN affiliate WAAY. Hunter spent the past 15 years as a collections agent and previously served 22 years in the Army.
Jackson said Hunter was the youngest of five brothers. Hunter was adopted as an infant and kept his birth name into adulthood.
"We called ourselves the Jackson Five, the other Jackson Five," Jackson said.
Agents were looking into whether the seats of the plane were removed to accommodate a fuel drum in an effort to cause maximum damage, an official familiar with the investigation said Friday.
The official, who could not speak on the record because of the ongoing investigation, said that the Piper Cherokee PA-28 had several seats removed and that a fuel drum was missing from the airport where authorities say Stack took off.
The single-engine plane has a fuel tank capacity of 38 gallons and is equipped with four seats, according to the Web site risingup.com.
Authorities say Stack also torched his $230,000 home in Austin on Thursday morning before embarking on his fatal flight.
A 3,000-word message on a Web site registered to Stack railed against the government, particularly the IRS.
Read the apparent suicide note (PDF)
"I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different," the online message says. "I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well."
Stack's wife, Sheryl Stack, expressed her "sincere sympathy to the victims and their families" in a statement read by family friend Rayford Walker on Friday.
Friends and former colleagues have said they had no inkling of the rage apparently building inside Stack.
"He hid that very well," said Billy Eli, in whose band Stack played bass until a few years ago. "Obviously, he was in some serious distress and had some real despair. I never saw that." | [
"what did the men die from?",
"What did both men die from?",
"Where did the victim work where the crash happened?",
"Who set his home on fire before his flight?",
"What did both men die of?",
"Who flew a single-engine plane into a seven-story building?",
"how many engines did the plane have?"
] | [
[
"blunt force injuries,"
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"blunt force injuries,"
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"Andrew Joseph \"Joe\" Stack III"
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[
"single-engine"
]
] | Victim worked in IRS office in building where crash happened, WAAY reports .
Both men died from blunt force injuries, medical examiner's office says .
Authorities: Andrew Joseph Stack III flew single-engine plane into seven-story building .
Stack set his home on fire before his flight, authorities say . |
Austin, Texas (CNN) -- An Internet that gives people the information they want virtually as soon as it's created is getting closer, according to Internet professionals. But before real-time Web becomes a reality, developers say they need to figure out how to protect people's privacy while blasting out as much information as they can, as fast as they can. "A lot of this data that people would like to make available, they wouldn't necessarily want to make available to everyone," said Jack Moffitt, chief technical officer for Collecta, a search engine that aims to give real-time results. "I think we'll be wrestling with privacy issues around real-time data for a long time." The idea behind a real-time Web is to create technology that doesn't require an Internet user to actively seek out something they're interested in. That could mean anything from getting pinged when an article about your favorite sports team is posted to an alert when you're mentioned in someone's blog. Moffitt and others speaking at the South By Southwest Interactive Festival on Saturday said there's not yet fully developed technology that would both give people all the real-time info they want and let people who put their information on the Internet select who sees it -- or even take it back. "It's kind of in our best interest, being selfish, if everyone was completely open with their data," said Scott Raymond, founder of Austin-based Gowalla, a location-based mobile app. "From the user's perspective, it's kind of the opposite -- it's probably better to just stay selfish with your own data but consume everyone else's. "There's a whole lot of work that needs to be done on this and it hasn't been solved yet." For example, if people on Twitter all set their feed to private, the popular trending-topics feature wouldn't work. Recently, Twitter, on which most users make their information open to everyone, hit a major milestone -- its 10 billionth tweet. Unfortunately, that tweet was by a user whose settings are private, so the curious will never know what the landmark message was. Brett Slatkin, a software developer with Google, said a real-time Web would create numerous new opportunities -- among them, giving small, local retailers a chance to catch up with major online stores that capitalize on convenience. "If my corner store can say [to a customer online], 'Yes, I just got five rickshaw bags in stock and you wanted one -- you can just walk down here and get it,' it's a chance to change competition and commerce," he said. On sites like Twitter, Gowalla and Foursquare, Google Buzz and Facebook, status updates already exist as elements of a real-time Web. Developers note that the speed with which information travels on the Internet is already dramatically faster than it was just a couple of years ago -- before Twitter and location-based apps existed and before Facebook became a worldwide phenomenon. "This creates lots of interesting social scenarios," said Dare Obasanjo, of Microsoft. "In the 'old days,' you would have written a blog post about something you did and I'd be like, 'Crap, I was in the next room.' " Multiple players, at both major Internet companies and new startups, are working on an Internet platform to "real time" the rest of the Web. That starts with faster searching. Current search engines "crawl" around the Internet -- adding the material they find to their databases. But that can sometimes take awhile, particularly on smaller Web sites. Then, there needs to be a universal system for pushing that information to the right people. Obasanjo suggested there may eventually be a way for every new page of data on the Internet to have hashtags (#) similar to the ones used on Twitter to denote that a post is about a particular topic. On the issue of privacy, Slatkin said developers could roll out | [
"What do developers need to figure out",
"What do the developers say about privacy?",
"What do the developers say?",
"What is the idea behind real-time Web?",
"What does the technology do?",
"What still needs to be protected?",
"What is the idea behind real time web"
] | [
[
"protect people's privacy"
],
[
"while blasting out as much information as they can, as fast as they can."
],
[
"they need to figure out how to protect people's privacy while blasting out as much information as they can, as fast as they can."
],
[
"create technology that doesn't require an Internet user to actively seek out something they're interested in."
],
[
"doesn't require an Internet user to actively seek out something they're interested in."
],
[
"people's privacy"
],
[
"to create technology that doesn't require an Internet user to actively seek out something they're interested in."
]
] | Idea behind real-time Web is to create technology that doesn't require user to seek out info .
Developers say they need to figure out how to protect privacy first .
Real-time Web could help local retailers catch up with major online stores, developer says . |
Austin, Texas (CNN) -- The current squabbling between the House and the Senate on the payroll tax cut extension perfectly epitomizes why congressional approval is in the single digits. Highlighting this debacle, Newt Gingrich ends his first television ad in Iowa proclaiming that by "working together, we can and will rebuild the America we love."
Expecting Newt Gingrich to work together with Democrats and Republicans to end the partisan deadlock in Washington is a bit like asking the fox to guard the chicken coop.
When Gingrich entered the House of Representatives in 1979, he quickly became the leader of a group of insurgent conservatives whose chief aim was a Republican Party majority. Gingrich's partisan antics not only transformed the House, but the Senate as well. Washington has not been the same since.
Even from his first term, when he tried to get Rep. Charles Diggs kicked out of the House (despite his re-election after being convicted of 29 felonies), it became clear that Gingrich would use every Democratic misstep and every legislative opportunity to portray the House in the worst possible light. It was only in tearing down the House that Gingrich thought that it could be rebuilt in the Republicans' -- or perhaps, his -- own image.
To Gingrich's credit, the Democratic leadership was always ready to misstep and then meet him in the partisan mud. Whether it was his fight with Speaker Tip O'Neill about who controlled the television cameras in the House or his relentless pursuit of Speaker Jim Wright's sweetheart book deal, Gingrich would not back down from a fight even if at first it appeared the evidence was against him.
Gingrich became a master at using the legislative process to achieve his political goals. This strategy from Gingrich's House days is, of course, well known. What is less well known is that members who previously served with Gingrich in the House spread these highly partisan tactics to the Senate.
I am writing a book about these senators, who I call "Gingrich senators," because they so seamlessly infected the Senate with the same hyper-partisanship that pervaded the House. Since Gingrich's first election to the House, 40 Republicans have entered the House and then moved on to the Senate. Twenty-two of them continue to serve in the Senate, including Jim DeMint, John McCain, Jim Inhofe and David Vitter. Their alumni include Rick Santorum, Phil Gramm and George Allen.
These senators learned well the lessons that Gingrich taught them in the House. Jon Kyl, the first Gingrich senator to rise to an important party leadership position, had been a supporter of any and all tax cuts until Obama announced his desire to extend the payroll tax reduction. Kyl was among the first Senate Republicans to announce his opposition, not just to how Obama wanted to fund the extension of the tax reduction, but the tax cut extension itself.
This, incidentally, is the same Jon Kyl who said in an earlier debate: "If you want an abortion, you go to Planned Parenthood, and that's well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does." When confronted with the fact that abortions account for only 3% of the organization's work, Kyl's spokesperson claimed that his floor statement "was not intended to be a factual statement."
When the Gingrich senators don't have the votes to get their way, they will use all aspects of the legislative process to bring the rest of the chamber to its knees. In the last Congress, the Senate took 419 votes on roll call amendments. The 19 Gingrich senators who were serving at the time introduced more than half of these amendments. Seven of the top 10 senators who introduced the most amendments that resulted in roll call votes were Gingrich senators.
Endlessly introducing amendments has become another form of filibustering, which previously involved making speeches rather than introducing amendments. But when a stream of amendments couldn't defeat the health care bill, the Republicans offered up a "stunt" amendment, its sole purpose to create a perception that Democrats were voting against preventing sex offenders from buying Viagra in the insurance markets established by the bill. Tom Coburn, a Gingrich senator, introduced | [
"What did he master?",
"Newt Gingrich's first ad in Iowa suggests he is ready to do what?",
"where was Newt Gingrich's first ad?",
"What did Gingrich use the legislative process for?",
"Where was his first ad?",
"What has been the strategy?",
"since when have partisan antics been his strategy?"
] | [
[
"using the legislative process to achieve his political goals."
],
[
"work together with Democrats and Republicans"
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[
"Iowa"
],
[
"to achieve his political goals."
],
[
"Iowa"
],
[
"using the legislative process to achieve his political goals."
],
[
"1979,"
]
] | Sean Theriault: Newt Gingrich's first ad in Iowa suggests he's ready to end partisan deadlock .
But partisan antics have been his signature strategy since 1979, says Theriault .
Gingrich became a master at using the legislative process to achieve political goals, he says .
Theriault: Some who served with Gingrich in House spread his partisan strategy to Senate . |
Austin, Texas (CNN) -- The former accountant for Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III -- who officials say flew his plane into a Texas building housing an Internal Revenue Service office -- says Stack had never threatened him, a spokesman for the accountant said.
CPA Bill Ross was mentioned in a 3,000-word message on a Web site registered to Stack, which railed against the government, particularly the IRS. The online message believed to have been written by Stack criticizes accountant Ross for "representing himself and not me."
Ross had not heard from Stack since October, when his client "disengaged" services in a letter, spokesman Chad Wilbanks told CNN. According to Ross, Stack had not expressed any threats toward the accountant or the IRS, Wilbanks said.
"Mr. Stack contacted my firm to help with his personal taxes in 2008. He failed to provide me with all his income and other information resulting in an IRS audit," Ross said in a written statement Saturday. "Unfortunately, Mr. Stack ignored the audit and my advice which only complicated his situation, at which time our firm disengaged our services with Mr. Stack whom we have not been in contact with since October 2009."
Ross did not provide any further details in the statement on his work with Stack. Wilbanks said Ross, who has worked as a CPA for at least 30 years, thinks Stack located him in the phone book. They only met four times and did not have a personal relationship, Wilbanks said.
The FBI has taken over the investigation into the crash, and Ross has spoken to investigators, Wilbanks said. While Ross does not fear for his safety, he has "taken precautions," though those steps were not detailed by Wilbanks.
The online message, in a hit to the IRS, states, "I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different.
"I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well."
Read the apparent suicide note (PDF)
The seven-story building attacked in northwest Austin held offices for nearly 200 IRS workers. Two people were killed and two others were hospitalized when Stacks crashed his plane into the building Thursday, federal officials said.
One of the injured, Shane Hill, announced his release from the hospital Saturday.
"I am very grateful to the first responders who were there to assist me, and to those who have cared for me in San Antonio," Hill said in a written statement. "I am so blessed to be home today, and I ask for your courtesy and our privacy as my family and I focus on making a quick and full recovery."
Though the remains of two people found in the IRS building have been identified, their identities will not be revealed until after a forensic examination, said Ralph Diaz, special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio field office.
Watch one of crash victim's sons say he's "still a little shocked"
Agents were looking into whether the seats of the plane were removed to accommodate a fuel drum in an effort to cause maximum damage, an official familiar with the investigation said Friday. The official, who could not speak on the record because of the ongoing investigation, said the Piper Cherokee PA-28 had several seats removed and a fuel drum was missing from the airport Stack took off from.
The single-engine plane has a fuel tank capacity of 38 gallons and is equipped with four seats, according to the Web site risingup.com.
Authorities say Stack also torched his $230,000 home in Austin on Thursday morning before embarking on his fatal flight.
Stack's wife, Sheryl Stack, expressed her "sincere sympathy to the victims and their families" in a statement read by family friend Rayford Walker on Friday.
Like Ross, friends and former colleagues said they had no inkling of the rage apparently building inside Stack.
"He hid that very well," said | [
"Who is the CPA?",
"Who criticized Ross?",
"Who met with Stack III?",
"Who met Stack?",
"Who is Bill Ross?",
"Who was one of the injured?"
] | [
[
"Bill Ross"
],
[
"Andrew Joseph \"Joe\" Stack III"
],
[
"CPA Bill Ross"
],
[
"Ross,"
],
[
"The former accountant for Andrew Joseph \"Joe\" Stack III"
],
[
"Shane Hill,"
]
] | CPA met Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III only four times, spokesman says .
The online message criticized Bill Ross for "representing himself and not me"
Ross had not heard from Stack since October, when his client "disengaged" services in a letter .
One of the injured, Shane Hill, announced his hospital release Saturday: "I am very grateful" |
Austin, Texas (CNN) -- The man who flew an airplane into a building housing an Internal Revenue Service office may have replaced some of its seats with a drum of fuel to cause maximum damage, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said Friday.
The official, who would not speak on the record because it is an ongoing case, said investigators have determined that the Piper Cherokee PA-28 had several seats removed and that a fuel drum was missing from the airport from which Andrew Joseph "Joe" Stack III took off Thursday morning.
"I think there is a good chance he might have put it on his plane," said the official, who cautioned that investigators were still working that lead and sifting through the crash site.
The single-engine plane has a fuel tank capacity of 38 gallons and is equipped with four seats, according to the Web site risingup.com.
The FBI said Friday it has taken the lead role in the investigation of Thursday's crash into the 7-story building in northwest Austin that held offices for nearly 200 IRS workers.
"You're talking about a federal agency that was basically assaulted," Ralph Diaz, special agent in charge of the FBI's San Antonio, Texas, field office, told reporters.
Two people were killed and two others were hospitalized, federal officials said.
Though the remains found in the IRS building have been identified, their identities will not be revealed until after a forensic examination, Diaz said Friday.
"One may be Mr. Stack and our fear is certainly the other would be either someone who was visiting or someone who was employed in the building," he said.
Emergency services chief Ernie Rodriguez said one of the injured was treated and released; the other remained hospitalized.
City of Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr credited the building's fire protection, fast work by the Fire Department and the fact that the employees had practiced exiting the building in case of an emergency for the low loss of life and injuries. "It truly worked," she said.
Austin attack stuns community
Rodriguez said units arrived on the scene within five minutes of the first 911 call prepared to manage hundreds of injured people. "We found only two persons," he said.
"When you look at the fire, when you look at the evidence, it's hard to say that we were lucky, but we were," he said. "The big thing to remember is that yesterday, in the midst of this event, God's grace was upon us."
Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo credited fast thinking by some people who were inside the building as the plane approached for the fact that few people were hurt. "Some folks saw it coming and sounded the alarm yesterday, and some folks started running away from that side of the building," he said.
Stack's wife, Sheryl Stack, expressed her "sincere sympathy to the victims and their families" Friday.
"Words cannot adequately express the sorrow or the sympathy I feel for everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy," she said in a statement read by a family friend, Rayford Walker.
Authorities say Stack also torched his $230,000 home in Austin on Thursday morning before embarking on his fatal flight.
Police said Sheryl Stack spent Wednesday night in an Austin-area hotel but did not say why. Acevedo said police had received no calls of domestic violence from the house. The only calls to police were made a couple of years ago and concerned barking dogs, he said.
A 3,000-word message on a Web site registered to Stack railed against the government, particularly the IRS.
Read the apparent suicide note (PDF)
"I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different," the online message says. "I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well."
Acevedo reiterated on Friday his assertion first made Thursday that | [
"What is missing from the airport?",
"What did the pilot's wife say?",
"What did the FBI do?",
"What happened in Austin, Texas?",
"What was removed from the planes?",
"What is Joseph Stack believed to have done?"
] | [
[
"fuel drum"
],
[
"\"sincere sympathy to the victims and their families\""
],
[
"taken the lead role in the investigation of Thursday's crash into the 7-story building"
],
[
"flew an airplane into a building housing an Internal Revenue Service"
],
[
"several seats"
],
[
"flew an airplane into a building housing an Internal Revenue Service"
]
] | NEW: Seats removed from plane, fuel drum missing from airport .
FBI takes lead role in investigation into Austin, Texas, crash .
Pilot's wife expresses her "sincere sympathy to the victims and their families"
Joseph Stack believed to have flown plane into IRS building in suicidal attack . |
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somalia-born writer, activist, and former member of the Dutch Parliament. She is an outspoken advocate for women's rights in Islamic society and a strong critic of Muslim extremism. Outspoken critic of Islam, Ayaan Hirsi Ali Hirsi Ali fled to the Netherlands in 1992 to escape an arranged marriage in Africa, and served as a member of the Dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006. In parliament, she promoted the integration of non-Western immigrants into Dutch society and defending the rights of women in Dutch Muslim society. In 2004, she worked with the late director Theo Van Gogh on the film "Submission," which highlighted the oppression of women in conservative Islamic societies. The airing of the film on Dutch television resulted in the assassination of Mr. Van Gogh by an Islamic extremist, and she went into hiding. Her memoir, "Infidel," published in 2007, recounts her decision to denounce Islam and become an atheist, and her transformation, she says, from "the world of faith to the world of reason." Ayaan was named one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2005," one of the Glamour Heroes of 2005, and Reader's Digest's "European of the Year." She has also received Norway's Human Rights Service's Bellwether of the Year Award, the Danish Freedom Prize, the Swedish Democracy Prize, and the Moral Courage Award for commitment to conflict resolution, ethics, and world citizenship. | [
"What did Time's magazine name her?",
"Who was teh Dutch filmaker?",
"What prompted Hirsi Ali to go into hiding?",
"What magazine named her one of their \"100 Most Influential People of 2005\"?",
"What did Hirsi Ali do from 2003 to 2006?",
"Who named her one of the 100 most influential people of 2005?"
] | [
[
"\"100 Most Influential People of 2005,\""
],
[
"Theo Van Gogh"
],
[
"the assassination of Mr. Van Gogh"
],
[
"Time"
],
[
"served as a member of the Dutch parliament"
],
[
"Time Magazine's"
]
] | Hirsi Ali is an outspoken advocate for women's rights in Islamic society .
Somali-born activist went into hiding after death of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh .
Hirsi Ali served as Dutch lawmaker from 2003 to 2006 .
She was Anamed one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2005 . |
BABAHOYO, Ecuador (CNN) -- At least 10 people have died and thousands have been left homeless after torrential rains inundated large parts of Ecuador, officials said Thursday.
Authorities said the rains, which began a week ago, were the worst in a quarter century. Civil defense officials said more than 10,000 families have been affected.
Los Ríos -- north of Guayaquil -- was the hardest hit of nine provinces affected, civil defense officials said.
In Los Ríos province, five people died when an ambulance drove into a hole at the side of a street at dawn Thursday. A newborn boy, his parents, a doctor and a driver were killed.
Streets also were flooded in the capital of Quito. Watch the scenes of devastation in Ecuador »
On Wednesday, President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency and ordered 2,000 members of the army and the police to help rescue workers. Correa increased by $25 million the $10 million he already had allocated for the emergency efforts. He also directed another $88 million to municipalities.
Once the crisis has eased, an emergency fund will give seed and fertilizer to help farmers whose fields were washed away, Ecuador's government said. There also have been reports of livestock drowning.
Cristina Medina, a spokeswoman for the Ecuadorean Red Cross, said provinces most heavily affected were along the Pacific coast, where drinking water was often in short supply.
In some towns, high waters forced entire neighborhoods to evacuate, Medina said. E-mail to a friend | [
"What did the president of Ecuador do?",
"What is the number of dead in Ecuador?",
"What is the cause of the deaths?",
"What is the number of families affected?",
"What caused these ten people die?"
] | [
[
"declared a state of emergency and ordered 2,000 members of the army and the police to help rescue workers."
],
[
"10"
],
[
"torrential rains"
],
[
"10,000"
],
[
"torrential rains"
]
] | At least 10 people have died in torrential rains in Ecuador, officials say .
Authorities say the rains are the worst in a quarter century .
Civil defense officials say more than 10,000 families have been affected .
Ecuador's president declares state of emergency, orders army, police to help . |
BABAHOYO, Ecuador (CNN) -- At least 10 people have died and thousands have been left homeless after torrential rains inundated large parts of Ecuador, officials said Thursday. A man grabs on to a piece of wood as a boat passes him on a flooded street this week in Puerto Inca, Ecuador. Authorities said the rains, which began a week ago, were the worst in a quarter century. Civil defense officials said more than 10,000 families have been affected. Los Ríos -- north of Guayaquil -- was the hardest hit of nine provinces affected, civil defense officials said. In Los Ríos province, five people died when an ambulance drove into a hole at the side of a street at dawn Thursday. A newborn boy, his parents, a doctor and a driver were killed. Streets also were flooded in the capital of Quito. Watch the scenes of devastation in Ecuador » On Wednesday, President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency and ordered 2,000 members of the army and the police to help rescue workers. Correa increased by $25 million the $10 million he already had allocated for the emergency efforts. He also directed another $88 million to municipalities. Once the crisis has eased, an emergency fund will give seed and fertilizer to help farmers whose fields were washed away, Ecuador's government said. There also have been reports of livestock drowning. Cristina Medina, a spokeswoman for the Ecuadorean Red Cross, said provinces most heavily affected were along the Pacific coast, where drinking water was often in short supply. In some towns, high waters forced entire neighborhoods to evacuate, Medina said. E-mail to a friend | [
"The rains are the worst of how long?",
"which country president declares state of emergency, orders army, police to help?",
"what is the amount of people dead from torrential rains in Ecuador?",
"What did people die from in Ecuador?",
"who said say the rains are the worst in a quarter century?",
"Who said the rains were the worse in the century?",
"At least how many people have died in torrential rains?",
"More than how many families have been affected?",
"Who declared a state of emergency?"
] | [
[
"a quarter century."
],
[
"Ecuador"
],
[
"At least 10"
],
[
"torrential rains"
],
[
"Authorities"
],
[
"Authorities"
],
[
"10"
],
[
"10,000"
],
[
"President Rafael Correa"
]
] | At least 10 people have died in torrential rains in Ecuador, officials say .
Authorities say the rains are the worst in a quarter century .
Civil defense officials say more than 10,000 families have been affected .
Ecuador's president declares state of emergency, orders army, police to help . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A 12-year-old girl died Monday after she was struck by a warning shot fired as a vehicle accelerated toward an Iraqi police station, said the U.S.-led military coalition. The incident occurred in Hurriya in Nineveh province, according to a news release from Multi-National Corp-Iraq. A vehicle accelerated as it approached the Hurriya police station, where coalition forces and Iraqi police were conducting security operations, it said. "The coalition forces and Iraqi police waved and yelled for the vehicle to stop," the news release said. "After the vehicle failed to stop, coalition forces fired two warning rounds." The girl, who was standing about 100 meters (about 328 feet) behind the vehicle, was hit by one of the rounds, the release said. Troops attempted to treat her at the scene, but she died while being transported to a hospital. The incident was under investigation, the release said, adding that Col. Gary Volesky, commander of U.S. forces in Nineveh province, "expresses his condolences to the girl's family for the unfortunate accident." The news release did not say what happened to the vehicle. | [
"What happened to her?",
"Where was the 12 year old?",
"When did the person die?",
"Where was the vehicle accelerating towards?",
"Which people got hit?",
"Where were shots fired?"
] | [
[
"died"
],
[
"Hurriya in Nineveh province,"
],
[
"Monday"
],
[
"an Iraqi police station,"
],
[
"12-year-old girl"
],
[
"Hurriya in Nineveh province,"
]
] | Shots were fired at vehicle that accelerated toward Hurriya police station .
12-year-old was standing behind car and was hit by one round .
She died while being transported to the hospital . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A leader of the Sons of Iraq anti-al Qaeda group was killed Saturday when a bomb attached to his vehicle exploded, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.
U.S. soldiers arrive on the scene of a suicide bombing Saturday in Kirkuk, Iraq.
Two civilians were wounded in the explosion in southern Baghdad's Dora district, the official said.
The Sons of Iraq, or Awakening Councils, are mainly composed of former Sunni insurgents who turned against al Qaeda in Iraq. They are considered a major factor in the reduction of violence in Iraq over the past two years and are frequently targeted by al Qaeda.
In other violence across Iraq on Saturday:
• At least 19 people were wounded in a bombing at a coffee shop in Baquba, a security official in Diyala province said. The coffee shop is frequented by U.S.-backed anti-al Qaeda fighters. The explosion wounded 17 group members and two civilians, the official said. Baquba is about 35 miles north of Baghdad.
• At least seven people, including three Iraqi Army soldiers, were wounded when a roadside bomb struck an army patrol in northern Baghdad's Qahaira neighborhood, the Interior Ministry official said.
• At least one police officer was killed and nine people -- seven police and two civilians -- were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest near a police academy in Kirkuk, according to a police official. Kirkuk is located in oil-rich northern Iraq, about 150 miles north of Baghdad.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Yousif Bassil contributed to this report. | [
"What killed the leader of Sons of Iraq?",
"Where was the bomber from?",
"What are the \"Sons of Iraq\"?",
"Who was the roadside bomb aimed to kill?",
"What kind of store did the al Qaeda members go to?",
"Number of people wounded by Kirkuk suicide bomber?",
"Where was the bomb attached?",
"Number of people wounded by coffee shop bombing?",
"Who was killed by the bomb?",
"Where was there a suicide bombing that killed a police officer?",
"What killed a leader of Sons of Iraq"
] | [
[
"bomb attached to his vehicle exploded,"
],
[
"Iraq"
],
[
"anti-al Qaeda group"
],
[
"Iraqi Interior Ministry official"
],
[
"a coffee shop"
],
[
"nine"
],
[
"vehicle"
],
[
"At least 19"
],
[
"A leader of the Sons of Iraq anti-al Qaeda group"
],
[
"Kirkuk, Iraq."
],
[
"bomb attached to his vehicle"
]
] | Bomb attached to vehicle kills a leader of Sons of Iraq .
Coffee shop frequented by al Qaeda in Iraq foes also bombed; 19 wounded .
Roadside bomb aimed at Iraqi army patrol wounds at least seven .
Kirkuk suicide bomber kills police officer, wounds nine people . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing a civilian bystander Thursday, a police official told CNN. Iraqis survey the damage after car bombs were detonated within minutes of each other in Mosul, July 9. It is the latest in a series of attacks across Iraq that have killed at least 64 people and wounded 167 others over the past two days. The deadliest attack happened earlier in the day when a double suicide bombing killed at least 35 people and wounded 65 others in the city of Tal Afar in Nineveh province, also in northern Iraq. Political tensions have recently increased in the region between Arabs and Kurds. The Tal Afar bombings occurred a day after attacks on mainly Shiite targets in Nineveh province, including a car bomb in a Turkmen area of the provincial capital Mosul, left at least 19 people dead and dozens wounded. U.S. forces pulled out of Iraq's urban centers June 30. The U.S. military had suggested keeping its combat troops in Mosul beyond the withdrawal deadline, but the Iraqi government insisted on making no exceptions for the date set in the security agreement. Also on Thursday morning, at least seven people were killed and 25 wounded when a bomb detonated in a busy marketplace in Sadr City, the vast Shiite slum in Baghdad, an Interior Ministry official said. Bomb blasts from a rigged bicycle a car in two predominantly Shiite neighborhoods of southwestern Baghdad wounded six people, according to the official. In Baghdad's central Karrada district, a roadside bomb targeting a convoy of Iraq's Central Bank governor killed one civilian bystander and wounded five, another Interior Ministry official told CNN. The governor escaped unharmed. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report | [
"On what date did the bombers strike the city of Tal Afar in the Nineveh province?",
"What was the number of people killed",
"When the attacks occurred?",
"What happened after the attack?",
"Tal Afar is in which province",
"In what country is of city of Tal Afar located?",
"Which group of people were the target in the Ninevah attacks"
] | [
[
"July 9."
],
[
"64"
],
[
"July 9."
],
[
"Iraqis survey the damage"
],
[
"Nineveh"
],
[
"Iraq."
],
[
"Shiite"
]
] | Official: At least 35 people killed and 65 wounded in a double suicide bombing .
Bombers struck the city of Tal Afar in Nineveh province .
Tal Afar bombings occurred a day after attacks on mainly Shiite targets in Nineveh . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A string of bombings around Iraq's capital has killed eight people, including three Iraqi soldiers who died when their weapons truck was hit, and wounded at least 32, the country's Interior Ministry said. Blood stains the ground following the explosion of an IED on Kahramana Square in Baghdad on January 12. The soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the Yarmouk district of western Baghdad about 10:15 a.m. (0715 GMT) on Monday. The blast also set off small arms ammunition loaded on the truck. Four civilians were wounded in the attack. Separately, three civilians died when a car bomb went off outside a bakery in the eastern district of New Baghdad, followed shortly by another car bomb. Ten people were wounded, an Interior Ministry official told CNN. In central Baghdad, two civilians died in roadside bomb attacks -- one near Kahramana Square and the other targeting a police patrol in the Sheikh-Omar commercial area. A total of seven people, including three police officers, were wounded in those incidents. Two other roadside bombs went off near police patrols in neighborhoods on opposite sides of the city -- the Ghazaliya neighborhood in western Baghdad and the Zayuna district on the city's east side. There were no fatalities in either attack, but 11 people -- including one police officer in Ghazaliya and three in Zayuna -- were wounded. The attacks came as U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Monday met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad. Biden -- who had been the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- has been on a foreign visit that included stops in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Barack Obama, the incoming U.S. president, is planning to shift the military focus in the region to fighting militants in Afghanistan, while withdrawing all but a residual force of troops from Iraq. The U.S. military said two of its troops died as a result of non-combat-related injuries on Sunday. One soldier died in northern Iraq and a U.S. Marine in western Iraq. Five U.S. troops have died in Iraq this month, and 4,225 since the war started. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report. | [
"how many civilians died for car bomb?",
"Who met with US VP Joe Biden?",
"Who was killed by a roadside?",
"What were the soldiers killed by?",
"Two troops died of what?",
"What did the U.S military say?"
] | [
[
"three"
],
[
"Iraqi President Jalal Talabani"
],
[
"The soldiers"
],
[
"string of bombings"
],
[
"non-combat-related injuries"
],
[
"The"
]
] | The soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in western Baghdad on Monday .
Separately, three civilians died when a car bomb went off in the city's east .
Attacks came as U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden met with Iraq's president .
U.S. military says two troops have died as a result of non-combat-related injuries . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A top Iraqi political figure -- who also is an imam at a prominent Shiite mosque in the capital -- urged the abolition of militias Friday and decried violence and pervasive corruption in Baghdad's Sadr City. Sheikh Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir is a parliament member and a representative of the most influential Shiite cleric. Sheikh Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir, speaking at Buratha Mosque, blamed the corruption on followers of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Saghir is the most senior representative in Baghdad of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, arguably the most influential Shiite cleric in Iraq. As a member of Iraq's parliament, Al-Saghir represents the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, part of the ruling United Iraqi Alliance. His political group dominates the Iraqi security forces and has been fighting members of a rival Shiite group, al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia. He said the Supreme Council, part of the ruling United Iraqi Alliance, once had an armed group called the Badr Brigade that is now a renamed non-military organization. He repeated Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's call for all armed groups not affiliated with the government to disband. "We said from the beginning, and since 2003, the necessity of laying down the weapons by all, and the weapons should be in the hand of the state," al-Saghir said. He praised Iraqi security forces' efforts in Basra, the southern Shiite city where al-Maliki launched an offensive in March. The cleric said al-Maliki freed the region of gangs. "We can say that the Iraqi security forces have made a great change in terms of establishing the security and imposing the law," al-Saghir said, adding that effective security must be imposed to ensure the fairness of this autumn's provincial elections. "The elections will be tomorrow," he said, meaning soon. "How can we respect ourselves as politicians, political parties and officials within the government? How can we respect ourselves by saying we conduct honest elections while there are gangs controlling areas or provinces?" Meanwhile, Sadrist cleric Suhail al-Iqabi delivered a fiery sermon in the eastern part of Baghdad as hundreds of Sadr City residents sat on the street performing Friday prayers. Al-Iqabi said an "act of genocide" is taking place in the town. Speaking to hundreds of worshippers chanting pro-Sadr slogans, al-Iqabi accused the government of holding a grudge against Sadrists and the people of Sadr City "who are facing genocide in every sense of the word, cutting off the water, electricity and shelling the innocent civilians, killing women and children and detaining women." His sermon included a prayer asking God to strengthen al-Sadr's Mehdi army and "sharpen their weapons." "What the prime minister stated in his press conference, all that he said that was so far from reality, the nonsense and false accusations he used to cover up his huge failure leading the nation's affairs," al-Iqabi said. "... We call on all politicians, journalists, intellectuals, civil society institutions, tribal leaders and clergy to visit Sadr City to witness the crimes committed by the occupier and government forces." In Sadr City, nearly 1,000 civilians and fighters are thought to have been killed since late March in fighting between security forces and Shiite militants. However, al-Saghir said there has been "good security progress." Watch as fighting destroys a school » "I believe the coming days will witness many developments which will lead to the protection of this city from these gangs," he said. He urged people who have grievances to make their voices heard through the political process. He decried those who arm themselves under the pretext of sectarianism or occupation. Al-Saghir emphasized what he called corruption in Sadr City and the role of Sadrist followers in promoting it. He noted that imams from the Supreme Council were booted from several mosques and replaced by politically correct imams, and he said companies have | [
"What did the Shiite cleric speak out against?",
"What did Shiite cleric speak against?",
"Where does the cleric live?"
] | [
[
"abolition of militias"
],
[
"abolition of militias Friday and decried violence and pervasive corruption in Baghdad's Sadr City."
],
[
"Sadr City."
]
] | NEW: Shiite cleric, also a prominent political figure, speaks against violence .
U.S. military: Woman who detonated bomb pretended to be pregnant .
U.S. drone crashes in southern Iraq, military says .
Iraqi lawmakers in Tehran to show evidence of Iran's support for militias . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- After heated arguments, the Iraqi parliament turned down the first draft of a bill Saturday that would have allowed foreign troops, including British forces, to remain in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires on December 31. A British soldier attends an Iraqi army training session Thursday in Iraq's Basra province. Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman said the measure was sent back to Iraqi Cabinet members for reworking before resubmitting it to lawmakers. There is no parliamentary deadline for the measure to pass. The bill does not apply to U.S. troops because the United States last month reached a Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqi government that calls for American troops to leave Iraqi cities by June 2009, and to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011. But after December 31 other foreign troops would not be authorized to remain in Iraq. This could cause a problem for Britain, which has the second-largest number of troops in Iraq after the United States. Britain was the leading U.S. ally during the invasion of Iraq and still has about 4,000 troops based outside the southern city of Basra. Five other nations -- Albania, Australia, El Salvador, Estonia and Romania -- have a total of fewer than 2,000 troops Iraq, according to the Multi-National Force-Iraq Web site. British troops will begin leaving Iraq in May 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a joint statement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a visit to Iraq on Wednesday. Watch the planning to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq » Othman said some legislators argued that the bill had not been assigned to committees, as is the custom before a measure's first reading. The session became so contentious that the speaker threatened to resign, lawmakers said. Lawmakers will take a holiday break for Christmas and New Year but could be called back into session by the parliament speaker, Othman said. Watch Britain's PM talk on withdrawing UK troops » Wrangling over the bill on non-U.S. troops began Wednesday when the first reading took place. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report. | [
"To what members was the measure sent back to?",
"When should troops be out?",
"Who does the bill not apply to?",
"What was the date>",
"Who will be out of Iraq by the end of 2011?",
"What did lawmakers question legitimacy of?",
"Who were the cabinet members?",
"What was sent back to Iraqi Cabinet members for reworking?",
"When are U.S. troops to be out of Iraq?"
] | [
[
"Iraqi Cabinet"
],
[
"by the end of 2011."
],
[
"U.S. troops"
],
[
"December 31."
],
[
"American troops"
],
[
"the bill"
],
[
"Iraqi"
],
[
"the measure"
],
[
"December 31."
]
] | Measure sent back to Iraqi Cabinet members for reworking, lawmaker says .
It would have allowed foreign troops to remain in Iraq after December 31 .
Bill doesn't apply to U.S. troops, who are to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011 .
Lawmakers questioned legitimacy of legislation's first reading or raised other issues . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An Iraqi report on last month's shootings involving security contractor Blackwater USA called the incident "pre-meditated murder" and is calling for $8 million in compensation for each of the 17 Iraqis who died, a senior Iraqi government official said Monday. Lawyer Hassan Jabbar lies in a hospital after being injured in a shooting involving Blackwater contractors. The results of the Iraqi investigation into the shootings is complete and will be presented to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government for review, the official said. The report calls for the payments to go to the families of each of those killed in the shootings, he said. Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Sunday that the Iraqi commission investigating the shootings has accused the company's guards of firing indiscriminately and without provocation on citizens and violating the rights of Iraqis. Blackwater said its contractors "acted lawfully and appropriately in response to a hostile attack," and "the civilians reportedly fired upon by Blackwater professionals were, in fact, armed enemies, and Blackwater personnel returned defensive fire." The September 16 shooting also left 27 other people wounded, al-Dabbagh said. Seven vehicles were also destroyed in the incident, which occurred around Nusoor Square in western Baghdad. Al-Dabbagh said the commission, formed September 22, determined there was no evidence the Blackwater convoy was under direct or indirect fire. "Not even a stone was thrown at them," al-Dabbagh said. He added the contractors violated the rules of conduct and regulations for private security firms operating in Iraq. "They must be held accountable according to the law," he said. However, security contractors have immunity from Iraqi law under a provision put into place in the early days of the U.S.-led occupation. Watch how supervision has been tightened on contractors » Blackwater security contractors were guarding a State Department convoy. The company is one of a number of private security contractors in Iraq. Last month's shooting has sparked fury in both countries and led to a series of new steps reviewing the role of U.S. contractors in Iraq. The Iraqi-American joint committee met for the first time Sunday to begin reviewing security operations. It plans to issue a report offering recommendations to the Iraqi and U.S. governments. Border crossings reopen Five border crossings between Iran and Iraq's Kurdish region have been reopened, an Iraqi Kurdish regional government spokesman said. Iran closed its border with the Iraqi region nearly two weeks ago to protest the U.S. military's incarceration of an Iranian arrested September 20 in Sulaimaniya. The U.S. military maintains that Mahmoud Farhadi was posing as a businessman with a trade delegation and was in charge of Zafar Command, one of three units of the Ramazan Corps of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani blasted the United States for the arrest, saying Farhadi is an Iranian civil servant who was on an official trade mission in the region. The U.S. military has long accused Quds Force agents of training and equipping Iraqi insurgents, an allegation Iran vehemently denies. Other developments CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report. | [
"Where is blackwater based?",
"Who killed 17 Iraqis?",
"what was not thrown at them",
"Who do the guards work for?",
"Iraqi panel is calling for $8 million per victim in the September 16 shooting",
"What is the Iraqi panel calling for?",
"Was a stone thrown?",
"what number of cash do they want?",
"What amount of money are the Iraqi panel asking for?",
"who died in the war"
] | [
[
"USA"
],
[
"Blackwater"
],
[
"stone"
],
[
"Blackwater"
],
[
"in compensation"
],
[
"$8 million in compensation for each of the 17 Iraqis who died,"
],
[
"\"Not even a"
],
[
"$8 million in compensation for each of the 17 Iraqis who died,"
],
[
"$8 million in compensation for each of the 17 Iraqis who died,"
],
[
"17 Iraqis"
]
] | "Not even a stone was thrown at them," Iraqi official says of Blackwater guards .
Iraq says 17 Iraqis killed by Blackwater guards in Baghdad square .
Blackwater, Iraqi officials have starkly different accounts of what happened .
Iraqi panel is calling for $8 million per victim in the September 16 shooting . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- At least 42 people were killed and 154 were wounded in five attacks on a religious holiday Friday, an Interior Ministry official said. Shiite Muslim women light candles early Friday at a shrine in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq. The first four attacks, which together killed 36 and wounded 124, targeted Shiites; the fifth attack was against a Sunni target. In the latest attack, a parked motorcycle bomb exploded in the marketplace of al-Khadra in a predominantly Sunni neighborhood of eastern Baghdad. Six people died, and 30 were wounded, the official said. The attack appeared to have targeted a police patrol; three of the fatalities were police, the official said. But most of the carnage was directed at Shiite targets, with the highest single toll exacted in the northern city of Mosul, where a suicide car bomb exploded near a Shiite mosque as a funeral was taking place, killing 30 people and wounding 100, the official said. In another attack, a roadside bomb exploded near a bus carrying pilgrims in the Sadr City neighborhood, killing three and wounding eight, the official said. Also in Sadr City, a roadside bomb exploded near a car, killing one person and wounding seven. And in eastern Baghdad, a car carrying pilgrims was targeted, killing two people and wounding nine. Friday was the end of a Shiite Muslim celebration in Karbala celebrating the birthday of Imam Mohammed al-Mehdi, the last of 12 historic imams revered by Shiites. Pilgrims participating in such celebrations have been the target of similar attacks by Sunni Muslims. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Islam, Imam Mohammed al-Mehdi "is expected to return at the end of time as the messianic imam who will restore justice and equity on Earth." Last Friday, bombs detonated after prayers near five Shiite mosques nearly simultaneously, killing 29 people as they were leaving the mosques. The attacks fueled fears that sectarian violence could be reigniting in the country and called into question the ability of security forces to safeguard the population as U.S. troops have taken a back seat to their Iraqi counterparts. Though the number of casualties has dropped over the past year, Friday's attacks show that an insurgency capable of wreaking havoc remains. CNN's Arwa Damon and Yousif Bassil contributed to this story from Baghdad. | [
"Where were the Shiite pilgrims traveling?",
"What type of mosque was the blast near?",
"How many people were killed in Mosul?",
"What did Friday mark?",
"Where did the bombing occur?",
"What kind of bomb killed six people?",
"How many people were killed?"
] | [
[
"city of Karbala, Iraq."
],
[
"Shiite"
],
[
"42"
],
[
"the birthday of Imam Mohammed al-Mehdi,"
],
[
"holy city of Karbala, Iraq."
],
[
"a parked motorcycle"
],
[
"At least 42"
]
] | NEW: Motorcycle bomb kills six in Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad .
Blast near Shiite mosque kills at least 30 in Mosul .
Three attacks target Shiite pilgrims traveling through Iraqi capital .
Friday was end of Shiite celebration of historic imam's birth . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- At least 6,000 Christians have fled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in the past week because of killings and death threats, Iraq's Ministry of Immigration and Displaced Persons said Thursday. A Christian family that fled Mosul found refuge in the Al-Sayida monastery about 30 miles north of the city. The number represents 1,424 families, at least 70 more families than were reported to be displaced on Wednesday. The ministry said it had set up an operation room to follow up sending urgent aid to the displaced Christian families as a result of attacks by what it called "terrorist groups." Iraqi officials have said the families were frightened by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists ordering them to convert to Islam or face death. Fourteen Christians have been slain in the past two weeks in the city, which is about 260 miles (420 kilometers) north of Baghdad. Mosul is one of the last Iraqi cities where al Qaeda in Iraq has a significant presence and routinely carries out attacks. The U.S. military said it killed the Sunni militant group's No. 2 leader, Abu Qaswarah, in a raid in the northern city earlier this month. In response to the recent attacks on Christians, authorities have ordered more checkpoints in several of the city's Christian neighborhoods. The attacks may have been prompted by Christian demonstrations ahead of provincial elections, which are to be held by January 31, authorities said. Hundreds of Christians took to the streets in Mosul and surrounding villages and towns, demanding adequate representation on provincial councils, whose members will be chosen in the local elections. Thursday, Iraq's minister of immigration and displaced persons discussed building housing complexes for Christian families in northern Iraq and allocating land to build the complexes. Abdel Samad Rahman Sultan brought up the issue when he met with a representative of Iraq's Hammurabi Organization for Human Rights and with the head of the Kojina Organization for helping displaced persons. A curfew was declared Wednesday in several neighborhoods of eastern Mosul as authorities searched for militants behind the attacks. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report. | [
"What frightened the families?",
"How many Christian families have been displaced",
"What did extremists order thdm to do",
"How many families have been displaced?",
"What were the families ordered to do?",
"How many Christians have been slain",
"Who was displaced?",
"Who are the extremists ordering to convert to Islam?"
] | [
[
"a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists ordering them to convert to Islam or face death."
],
[
"1,424"
],
[
"Islam or face death."
],
[
"1,424"
],
[
"Islam or face death."
],
[
"Fourteen"
],
[
"1,424 families,"
],
[
"Muslim"
]
] | More than 1,400 Christian families displaced .
Families reportedly frightened by killings and threats by Muslim extremists .
Extremists ordering them to convert to Islam, officials say .
Fourteen Christians have been slain in the past two weeks in Mosul . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Coalition forces found 26 bodies buried in mass graves and a bloodstained "torture complex," with chains hanging from walls and ceilings and a bed connected to an electrical system, the military said Wednesday. Twenty-six bodies were found in mass graves near a "torture complex" discovered by coalition forces. The troops made the discovery while conducting an operation north of Muqdadiya, Iraq. From December 8 to 11, the troops who found the complex also killed 24 people they said were terrorists and detained 37 suspects, according to a statement issued by Multinational Division North at Camp Speicher in Tikrit. The moves were part of an operation called Iron Reaper that has been in progress across northern Iraq for the past few weeks. The complex was in an area thought to be an al Qaeda in Iraq haven and operating base, the military said. Iraqis had told the military about the site during an earlier operation. "Evidence of murder, torture and intimidation against local villagers was found throughout the area," the military statement said. Ground forces first found what appeared to be a detention facility, which was one of three connected to the torture complex, Multinational Division North said. One of the facilities appeared to have been a headquarters building and a torture facility, it added. As the area was cleared, the bodies were found. Eventually, 26 bodies were uncovered in mass graves next to what were thought to be execution sites, the military said. The bodies are believed to have been dead between six and eight months, according to a gruesome military video shot at the scene. Some had their hands tied behind their backs. Identification is proving to be a challenge because of advanced decomposition. Photos given to the news media show a filthy bed wired to an electrical system, with an outlet hanging from wires on the wall. In the video, troops point out rubber hoses and boxing gloves, a ski mask and a blood-covered sword and knives. Other still photos show an entrance to the underground bunker and barbed wire stretched outside it. A short distance away from the complex, troops found a bullet-riddled Iraqi police vehicle. Some of the bodies may belong to Iraqi police, according to the military video. The operation netted nine weapons caches, which have been destroyed, the military said. They included anti-aircraft weapons, sniper rifles, more than 65 machine guns and pistols, 50 grenades and a surface-to-air missile launcher and platform, the statement said. Also found were mines, pipe bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar tubes and rounds and 130 pounds of homemade explosives. E-mail to a friend | [
"What does the military say?",
"What was there evidence of?",
"What is believed to be an al Qaeda haven?",
"When do coalition forces say they made the discovery?",
"What did the coalition forces discover?",
"Who might some of the 26 bodies belong to?",
"Who do some of the 26 bodies belong to?",
"What did the coalition forces say?",
"What was the complex believed to be?",
"What haven is the complex believed to be?",
"What evidence was found?"
] | [
[
"complex,\" with chains hanging from walls and ceilings and a bed connected to an electrical system,"
],
[
"murder, torture and"
],
[
"The complex"
],
[
"Wednesday."
],
[
"26 bodies buried in mass graves and a bloodstained \"torture"
],
[
"Iraqi police,"
],
[
"Iraqi police,"
],
[
"\"Evidence of murder, torture and"
],
[
"\"torture complex\""
],
[
"al Qaeda in Iraq"
],
[
"26 bodies buried in mass graves and a bloodstained \"torture"
]
] | NEW: Military says some of the 26 bodies may belong to Iraqi police .
Complex believed to be an al Qaeda in Iraq haven .
Coalition forces say they made the discovery during operations in northern Iraq .
Military: Evidence of torture and murder against local villagers found . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Coalition troops killed the al Qaeda terrorist who masterminded the February 2006 attack on Samarra's al-Askariya mosque and set off continuing violence and reprisal killings between Sunnis and Shiites, the U.S. military said Sunday. The attack on Samarra's al-Askariya mosque set off violence between Sunnis and Shiites. Haitham Sabah al-Badri, the al Qaeda emir of greater Samarra, was killed by an airstrike Thursday east of Samarra, said Rear Adm. Mark Fox during a news conference. "Eliminating al-Badri is another step in breaking the cycle of violence instigated by the attack on the holy shrine in Samarra," Fox said. "We will continue to hunt down the brutal terrorists who are intent on creating a Taliban-like state in Iraq." Coalition forces Thursday raided four buildings outside Samarra that were associated with al-Badri, according to a U.S. military news release. During the raid, at least four armed men were seen leaving the buildings and setting up tactical fighting positions in an effort to ambush coalition forces, the release said. The coalition forces called in close air support, killing al-Badri and the three others, the release said. One of those killed was identified as a foreigner; al-Badri was identified by his close associates and relatives, the military said. El-Badri's death was first reported Saturday by a high-ranking Iraqi Interior Ministry official. No one was injured in the attack on the Golden Mosque, one of the holiest Shiite sites, but thousands have been killed by the death squads and reprisal bombings that have ravaged Iraq in the 17½ months since the attack. In addition to the February attack that collapsed the mosque's dome, another bombing in June destroyed the shrine's two remaining minarets. Al-Badri is believed to have been involved in other attacks, including two last year, Fox said -- the June 23 bombing of a Kirkuk courthouse that left 20 Iraqis dead and the August 28 attack at a Samarra checkpoint that killed 29 Iraqi soldiers. Samarra is in Salaheddin province, north of Baghdad. Mortar attacks kill 11 Two mortar rounds struck a gas station in a mainly Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 15 others, a spokesman with Iraq's Interior Ministry said. The attack in the Afdhailiya neighborhood happened about 8 a.m. (12 a.m. ET), the spokesman said. Suicide bombers attacked two gas stations Wednesday, killing 70 people, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, coalition forces said Saturday they killed four suspected militants and detained 18 thought to have helped make or plant roadside bombs, the U.S. military said. The militants were suspected of coordinating logistical support from Iran for elements of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army and other Shiite militias operating in Iraq, the military said. Iraqi family upset with U.S. soldier's sentence A U.S. soldier has been sentenced to 110 years in confinement for participating in the rape of a 14-year-old girl and the killings of her and her family in Iraq, an Army spokeswoman said. The girl's family told Reuters on Sunday they were dismayed by the punishment and would have preferred to see the death penalty handed down in the case. Pfc. Jesse Spielman was convicted Friday of rape, conspiracy to commit rape, housebreaking with the intent to commit rape and four counts of felony murder. The girl, her parents and younger sister were shot dead in March 2006 in Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad. "We were expecting the death penalty against those criminals and the place to carry out the sentence is where the incident happened," the girl's cousin, Abu Ammar, told Reuters. Her uncle, Hadi Abdullah, told the wire agency that family members wished there was a way to appeal the sentence so the death penalty could be imposed. Three soldiers have previously pleaded guilty in the case and were given sentences ranging from five to 100 years. The accused ringleader, former Pvt. Steven Green, was discharged from the Army and awaits trial in a civilian court. | [
"What nationality was the soldier who wasn't sentenced to death?",
"Who is upset the soldier wasn't sentenced to death?",
"where is samarra",
"Who caused the mortar attacks in Beghdad?",
"What number died in the mortar attacks in Baghdad?",
"What did Reuters say about the slain girl's family?",
"Who was the al Qaeda emir of greater Samarra?",
"What did the Interior Ministry say about the Baghdad mortar attacks?",
"who is sabab al-´badri",
"what happened in baghdad",
"What nationality was the slain girl?"
] | [
[
"U.S."
],
[
"girl's family"
],
[
"Salaheddin province, north of Baghdad."
],
[
"Suicide bombers"
],
[
"11"
],
[
"they were dismayed by the punishment and would have preferred to see the death penalty handed down in the case."
],
[
"Haitham Sabah al-Badri,"
],
[
"rounds struck a gas station in a mainly Shiite neighborhood in eastern"
],
[
"al Qaeda emir of greater Samarra,"
],
[
"Two mortar rounds struck a gas station in a mainly Shiite neighborhood in eastern"
],
[
"Iraqi"
]
] | Haitham Sabah al-Badri was the al Qaeda emir of greater Samarra .
U.S. military says al-Badri suspected in two other attacks that killed 49 .
Family of slain girl upset soldier wasn't sentenced to death, Reuters says .
At least 11 people killed in mortar attacks in Baghdad, Interior Ministry says . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Four U.S. soldiers died in a roadside bombing in Iraq on Sunday, military officials reported, bringing the American toll in the 5-year-old war to the grim milestone of 4,000 deaths. Troops emerge from a bunker after receiving the "all clear" Sunday following a truck bombing in Mosul. The four were killed when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device while patrolling a neighborhood in southern Baghdad, the U.S. military headquarters in Iraq reported Sunday night. A fifth soldier was wounded in the attack, which took place about 10 p.m. (3 p.m. ET). The U.S. milestone comes just days after Americans marked the fifth anniversary of the start of the war. "No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic," Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, the U.S. military's chief spokesman in Iraq, said. "Every single loss of a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine is keenly felt by military commanders, families and friends both in theatre and at home," Smith said. Of the 4,000 U.S. military personnel killed in the war, 3,263 have been killed in attacks and fighting and 737 in non-hostile incidents, such as traffic accidents and suicides. Eight of the 4,000 killed were civilians working for the Pentagon. Many of those killed over the years, like the four soldiers slain on Sunday in Baghdad, have been targeted by improvised explosive devices -- the roadside bombs that have been described as the weapon of choice for insurgents and a weapon that has come to symbolize Iraq's tenacious insurgency. The existence of the Pentagon's Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization has been developed to counter the threat of IEDs in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. The group calls IEDs the "weapon of choice for adaptive and resilient networks of insurgents and terrorists." Watch how IEDs have become deadly staple in Iraq war » Meanwhile, estimates of the Iraqi death toll range from about 80,000 to the hundreds of thousands, with another 2 million forced to leave the country and 2.5 million people displaced within Iraq, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. President Bush ordered U.S. troops into Iraq on March 19, 2003, after months of warnings that then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was concealing stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and efforts to build a nuclear bomb. U.N. weapons inspectors found no sign of banned weapons before the invasion, and the CIA later concluded that Iraq had dismantled its weapons programs in the 1990s. Hussein's government fell in early April 2003, and Iraq's new government executed him in December 2006. The news of the 4,000 mark came on the same day that Iraq's national security adviser urged Americans to be patient with the progress of the war, contending that it is "well worth fighting" because it has implications about "global terror." "This is global terrorism hitting everywhere, and they have chosen Iraq to be a battlefield. And we have to take them on," Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." "If we don't prevail, if we don't succeed in this war, then we are doomed forever," he said. "I understand and sympathize with the mothers, with the widows, with the children who have lost their beloved ones in this country. "But honestly, it is well worth fighting and well worth investing the money and the treasure and the sweat and the tears in Iraq." Nearly 160,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, and the war has cost U.S. taxpayers about $600 billion, according to the House Budget Committee. The conflict is now widely unpopular among Americans: A CNN-Opinion Research Corp. poll out Wednesday found only 32 percent of Americans support the conflict. And 61 percent said they want the next president to remove most U.S. troops within a few months of taking office. In the weekly Democratic radio address Saturday, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey said President Bush "took us to war on the wings | [
"What is the American death toll?",
"what was the result of sunday",
"who hit by an IED",
"what american death toll",
"Where were the four soldiers from?",
"What number of Iraqi's have been killed?",
"what did the security advisor say",
"What was the vehicle hit with?",
"what is the cap of deaths",
"what is approximately of iraqis casualties"
] | [
[
"4,000"
],
[
"Four U.S. soldiers died in a roadside bombing"
],
[
"Four U.S. soldiers"
],
[
"4,000 deaths."
],
[
"U.S."
],
[
"about 80,000 to the hundreds of thousands,"
],
[
"urged Americans to be patient with the progress of the war, contending that it is \"well worth fighting\" because it has implications about \"global terror.\""
],
[
"an improvised explosive device"
],
[
"4,000"
],
[
"about 80,000 to the hundreds of thousands,"
]
] | NEW: As Iraq war enters sixth year, American death toll rises to 4,000 .
NEW: Four U.S. soldiers killed when their vehicle was hit by an IED .
At least 30 Iraqis died Sunday; 80,000 to 150,000 or more killed since war's start .
Iraq security adviser said Sunday that Iraq war is "well worth fighting" |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's former trade minister, who resigned this month amid accusations of corruption, was arrested by security forces as he was trying to leave the country, officials confirmed to CNN. Abdul Falah al-Sudani resigned as Iraq's trade minister under allegations of corruption. Abdul Falah al-Sudani was aboard a flight to Dubai from Baghdad International Airport when police contacted the pilot and told him to fly back to the airport, Sabah al-Saedi, chairman of Iraq's parliamentary integrity committee told CNN. Al-Sudani -- arrested on a warrant issued in Samawa on Saturday -- was seized after the plane landed, al-Saedi said. Lawmakers and government officials have raised questions with al-Sudani about Trade Ministry issues: the importation of goods intended for distribution in government food rations but rejected as unsuitable for human consumption; missing shipments of food; a missing $39 million; and obstruction of justice. Al-Sudani acknowledged that his ministry has had problems with corruption but denied he was personally involved. Al-Saedi said al-Sudani didn't know that a warrant would be issued, but he was well-aware of the corruption accusations against him and had been told by lawmakers and officials not to leave Iraq. | [
"What was the reason for Abdul Falah al-Sudani resigning?",
"Where was the pilot told to return the plane to?",
"Wh is the ex-trade minister",
"Where did authorities tell the pilot to return plane to?",
"What is the name of the ex-trade minister?",
"What was the reason Abdul Falah al-Sudani resigned?",
"Who is arrested after authorities tell a pilot to return plane to Baghdad?",
"What was Abdul Al-Sudani's job before he resigned?"
] | [
[
"accusations of corruption,"
],
[
"the airport,"
],
[
"Abdul Falah al-Sudani"
],
[
"the airport,"
],
[
"Abdul Falah al-Sudani"
],
[
"amid accusations of corruption,"
],
[
"Abdul Falah al-Sudani"
],
[
"Iraq's trade minister"
]
] | Ex-trade minister Abdul Falah al-Sudani resigned in corruption scandal .
Al-Sudani arrested after authorities tell pilot to return plane to Baghdad .
Former official denies involvement in ministry's corruption problems . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani will likely not seek re-election once his term ends. Jalal Talabani says he will not run for Iraq's president again, but he plans to stay in the political arena. Talabani, 75, has been president since April 2005. The ethnic Kurd was re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term. Although he "has expressed his willingness not to seek another presidential nomination ... it does not mean that he will withdraw from the political and partisan arena," a message on Talabani's Web site said. "President Talabani, on various occasions, sought to emphasize the importance and the need to devolve the power, tasks and responsibilities of leadership in the country to local authorities, especially at this stage when the country is going through political efforts by the parties to expand their bases," the statement said. In Iraq, the prime minister wields most of the power. However, Talabani played an important role in maintaining the country's delicate ethnic balance. The Iraqi parliament picks the president and two vice presidents, a Sunni and a Shia. All will leave office when parliamentary polls are held in December. Talabani is the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report. | [
"Who has been president since April 2005?",
"Who says he will likely not seek re-election?",
"who played role in maintaining the country's ethnic balance?",
"Who is the Iraq president?",
"what is the age of Talabani?",
"How long has he been president?",
"What did he play a role in?",
"who is iraq president?"
] | [
[
"Jalal Talabani"
],
[
"Iraqi President Jalal Talabani"
],
[
"Jalal Talabani"
],
[
"Jalal Talabani"
],
[
"75,"
],
[
"since April 2005."
],
[
"delicate ethnic balance."
],
[
"Jalal Talabani"
]
] | Iraq president Jalal Talabani says he will likely not seek re-election .
Talabani, 75, has been president since April 2005 .
Talabani, a Kurd, played role in maintaining the country's ethnic balance . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Kept in a derelict warehouse at Baghdad's airport for months, sleeping four to a bed with poor food and no money, hundreds of would-be contract workers are stranded, claiming they were duped by unscrupulous recruiting agents into coming to Iraq for nonexistent jobs. Men staying in an airport warehouse say they paid recruiters to take them to Iraq, believing they'd get jobs. The recruiters told the men -- from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Uganda -- that jobs were waiting for them with American defense contractor KBR, through a Kuwaiti company called Najlaa Catering Services. The recruiting agents charged them between $3,000 and $5,000 to make the trip to Iraq; many sold their farms or other valuables to raise the money. But when they arrived in Baghdad, they said, Najlaa housed about 1,000 of them -- 600 in the one-room warehouse -- in the compound within the airport, surrounded by private security guards. Showers are there, but are useless because the taps are nonfunctional. Many have questions about their visas and status in Iraq. Legally unable to stay, they lack the money to return home. Asked if their governments were helping them, the men said, "Nothing, nothing." They said that when they protested, their guards fired guns upward to silence them. Watch footage of the men, warehouse » Najlaa's officials in Iraq refused comment to CNN. The company's Kuwaiti office said the situation was "under control" and being dealt with. Some Ugandan men said the Iraqi police handcuffed and beat them. "They say, 'If you are here for the U.S., we're going to show you the difference between the U.S. government and the Iraqi government. Let's see if the U.S. is going to help you,' " one man said. Iraqi police would not answer questions regarding those allegations. As the men spoke to CNN on camera, an official in charge of them threatened to lock them out of the compound unless they returned inside within two minutes. KBR was not involved in recruiting the men. The company told CNN it does not condone unethical behavior, saying its contractors abide by its code of conduct, including training in human trafficking. The company said when it becomes aware of possible trafficking it works "to remediate the problem and report the matter to proper authorities. KBR then works with authorities to rectify the matter." Meanwhile, men at a separate makeshift camp nearby said they were duped by different recruiters. They live off food donated by Iraqi workers, and say the men who brought them to Iraq have disappeared. The men in the makeshift camp said their immigration status is in limbo. Their passports have been taken, or pages with visas have been torn out. Help may be on the way. The men said United Nations workers had visited them. The world organization told CNN it is aware of the situation and is figuring out how to assist the men. The U.S. military told CNN it takes human rights abuses seriously and is looking into the matter. The Iraqi government has also confiscated the passport of a Najlaa official until a solution is found. But for the stranded men, help can't come soon enough. "It's not fair," one said. CNN's Thomas Evans and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report. | [
"Where were the nonexistent jobs?",
"What can the United Nations do?",
"What were the men charged to make the trip?",
"Who is trying to help the men?",
"Men from where?"
] | [
[
"Iraq"
],
[
"assist the men."
],
[
"between $3,000 and $5,000"
],
[
"United Nations workers"
],
[
"India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Uganda"
]
] | Men claim recruiters duped them into going to Iraq for nonexistent jobs .
Men say they were charged between $3,000 and $5,000 to make the trip .
One group staying in derelict warehouse in Baghdad; another in makeshift camp .
United Nations says it is trying to determine how to help the men . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- More than half the Christian population has fled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in reaction to a campaign of killings and intimidation, according to the United Nations.
Christian women attend a religious service Sunday at a church in Baghdad.
An estimated 13,000 Christians have left because of oppression the U.S. government blames on al Qaeda in Iraq.
Mosul, in Nineveh province, is one of the last Iraqi cities where al Qaeda in Iraq has a significant presence and routinely carries out attacks.
An estimated 2,300 families have fled Mosul this month, but the exodus has started to ebb, Nineveh province's Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran said Tuesday. No Christian family has left the city over the past seven days, and at least 100 families returned to their homes in and around Mosul during that time, Goran said.
Authorities said they believe Christian demonstrations earlier this month may have prompted the attacks. Hundreds of Christians took to the streets in Mosul and surrounding villages and towns demanding adequate representation on provincial councils, whose members will be chosen in local elections in January.
The violence that followed those protests left at least 14 Iraqi Christians dead and prompted the Iraqi government to dispatch more security forces to patrol the city. Violence has declined as a result, Iraqi officials said.
Last week, U.S. Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell said the anti-Christian attacks and threats are partly "due to elements of al Qaeda that still enjoy some ability to operate up there."
"This is an attempt, it appears, to try to inflame tensions and fault lines that exist between religious and sectarian groups," Morrell said.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is helping many of the displaced families, most of whom have fled to nearby villages in Nineveh province. About 400 others have crossed into Syria, but many have said they no longer feel safe there, according to the refugee agency.
Syria already hosts more than 1 million Iraqi refugees.
The U.N. agency said many of the Iraqi Christians told stories of intimidation and death threats.
"One woman said she and her mother left Mosul early last week, two days after someone called one of her colleagues at work and said that all Christians should leave the city immediately or be killed," according to a UNHCR news release.
"She said she was unnerved but decided to leave only after hearing reports that 11 people had been killed at a checkpoint by militiamen dressed as police officers. She and her mother escaped with a couple of bags and all the money that they had in the house -- they did not dare go to the bank to remove their savings."
A nurse told UNHCR that the threats against Christians in Mosul began months ago "with phone calls, letters and messages left on doors."
In other violence Tuesday in Mosul, four police officers were killed and four wounded when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.
Gunmen in cars ambushed police as they were on their way to start work in west Mosul's al-Amil neighborhood, the official said.
Also Tuesday in Baghdad, six civilians died and 23 were hurt in four bombings, the official said.
In eastern Baghdad, in the Shiite al-Baladiyat neighborhood, a roadside bomb exploded Tuesday afternoon, killing one civilian and wounding five others, the official said.
Earlier, a parked car exploded near a busy outdoor market in the western al-Jihad neighborhood, killing at least five people and wounding 11 others, the Interior Ministry official said.
No other details were available about the blast.
Two roadside bombs exploded in central Baghdad's al-Nahdha commercial area, wounding seven people, the official said.
The first blast hurt four civilians, while the second wounded three, the official said.
Also Tuesday, the Iraqi army and police discovered 20 decomposed bodies in the basement of an abandoned house in Tal Afar, a town about 43 miles (70 kilometers) west of Mosul.
There was no indication of how the victims -- who could not immediately be identified -- were killed, the official | [
"Who was killed Tuesday?",
"What did authorities find?",
"What chased the Christians from Mosul",
"Where is this house?",
"Where were four police and five civilians killed?",
"Who found the bodies?",
"Where are the Christians chased from?"
] | [
[
"six civilians"
],
[
"20 decomposed bodies in the basement of an abandoned house in Tal Afar,"
],
[
"al Qaeda"
],
[
"Tal Afar,"
],
[
"in Mosul,"
],
[
"Iraqi army and police"
],
[
"Mosul"
]
] | NEW: Authorities find 20 decomposed bodies in basement of Tal Afar house .
Intimidation, killings chase 13,000 Christians from Mosul, U.N. agency says .
Exodus is slowing, and some have returned, Iraqi official says .
Four police, five civilians killed Tuesday in Mosul and Baghdad, ministry says . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Samar Saed Abdullah's entire body trembles as she speaks about her impending execution. She thinks of the gallows room, the noose around her neck and that moment when she will take her final breath. Samar Saed Abdullah is sentenced to die by hanging in connection with the killing of three relatives. "My life is meaningless," she said, choking on her tears. "I can't think of anything else. The other women, we try to help each other, but we cannot escape the reality that we are on death row and they can take us at any second." The 27-year-old Iraqi woman is sentenced to die in connection with the slayings of three relatives in January 2005. She looks pale and frail, her face sallow, her eyes bloodshot. She shakes with each sob, anxiously twisting a tissue in her hands. We first met Samar in spring 2007, at al-Kadhimiya Women's Prison in Baghdad. She had been on death row for about two years, and she was terrified. Watch a tearful plea from death row » "I don't sleep at all on Wednesdays," she said then. "I stay up from morning until night, because that's the day they pick for executions." Samar was sentenced to death by hanging for being an accessory to murder in the killings of her uncle, aunt and cousin -- slayings that she says were carried out at their home by her husband-to-be, who remains on the loose. She maintains that she is innocent, and there are disturbing questions about her conviction. Samar has now been moved a step closer to death: to Baghdad's maximum-security prison, where there are more than 500 prisoners waiting to be executed. It's the same facility where Saddam Hussein was hanged in December 2006. CNN was not allowed to film her face inside the prison. During the interview, the wardens also seemed to make motions to try to stop CNN from broaching the subject of her allegation that she had only confessed under torture. The day of the killings is seared into her mind. "I think about it every day, every hour. I wake up with it in my head," she said. "It's the reason I am here." There was a point in time when Samar was happy, when her life had meaning and joy. She had a fiancé, Saif Ali Nur, in winter 2004. "I was so happy at the time, when he asked for my hand in marriage," she remembered bitterly. "I thought that he was honest, that he did not lie to me. It all happened in just two months." At first, her family didn't approve of the romance, but they eventually relented. One day, she says, Saif duped her into taking him to her wealthy uncle's house. He locked her in the kitchen and, she says, shot her uncle, aunt and cousin. Then, he turned the gun on her. Samar says he stole less than $1,000 after threatening to kill Samar and her family if she went to the authorities. The Iraqi police picked Samar up the next day, after Saif dumped her in front of her house and disappeared. "There was nothing that made me suspect that this was a guy who would do something like this," she said. She's filled with regret that she fell in love with him. "And now I am here in prison, and he is out on the streets, happy." Her parents sold everything to pay for her defense. They swear she's innocent. She says she was tortured by the police into confessing that she went to her uncle's house with the intent to steal. "They kept beating me, and they told me, 'Say whatever we want you to say, and do not say anything else, and say yes, I was an accomplice to this crime.' Although I had nothing to do with it | [
"What did the woman say police coerced her into doing?",
"Who was convicted as accessory to murder of 3 relatives?",
"At what age was Samar Saed Abdullah convicted?",
"What does the woman sob about?",
"What was Samar Saed Abdullah convicted of?",
"Who was convicted as an accessory to the murder of 3 relatives?",
"in what way did the police coerce her?",
"What was Samar convicted of?",
"What was Samar Saed Abdullah convicted of?",
"What did police do do Abdullah?",
"What does Samar Saed Abdullah say the police did to her?"
] | [
[
"confessing"
],
[
"Samar Saed Abdullah"
],
[
"27-year-old"
],
[
"execution."
],
[
"connection with the slayings of three relatives in January 2005."
],
[
"Samar Saed Abdullah"
],
[
"torture."
],
[
"for being an accessory to murder in the killings of her uncle, aunt and cousin"
],
[
"the killing of three relatives."
],
[
"dumped her in front of her house and disappeared."
],
[
"tortured"
]
] | Woman sobs about impending execution: "I can't think of anything else"
Samar Saed Abdullah, 27, was convicted as accessory to murder of 3 relatives .
She says police coerced and tortured her into confessing .
Ministry of Justice maintains that judicial system is "fair and just" |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi government says it has banned all organized visits to Saddam Hussein's grave amid concern over support for the late dictator's former party. An Iraqi poet, left, gives a recital while children carry pictures of Saddam Hussein over his grave. A Cabinet statement on Monday said it had directed authorities in Salaheddin province and the Education Ministry to "take all necessary measures" to prevent such outings. The former dictator, along with his two sons and other relatives, is buried in his hometown of al-Ouja near Tikrit in Salaheddin north of Baghdad. And, Hussein supporters and schoolchildren have made visits there on the late dictator's birthday and hanging date. There have been videos on sites such as YouTube of people at the site. One video shows schoolchildren at the grave in December; they carried banners at Hussein's grave that said "We won't forget you father" and they read pro-Hussein poetry. The government move was made after a recent visit by schoolchildren to the grave, but no reason was given for the decision. However, the move reflects the concern of Iraq's government over the presence of the Baath Party in Iraq, Saddam Hussein's political movement. The party and its symbols have been banned in Iraq. On Saturday, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told reporters that while there can be government reconciliation with individual Baathists who have not committed crimes such as killing Iraqis, there can never be national reconciliation with the party itself. Salaheddin Gov. Mutasher Hussein Alaiwi, said he had not received any official directives yet, but said he would implement Cabinet orders when he receives them. The governor said that would apply to organized group visits, but they would not stop individual ones. A resident of al-Ouja told CNN the government had no right to stop visitors from going to their former president's tomb. "Even if they put police and army outside the door, they will not stop us from visiting our president, our leader and our father," said Mohammed al- Nasiri. Hussein was executed in 2006 after an Iraqi court sentenced him to death for crimes against humanity. | [
"Where is the Iraqi government restricting access?",
"Who recently visited the grave?",
"Where is the dictator buried?",
"Who banned all organized visits to Saddam Hussein's grave?",
"Who visited the grave?",
"Where is the former dictator buried?",
"What prompted the decision?",
"Where was Hussein buried?",
"What does the Iraqi government ban?",
"what did iraqi government ban",
"Where is Saddam Hussein's home town?",
"What is the Baath party?",
"What is the reason for the Government for banning organized visits to Saddam Hussein's grave?",
"where was the former dictator buried",
"What concerns to the Iraqi Government have about the Baath Party?",
"for what reason did the Iraqi government make this decision?"
] | [
[
"grave"
],
[
"schoolchildren"
],
[
"hometown of al-Ouja near Tikrit in Salaheddin north of Baghdad."
],
[
"Iraqi government"
],
[
"schoolchildren"
],
[
"al-Ouja near Tikrit in Salaheddin north of Baghdad."
],
[
"a recent visit by schoolchildren to the grave,"
],
[
"in his hometown of al-Ouja near Tikrit in Salaheddin north of Baghdad."
],
[
"all organized visits to Saddam Hussein's"
],
[
"all organized visits to Saddam Hussein's"
],
[
"al-Ouja"
],
[
"Saddam Hussein's political movement."
],
[
"concern over support"
],
[
"in his hometown of al-Ouja near Tikrit in Salaheddin north of Baghdad."
],
[
"been banned in Iraq."
],
[
"amid concern over support"
]
] | Iraqi government bans all organized visits to Saddam Hussein's grave .
Former dictator buried in his hometown of al-Ouja near Tikrit, north of Baghdad .
Government move was made after a recent visit by schoolchildren to the grave .
Move reflects concern of Iraq's government over presence of the Baath Party . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military announced Wednesday that coalition forces recently killed al Qaeda in Iraq's "charismatic" senior leader in northern Iraq. Abu Qaswarah was second only to Abu Ayyub al-Masri (pictured) in al Qaeda in Iraq leadership. Abu Qaswarah, also known as Abu Sara, was killed during an operation in Mosul on October 5, the military said. The Moroccan native was second-in-command to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri, according to the military. He had "historic ties" to al-Masri's predecessor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and senior al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the military said. Abu Qaswarah -- who became AQI's senior leader in northern Iraq in June 2007 -- was the target of the military raid in Mosul earlier this month, the military said. Coalition forces tracked him down inside a building in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which "served as a key command and control location for AQI," according to the military. "Upon entering the building, forces were immediately fired upon," the military said. "Coalition forces returned fire in self-defense, leading to the death of five terrorists. It was later determined that one of the five was positively identified as Abu Qaswarah." The U.S. military described Abu Qaswarah as a "charismatic" leader who rallied al Qaeda in Iraq's northern network after "major setbacks to the terrorist organization across Iraq." Groups comprised mainly of former Sunni insurgents -- known as Awakening Councils or "Sons of Iraq" -- have turned against al Qaeda in Iraq, helping to diminish its presence in several parts of the country. The U.S. military credits them with playing a key role in bringing about the nationwide drop in violence that coincided with the "surge" of U.S. forces. Abu Qaswarah -- who trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan -- helped bring foreign terrorists into northern Iraq, where they carried out a spate of suicide attacks, according to the military. He also organized and led AQI's attacks in Mosul, including the "failed attempt to destroy the Mosul Civic Center during the holy month of Ramadan," which took place in September, the military said. That attack, the military said, "could have killed hundreds of innocent Iraqis." The military said Abu Qaswarah's death "will significantly degrade AQI operations in Mosul and northern Iraq, leaving the network without a leader to oversee and coordinate its operations in the region." | [
"who was killed in Mosul?",
"who tracked him down?",
"what does us military say about abu",
"what was his position in al qaeda",
"who was the leader?",
"who is abu qaswarah",
"What did the U.S. military describe Abu Qaswarah as?"
] | [
[
"Abu Qaswarah, also known as Abu Sara,"
],
[
"Coalition forces"
],
[
"\"Coalition forces returned fire in self-defense, leading to the death of five terrorists. It was later determined that one of the five was positively identified as"
],
[
"senior leader"
],
[
"Abu Qaswarah"
],
[
"Iraq's \"charismatic\" senior leader in northern Iraq."
],
[
"a \"charismatic\" leader who rallied al Qaeda in Iraq's northern network after \"major setbacks to the terrorist organization across Iraq.\""
]
] | Abu Qaswarah killed during an operation in Mosul on October 5 .
He was second-in-command to al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri .
Coalition forces tracked him down inside a building in the northern Iraqi city .
U.S. military described Abu Qaswarah as a "charismatic" leader . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military said disturbing video that shows masked boys brandishing guns was an al Qaeda in Iraq training and recruiting tool. The U.S. says this image of young boys is from an al Qaeda in Iraq training and recruitment video. "Al Qaeda in Iraq wants to poison the next generation of Iraqis," said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith during a Baghdad news conference about the release of the tape. The video, he said, showed boys, "many below age 11" being used "to produce the next generation of al Qaeda." Masked boys are seen in the tape armed with grenade launchers, AK-47s and pistols. They're standing in front of a black banner hung on a wall, shouting slogans. Another video shows a boy, surrounded by automatic weapons and wearing a suicide vest, according to The Associated Press. Also in the video, armed boys in black hoods, with weapons pointed, shout and force a man off his bicycle, search a car, and clear a building while a male voice off camera instructs them. Smith said the military doesn't know how many children al Qaeda in Iraq uses in its operations. He said it's believed the boys in the video were willing participants. Watch the disturbing video » "Al Qaeda often refers to the children as the new generation of the mujahedeen," Smith said, using the Arabic term for holy warriors. "We've also seen evidence of al Qaeda entering schools, disseminating propaganda and no doubt terrorizing the children and their teachers." The video indicates that al Qaeda in Iraq was increasingly targeting children and posting propaganda on some of the 5,000 al Qaeda-affiliated Web sites. The U.S. military said the video excerpts were culled from five propaganda videos obtained during a raid targeting a senior member of al Qaeda in Iraq in December in Diyala province. In Baghdad on Wednesday, roadside bombings in south-central Iraq killed seven people and wounded nine others, Iraq's Interior Ministry said. A roadside bomb targeting police killed four people and wounded nine others in the south-central Iraqi provincial capital of Diwaniya on Wednesday morning, an Interior Ministry official told CNN. The city is the provincial seat of the largely Shiite Qadisiya province. Police were transporting prisoners at the time of the attack. The four killed, two women, a child and a man, were civilian passers-by. Four civilians, three detainees, and two police officers were wounded. A roadside bomb exploded midmorning in central Baghdad's Andalus Square, killing three civilians, according to the ministry. In eastern Baghdad, a third roadside bomb targeted a U.S. military patrol, the Interior Ministry said. There was no immediate word on casualties. The U.S. military on Wednesday also reported the deaths of two Sons of Iraq members who were trying to thwart a suicide attack on Tuesday in a town northwest of Baghdad. Watch more on Sons of Iraq » A militant detonated a suicide vest outside a photo shop in Awad. The pair died in the strike but "prevented the man from detonating the explosive vest filled with ball bearings in a crowd of local Iraqis. The selflessness of these men allowed time for surviving witnesses to recognize the threat and escape the blast," the military said. The Sons of Iraq, Concerned Local Citizens and Awakening Councils are the names of anti-al Qaeda in Iraq citizen groups that have emerged across the country in recent months. The U.S. military on Wednesday also reported a series of raids across Iraq over the last few days that led to the detentions of 20 suspected militants. The operations took place in the Baghdad area, in Mosul, and near Ramadi. Iraqi soldiers and Sons of Iraq members also found weapons caches. E-mail to a friend CNN's Arwa Damon contributed to this report. | [
"Who says tape made from al Qaeda recruitment tapes?",
"What did soldiers seize during the December raid?",
"What happened to bicyclist?"
] | [
[
"The U.S."
],
[
"five propaganda videos"
],
[
"shout and force a man off his bicycle,"
]
] | U.S. admiral says tape made from al Qaeda recruitment tapes .
Armed kids enact detaining bicyclist, searching car, clearing building .
Soldiers seized video during December raid targeting al Qaeda in Iraq leader .
Three separate roadside bombings in south-central Iraq kill seven, wound nine . |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The notorious Iraq prison once called Abu Ghraib has reopened under Iraqi government control. And the Ministry of Justice has launched a public-relations campaign to show it has changed since the days when prisoners were tortured there -- first under Saddam Hussein, and later by American troops.
The Iraqi Ministry of Justice gave journalists an inside look at the prison formerly known as Abu Ghraib.
It is now called Baghdad Central Prison, and has water fountains, a freshly planted garden and a gym -- complete with weights and sports teams' jerseys on the walls.
Under Saddam Hussein, tens of thousands of Iraqis were thrown behind bars here. There were horrific stories of torture, abuse, execution without trial.
In 2004, the prison was once again thrown into the international spotlight, this time because of abuse by U.S. troops. Watch how the prison has been revamped »
Detainees were photographed in degrading positions, as Americans posed next to them smiling. The images -- naked prisoners stacked on top of each other, or being threatened by dogs, or hooded and wired up as if for electrocution -- caused outrage around the world when they were leaked to the news media in May 2004.
Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, commander of the Abu Ghraib prison at the time, was demoted in rank to colonel because of the scandal. Seven low-ranking guards and two military intelligence soldiers -- described by then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as "bad apples" -- were disciplined after the scandal surfaced.
Rumsfeld later said the day the scandal broke was the worst in his tenure as defense secretary.
"Clearly the worst day was Abu Ghraib, and seeing what went on there and feeling so deeply sorry that that happened," Rumsfeld said shortly before leaving office at the end of 2006. "I remember being stunned by the news of the abuse."
The United States always denied it was a matter of policy to torture detainees. But it shut down Abu Ghraib in September 2006 and turned the facility over to the Iraqis.
They have revamped and reopened it.
Rooms have been transformed and renovated. CNN was told, but not shown, that a few hundred prisoners are here already, in a revamped part of the facility that can hold up to 3,000 prisoners. The capacity is critical to help deal with overcrowding at Iraq's other facilities and the potential security threat.
The Iraqi government is going to great lengths to try to change the image this facility has. It organized a tour for journalists, very carefully orchestrated by the Ministry of Justice.
Murtada Sharif, the only Ministry of Justice official to speak to CNN on camera about the prison, admitted Abu Ghraib is synonymous in people's minds with the inhumane acts that took place there both before and after the fall of Saddam in 2003.
"We want to change its image, to make it a place of justice," he said.
A wing that used to hold a thousand prisoners In Saddam Hussein's time now is ready for 160. Cells that used to hold between 30 and 50 people now have a capacity of eight.
Prisoners and their families actually get to see each other -- the prisoners behind a cage-like structure, the families on the other side of the fence, in a courtyard with a playground for the children. Again, it is part of the whole effort to create a different atmosphere.
But human rights organizations in Iraq say abuse and torture remain routine in Iraq's detention facilities. Changing Abu Ghraib's infamous reputation may take more than fresh paint and fake flowers. | [
"What is Abu Ghraib now?",
"What was published in 2004?",
"What controversial event happened in this prison?",
"What year were the photos published?",
"What facilities are available to prisoners at Baghdad Central Prison?",
"What did the Ministry of Justice trying to show about the prison?",
"Who hs control of the prison?",
"What is the new name for Abu Ghraib?",
"Describe what is Abu Ghraib."
] | [
[
"Baghdad Central Prison,"
],
[
"The images -- naked prisoners stacked on top of each other, or being threatened by dogs, or hooded and wired up as if for electrocution -- caused outrage around the world when they were leaked to the news media in May"
],
[
"abuse by U.S. troops."
],
[
"2004."
],
[
"water fountains, a freshly planted garden and a gym -- complete with weights and sports teams' jerseys on the walls."
],
[
"horrific stories of torture, abuse, execution without trial."
],
[
"Iraqi government"
],
[
"Baghdad Central Prison,"
],
[
"prison"
]
] | Abu Ghraib is now Baghdad Central Prison, with a garden and a gym .
In 2004, photos of prisoners being humiliated by American guards were published .
Ministry of Justice trying to show that the prison, now under Iraqi control, has changed . |
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