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Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (CNN) -- On a base accustomed to deploying Marines into some of the most hostile war zones, you would expect some hesitancy when units from here were asked to surge into some of the worst fighting since the start of the war in Afghanistan. This week, the first of 1,500 Marines will be part of the initial wave of President Obama's surge plan to head to Afghanistan's restive provinces to support Marines and soldiers fighting a dug-in Taliban force. However, many Marines we talked to in this coastal, scrub pine-covered North Carolina base are more than excited to go, despite the dangers that await them. "I'm absolutely ecstatic about the situation. I've got a good group of Marines that are behind me, so I'm real excited about the deployment," said Sgt. Jason Bendett of the 3rd Platoon, A Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, based at Lejeune. But combat deaths in Afghanistan are up -- 305 this year, from 155 during 2008 -- giving pause to even the most motivated Marines. "I think I wouldn't be human if I wasn't worried, obviously this being my first combat deployment, but the Taliban are an experienced group of fighters, and I'm not taking that for granted," 2nd Lt. John Auer, also of the 3rd Platoon, said during some of his final rifle range training before he deploys. Members of this unit say they have been waiting and waiting as they watched fellow Marines deploy ahead of them this year, and they say they are more than ready to go. They were supposed to go to Iraq in June, but as priorities shifted, they were reassigned to Afghanistan's Helmand province, where Marines are in daily battles with the Taliban. "Having months to train and putting Marines out in the elements in Southern California, where we train, gives them a chance to see what the atmospherics are going to be like and to work as a team, so this is perfect, and we are really looking forward to this," Auer said. "These guys have a lot of training under their belts, more than Marine units typically get in this situation. Senior military leaders have a lot of big expectations for this team," said the unit's first sergeant, Ronald Neff. Last week, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, gave some of the deploying Marines an impassioned speech about what they will face. "We don't have a lot of time. The slope on this insurgency is going in the wrong direction, and it has picked up, three years, each year to a significant degree," Mullen said, describing the deteriorating security situation. "I believe the strategy that the president laid out, the decision that he's made, is the right decision. Both those are right, and we will now move out, given our orders, and we'll carry them out. And again, I couldn't be more confident and more pleased that you are going to be at the core of that," he told the hundreds of Marines in attendance. Many of the Marines there are young and are facing their first combat deployment. Although all the bravado of a newly minted Marine ready for combat looks and sounds ready to fight, their eyes showed worry and concern for the unknown as they listened to Mullen. "Best thing you can hope for is that you personally know yourself, that you're not going to freeze up," Lance Cpl. Matthew Jenkins said after Mullen's speech. "We'll see how I react when it goes down in a couple weeks," said Lance Cpl. Joshua Williamson. Questions remain, however, about how so many Marines without combat experience in Afghanistan can jump into a heated combat zone. Mullen admitted some concerns. "We're obviously not in an ideal situation with respect to that. I understand that, but I have a huge amount of confidence in our Marine Corps based on their ability to adapt, what they did | [
"Who is sending the marines?",
"Where are marines being sent?",
"Where do the marines head to this week?",
"What branch of the military is being sent to Afghanistan?",
"Who is ecstatic about the sitaution?",
"Who was the part of the initial surge plan?",
"Who says he is ecstatic about the situation?",
"Who is part of initial wave?"
] | [
[
"President Obama's"
],
[
"hostile war zones,"
],
[
"Afghanistan's restive provinces"
],
[
"1,500 Marines will be part of the initial wave of President Obama's surge plan"
],
[
"Sgt. Jason Bendett"
],
[
"1,500 Marines"
],
[
"Sgt. Jason Bendett"
],
[
"1,500 Marines"
]
] | Marines, part of initial wave of Obama's surge plan, to head to Afghanistan this week .
"I'm absolutely ecstatic about the situation," says Sgt. Jason Bendett .
Questions remain on how Marines without Afghan combat experience can jump right in .
"When we actually say goodbye, it's going to be hard, but we'll get through it," wife of Marine says . |
Cancun, Mexico (CNN) -- The storm known as Rina fizzled Friday as it moved over the Yucatan Channel, the strait between Mexico and Cuba, the National Hurricane Center said.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect after Rina lost much of its punch. The storm had diminished in strength from a Category 2 hurricane that raised fears in and around some of the most popular resort communities in Mexico.
It was classified as a remnant low Friday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 30 miles an hour, the hurricane center said.
Rina's eye was about 75 miles west of the western tip of Cuba and 110 miles north-northeast of Cozumel, moving east-northeast at 5 mph.
"A turn toward the southeast is expected on Saturday, with a turn toward the south expected on Sunday," the hurricane center said in what was its last public advisory on the system.
Continued weakening is forecast for the next two days.
Rina had been expected to drop between 3 to 6 inches of rain over the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula and Cozumel through Friday, with isolated amounts of up to 10 inches, according to the Miami-based weather agency.
A storm surge of as much as 1 to 2 feet above normal tide levels along the coast was also expected, "accompanied by large and dangerous waves," forecasters had said.
Authorities took precautionary measures ahead of the storm, while numerous businesses in Cancun and elsewhere shut down.
"First we're thinking, we're stranded in Cancun; there could be worse things," said Amelie Jarvis, a tourist from Canada. "But then we noticed that everything is closed. I don't know what we're going to do."
CNN's Ed Payne contributed to this report. | [
"The storm has sustained winds of what speed?",
"What weakens to a remnant low?",
"What is expected over the next two days?",
"What speed in meters per hour take the winds?",
"What has happened to Rina?"
] | [
[
"30 miles an hour,"
],
[
"storm known as Rina"
],
[
"Continued weakening"
],
[
"30 miles an"
],
[
"fizzled"
]
] | NEW: Rina weakens to a remnant low .
NEW: The storm has 30-mph sustained winds .
NEW: No coastal watches or warnings are in effect .
NEW: Continued weakening is expected over the next two days . |
Cap-Haitien, Haiti (CNN) -- The Christian Motorcyclists Association came to Haiti to distribute motorcycles to pastors. Instead, angry Haitians, some of them on motorbikes, ended up attacking the 11 American missionaries when they tried to flee this city aboard a big, yellow bus.
"We almost made it out of town," team member Kerry Gibson told CNN in a phone call after his team survived the attack unharmed.
Until Wednesday morning, Gibson and his fellow volunteers had been holed up in a hotel on a hilltop overlooking Cap-Haitien, after demonstrators put up networks of barricades through the streets and began attacking the bases of United Nations peacekeepers with rocks, bottles and petrol bombs. The demonstrators have accused peacekeepers of starting the cholera outbreak.
The motorcyclist team is part of an American organization that has hundreds of branches across the country.
One of its goals, Gibson said, is to donate motorcycles to Christian leaders.
"We put wheels under indigenous local pastors," Gibson explained. "We were presenting seven here in Cap-Haitien. Obviously, that won't happen now."
Given the violence that has led to the death of at least one protester, the team decided Wednesday to cut their trip to Haiti short by a week. A Haitian pastor informed Gibson that the road out of town was open, so the missionaries climbed aboard a commercial bus and tried to make it into nearby Dominican Republic.
But on the outskirts of Cap-Haitien, the bus suddenly ran into trouble. "We saw one guy with a machete raised up and he's running and yelling and screaming and pointing up ahead. We suspect they put a blockade up in front of us. That's when we stopped and they busted out the glass on the door," Gibson recalled.
"Our driver, he was like a NASCAR driver. He started backing up," Gibson said. "But they put out two burned-out cars on the road in an effort to block us."
Gibson said protesters began hurling rocks at the bus and smashed the windshield. The bus was incapacitated and started spraying oil. At some point, demonstrators dragged a Haitian employee of the bus company out of the vehicle and began beating him.
Gibson said the driver then maneuvered the bus onto the sidewalk and lurched the vehicle forward toward the gate of a nearby U.N. peacekeeping base. "I feel like God protected us," Gibson said. "Just the fact that the bus stopped, died right in front of the U.N. compound, is confirmation that he's looking out for us."
Peacekeepers from Chile opened the gate and ushered the bus and its passengers inside the compound.
The 11 CMA representatives were preparing to spend the night with the Chilean military and pondering their next step for escaping Cap-Haitien.
Gibson insisted that, throughout the adrenaline-packed attack on the bus, he never felt he was in danger.
The man who was dragged off the bus escaped without serious injury, Gibson said. "Of course it's a nerve-wracking situation, but I never got the impression that there was any real effort to do physical harm to us."
Asked what he planned to do Thursday, he said, "Pray a lot."
Journalist Dmitri Fourcand contributed to this report. | [
"Protesters broke the windshield of what vehicle?",
"Who said \"We almost made it out of town\" ?",
"What did Christian Missionary say",
"What was broken",
"The vehicle made it to the safety where?",
"what did protestors brake?"
] | [
[
"bus"
],
[
"Kerry Gibson"
],
[
"\"We almost made it out of town,\""
],
[
"the glass on the door,\""
],
[
"Dominican Republic."
],
[
"the glass on the door,\""
]
] | "We almost made it out of town," says Christian missionary .
Protesters broke the windshield of the bus .
Vehicle made it to the safety of a U.N. peacekeeping camp . |
Cape Town, South Africa (CNN) -- As natural habitats disappear in South Africa, baboons and humans are increasingly coming into close contact, and conflict.
In South Africa's Cape Peninsula there has been a large-scale transformation of wild baboons' natural habitat into land for housing, industry and agriculture, according to the University of Cape Town Baboon Research Unit.
The result is that wild baboons are surrounded by humans, which the researchers say is causing human-baboon conflict to escalate.
But the problem isn't confined only to the Cape, as baboons are increasingly venturing into towns and villages across southern Africa in search of food, often leaving a trail of damage in their wake.
In the farming village of Barrydale, a four-hour drive from Cape Town, baboons are a growing problem. While some local farmers say they want to shoot baboons found in the village, others favor a more sustainable solution.
Report: Central African gorillas may go extinct
Jenny Trethowan, of advocacy group Baboon Matters, is known as the "Baboon Lady" back in Cape Town. She has spent her career trying to protect the primates in the Cape Peninsula, of which there are more than 400.
In Barrydale, she sees an opportunity to tackle the problem before it gets out of hand.
"What is so exciting about the Barrydale scenario is the fact that they are being extremely proactive," Trethowan told CNN.
"In many of the other areas it's been a long time, where baboons have become habituated and trained. Now in Barrydale they are saying 'let's stop this behavior quickly before it gets started,' and that's enormously exciting for me."
Trethowan has pinned her hopes on implementing a baboon-monitoring program in the village. At the Joshua Baboon Rehabilitation Project, just outside Barrydale, Baboon Matters is training locals to be baboon monitors.
The monitors are tasked with patrolling Barrydale and herding baboons away from homes and farms.
"If we can get the monitoring program going quickly before the baboons are habituated I believe we stand a good chance of success here," said Trethowan.
Nola Frazier runs the Joshua Baboon Rehabilitation Project and supports the village's monitoring program. "I don't think the baboon problem is going to go away," Frazier told CNN. "It's a learning curve. It's something that's happening here; it's happening all over South Africa."
An existing monitoring program on the Cape is yielding benefits. Statistics from the Baboon Research Unit show human-induced injuries to baboons are at their lowest for five years. Deaths are also down, and the baboon population is up, which means encounters with humans are more likely.
African football academy creates future stars
When she's not helping to run monitoring programs, Trethowan takes tourists on walks around the Cape Peninsula to see baboons in what she hopes will be their natural habitat.
But despite the monitors' best efforts, the baboons sometimes stray from their natural environment. The smell of cooking, and windows left open, are practically an invitation to hungry baboons, whose food raids can result in damage to property.
"When I take people to walk, I never describe baboons as something they are not," said Trethowan. "They do cause incredible damage, and the ideal thing would be for them to be on the mountain and not in the village.
"The monitors can struggle without a doubt. What's frustrating to me is to see the residents make little effort to help the monitors. If they were working with the monitors more, the monitors would be more efficient."
When it comes to taking on one of the continent's most opportunistic animals, researchers and advocates say there are no easy answers.
"Baboons are definitely incredibly opportunistic and incredibly adaptable, so from a management point of view it makes it incredibly difficult," said Trethowan. But she said it's these same characteristics that drew her into a life of advocacy for baboons.
"It is hugely amazing to watch how these baboons will adapt to a situation and | [
"who is the conflict between?",
"What can reduce human-induced injuries ?",
"what are towns being raided for?",
"Who raid towns and villages?",
"what are monitors trying to do?",
"what are ways to help baboons?",
"What are causing conflict?"
] | [
[
"baboons and humans"
],
[
"baboon-monitoring program"
],
[
"food,"
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[
"baboons"
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"patrolling Barrydale and herding baboons away from homes and farms."
],
[
"baboon-monitoring program"
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[
"a large-scale transformation of wild baboons' natural habitat into land for housing, industry and agriculture,"
]
] | Disappearing natural habitats are causing conflict between baboons and humans .
Baboons raid towns and villages in search of food .
Baboon Matters organizes teams of monitors to herd baboons away from villages .
Monitoring programs can reduce human-induced injuries to baboons . |
Caracas, Venezuela (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez pledged closer cooperation on Monday, vowing to fight poverty and imperialism.
The two leaders signed a series of accords in the areas of industry, science, technology and politics, the state-run AVN news agency reported. Sitting side by side in front of a room full of reporters, they presented a united front in their opposition to the United States.
"It's clear they are afraid of our development," said Ahmadinejad.
Earlier, at a welcoming ceremony outside the Venezuelan presidential palace, the Iranian president called Chavez his "dear brother," and said his nation has peaceful intentions.
"Our weapon is logic. Our weapon is culture. Our weapons are human values," he said.
Chavez pledged to work with his Iranian counterpart to stop the "imperial insanity" of the United States, which he described as a "threat for the world."
The Venezuelan president mocked concerns from Washington about his country's relationship with Iran, joking that U.S. media reports made it sound as though he and Ahmadinejad would be launching missiles and bombs at the U.S. capital.
"We are not warmongers," Chavez said, as the Iranian president nodded in agreement. "Iran has not invaded anybody."
It's no coincidence that Venezuela is Ahmadinejad's first stop on a four-nation Latin America tour this week. Despite their cultural differences, Venezuela and Iran have found significant common ground: Both are among the world's top crude oil exporters, and their leaders are strong allies united by a fierce opposition to what they describe as U.S. imperialism.
The Iranian leader arrived in Caracas on Sunday and is traveling with his ministers for foreign affairs, energy and economy, according to IRNA, Iran's official news agency.
Over the years, the two nations have signed more than 270 accords, including trade deals and agreements on construction projects, car and tractor factories, energy initiatives and banking programs.
Chavez has also helped the Islamic republic forge relationships with other members of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas, an eight-nation regional bloc Chavez founded.
Even before he arrived, Ahmadinejad's plans for a Latin American tour grabbed global attention, as tensions grow between many Western powers and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program.
Officials in the United States and other Western nations have ratcheted up sanctions against Iran several times since a November report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said the Iranian government was developing the technology needed to build a nuclear weapon. Last month, U.S. President Barack Obama announced sanctions against Iran's central bank.
On Monday the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency confirmed that uranium enrichment has begun at a nuclear facility in northern Iran.
Iran says there's a medical purpose behind the nuclear program.
But in Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said the confirmation that Iran was enriching uranium to "a level that's inappropriate" is "obviously a problem."
Not everyone in Venezuela is happy with Ahmadinejad's visit.
Diego Arria, an opposition politician, described the trip as a "provocation" to the United States and an embarrassment for Venezuela.
"It comes at the worst moment -- at a time when Ahmadinejad is being looked at by the international community with great fear. ... It's bringing the threat to the United States closer to home," he said.
The Iranian president is scheduled to visit Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador later this week as part of his five-day tour.
CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet in Atlanta and CNN's Luis Carlos Velez in Caracas contributed to this report. | [
"Who says that their weapons are logical?",
"who did refers to Venezuela's president as his \"dear brother\"?",
"Refers to as his \"dear brother\"?",
"Where is he travelling?",
"Who is his dear brother?",
"What are his weapons?",
"Who has an \"imperial madness\"?",
"who is Chavez?"
] | [
[
"Iranian president"
],
[
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"
],
[
"Iranian president"
],
[
"Caracas"
],
[
"Chavez"
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[
"culture."
],
[
"United States,"
],
[
"Venezuelan President"
]
] | Ahmadinejad says his weapons are logic, culture and human values .
He refers to Venezuela's president as his "dear brother"
Chavez: Venezuela, Iran must stop the "imperial insanity" of the United States .
The Iranian president is on a four-nation Latin American tour . |
Caracas, Venezuela (CNN) -- Residents of the Venezuelan capital on Monday began to experience water rationing as part of a government preservation measure during a drought.
The rolling cuts to water service will affect the capital of Caracas and some nearby areas for periods of up to 48 hours, the state-owned water utility Hidrocapital announced. The rationing will continue through the first quarter of 2010, the government said.
President Hugo Chavez has urged citizens to take extra steps to reduce water use, including a suggestion last week that taking a shower should take only three minutes.
The government says that weather phenomena are behind the drought, while critics of Chavez say that years of lack of infrastructure investment and planning left the country flat-footed when it came to offsetting the drought.
Drought conditions have reduced reservoir volume to critical levels, officials say. The level of the Camatagua Reservoir, which supplies Caracas with about half of its water, has been on a downward trend since 2007, according to data from Hidrocapital. However, it's not as low as during the early 2000s. Some water-rationing measures were taken at the time, too, according to Hidrocapital.
In Miranda State, which sits adjacent the capital, the Lagartijo Reservoir is at the lowest level ever recorded.
"There will be programmed interruptions in service, with the goal of recuperating the levels of the principal reservoirs that flow to the city and that were affected by the scarce rains this year," Hidrocapital President Alejandro Hitcher said at a news conference announcing the rationing.
Even schools will have to deal with the water shortages, the government said. Only hospitals will be equipped with water around the clock.
Critics, including the municipal agency that distributes Hidrocapital's water to the city, say that poor infrastructure has made it difficult for water pressure to reach some of the poorest parts of the city, according to local reports.
The government says that the El Nino phenomenon -- unusually warm waters in the equatorial Pacific that affects weather around the globe -- is behind the dry conditions.
Venezuela's National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology also pointed a finger at something called quasi-biennial oscillation, which affects winds in the stratosphere.
"This other phenomenon," the institute said in a statement, "has a relationship with the rains, and is capable of modifying or changing the magnitude and impacts of the effects that El Nino has brought."
Journalist Maria Carolina Gonzalez contributed to this report for CNN. | [
"What buildings will be equipped with water?",
"What will hospitals have?",
"What has been reduced to critical levels?",
"Which city will be affected?",
"what city is affected",
"what conditions brought on the problem",
"How long will the water service be affected?"
] | [
[
"hospitals"
],
[
"water around the clock."
],
[
"reservoir volume"
],
[
"Caracas"
],
[
"Caracas,"
],
[
"Drought"
],
[
"up to 48 hours,"
]
] | Rolling cuts to water service will affect Caracas, nearby areas for up to 48 hours .
Drought conditions have reduced reservoir volume to critical levels, officials say .
Only hospitals will be equipped with water around the clock . |
Casablanca, Morocco (CNN) -- A moderate Islamist party appears to be heading toward victory as votes are counted in Morocco's first parliamentary elections since constitutional reforms in the summer.
The Justice and Development Party (PJD) won at least 80 seats, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui said Saturday, with at least 288 seats out of 395 counted.
The party's secretary general Abdelilah Benkirane said the party had won more than 100 seats.
Even the lower figure of 80 would give the PJD more seats than any other party, according to the Moroccan government's website. The next biggest winner was the Independence Party, with 45 seats, that website reported.
The number of parties involved in Morocco's multi-party system means no single party is likely to win a majority of the seats, so a coalition government would have to be formed.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her congratulations Saturday "on the successful completion" of the elections.
"The United States stands ready to work with the new parliament and the people of Morocco to strengthen the rule of law, raise human rights standards, promote transparent and accountable governance, and work toward sustained, democratic reform," she said.
Turnout in the North African country was 45%, the Interior Ministry said Friday.
The National Democratic Institute -- which had 41 accredited observers from 21 countries that went to over 200 polling stations on Friday -- said in a press release that the elections "were conducted transparently." The voting process was described as "technically sound" and "without fear of tampering or procedural violations."
But one institute member, Canadian Liberal Party leader Bob Rae, also pointed to the turnout and a number of invalid and spoiled ballots as negatives.
"Seeing the number of people who actively spoiled their ballots as well as those who did not participate, it is clear that the path to real change will take more effort and time," Rae said.
Lise Storm, senior lecturer in Middle East Politics at the University of Exeter in England, said Friday that the outcome might signal whether the population is happy with the monarchy or not.
The more votes for the PJD appear to indicate a desire for greater change, she said -- as opposed to votes for the bloc of traditional loyalist parties, which would suggest voters favor the status quo.
Under the new constitution, approved by referendum in July, both Parliament and the prime minister have greater powers, while the monarch's sway has been slightly lessened.
The changes mean the prime minister must now be chosen from the party that wins the greatest number of votes -- which, based on the preliminary results, would be the Justice and Development Party -- rather than King Mohammed VI selecting his own nominee for the job.
The reforms came after thousands of Moroccans took to the streets to demonstrate earlier this year, inspired by what became known as the Arab Spring.
The youth-based February 20 Movement called for jobs and an end to corruption its members say stems from royal cronies.
Analysts say economic reform is needed to create more jobs for the country's young people, particularly many university graduates who are unemployed.
Journalist Aida Alami contributed to this report. | [
"Where is this party located?",
"When are consitutional reforms approved?"
] | [
[
"Morocco's"
],
[
"July,"
]
] | NEW: The Islamist Justice and Development Party wins more votes than any other party .
NEW: Observers call the election transparent, while faulting the relatively low turnout .
NEW: Hillary Clinton congratulates Morrocans on the "successful" elections .
Constitutional reforms were approved by referendum in July . |
Casablanca, Morocco (CNN) -- A moderate Islamist party claimed victory in Morocco's first parliamentary elections since constitutional reforms this summer.
The Justice and Development Party (PJD) won 107 of the 395 seats, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui said Sunday.
The next biggest winner was the Istiqlal Party, also known as the Independence Party, with 60 seats, the Interior Ministry's website reported.
The number of parties involved in Morocco's multiparty system means it was unlikely a single party would win a majority of the seats, so a coalition government would have to be formed.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her congratulations Saturday "on the successful completion" of the elections.
"The United States stands ready to work with the new parliament and the people of Morocco to strengthen the rule of law, raise human rights standards, promote transparent and accountable governance, and work toward sustained, democratic reform," she said.
Turnout in the North African country was 45%, the Interior Ministry said Friday.
The National Democratic Institute -- which had 41 accredited observers from 21 countries that went to over 200 polling stations on Friday -- said in a news release that the elections "were conducted transparently." The voting process was described as "technically sound" and "without fear of tampering or procedural violations."
But one institute member, Canadian Liberal Party leader Bob Rae, also pointed to the turnout and a number of invalid and spoiled ballots as negatives.
"Seeing the number of people who actively spoiled their ballots as well as those who did not participate, it is clear that the path to real change will take more effort and time," Rae said.
Lise Storm, senior lecturer in Middle East Politics at the University of Exeter in England, said Friday that the outcome might signal whether the population is happy with the monarchy or not.
The more votes for the PJD appear to indicate a desire for greater change, she said -- as opposed to votes for the bloc of traditional loyalist parties, which would suggest voters favor the status quo.
Under the new constitution, approved by referendum in July, both Parliament and the prime minister have greater powers, while the monarch's sway has been slightly lessened.
The changes mean the prime minister must now be chosen from the party that wins the greatest number of votes -- which, based on the preliminary results, would be the Justice and Development Party -- rather than King Mohammed VI selecting his own nominee for the job.
The reforms came after thousands of Moroccans took to the streets to demonstrate earlier this year, inspired by what became known as the Arab Spring.
The youth-based February 20 Movement called for jobs and an end to corruption its members say stems from royal cronies.
Analysts say economic reform is needed to create more jobs for the country's young people, particularly many university graduates who are unemployed.
Journalist Aida Alami contributed to this report. | [
"Who wins the most seats?",
"What did Hillary Clinton do?",
"Which party won the most seats?",
"what Constitutional reforms were approved?",
"When were the constitutional reforms approved?",
"Who congratulated the Morrocans?",
"what The Islamist Justice and Development Party wins?"
] | [
[
"The Justice and Development Party (PJD)"
],
[
"offered her congratulations"
],
[
"The Justice and Development"
],
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],
[
"this summer."
],
[
"Hillary Clinton"
],
[
"107 of the 395 seats,"
]
] | The Islamist Justice and Development Party wins more seats than any other party .
Observers call the election transparent .
Hillary Clinton congratulates Morrocans on the "successful" elections .
Constitutional reforms were approved by referendum in July . |
Cedar Key, Florida (CNN) -- Two weeks after BP plugged its damaged oil well in the Gulf of Mexico with cement and mud from above, the next step in the process to permanently shut down the apparatus is in limbo as scientists gauge the risks posed by pressure inside the well.
"Our first goal is to do no harm," Thad Allen, the government's point man in the Gulf, said in a teleconference Wednesday.
The procedure the first week of August was called a "static kill." The timeline for the next step -- the "bottom kill" -- is unknown, as scientists try to determine which of two methods would work best to mitigate the pressure issues, Allen said.
Crews could remove the capping stack that sealed the oil in the well on July 15, then replace the well's blowout preventer with a new one stored on the nearby Development Driller II in the Gulf.
The other option would require BP to devise a pressure-relief device for the current capping stack.
Once crews get their marching orders, it will take them about four days to prepare, drill the final 50 feet of a relief well and intercept the main well. Then, the "bottom kill" process of plugging the well from below will begin. Allen said Wednesday cementing will require another several days.
Allen also told reporters that seafood coming from reopened Gulf fishing waters is safe to eat.
"There's no problem with Gulf seafood. It's being tested more than any other seafood out there right now," Allen said.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco echoed Allen's comments about Gulf seafood, saying that where water may still be tainted, no fishing is allowed.
"Twenty-two percent of federal waters in the Gulf remain closed because we have not yet determined it's safe" to eat seafood from there, Lubchenco said in the same teleconference. She added that scientists are continuing to conduct testing in the areas that have reopened.
Wednesday is the last day that BP will accept claims from people and businesses affected by the Gulf oil disaster. After that, the oil giant will direct people to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, led by attorney Kenneth Feinberg.
Feinberg is charged with independently administering the $20 billion escrow account established by BP to compensate for damage caused by the Gulf disaster.
At a town hall meeting in Houma, Louisiana, Wednesday morning, one woman accused Feinberg of working for BP, accidentally referring to him as "Mr. BP."
"This facility is going to be much more generous, much more efficient, and much quicker than BP," Feinberg responded. "If anyone here thinks I am not independent and am merely an arm of BP, don't participate. It's a voluntary program."
Feinberg promised that eligible individuals who submit a claim would get a check in 48 hours and eligible business claims would be paid in no more than seven days.
But he acknowledged that he'd have to earn the trust of fishermen and others who say they've received conflicting information about the oil spill response from BP and various government agencies.
"There is only one way that I will earn your trust," Feinberg said Wednesday, "and that is paying the claims."
Others at the town complained that income they've received from BP for helping respond to the spill would be deducted from their payments, pointing out that those who stayed home would be eligible for more money.
"There are very few people that I've met here in the gulf that are in emergency situations, desperate to pay their mortgages and put food on their tables that have not sought other work, other employment," Feinberg told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Wednesday in response to such grievances.
BP, which said Tuesday it has paid $368 million in claims so far, will continue to handle claims by government entities.
On Tuesday, a major environmental watchdog group called for more stringent testing of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico, where the fall shrimping season began this week. The state of Alabama just | [
"What did Jane Lubchenco explain?",
"What did Thad and Lubchenco say?",
"What do they stress about gulf seafood?"
] | [
[
"\"Twenty-two percent of federal waters in the Gulf remain closed because we have not yet determined it's safe\" to eat seafood from there,"
],
[
"\"Our first goal is to do no harm,\""
],
[
"is safe to eat."
]
] | NEW: Government's claims administrator to Gulf residents: "I will earn your trust"
NOAA head Jane Lubchenco explains difference between statistics on oil still in Gulf .
The relief well and bottom kill are on hold until pressure risks are evaluated and mitigated .
Thad Allen and Lubchenco stress Gulf seafood is safe . |
Central Falls, Rhode Island (CNN) -- The teacher at an embattled Rhode Island school who displayed an effigy of President Obama in his classroom is under disciplinary review, according to the school superintendent.
The Obama effigy was an apparent protest of the president's support of mass firings of the school's teachers. Its existence was first reported on CNN.com on Thursday.
An Obama doll, about a foot tall, hung by its feet from a white board; the doll held a sign that said, "Fire Central Falls teachers."
Superintendent Frances Gallo discovered the item late Monday at Central Falls High School after being asked about a rumor about an Obama doll hung by his feet in a classroom.
Gallo took it upon herself to investigate and found the effigy Monday night.
"It was obviously imprudent on [the teacher's] part, very ill-conceived and nothing to fool around with," Gallo said.
Bold superintendent hated, loved
The superintendent said the teacher was contrite when confronted but said it was "a joke to him."
Due to union contract stipulations, Gallo said she could not disclose the name of the teacher.
Gallo said it was difficult to comprehend how a teacher could not "understand that a class full of children are very offput by such a 'joke.'
"He doesn't see it as making a mockery or, worse, just total disrespect," Gallo said. "Clearly, he wasn't thinking."
She said the matter is under disciplinary review and has been sent to Rhode Island State Police. State police have not returned phone calls seeking comment.
The local teachers union condemned the act Thursday.
"Simply put, the teacher's actions were wrong and cannot be condoned under any circumstances," Jane Sessums, president of the Central Falls Teachers Union, said in a written statement.
"The teacher has apologized verbally to his students and has asked Superintendent Frances Gallo for permission to apologize to them in writing. He understands that his actions affect not just his students but all of us. There is no excuse for what he did."
A source, whom CNN is not naming because of the sensitive nature of the story, said the teacher is a beloved member of the faculty who has done a tremendous amount of good over the years. Many of the students in the class are immigrants who hold Obama in high regard; they were learning English as a second language, according to the source.
Central Falls High School has been at the center of an educational firestorm in recent weeks after all 93 teachers, support staff and administrators were fired for the low performance of the school. Gallo took the drastic action after talks with union leaders fell through.
The firings will go into effect at the end of the school year. Teachers can re-apply, but no more than 50 percent will get rehired.
The high school has been failing for the past seven years. Its graduation rate stands around 48 percent. Math proficiency is at 7 percent. Reading scores have improved by 21 percentage points in the past two years but still fall far behind, with 55 percent able to read at grade level, according to school officials.
Most of the 800 students at Central Falls are Hispanic. For many, English is a second language. Teachers say the population is so transient that the statistics are a skewed and unfair representation of the students' smarts and the teachers' skills.
Animosity toward Obama built among teachers after the president endorsed the school's plans for reform.
Marcia Reback, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, said last week that teachers were peeling Obama bumper stickers off their cars.
"When the president of the United States celebrates a superintendent of schools for mass firing an entire faculty of teachers, then that is saying something about his attitude toward teachers," she said. "And it's not a healthy attitude." | [
"What was found in the classroom ?",
"Where was the effigy found?",
"What did the superintendent said on the matter ?",
"What was the local teachers union reaction ?",
"What does the superintendent say?",
"Which union condemned the act?"
] | [
[
"Obama doll,"
],
[
"in his classroom"
],
[
"[the teacher's] part, very ill-conceived and nothing to fool around with,\""
],
[
"condemned the act"
],
[
"\"It was obviously imprudent on [the teacher's] part, very ill-conceived and nothing to fool around with,\""
],
[
"local teachers"
]
] | Obama effigy found in classroom at troubled Rhode Island school .
"It was obviously imprudent on his part," superintendent says .
Local teachers union condemns act .
Source said teacher is beloved faculty member who has done much good . |
Central Falls, Rhode Island (CNN) -- Graduates of the nation's most vilified high school descended upon campus Tuesday evening to support the school's fired teachers. They also had a message for President Obama: Don't bash our school. "He doesn't know us. He doesn't know the teachers. He doesn't know the students," said Nikko Calle, 21, a graduate of Central Falls High School in 2006. "I think it's a real outrage what's happening here." Nearby, Ashley Delgado, 19, stood on the school's steps clutching a sign that read: "Dear Obama, I supported you, your causes, goals and beliefs. Why aren't you supporting mine?" A firestorm has erupted in this Democratic stronghold in recent weeks after 93 teachers, support staff and administrators at Central Falls High School were fired for the low performance of the school, which graduated just 48 percent of its seniors last year. The firings will go into effect at the end of the school year. Teachers can re-apply, but no more than 50 percent will get rehired. Obama weighed in last week, endorsing the actions of the local board. "Our kids get only one chance at an education and we need to get it right," the president said. Obama's comments further inflamed an already tense environment in this poor Rhode Island enclave, just outside Providence. "I couldn't believe it," said Delgado, who graduated in 2008. "Ever since the beginning, I thought firing all the teachers was a ridiculous notion." About 70 young people, most of them graduates of the school and now in college or working, demonstrated peacefully outside the school in the largely Hispanic, working class neighborhood. They expressed outrage and disbelief that the school they attended has become a national pariah. "We stand together for our teachers and for our school," said Katherine Lopera, 20, a graduate in 2007. Her classmate, Sindy Alvisures, said, "The teachers are literally like our family. When I went through high school, I went through a lot of personal problems and my teachers were always there for me." Of the 800 students who currently attend Central Falls, 65 percent are Hispanic; English is a second language for most. Half the students are failing every subject, with 55 percent skilled in reading and 7 percent proficient in math, officials say. The defenders of the school say improvements have been made, but the stats are skewed against them because the school's population is so transient. Tuesday's demonstration was to coincide with a board of trustees meeting, where the firings were to be the main topic. However, the meeting was abruptly called off, because the Governor's Commission on Disabilities said the school's auditorium was unfit for people with disabilities. On the steps outside the school, George McLaughlin shrugged. He cast suspicion on the reason for the meeting's cancellation. "Unless they mean, it's not fit for morally disabled people," he said. McLaughlin has been a guidance counselor at Central Falls for the last 15 years. His wife is a chemistry teacher. "We will lose all of our income." He suggested Obama should summon the 93 teachers and administrators for a beer summit. The president "hasn't heard our side of the story," said McLaughlin, a member of the teachers' union. "He hasn't listened to us. He knows nothing about us." Marcia Reback, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, was less hospitable toward the president. "We're all taking our bumper stickers for Obama off our cars," Reback said earlier in the day. She said the union supports school reform. She called for an independent mediator to intervene at Central Falls because tensions have gotten so high between the union and the school administrators who carried out the firings. "This is unprecedented," Reback said. "I don't think anyone was prepared for this kind of fallout." School superintendent Fran Gallo | [
"Who commented about the school?",
"What upset the students?",
"What do supporters say?",
"What did Obama say about their school?",
"Is school improving?",
"How many students demonstrated?",
"How many people have demonstrated?"
] | [
[
"President Obama:"
],
[
"the school's fired teachers."
],
[
"Don't bash our school."
],
[
"\"Our kids get only one chance at an education and we need to get it right,\""
],
[
"low performance of the"
],
[
"70"
],
[
"70"
]
] | About 70 young people, most of them graduates of the school, demonstrated Tuesday .
Graduates upset by President Obama's comments about their school .
Supporters say school is improving, despite the neighborhood's many obstacles . |
Charlotte, North Carolina (CNN) -- Laura Zych never liked birds. Ben Bostic feared drowning. They faced their fears when US Airways Flight 1549 hit a flock of geese and crash-landed in the Hudson River.
They were strangers on January 15, 2009, when they boarded the fateful flight that would become known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." A year later, they're in love.
"The first time people meet you, they want to hear the sensational part" of the crash, says Ben, 39.
He prefers to talk about something different: "I met this wonderful girl because of what we went through that day."
Laura, 31, looks at him, batting her model-like lashes, and smiles. "We don't dwell on what happened to us in the crash," she says. "It's more so on the experiences and lessons that we've taken from it."
'Is this really happening?'
A buyer for Belk department stores, Laura was in New York for the fashion market. With the nation in the thick of recession, she scooped up bargains for herself. She carried her trendy purchases through the airport that day on her return home to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Wearing a sweater dress, tights and boots, the woman with stylish sandy brown curls was getting a bite to eat when a group of guys asked if she was a model.
"No," she said. "But I am in the fashion industry."
She was traveling with five Belk co-workers. Waiting to board, she fired off e-mails and thought little of the flight home or those around her.
Ben -- who was in New York for a quick business trip for Lending Tree -- caught a glimpse of the 5-foot, 10-inch knockout near the gate.
Later, when they boarded, he noticed her again, coming down the aisle. "The first thought I had was it'll be cool if she sits beside me."
He was in 20A, a window seat on the left side of the plane. She sat down three rows in front of him, in 17D, on the aisle.
It was one of those fleeting moments every single person knows: You see an intriguing stranger, hope for the best, then move on.
Ben picked up a book and began reading. Laura, who didn't notice Ben, thumbed through a Glamour magazine.
At the helm of the Airbus A320 was Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, a 57-year-old former Air Force fighter jet pilot. He'd been flying for four decades, for US Airways since 1980. His expertise was about to mean everything.
About 90 seconds into the flight, the plane -- traveling at 250 mph and carrying 150 passengers and five crew -- struck a flock of geese.
Some passengers described hearing a series of loud thumps.
"One lady screamed," Ben recalls.
He looked out the window. "The whole back of the engine was pretty much engulfed in flames, just shooting out of the back," he says.
He thought: "This isn't good."
The plane banked to the left. The smell of burning geese, feathers and flames wafted through the cabin. With neither engine working, a silence fell over the jet as it glided through the skies. People began whispering. Some thought they were going back to LaGuardia.
Sullenberger came over the speaker system. "Brace for impact," he said.
"The most harrowing thing I'd ever heard in my life," Ben recalls. "I thought for a second: Is this really it? Am I going to die?"
Three rows in front of him, Laura thought about calling her family. She decided against it. If I die, what a depressing message that would be to leave on a message machine, she thought.
And what would she say if they did answer?
"Guess what? In 60 seconds, you're not going to be | [
"What is the crash called?",
"When did the couple meet?",
"Who met during the flight?"
] | [
[
"\"Miracle on the Hudson.\""
],
[
"January 15, 2009,"
],
[
"Laura Zych"
]
] | Laura Zych and Ben Bostic had never met before the "Miracle on Hudson" flight .
They began dating after meeting in person six months after the plane crash .
Their motto: Live in the moment, laugh, love .
All 155 people aboard US Airways Flight 1549 survived the January 15, 2009, crash . |
Chatham Borough, New Jersey (CNN) -- The janitor charged in the slaying of a priest answered a call from a 911 operator and said, "Everything's fine," according to police. Jose Feliciano stabbed the Rev. Ed Hinds 32 times with a knife after the two got into an argument on Thursday, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said. The Roman Catholic priest's body was found in the rectory of at St. Patrick's Church on Friday morning. Feliciano, 64, has been employed with the church for 17 years, Bianchi said. Feliciano also faces two weapons charges, Bianchi said at a news conference. It was not immediately known whether the janitor had retained legal counsel. When the janitor was interviewed Saturday, after waiving his Miranda rights, he "confessed to the murder of Father Hinds," an arrest affidavit said. The priest's body was discovered Friday morning in the rectory kitchen by Feliciano and others, according to the affidavit. An autopsy had concluded that Hinds died of "multiple sharp force injuries." Hinds had stab wounds to his upper torso and the back of his head, Bianchi said. The priest also had defensive wounds on his hands and contusions and bruises to his face, he said. Hinds called 911 from his cell phone at 5:11 p.m. Thursday, saying he was being attacked and asking for help, Bianchi said. The call was cut off and the 911 operator called back, Bianchi said. He said Feliciano answered the phone. The operator couldn't send authorities because the calls were made from a cell phone and could not be traced, Bianchi said. Feliciano "made a half-hearted attempt to do CPR in front of police. They said it was bizarre. He made about two or three compressions and said something like, 'he's dead,'" Bianchi told CNN. The affidavit said authorities discovered that Hinds' cell phone had been used in Easton, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles west of Chatham. Further investigation led them to a garbage can in a park there, where a T-shirt and rags "saturated with what appeared to be blood" were found, the affidavit said. The garbage can was about 50 yards from Feliciano's home, it said. Feliciano told police that he entered the rectory around 5 p.m. Thursday, where he and the priest argued, the affidavit said. The two men got into an argument "over Feliciano's continued employment," Bianchi told CNN. He said Feliciano "beat him up first, there was also bruising on his face," said the prosecutor. Feliciano left Hinds on the kitchen floor and went into the church to get a kitchen "steak or paring" knife, and returned and stabbed the priest, the prosecutor said. After the slaying, Feliciano said he cleaned up the blood with rags and paper towels and put them in a black bag, which he put in the trash can, the affidavit said. Feliciano also said he threw away the knife after returning home and destroyed Hinds' cell phone. Bianchi said the suspected weapon was found in a field near Feliciano's home. Hinds also oversaw the church's Catholic grade school. "When you're the sole pastor and you do most of the baptisms and weddings and funerals, people end up loving you. This will be a big loss for the parish and a big loss for the diocese," said the Rev. Paul Manning from the Archdiocese of Paterson, New Jersey. CNN's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report. | [
"What did the janitor and the referent fight over?",
"What did victim report to 911?",
"How long did the suspect work at the church?",
"How long had Feliciano work at the church?",
"Who did the janitor beat and stab?",
"what Pastor died of multiple stab wounds, blood spatters indicate fight?",
"Who was attacked by the janitor?",
"who said he was being attacked before call cut off, prosecutor says?",
"what stabbed Rev. Ed Hinds after dispute over employment?"
] | [
[
"\"over Feliciano's continued employment,\""
],
[
"he was being attacked"
],
[
"17 years,"
],
[
"17 years,"
],
[
"Rev. Ed Hinds"
],
[
"Rev. Ed Hinds"
],
[
"Rev. Ed Hinds"
],
[
"Rev. Ed Hinds"
],
[
"Jose Feliciano"
]
] | Victim called 911, said he was being attacked before call cut off, prosecutor says .
Janitor beat, stabbed Rev. Ed Hinds after dispute over employment, prosecutor says .
Suspect Jose Feliciano has worked at the church for 17 years, police say .
Pastor died of multiple stab wounds, blood spatters indicate fight, authorities say . |
Chicago, Illinois (CNN) -- A body found Monday in the Chicago River is that of Michael Scott, president of the Chicago Board of Education, police said.
A medical examiner has ruled Scott's death a suicide, Police Superintendent Jody Weis said, but authorities have not completed their investigation. There was a gunshot wound to the head, police said.
Scott's family had reported him missing about midnight, and his body was found about 3:20 a.m., Weis said. He was last seen about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Weis said, but he would not disclose where, saying that may be part of the investigation.
Scott's wife told police that it was "very unusual" for him not to be home by midnight, Weis said.
The gunshot entrance wound was on the left side of his head, police said. A weapon was found either under or alongside his body, Weis said, and Scott's car was in the immediate area.
The police investigation will include ballistics evidence and analysis of surveillance cameras in the area, Weis said. It is too early for police to draw conclusions, he added.
"Mr. Scott was a strong advocate for education," Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said in a written statement. "His contributions to the minority communities of Cook County will be sorely missed, in particular, his love for the upward mobility of residents from Chicago's West Side, where he spent his life."
In Washington, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan also mourned Scott's death, saying he was "shocked and saddened by the sudden death" of his "friend and colleague.
"Michael cared passionately about public education and made many courageous decisions as president of the board. He gave his time, energy and talents to improving the life chances of children.
"Chicago has lost a great leader, and the city's school children have lost a devoted champion."
Duncan was the chief executive officer of the Chicago school system from 2001 to 2008.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson recalled first meeting Scott about 30 years ago.
"We're just stunned and shocked," he said. "Michael was so effervescent, so full of life."
Scott had been appointed to the Chicago Board of Education three times, twice as president. He most recently was appointed in February. Previously, Scott was board president for five years, until July 2006.
Scott disclosed in early August that he had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury investigating how students were chosen for admission to some of Chicago's most elite public schools.
He denied using his influence during two stints as board president to help any student into a selective-enrollment school.
Scott, who was a developer, also was criticized in August when it was revealed that he had quietly arranged to develop city-owned land near a park that would have been used in the 2016 Summer Games. The move would have positioned Scott to cash in, had Chicago been awarded the Olympics.
The 2016 Games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
CNN's Mark Bixler contributed to this report. | [
"Where they found Michael Scott?",
"where in the body it was bullet entry",
"who denounced the disappearance at midnight",
"at what time this happened",
"When his family made the complaint?"
] | [
[
"Chicago River"
],
[
"gunshot wound to the head,"
],
[
"Scott's family"
],
[
"3:20 a.m.,"
],
[
"about midnight,"
]
] | Michael Scott was found in Chicago River early Monday .
His family reported him missing about midnight .
Body had gunshot entrance wound on left side of head; gun found nearby .
He had been subpoenaed to testify in school admission investigation . |
Chicago, Illinois (CNN) -- The four people found dead this week in a suburban Chicago home were the victims of a murder-suicide, a coroner said. A man, a woman and two boys were found dead Wednesday in a house in Addison, Illinois, west of Chicago, according to the DuPage County coroner's office. A statement from the coroner's office identified the four as Thomas Mangiantini, 48, his wife Elizabeth, 46, and the couple's two sons, Angelo, 12, and Thomas, 8. The deaths of Elizabeth Mangiantini and the two children were called homicides in the coroner's report. Thomas Mangiantini's manner of death was ruled a suicide, the report said. Police received a 911 call from a woman at 6:30 a.m. CT Wednesday, according to CNN affiliate WGN-TV in Chicago. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a female dead downstairs in the house and the bodies of three males upstairs, according to WGN. A spokesman for the Addison Police Department declined to give more information Friday. | [
"Coroner says how many victims of murder-suicide in Addison, Illinois, house?",
"How many victims are there in Addison?",
"What was the father's death considered?",
"Bodies were found after 911 call in which city?",
"Who was found in Chicago?",
"How many sons did the married couple have?",
"What did the coroner say?",
"What was found after 911 call?"
] | [
[
"four people"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"suicide,"
],
[
"Addison, Illinois,"
],
[
"four people"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"victims of a murder-suicide,"
],
[
"four people"
]
] | Coroner says four are victims of murder-suicide in Addison, Illinois, house .
Bodies of married couple and two sons found after 911 call in suburban Chicago .
Father's death a suicide, others homicides, coroner says . |
Children and teens who have a parent with bipolar disorder are 14 times more likely than their peers to have bipolar-like symptoms themselves, and are two to three times more likely to be found to have an anxiety or mood disorder, such as depression, according to a report in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
More than 10 percent of the kids with a bipolar parent had signs of a bipolar-spectrum, mood or anxiety disorder.
When both parents are bipolar, children are 3.6 times more likely to have bipolar disorder than children with only one parent with the psychiatric condition.
Bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic-depressive illness, affects 5.7 million people over age 18 in the United States. The condition is characterized by extreme fluctuations in energy, mood, and the ability to function. For example, someone experiencing an "episode" may have a manic state of euphoria for a period of time, followed by a bout of severe depression.
Although bipolar disorder may run in families, it's not guaranteed that children of bipolar parents will develop the condition too.
"I don't want parents to think 'I have bipolar, so my kids have bipolar,'" says Boris Birmaher, M.D., of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and author of the new study, called the Pittsburgh Bipolar Offspring Study. "Yes, these kids are at a higher risk, but that doesn't necessarily mean your child will have it." Health.com: Bipolar disorder is different for women
In the study, Birmaher and colleagues looked at 233 parents with bipolar disorder and their 388 children, ages 6 to 18. They were compared with a control group of 143 parents and 251 children with no family history of the condition.
Overall, 10.6 percent of the children with a bipolar parent had signs of a bipolar spectrum disorder (which includes a range of symptoms from severe to less so) or a mood or anxiety disorder. In comparison, only two children, or 0.8 percent, in the control group had such symptoms.
It's not clear whether genes, environment or a combination of both are responsible for the link, or possibly greater awareness and diagnosis of psychiatric conditions in bipolar families. Health.com: How a bipolar patient learned to manage mania
However, Birmaher says identifying the condition at an earlier age may ultimately help young people. "The longer you wait, the more complicated the condition could become," Birmaher says. Previous studies have suggested that it can take 10 years of symptoms before people get a correct diagnosis and proper treatment. "Ten years is a long time -- especially in the life of a child," he says.
The condition is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can be mistaken for depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or one of the disruptive behavior disorders. Signs of a manic episode include increased energy, extreme irritability, racing thoughts, spending sprees, abuse of drugs (particularly cocaine), and increased sexual drive. A depressive episode may range from disruptive sleeping patterns to thoughts of death or suicide.
"The chronic highs and lows are only two manifestations of the condition," says Gary Sachs, M.D., director of the bipolar clinic and research program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "But there are plenty of people who live a full, functional life and still have bipolar disorder." Health.com: How to care for and cope with a bipolar spouse
Bipolar disorder cannot be cured, and is treated with mood-stabilizing medications like lithium, as well as psychotherapy, and psychosocial intervention.
The ongoing study will follow this group of parents and children to explore further bipolar triggers including stress, family interactions, and genetics. Health.com: My story: I'm bipolar and struggle with addiction
"This study in no way should be a reason for someone with bipolar not to have children," says Sachs. "But there is a risk and that might make someone's child who has difficulty seek help sooner."
In adults with bipolar disorder, up to 60 percent say they had their first | [
"How much more likely are kids with a bipolar parent to be bipolar?",
"How many adults in the US have bipolar disorder?",
"How many are affected by bipolar disorder in the US?",
"Who is affected by bipolar disorder?",
"Bipolar disorder affects how many people over the age of 18 in the US?",
"If you have a bipolar parent, how many more times likely are you to have similar symptoms?"
] | [
[
"14 times"
],
[
"5.7 million"
],
[
"5.7 million"
],
[
"Children"
],
[
"5.7 million"
],
[
"14"
]
] | Kids with a bipolar parent are 14 times more likely to have bipolar-like symptoms .
They're also more likely to have a diagnosis of an anxiety or mood disorder .
Bipolar disorder affects 5.7 million people over age 18 in the United States .
Findings might help families recognize problem, get help for a child earlier . |
Clarksburg, West Virginia (CNN) -- North Central West Virginia Airport boasts quick check-ins, free, accessible parking and a convenient baggage claim.
That's not surprising, considering that fewer than 20 people fly out of the facility on any given day. And all three scheduled daily departures to Washington have a stop in Morgantown, West Virginia, only 35 miles away. But the airport offers a special treat as the end of the year approaches -- free sightseeing flights.
Thanks to a Federal Aviation Administration program that gives small regional airports millions of dollars if they can reach a certain level of passenger traffic, the Clarksburg, West Virginia, facility tries its best to get 10,000 passengers off the ground by the end of the year. For Suzanne Pierson, that meant she and her grandson Donavan got an "awesome" bird's-eye view of Clarksburg and neighboring Bridgeport, West Virginia, from a chartered Boeing 757 last December.
"They were trying to meet the quota, and they were 300 passengers short," said Pierson, who saw an ad placed by the airport advertising the free flights.
Since the difference between 10,000 and 9,999 is the difference between $1 million and $150,000 in federal funds, airport managers in Clarksburg and other small towns do whatever they can to get over that number. In Kearney, Nebraska, residents get to take aerial tours of the city's Christmas lights for $15. In Altoona, Pennsylvania, residents got free 10-minute flights to reach the local airfield's goal of 10,000 passengers.
Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican who is a frequent critic of federal spending, said "about 40" airports are believed to offer similar flight programs to reach the threshold, which was set by Congress. Coburn is asking the FAA and the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to come up with a definitive figure.
"The whole purpose for that isn't to say what you're doing is illegal -- it's probably not -- but to have a more cogent policy that truly represents the needs based on enplanements for every airport," Coburn said. He said federal support for small airports like Clarksburg's "should be earned in terms of grant process," not by gaming the system.
"We created the incentive to kind of weasel on it so you can get more money, and it's exacerbated now because of the economic downturn," Coburn said.
Clarksburg is about 200 miles west of Washington and about 110 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where most area residents catch flights when they travel by air. But airport director Rick Rock said an economic benefit analysis said the facility contributes about $395 million into the local economy, "So I definitely think there's no question that we need this airport."
In addition to the $1 million based on passenger traffic, the Clarksburg airport got $30 million to lengthen its runway in 1999 and another $1.6 million from the Obama administration's economic stimulus bill in 2009. Local students get free flights to Washington for school trips as well, Rock said. And the airport just got another $150,000 grant from the FAA to promote itself.
Rock said the money is needed to meet FAA mandates for security, runway paving and safety, and he's proud of what the facility has achieved -- particularly for students.
"We're trying to introduce aviation to them at a young age, so they can look at it as a career," he said. "A lot of these kids have never had the chance to fly. We've been able to share that opportunity, and the kids love it. It's special."
But Coburn said at least five airports have used "creative ways" to keep the money flowing in and has managed to get support for a congressional investigation to find out how airports like North Central West Virginia can get so much money for so few passengers. | [
"Who wants an investigation?",
"What do other small airports offer?",
"what does north central west virginia airport offer?",
"Who offers free sightseeing flights?",
"What is offered to boost numbers?"
] | [
[
"Coburn"
],
[
"free sightseeing flights."
],
[
"accessible parking and a convenient baggage claim."
],
[
"airport"
],
[
"free sightseeing flights."
]
] | North Central West Virginia airport offers free sightseeing flights to boost numbers .
Other small airports offer free flights, Christmas light tours to increase passenger traffic .
Republican senator wants FAA and Government Accountability Office to investigate . |
Cleveland, Ohio (CNN) -- Candles in hand and singing hymns, hundreds of Cleveland residents stunned by the discovery of 11 bodies in a local home gathered outside the house Sunday night to remember the victims.
But Inez Fortson, whose daughter Telacia was among the dead, said she could barely stand to look at the home.
"It's hard, because I want to burn it down," she said.
"I know my baby was in there, and she got killed in there," Fortson added. "I know what other people feel like when they lost a child. I didn't, but I do now. That was my only daughter."
Telacia Fortson, 31, had three children, ages 2, 4 and 6, her mother said. She had last been seen in June.
Her body was among the first identified in the home of Anthony Sowell, who is now facing five counts of aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with the deaths. All of those found dead were African-American women.
A Cuyahoga County judge has set bail at $5 million for Sowell, a registered sex offender who served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape case. He was released from jail in 2005.
"Whenever I see him on TV or think about him, I have to pray," Fortson said. "Because I believe that one day, I'll have to forgive him for what he's done. But right now, I can't, because I'm numb."
About 500 people joined the march, which followed a packed memorial service at the neighborhood's Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. The turnout "means that people do care," Fortson said. "There is a little compassion in the world."
Mount Olive pastor Larry Harris Sr., who led the memorial service, called the Sowell home a house of "horror."
"It brings trembling to the bones to think about what all went on right here," he said.
Sowell has been placed on a suicide watch at the request of his attorney, according to Sowell's public defender Kathleen DeMetz. A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered but it's unlikely to happen until after the case goes before a grand jury, the next expected step in the case.
Police recovered the first bodies after they went to Sowell's home to follow up on a rape accusation. Last month, neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor, but no charges were filed.
Neighbors called 911 after the October 20 incident. Firefighters and paramedics responded, and later notified police. The woman told officers that she was at the home and "partying," when she fell off the roof.
Allen Sowell, the suspect's half-brother, told CNN he last saw his brother more than 20 years ago. Their stepmother, who lived in the house after Anthony Sowell got out of prison, said she knew of nothing odd going on at the time, Allen Sowell said.
The stepmother tried to get Anthony Sowell evicted from the house in 2007 because he wasn't paying rent, Allen Sowell said. Anthony Sowell said he shouldn't have to pay rent on a house that belonged to his father, who died in 2004, and remained in the house when his stepmother had to be hospitalized in 2007, his half-brother said.
Agents from the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit are assisting Cleveland police, Cleveland FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said. The agents are preparing a profile of Sowell for police, tracing his life and habits, and his DNA will be entered into a national database to see whether it can be linked to any unsolved crimes.
Allen Sowell said he was aware of his half-brother's prison record, but "just couldn't fathom" the accusations now facing him.
"I didn't think he was in that bad of a mental state," Allen Sowell said. "You never think it would happen to your family. It's a horrible feeling."
At 66, Allen | [
"Where were the 11 bodies found?",
"Who is on suicide watch in jail?",
"Where were the bodies found?",
"What race were the bodies of the women?",
"What gender were seven bodies?",
"Where were 11 bodies found?"
] | [
[
"in a local home"
],
[
"Sowell"
],
[
"in a local home"
],
[
"African-American"
],
[
"women."
],
[
"local home"
]
] | After vigil, ministers walk to Anthony Sowell home, where 11 bodies were found .
Sowell is on suicide watch in jail; charged with murder, rape, other felonies .
Seven of 11 bodies have been identified; all were African-American women . |
Cleveland, Ohio (CNN) -- Candles in hand and singing hymns, hundreds of Cleveland residents stunned by the discovery of 11 bodies in a local home gathered outside the house Sunday night to remember the victims. But Inez Fortson, whose daughter Telacia was among the dead, said she could barely stand to look at the home. "It's hard, because I want to burn it down," she said. "I know my baby was in there, and she got killed in there," Fortson added. "I know what other people feel like when they lost a child. I didn't, but I do now. That was my only daughter." Telacia Fortson, 31, had three children, ages 2, 4 and 6, her mother said. She had last been seen in June. Her body was among the first identified in the home of Anthony Sowell, who is now facing five counts of aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with the deaths. All of those found dead were African-American women. A Cuyahoga County judge has set bail at $5 million for Sowell, a registered sex offender who served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape case. He was released from jail in 2005. "Whenever I see him on TV or think about him, I have to pray," Fortson said. "Because I believe that one day, I'll have to forgive him for what he's done. But right now, I can't, because I'm numb." About 500 people joined the march, which followed a packed memorial service at the neighborhood's Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. The turnout "means that people do care," Fortson said. "There is a little compassion in the world." Mount Olive pastor Larry Harris Sr., who led the memorial service, called the Sowell home a house of "horror." "It brings trembling to the bones to think about what all went on right here," he said. Sowell has been placed on a suicide watch at the request of his attorney, according to Sowell's public defender Kathleen DeMetz. A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered but it's unlikely to happen until after the case goes before a grand jury, the next expected step in the case. Police recovered the first bodies after they went to Sowell's home to follow up on a rape accusation. Last month, neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor, but no charges were filed. Neighbors called 911 after the October 20 incident. Firefighters and paramedics responded, and later notified police. The woman told officers that she was at the home and "partying," when she fell off the roof. Allen Sowell, the suspect's half-brother, told CNN he last saw his brother more than 20 years ago. Their stepmother, who lived in the house after Anthony Sowell got out of prison, said she knew of nothing odd going on at the time, Allen Sowell said. The stepmother tried to get Anthony Sowell evicted from the house in 2007 because he wasn't paying rent, Allen Sowell said. Anthony Sowell said he shouldn't have to pay rent on a house that belonged to his father, who died in 2004, and remained in the house when his stepmother had to be hospitalized in 2007, his half-brother said. Agents from the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit are assisting Cleveland police, Cleveland FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said. The agents are preparing a profile of Sowell for police, tracing his life and habits, and his DNA will be entered into a national database to see whether it can be linked to any unsolved crimes. Allen Sowell said he was aware of his half-brother's prison record, but "just couldn't fathom" the accusations now facing him. "I didn't think he was in that bad of a mental state," Allen Sowell said. "You never think it would happen to your family. It's a horrible feeling." At 66, Allen | [
"How many bodies were found?",
"What is Sowell charged with?",
"Who is charged with murder and rape?",
"What race were the bodies found?",
"How many bodies were found in the home?",
"What ethnicity were the women victims?"
] | [
[
"11"
],
[
"five counts of aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping"
],
[
"Anthony Sowell,"
],
[
"African-American"
],
[
"11"
],
[
"African-American"
]
] | After vigil, ministers walk to Anthony Sowell home, where 11 bodies were found .
Sowell is on suicide watch in jail; charged with murder, rape, other felonies .
Seven of 11 bodies have been identified; all were African-American women . |
Cleveland, Ohio (CNN) -- The niece of the mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, once lived with murder suspect Anthony Sowell, a registered sex offender charged with murder after the remains of 11 victims were found at his home, a spokeswoman for the mayor said Monday. Lori Frazier, niece of Mayor Frank Jackson, had a relationship with Sowell that ended two years ago, said Andrea Taylor, a spokeswoman for Jackson's office. Taylor said it is unclear whether the relationship was romantic. "I just want to know why, why he would do this," Frazier told CNN affiliate WOIO on Friday. "He took care of me, good care of me. I never would have thought there were some bodies in the house." "I lived with him from 2005 to 2007 and he didn't kill me, but he killed all these girls," she said. Sowell, 50, is facing five counts of aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with the deaths. All the victims were African-American women. All that remains of one of them is a skull, wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the basement. Sowell served 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted rape in 1989. He was released in 2005. So far, nine of the 11 victims found at Sowell's home have been identified. The latest two were identified Monday by the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office, police said. They are Janice Webb, 49, and Kim Yvette Smith, who was 43 when last seen. Both women were from Cleveland. Webb was last seen on June 3 and was reported missing on August 2, police said. Smith was last seen January 1, but was not reported missing until November 2. A grand jury on Monday returned an indictment against Sowell in connection with an alleged assault and rape of a 36-year-old woman September 22, Cuyahoga County prosecutors said in a news release. The investigation into that incident was what led police, armed with a search warrant, to Sowell's home, where they discovered the bodies late last month. The alleged victim encountered Sowell while walking in the neighborhood, and he took her back to his home, where he became violent and raped her, prosecutors said. "While raping her, he strangled her with a cord until she lost consciousness," the statement said. "When she regained consciousness, he led her out of the house." Sowell faces a charge of attempted murder in the incident, along with two counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of felonious assault, authorities said. Sowell will be arraigned on the new charges Friday, authorities said. The charges are first-degree felonies except for the assault charges, which are second-degree felonies, prosecutors said. If convicted, he would face a sentence of up to life in prison. The investigation into the homicides continues, prosecutor Bill Mason said in the news release. "Upon completion of the investigation, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office working with the Cleveland Police Department will present evidence to the grand jury seeking the death penalty for these heinous murders committed by Sowell." Residents of the area near the home said they had noted a smell in the neighborhood, but assumed it was from nearby Ray's Sausage Company. Asked whether she had noticed a foul odor, Frazier told WOIO, "Yeah, I smelled stuff, but he always told me that -- at first he said it was his stepmother downstairs. And then I guess after she left, he told me that it was Ray's Sausage." Frazier said Sowell brought other women to the home when she was not there. "I love my niece very much and while she has made some decisions that have not been in her best interest, she has my full support," Jackson said in a written statement. "As a family, we are extremely fortunate that she was not a victim in this case as she did have a prior relationship with the suspect that ended approximately two | [
"What did Frank Jackson say?",
"What does Jackson say of his niece?",
"With who has Lori Frazier been living between 2005 and 2007?",
"What is Sowell charged with?",
"Who Jackson loves?",
"Who did Lori Frazier live with?",
"what is Anthony Sowell charged with?",
"When did Lori Frazier live with Anthony Sowell?"
] | [
[
"\"I love my niece very much and while she has made some decisions that have not been in her best interest, she has my full support,\""
],
[
"\"I love my"
],
[
"Anthony"
],
[
"murder"
],
[
"Lori Frazier,"
],
[
"Anthony"
],
[
"murder"
],
[
"2005 to 2007"
]
] | NEW: Mayor Frank Jackson: "I love my niece very much ... she has my full support"
NEW: FBI says it's likely suspect has "done this before;" looking at places he lived in past .
Lori Frazier, mayor's niece, says she lived with Anthony Sowell from 2005 to 2007 .
Sowell charged with murder, rape, other crimes after 11 bodies found at home . |
College Park, Maryland (CNN) -- In his hectic, noisy laboratory at the University of Maryland, Michael Pecht is wary when it comes to assessing whether Toyota's suggested repair of sticky gas pedals will have any real impact.
"They are in a bit of a quandary," said Pecht, a professor at Maryland's Clark School of Engineering. "If they announce that electronics is a problem, they are probably going to be in a lot of trouble, because nobody's going to drive the car. So at this stage, they don't want to announce there is any electronic problem."
But according to Pecht, who is an expert in failure analysis and has written a book on sudden acceleration in automobiles, complicated electronics -- not a mechanical issue with the gas pedal -- lie at the heart of Toyota's problems. And three other independent safety analysts contacted by CNN also conclude that neither floor mats nor stuck gas pedals are an overwhelming issue.
"From what people have told me about their sudden acceleration incidents, most of them have have got nothing to do with the sticking pedal at all," said Antony Anderson, an electronics consultant in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
Anderson said electronic throttle controls, which largely have replaced mechanical accelerators, can malfunction in ways he compared to an occasionally disobedient child.
"We've all had that type of experience, and I'm afraid that is the sort of experience that can happen with any piece of electronics, with an electronic throttle," he said.
And Sean Kane, who runs a company called Safety Research Strategies in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, said, "Toyota's explanations do not account for the share of unintended acceleration complaints that we have examined."
Toyota officials dispute any assertion that the complicated array of electronics in its cars has an impact on the acceleration issues that have dominated headlines in the past weeks.
"After many years of exhaustive testing by us and by other organizations, we have found no evidence of an electronic problem in our electronic throttle control systems that could have led to unwanted acceleration," said John Hanson, Toyota's spokesman on quality-control issues.
But experts like Anderson say the tests conducted by Toyota are not adequate.
"Those tests do not reproduce what actually happens in everyday life," Anderson said. "They are testing for certain conditions, for certain standards, but they test, for example, signals one at a time. They don't do a whole lot of signals altogether. Whereas in a car, you've got a great cacophony of electromagnetic interference going on all the time, and you really can't rely on testing of a single frequency at one time."
As for the U.S. government's testing of Toyota's problems, the man in charge of the Center For Auto Safety, Clarence Ditlow, said that a 2007 test on a Lexus -- a Toyota brand -- by the National Highway Safety and Traffic Administration to find possible electronic interference was amateurish.
"They didn't do any real testing," he said. "For all I know, they just took a garage door opener, pointed it at the engine compartment and snapped it, and that's electronic interference to see whether or not anything happened. They closed the hood, and off they went. No problem."
iReport: Prius owner stands by his car
Efforts to contact the NHTSA in snow-bound Washington were unsuccessful. But Toyota spokesman Hanson said, "It's very easy to look from outside and say, 'There is no problem with the pedal.' But this is the problem and we are fixing it."
Hanson said the company "invited" further testing and pointed out that NHTSA officials announced a "fresh look" into the whole area of electromagnetic testing, not simply limited to Toyota. | [
"Who says automaker's tests are inadequate?",
"Who has found no evidence of electronic problems?",
"What did officials find no evidence of",
"What does some say about automaker's tests?",
"What was the problem that is not mechanical issue?",
"What did Toyota officials say they've found?",
"What do they say is the problem"
] | [
[
"Antony Anderson,"
],
[
"John Hanson, Toyota's spokesman"
],
[
"electronic problem in our electronic throttle control systems"
],
[
"conducted by Toyota are not adequate."
],
[
"complicated electronics"
],
[
"no evidence of an electronic problem"
],
[
"complicated electronics"
]
] | They say complicated electronics, not mechanical issue, are problem .
Toyota officials say they've found no evidence of electronic problems .
Some say automaker's tests are inadequate . |
Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Sri Lanka's former army chief appeared before a military court Tuesday, on charges that he says are designed to remove him from politics. Retired Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka faced a panel of three military judges, who are to decide whether he is guilty of participating in politics while still in uniform. Fonseka's spokesman Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the former military commander's lawyers raised two objections: that the judges are biased and that a military court can no longer rule on Fonseka's case, because he left the army more than six months ago. The court will reconvene on April 6 to rule on the objections, according to government spokesman Maj. Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe. However, Fonseka must return to court Wednesday to face separate charges of violating military procurement procedures. Fonseka says the charges against him are false and politically motivated. The man credited with the military campaign that defeated a quarter-century-long insurgency by the Tamil Tiger rebel movement was arrested last month. He was dragged from his office by armed military police during a meeting with his supporters, they said. He has since been detained at naval headquarters in Colombo, where the military tribunal is convening. Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa were allies and heroes of last year's battle against the Tigers, but they drifted apart. Fonseka's supporters say the former general was seen as a threat to the government and his arrest was ordered to prevent his participation in parliamentary elections April 8. The former military commander challenged Rajapaksa in January's presidential elections, but lost by a wide margin and accused the government of election fraud. The Fonseka family has challenged his arrest in Sri Lanka's supreme court. Those arguments are to be heard April 26. His wife, Anoma Fonseka, called the legal proceedings against her husband a joke. Journalist Amal Jayasinghe contributed to this report. | [
"Who is to decide whether he's guilty of participating in politics while in uniform?",
"What must the military judges decide?",
"What do supporters say about Fonseka and his role with the government?",
"Who is credited with the campaign that defeated Tamil Tiger rebels?",
"Who says the charges against him are false?",
"who says charges against him are false and politically motivated?"
] | [
[
"a panel of three military judges,"
],
[
"whether he is guilty of participating in politics while still in uniform."
],
[
"Fonseka's supporters say the former general was seen as a threat to the government and his arrest was ordered to prevent his participation in parliamentary elections April 8."
],
[
"Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapaksa"
],
[
"Retired Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka"
],
[
"Retired Army Gen. Sarath Fonseka"
]
] | Retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka credited with campaign that defeated Tamil Tiger rebels .
Military judges to decide whether he's guilty of participating in politics while in uniform .
Fonseka says the charges against him are false and politically motivated .
Supporters say the former general was seen as a threat to the government . |
Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Sri Lanka's opposition presidential candidate accused the incumbent of intimidation, as early returns reported by state-run TV SLRC showed President Mahinda Rajapaksa leading the race. Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka accused Rajapaksa of intimidation during the country's first peacetime presidential election in more than two decades and said his staff had received threatening phone calls Army soldiers and commandos tried to enter the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel shortly after Fonseka and opposition party members arrived Tuesday, the former general told CNN. His security forces told the soldiers they could not enter the building, so they stayed outside, Fonseka said. Fonseka said he was not leaving the hotel, citing the armed soldiers outside. Several dozen armed soldiers lined the street of the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel and surrounding area, checking cars driving up to the building in the nation's capital, Colombo. "He's ignoring the constitution to remain in power," Fonseka said of ally-turned-rival Rajapaksa. There was no immediate reaction from Rajapaksa's government in response to Fonseka's claims. The presidential election is the first since government forces put down a 26-year insurgency by Tamil Tiger rebels. And controversy mounted as vote tallying began. Earlier Tuesday, top politicians vowed to block Fonseka from taking office if he won because he is not eligible to vote. The government will fight the commissioner of elections in the Supreme Court on the issue of Fonseka's eligibility, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama vowed. Fonseka admits he is not registered to vote; 14 million Sri Lankans are eligible. What will Sri Lankan election mean? Rajapaksa and Fonseka have waged a bitter battle against each other. Both men say they are winning the election. But early returns showed Rajapaksa was leading in the race, state-run television SLRC reported. Fonseka broke ranks with the Rajapaksa administration after he was elevated to the largely ceremonial post of chief of defense staff in July, following his retirement as army commander. After Fonseka announced his presidential bid, the main opposition parties -- with widely diverse political ideologies -- closed ranks behind him to make him their common candidate. The general is riding a wave of popularity after he led a military campaign to crush Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The Tamil Tigers, as they are known, fought a brutal war for decades against the government and controlled large swathes of territory at the height of their power. Rajapaksa also claims war-hero status with the win against the Tamil Tigers last May. He is seeking a fresh mandate for his government, advocating for more development programs and jobs. And in his revised booklet, "Mahinda Chinthanaya" ("Thoughts of Mahinda"), he campaigns to ensure a "better tomorrow." But in the lead-up to the election, the island nation just south of India has become host to escalating violence. Three and a half hours before Sri Lankans headed to the polls, explosions that residents said sounded like mortar fire were heard. While it was unclear what Tuesday's explosions were, there have been more than 700 reports of violence ahead of the election, and at least our deaths reported, said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Center for Policy Alternatives, a branch of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence. There have been allegations of interference with mail-in ballots, according to the group. Most of the complaints have been against members of Rajapaksa's government, the center said. The spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last week that the U.N. chief was "concerned about the growing violence in the lead-up to the presidential election." "The peaceful conduct of the first post-conflict national election is of the highest importance for long-term peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka," he added. CNN's Sara Sidner and Iqbal Athas contributed to this report. | [
"What does Fonseka accuse Rajapaksa of?",
"Politicians vowing to block Fonseka, why?",
"What is the accusation?",
"Early returns show who is leading?",
"Who is leading the state?",
"What Politicians vow to block Fonseka?",
"Who is nt registered to vote?"
] | [
[
"intimidation"
],
[
"vote."
],
[
"intimidation during the country's first peacetime presidential election"
],
[
"President Mahinda Rajapaksa"
],
[
"President Mahinda Rajapaksa"
],
[
"top"
],
[
"Fonseka"
]
] | NEW: Early returns show Rajapaksa leading, state-run TV SLRC reports .
Fonseka accuses Rajapaksa of intimidation .
Politicians vow to block Fonseka, saying he is not registered to vote .
Presidential election is first since government forces put down 26-year insurgency . |
Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Sri Lanka's response to a scathing United Nations report alleging war crimes and human rights violations has reached the president's desk.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa received the 400-page document on Sunday night. The response, compiled by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, will be presented to Parliament, though Rajapaksa did not say when.
At their president's urging, Sri Lankans took to the streets in May to rail against the U.N. report, which cites "credible allegations" that crimes were committed by both sides during the final stages of the country's civil war.
A three-member U.N. panel recommended that Sri Lanka immediately conduct an investigation into the alleged violations of international law.
Human rights groups have already alleged both government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels violated humanitarian laws and that thousands of civilians were killed during the war, which ended in May 2009 after the government declared victory. The rebels had fought a 26-year bloody separatist war that left thousands dead and large numbers of others internally displaced, according to the United Nations.
The U.N. report concluded there were "credible allegations, which, if proven, indicate that a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international humanitarian rights law was committed both by the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE (rebels), some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."
In the war's final stage, which lasted from September 2008 to May 2009, the Sri Lankan army advanced into an area of northern Sri Lanka known as the Vanni, where about 330,000 people were trapped by fighting.
The report said the government used "large-scale and widespread shelling" that left many civilians dead.
Some of the shelling happened in no-fire zones where the government had encouraged civilians to congregate, the report said. Government forces also shelled a U.N. hub and food distribution lines and fired near International Committee of the Red Cross ships that were picking up the wounded, the report said.
The government also shelled hospitals on the front lines, some of them repeatedly, the report said.
"Most civilian casualties in the final phases of the war were caused by government shelling," the report said.
A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Ban hopes the U.N. report "will make a contribution to full accountability and justice so that the Sri Lankan government and people will be able to proceed towards national reconciliation and peace." | [
"When did the civil war end?",
"What killed many civilians?",
"What does the report say?",
"in that year civil war ended?",
"how many pages of responses produce Lanka?",
"What country has the U.N. accused of committing war crimes?"
] | [
[
"May 2009"
],
[
"the war,"
],
[
"and human rights violations has reached the president's desk."
],
[
"2009"
],
[
"400-page"
],
[
"Sri Lanka's"
]
] | Sri Lanka produces a 400-page response to U.N. allegations that it committed war crimes .
The U.N. report says the government used "widespread shelling" that killed many civilians .
Sri Lanka's response will be presented to Parliament, though the president did not say when .
The country's civil war ended in May 2009 after the government declared victory . |
Colorado Springs, Colorado (CNN) -- If you come to a neighborhood park in Colorado Springs, plan on bringing your own trash bags. To save money, the city has removed the trash cans. Need to catch a bus? Don't try on evenings or weekends. The city has cut that service, too. And when the sun goes down, Colorado Springs is going to look a little bit dimmer. Crews are removing a third of the city's streetlight to save money on electricity and light bulbs. Watch city's PSA on streetlight deactivation It's this conservative city's way of closing a $28.5 million budget gap. "You can cry about the fiscal situation ... or you can take it as an opportunity to change, reinvent yourself and innovate and that's what were going to do in Colorado Springs," City Councilman Sean Paige said. Other governments are considering higher taxes to avoid such cutbacks, but in the state of Colorado, there is a taxpayers' bill of rights. It prevents state and city governments from raising taxes unless such a measure is approved by the voters. "We put it on the ballot last fall, and they said 'no,' " said Paige, a Republican. "They declined to write the city a blank check, and they said, 'City, tighten your belts. We're tightening ours. You need to do the same.' "We're going to respect that," he added. "I'm not going to cry about that." It's not a new concept in Colorado Springs, touted on some Web sites as a "libertarian paradise." The city's garbage collection, zoo and philharmonic are all privately funded. The city is even auctioning off its police helicopters on the Internet. Want to place a bid? The latest budget cuts could be felt at community centers like Meadows Park, which is bustling with after-school programs for kids, as well as exercise classes and hot meals for seniors. Unless the center can find private funding, Colorado Springs is slated to shut it down at the end of March. "I'm hoping that some sort of a miracle will happen so we can keep the centers open," said Sheryle Nix, 56. Every day, Nix eats a $2 lunch at the center because she can't afford to eat in a restaurant and has trouble preparing her own food. "I have a traumatic brain injury, so this really helps keep me on schedule to eat lunch," she explained. Jeanie Schweitzer, 55, returned to Colorado Springs to take care of her grandmother Elsie, who suffered a stroke. She brings Elsie to the center to get her out of the house. "I don't think they should be shutting it down. There should be enough money," Schweizer said. "It's not that much in the big picture to keep it open." The center is a lifeline for parents who work and cannot pick their kids up after school ends in the afternoon. Lindon Jackson, who is 13, has been coming to the Meadows Park after-school program since she was 3. When asked what she'll do if the center shuts down, she said, "Nothing." "I'd just be home doing nothing." Whether the government should continue funding Meadows Park and other community centers like it strikes at the heart of the political argument over the role of government, particularly during an economic downturn. "The model of governments, from the federal government down to municipal governments, don't work anymore," according to Chuck Fowler, chairman of City Committee, an alliance of local businesspeople set up by Paige. "They don't take in as much money. They can't possibly provide the same amount of services, pay their employees, pay their pensions. Something's got to give." Fowler believes that the solution may be in weaning people off of government services. "The larger the government is, the more conditioning with | [
"What is the amount of the budget hole?",
"What might be cut?",
"Which area faces a $30 million budget hole?",
"What led them to the brink of the budget?",
"Which people say it's better than raising taxes?",
"Who now benefits children and the elderly?",
"Programs for which individuals might be cut?"
] | [
[
"$28.5 million"
],
[
"community centers"
],
[
"Colorado Springs,"
],
[
"economic downturn."
],
[
"taxpayers'"
],
[
"Meadows Park,"
],
[
"kids,"
]
] | Colorado Springs faces nearly $30 million budget hole .
Programs for the elderly and kids might be cut .
Supporters say it's better than raising taxes .
Opponents say basic services shouldn't be sacrificed . |
Concepcion, Chile (CNN) -- There are days working for CNN when you feel like you are in the final scene of the film "Hotel Rwanda," hurtling toward an uncertain salvation from a disaster of epic proportions.
Fear and frustration are softened by exhaustion. Your heart races, but every other sound is like white noise. You plunge ahead, but also long to return to the comfort of your own life with its own particular frustrations and joys.
That's how it felt pulling out of Concepcion, Chile, where an earthquake sent people gliding across the floors of their own homes, tossed some buildings into pieces and set off frantic unrest among people living without food, water or safety. We had been on an odyssey just to get to the epicenter of this disaster.
We had left behind a documentary project on the Haiti disaster to fly to Miami, Florida, where we turned around and went through Panama; Lima, Peru; Sao Paolo, Brazil; and Buenos Aires and Bariloche, Argentina, before driving through Patagonia into Chile. But we couldn't stay long in Chile without jeopardizing that project.
Full coverage of the Chilean earthquake
Even as this new disaster unfolds, there are still thousands living on Haiti's streets in a crisis of uncommon proportions. A documentary on Haiti's children needs to air while the public is still focused.
Meanwhile, CNN was getting more teams on the ground to help those already here amid tough conditions. Our team of nine journalists and four drivers had arrived in Concepcion to join a few others, but we'd all been stymied by the lack of generators or fuel to power them in a place with no electricity.
We had a mountain of snack food and water, but until we found ways to get electricity, each attempt at making television was a challenge.
Then some of our local drivers confused the cans of extra diesel fuel and gasoline and filled the wrong fuel in the tanks. They spent half a day sucking it out of the vehicles, but then threw out the empty jugs we needed to get refills -- if fuel ever reappeared. It was a comedy of errors that ended up with three of four cars temporarily inoperable.
It was cold with no place to stay, no way to power our cameras or equipment. The CNN logistics folks hustled, getting new people in with fresh supplies and gas. Our Haiti project was looming. We'd have to leave soon. But how?
No fuel means no cars, and this whole region of Chile was at a standstill. The only thing moving was the earth, in constant aftershocks. And we were a 12-hour drive from Santiago, where the only big airport was closed. We hopped aboard one of the cars that still had fuel and headed to a small airport outside town.
Concepcion, city of chaos
It wasn't easy: Whenever you leave a story, a reporter feels enormous guilt. After all, you'd come to tell people what's happening, to hold the authorities accountable, to record history in the making. This town was in crisis, and we were leaving.
As we drove, dozens of people rode around on bicycles dangling fuel cans from one hand, aimlessly searching for ways to power cars and light homes. We dodged barricades put up by residents to discourage looters and around piles of bricks from homes newly damaged from aftershocks. The air smelt like smoke and concrete. Military vehicles and sirens made the only noise.
We expected the tiny airport, which was officially closed, to be empty, but it was abuzz with the displaced. We were not the only ones hoping to leave. Hundreds of people carrying luggage had slept outside the darkened terminal hoping some aircraft would soon land and leave.
The Chilean Air Force was offering rides, so we made our way to Santiago where the Peruvian president had a few police planes offering trips out of the disaster zone to Lima. We boarded the small airplane through the back ramp and saw that this aircraft was meant for cargo, not people. The gray metal "seats" ran along the sides of a curved plane that | [
"Who went from one earthquake zone to another?",
"Who experience guilt?",
"where is the story taking place?",
"What did exiting Chile prove to be??",
"What did they experience when they left Chile?"
] | [
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"CNN"
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] | Soledad O'Brien and her team go from one earthquake zone to another .
They give a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to cover a major disaster .
They experience guilt as they have to leave Chile and the story of its troubles .
Exiting Chile proves to be as arduous as getting into the earthquake-ravaged nation . |
Copenhagen, Denmark (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday warned participants in the climate change conference in Copenhagen that they are "running out of time" to reach an agreement on what to do about global warming. Critics say those attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which began December 7, have made little or no headway toward developing a plan. U.S. officials in Copenhagen and at the White House confirmed that talks broke down Wednesday after the Chinese rejected American demands that they commit to transparency regarding their emissions reductions. Without mentioning China by name, Clinton said their continued refusal would be "kind of a deal breaker for us." The uncertainty over whether a deal could be reached before talks end Friday led to speculation that President Barack Obama might not travel to Copenhagen as planned, but White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters he would leave Thursday evening. "We all know there are real challenges that remain in the hours left to these negotiations," Clinton said. "And it is no secret that we have lost precious time in these past days. In the time we have left here, it can no longer be about us versus them. "We all face the same challenge together," she added. "We're running out of time. It's unfortunate that there have been problems with the process, difficulties with certain parties being willing to come to the table, all kinds of discussions and disagreements, sometimes about the past rather than about the future." Without mentioning China by name, Clinton said that nation's continued refusal to come to the table would be "kind of a deal breaker for us." Gibbs said the Chinese "balked" at the "strong transparency requirement," and he "hoped they would reconsider." "The president is going to travel in hopes of making progress for a strong operational agreement," Gibbs said. "There are no changes in the president's plans." The agreement Obama is hoping for out of Copenhagen would not be a treaty, nor would it be legally binding. Gibbs acknowledged it would be "a political agreement that would lead to a treaty" later. The last time the president traveled to Copenhagen -- in October to try to win the 2012 Olympic bid for Chicago -- he came back empty-handed. "Coming back with an empty agreement would far worse," Gibbs said Thursday. Clinton said the United States is concerned about the ability of needy nations to do their part. The United States is willing to work with other countries to raise $100 billion by 2020 to address the climate-change needs of developing nations, she said. She told delegates that the United States already has joined an effort to provide more immediate funding that would reach $10 billion in 2012. "After a year of diplomacy, we have come to Copenhagen ready to take the steps necessary to achieve a comprehensive and operational new agreement that will provide a foundation for long-term, sustainable economic growth," Clinton said. "We have now reached the critical juncture in these negotiations. I understand that the talks have been difficult. I know that our team, along with many others, are working hard and around the clock to forge a deal," she said. "But the time is at hand for all countries to reach for common ground and take an historic step that we can all be proud of." Clinton's announcement was "enormously encouraging," Tim Flannery, an internationally known zoologist, conservationist and explorer, said on CNN's "Amanpour." Clinton proposed several core elements that should be included in any plan: decisive national actions; an operational accord "that internationalizes those actions"; technical and other assistance for needy nations that are "the most vulnerable and least prepared to meet the effects of climate change; and standards of transparency that provide credibility to the entire process." "The world community should accept no less," she added. Kandeh Yumkella, director-general of the U.N. Industrial Development Organization, said on " | [
"Who joins the effort?",
"Who is \"fast-start\" funding gearded toward?",
"When will President Obama join the talks?"
] | [
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] | U.S. joins an effort to mobilize "fast-start" funding for developing counties.
Talks intended to agree a global limits on carbon emissions to replace Kyoto .
U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to join the talks Friday .
Japan, EU pledge more than $20 billion in climate aid to developing nations . |
County Kildare, Ireland (CNN) -- The mayor of a town in Ireland has resigned and faces a possible police investigation after saying he would no longer represent people of black African origin.
Councillor Darren Scully was Mayor of Naas in County Kildare, near the Irish capital, Dublin.
Interviewed on local radio Tuesday morning, Scully said he had decided not to represent black Africans because of their "aggressive" attitude to him.
"I have been met with aggressiveness, I have been met with bad manners," he claimed. "I have also been played the race card - it's been said 'Oh yeah, you will help white people, but you don't help black people'."
The then mayor continued: "After a while I made a decision that I was just not going to take on representations from black Africans, that I would be very courteous to them and I would pass on their query to other public representatives who would take their concerns."
Members of other political parties called for Scully to resign and Tuesday evening he did just that.
He issued the following statement: "I wish to apologise unreservedly for my remarks on 4FM and KFM. I realise they have caused deep hurt and offence in all communities and in all sectors of society.
"I have been proud to be Mayor of Naas and to represent all the people of the town. However, as a result of the upset that I have caused, I feel it is appropriate that I step down from this position."
Earlier, political rivals Sinn Fein had accused him of being racist, but in his statement Scully denied the claim. He said: "I realise now that my remarks were open to an interpretation that I did not intend. I abhor racism in all its forms."
Naas Town Council had called a special meeting for Tuesday evening to discuss the controversy, but Scully resigned just ahead of it.
The now ex-mayor is a member of the main party in the Irish coalition government - Fine Gael - but said he was expressing personal views.
The party agreed - Fine Gael issued this statement: "The views expressed by Cllr Scully do not reflect the views of Fine Gael and they are not party policy.
"Fine Gael is an inclusive party and we are trying to build a country that caters for all."
A lawmaker with the junior partners in the coalition government, Aodhan O Riordain of the Labour Party, said he had reported the matter to Irish police with a view to prosecution. O Riordain branded Scully's comments "outrageous" and said they could be considered as incitement to hatred.
The Irish census of 2006 showed there were 1,862 people of African origin living in Kildare out of a population in the county of 186,335, according to the Central Statistics Office in Dublin.
Naas has a total population of just over 20,000. Local people told CNN Tuesday that race relations in the town are good and they were "really surprised" a local representative would make such comments. | [
"Who step down as mayor of Naas?",
"What made Darren Scully resign?",
"What did opposition parties demand?",
"Who had decided to actually stop representing them?",
"What did he say?",
"Where is Irish Mayor Darren Scully resigns ?"
] | [
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"Councillor Darren Scully"
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"he would no longer represent people of black African origin."
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],
[
"Councillor Darren Scully"
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"would no longer represent people of black African origin."
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] | Irish Mayor Darren Scully resigns after saying he would no longer represent people of black African origin .
He said the black Africans were aggressive towards him and accused him of not standing up for them .
As a result, he said on radio, he had decided to actually stop representing them .
Opposition parties demanded he step down as mayor of Naas . |
Cristiano Ronaldo is in the running to win the FIFA World Player of the Year for a second successive year after being named on a 23-man shortlist for this year's award. The Portuguese winger, who joined Real Madrid this summer from Manchester United for a world record transfer fee, heads a familiar cast of football's biggest names ahead of the annual gala in Zurich, Switzerland, on December 21. Champions League holders Barcelona boast six nominees -- defender Carlos Puyol, midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi, and strikers Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Former Barca star Samuel Eto'o, now playing for Inter Milan, also joins the nominations list. Spain's La Liga boasts 11 nominees altogether, in addition to the Barcelona contingent there is Valencia's David Villa, Sevilla's Luis Fabiano and Real Madrid's Kaka and Iker Casillas. The English Premier League follows with eight nominees; England internationals Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are among those up for the award. Nominees list: Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain),Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Kaka (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribery (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain), Xavi (Spain). | [
"Who is the reigning World Player of the Year?",
"who is reigning holder of the award?",
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] | [
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"Cristiano Ronaldo"
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"Cristiano Ronaldo"
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"Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain),Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Kaka (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribery (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain), Xavi (Spain)."
],
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] | FIFA announce list of nominations for the World Player of the Year award .
The annual ceremony takes place in Zurich, Switzerland on December 21 .
Reigning holder Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid nominated once again . |
Cupertino, California (CNN) -- The iPhone 4S may not look any different from its predecessor, but it is Apple's only model with a sort of robot living inside.
Apple's new phone, which was announced on Tuesday to be sold in stores on October 14, will have a new function called Siri. The program lets people bark commands or ask questions to the phone, and it will provide an answer or ask follow-up questions in order to perform a given task.
At the news conference, Phil Schiller, Apple's marketing executive, called Siri "the coolest feature of the new iPhone 4S," and the company is expected to advertise Siri heavily in its sales pitches.
Apple dedicated a significant chunk of the presentation to showing the extent of Siri's ability to interpret requests and respond. "Do I need a raincoat today?" incites a robo-female voice to reply: "It sure looks like rain today," as Scott Forstall, Apple's mobile software executive, demonstrated.
Ask Siri to remind you to buy flowers for your wife at a certain time, and Siri may ask you to identify her in the phone's address book. Siri then remembers who she is for future requests, Forstall said. The software integrates with Yelp and WolframAlpha for relevant queries. It can also schedule appointments in the phone's calendar and transcribe e-mails or text messages.
With Google's Android phones, users can dictate messages, too, which are then transcribed by Google's servers. Other cell phones support voice commands, which is handy when operating a phone while driving, but few people take advantage of the option. Even the preceding iPhones had a basic version of this called Voice Control, which can be activated in the same way as Siri, by holding down the phone's home button.
But Apple's ambitions for Siri are much greater.
Steve Jobs has said that Siri's focus is on artificial intelligence. "We like what they do a lot," the Apple co-founder and former CEO said at the AllThingsD conference last year.
Forstall echoed that onstage Tuesday, saying: "I've been in the AI field a long time, and this still blows me away."
The big unveiling of the iPhone 4S on Tuesday was the first time most people learned about Siri, but the voice-assistant software is rooted in many years of extensive technical research.
The project was born at SRI International, a nonprofit research organization. It was a part of an ambitious project called CALO, for Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes. The program was funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the government division responsible for Global Position System (GPS) and developments that led to the creation of the Internet.
Work on Siri began in the summer of 2007, and SRI executives decided to spin out the project as a standalone business in 2008. Apple acquired the company in April 2010.
"The team was so happy when Apple did the acquisition," Norman Winarsky, a Siri co-founder who remained at SRI, said in an interview on Monday. "They have a vision."
Before joining Apple, Siri provided a free app for iOS mobile devices. Apple removed it from the App Store on Tuesday, which means only iPhone 4S owners will be able to access the service starting next week.
The version integrated into the 4S is vastly superior to the now-defunct app based on onstage demos. Apple spokespeople did not respond to CNN's requests to try the product at the event on Tuesday.
Siri's engineers were excited for the opportunity to bake their software deeply into the new iPhone and build features that a third-party developer would not be able to do because of Apple-imposed restrictions, Winarsky said.
"We are going to be very proud," he said. "The world of virtual personal assistants is going to be everywhere."
Siri's specialty is in its ability to interpret so-called natural-language requests. It was originally developed to handle typed queries, Winarsky | [
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] | Apple's iPhone 4S will have a new voice-assistant feature called Siri .
Siri is based on a government-funded research program .
Apple acquired Siri in April 2010 . |
Cusco, Peru (CNN) -- Authorities in Peru have rescued the last of hundreds of travelers who had been stranded by flooding in a town near one of South America's most popular tourist destinations, a government official said Friday. Tourism Minister Martin Perez said 1,460 tourists were evacuated from Aguas Calientes, bringing the total rescued during the past three days to 4,005 -- 3,500 of them tourists. Thirteen helicopters in 268 flights took them to the city of Cusco, though one group of Colombians indicated they had not wanted to leave, he said. Days of heavy rain had triggered flash floods and landslides around Machu Picchu, the ruins of an Incan settlement in southern Peru's Andes Mountains. The floods closed roads, bridges and rail lines, stranding tourists from around the world in the small town closest to the ruins. They also killed at least seven people, including an Argentine tourist, according to news reports. The tourists became stranded after a landslide early in the week blocked a rail line to Cusco, the nearest major city, said Martin Perez, Peru's minister of foreign trade and tourism, according to the state-run Andina news agency. Peruvian authorities said they have given priority to children, the elderly and the ill, regardless of their nationality. Authorities estimated that 10,000 people were affected by the rain and 2,000 homes were ruined in and around Machu Picchu. The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency in two regions around Machu Picchu -- Cusco and Apurimac. The floods have damaged thousands of acres of crop land, washed out about a dozen bridges and damaged several highways. Don Jacinto, whose parents and grandparents lived in one affected area, said his relatives could not recall the rivers ever raging so strongly. Machu Picchu is an ancient city on a mountain in the Andes, standing 8,000 feet (2,430 meters) above sea level in a tropical mountain forest. Known as the "Lost City of the Incas," Machu Picchu attracts tens of thousands of international tourists every year. CNN's Maria Elena Belaunde in Cusco and journalist Claudia Cisneros in Lima contributed to this report. | [
"What triggered the flash floods and landslides?",
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"What happened to the tourists?"
] | [
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"Days of heavy rain"
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"Peru"
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"became stranded after a landslide"
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] | NEW: Last of tourists stranded by flooding are evacuated, a government official said Friday .
NEW: The total rescued during the past three days was 4,005, tourism minister says .
Days of heavy rain had triggered flash floods and landslides in southern Peru .
At least seven people killed in flooding, reports say . |
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- A terrorism suspect accused of plotting the bombing of a skyscraper made his first appearance in federal court Friday. Hosam Maher Husein Smadi said through his lawyer that he understood the charges Friday. Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, a 19-year-old Jordanian, said little during a 20-minute hearing at the Dallas federal courthouse. His lawyer, however, said Smadi understood the gravity of the charge. Judge Irma Ramirez set a probable cause hearing for October 5. Smadi initially drew authorities' scrutiny because of his violent posts on an extremist chat site, court papers indicate. He was arrested Thursday in a sting operation, the FBI said. Federal officials said Smadi, who entered the United States illegally and lived in Texas, tried to set off an explosive attached to a vehicle at the base of the 60-story Fountain Place office tower. Long before authorities arrested Smadi, however, they were following his Internet discussions, according to a court affidavit. "Smadi was discovered by the FBI within an online group of extremists," the affidavit says. "Among many others in the group who espoused and endorsed violence, Smadi stood out based on his vehement intention to actually conduct terror attacks in the United States." Undercover officers then contacted Smadi, posing as members of an al Qaeda sleeper cell. After months of conversations, the agents considered Smadi a legitimate threat. Smadi picked several targets to attack, including the Dallas-Forth Worth airport, before deciding on the skyscraper, which houses Wells Fargo Bank, the affidavit says. It details a conversation that Smadi is said to have had with authorities: "I have decided to change the target," he said, according to the affidavit. "God willing, the strike will be certain and strong. It will shake the currently weak economy in the state and the American nation, because this bank is one of the largest banks in the city." Smadi said many times that he wanted to commit violent jihad and he was a soldier of Osama bin Laden, the affidavit says. Undercover agents tried to get Smadi to "re-evaluate his interpretation of jihad," saying there were nonviolent ways to commit the act. But "Smadi again communicated his continuing commitment for violent jihad," the affidavit says. After casing the bank in July, Smadi told an undercover agent he would target it, according to authorities. Initially, Smadi told the agent he wanted to bomb the bank on September 11 but decided to wait until the Islamic holy month of Ramadan ended on September 20, authorities said. After receiving what he thought was an explosive from an undercover agent, Smadi drove a car with the fake bomb into a parking garage under the skyscraper, authorities said. Watch how a Jordanian was given fake explosive » Smadi thought he could detonate the bomb by dialing his cell phone, they said. When he dialed, the number rang a phone in authorities' possession, the affidavit says. Counterterrorism officials arrested Smadi on Thursday before publicly disclosing a similar but unrelated terrorism sting arrest Wednesday in Springfield, Illinois. A federal law enforcement official familiar with the cases said authorities feared that word of the Illinois arrest could tip off the Texas suspect to the sting operation. Watch what the recent terror arrests mean » A charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction carries a potential sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. In the Illinois case, undercover FBI agents foiled a plot to bomb Springfield's federal building, authorities said. In neither case did authorities find ties to known terrorist groups. Journalist Todd Bensman and CNN's Jeanne Meserve, Sean Callebs and Terry Frieden contributed to this report. | [
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"Hosam Maher Husein Smadi"
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] | NEW: Suspect initially wanted to stage attack on September 11, authorities say .
Affidavit: Teen accused in Texas bomb plot wrote violent posts on extremist Web site .
Hosam Maher Husein Smadi accused of plotting to bomb Dallas skyscraper .
Smadi told plans to undercover FBI agents, authorities say . |
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- Texas terrorism suspect Hosam Smadi recorded a seven-minute video message for al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden before his arrest on charges of plotting to blow up a Dallas building, an FBI agent testified Monday. Hosam Maher Husein Smadi said through his lawyer that he understood the charges Friday. No details of the message were provided in court. But FBI Special Agent Thomas Petrowski said the video was recorded in a hotel room with the assistance of undercover FBI operatives and Smadi intended for it to be delivered to or seen by bin Laden, the fugitive leader of the terrorist network behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. Smadi, a 19-year-old Jordanian living in the United States illegally, is charged with plotting to set off a bomb at the base of the 60-story Fountain Plaza office tower in downtown Dallas. He was arrested September 24 after federal agents said he tried to trigger an improvised bomb attached to a vehicle at the base of the building. At a brief hearing in Dallas on Monday, Magistrate Judge Irma Ramirez ordered Smadi bound over for future hearings. Peter Fleury, the public defender representing Smadi, told reporters that his client remains held under immigration law, with no bail set. Fleury called his client "a scared 19-year-old kid held away from his family," who could face additional charges from a grand jury. Prosecutors don't have to share the evidence against Smadi until after a grand jury acts, so lawyers don't know the full extent of the case against him, Fleury said. "We have got a lot of work to do," he said. "They have had the case since March. We just got the case. We're way behind them." Friends in the town of Italy, Texas, about 45 miles south of Dallas, said Smadi was outgoing and friendly -- but one told CNN last week that the teen started showing signs of depression about six months ago, around the same time the FBI started believing he was serious about carrying out a bomb plot. CNN's Tracy Sabo contributed to this report. | [
"What did the judge also order?",
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] | [
[
"ordered Smadi bound over for future hearings."
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"Hosam Smadi"
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"he was serious"
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] | FBI: Suspect recorded video in hotel; intended for Osama bin Laden to see it .
Hosam Smadi accused of plotting to bomb Dallas skyscraper .
Lawyer: Smadi "a scared 19-year-old kid held away from his family"
Judge also ordered Smadi bound over for future hearings . |
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- The minute you walk into Mustang Barbers you immediately smell the scent of aftershave lotion and your grandfather's cologne. Mustang Barbers in Dallas, Texas, is usually buzzing with hair-cutting activity. The sounds of hair clippers buzzing and hair dryers blowing fill this hardwood-floor barber shop. Mustang Barbers is an old-fashioned barber shop. Men come from all walks of life to get their haircuts from one of Mustang's 10 barbers. While some men wait their turn in the barber's chair, they get a shoeshine and read the morning newspaper. The old saying "the more things change, the more things stay the same" couldn't be more true at Mustang Barbers. The shop has been around this Dallas neighborhood for 40 years. Its owner, Phil McAllister, has been cutting hair for more than 35 years. He comes from a family of barbers. His father, A.E. McAllister, was a barber for 61 years and worked at Mustang Barbers into his 90s. Phil's son, Wes McAllister, 28, also works there. "Once my wife lets me retire," says Phil McAllister, "my son will take over the business." Barbering has been around for centuries, and this old profession doesn't seem be going away anytime soon. The barbers at Mustang Barbers really enjoy cutting hair and making small talk with their customers. Straight-razor shaves also are available. "My clients are my friends," say McAllister. Fathers bring their sons, and sons come with their grandfathers. This American career has been passed from generation to generation. "I've cut grandfather's hair, his son's hair and his grandson's hair," says barber Carolyn Wilson, who has been cutting hair for 17 years. "Some ladies want to just cut women's hair, but I just want to cut men's hair," says Wilson. "I just like to make them feel good about themselves." Watch the comings and goings at the shop » Todd Blalock, 36, has only been cutting for five years. "I'm gonna do this forever," he says. Blalock was a musician and a Mustang Barbers customer for years. Then he decided to change careers and become a barber. He is glad to see young people decide to become barbers. "There's opportunity for youth to revitalize barbering, to show it's strong and still here." Barbering is not for everyone. "You have to be thick-skinned," says McAllister. "There's lots of teasing." If want to know the latest talk of the town, a dirty joke or just the hottest sports opinion, this barber shop is the place to visit. "We pretty much rake [each other] over the coals all day long," says Blalock. Mustang Barbers has stayed in business by keeping it simple for 40 years. "The techniques are all the same," McAllister explains. "Once you know the basics, you go from there." In a fast-paced world of ever-changing technology, Blalock is glad that places like Mustang Barbers are still around. "Everything in the world changes so quickly, there's something about a place that has stayed the same," he says. Wilson agrees. "Barbering will never go away," she says. "It's been around forever and always will be." | [
"What shop has been passed down through the generations?",
"What advice did the barber have to give?",
"What shops has been passed down?",
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] | [
[
"Mustang Barbers"
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[
"\"Once you know the basics, you go from there.\""
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"Mustang Barbers"
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] | Hair clippers buzzing, hair dryers blowing at old-fashioned barber shop .
Shop has been passed down through the generations .
Mustang Barbers is place to go to hear latest joke, sports opinion .
"Once you know the basics, you go from there," barber says . |
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- A police officer was killed Friday morning in a motorcycle accident as Sen. Hillary Clinton's motorcade made its way through downtown Dallas, police said. The Dallas Police Department said Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada-Tirado was traveling southbound on the Houston Street viaduct when he struck a curb, lost control of the motorcycle and went down. Lozada-Tirado was transported to Methodist Central Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A Dallas police officer since December 1988, Lozada-Tirado was married with four children, according to police. CNN affiliate WFAA-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth reported he was 49. There were no other vehicles involved in the accident, police said, and the motorcade was able to continue to the site without further incident. Clinton said she called the Dallas police chief and would contact the officer's family at an appropriate time. The Democratic presidential candidate said she is "greatly heartsick over this loss of life in the line of duty." "I just want to express my deepest condolences to the family and to the Dallas Police Department on this tragic, tragic loss," she said. "I am certainly grateful for all they do for me and more importantly what they do for the citizens of cities like Dallas." Watch Clinton offer her condolences » Clinton is attending rallies Friday in Texas and Ohio ahead of those states' primaries on March 4. In the past 18 months, there have been two fatal accidents involving motorcycle officers escorting President Bush. On August 27, Germaine Casey, an officer from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, died when his motorcycle crashed as the motorcade approached the airport in Albuquerque. The 40-year-old had been the lead motorcycle in the motorcade when the crash occurred. On November 21, 2006, Steve Favela, a Honolulu police motorcycle officer, crashed on wet roads in Hawaii while part of the president's motorcade. Favela, 30, died of his injuries a week later. Two other officers were injured in the crash. E-mail to a friend CNN's Sasha Johnson and Mike Roselli contributed to this report. | [
"Who is heartsick over this loss?",
"Who is heartsick over the loss?",
"Who is Clinton greatly heartsick over?",
"Who died in motorcycle accident",
"Who died in a motorcycle accident?",
"Who has died in a motorcycle accident?",
"What was he part of?"
] | [
[
"The Democratic presidential candidate"
],
[
"The Democratic presidential candidate"
],
[
"this loss of life"
],
[
"Victor Lozada-Tirado"
],
[
"Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada-Tirado"
],
[
"Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada-Tirado"
],
[
"Clinton's motorcade"
]
] | NEW: Dallas police Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada-Tirado dies in motorcycle accident .
Officer was part of Sen. Hillary Clinton's motorcade in Dallas .
Clinton says she is "greatly heartsick over this loss" |
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- Arizona Sen. John McCain, whose White House aspirations went into a nose dive last summer, clinched the Republican Party's presidential nomination Tuesday night with a sweep of GOP contests in four states. "I am very, very grateful and pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a great sense of responsibility, that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States," McCain told supporters in Texas. CNN estimates that McCain has amassed 1,195 delegates to the GOP's September convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, four more than the 1,191 needed to claim the party's nomination. "Now, we begin the most important part of our campaign: to make a respectful, determined and convincing case to the American people that our campaign and my election as president, given the alternative presented by our friends in the other party, is in the best interest in the country that we love," McCain said. "The big battle's to come," he said. "I do not underestimate the significance nor the size of the challenge." Watch McCain address supporters after sweeping Tuesday's contests » McCain's last leading rival, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, bowed out of the race after his projected losses in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont and urged his supporters to back the Arizona senator in November. "It's now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been but now what must be, and that is a united party," Huckabee said. Watch as Huckabee ends his presidential bid » Claiming the title of presumptive nominee will give McCain a head start on the general election campaign while Democratic contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still locked in a battle for their party's title, said Alex Castellanos, a GOP strategist and CNN contributor. Allocate delegates yourself and see how the numbers add up » "Tomorrow, he can get started," Castellanos said. "He'll have the [Republican National Committee] behind him. He'll have a broad base of financial support. It's a big step. Meanwhile, it looks like the Democrats are engaged in the land war across Russia, so he's got a big advantage now." Both Clinton, the New York senator and former first lady, and Obama, the first-term senator from Illinois, called McCain on Tuesday night, campaign officials said. Obama told McCain he looks forward to running against him in the fall, campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said. McCain is slated to go to the White House on Wednesday to receive the endorsement of President Bush, according to two Republican sources. The Arizona senator's campaign -- his second run for the White House -- was largely written off last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party's conservative base, a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising. But the former Navy pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war rebounded with wins in January's primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina, the state where his first presidential bid foundered. "There were times, obviously, when my political campaign was not viewed as the most viable in America, as you probably know," he told reporters in San Antonio earlier Tuesday. "In fact, I was reminded of the words of Chairman Mao, who said it's always darkest before it's totally black." McCain's fortunes also rebounded as U.S. commanders in Iraq credited the 2007 launch of a campaign to pacify Baghdad and its surrounding provinces with a sharp decline in American and Iraqi casualties. The senator had been one of the most outspoken advocates of the shift and has blasted his potential Democratic rivals for calling for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from the widely unpopular war. "This is a man with a lot of trials in his life," said former Education Secretary William Bennett, a CNN contributor. "He's had a lot of downs; he's been up, and this is a big up." McCain | [
"What number of delegates did McCain amass?",
"Who had amassed 1,047 delegates before Tuesday?",
"Who withdraws from race for GOP nomination?",
"Who withdrew from the race for GOP nomination?",
"Whose campagin was largely written off last summer?",
"What does CNN project?",
"Who projects McCain wins Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont?",
"Who withdrew from the race?"
] | [
[
"1,195"
],
[
"McCain"
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[
"Mike Huckabee,"
],
[
"Mike Huckabee,"
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[
"Arizona Sen. John McCain,"
],
[
"projected losses in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island"
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"Mike Huckabee,"
]
] | CNN projects McCain wins Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont .
Huckabee withdraws from race for GOP nomination .
CNN: McCain had amassed 1,047 delegates before Tuesday .
McCain campaign was largely written off last summer . |
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- If you turn to the Bible -- Isaiah Chapter 35, Verse 8 -- you will see a passage that in part says, "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness."
Churchgoers in six states have held prayer sessions along the side of Interstate 35.
Now, is it possible that this "highway" mentioned in Chapter 35 is actually Interstate 35 that runs through six U.S. states, from southern Texas to northern Minnesota? Some Christians have faith that is indeed the case.
It was with that interesting belief in mind that we decided to head to Texas, the southernmost state in the I-35 corridor, to do a story about a prayer campaign called "Light the Highway."
Churchgoers in all six states recently finished 35 days of praying alongside Interstate 35, but the prayers are still continuing.
Some of the faithful believe that in order to fulfill the prophecy of I-35 being the "holy" highway, it needs some intensive prayer first. So we watched as about 25 fervent and enthusiastic Christians prayed on the the interstate's shoulder in Dallas.
They chanted loudly and vibrantly, making many people in the neighborhood wonder what was going on. They prayed that adult businesses along the corridor would "see the light" and perhaps close down.
They prayed for safety and freedom from crime for people who lived along the interstate. They prayed that all Americans would accept Jesus into their lives. Watch believers offer prayers »
The woman who came up with the concept of "Light the Highway" is a Texas minister named Cindy Jacobs.
She says she can't be sure Interstate 35 really is what is mentioned in the Bible but says she received a revelation to start this campaign after "once again reading Isaiah, Chapter 35."
Jacobs also points out that perhaps there is a link between the area near this highway and tragedies that have happened in history, such as the bridge collapse on I-35 in Minneapolis last August and the assassination of JFK 44 years ago near I-35 in Dallas. That's why prayer certainly can't hurt, she adds.
Now, it's only fair to say most people, the religious and the non-religious alike, don't buy any of this, but none more than the owners of some of the adult businesses along I-35.
At an adult go-go club, the owner tells us he resents people trying to impose their will on others. And he says his club holds fundraisers, food drives and toy drives to help the community.
But on the side of the road, the prayerful aren't going to change their minds. Holy highways and nude clubs, they believe, are not a combination God has in mind. E-mail to a friend | [
"What is the northernmost state I-35 runs through?",
"What is the connection that people see between the Bible and Interstate 35?",
"What connection do people see?",
"Where do the believers pray?",
"Where does I-35 run through?",
"Which highway runs to northern Minnesota from Texas?",
"Where do believer pray?",
"Where does I-35 run?",
"Where is I-35?",
"Which highway is connected to the Bible?",
"What do believers do by the highway?",
"What states does the highway run through?",
"Where do believers pray?",
"What do believers hope for when they pray at the side of the highway?",
"Which states does the highway run through?",
"Where does the I-35 run?",
"What do some people connect with the Bible?"
] | [
[
"Minnesota?"
],
[
"this \"highway\" mentioned in Chapter"
],
[
"\"highway\" mentioned in Chapter 35 is actually Interstate 35 that runs through six U.S. states, from southern Texas to northern Minnesota? Some Christians have faith that is indeed the case."
],
[
"Interstate 35."
],
[
"six U.S. states, from southern Texas to northern Minnesota?"
],
[
"Interstate 35"
],
[
"along the side of Interstate 35."
],
[
"through six U.S. states, from southern Texas to northern Minnesota?"
],
[
"Interstate 35 that runs through six U.S. states, from southern Texas to northern Minnesota?"
],
[
"of Holiness.\""
],
[
"offer prayers"
],
[
"from southern Texas to northern Minnesota?"
],
[
"the side of Interstate 35."
],
[
"prayed that adult businesses along the corridor would \"see the light\" and perhaps close down."
],
[
"from southern Texas to northern Minnesota?"
],
[
"six U.S. states, from southern Texas to northern Minnesota?"
],
[
"Interstate 35."
]
] | Some see connection between the Bible and Interstate 35 .
Believers pray by the side of the highway, which runs through six states .
I-35 runs from southern Texas to northern Minnesota . |
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- Police in Irving, Texas, captured a convicted burglar Wednesday who escaped from a medical facility last weekend by rappelling off the building using a string of bedsheets, a department spokeswoman said. Saturday night's escape was the third for Joshua Duane Barnes, 21, since June 2008. Joshua Duane Barnes, 21, escaped Saturday night from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Hospital at Galveston. It was Barnes' third escape from authorities since June 2008. Each time, he was caught in four days. He will face felony escape charges, spokeswoman Michelle Lyons said. According to the Criminal Justice Department's inspector general, about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, police received a call about a suspicious person in a park, Lyons said. The man ran as police approached him, and police chased him. The man, later identified as Barnes, barricaded himself in an abandoned residence before surrendering to police without incident about 10 a.m. Barnes was to be taken to one of the department's Huntsville-area prisons later in the day. When authorities realized Barnes was missing Saturday, they noticed a hole in the wall where a vent had been removed. Barnes also had broken through a thick window. Barnes was serving 35 years in prison for felony convictions including seven burglary charges, two escape charges and an aggravated assault charge in the Texas Panhandle area, according to a department statement. He began serving his sentence in January. He was housed at a prison in Midway, Texas, but authorities said he was taken to the medical facility in Galveston last week after being hurt in a fight. Barnes' two other escapes took place in Potter County in the Texas Panhandle while he was under the control of local authorities. On June 6, 2008, he fled the county courthouse shortly after being asked to take the stand during a probation violation hearing. The second escape was on October 4, 2008, when Barnes fled the county jail recreational yard after hopping onto the corner of a roof and peeling back layers of sheet metal and galvanized fencing. In both cases, he was found four days later, hiding out at motels. CNN's Ed Lavandera contributed to this report. | [
"where was the suspect spotted",
"When was the escapee moved to the Galveston medical facility?",
"Where did they find him?",
"Where did the escapee flee to?",
"where did the prisoner escape from",
"Where did the burglar escape from?"
] | [
[
"in a park,"
],
[
"later in the day."
],
[
"in an abandoned residence"
],
[
"abandoned residence"
],
[
"a medical facility"
],
[
"a medical facility"
]
] | Convicted burglar escaped from Galveston medical facility Saturday .
Wednesday morning, Irving police receive call about suspicious person in a park .
Police chase escapee, who flees to abandoned house, then surrenders .
Escapee was moved to Galveston medical facility last week after a fight . |
DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- The FBI has seized a two-page, handwritten letter of condolence sent by Jacqueline Kennedy to the widow of Robert F. Kennedy shortly after he was assassinated in 1968. The family contends the letter was stolen. Jacqueline Kennedy sent her sister-in-law a condolence letter in 1968 which is now in the hands of the FBI. "We're trying to determine who the legal owner is," said Mark White, a spokesman for the FBI. "There's still an ongoing investigation." The letter's path from the Virginia home of Robert Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy, to a locked evidence vault in the Dallas field office of the FBI is described in a six-page affidavit filed last month in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas by Special Agent John Skillestad. It says Max Kennedy, the son of Ethel and Robert, alerted the bureau in July 2006 to the letter's pending auction at Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers Galleries in Dallas. Max Kennedy, who said he is the sole person in charge of his parents' papers, "stated that he had not given authority to sell, give, or donate any papers of Ethel or Robert Kennedy to anyone," the affidavit says. After the gallery pulled the letter from its auction, the FBI traced its provenance to Thomas Nuckols, who told authorities he had found it among the papers left by his father, Russell Thomas Nuckols, a plumber who died in 1999. "Thomas Nuckols said he was dumbfounded upon discovery of the letter because he had never seen it before and did not know how it came into his father's possession," the affidavit says. Nuckols said he contacted the Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts, but "the person on the telephone did not seem too interested in the letter" and referred him to a Connecticut collector, who bought it for $6,000, the affidavit says. CNN has not been able to reach Nuckols. The letter was then resold to several other collectors, and was at one time valued at as much as $30,000 before it wound up with the Dallas auctioneer, who has cooperated with authorities, the FBI said. Last October, the FBI spoke with Ethel Kennedy, who said she remembers Russell Thomas Nuckols as a plumber who worked at the Kennedy house in Virginia during the 1960s and 1970s, the affidavit says. The 81-year-old widow of the former senator and attorney general said she "never gave the letter to anyone to keep and under no circumstances would anyone have the authority to transfer ownership of the letter to anyone." The affidavit concludes that the letter "is considered as a stolen good." Once the rightful owner is determined, it will be given to that person, FBI spokesman White said. "I don't know how long it will take." Jacqueline Kennedy was the widow of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. In the letter she mentions "Stas," an apparent reference to Stanislas Radziwill, her brother-in-law. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died in 1994. The letter is not dated, but appears to have been written shortly after Robert Kennedy died on June 6, 1968, the victim of an assassin's bullet. The Dallas News printed a copy of the letter, which White confirmed is authentic. It reads: My Ethel -- No one in the world could have ever been like you were yesterday -- except maybe Bobby -- We are going home now -- Your phone was busy You don't want any more callers you must be so tired -- I stayed up till 6:30 last night just thinking -- and praying for you -- and for you in the months ahead -- I love you so much -- You know that anything -- Stas will take little Bobby to Africa -- I'll take them around the world + to the moon + back -- anything to help you + them now and always -- With my deepest deepest love Jackie | [
"Who found the letter?",
"Who has the letters now?",
"what is the fbi trying to determine about jackie kennedy's letter",
"Where was the letter found?",
"What year was the letter written?",
"where did thomas nuckols find the letter",
"What was in the letter?"
] | [
[
"Thomas Nuckols,"
],
[
"FBI"
],
[
"who the legal owner is,\""
],
[
"Virginia home of Robert Kennedy's widow,"
],
[
"1968"
],
[
"among the papers left by his father, Russell"
],
[
"condolence sent by Jacqueline"
]
] | FBI trying to determine who owns letter written by Jackie Kennedy in 1968 .
Letter passed from collector to collector, but widow says she gave it to no one .
Letter found among papers of Russell Nuckols, who died in 1999, son says .
Son Thomas Nuckols told authorities he found it among the papers left by his father . |
DANVILLE, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- When Joseph Homicz's doctor found what could be dangerous blockages of the arteries, he ordered catheterization, a common procedure in which tubes are inserted into the body to check the blood flow. Dr. Peter Berger, far right, has a 40-item checklist covering steps before, during and after a procedure. But Homicz's treatment was not quite ordinary because he was sent to a cardiologist working at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania. Geisinger, which operates hospitals, community clinics and its own insurance company, is enacting what some consider radical ideas to improve patient care and lower costs. It's a system that President Obama has billed as one of the nation's "islands of excellence." Homicz's procedure was part of the Proven Care program, in which all of a patient's medical professionals work together to ensure no mistakes are made. It is everyone's job to make sure any errors are caught, and doctors are graded on the entire treatment a patient receives from the time of diagnosis through an operation to the care received weeks or even months later. "We want to make it harder to make a mistake," Dr. Peter Berger, Homicz's cardiologist, said after the procedure. Watch more on Geisinger's approach to health care » Berger has a 40-item checklist covering steps before, during and after the procedure, including checking whether the catheterization is really needed to ensuring he has the right patient on the table. Berger, who is also the system's director of clinical research, says patients and doctors both benefit from this type of medicine. "Every study that has been done has shown that doctors and health care systems aren't as good at administering all of the things a patient needs as we ought to be," Berger says. "There are so many watchful eyes on the patient. All members of the team have an assigned responsibility, and we are all making sure we all do our job. I absolutely think that the patients benefit from that kind of approach." Leading up to Homicz's catheterization and during the procedure, nurses and doctors checked off specific items and were encouraged to check in on what Berger was doing. Geisinger says this approach encourages teamwork, which leads to better results, less mistakes and increased profits. "We got a lot of buzz out of the fact that we re-engineered all our care from beginning to end," Dr. Glenn Steele, president and CEO of Geisinger said. He said company employees went out and studied how medical professionals around the country were conducting specific procedures and incorporated the best of what was found. Watch more of Steele's take » "When you're having heart surgery how tightly should you control the level of your blood sugar? Should you do that with a continuous drip of a medicine called insulin? What should your temperature be exactly when you come out of the operating room and go to recovery room? All of those things are thought or have been proven to be related to the probability of you having a perfect outcome, but none of those things has been formally engineered into a process until we did it," Steele said. Geisinger says its procedures and operations cost patients less than others. Some patients who have Geisinger insurance are able to pay a set price. In return, if within 90 days after a procedure they develop any related complications -- for example an infection, pneumonia, a bleed in the area -- they get free treatment. Geisinger estimates about a third of those using Proven Care are eligible for this guarantee. "We've found huge decreases in hospitalization and rehospitalization for those patients because they're better cared for," Steele says. The company also helps keep patients with chronic problems from getting worse by assigning case managers to consult and check in with patients as often as necessary. For example, James Connelly, a 78-year-old patient with a history of congestive heart failure, kidney disease and artery disease, was admitted to the hospital in May of last year after gaining 14 pounds. After doctors stabilized him | [
"Where Geisinger operate their business?",
"what did they re-engineer",
"What does the company say cost patients less?",
"what does the company say",
"what does Geisinger operate",
"What does the CEO say that the company has re-engineered?"
] | [
[
"Danville, Pennsylvania."
],
[
"all our care"
],
[
"procedures and operations"
],
[
"this approach encourages teamwork, which leads to better results, less mistakes and increased profits."
],
[
"hospitals, community clinics and its own insurance company,"
],
[
"all our care from beginning to end,\""
]
] | Geisinger operates hospitals, community clinics, its own insurance company .
Company says its procedures, operations cost patients less .
"We re-engineered all our care from beginning to end," CEO says . |
DAVENPORT, Iowa (CNN) -- Bob Konrardy carried the guilt with him for more than 40 years. A platoon commander in Vietnam, Konrardy was wounded when shrapnel tore through his body. Four comrades carried him to safety in a poncho for more than an hour while the firefight raged. Bob Konrardy says the fallen soldier monument outside his home honors soldiers killed in Iraq like Dave Behrle. "These four guys went back to help the platoon because they were still fighting, and all four of those guys got killed," Konrardy says. "I felt guilty for 40-something years." Two years ago, Konrardy got to thinking: He'd be a Santa of sorts for soldiers in Iraq as a way to help him deal with his conscience. He would collect autographed college and pro footballs, letters from local kids and other mementoes from home to help inspire the troops in Iraq. Then, he would have the goods delivered to his old platoon serving in Iraq, the First Cavalry Division. He initially thought he'd have the material shipped. But his plan changed when the military signed off for Konrardy to deliver the goods in person and work as an embedded journalist for a local paper. The 65-year-old grandpa was about to head to one of the world's most dangerous places. Watch "I could have been killed" » "I wanted to maybe bury some Vietnam demons and just make a difference with this platoon and maybe make up for what I didn't do with my old platoon," he says. "I thought it was going to go one way. It went the other. It made me worse." He adds, "I couldn't sleep before, but now it's worse. I hate to see it get dark. I get extremely nervous. I get uptight. I just don't like to see it get dark. And once it is dark, I'm on edge until it gets dawn." Konrardy's story is one of patriotism, heroism and torment -- a war veteran unable to escape what happened in 1965, when he was just 23. "Here's a guy who is a true American hero in his own right. He was wounded in action in the Iadrang Valley, and he comes into a combat zone 40 years later," says Maj. Chris Rogers, the operations officer of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, when Konrardy embedded with them. "In my opinion, he's a guy who has done it all -- bled for his own country -- and he's more interested in telling the story of today's generation of young heroes than trumpeting his own horn." Konrardy was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder shortly after he retired from John Deere in 2002, when he says his disorder really kicked in. He once sleep-drove to a Wal-Mart about 20 minutes from his home at 3 a.m. He doesn't recall how he got there or how he got home. He only remembers a guy mopping the floor asking if he could be helped. Other times, he'd patrol the neighborhood in the wee hours of the night with his loaded 9-mm pistol on his hip. His counselor with the Department of Veterans Affairs once asked what he would do if the police ever stopped him. "I said, 'I'll just shoot out his windows and escape and evade back to the house. I think it'd be fun.' She didn't like that answer," he says with a laugh. "So I'm lucky because that's probably what I would've tried to do." Konrardy checked himself into a VA facility in Des Moines, Iowa, to get help for his PTSD. He chuckles more when he recounts trying to escape from the place and police approached him. "I rolled down a hill and started running so they couldn't catch me. They said that was the wrong thing to do." Learn about PTSD and how to get help » He says he was then put in an isolation ward for 11 days and nights, and eventually | [
"What did the Army veteran do?",
"What sould the nation be ready for when troubled soldiers return from Iraq?",
"What was the army veteran trying to expunge by going to Iraq?",
"Who spent four days on patrol in March 2007 as a journalist?",
"How many days did Bob Konrardy spend on patrol in March 2007?",
"Where did the army veteran go?",
"What did Bob Kennedy do?"
] | [
[
"checked himself into a VA facility"
],
[
"post-traumatic stress disorder"
],
[
"guilt"
],
[
"Bob Konrardy"
],
[
"11"
],
[
"Iraq."
],
[
"He would collect autographed college and pro footballs, letters from local kids and other mementoes from home to help inspire the troops in Iraq."
]
] | Army veteran went to Iraq hoping to expunge "Vietnam demons"
Bob Konrardy spent four days on patrol in March 2007 as an embedded journalist .
"I couldn't sleep before, but now it's worse. I hate to see it get dark," he says .
Konrardy says nation must be ready for when troubled soldiers return from Iraq . |
DAVID, Panama (CNN) -- Dozens of families frightened by aftershocks slept outside overnight Wednesday after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook coastal Panama near the border with Costa Rica. The quake was centered about 235 miles (380 km) west of Panama City, near the town of David, according to the U.S. Geological Survey . The temblor occurred at 1:11 a.m. ET and residents reported feeling three aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but damage was reported in the cities of Paso Canoa, David and Puerto Armuelles. The extent of the damage was not immediately known. Many families opted to stay outside their homes, saying that they felt as if the earth were swallowing them and that trees and their houses were falling down. One resident, Carlos Estribi, said he picked up his children in his arms and ran to the public plaza in David, seeking protection since he felt like his house was collapsing. Family members told CNN that patients at the Regional Hospital of David went outside and refused to go back in because aftershocks were still being felt. Patients at the Materno Infantil Jose de Obaldia Hospital and the Regional Rafael Hernandez Hospital also fled their rooms. Cyclists from Costa Rica, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Germany, who were in David for a bicycle race, also had to leave their hotel rooms. Police and other security officials were inspecting schools, hospitals and private and public buildings for damage. Journalist Demetrio Abrego in David contributed to this report. | [
"What are the reports about casualties?",
"What was the reason for patients not wanting to go back to the hospital?",
"When did the earthquake strike?",
"When did the quake strike?",
"What are patients doing?",
"How many frightened patients fled the hospital?",
"Were there any immediate reports of casualties?",
"How far was the quake from Panama City when it struck at 1:11 am?"
] | [
[
"of"
],
[
"because aftershocks were still being felt."
],
[
"Wednesday"
],
[
"1:11 a.m. ET"
],
[
"went outside and refused to go back"
],
[
"Dozens"
],
[
"no"
],
[
"235 miles"
]
] | NEW: Frightened patients flee hospital and refuse to return as aftershocks rumble .
NEW: No immediate reports of casualties; damage reported but extent not yet known .
Quake struck at 1:11 a.m. ET about 235 miles (380 km) west of Panama City . |
DAVIS, California (CNN) -- If every scientist hopes to make at least one important discovery in her career, then University of California-Davis professor Pamela Ronald and her colleagues may have hit the jackpot. Scientists have bred a new strain of flood-tolerant rice that could help feed millions. Ronald's team works with rice, a grain most Americans take for granted, but which is a matter of life and death to much of the world. Thanks to their efforts to breed a new, hardier variety of rice, millions of people may not go hungry. About half the world's population eats rice as a staple. Two-thirds of the diet of subsistence farmers in India and Bangladesh is made up entirely of rice. If rice crops suffer, it can mean starvation for millions. "People [in the United States] think, well, if I don't have enough rice, I'll go to the store," said Ronald, a professor of plant pathology at UC-Davis. "That's not the situation in these villages. They're mostly subsistence farmers. They don't have cars." As sea levels rise and world weather patterns worsen, flooding has become a major cause of rice crop loss. Scientists estimate 4 million tons of rice are lost every year because of flooding. That's enough rice to feed 30 million people. Rice is grown in flooded fields, usually to kill weeds. But rice plants do not like it when they are submerged in water for long periods, Ronald said. "They don't get enough carbon dioxide, they don't get enough light and their entire metabolic processes are thrown off. The rice plant tries to grow out of the flood, but when it does, it depletes its sugar reserves. It starts to break down its chlorophyll, important for photosynthesis. It grows really quickly, and then when the flood recedes, it just dies. It's out of gas." Normal rice dies after three days of complete flooding. Researchers know of at least one rice variety that can tolerate flooding for longer periods, but conventional breeding failed to create a strain that was acceptable to farmers. So Ronald and her colleagues -- David Mackill, senior scientist at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and Julia Bailey-Serres, professor of genetics at the University of California-Riverside -- spent the last decade working to find a rice strain that could survive flooding for longer periods. Mackill identified a flood-resistant gene 13 years ago in a low-yielding traditional Indian rice variety. He passed along the information to Ronald, who isolated the gene, called Sub1, and introduced it into normal rice varieties, generating rice that could withstand being submerged in water for 17 days. The team relied on something called precision breeding, the ability to introduce very specific genes into plants without the associated baggage of other genes that might tag along in conventional breeding. "This can be a problem for farmers," Ronald said. "The varieties that were developed from conventional breeding were rejected by farmers because they didn't yield well or taste good." Using precision breeding, scientists introduced the Sub1 gene three years ago into test fields in Bangladesh and India. The subsequent rice harvests were a resounding success. "The results were really terrific," said Ronald. "The farmers found three- to five-fold increases in yield due to flood tolerance. They can plant the normal way. They can harvest the normal way and it tastes the same. Farmers had more food for their families and they also had additional rice they could sell to bring a little bit of money into the household." "The potential for impact is huge," agreed Mackill in a statement on the IRRI Web site. "In Bangladesh, for example, 20 percent of the rice land is flood prone and the country typically suffers several major floods each year. Submergence-tolerant varieties could make major inroads into Bangladesh's annual rice shortfall." The researchers anticipate that the flood-tolerant rice plants will be available to farmers in Bangladesh and India | [
"what have scientists developed",
"how many days can survive this new rice under complete fooding?",
"how long can the flood tolerent rice survive",
"What do scientists breed?",
"where was the rice tested",
"How much of the world's population eats rice?",
"what the scientists breed?",
"Where was the new rice field-tested?",
"where this rice was tested?"
] | [
[
"bred a new strain of flood-tolerant rice"
],
[
"17"
],
[
"could withstand being submerged in water for 17 days."
],
[
"new strain of flood-tolerant rice"
],
[
"Bangladesh and India."
],
[
"half"
],
[
"new strain of flood-tolerant rice"
],
[
"Bangladesh and India."
],
[
"Research Institute in the Philippines"
]
] | Scientists breed a new strain of flood-tolerant rice .
Normal rice dies after three days of complete flooding; this rice can survive 17 days .
New rice was successfully field-tested by farmers in India and Bangladesh .
About half of the world's population eats rice as a staple of its diet . |
DAVOS, Switzerland (CNN) -- The worldwide economic recession has exposed a "crisis of global governance" that can only be addressed by the radical reform of the United Nations, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday as the World Economic Forum got under way in Switzerland. Kofi Annan says the United Nations needs to be reformed. "The current architecture of managing global affairs is broken and needs to be fixed," Annan said on the opening morning of the five-day annual meeting of global political and business leaders. "We have major new players coming on the scene and they need to be integrated and given a voice." Referring to the U.N. Security Council, which gives permanent places and vetoing powers to the U.S., the UK, Russia, China and France, Annan said: "We cannot continue to run the world based on countries that won a war 60 years ago. It's either destructive competition or cooperation. We live in an interdependent world and the only way to move forward is to cooperate." Annan is one of six co-chairs at this year's WEF gathering, along with news tycoon Rupert Murdoch, HSBC Chairman Stephen Green, Werner Wenning of the German chemical group Bayer, Indian industrialist Anand G. Mahindra and Maria Ramos, Chief Executive of the South African transport group Transnet. He also urged delegates to address three interconnected challenges: the global recession, energy and security, and climate change. "It is important leaders work on ways of finding effective, far-reaching policies -- even if they are radical -- that will allow us to create sustainable economic growth and create jobs for those who are out of jobs," Annan said. Newscorp. CEO Murdoch said delegates needed to be "absolutely honest about where the world is at this point," warning that the consequences of $50 trillion being wiped off personal fortunes had left people feeling "depressed and traumatized." "We've been living in the Western world way above our means. We've been on a great binge and it's come to an end and we have to live though the correction," Murdoch said. But he said the downturn offered a chance to set about tackling issues of energy sufficiency and pollution. "We must treat this crisis, whether it lasts for a year or five years, as an opportunity to set goals for how we want to come out of it. This is a time to shape the policies to help to solve some of those problems." HSBC boss Green said the banking industry needed to admit that it had not "covered itself in glory" in contributing to the collapse of the financial industry and called for continuing government intervention to "stop a nasty recession spiraling down into something else." But he said the major banks could contribute to solving the crisis as well: "I do not believe for a moment that you can have a successful economy without successful and properly functioning international capital markets." Wenning said he didn't expect any solutions to emerge from this year's meeting, but hoped delegates could achieve "a joint understanding of the reasons for the financial crisis" and called for a return to "the basics of sustainable behavior." "If we are really able to address these mega-challenges of the future then we would be able to restore the trust in leadership -- and I believe the world needs leadership." Political leaders will join the discussions later Wednesday with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin both due to deliver agenda-setting addresses. | [
"Who called for reform of the UN in Davos?",
"Who is the HSBC boss?",
"Who is the boss of HSBC?",
"According to Annan, what has the economic recession exposed?",
"What was held in Davos?",
"Who is calling for reform?",
"What did Stephen Green admit?",
"What did Annan say the recession exposed?"
] | [
[
"former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan"
],
[
"Stephen Green,"
],
[
"Green"
],
[
"\"crisis of global governance\""
],
[
"World Economic Forum"
],
[
"Kofi Annan"
],
[
"that it had not \"covered itself in glory\" in contributing to the collapse of the financial industry"
],
[
"\"crisis of global governance\""
]
] | Kofi Annan calls for reform of U.N. at World Economic Forum in Davos .
Annan says economic recession has exposed a "crisis in global governance"
Rupert Murdoch: Western world has been living "way above our means"
HSBC boss Stephen Green admits banks "didn't cover themselves in glory" |
DECATUR, Georgia (CNN) -- One falling tree saved John Kiefer from another. Windstorms in Atlanta, Georgia, uprooted several trees, including this one that fell through John Kiefer's home. Kiefer was sitting on his sofa Monday morning while a brief but intense windstorm blew through the Atlanta, Georgia, area, including Decatur. He heard a tree crash in his backyard and got up to investigate. That tree knocked down a chain-link fence, and Kiefer was getting worried about several other large backyard trees that were swaying in the wind. "And as I'm watching those move and sway, this crashed down," he said. "This" was a 50-foot red oak in the front yard that fell onto his living room, splitting his house in half and coming to rest a few inches above where he had been sitting on the couch. "Yeah, it's a mess," he said as he surveyed the tangle of broken wood beams, plaster, bricks and gray insulation. Curiously, Kiefer's electricity was still on, and cable TV was still playing less then 10 feet away from the massive tree trunk in his living room. An ancient upright piano and various collectibles on it were unharmed. Kiefer had been away over the weekend, visiting a son in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his three dogs were still at the kennel where he boarded them. They'll be staying there a bit longer. Three years of drought in Georgia have weakened trees' root systems, and recent heavy rains loosened the soil around them, said Kiefer, who works at a plastics recycling company in nearby Stone Mountain. The windstorm brought down hundreds of trees in the area, including one that crushed a car, killing the person inside, and one that fell on a nursing home, where no one was hurt, CNN affiliate WGCL reported. Service was disrupted on Atlanta's MARTA rail transit system, according to WGCL. Power and traffic signals were out in many areas. Watch CNN report about dangerous storms » Despite having a tree lying across his living room, Kiefer seemed remarkably calm, but that was a new development. "Couple of hours ago my knees where shaking pretty good," he admitted. But, he said, God was looking out for him. "Actually, he saved my life," Kiefer said. "When I came outside to investigate that noise, that was my warning to get up off that couch. And then, not to go back in the house when it got real windy, but to stand right there where that tree stopped. There are no coincidences." | [
"What blows through Atlanta?",
"How many trees were brought down by the windstorm?",
"How many were hurt as a result of a tree falling on a nursing home?",
"What brought down hundreds of trees?",
"What did another tree fall on?",
"What city has been affected by intense windstorm?",
"Where was the windstorm?",
"What damage did it cause?"
] | [
[
"Windstorms"
],
[
"hundreds of"
],
[
"no one"
],
[
"Windstorms"
],
[
"his living room,"
],
[
"Atlanta,"
],
[
"Georgia,"
],
[
"splitting his house in half and"
]
] | Brief but intense windstorm blows through Atlanta, Georgia .
Winds brought down hundreds of trees, including one that killed person inside car .
Another tree fell on a nursing home; no one was hurt . |
DECATUR, Georgia (CNN) -- Police quietly wait by the front door of the small, brick suburban Atlanta home as investigators tell 48-year-old Lajuana Robinson, a mother of nine, "I'm going to have to put you in handcuffs." Investigators take a woman from her Decatur, Georgia, home after her arrest in a truancy case. She's charged with violating her parole in a truancy case because three of her younger children have missed hundreds of days of school combined. While students have always suffered the consequences of playing hooky, parents in DeKalb County, Georgia, are facing one of the more aggressive anti-truancy programs in the country, one where punishment can include time behind bars. DeKalb's program is one of a growing list targeting truancy in U.S. schools, said Jodi Heilbrunn, senior research and policy analyst at The National Center for School Engagement. "Ten years ago, there weren't too many anti-truancy programs, but now they are springing up like rabbits," Heilbrunn said, and "they come in many varieties." In some communities, a single school takes on its own problem. In others, like Jacksonville, Florida, and Niagara Falls, New York, the battle is system wide. And New Jersey is about to institute a statewide system, targeting six cities with the worst truancy problems. The DeKalb County program, started in May 2006, was designed to get children from the age of 6 to 16 back in class. If a child has 10 or more unexcused absences from school, parents are referred to an intervention program where they sign a contract agreeing to make sure their children get to class. If they fail to do that, they face the judge. According the county solicitor general's office, around 300 families have gone to court so far. Watch how a Georgia mother ends up in handcuffs » Most of the parents who are cited are charged with educational neglect, said DeKalb County Solicitor-General Robert James. Most of those charged plead guilty and get probation, he said. The probation usually involves parenting classes, counseling, and follow-up visits for progress and attendance reports. Parents who violate their probation run the risk of thousands of dollars in fines, and up to 30 days in jail per count. "We are putting parents in jail, or we are bringing them in orange jumpsuits not just because their children are not in school, but because they got a subpoena or summons to come to court, or to come to a diversionary program and they refused to do so. So this is more about accountability than anything," James said. James said it is critical in his county to keep kids in school. The Georgia Department of Corrections found that more than 60 percent of its inmates in 2007 didn't earn a high school diploma, and James quoted an internal survey that found 84 percent of inmates in DeKalb County's jail are high school dropouts. LaTara Tankersley-Jones and Craig Scott, investigators for the DeKalb County Solicitor-General's office, are tasked with locating "truant" parents and serving court-ordered summons. Jones and Scott, usually with assistance from local law enforcement, also must arrest parents who have not complied with a court-ordered probation or failed to show up to court in the first place. Scott said arrest is the least desirable option, but "the bottom line is, we have a warrant and even if the children are there, you're going to have to come with us." Robinson was no stranger to the investigators. The county had intervened on behalf of her children before, even providing Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas presents last year. The mother had been ordered to be sure her children went to school and to attend parenting classes herself. She had done neither, investigators said, earning herself a night in jail and a face-to-face with the judge the next day. Judge R. Joy Walker presides over the Educational Neglect courtroom. On a recent Friday in October, she handled each of the 80 or so cases before | [
"How many familes have gone to court?",
"How many families have gone to court in truancy cases?",
"What county is operating the aggressive program?",
"What county is determined to keep kids in school?"
] | [
[
"around 300"
],
[
"around 300"
],
[
"DeKalb"
],
[
"DeKalb"
]
] | Georgia county operates aggressive program to keep kids in school .
300 families have gone to court in truancy cases .
Fifteen "truant" parents have faced time behind bars . |
DELHI, India (CNN) -- India is on high alert after a series of near-simultaneous explosions killed at least 60 people and wounded 150 others in a top tourist spot, government and local officials told CNN-IBN. An injured man rests at Swai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur. Bicycles and rickshaws were strewn about the streets, with pools of blood nearby, in the northwestern city of Jaipur. Motorcycles, pieces of which were found at nearly every bomb site, appear to have been used in the attacks, said Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Indian government officials -- including Minister of State for Home Affairs Shriprakash Jaiswal -- were quick to label it a terrorist attack. The eight explosions started at about 7:30 p.m. (1400 GMT) and detonated within 12 minutes of each other, police said. The bombs exploded within about 500 meters (0.3 mile) of each other in Jaipur's old city, which is frequented by tourists. See the aftermath of the explosions. » An ninth bomb was defused, according to H.G. Raghavendra, a Jaipur city official. He described all the bombs as "medium intensity." "There is no reason to panic," he told CNN-IBN. "Everything is under control." One blast struck near Hanuman Temple, which was crowded with Hindus worshipping Hanuman, the religion's monkey god. Another struck near a market area inside Jaipur's walled city where tourists and locals frequent restaurants and shops. Jaipur, known as the "pink city," is about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southwest of India's capital, New Delhi. Many of the casualties were taken to SMS Hospital, the largest government hospital in Jaipur. People gathered outside the hospital to hear news about friends and relatives; the hospital issued an urgent appeal for blood donations. The state of Rajasthan, where Jaipur is located, was placed on alert, local officials said. Delhi police officials said they too were on high alert after the blasts and were receiving regular updates from Jaipur on developments in the investigation. The Deputy Chief Minister for the state of Maharashtra, R.R. Patil, said the entire state was also on high alert. Mumbai is in the state of Maharashtra. The attack was immediately condemned by the United States. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the attacks were "quite clearly an act intended to take innocent lives." He told reporters at his daily briefing that Washington was still collecting information, and could not "offer insight into who may be responsible." According to the U.S. State Department, India ranks among the countries where terrorism is most common. "The conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, attacks by extreme leftist Naxalites and Maoists in eastern and central India, assaults by ethno-linguistic nationalists in the northeastern states, and terrorist strikes nationwide by Islamic extremists took more than 2,300 lives this year," the agency said. It said India's counterterrorism efforts "are hampered by outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems," and described the country's court system as "slow, laborious, and prone to corruption." | [
"What did the state minister say?",
"What kills 60 people?",
"What was used in the attacks?",
"What was used in the attack?",
"Where did the explosions occur?",
"WHo was wounde after bombs exploded?",
"Who were wounded?",
"What killed at least 60 people?"
] | [
[
"was also on high alert."
],
[
"near-simultaneous explosions"
],
[
"bombs"
],
[
"Motorcycles,"
],
[
"Jaipur."
],
[
"150 others"
],
[
"150 others"
],
[
"explosions"
]
] | Eight quickfire explosions kill at least 60 people in northwest Indian city .
Bombs explode within 12 minutes of each other, 150 people also wounded .
Explosions within a small radius in Jaipur's old city, popular with tourists .
Motorcycles appear to have been used in the attacks, state minister says . |
DENDERMONDE, Belgium (CNN) -- Authorities have charged a 20-year-old man with murder and attempted murder in a stabbing rampage at a Belgian nursery school that left two children and a staff member dead and a dozen others wounded.
A family pays tribute Friday evening outside the nursery school in Dendermonde, Belgium.
The regional prosecutor's office identified the man, who has been in custody since Friday, as Kim D., and would not release his last name. They said he lives alone in Sinaai, a city about 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside of Dendermonde.
He has no police record and is unemployed, the office said.
Authorities allege the man, whose face was painted white with black rings around his eyes, entered the Fabeltjesland (Fable Land) nursery school midmorning Friday and began stabbing those inside.
He entered the building through a side door, typically only used by parents who are late in arriving to pick up their children from the school, authorities said. Once inside, he went through several rooms in the center.
The dead included the head of the nursery, a woman in her 60s who was well known in the town, residents said. The other victims were young; the nursery cared for children up to the age of three. Watch report on attack »
Authorities caught up with him about an hour-and-a-half later after the attack ended, the ministry said. At the time of his arrest, he had on him a knife, an ax and a fake pistol. He was wearing a bullet-proof vest, authorities said.
Two other knives were found at the nursery school, but it has not been confirmed whether they were used in the attack.
Kim D. has said nothing to authorities regarding the attack, the prosecutor's office said.
Authorities have searched his home, but they did not release any information from the search. Watch description of what happened »
The suspect, who is being held in jail, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning. The judge has assigned three doctors to monitor him, authorities said. Earlier, authorities said he was not registered with any psychiatric institution.
Dendermonde, about 16 miles northwest of Brussels, is a tight-knit community of about 40,000 people, residents said. Fabeltjesland lies off a park and is not easy to find from the road.
On Saturday, the nursery stood quiet and boarded up, with tributes of flowers, cuddly toys and cards left outside. | [
"Who died at the nursery?",
"Is the town near Brussels?",
"Where was this nursery located?",
"Who was killed?",
"What were the children's ages?",
"who killed the children and adults?",
"What were the tributes?",
"What was the suspect carrying?"
] | [
[
"two children and a staff member"
],
[
"16 miles northwest of"
],
[
"Dendermonde, Belgium."
],
[
"two children and a staff member"
],
[
"up to the"
],
[
"Kim D.,"
],
[
"flowers, cuddly toys"
],
[
"fake pistol."
]
] | Two children, one adult killed in attack at Belgian nursery school Friday .
Tributes including cards, cuddly toys, flowers left outside boarded-up nursery .
NEW: Authorities: Suspect was also carrying an ax, bulletproof vest, fake pistol .
Attack happened in town of Dendermonde, about 16 miles northwest of Brussels . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Early indications show no problems with the landing gear, tires or brakes on the Continental Airlines jet that veered off a runway at Denver International Airport in Colorado, despite earlier reports. The wreckage of the Continental Airlines plane sits in a ravine December 22 in Denver, Colorado. "There's no indication from the physical examination on the scene of brake problems at this time," said Robert Sumwalt, a National Transportation Safety Board member leading the investigation team. Saturday's accident injured more than three dozen people, including the captain who piloted the plane. Sumwalt said preliminary evidence indicated no problems with the Boeing 737's landing gear, tires or engines before the jet ran off the runway into a 40-foot-deep ravine during its take-off roll. Earlier Monday, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that early indications suggested that a problem with the landing gear, tire or brakes may have caused the accident. The source said the problem could have caused a wheel to lock up or some other situation that would have made the plane veer off as it headed down the runway. Watch what NTSB official has to say about flight recorders » "The brakes showed no leaks, no locked brakes," Sumwalt told reporters late Monday, adding that the brake pads "looked good." He said tire marks indicate that all four main landing gear were inflated. The weather was clear, and no obstacles were on the runway, he said. The accident injured 38 people, most from bruises and broken bones as frightened passengers tried to flee a fire that broke out on board Flight 1404. No fatalities were reported. Sumwalt said the captain, an 11-year veteran of Continental, was injured in the accident and "not physically able" to be interviewed yet. But an investigator interviewed the first officer, who told them that the initial take-off roll and taxi was normal. The the co-pilot "noticed a deviation from the center line of the runway and a sudden left turn," Sumwalt said. An off-duty crew that flew the aircraft into Denver before the Saturday flight to Houston was also on board. The first officer from that crew said there was "absolutely no problem with the aircraft" during the previous flight. Sumwalt said the cockpit voice recorder "shows nothing out of the ordinary" during the preflight operations. He said the recording revealed that 41 seconds after the brakes were released, there were sounds of bumping and rattling. Four seconds later, a crew member called for a rejected takeoff. Flight 1404 was taking off about 6:18 p.m. Sumwalt said the plane reached a maximum speed of 119 knots (137 mph) before going into the ravine. Passengers on Sunday described the chaos inside the plane after the plane came to rest. Watch survivor describe crash on blog » "Some people were trying to get luggage from the top, the engine was on fire so I was worried, you know, about getting out of there," said Gabriel Trejos. "And then we had another guy yelling, 'Oh the plane's gonna blow up! The plane's gonna explode!' " Another passenger, Jeb Tilly, described the experience as "incredibly violent." Watch first responders on the scene » Trejos, who was traveling with his wife and baby, told CNN he sensed something was wrong with the plane before it took off. "I heard something over the intercom before, you know, that they were having engine problems and shortly after that they said that everything's fine ... there's going to be an on-time flight." Continental spokeswoman Julie King, however, told CNN that she was unaware of any announcement of engine problems on board the flight. Sumwalt agreed, saying, "I don't have any information, no one has come to us that they knew of a problem" before the accident. | [
"What did the NTSB say?",
"What day did this happen?",
"Who hasn't been interviewed yet?",
"What city was this in?",
"Was anyone injured in the accident?",
"Where did the jet land?",
"What source suggested a problem?"
] | [
[
"\"The brakes showed no leaks, no locked brakes,\""
],
[
"December 22"
],
[
"the captain,"
],
[
"Denver, Colorado."
],
[
"38 people,"
],
[
"Denver International Airport"
],
[
"a"
]
] | NTSB says early evidence does not point to tires, brakes or landing gear .
Earlier report from CNN source suggested a potential problem .
Captain was injured in accident and hasn't been interviewed yet .
Jet veered off runway into a 40-foot-deep ravine during its takeoff in Denver Saturday . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner told the Democratic National Convention that the most important race facing the country is the "race for the future ... and it won't be won with a president who is stuck in the past." "This election ... is about the future vs. the past," former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner said Tuesday. "We need a president who understands the world today, the future we seek and the change we need. We need Barack Obama as the next president of the United States." Warner was delivering the keynote speech at the convention, the slot that Obama himself filled four years ago. He accused President Bush of a failure of leadership at a critical moment in the nation's history. "Folks always ask me, what's my biggest criticism of President Bush? I'm sure you all have your own. Here's mine: It's not just the policy differences. It's the fact that this president never tapped into our greatest resources: the character and resolve of the American people. He never really asked us to step up." John McCain, he said, offered only "a plan that would explode the deficit and leave that to our kids. No real strategy to invest in our infrastructure. And he would continue spending $10 billion a month in Iraq. I don't know about you, but that's just not right. That's four more years that we just can't afford." Watch Warner say McCain is "more of the same" » But much of his speech was devoted to the kind of bipartisan rhetoric Obama has espoused on the campaign trail. "I know we're at the Democratic Convention, but if an idea works, it really doesn't matter whether it's got a 'D' or an 'R' next to it. Because this election isn't about liberal vs. conservative. It's not about left vs. right. It's about the future vs. the past. "That's why we must elect Barack Obama as our next president," Warner said. "Because the race for the future will be won when old partisanship gives way to new ideas. When we put solutions over stalemates and when hope replaces fear." | [
"Who says America needs a leader who understands the future we seek?",
"What political party is Mark Warner associated with?",
"Bush never asked Americans to do what?",
"Much of Warner's address focused on what?",
"Warner says America need what?",
"Who, specifically, did Mark Warner criticize?",
"What type of rhetoric did Warner focus on?",
"Bush never asked what?",
"What did most of Warner's address focus about?",
"What kind of rhetoric did Mark Warner allude to frequently?",
"What did Bush never ask Americans to do?"
] | [
[
"former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner"
],
[
"Democratic"
],
[
"step up.\""
],
[
"bipartisan rhetoric Obama has espoused"
],
[
"a president who understands the world today, the future we seek and the change we"
],
[
"President Bush"
],
[
"bipartisan"
],
[
"us to step up.\""
],
[
"the kind of bipartisan rhetoric Obama has espoused on the campaign trail."
],
[
"bipartisan"
],
[
"step up.\""
]
] | Mark Warner says America needs leader who understands "the future we seek"
Bush never asked Americans to step up, Warner says .
Much of Warner's address focused on bipartisan rhetoric . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Investigators will interview crew members and review data and voice recorders to help determine what caused a passenger plane to veer off a Denver International Airport runway and catch fire, an official said Sunday. Injured passengers are taken to a hospital after Saturday's accident at Denver International Airport. All 115 people aboard the Continental Airlines jet escaped Saturday evening, and of the dozens who were taken to hospitals, five were still hospitalized Sunday afternoon, said Robert Sumwalt, a National Transportation Safety Board member leading the investigation team. No deaths were reported. Sumwalt said the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were recovered and appeared to be in good condition, though they were covered in soot from the fire. Both recorders were sent to Washington to be reviewed as early as Sunday night. "We are here for one reason and one reason only, to find out what happened so we can keep it from happening again," Sumwalt said. The flight was bound for Houston, Texas, and was taking off about 6:18 p.m. Saturday when it skidded into a ravine and caught fire. Thirty-eight people were taken to hospitals after the accident, airport officials said Sunday. Officials said one of the five people still hospitalized was in serious condition; no one was reported to be in critical condition. Bone fractures and bruises were the most common complaint, and there appeared to be no burn victims, fire officials said. Investigators will interview crew members, review crew training and evaluate several factors, including the weather at the time of the crash and structure of the plane, Sumwalt said. While officials were on the scene Sunday, evidence collection, documentation and measurements will start Monday. "We are just now beginning our investigation," Sumwalt said, adding that short, cold days will be a challenge for the investigators. At a news conference late Saturday, Patrick Hynes, chief of the airport division of the Denver Fire Department, said crews responding to the scene "had a difficult time narrowing down exactly where the airplane ended up," but found it north of a firehouse. When they arrived, firefighters found the Boeing 737 on fire in a ravine about 200 yards from the runway, with its wheels sheared off and fuel tanks leaking, Hynes said. "They [firefighters] described a surreal scene when they pulled up, heavy fire on the right side of the aircraft, all chutes deployed from both sides of the aircraft, people evacuating and walking up the hillside towards them," he said. Hynes said the entire right side of the jet was in flames and "a heck of a firefight" followed. Watch airport official describe scene of accident » "There was significant extension of fire into the cabin portion," he said. "There's significant fire damage inside with the luggage compartment described as melting and dropping down into the seats." Hynes said fuel from the aircraft leaked for several hours after the accident. Continental issued a statement saying it was collecting information about the accident. The 115 people on board included five crew members. The airport originally said 112 people were on board, but raised that to 115 on Sunday, saying officials had not counted some children who were not ticketed. Planes resumed takeoffs and landings at the airport after the incident, although Day said a section of the airport will remain closed into Sunday. She suggested passengers call ahead for Sunday departure times, because many flights may be delayed. Passenger Gabriel Trejos described a scene of panic as the plane skidded off the runway while trying to take off. "Some people were trying to get luggage from the top, [and] the engine was on fire, so I was worried about getting out of there," Trejos said Sunday. "And then we had another guy yelling, 'Oh, the plane's going to blow up! The plane's going to explode!' " CNN's Susan Roesgen contributed to this report. | [
"How many were hospitalized?",
"Was flight datat recovered from the crash?",
"Number of passengers hospitalized after accident?",
"Where did the jet veer off the runway?",
"What caught fire and skidded into a ravine?",
"How many passengers are still hospitalized?",
"What was recovered?",
"Who was hospitalized after jet incident?",
"How far did the jet skid?",
"What were recovered from the flight?",
"Airport that the accident occurred at?",
"What items were recovered?"
] | [
[
"five"
],
[
"data recorder and cockpit voice recorder"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"Denver International Airport"
],
[
"Continental Airlines jet"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder"
],
[
"Thirty-eight people were taken to hospitals"
],
[
"200 yards from the runway,"
],
[
"data recorder and cockpit voice recorder"
],
[
"Denver International"
],
[
"the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder"
]
] | Flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder recovered .
Five passengers still hospitalized after jet incident .
Continental jet veers off runway while attempting to take off from Denver airport .
Jet caught fire, skidded into ravine 200 yards from runway . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- On a historic night for America, Barack Obama secured the Democratic Party's nomination for president and emerged for the first time on stage in Denver with running mate Sen. Joe Biden. Obama on Wednesday officially became the first African American to lead a major party ticket. Delegates cried and cheered as former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton motioned to cut the roll call vote short, saying "Let's declare together with one voice right here, right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president." The dramatic move was carefully choreographed to put down any fears of a divided party following the protracted primary battle. Watch emotional crowd nominate Obama » The Democrats jumped to their feet as they made history with Obama as their leader. Outside the hall, Republican leaders also hailed the achievement. On Thursday, the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, in the culmination of the Democratic National Convention, Obama will address an estimated 70,000 people at Invesco field in Denver. Read more about the historic anniversary "This is something people like me have been waiting for for days, weeks. Years," said Howard Hemsley, an African-American delegate from New York. "He's going to the White House. He's going to be our next president." iReport.com: "Never thought I'd see this day" Former President Bill Clinton reflected on the significance of the moment in his address before the Democratic National Convention. Read more on Clinton's case for Obama "Now, Sen. Obama's life is a 21st-century incarnation of the old-fashioned American dream. His achievements are proof of our continuing progress toward the more perfect union of our founders' dreams," he said. "Barack Obama will lead us away from the division and fear of the last eight years back to unity and hope." Watch the sights and sounds of the convention events » President Clinton and Biden, two of the party's elder statesmen, lavished praise upon the newly crowned nominee and did their best to paint Republican rival Sen. John McCain as a candidate who would lead the country down a dangerous path. Clinton cast Obama as the safe pick, and the only one who could bring about change. He sought to put to rest the main criticism of Obama -- that he does not have the experience to lead. Watch Clinton wow the Democrats » Obama's perceived weakness compared to McCain on foreign policy and national security issues has been of concern to Democratic strategists, especially since Russia's conflict with Georgia intensified this month. According to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, 78 percent of registered voters said they believe McCain can handle the responsibilities of commander in chief, compared to 58 percent for Obama. "Clearly, the job of the next president is to rebuild the American dream and to restore American leadership in the world," President Clinton said Wednesday night. iReport.com: Share your reaction to the convention speeches "And here's what I have to say about that. Everything I learned in my eight years as president, and in the work I have done since in America and across the globe, has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job." The ex-president had been one of the most vocal critics of Obama during the protracted primary season. Republicans have used the Clintons' earlier criticism of Obama's experience in their attacks on the Democratic presidential nominee. Going into the convention, there were still a lot of questions about whether the Clintons were ready to embrace Obama following the bruising primary battle. Clinton seemed to change that narrative as he declared his support for Obama. David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst who worked in the Clinton administration, said the speech was "the most effective and the most important speech Bill Clinton has delivered since he left the White House." View an analysis of day 3 » Continuing criticism leveled by Clinton and other speakers this week, Biden took to the stage and delivered an assault on Republican | [
"What is historic about Obama's party ticket?",
"What did former president Bill Clinton say about Obama?",
"Who became the first African American to lead a major party ticket?",
"What delegates cry,and cheer during historic night?"
] | [
[
"the first African American to lead a major"
],
[
"is the man for this job.\""
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"African-American"
]
] | Barack Obama becomes first African American to lead major party ticket .
Delegates cry, cheer during historic night .
Former President Bill Clinton says Obama is ready to lead .
VP nominee Joe Biden slams Republican John McCain, his long-time friend . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- A former hospital employee may have exposed hundreds, or even thousands, of surgical patients to hepatitis C after taking their fentanyl injections and replacing them with used syringes filled with saline solution, authorities say. A hospital worker has admitted to secretly injecting herself and using unclean syringes for patients. Kristen Diane Parker, who worked at Rose Medical Center in Denver, has admitted to secretly injecting herself in a bathroom and using unclean syringes as replacements for patients, investigators said. She had hepatitis C, which she believes she contracted through using heroin and sharing dirty needles while she lived in New Jersey in 2008, authorities said. She was a surgical technician at Rose from October 2008 to April 2009. Nine patients who had surgery there during that time have tested positive for hepatitis C. Investigators are looking into whether they contracted the virus from Parker. According to an affidavit filed by an investigator with the Food and Drug Administration, Rose Medical Center knew Parker tested positive for hepatitis C. She was counseled on how to limit her exposure to patients. Parker quit after she was found to be in an operating room where she was not allowed to be. She subsequently tested positive for fentanyl. Hospital officials then contacted the DEA. Parker is in federal custody facing three drug-related charges. If she is found to have done serious harm to a patient, she could face up to 20 years in prison. If a patient dies because of her actions, she could face life in prison. In a statement to police, Parker said, "I can't take back what I did, but I will have to live with it for the rest of my life, and so does everyone else." Her attorney could not be reached Friday. Rose Medical Center is contacting 4,700 patients who had surgery at Rose during the time Parker was employed there. However, hospital officials do not believe that many patients were exposed. "We are taking a very conservative and cautious approach by contacting everyone who had surgery during this broad time period," a statement on the hospital's Web site said, adding, "It is likely that most of the patients who receive letters will not have been exposed to hepatitis C." An additional 1,200 patients may have been infected between May 4, 2009, and July 1, 2009, when Parker worked at Audubon Ambulatory Surgical Center in Colorado Springs. Audubon is also contacting patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control, hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. | [
"From what does Parker believe she contracted hepatitis C?",
"what was her profession",
"what does kristen believe",
"What was Kristen Diane Parker's occupation from Oct. 2008-Apr. 2009?",
"what type of disease is it",
"¿Why the needles were contaminated?",
"What is hepatitis C?"
] | [
[
"through using heroin and sharing dirty needles"
],
[
"hospital employee"
],
[
"She had hepatitis C, which she"
],
[
"surgical technician"
],
[
"hepatitis C"
],
[
"surgical patients to hepatitis C after taking their fentanyl injections and replacing them with used syringes filled with saline solution,"
],
[
"contagious liver disease"
]
] | Kristen Diane Parker believes she contracted hepatitis C from sharing dirty needles .
She was a surgical technician in Denver from October 2008 to April 2009 .
Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Investigators in Colorado say they have broken up a massive methamphetamine ring in the Denver area that distributed pounds of the dangerous drug every week and laundered the profits using collectible comic books. Aaron Castro and his brother were the leaders of the methamphetamine ring, authorities say. "To launder the money you have to use something that is quick and convenient," Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said at a news conference Monday. "And in this case, they used classic comic books." While arresting the alleged ringleaders, brothers Aaron and Alfonzo Castro, law enforcement officers seized about 100 boxes of first-edition collectible comic books. Investigators say one title alone is worth $3,500 and the total collection of comics is worth half a million dollars. "It appeared they were working on a startup company for high-end comic books," said Don Quick, the district attorney in Adams County near Denver. Quick said the seized comic books included some first-edition Superman and Batman titles. The fragile, vintage comics were stored in plastic bags for protection. According to a grand jury indictment released Monday, the Castro brothers arranged for weekly, multiple-pound shipments of the meth from Phoenix, Arizona. The brothers then distributed the drugs to a network of runners that made deliveries to dealers around the Denver area. Suthers says Castro brothers sometimes used females "as drug mules by having them hide methamphetamine inside their vaginal cavities." These women would then deliver the meth to a series of houses, and then lower-level dealers would distribute the drug. "It's a tawdry piece of information, but it's a big part of what this group was doing," he said. These same runners also collected money from dealers and delivered it to the Castro brothers. Suthers said the drugs most likely were manufactured in Mexico, and each month's shipments had a street value of about $2 million. The indictment details 145 drug possession and distribution charges from October 2008 to earlier this month. The Castros and 39 other people are listed as defendants. The Castro brothers and their top runners are also charged with racketeering. Of the 41 defendants, 40 are in custody. The Castros are being held in the Adams County jail on $1 million bail each. It is unclear if they have attorneys. | [
"What value of comics was seized?",
"What was used to launder money?",
"Where was drug thought to be manufactured?",
"What drug was distributed?",
"Where was the drug manufactured?"
] | [
[
"worth half a million dollars."
],
[
"laundered the profits using collectible comic books."
],
[
"in Mexico,"
],
[
"methamphetamine"
],
[
"in Mexico,"
]
] | Colorado authorities say ring distributed pounds of meth each week .
Drug was believed to have been manufactured in Mexico .
Collectible comic books were used to launder money, officials say .
Authorities seize comic books with value of half a million dollars . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- It was classic Clinton. It was Sen. Hillary Clinton's big night but before her speech even began, former President Bill Clinton reached out in his box and firmly embraced a young African-American man. Clinton gripped the young man tightly; to millions watching on television, it was clear he could feel Mervyn Jones Jr.'s pain. As he sat down for his wife's headlining address, Bill Clinton's silent embrace of the 25-year-old son of recently deceased Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones resonated loudly. Rep. Tubbs Jones, of course, was a solid and loyal Clinton supporter, standing by the Clintons even when many other black leaders were shifting their support to Barack Obama. Then, in her speech, Sen. Clinton herself took a moment to mention Tubbs Jones and her son. "Steadfast in her beliefs, a fighter of uncommon grace, she was an inspiration to me and to us all," Clinton said. "Our heart goes out to Stephanie's son, Mervyn Jr." The public moment of recognition was the result of years of friendship. " I remember the first time President Clinton ran for office [in 1992]," Jones Jr. told CNN. "He came to Cleveland. I must have been 8 years old. "My mother got the chance to meet him. ... They have been best of friends ever since," he said. And, perhaps, it was also a reminder that if you stand by the Clintons, the Clintons will stand by you. Tubbs Jones endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in April 2007 but with Sen. Barack Obama's success during the primaries, many African-American superdelegates came under pressure to back Obama instead. Tubbs Jones, however, held steadfast even as others in her position switched their allegiance. "I'm going to be with her until she says, 'Stephanie, I'm no longer in this fight. You're free to do something else,'" Tubbs Jones told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in March. "In politics, all you have is your word," she added. She passed that same sense of commitment on to her son. "If you give somebody your word, you're going to go ahead and do it," Jones Jr. said the day after Hillary Clinton's address to the Democratic National Convention. "Otherwise, it's not worth anything." "The same goes in politics," he added. "If you don't have your word, you don't really have anything to stand on in politics. So, that's one thing I did learn [from my mother] at a very early age." When Sen. Clinton asked Jones Jr. to sit with her husband during what was perhaps her most important speech to date, he agreed. "She always said that if you don't stick by somebody in the bad times, you never know how good the good times are going to be," Jones Jr. said, explaining his mother's view of loyalty. Tubbs Jones, 58, died suddenly a week ago of a brain aneurysm. She was in her fifth term in the House of Representatives and was the first African-American woman to represent Ohio in the House. What would Tubbs Jones have thought of Sen. Clinton's call Tuesday for Democrats to unify behind Obama? "She would've been standing up, hooting and hollering saying, 'Wow. That's exactly what we needed. Way to be a team player,'" Jones Jr. said. In what some political analysts were calling the first speech of her second campaign for president, Hillary Clinton did her part on stage. And, in the box, her husband held on tightly to the son of an old friend and sent a message of his own that may resonate as an important moment in the long-term resurrection of the Clinton brand in American politics. | [
"What resonated loudly regarding Bill Clinton?",
"What was the result of years of friendship?",
"What state did Stephanie Tubbs Jones represent?",
"Who died from a brain aneurysm?",
"How old was Stephanie Tubbs Jones at the time of her death?",
"What did Tubbs Jones die from?",
"What did Tubbs die of?",
"What caused the public moment of recognition?",
"Who did Bill Clinton embrace?",
"Which President or ex-President was mentioned?",
"Age of Tubbs Jones when she died?"
] | [
[
"silent embrace of the 25-year-old son of recently deceased Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones"
],
[
"embrace of the 25-year-old son of recently deceased Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones"
],
[
"Ohio"
],
[
"Tubbs Jones"
],
[
"58,"
],
[
"brain aneurysm."
],
[
"brain aneurysm."
],
[
"years of friendship."
],
[
"Mervyn Jones Jr.'s"
],
[
"Bill Clinton"
],
[
"58,"
]
] | Bill Clinton's silent embrace of Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones' son resonated loudly .
Tubbs Jones, 58, died suddenly a week ago of a brain aneurysm .
The public moment of recognition was the result of years of friendship . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- On a good day, Keri Christensen spends the day watching her children. She prepares their meals, gets them ready for school and helps them with their homework. Keri Christensen was nearly a victim of a roadside bombing in Iraq when the convoy in front of hers was hit. But this housewife and mother of two is far different than most of the women living in her Denver, Colorado, suburb. She's an Iraqi war veteran, among the first women in the United States to be classified as combat veterans. Even though she's been home from the war for more than 2½ years, she's now fighting another battle -- this one with depression, nightmares, sleeplessness and anger. She says all of it is caused by her time in Iraq. "I start feeling those feelings of 'I'm not worthy. I can't raise my family,' " Christensen said. Women have made up about 11 percent of the military force in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past six years, according to the Department of Defense; that's an estimated 180,000 women in the war zone. The figure dwarfs the 41,000 women deployed during the Persian Gulf War and the 7,500 who served during the Vietnam War, mostly as nurses. Unlike past wars, women are assigned to combat support roles. Many are seeing violence firsthand in an unconventional war. Watch CNN's Randi Kaye report on female veterans » As a member of the National Guard, Christensen transported tanks in Iraq. She says she was shot at and was nearly a victim of a roadside bomb when a convoy in front of hers was hit. "You have this fear, 'Oh, my God, I still have to go through there,' " she recalled. " 'Am I going to make it?' " Christensen says that she was sexually harassed by a superior while serving in Iraq and that the harassment added to the pressure created by just being in a war zone. "I just know it took a big toll on me because I was trying to deal with it myself. Just trying to be a soldier," Christensen said. In 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs found that women are reporting signs of mental health issues when they return home at a higher rate than their male counterparts. The VA diagnosed 60,000 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Of those, 22 percent of women suffered from "military sexual trauma," which includes sexual harassment or assault, compared with 1 percent of men. Christensen, who has been diagnosed with PTSD, says she doesn't like leaving her comfort zone. She doesn't drive more than two miles from her home. "When I get outside my familiar safe territory, I start to feel overwhelmed," Christensen said. "It gets foggy. Not sure where I'm really going. Something comes over me where I don't feel like I have control over it." "PTSD is actually something that shows up over time, and so the natural recovery process doesn't happen," said Dr. Darrah Westrup, who counsels female veterans at the VA-run Women's Health Clinic in Menlo Park, California. "So three months out or so, you find yourself still not sleeping, still with nightmares, still having intrusive thoughts," Westrup said. Westrup says another factor contributing to poor mental health is the high amount of sexual trauma reported by women screened by the Veterans Administration. She says many women have trouble reporting the trauma to their superiors out of fear of retribution. "When you are in a war zone, your survival depends on people watching your back and on unit cohesion," Westrup said. "The same individuals who attacked you are those who will be protecting you, or you'll be fighting alongside the next day." Christensen receives counseling and group therapy sponsored by the VA. However, the military has said there is no merit to her claims that she suffered military sexual trauma. Like many who suffer from post-traumatic stress, Christensen still has | [
"is sexual harassment report been done by women?",
"whats the percentage of women comprised?",
"which diese was diagnosed by the dept of veterans?",
"What did the Dept. of Veterans Affairs diagnose?",
"What were 60,000 veterans diagnosed with?",
"What percentage of the military force have women comprised?",
"What are women afraid of?",
"What were 60000 diagnosed with?",
"What are women afraid of, according to the expert?"
] | [
[
"22 percent of"
],
[
"11 percent"
],
[
"post-traumatic stress disorder."
],
[
"post-traumatic stress disorder."
],
[
"post-traumatic stress disorder."
],
[
"11"
],
[
"\"PTSD"
],
[
"post-traumatic stress disorder."
],
[
"retribution."
]
] | Dept. of Veterans Affairs diagnosed 60,000 veterans with PTSD .
Women have comprised 11 percent of military force in Iraq and Afghanistan .
VA: 22 percent of women, 1 percent of men suffered sexual trauma in military .
Expert says women afraid to report sexual harassment for fear of retribution . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance of the Democratic Party's presidential nomination may be historic in many ways. One of them is the size of the audience at Invesco Field. More than 75,000 people packed into the football stadium in Denver, Colorado, to hear Obama's historic speech as the first African-American Democratic presidential nominee. The enormity of the crowd was borne out by the gridlock that greeted them as they left the stadium. Attendees shuffled along like herds of cattle, moving inches at a time, as they attempted to leave the grounds. But those in attendance said the size of the audience contributed to the event's electric atmosphere.iReport.com: Watch wave break out at Invesco "What his whole campaign is about is bringing people together," said iReporter William Gilbane III. "The mix of people -- young, old, gay, straight, white, black -- everything you could imagine was represented in the crowd and it was just really, really exciting." Watch Gilbane describe the scene inside the stadium » Local authorities worked with the Secret Service to get as many people into the stadium as possible. Obama said he chose to speak Thursday at Invesco Field, which seats 76,000 people, to make sure "everybody who wants to can come." Some attendees stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the stadium floor for hours, mingling among the likes of celebrities such as Spike Lee, Farrah Fawcett, Susan Sarandon and Oprah Winfrey. iReporter Zennie Abraham said he talked politics with actor Matthew Modine and former San Francisco, California, Mayor Willie Brown. Watch Abraham talk about mingling with celebrities » A few ticket-holders and would-be attendees arrived at Invesco Field by 9 a.m. ET. By noon, the line for the entrance included roughly 1,000 people, according to media reports. The parking situation near Invesco filled up, even with garages charging $50 to $60 for Thursday night. iReport.com: Check out the sights and sounds By midday, thousands stood in the warm temperatures to wait in lines that were nearly six miles long, according to local police. The lines snaked around ramps and onto the Auraria Boulevard overpass, which leads to Invesco Field. Watch thousands walk toward the stadium » A group of transportation volunteers in orange T-shirts with the convention logo walked toward the front of the line. They called out, "What time is it?" People responded, "Obama time!" Les Spencer and Tony Viessman, lifelong Democrats who call themselves "Rednecks for Obama," went through the crowds, talking about their support for the Illinois senator. "Don't be afraid to vote for Obama!" Les said. Their motto, according to Les and Tony, is "workin' for the man who'll do more for the workin' man." Obama's speech fell on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Two of King's children, the Rev. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III, participated in a tribute to their father at the convention. The crowd also heard from former vice president Al Gore, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and party chairman Howard Dean. CNN Laura Bernardini, Ed Hornick, Julia Leja, Justine Redman and Martina Stewart contributed to this report. | [
"The number of miles the lines were to enter the stadium?",
"How many people attended Obama's acceptance speech?",
"How many people attended the speech?",
"Number of people who attended the stadium?",
"Which field was it?",
"How long were the lines to enter stadium?",
"How many attended his acceptance speech?",
"Attendees encountered what?",
"How long were the lines?",
"What Field encountered gridlock?",
"Where was the speech located?"
] | [
[
"nearly six"
],
[
"More than 75,000"
],
[
"75,000"
],
[
"75,000"
],
[
"Invesco"
],
[
"nearly six miles"
],
[
"More than 75,000"
],
[
"gridlock"
],
[
"nearly six miles"
],
[
"Invesco"
],
[
"Denver, Colorado,"
]
] | NEW: Attendees encounter gridlock as they leave Invesco Field .
Lines to enter stadium were up to six miles long, police estimate .
About 75,000 people attended Sen. Obama's acceptance speech . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton introduced herself as a "proud supporter of Barack Obama" at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday as she called on her party to rally behind her former rival. Sen. Hillary Clinton, with daughter Chelsea, receives a standing ovation from the Democratic delegates. "Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines. This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win together," she said. Leading up to her address, there was a lot of speculation about what she would say and whether she would make a strong enough call for unity. But she made a very strident case for Obama's candidacy. "No way. No how. No McCain. Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president," Clinton said. Her speech, which was the last of the night, followed a line up of other Democrats who used their time at the podium to attack President Bush's record and McCain's policies. Appearing strong and energized, Clinton thanked her voters for supporting her historic campaign as a female candidate and reached out to those wary of Obama by telling them they weren't in this for her, but for her cause. That cause, she said, is the same thing that Obama and the rest of the Democratic Party are fighting for. Watch Clinton's entire speech » Many analysts said the speech would end speculation that Clinton has not fully embraced Obama as her party's candidate. Clinton mentioned Obama by name more than twice as many times as she mentioned the party as a whole. Analysts weigh in on the night's speakers » "I thought she was a class act," said political analyst David Gergen, who worked in the Clinton administration. "I think it could well be said that nothing has so become her campaign as the way she has ended it here tonight." Clinton also praised Obama's newly tapped vice presidential candidate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. The former first lady called Biden "pragmatic, tough and wise." Watch Clinton talk about the Obama-Biden team » Clinton was met with a standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience. Only a few pockets of the standing-room only convention center weren't on their feet cheering for her. Observers said she had the biggest reception of the evening. As soon as the speech ended, the McCain campaign issued a statement implying that Clinton did nothing to dispel her previous criticism of Obama. "Sen. Clinton ran her presidential campaign making clear that Barack Obama is not prepared to lead as commander-in-chief. Nowhere tonight did she alter that assessment," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said. "Nowhere tonight did she say that Barack Obama is ready to lead. Millions of Hillary Clinton supporters and millions of Americans remain concerned about whether Barack Obama is ready to be president." The McCain campaign has stepped up its effort to woo disaffected Clinton supporters, running ads highlighting Clinton's criticism of Obama during the primaries. Obama called Clinton after the speech and thanked her for her support and said she could not have done a better job. Earlier, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner appealed across party lines in his keynote address. Obama has been campaigning hard to win Virginia, which hasn't voted for a Democratic president since President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Watch Warner make his case for Obama » According to CNN's electoral map, the state is a toss-up going into the general election. In order for Obama to take the state's 13 electoral votes, he would need to win over some of Virginia's independent and Republican voters. Instead of tearing into the current administration, Warner talked about ideas -- highlighting science and technology. "I know we're at the Democratic convention, but if an idea works, it really doesn't matter if it has an 'R' or | [
"Barack Obama calls who?",
"What state was Mark Warner associated with?",
"Who did Barack Obama specifically thank?",
"What did Hilary Clinton say?",
"What did Barack Obama do?",
"Who is Mark Warner?",
"Hillary Clinton says it's time for who to unite?",
"What did Obama call Clinton for?"
] | [
[
"Clinton"
],
[
"Virginia"
],
[
"Clinton"
],
[
"\"proud supporter of Barack Obama\""
],
[
"called Clinton after the speech and thanked her for her support and said she could not have done a better job."
],
[
"former Virginia Gov."
],
[
"as a single party with a single purpose."
],
[
"thanked her"
]
] | NEW: Hillary Clinton: The time is now for Democrats to unite .
NEW: Barack Obama calls Clinton and thanks her for her support .
Speakers at Democratic convention tie McCain to Bush policies .
Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner appeals across party lines in keynote address . |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Serving time for lesser crimes, Scott Kimball is leading investigators to bodies. Scott Kimball is currently serving a 48-year sentence on theft and habitual criminal convictions. Partly mummified bones thought to be those of his uncle, Terry Kimball, were discovered Monday in a remote Rocky Mountain pass near Vail, Colorado. DNA tests are pending to confirm the victim's identity, and the cause of death is pending a forensic examination, authorities said. Terry Kimball is one of several suspected homicide victims associated with Scott Kimball since his jailing in 2008. He is serving a 48-year sentence in state prison in Fairplay, Colorado, on theft and habitual criminal convictions. Kimball will also serve a 70-month federal sentence on firearms charges after the state sentence. The firearms charges led to Kimball's 18th conviction. However, Kimball probably will not be charged in any of the deaths. Sources with knowledge of the cases said Kimball's December 2008 plea to theft and habitual criminal charges, and the 48-year sentence, was part of a deal that included revealing the locations of the bodies. Authorities wanted to give victims' families resolution. Without his cooperation, authorities doubt they have enough evidence to convict him. Earlier this year, Kimball revealed where the remains thought to be his uncle's were, according to law enforcement sources close to the case. However, the search was delayed until snow had melted. The FBI would not confirm that Kimball, 42, identified the site. However, FBI spokeswoman Kathleen Wright said, "we went to (a) specific location for a specific reason. It wasn't random." Terry Kimball, 60 at the time, was last seen with Scott Kimball in September 2004, according to a 2007 federal search warrant affidavit. Scott Kimball told his wife that his uncle had won the lottery and left for Mexico with a stripper, the affidavit said, but FBI investigators think Kimball killed his uncle and dumped his body in Vail Pass, more than 100 miles from the home they shared in a Denver suburb. In March, Kimball accompanied FBI investigators to southeastern Utah to search for the body of Leann Emry, who was 24 when she vanished after departing on a camping trip in 2003. FBI agents found Emry's remains shortly after Kimball returned to jail. Kaysi McLeod was 19 when she disappeared in 2003. McLeod, the daughter of Kimball's ex-wife, was last seen getting a ride to work from Kimball, according to the 2007 affidavit. In fall 2007, a hunter found her remains in northwest Colorado. Kimball is also suspected in the disappearance of exotic dancer Jennifer Marcum, who disappeared in 2003, according to the affidavit. Sources close to the investigation say they think Kimball killed Marcum and buried her body near Rifle, Colorado. Authorities have not found her remains. "We are continuing to look for Jennifer, and we will leave no stone unturned," Wright said. Kimball drew the FBI's attention in 2002 while jailed for writing bad checks. Kimball offered authorities information about his cellmate, Steven Ennis, who was suspected in a drug ring, according to the 2007 affidavit. After Kimball served his sentence, the FBI began paying him as an informant. Kimball was supposed to report back to the FBI on Marcum, Ennis' former girlfriend, when she disappeared. The FBI would not reveal how long or how much Kimball was paid. He was arrested again in March 2006 near Palm Springs, California, after a police chase and standoff. | [
"who were the people last seen with?",
"Who would avoid charges?",
"Were their bodies ever found?",
"Which person came up with the plea deal?",
"what does the plea deal include?",
"Who had the plea deal?"
] | [
[
"Scott Kimball"
],
[
"Scott Kimball"
],
[
"discovered Monday in a remote Rocky Mountain pass near Vail, Colorado."
],
[
"Authorities"
],
[
"revealing the locations of the bodies."
],
[
"Scott Kimball"
]
] | Habitual felon likely to avoid charges in presumed murders of four people .
Scott Kimball's plea deal includes revealing location of bodies, sources say .
Authorities say all four people were last seen with Kimball . |
DENVER, Colorado -- A Colorado man terrorized by threats after testifying against his daughter's abusive boyfriend says he has spent $10,000 on a security system, hired a bodyguard for his son's wedding and never leaves home without a .45-caliber handgun strapped to his chest.
Keith Reynolds was convicted for witness intimidation after threatening witnesses in his domestic assault case.
The man, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case, says the state did nothing to protect him after the 1999 conviction of Keith Reynolds for domestic abuse -- even after prosecutors told him a hit had been put on his family.
A report in the Denver Post pointed out major problems protecting witnesses in the state of Colorado. Paul Logli, chairman of National District Attorneys Association, told Congress this year that witness intimidation has become "almost epidemic," according to the Denver Post.
When asked if prosecutors had made the family aware of Colorado's witness protection program, the witness in the Reynolds case said, "All they told us was maybe we should move."
"I'm pretty sure I told one of them -- either him or his wife -- about the program. I can't remember if I gave them all the details." the prosecutor assigned to the case, who didn't want to be named, told CNN.
After Reynolds' conviction, the witness and his wife saw strange cars parked outside their home. They received phone calls during which the only sound on the other end of the line was a gun being cocked. The couple received a death threat from Reynolds himself through the mail. Watch witness describe fear of being targeted »
Reynolds was then sentenced to ten years in a maximum security prison for witness intimidation. However, it is likely he'll be released within five years.
No national statistics on crimes against witnesses exist, and minimal research has been conducted on the subject. The latest National Institute of Justice survey on record -- conducted more than a decade ago -- shows that more than half of big city prosecutors consider witness intimidation a major problem.
Colorado has $50,000 allocated to its witness protection budget. In contrast, the city of Denver spent almost $100,000 on landscaping last year.
The state, on average, spends about $1,000 per witness. That figure supposedly includes moving expenses, rent, and furniture. The federal program spends in excess of $40 million per year on witness protection.
One possible reason for the disparity is that witnesses in state cases do not get new identities, as do federal witnesses. "It's not designed to be a long-term relocation at the public's expense; it's a way to ensure the immediate safety of the witnesses," according to Peter Weir, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Colorado's witness protection program is a "joke," according to The Rev. Leon Kelly, founder and executive director of the Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives.
Kelly says the state doesn't provide enough incentive for witnesses to come forward. More than a decade ago, a young man named Darryl Givens asked Kelly for advice while deciding whether to testify in a murder case or face prison. Givens chose to testify. A few months later, he was shot twice in the head by men he considered friends. That day continues to haunt Kelly.
Rhonda Fields says failures in the witness protection program may have contributed to her son's murder. Javad Fields was a college graduate who was engaged to be married. He had plans to move east when a Fourth of July barbecue in 2004 in changed all that. He witnessed the murder of his best friend and subsequently testified against three men suspected in the killing.
Javad Fields and his fiancee were gunned down while driving along a suburban street in Aurora, Colorado. The couple, both 22, died instantly.
Rhonda Fields says her son was never told about a witness protection program. She confronted prosecutors after his murder. Fields told CNN, "I asked them what happened. Why weren't any measures taken to safeguard his life? And I was told he never asked for | [
"What did the witness spend on security?",
"What did one witness spend on security?",
"What amount did one witness spend on security?",
"What state is accused of doing nothing to protect witnesses?",
"What is a joke in Colorado?",
"Do people feel protected by Colorado's witness protection program?",
"What amount of protection is claimed by witnesses in Colorado?",
"What do people think about the program?",
"Who describes Colorado's witness protection program as a joke?",
"What happened to one witness?",
"What program is not working?",
"What does Colorado need to protect them from?",
"What is considered a joke by a community activist?",
"Whatnumber of dollars did one witness spend?",
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] | [
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[
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[
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[
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[
"$10,000"
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[
"has $50,000 allocated to its witness protection budget."
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[
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] | Some witnesses say Colorado does nothing to protect them .
One witness spent over 10,000 dollars on security after being terrorized .
Community activist says Colorado's witness protection program is "a joke" |
DERBY, England -- Substitute Emmanuel Adebayor struck his second hat-trick against Derby this season as Arsenal ran riot with a 6-2 Premier League victory at Pride Park. Arsenal players celebrate Robin Van Persie's goal in their comfortable 6-2 victory over Derby. The Gunners, 5-0 winners at The Emirates earlier in the season, made sure of third place in the table with a rousing second-half display against relegated Derby, who move closer to being the Premier League's worst-ever side. Arsene Wenger's side led 2-1 at the break after goals from Nicklas Bendtner and Robin van Persie either side of a Jay McEveley effort. Theo Walcott was on target too, but the second half belonged to Togo international striker Adebayor, who struck three times to take his season's tally to 30 in all competitions, with Rob Earnshaw grabbing a consolation for the hosts in this eight-goal thriller. Bottom side Derby, now 30 league games without a victory, began the more purposefully and Emanuel Villa only just failed to connect Tyrone Mears' inviting low cross . Then Mile Sterjovski's drive took a major deflection off Alex Song to wrong-foot goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, making his first league start for Arsenal, only for the ball to creep past the right-hand post. The Gunners struggled to find their rhythm early on and were fortunate not to go behind when Villa's bullet header flew just over. Derby were made to pay for those early misses when Darren Moore's 25th minute mistake presented the ball to Niklas Bendtner, who played a one-two with Robin Van Persie before coolly slotting the ball into the left corner. However, Derby soon scored the equalizer they deserved. Robbie Savage's inswinging free-kick landed on the six-yard line and Jay McEveley reacted first to hook the ball home. The home side's joy was short-lived though, when Derby's defensive frailties were exposed again as Van Persie as given all the time in the world to chest down Kolo Toure's floated pass and volley home in style. Adebayor replaced Van Persie for the second-half and Arsenal immediately looked intent on adding to their goals tally. Twice Kolo Toure, playing at right-back, fired over, the second opportunity created by Cesc Fabregas' brilliant backheel. There was nothing goalkeeper Roy Carroll could do to deny Adebayor Arsenal's third goal. Walcott took advantage of Alan Stubbs' slip to cut the ball back to Emmanuel Eboue, who gave Adebayor an easy finish. Walcott should have made it four when he was put through by Bendtner but the teenager fired wide with the goal at his mercy. By now it was looking all too easy for the Gunners as they toyed with home side, creating chances at will -- but against the run of play Derby reduced the deficit to just a single goal when substitute Robert Earnshaw stroked the ball home. Yet within a minute the two-goal cushion was restored, Gael Clichy pinging a pinpoint pass to Walcott wide on the left before the youngster cut inside and curled into the top-right corner. Adebayor grabbed another poacher's goal, sliding to convert another Clichy assist with 10 minutes remaining before he wrapped up his hat-trick from an acute angle in added time. With two games remaining, Arsenal are four points behind Manchester United and Chelsea, still with an outside chance of lifting the Premier League title. E-mail to a friend | [
"What park did Arsenal defeat Derby?",
"What number of points is Arsenal behind in standings?",
"What person had a hat trick?"
] | [
[
"Pride"
],
[
"four"
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] | Emmanuel Adebayor hits hat-trick as Arsenal thrash Derby 6-2 at Pride Park .
The result follows Arsenal's 5-0 win against bottom side earlier this season .
Arsenal are four points behind Man United and Chelsea with two matches left . |
DETROIT, Michigan (CNN) -- A defiant Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick addressed Detroit on Thursday night listing what he said the city had accomplished under his leadership just hours after announcing his resignation amid a sex and perjury scandal. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has agreed to resign from office, a prosecutor said Thursday. "The city is much better shape than the city I received seven years ago," said Kilpatrick. "We in Detroit have done amazing things together." During the speech Kilpatrick also jabbed city officials and Michigan's governor, telling them to continue to work for the people of Detroit as hard as they did to get him out of office. Kilpatrick told the crowd his marriage is better than it has ever been and kissed his wife to end the speech, an act that brought thunderous applause. Kilpatrick said he decided to step down so the city could continue to move forward. "Sometimes standing strong means stepping down," Kilpatrick said. "But Detroit you have set me up for a comeback." The embattled Kilpatrick pleaded guilty Thursday to charges resulting from a sex scandal and submitted his resignation to the governor -- effective in two weeks. Under a plea deal, Kilpatrick will serve four months in the Wayne County Jail and the rest of his five-year sentence on probation, said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. He will enter jail on the day of his formal sentencing, October 28, she said. Kilpatrick, 38, also agreed not to run for public office during his probation, to pay $1 million in restitution and to forfeit any future pension. He was accused of blocking a criminal investigation into his office and firing a police deputy to cover up an extramarital affair and other possible illicit activities. After the deputy, Gary Brown, lost his job, a mayoral bodyguard, Officer Harold Nelthrope, left his job voluntarily when the atmosphere became too tense, said his attorney in the whistle-blower suit trial. Walt Harris, another former mayoral bodyguard, filed his own whistle-blower suit, contending he was punished for supporting Nelthrope's reports of wrongdoing by Kilpatrick and his bodyguards. The city of Detroit paid $8.4 million to settle the lawsuits, but legal fees have pushed that figure to at least $9 million. Prompted by the judge to recount his wrongdoing, Kilpatrick admitted Thursday, "I lied under oath in the case of Gary Brown and Harold Nelthrope versus the city of Detroit. ... I did so with the intent to mislead the court and the jury and to impede and obstruct the fair administration of justice." Watch Kilpatrick in court » When Circuit Court Judge David Groner asked Kilpatrick if he understood that by pleading guilty he was giving up the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the mayor said, "I think I gave that up a long time ago, your honor. Yes." Kilpatrick had faced eight felony counts. As part of the agreement, six counts related to misconduct in office were dropped, and a perjury count was changed to a second obstruction of justice charge. In a separate case against Kilpatrick, Groner on Thursday accepted a no-contest plea on an assault charge brought against the mayor in July after he allegedly shoved a police officer trying to serve a subpoena on a friend of Kilpatrick's who was a potential witness in his perjury case. Groner set an October 28 sentencing date for both cases. Also Thursday, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm adjourned a hearing on whether to remove Kilpatrick from office after he notified her of his pending resignation. "Today, this sad but historic story is coming to an end," Granholm said. "It's very important for us as a state and as a city to turn this page together. There is much work to do. It is my profound hope that we can now write a new history for this great but embattled city." Watch Granholm call for a new chapter » The governor set the hearing after the Detroit City Council voted in May to ask her to remove Kilpatrick, alleging he had misled the council by | [
"What charges does Kilpatrick plead guilty to?",
"What has Kilpatrick told officials?",
"What did he plead guilty too",
"what did kilpatrick do",
"who is kilpatrick",
"Who was charged",
"who goes to jail",
"What has Kilpatrick agreed not to do?",
"What were the charges"
] | [
[
"sex scandal"
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[
"telling them to continue to work for the people of Detroit as hard as they did to get him out of office."
],
[
"charges resulting from a sex scandal"
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[
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[
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[
"Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick"
],
[
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[
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[
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]
] | NEW: Kilpatrick tells officials to work as hard on city as they did to oust him .
Kwame Kilpatrick pleads guilty to charges resulting from a sex scandal .
He is to resign from office and will serve four months in jail .
Kilpatrick also agrees not to run for public office during his five-year probation . |
DETROIT, Michigan (CNN) -- It's a stimulus plan on sneakers. The NCAA men's Final Four at Detroit's Ford Field could generate $30 million to $50 million from visitors. The NCAA men's basketball Final Four couldn't come at a better time for the city of Detroit -- the hard-hit capital of the U.S. auto industry at the center of the state of Michigan's economic woes. The 12-percent unemployment rate here is the highest in the nation, and with the Big Three automakers all needing multibillion-dollar government bailouts in an attempt to stay afloat, the future isn't much brighter, some say. "We need some help," said Detroit resident Mark Franklin, who took his 5-year-old son to Friday's Hershey's College All-Star Game at Ford Field. "There are too many people out of work already. Even if you have a job, you know someone who doesn't." Enter the Final Four and a quartet of powerhouse college basketball teams -- all seeking NCAA brass. Connecticut, Michigan State, North Carolina and Villanova have won a combined nine NCAA championships and reached 31 Final Fours. But more important to the city are the visitors -- and the wallets -- that college basketball's marquee weekend will bring to Detroit. City leaders expect 100,000 fans to visit -- staying in hotel rooms, renting cars and spending an anticipated $30 million to $50 million. The participation of Michigan State adds icing on the cake. The school's campus sits just 90 miles away, in East Lansing, giving the Spartans a home-floor advantage as they give locals some added pride on a special weekend. MSU helped things along mightily by advancing to the finals Saturday, defeating Connecticut 82-73. In the national championship game, the Spartans will play North Carolina, 83-69 victors over Villanova later Saturday. More than half the Michigan State players are from in-state and many have felt the impact of the region's economic woes. "I have family that are unemployed right now," said sophomore guard Durrell Summers, who starred at Detroit's Redford Covenant High School. "[For the Final Four] to bring that kind of money in, hopefully it can help open up jobs for my family and for other families because some people got laid off for no reason." Watch Elaine Quijano's report on a GM dealer's perspective Detroit's first Final Four is the latest in a series of big sporting events for the city. The Pistons have hosted a pair of NBA Finals in suburban Auburn Hills, while the NHL's Red Wings have won two Stanley Cups at downtown Joe Louis Arena. Baseball's Tigers have played in a World Series and its home, Comerica Park, hosted an MLB All-Star game. This weekend's host venue, Ford Field, was the site of Super Bowl XL and Oakland Hills Country Club was home to the 2004 Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship last August in nearby Bloomfield Hills. This is the first year of a new stadium configuration for the Final Four, requiring host domes to use all permanent seating to meet a 70,000-seat minimum. "You see people driving up just to take a picture of the Final Four sign on (Ford Field). It's something to be proud of," Franklin said. "Now we need city leaders to take advantage of it." | [
"Who has the highest jobless rate in the nation?",
"What is Michigan State and North Caroling vieing for?",
"Whose participation \"adds icing on the cake\"?",
"What adds icing to the cake?",
"What couldn't come sooner?",
"Who is vying for the national title?",
"Where has jobless rate risen?"
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[
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[
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[
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[
"The NCAA men's basketball Final Four"
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[
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],
[
"DETROIT, Michigan"
]
] | NEW: Michigan State, North Carolina to vie for national title .
Men's Final Four couldn't come at a better time for hard-hit capital of the auto industry .
Detroit's jobless rate is highest in nation, and auto industry bailouts bode ill for future .
The participation of nearby Michigan State in the event adds icing on the cake . |
DEUTSCHNEUDORF, Germany (CNN) -- Digging has resumed at a site in the southeastern German town of Deutschneudorf, where treasure hunters believe there are almost 2 tons of Nazi gold and possibly clues to the whereabouts of the legendary Amber Room, a prize taken from a Russian castle during World War II. Treasure hunters use modern technology to try to locate the lost Nazi gold. Heinz Peter Haustein, one of the two treasure hunters and a member of Germany's parliament, said: "We have already hit a hollow area under the surface, it's filled with water and we are not sure if it is the cave we are looking for." Digging was stopped more than a week ago amid safety concerns, as authorities and the treasure hunters feared that the shaft might collapse and that the cave -- if it is there -- may be rigged with explosives or poisonous booby traps. At a news conference Friday, Christian Hanisch, the other treasure hunter, said that geological surveying equipment had located a possible cave about 30 feet under the surface containing "precious metals that can only be either gold or silver. The instruments would not have reacted to any other metal like copper." See photos from hunt for lost Nazi gold » Hanisch pointed out that his father, who was a navigator in the Luftwaffe, the Nazi air force, was one of the troops said to have been involved in hiding art, gold and silver as the Nazis realized that they would lose the war. He said that when his father died, he left coordinates leading to the spot in Deutschneudorf. "It's not about getting the reward," Hanisch said at the site. "I just want to know if my father was right and if my instincts were right." Haustein, who is paying for the expedition, said he hopes that finding the gold could lead to the Amber Room, whose interior is made completely of amber and gold. It was looted by the Nazis from a castle in St. Petersburg, Russia, after Adolf Hitler's forces invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. The room looked so majestic, many called it "the eighth wonder of the world." It disappeared after the war, and today a replica stands in its place in St. Petersburg. Although parts of the Amber Room have resurfaced, the vast majority remains missing. Haustein has been looking for the room for more than 12 years. Watch hunt for Nazi gold at German mountain » "I am certain that large parts of the Amber Room are buried somewhere here," he said. He said he has collected much circumstantial evidence suggesting that the Nazis hid the Amber Room in old copper mines around Deutschneudorf, but he has no proof. Haustein said the Nazis began bringing valuables including art, gold and silver to the region around Deutschneudorf as early as summer 1944. Deutschneudorf is in Germany's Ore Mountains, and the mountain where the treasure hunters claim to have found the Nazi gold was a copper mine until the 19th century. Although the mine was shut down in 1882, geologists found evidence that soldiers from Hitler's Wehrmacht -- the German armed forces -- had been there. The machine guns, parts of uniforms and explosives are on display at the town's museum. Though both treasure hunters say they are certain they will find cultural goods, both admit that they fear disappointment. "Of course, if you embark on something like this, you ask yourself: 'What if we find nothing again? What if I was fooled?' " Haustein said. "But every man has to go his own way, for better or for worse." If they do find the treasure, Haustein says, it would legally belong to Germany, although he would recommend that Germany give any Amber Room parts back to Russia. Treasure hunters have typically received rewards of 10 percent of the value of the goods found, but Hanisch says there are no laws dictating the reward amount. E-mail to a friend | [
"What is the digging in search of?",
"How many tons of treasure could be buried?",
"What resumed on Tuesday?",
"How many tons of treasure might be in the mountain?",
"What treasure hunt will resume on Tuesday?",
"How much treasure could be buried?",
"How much treasure might be buried?",
"WHat treasure is lost?",
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"almost 2 tons"
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[
"almost 2 tons of Nazi gold and possibly clues to the whereabouts of the legendary Amber Room, a prize taken from a Russian castle during World War II."
],
[
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]
] | Digging in search of lost Nazi gold resumed on Tuesday .
Treasure hunters think 2 tons of treasure could be buried in mountainside .
Men behind mission battle doubts: "What if we find nothing again?" |
DHAKA, Bangladesh (CNN) -- More than 1,700 people have died in Bangladesh after a devastating tropical cyclone ripped through the western coast of the country, and the toll is expected to rise, a government spokesman tells CNN.
Families stand amid the wreckage caused by the cyclone Friday in southern Bangladesh.
Brig. Gen. Qazi Abedus Samad, director of operations for the country's armed forces, told CNN Saturday the toll had reached 1,723, and the figure is expected to rise.
As flood waters recede, aid workers say they expect to find scores more bodies when remote villages are finally reached and the counting is done.
They face debris-blocked roads, no electricity and almost nonexistent communications.
In addition to the dead, another 15,000 people have been injured. Thousands of people have been displaced and many are still missing.
Cyclone Sidr, with sustained winds of at least 131 mph (210 kph), made landfall Thursday night along the western coast of Bangladesh near the border with India, unleashing floodwaters.
Government spokesman Fahim Munaim told CNN by telephone that the government held an emergency Cabinet meeting Saturday to assess the disaster and discuss recovery issues.
He said the extent of the cyclone's damage may be much worse because emergency relief had not been able to reach remote areas.
The government has identified the 12 worst districts -- all of them located on the southern coast -- out of the 23 affected by the cyclone, Munaim said. See victims pick up the pieces after the storm »
The Bangladeshi air force, army and navy are working to provide shelter for the many people who have been displaced. Power is still out in much of the country but it is being restored. Watch how the cyclone spawns a large relief effort »
Vince Edwards, national director of the relief agency World Vision in Bangladesh, said the high wind speeds of Cyclone Sidr have laid waste to the all-important rice crop and caused a huge loss of livestock.
He said 280,000 families have been rendered homeless by the cyclone, but many have been able to get shelter from family members.
World Vision is deploying 135 staffers and 7,000 volunteers to provide food, shelter and other relief. The group is appealing for $1.5 million in further funds to assist some 9.300 families rebuild their homes.
In Dhaka -- about 200 miles north of the worst-hit region -- there were power outages, massive traffic jams and spotty phone service, CNN's Cal Perry said from the city.
"From an infrastructure perspective, the country absolutely has been brought to its knees," he said.
Red Crescent spokeswoman Nabiha Chowdhury told CNN that communication with her agency's teams who have arrived in the stricken area is spotty, but they have resources with them to immediately help people with water purification, which she said was a top priority.
Those teams have cash with them to buy relief supplies from local wholesalers, said Chowdhury, who said the latest number of people injured was 15,000 with 1,000 missing. Chowdhury said about 600,000 people had fled, adding that about 2 million people lived along the coast.
The U.N. World Food Programme said it has enough high-energy biscuits to feed 400,000 people for several days.
Another humanitarian group, Save The Children, appealed for aid from the public.
"Many families have lost everything, including their homes and their crops, and they are struggling to survive," said Kelly Stevenson, Save the Children's Bangladesh director.
"We are appealing to the U.S. public to support our efforts to assist children and families affected by this disaster. We remain very concerned about possible outbreaks of cholera and severe diarrhea due to the lack of access to clean water," he said in a written statement.
The U.S. Department of State pledged Friday pledging "to work with the government and foreign donors to assist in relieving the effects of the disaster."
Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the U.S. Mission in Bangladesh, anticipating the storm, pre-positioned 16 Zodiac boats, water treatment systems, water ambulances and food for a more rapid response.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert | [
"what caused injury to 15000 people?",
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"where in 1700 people died?",
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] | More than 1,700 people dead, toll expected to rise, official says .
15,000 people are injured following Thursday's tropical Cyclone Sidr .
U.N. World Food Programme has food for 400,000 people for three days .
Power outages, massive traffic jams and poor phone service in Dhaka . |
DHAKA, Bangladesh (CNN) -- Army convoys are combing areas around the Bangladeshi border guard headquarters, vowing to punish participants in this week's bloody mutiny, which killed nearly 100 army officers and civilians, according to The New Nation newspaper. Bangladeshi firefighters continued to uncover bodies Friday of Bangladesh Rifles officers from a mass grave. More than 160 army officers were inside the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) when the mutiny broke out on Wednesday morning, local reports said. So far, 88 bodies have been recovered from mass graves in the outskirts of Dhaka, the newspaper reported. At least 22 bodies have also been recovered from the Buriganga River after the rebelling troops dumped them down a sewer during the standoff, authorities said. The 88 found dead were among those 169 officers, the newspaper reported. Another 27 emerged from their captivity in the headquarters of the BDR, a 65,000-strong paramilitary outfit primarily responsible for guarding the country's borders. About 200 BDR soldiers have been arrested. The mutiny began Wednesday when BDR members took dozens of their superiors hostage. It was the second day of BDR Week, when army officers and troop members from various BDR outposts along the border were in the capital for celebrations. The New Nation reported that the mutinous border guards surrendered their weapons on Thursday after the government declared an amnesty. The rebellion was spurred by years of discontent among the ranks of the BDR troops. Recruits complained their army superiors dismissed their appeals for more pay, subsidized food and opportunities to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations. Bangladesh and its South Asian neighbors contribute the most troops to U.N. operations and the pay is far greater than the meager salary the jawans -- as the BDR troops are called -- make. | [
"What does the Bangladeshi army vow to do?",
"How many bodies were recovered outside Dhaka?",
"What country did this take place in?",
"Where were the people when the mutiny erupted?",
"How many were in the Rifles headquarters when the mutiny started?",
"How many bodies have been discovered?",
"When did the mutiny occur?"
] | [
[
"punish participants in this week's bloody mutiny,"
],
[
"88"
],
[
"Bangladesh"
],
[
"inside the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles"
],
[
"More than 160 army officers"
],
[
"88"
],
[
"Wednesday morning,"
]
] | Bangladeshi army vows to punish participants in this week's bloody mutiny .
So far, 88 bodies reportedly recovered from mass graves in outskirts of Dhaka .
At least 22 bodies found in river after rebelling troops dumped them down sewer .
More than 160 were inside Bangladesh Rifles headquarters when mutiny erupted . |
DINGLE, Ireland (CNN) -- Fewer tourists and relatively warm temperatures may be reason enough to put Ireland on your list of winter travel destinations, especially Dingle Peninsula, once ranked by National Geographic Traveler as "the most beautiful place on Earth." Winter offers tourists a chance to explore Ireland's west coast unhindered by bothersome crowds. The peninsula, on Ireland's west coast, includes the oceanside town of Dingle, which boasts more than 1,000 full-time residents. Winter visitors will avoid the area's hundreds of thousands of summertime tourists. Boats crowd Dingle's popular marina, bringing fresh seafood catches of the day. Some of the marina vessels also will ferry visitors to see Fungie, a locally famous dolphin who has lived in the waters outside town since 1984. See breathtaking photos of Dingle » Outside Dingle, numerous vacation cottages are available to rent, including homes in the village of Dunquin. In winter, rates are drastically cut, and rental period dates may be more flexible. Most shops and restaurants have shorter hours during winter, and traditional music is found in some of the pubs on the weekends. As with most of Ireland, pubs abound, even in the smallest villages. A beer (preferably Guinness) and some hearty pub grub are a perfect way to cap a day of exploring the wintry sights of the peninsula. Because Ireland sits near the warm waters of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, the Emerald Isle has an average temperature of 46 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius) during December, January and February. But pack smart and bring layers of clothing, including warm sweaters and jackets, because winter weather often means rain on Ireland's western shore. | [
"whats the average winter temperature?",
"What is the average temperature there?",
"What can you rent there?",
"what is cheaper in winter?",
"What is the temperature during winter?",
"Where was named th most beautiful place on earth by national geographic?",
"When are cottage rentals cheapest?",
"Where is the most beautiful place on earth?",
"what was called most beautiful place?"
] | [
[
"46 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius)"
],
[
"46 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius)"
],
[
"numerous vacation cottages"
],
[
"Outside Dingle, numerous vacation cottages are available to rent, including homes in the village of Dunquin. In"
],
[
"46 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius)"
],
[
"Dingle Peninsula,"
],
[
"winter,"
],
[
"Dingle Peninsula,"
],
[
"Dingle Peninsula,"
]
] | Dingle, Ireland, called "most beautiful place on Earth" by National Geographic .
Escape summer crowds by traveling to Dingle Peninsula during winter months .
Cottage rentals are cheaper in winter, and periods are more flexible .
Winter temperatures in western Ireland average 46 degrees F (7 Celsius) |
DIR VALLEY, Pakistan (CNN) -- The rugged beauty of the expansive Dir Valley can mask the detail of what is happening on the ground. Pakistani soldiers look on from a mountain during a patrol in the troubled area of Maidan. In June, the Pakistani military organized a media tour to areas of the Lower Dir in North West Frontier Province that were under their control. The town of Maidan had been at the center of fierce fighting between Pakistan's military forces and militants. Tension was visible on the faces of those escorting us. The IED (improvised explosive device) craters in the road and the bullet holes in our unarmed pickup trucks explained why. The direct fighting had stopped some days before, after opposition forces were reported killed or they disappeared into the surrounding hills and among the population. Under the watchful eye of government forces, anxious local residents were starting to return. A Pakistani army spokesperson now tells us that all of those who fled the town due to the fighting have returned home. They have a lot of rebuilding to do. Most of the structures we saw had some kind of damage to them from bullets or direct hits from artillery fire. One person who will likely not be returning anytime soon is the pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Muhammad, who brokered a short-lived deal between the Taliban and the government that allowed the Taliban to enforce Sharia law in the Swat Valley. But the deal collapsed and the government set off this offensive. Sufi Muhammad was arrested in Peshawar in late July, accused of encouraging violence. His ransacked house was the last stop on our tour. | [
"Who has been fought against in the Dir Valley?",
"What town was the center of fighting between military forces and militants?",
"What does the Pakistani military show off?",
"What role has the town of Maidan played in the fighting?",
"What terrorist organization was involved in the fighting?",
"Whose house was ransacked?"
] | [
[
"militants."
],
[
"Maidan"
],
[
"areas of the Lower Dir"
],
[
"had been at the center of fierce"
],
[
"Taliban"
],
[
"Sufi Muhammad"
]
] | The beautiful Dir Valley has been the scene of ferocious fighting against the Taliban .
Town of Maidan had been at center of fighting between military forces and militants .
Pakistani military show off pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Muhammad's ransacked house . |
DOBBS FERRY, New York (CNN) -- Jude Ndambuki teaches high school chemistry, but when he's not in class, you might find him Dumpster diving for discarded computers. Jude Ndambuki's Help Kenya Project provides refurbished computers for Kenyan students. For the past eight years, the Kenya native has been refurbishing computers, printers and other electronic educational resources otherwise headed for landfills, then sending them to grateful students back home. "The children in Kenya have very few resources; even a pencil is very hard to get," said Ndambuki, 51, who lives in the New York City suburb of Dobbs Ferry. "Being one of the kids who actually experienced very dire poverty in Kenya, I feel any part that I can play to make the life of kids better, I better do it." In lieu of compensation for the considerable time, expertise and expenses he devotes to his Help Kenya Project, Ndambuki asks that recipients plant 100 trees for every computer they receive. By connecting computer recycling, educational development and environmental conservation, he hopes to encourage a greener, more prosperous future for his country. The Help Kenya Project has provided more than 2,000 refurbished computers to Kenya's schools and planted more than 150,000 trees. Watch Ndambuki and his Help Kenya Project in action » "Many of the schools that I give computers [to] in Kenya have not seen computers before. So we're bringing them closer to the development," explained Ndambuki, adding that without this opportunity, some of those schools might have gone another 20 years without touching a computer. "It's like giving the kids new life," he said. "Computers are getting new life, and trees are being planted to bring a new life, too. It's all connected." Finding treasure in the trash "Growing up was not easy" for Ndambuki, who said he became a teacher to help children who are struggling the way he did. The second of eight children raised by a widowed mother, Ndambuki attended school at the expense of his older brother; he quit because the family couldn't afford both boys' education. Ndambuki was appointed principal at a Kenya high school where he befriended American exchange students who helped bring him to the United States to further his education. In 1997, he arrived with his wife and two children for his new teaching post in a Dobbs Ferry private school. On a late-night walk home from continuing-education classes, he passed a computer thrown out on the curb for trash collection. He brought it home, where he found it was in perfect working order. It struck Ndambuki that the machines ending up in landfills could offer life-altering opportunities for children in his homeland. "It all came together," recalled Ndambuki. "Kids in Kenya need to know technology. It's the way of the world, and they will be left behind without it. I am determined to prepare them for office jobs instead of field work." The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization estimates that 98 percent of Kenya's public primary schools and 80 percent of public high schools lack computers. And 70 percent of Kenya's energy is derived from charcoal and firewood culled from the country's forests, according to the UN Environment Programme. "There's a lot of trees that are cut every year," Ndambuki said. "We find the land becomes bare, a lot of erosion of the soil takes place. So we need trees to be planted." The trees also help protect the computers from dust blowing in through the classroom windows, he said. Ndambuki ships a 40-foot container loaded with hundreds of refurbished computers to Kenya for distribution once a year. He and a few of his chemistry students often tinker with computer parts after classes, spending hours refurbishing, packing and preparing the shipments. Each Kenya school receives an average of five computers. To ensure that private data of the computers' former owners is not accessible to new users, the Help Kenya Project wipes that information from the machines, loads them with necessary memory and | [
"How many trees were planted?",
"how many computers were sent?",
"What do they get in exchange?",
"what project ships used computers",
"how many trees have been planted",
"where are the computers sent",
"Who sent computers?",
"what was given to kenyan students?"
] | [
[
"more than 150,000 trees."
],
[
"2,000"
],
[
"plant 100 trees"
],
[
"Jude Ndambuki's Help Kenya"
],
[
"more than 150,000"
],
[
"Kenya"
],
[
"Jude Ndambuki's Help Kenya Project"
],
[
"refurbished computers"
]
] | Jude Ndambuki's Help Kenya Project sends used computers to Kenyan students .
In exchange, recipients plant 100 trees for each computer .
Group has sent more than 2,000 computers, planted more than 150,000 trees . |
DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- If there's anything in which Qatar takes pride -- aside from a massive construction boom -- it is providing its Qatari minority and the hundreds of thousands of expatriates working and living here with plenty of shopping opportunities. City Center Mall booked "Freestyle Football" artist Iya Traore, from Guinea, to help draw more crowds in Doha You can nary drive a kilometer in Doha -- few Qataris actually walk the streets -- without passing a shopping mall. And few of those malls are lacking hordes of people strolling from store to store. From the pricey jewel-adorned head scarf fashions to budget-conscious it-could-be-rat-leather shoes, food courts to suit Eastern and Western tastes, to perfume shops selling essences for more per ounce than many people earn in a month -- shoppers in Doha are spoiled for choice. I'm lucky to have a few Qatari national friends in Doha. Each time I visit, I'm treated to a familiar, and always entertaining, routine ... passing time at a succession of shopping centers. Yes, many of you may think this pastime -- especially in America -- is for the kiddies. You are right. And yes, my friends and I are in our 30s. But there's a more sophisticated, Arab cultural aspect to "hanging out" at a Starbucks at Landmark Shopping Center or drinking mint tea at one of the restaurants in the renovated Souq Waqif. For many "shoppers" -- male and female -- these centers are an opportunity catch up with friends, and discretely flirt and mingle ... even if only by exchanging messages via Bluetooth on the cellphone. And unlike many teenyboppers cruising the malls of America, most of the adults here are a shop owner's dream: high-end, impulse purchasing consumers with a lot of money to spend -- and a lot of time to kill. Little surprise then, that shopping mall developers and management have taken to providing more entertainment options to pull in the crowds: The obligatory movie theater, for example. One mall's basement is host to a skating rink. At a recent stop at City Center-Doha Mall, thumping hip-hop beats had kids dropping their McDonald's ice cream cones and running to the center atrium to see what all the fuss was about. Turns out there's this athlete literally center stage of the mall, kicking and balancing a soccer ball -- OK, football -- about his head, shoulders, legs and back with such skill he might put Ronaldo to shame -- and doing this to the beat of hip-hop African tunes for what seemed more than just a few minutes. Guinean native Iya Traore's "freestyle soccer" routine mesmerized the crowd. Ironically, it distracted them from shopping -- but kept shoppers in the Mall longer and gave people something new to talk about. Apparently his athletic tricks have landed him television and live performances in Japan, Turkey, Mali, Germany, France and, increasingly, in the Arab world. Africa would seem a long way to book an act to attract more shoppers. But then again, the stakes are high in an increasingly competitive shopping mall-packed Qatar. As long as the mall remains an outlet to spend petro-dollars -- and Doha's main, all-access social networking scene -- mall developers will have to step up their game to keep consumers happy. E-mail to a friend | [
"What was the name of the mall?",
"Where ar they going?",
"What type of shopping malls is that?",
"What is a popular pastime?"
] | [
[
"City Center"
],
[
"Japan, Turkey, Mali, Germany, France and, increasingly, in the Arab world."
],
[
"an outlet to spend petro-dollars"
],
[
"shopping"
]
] | CNN's Alphonso Van Marsh hangs out at a shopping mall in Doha, Qatar .
Spending time in shopping malls is a popular pastime for local residents .
Mall managers hire entertainers to attract customers and their dirhams .
"These centers are an opportunity catch up with friends and discretely flirt" |
DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- One look outside the window gives a glimpse of the "economics of energy" in Doha, Qatar. Cranes dot the tops of half-finished towers, a monumental work in progress; the result of vast energy wealth being pumped out of the ground and poured into project after project. Doha, Qatar: A city skyline awash with cranes and towers powered by abundant oil and gas supplies. It's here that our Principal Voices met for the first of this year's roundtables. Outside Qatar, the economics of energy present a very different picture. Rising fuel costs are pricing power out of the means of some of the world's poorest people. And the environmental cost of continuing to exploit the world's fossil fuel supplies is now almost universally agreed to be so great that society can no longer afford to ignore it. Our Principal Voices come from diverse backgrounds: The Icelandic President Olafur Grimsson -- the first head of state to sit on a Principal Voices panel -- grew up on a small island in the North Atlantic Ocean and over the past forty years has witnessed the country abandon coal to become the world's first clean economy. Dr Joseph Adelegan from Nigeria has seen poverty first hand in Africa where he worked closely with villagers to convert slaughterhouse waste to gas they use for cooking. And, Qatar-based businessman Hesham Ismail AbdulRahman Al Emadi is leading an ambitious project to create a global network of "Energy Cities" to house the oil and gas industry. For an hour and a half they spoke about how to solve what Icelandic President Grimsson called, "the most fundamental question of the 21st century": energy and whether there will ever be enough alternative sources of power to satisfy global demand if, and only if, the world manages to shake its addiction to oil and other fossil fuels. They spoke not only about the need to find alternatives to traditional energy sources, but whether there'll ever be a concerted effort in developed countries to conserve rather than consume precious resources. So what is holding us back? "We are creatures of habit," Grimsson offered by way of explanation, adding that "it usually takes a crisis to bring about change". He warned that there is one potential disaster looming: the predicted melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas in 30 to 40 years which will cause catastrophic flooding in India and China. "This is not just a discussion about the rich, about cities or about Europe or America or even China or India, the great economic powerhouses. This is also a question about the poorest of the poor." In a response to an emailed question about whether the developed world should face sanctions for not meeting any targets set by the international community on climate change, Dr Joseph Adelegan called for aid to help poorer countries --like the ones in Africa -- find alternatives to fossil fuels. The Middle East is facing different challenges. Hesham Al Emadi says energy subsidies in Gulf Cooperation Council countries and ignorance of the issues provide little incentive for residents to conserve energy or find greener alternatives: "there is lots of ignorance. Awareness is a major issue." And what of countries like the U.S.? Would higher taxes on fuel be enough to move residents in the right direction? Acknowledging he's an optimist and "a great friend of America," Grimsson said, politically, all the elements are already in place for a big shift in attitudes in the U.S. "McCain, Hillary and Obama are all on the positive issue, as I call it," he said. He also said the world might be wise to look to the Middle East for guidance. "I believe they are probably more aware than we are that the odds are that oil will run out sooner rather than later," Grimsson said, adding "A visionary leader of a country who wants to create a good living for his or her grandchildren or great grandchildren thinks about these issues." We'll put more content from the debate on the website as soon as possible, including video highlights. What's your point of view? Send us | [
"Who stated, \"it usually takes a crisis to bring about change\"?",
"what did Olafur Grimsson state",
"What was the aid called for?",
"Who called for aid to help poor countries find alternatives to fossil fuels?",
"What does it take to change?",
"what did Joseph Adelegan call for"
] | [
[
"Olafur Grimsson"
],
[
"\"We are creatures of habit,\""
],
[
"to help poorer countries"
],
[
"Dr Joseph Adelegan"
],
[
"a crisis"
],
[
"aid to help poorer countries --like the ones in Africa -- find alternatives to fossil fuels."
]
] | First Principal Voices round table debate takes place in Doha, Qatar .
Olafur Grimsson states "it usually takes a crisis to bring about change"
Joseph Adelegan calls for aid to help poor countries find alternatives to fossil fuels . |
DONETSK, Ukraine (CNN) -- A frail Irene Famulak clutched her brother on the airport tarmac, her arm wrapped around him in a tight embrace, tears streaming down their faces. It was the first time since 1942 they had seen each other, when she was 17 and he was just 7. Siblings Wssewolod Galezkij and Irene Famulak were separated in 1942 when Nazis took her to a labor camp. That was the night the invading Nazis came to take her away from her Ukrainian home. "I remember it well because I kissed him good-bye, and he pushed me away," she said of her brother. "I asked, 'Why did you do that?' And he said that he doesn't like kisses." "The Nazis told my mother that I was being taken to work in a German labor camp for six months. But it was, of course, much longer. I was there for years." Both siblings survived the Holocaust and grew up on different sides of the Iron Curtain, not knowing the fate of the other. But after 66 years apart, Famulak, 83, was reunited with her long lost 73-year-old brother, Wssewolod Galezkij. They held each other close this time, cherishing the moment. Watch siblings hug for first time in seven decades » "I don't believe anyone has ever known such happiness. Now, I truly believe I can die satisfied," Galezkij said. Famulak made the long journey to Donetsk in eastern Ukraine from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after being contacted by the American Red Cross. The organization told her they had located her only surviving sibling. Famulak said she spent World War II in a labor camp in Munich, Germany, working in the kitchens. She had been taken to the camp with her older sister. When it was liberated in 1945, Famulak stayed in Germany for several years, eventually emigrating to the United States in 1956. She never saw her parents again after that day in 1942 when Nazis separated her from her family. She and her brother still have no idea what happened to their mother and father. Some of their siblings lived through the war, but later died; others, they never heard from again after being separated. But her younger brother never gave up hope of tracking his sister down. He, too, was sent to a German labor camp, but after the war, he moved back to Ukraine, then a republic of the Soviet Union. See photos of the "needle in haystack" reunion » Under Soviet leader Josef Stalin, information on lost relatives was kept sealed, and Galezkij said it wasn't until reforms in the late 1980s, followed by the Soviet collapse, that he started making progress in finding his sister. Even then, it took him more than 17 years to locate her in the United States. He broke down in tears as he spoke of his overwhelming happiness at finding her. "When the Red Cross told me they had found her in America, it was such a joy," he said, sobbing. In fact, he had to be taken to the hospital because he was so overcome when he first learned she was alive. At this week's reunion, there was a doctor on hand at the airport as a precaution. Back in the United States, there were tears, too. Linda Klein, the director of the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center, said the volunteer who helped the siblings find each other got caught up in the emotion herself. "When I showed her the picture, she stood there and wept," Klein said. "She was beside herself." Klein's group has reunited 1,500 families since it began work in 1990. She said the former Soviet Union released records in 1989 of concentration camps it liberated, greatly helping organizers find information on Holocaust victims. The organization has 100 volunteers -- a third of them Holocaust survivors, Klein said. The group also helps families find information about their loved ones who died during the Holocaust. They have | [
"Who helped bring them together?",
"When were the siblings separated?",
"what did the brother say",
"Who met for the first time?",
"what did the American Red Cross volunteer do",
"What separated them?",
"What group separated the brother and sister?",
"since when did the brother and sister not meet",
"Where did they meet?",
"What year did the brother and sister get separated?"
] | [
[
"volunteer"
],
[
"1942"
],
[
"he doesn't like kisses.\""
],
[
"A frail Irene Famulak clutched her brother on the airport tarmac, her arm"
],
[
"helped the siblings find each other"
],
[
"Nazis took her to a labor camp."
],
[
"Nazis"
],
[
"1942"
],
[
"airport tarmac,"
],
[
"1942"
]
] | Brother, sister meet for first time since 1942, when Nazis separated them .
Brother in Ukraine never stopped searching: "Now I truly believe I can die satisfied"
An American Red Cross volunteer helped bring them together .
Even after all this time, the siblings don't know what happened to their parents . |
DORCHESTER, England (CNN) -- Englishman John Webber thought nothing of the small, shiny cup, passed down from his junk dealer grandfather and stashed under a bed for years, until appraisers said it was an ancient Persian artifact. The ancient Persian gold cup, thought to date from the third or fourth century B.C., fetched $100,000 at auction. The 5½-inch gold cup, which experts have dated to the third or fourth century B.C., fetched $100,000 at an auction in Dorchester, southern England, Thursday. The identity of the winning bidder wasn't immediately known. The relic features the double faced ancient Roman god Janus, the god of gates and doors who always looked to both the future and past and is often associated with beginnings and endings. The cup has two faces with braided hair and entwined snake ornaments at the forehead. Webber's grandfather, William Sparks, was a rag and bone man, the British term for a junk dealer, Duke's said, who established the iron merchants Sparks and Son in Taunton, Somerset, in southwestern England, in the 1930s. Sparks acquired the cup along with two other pieces, also up for auction, in the 1930s or 1940s, the spokeswoman said. Watch CNN report on the auction » Before he died, Sparks gave the items to Webber, who didn't realize their value, the spokeswoman said. "Because he mainly dealt in brass and bronze, I thought that was what it was made from," Webber told the Bournemouth News and Picture Service. "I put it in a box and forgot about it. Then last year I moved house and took it out to have a look, and I realized it wasn't bronze or brass. "I sent it to the British Museum, and the experts there hadn't seen anything like it before and recommended I had it tested at a laboratory. So I paid quite a bit of money for it to be examined by a lab the museum recommended. And they found the gold dated from the third of fourth century B.C." Webber, who is in his 70s, said he remembers the cup from when he was a small boy. "It's been quite exciting finding out what it was," he told the agency. Webber brought the items to Duke's at the start of the year for potential sale, because he wanted to "realize some money," the auction house spokeswoman said. A spokeswoman for Duke's Auction House, which is selling the cup, said the cup is believed to be from the Archaemenid empire in ancient Persia. The other two items are a second century B.C. round gold mount with a figure, probably of ancient Greek hero Ajax, who besieged Troy, and a decorated gold spoon with an image of a Roman emperor. "He had a good eye for quality over the years," said the spokeswoman, who asked not to be named, "and anything interesting he'd put aside." Scientists analyzed trace elements of a gold sample taken from the cup to determine its age, and analysts from Oxford University concluded that they are consistent with Archaemenid gold and goldsmithing, Duke's said. | [
"Where was the cup stashed?",
"what was the gold cup",
"Where was the urn sold?",
"where was the gold cup",
"Who acquired an artifact?",
"Who acquired the artifacts?",
"What was the date of the artifact?",
"What is a gold cup stashed under bed for years worth?",
"what was the junk deals name?",
"Where was the cup found?",
"The artifact comes from where?",
"What is the owner's name?"
] | [
[
"under a bed"
],
[
"an ancient Persian artifact."
],
[
"auction in Dorchester, southern England,"
],
[
"stashed under a bed"
],
[
"John Webber"
],
[
"Sparks"
],
[
"third or fourth century B.C.,"
],
[
"$100,000"
],
[
"William Sparks,"
],
[
"under a bed"
],
[
"Persian"
],
[
"John Webber"
]
] | Gold cup stashed under bed for years is $100,000 ancient Persian artifact .
Small urn went under the hammer at auction in southern England Thursday .
Artifact acquired by junk dealer, grandfather of current owner, in the 1930s or 1940s .
Experts say it is believed to date from the third or fourth century B.C. |
DOUGLAS, Arizona (CNN) -- It's a tale of homeland security concerns blocking wildlife management, and the hue and cry that ensues. This photo, taken by Warner Glenn in 1996, is believed to be the first of a live jaguar in the United States. When most people think of jaguars, they think of the jungles of Central and South America, not the remote desert ranges between the United States and Mexico. That region is known as mountain lion country, and that's what rancher Warner Glenn thought he was tracking when he saddled up his mules on a summer day 12 years ago near Douglas, Arizona. Glenn has hunted mountain lions for 60 years, since he was eight years old. But Glenn was stunned when he saw what his hunting dogs had chased up to a high mountain perch. The rancher took what's believed to be the first photo of a live jaguar in the United States. But it wasn't his last. In 2006, some 40 miles away, Glenn and his hunting party again cornered a jaguar -- a different one. Jaguars, an endangered species, have a breeding population in northern Mexico. Scientists believe there are no more than 120 left in the wild there. It's believed that since 1910, the cats are only visitors north of the border. They have been virtually unstudied here until recently. But Glenn and other conservationists worry that the possible return of breeding jaguars to the United States could be stopped in its tracks. The reason: the border fence. Last month the Department of Homeland Security waived 30 environmental laws to finish 470 miles of the fence by the end of the year. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told Congress that the agency continues to talk to some 600 landowners along the border to get their input. But in order to comply with the congressional mandate, he said, there is no time to deal with "unnecessary delays caused by administrative processes or potential litigation." "We are currently in a lawless situation at the border," says Chertoff. "I feel an urgency to get this tactical infrastructure in. And although we're going to be respectful of the environment, we're going to be expeditious." Two environmental groups, Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club, have filed appeals with the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming the waivers are unconstitutional and set a dangerous precedent. "National security and environmental protection do not have to be at odds with each other," says Defenders of Wildlife spokesman Matt Clark. "If we can drop this arbitrary deadline for constructing the fence and go through the proper procedures, then there are inevitably ways to minimize environmental impact, but as it is now it's throwing all of those laws out the window." Mountain lion tracker Jack Childs also worries about the impact of the fence on local wildlife, especially the jaguar. Childs captured the first video of a live jaguar in the late summer of 1996, a few months after Warner Glenn. Watch Childs and Glenn talk about efforts to preserve the jaguar » "I knew historically there had been a few jaguars sighted in Arizona but in the last hundred years never in any numbers." His encounter sparked a passion for the big cats. Along with wife Anna and biologist Emil McCain, he created the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project. See images of the controversy » Childs and McCain hike into remote mountain areas where the jaguars roam and have placed more than 50 motion sensor cameras near the border. They've taken 69 photos of three different jaguars since 2001, including several of the same cat Childs first saw in 1996. He has nicknamed that cat Macho B. A jaguar's spots are like fingerprints -- each cat has a unique set. One of the spots on Macho B resembles a Pinocchio cartoon figure, and that's how they identify him. "We spend a lot of time walking along the border during the daytime, and we actually find his tracks going through the fence, so we know for sure that he crosses back and forth," says Childs. "A fence like | [
"What agencies are looking for solution?",
"What laws did homeland security waive?",
"where are the jaguars",
"What group did the conservatist work for?"
] | [
[
"Homeland Security"
],
[
"environmental"
],
[
"Central and South America,"
],
[
"Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club,"
]
] | It is believed that jaguars in northern Mexico total no more than 120 .
Conservationists worry that border fence could prevent return of breeding jaguars .
Homeland Security officials have waived laws to make sure fence is completed .
Agencies look for solution that enhances security while preserving wildlife . |
DOUGLASVILLE, Georgia (CNN) -- Like many young girls, Jennifer Marnell always dreamed that one day she'd become famous. Jennifer Marnell once maxed out at 300 pounds. She lost 180 pounds and is now a fitness instructor. Bubbling with personality and quite the ham -- she was no stranger to performing. Marnell loved singing, dancing and acting in local plays while growing up on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia. Even though her family showered her with adoration and unconditional support -- Marnell was hiding something that she was afraid to share with anyone. Since the age of 8, she struggled with her weight. "I was the only one in the whole family who was overweight," Marnell recalled. "[They] were always supportive and told me I was beautiful ... I didn't realize how depressed I was because my family loved me no matter what." But other people weren't so nice. Marnell says classmates and other people teased or ridiculed her about her weight. Instead of talking about her feelings -- she turned to food for comfort. As she ate to soothe her pain -- Marnell's weight spiraled out of control. Watch more on Jennifer Marnell's journey » "It got out of control over the years because it became an addiction," said Marnell. "Food didn't talk back to me and didn't tell me no ... I didn't know how to stop and listen to my body." Working as a nanny at the age of 27, Marnell was 5-foot-tall and weighed 300 pounds. The wife and mother says a series of embarrassing moments such as not fitting into a restaurant booth, running out of breath while walking and lacking the energy to play ball or skate with her daughter -- took an emotional and physical toll on her health. But the final straw came during a trip to an amusement park with her family. "We were at Six Flags waiting on a ride and we waited for an hour-and-a-half," said Marnell. "When we got on, I couldn't latch the belts because I was too big and they had to ask me to get off." Devastated by the incident, Marnell says she broke down in tears and had a heart-to-heart talk with herself. Afraid that she might die before the age of 30, she was tired of being a "fat mom" and wanted to set a good example for her daughter. After the mental pep-talk, Marnell started her weight loss journey by joining a gym. She started by exercising in the women's-only section and ate a low-fat, low-calorie diet. After a few months, she'd lost 50 pounds. The weight loss boosted her confidence and she decided to try a water aerobics class which was a lot less stressful on her bones and joints. Over the next two years, Marnell continued taking group fitness classes, hired a personal trainer to get past a plateau and eventually lost 180 pounds. CNN I-Reporters share weight loss photos » After reaching her goal weight of 120 pounds, she decided to start a new career as a fitness instructor and provides personal training advice on her Web site http://www.fitbyjen.com/. One of the most important lessons she's conquered is emotional eating. "You've got to learn to talk through your problems instead of using food," Marnell says. "An alcoholic can't just have one drink. I will never eat a Snickers bar because that is my one weakness ... the one thing I won't have." The weight loss has also helped her realize another dream -- being in the limelight. In January, she was featured on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and in People Magazine's "Half Their Size" issue and will appear on the game show "Don't Forget the Lyrics" with Wayne Brady. She's also touring the country as a spokesperson for Gold's Gym and has just inked a book deal to tell her weight-loss story. Marnell says all of the recent attention has been a bit overwhelming | [
"What is her current occupation?",
"What was her highest weight?",
"what was her heaviest weight",
"what did marnell struggle with"
] | [
[
"fitness instructor."
],
[
"300 pounds."
],
[
"300 pounds."
],
[
"her weight."
]
] | Jennifer Marnell struggled with weight, emotional overeating most of her life .
By the age of 27, she maxed out at her heaviest weight of 300 pounds .
Marnell lost 180 pounds through exercise and a low-fat, low-calorie diet .
She's now a fitness instructor and plans to write a book to inspire others . |
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware (CNN) -- His name was Phillip A. Myers. A staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, he was killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan on Saturday.
The body of Phillip Myers, 30, arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Sunday.
The return of his body to the United States aboard a charter aircraft Sunday marked a solemn moment that has been repeated more than 5,000 times at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware since the start of the war in Afghanistan in late 2001.
Much of this night was like so many of the others: The well-practiced and crisp movement of the carry team silently transferring the body from the plane to the truck that would transport it to the base mortuary and the presence of Myers' family, quietly watching every step and order, ensured dignity and respect for the fallen in an atmosphere that does not lend itself to peace and quiet.
This night, however, was not like the other nights. Watching all of this were about 40 journalists allowed to cover the return of Myers' remains. It was the first time in almost 20 years the return of a fallen U.S. service member was able to be recorded by the media.
Myers' widow was the first to be asked by the military, under a new policy by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, if she wished to have news media at Dover Air Force Base for her husband's final return home. Her decision to do so was historical and allowed the public to see a side of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the country has not yet seen.
The only noise on the flight line was the perpetual whine of the Atlas Air 747's power generator. This was the plane that had brought Myers and another fallen soldier back to the United States. The media were not allowed to cover the other soldier's transfer and were not given his name or the circumstances of his death, because the family had not granted permission.
On the flight line, journalists were asked not to speak, use camera flashes or make undue movement while watching the transfer.
With cameras rolling, an eight-member carry team wearing battle-dress uniforms and white gloves stood by the flag-draped transfer case carrying Myers, as the chaplain, Maj. Klabens Noel, said a prayer. Watch the coverage of the return of the fallen service member »
The team slowly moved the transfer case from the aircraft onto the loader. With a jolt, the quiet of the night was shattered as a diesel engine was started to lower the loader toward the ground and then was shut off.
Bathed in light from the giant floodlights along the flight line, the team hoisted the transfer case and carried it to a waiting panel truck.
As the transfer case was secured, the carry team saluted, the doors of the truck were slowly closed and then driven under police escort to the base mortuary.
Seven family members watched the truck until it was out of sight, one man among them crying into a tissue.
Myers was from Hopewell, Virginia, and died Saturday of wounds suffered in a roadside bombing, the Air Force said.
He was assigned to the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron, with the Royal Air Force Lakenheath, UK, and in March 2008 received the Bronze Star for valor. He was 30 years old. Casualties: Afghanistan | Iraq
The ban on media coverage of returning war dead was implemented by President George Bush in 1991 and the policy has been the subject of much debate since. Some called it censorship; others said it allowed privacy and respect for the families during a very difficult time. Watch an Army widow call the policy is 'dignified' »
An exception on the ban by President Bill Clinton in 2000 allowed coverage of the return of sailors killed in the attack on the USS Cole.
Shortly after taking office, President Obama asked Gates to take a look at the policy. In February, Gates reversed it, but with conditions. Family members would be asked if they wanted news media to cover the transfer of their loved one's body. | [
"Who died in Afghanistan?",
"Who died in Afghanistan on Saturday?",
"Who lifted the media ban?",
"What rank was Phillip Myers?",
"What can be covered by media for the first time in 20 years?",
"Who lifted the ban on media coverage?"
] | [
[
"Phillip A. Myers."
],
[
"Phillip A. Myers."
],
[
"President Bill Clinton"
],
[
"staff sergeant"
],
[
"return of a fallen U.S. service member"
],
[
"Bill Clinton"
]
] | Media on hand for first time in almost 20 years as fallen service member returns .
Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers, 30, died in Afghanistan on Saturday .
Defense Secretary Robert Gates lifted ban on media coverage, but with conditions .
Some say ban was censorship; others say it showed respect for the fallen . |
DOVER, Delaware (CNN) -- It was a very public goodbye for Joe Biden on Friday as the Delaware senator addressed the deployment ceremony of his son's National Guard unit as they prepare to leave for a tour of duty in Iraq.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden addresses the deployment ceremony Friday.
Following Thursday night's debate with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in St. Louis, Missouri, Biden flew back to Delaware to spend the day with his 39-year-old son before his deployment to Iraq.
Beau Biden -- a captain in the National Guard and Delaware's attorney general -- will be a trial counselor in the 261st Signal Brigade, a unit that specializes in providing communications for the military in Iraq.
"I've come here many times before as a Delawarean, as a United States senator," he told a crowd in Dover. "But today I come, as you prepare to deploy, as a father -- a father who had some sage advice from his son this morning: 'Dad, keep it short, we're in formation.' "
"My heart is full of love and pride. ... You are the best demonstration of both our nation's greatness and ... our people's goodness," he added. Watch more of Biden's comments »
Biden joined the rest of Delaware's congressional delegation and the state's Gov. Ruth Ann Minner in speaking to the 110 members of the unit.
"Let me simply say, thank you, thank you for answering the call of your country. ... So stay strong, stand together, serve honorably ... may God bless you and may he protect you," Biden added, later saluting the crowd.
Beau Biden doesn't ship out right away. Instead, he heads to Fort Bliss, Texas, this weekend, where his National Guard unit completes assigned tasks and receives additional training specific to the conditions in Iraq. Then, in six to eight weeks, they ship out to Iraq.
Despite increased interest and security because Biden is now a vice presidential nominee, the public affairs officer for the unit had insisted the ceremony would be no different, and not political.
Lt. Col. Len Grattieri said Wednesday that the last time Biden -- who has often spoken at deployment ceremonies -- addressed a departing unit was 18 months ago, and that he usually roots his remarks in foreign policy, offering his perspective on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Grattieri couldn't say where Beau Biden will be based, but his role will be that of a prosecutor enforcing the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He added that positions aren't clearly defined, and the unit will do whatever the Army needs it to.
In the past week, Biden had been trying to balance debate prep with family time. On Tuesday afternoon, he took a break and went out to lunch with Beau, Beau's wife, Hallie, and the couple's young daughter.
Aides say it's been a tough week for Biden, with Beau's departure weighing on him. Biden said in an interview Tuesday that he is proud of his son, but wishes he weren't going.
Palin, along with Biden, brought up their respective sons' deployment to Iraq during the debate.
Palin's son Track, 19, an infantry soldier, was deployed to Iraq with his Army unit September 11. Palin spoke at her eldest son's deployment ceremony in Alaska, which honored the 4,000 Alaska-based troops to be deployed from Fort Wainwright to Iraq in the coming weeks.
Track Palin, who was standing in formation among members of the 1st Stryker Brigade's 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright, went unmentioned by the governor in her brief remarks. Palin had agreed to speak at the deployment ceremony several months ago, before she was tapped as Sen. John McCain's running mate.
Though the speech wasn't a political event -- media credentials were issued by the military base -- that didn't stop dozens of national reporters and photographers from descending on the military base in Fairbanks, home to nearly 12,000 soldiers and their families.
"As you depart today, | [
"When was Track deployed?",
"Where did Sarah Palin's son recently go?",
"What does Beau Biden do?",
"What did Biden tell the crowd?",
"What is Joe Biden's son's name?",
"Where did Joe Biden speak?",
"Who served as captain in the National Guard ?",
"Who spoke at his son's deployment?",
"Where was Biden's ceremony held?",
"What did Joe Biden tell the crowd?"
] | [
[
"September 11."
],
[
"deployed to Iraq"
],
[
"captain in the National Guard and Delaware's attorney general"
],
[
"\"I've come here many times before as a Delawarean, as a United States senator,\""
],
[
"Beau"
],
[
"Delaware"
],
[
"Beau Biden"
],
[
"Joe Biden"
],
[
"Delaware"
],
[
"\"I've come here many times before as a Delawarean, as a United States senator,\""
]
] | Joe Biden speaks at his son's deployment ceremony in Delaware .
Beau Biden is a National Guard captain and Delaware's AG .
Biden tells the crowd: "My heart is full of love and pride"
Sarah Palin's son, Track, was deployed to Iraq on September 11 . |
DOVER, England (CNN) -- As the ferries dock at the Port of Dover after crossing the English Channel, the trucks pull in at a steady rate. Afghanistan's opium harvest can be traced right back to some of those trucks. Afghanistan is the world's biggest supplier of illegal opium, which is made from the seed pods of poppies. "The routes are many and varied, the concealments are many and varied, we see body [concealment], we see what you call stuffers and swallowers, internal concealments," says Steve Coates, deputy director of Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency. "They're one step ahead of us and we're desperately trying to get one step ahead of them and I think it's a long game," he said. Coates has spent almost 25 years tracking the heroin pipeline. But he says the approach over the last few years is more intelligence-led. "If we seize the powder, the commodity, they very quickly replace it. The financial flow is much more important. If you can hit the gangs, the proceeds of crime, you really are affecting them, you're reaching right into them and actually impacting them," says Coates. Watch how the Afghan drug pipeline is difficult to stop » A new United Nations report confirms the status of the lawless and fertile lands of southern Afghanistan as the world's biggest supplier of illegal opium, the addictive narcotic that is made from the seed pods of poppies. The drug is ravaging the young, poor and vulnerable in Afghanistan, and its proceeds are the lifeblood of the Taliban. It also is spreading on a drug trail that spans the world. While Western governments have for years debated how to stop the lucrative drug trade in Afghanistan, the business has only grown. The U.N. report notes that for years, the counternarcotics strategies around the world have failed to have any real effect on addiction or drug trafficking. In some countries, heroin is 10 times cheaper now than it was 30 years ago. "We've been very good in the past at playing cops and robbers, but did [that] make a difference? No it didn't," concedes Coates. The key now, say law enforcement officials, isn't wiping out the poppies, scanning every truck or locking up the small-time dealers, but rather gathering intelligence that follows and then destroys the lucrative money trail. Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency says it is now committed to taking a collaborative approach not just with its own national partners, but by working intelligence links through the world. | [
"Where do traffickers hide drugs?",
"What does Steve Coates say?",
"Who's report is it?",
"Where do the traffickers hide drugs?",
"What is the name of the port?",
"What was the port of Dover used for?"
] | [
[
"body"
],
[
"you call stuffers and swallowers, internal concealments,\""
],
[
"United Nations"
],
[
"trucks"
],
[
"Dover"
],
[
"ferries dock"
]
] | Port of Dover serves as entry point for much of Afghanistan's opium harvest .
Traffickers hide drugs in trucks, bodies, British drug official says .
"They're one step ahead of us," Steve Coates says .
U.N. report says counter-drug strategies have been ineffective . |
DUBAI (CNN) -- A court in Dubai sentenced two men Wednesday to 15 years in prison for the rape and kidnapping of a 15-year-old French boy. Veronique Robert, mother of the 15-year-old French-Swiss teen, speaking outside a court in Dubai. The boy's mother, Veronique Robert, was visibly upset after the sentence was read and promised to appeal. Robert, a French journalist, brought the case to the media's attention in recent months in an effort to shed light on what she deemed to be injustices in the pro-Western emirate of Dubai. Robert said Wednesday's sentence was too lenient for a crime that she believes is tantamount to attempted murder because one of her son's attackers was knowingly HIV-positive at the time of the rape. She refrained from asking the death penalty for her son's attackers, but said she hoped the sentence would be much longer. A spokesman for the Dubai government, Habib al Mulla, told CNN the sentence was in accordance with international standards and was not lenient. "Today's verdict has proven that the system is efficient and is fair to all parties involved," al Mulla said. The case began in July, when the two men, 36 and 18, kidnapped and raped the French teenager at knifepoint. Robert contacted French diplomats, who took up the allegations with Dubai authorities. Al Mulla said police action was swift and arrests were made within 24 hours. But Robert has said the case was botched from the start, beginning with her son's examination by a doctor who said her son was gay. Homosexuality in Dubai is illegal, and the teen could have faced as much as a year in prison. Robert's son has since returned to France and was not in court for Wednesday's sentencing. Robert has also said Dubai authorities repeatedly concealed evidence -- confirmed in court papers -- that one of the attackers was HIV-positive. Robert said her son, who is still awaiting test results to find out whether he has the virus, could have gotten treatment much sooner had they known. Dubai authorities deny any evidence was concealed. The case has shed light on Dubai's attitudes toward rape and homosexuality, which some Western observers have said is outdated. Al Mulla, however, said Wednesday's sentencing and the government's handling of the case proves the country's system works. "It's today's verdict which proves that there is a system," al Mulla said. "The system is working properly. However, if there is any room for any improvement in the system, we'll definitely look into it, consider it, and if there's any room for improvement, we'll implement it." The mother has already filed suit in courts in Paris and Geneva, Switzerland seeking compensation from Sheikh Khalifa, president of the United Arab Emirates, and the prime minister and vice president of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum. She is also suing others, including the Dubai police chief. Robert started a Web site over the summer, boycottdubai.com, demanding better treatment for children who suffer sexual assault there. At a press conference last month, she proclaimed, "We are here because I just would like first justice for my son; and second for every girl and boy who was raped and even had no chance to speak." Robert said she will drop all her pending cases if the government sets up rape clinics, recognizes the status of rape victims, and takes precautions after rape against sexually-transmitted diseases. In the wake of Wednesday's verdict, Robert said a Dubai government official told her the emirate plans to open its first rape clinic, which she said was a small victory. The government has not yet officially announced its plans to open such a facility. Al Mulla told CNN that Dubai believes a reception center for rape victims is "a good solution." "We are considering it," he said, regarding Robert's request. "We believe it's good. It's good for the victims, and it's good for the whole system | [
"What disease did one of the attackers have?",
"What amount of time were two men sentenced for?",
"What did the court sentence the two men to?",
"Where was the victim from?",
"What did one of the attackers knowingly have?",
"What does the family want?",
"What was one of the attackers?",
"What age was the boy they kidnapped?",
"Which country is the trial taking place in?"
] | [
[
"HIV-positive"
],
[
"15 years in prison"
],
[
"15 years in prison"
],
[
"France"
],
[
"HIV-positive"
],
[
"She refrained from asking the death penalty for her son's attackers, but said she hoped the sentence would be much longer."
],
[
"knowingly HIV-positive"
],
[
"15-year-old"
],
[
"DUBAI"
]
] | Dubai court sentences two men to 15 years for rape, kidnapping of 15-year-old boy .
One of the attackers was knowingly HIV-positive at the time of the rape .
Family of the French victim says this makes attack akin to attempted murder .
Family say case investigation botched, want more severe sentence . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Inspired by images of Iranians taking to the streets to support the opposition presidential candidate, Michelle May decided to head to Tehran. Michelle May, an American and Irish national, was detained and forced to leave Iran. "I just felt a real need to be there with my friends, and I just wanted to be a part of what could possibly be history," May told CNN's "American Morning" on Wednesday. "So I made arrangements at the last minute." May, who is an American and Irish national, used her Irish passport to travel to Tehran just days before the street demonstrations turned violent as Iranian authorities cracked down on those protesting the results of the June 12 election. "I had been there two times before, and I feel very connected to the country and the people there," she said. "I have a lot of friends." Her third visit took a terrifying turn Saturday shortly after she checked for the latest news at an Internet cafe in Tehran. "This young man befriended me. I was trying to download CNN to find out -- this was the day after the ayatollah gave his prayer on Friday," May said. Afterward, the man helped her hail a taxi outside the cafe to meet one of her friends for lunch, she said. "About half an hour into that ride, the next thing I know, there are two motorbikes on either side of my taxi," she said. "He's on the back of one of them, and three big Basij guys are on the other, and they pull me over. I knew what was happening." The Basij, Iran's feared volunteer paramilitary group, has cracked down on the thousands of protesters in the bloody aftermath of the Islamic republic's disputed presidential election. "I was terrified, and I immediately started screaming, saying no, no, no," May said. The young man climbed into the taxi and told her to go with him and the three other men. "So I stood up to get out of the taxi, but then I thought I'll make a scene on the street, maybe they'll leave me alone," she said. "However, that didn't work. I think because everyone's just terrified of the Basij right now." She was forced into a car and held for more than an hour. Her captors accused her of spying, and after much back-and-forth they drove by a police station where about 50 Iranian police were hanging out. "I actually trust the police there so I banged on the window, and the guy next to me, the one who spoke English, said, 'OK, we'll stop.' "They brought me into the police station where I was questioned there. And I had a pretty good idea at that time that everything was going to be OK because they really had nothing on me," May said. "I'm not a terrorist; I'm not a spy. So they really had nothing to go on." She was told to leave the country, and she headed for Dubai where she spoke to CNN. May said she admires the bravery of the Iranians protesting in Tehran. "I don't even know how they're doing it, because honestly everyone I know there is just scared," she said. "They know that they're risking their lives, but they are so fed up that they're willing to do that." | [
"what its the name American?",
"Who had been to Iran before?",
"Who is an American and Irish national?",
"Who picked up May?",
"What did May say?",
"Where did Basij pick up May?"
] | [
[
"Michelle May,"
],
[
"Michelle May,"
],
[
"Michelle May,"
],
[
"The Basij,"
],
[
"\"I just felt a real need to be there with my friends, and I just wanted to be a part of"
],
[
"Tehran."
]
] | Michelle May, an American and Irish national, had been to Iran before .
Basij picked up May after she looked at news at an Internet cafe .
May: 'I immediately started screaming, saying no, no, no' |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir on Tuesday accused the international media of "exaggerating" the situation in Darfur to detract from atrocities in Iraq, the Palestinian territories and Somalia.
Refugees from Darfur gather at a camp in Chad. Sudan's president says the crisis in Darfur is a "media fabrication."
El-Bashir spoke at a news conference in Dubai following a three-day visit to the Persian Gulf emirate. He said the crisis in Sudan's western Darfur region is a "media fabrication."
El-Bashir's government has been blamed by the United Nations of supporting militias that conduct "indiscriminate attacks" on civilians in the Darfur region, including torture, rape, and killings.
Rebels fighting the government-backed militias have also been accused by the U.N. of widespread human rights abuses.
During Tuesday's news conference, el-Bashir restated his position that foreign intervention in Darfur was an obstacle in achieving peace in the region.
The Sudanese president has been outspoken in his opposition to allowing non-African forces in Darfur.
At the start of this year, more than 9,000 members of a joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force were deployed to the region to address the fighting and humanitarian suffering.
The force will eventually number 26,000.
Speaking on Tuesday, el-Bashir said that the fighting only affects 10 percent of the region. In the majority of Darfur, there is little to no conflict and people are living normal lives, he said.
Citing Sudanese government statistics, el-Bashir said that less than 10,000 people have died in the conflict and less than 500,000 have been displaced.
International figures, including United Nations' data, put the death toll in Darfur at approximately 200,000, with another 2.5 million people displaced by the violence since 2003.
The conflict started five years ago when ethnic African tribesmen took up arms, complaining of decades of neglect and discrimination by the Sudanese government.
Sudan's Arab-dominated government is accused of responding by unleashing the tribal militias known as janjaweed, which have committed the worst atrocities against Darfur's local communities.
El-Bashir, however, rejected claims that the Darfur conflict is being fought along ethnic lines. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Elham Nakhlawi in Dubai contributed to this report. | [
"How many have died, according to the UN?",
"How many people died according to the U.N.?",
"Name of the Sudanese president?",
"Who is the Sudanese President?",
"Number of people the U.N. says have died.",
"What did El-Bashir say?",
"What is a \"media fabrication\"?",
"What is described as a media fabrication?",
"What is a media fabrication?"
] | [
[
"200,000,"
],
[
"approximately 200,000,"
],
[
"Omar el-Bashir"
],
[
"Omar el-Bashir"
],
[
"United Nations' data, put the death toll in Darfur at approximately 200,000,"
],
[
"He said the crisis in Sudan's western Darfur region is a \"media fabrication.\""
],
[
"crisis in Sudan's western Darfur region is a"
],
[
"crisis in Darfur"
],
[
"crisis in Darfur"
]
] | Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir: Crisis in Darfur region is a "media fabrication"
Plan is to detract from atrocities in Iraq, Palestinian territories and Somalia, he says .
El-Bashir says less than 10,000 people have died and less than 500,000 displaced .
U.N. says 200,000 people have died, and 2.5 million have been displaced . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A British couple convicted for having sex on a public beach in Dubai will not face jail after a judge suspended their prison sentences, their lawyer said Tuesday. File image of one of the co-accused -- Vince Acors -- arriving at court in Dubai in September. The couple, Michelle Palmer and Vincent Acors, had faced a three-month sentence, but they were freed on bail in October pending an appeal. Hassan Mattar, one of their lawyers, said he was trying to get permission for Palmer -- who worked in Dubai -- to stay in the United Arab Emirates, and for Acors to travel back to Britain. Acors had been on a business trip to Dubai when he was arrested. The United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is located, is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states. Still, the oil-rich kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules. Palmer and Acors were arrested on a public beach shortly after midnight on July 5. Police charged them with illicit relations, public indecency, and public intoxication. A court found them guilty in October and fined them 1,000 dirhams ($367) for the charge of public indecency. Both denied they had intercourse. And during the trial, Mattar argued that the public prosecutor failed to produce corroborative evidence against his clients on the first two charges, though he said both tested positive for liquor. More than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, and more than 100,000 British nationals live there, according to the British Foreign Office. The country is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- the largest indoor snow park in the world. -- CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report. | [
"What did the couple do that was indecent?",
"when were the pair arrested?",
"what country is involved",
"what are they charged with",
"who faces a three-month sentence?",
"what were the couple charge with?",
"What are the laws in Dubai?",
"When did the couple appear in court?"
] | [
[
"having sex on a public beach"
],
[
"shortly after midnight on July 5."
],
[
"The United Arab Emirates,"
],
[
"for having sex on a public beach in"
],
[
"Michelle Palmer and Vincent Acors,"
],
[
"sex on a public beach"
],
[
"certain Islamic rules."
],
[
"September."
]
] | The couple, Michelle Palmer and Vincent Acors, faced three-month sentence .
The pair were arrested at a Dubai beach shortly after midnight on July 5 .
They were charged with with illicit relations, public indecency, public intoxication .
Although a relatively moderate Gulf state, Dubai adheres to certain Islamic rules . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A court in Dubai has sentenced two Britons to three months in prison for having sex on a public beach in the Muslim country. File image of one of the co-accused -- Vince Acors -- arriving at court in Dubai in September. After they complete their sentence, the pair will be deported. They also have to pay a 1,000 dirhams ($367) fine for public indecency. Police charged Michelle Palmer, 36, and Vincent Acors, 34, with illicit relations, public indecency and public intoxication after their arrest at a beach shortly after midnight on July 5. Both denied that they had intercourse. "The public (prosecutor) failed to produce corroborative evidence against my clients concerning having consensual sex and committing indecent gestures in public," said the pair's lawyer, Hasan Mattar. He said the pair will appeal the verdict. Watch how case stirs up Dubai's bar scene » The United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- where Dubai is located -- is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states. Still, the oil-rich Gulf kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules. More than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, and more than 100,000 British nationals live there, according to the British Foreign Office. The country is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- boasts the largest indoor snow park in the world. -- CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report | [
"When were the pair arrested?",
"What were they charged with in Dubai?",
"When will the two Britons be deported?",
"what day were they arrested",
"What is a Britons ?",
"What will happen to the two Britons after they complete their sentences?",
"What were they charged with?",
"Where were the pair arrested?",
"Where is Dubai?",
"what will happen to the britions"
] | [
[
"July 5."
],
[
"having sex on a public beach"
],
[
"After they complete their sentence, the pair"
],
[
"July 5."
],
[
"British visitors"
],
[
"deported."
],
[
"illicit relations, public indecency and public intoxication"
],
[
"DUBAI,"
],
[
"Arab Emirates"
],
[
"three months in prison"
]
] | The two Britons will be deported after they complete their sentence .
The pair were arrested at a Dubai beach shortly after midnight on July 5 .
They were charged with with illicit relations, public indecency, public intoxication .
Although a relatively moderate Gulf state, Dubai adheres to certain Islamic rules . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A helicopter crashed into an oil drilling platform off the coast of Dubai, killing all seven people on board, officials said Thursday. The helicopter which crashed was a Bell 212, the same model as pictured above. Among the victims were an American and a Briton, said Hanan Moussa of the United Arab Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority. Also killed were two Indians, a Pakistani, a Filipino and a Venezuelan, Moussa said. The Bell 212 helicopter crashed Wednesday on the deck of an oil rig, then broke up and fell into the sea, said a spokesman for AeroGulf Services -- which operated the chopper. A fire broke out aboard the rig, located about 43 miles (70 km) off the coast of Dubai. The fire was quickly contained, the AeroGulf spokesman said. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. CNN's Ammar Ben Aziz and Caroline Faraj contributed to this report. | [
"What nationalities are the victims?",
"What killed 7 people?",
"What crashed into oil platform?",
"What crashed into an oil drilling platform?",
"where did it crash?"
] | [
[
"American and a Briton,"
],
[
"helicopter crashed"
],
[
"helicopter"
],
[
"A helicopter"
],
[
"Dubai,"
]
] | Helicopter crashes into an oil drilling platform off Dubai, killing seven people .
Victims were: American, British, Indian, Pakistani, Filipino and Venezuelan .
Bell 212 helicopter crashed on the deck of the oil rig . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A huge man-made island shaped like a date palm tree opened Thursday off the coast of Dubai with a celebrity-studded gala and a three-day party. The island officially opens with a spectacular fireworks display. The Palm Jumeirah increased Dubai's shoreline by 100 percent after work started on it in 2001. It features resort hotels, homes, luxury shopping and entertainment. Though the entire island officially opened Thursday, parts of it already opened weeks ago -- including the Atlantis, The Palm, a sister to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. The Atlantis played host to the opening celebration Thursday night. Stars including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Robert De Niro, Janet Jackson and the Duchess of York were in attendance. Pop star Kylie Minogue performed at the party. Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra started what was billed as the world's largest-ever fireworks display, with more than 100,000 pyrotechnic devices. When work on the island began, a team of Dutch engineers were employed to create the Palm by using a technique called rainbowing -- a vessel dredging sand from the seabed and spraying and piling it onto the desired area and into the requested shape. | [
"What is the Palm Jumeirah?",
"Where is Palm Jumeirah island?",
"Who will be at the opening party?",
"When was the opening party?",
"Where is Dubai?",
"How much has the addition of the man-made island increased the Dubai coastline?",
"What is the name of the man-made island?",
"Where is the island located?"
] | [
[
"A huge man-made island"
],
[
"off the coast of Dubai"
],
[
"Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Robert De Niro, Janet Jackson"
],
[
"Thursday night."
],
[
"Arab Emirates"
],
[
"100 percent"
],
[
"Palm Jumeirah"
],
[
"off the coast of Dubai"
]
] | The Palm Jumeirah man-made island officially opens off Dubai .
The island of luxury shops, hotels, entertainment doubled Dubai coastline .
Robert De Niro, Janet Jackson and the Duchess of York at opening party . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- An American sailor fatally shot two female sailors before shooting himself Monday inside a U.S. military barracks in Bahrain, the Navy said. The alleged shooter, a male, survived the self-inflicted gunshot and was in critical condition at a military hospital in Bahrain, the Navy said. The man was under heavy security. The motive for the shootings is unclear, but the Navy said the incident was not terror-related and it involved only U.S. military personnel. The shootings occurred about 5 a.m., the Navy said in a news release. The base was closed for about an hour after the shootings. A Navy spokesman in Bahrain refused to provide any other details about the incident. Naval Support Activity Bahrain supports the U.S. Fifth Fleet, whose operations span about 7.5 million square miles across 27 countries. Included in the fleet's area of responsibility are the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. The support base is located just outside Manama, the capital. Bahrain, a U.S. ally, is an island nation in the Persian Gulf, wedged between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. E-mail to a friend CNN's Barbara Starr and Caroline Faraj contributed to this report. | [
"What does the base support?",
"Who says Sailor shoots two female colleagues, then self?",
"what did the sailor do to two female colleagues and himself?",
"where did the incident occur in the country?",
"On which support facility did the incident occur?"
] | [
[
"the U.S. Fifth Fleet,"
],
[
"the Navy"
],
[
"shot"
],
[
"Bahrain,"
],
[
"U.S. military barracks"
]
] | NEW: Sailor shoots two female colleagues, then self, Navy says .
Incident occurred at U.S. Navy support facility in the country .
Navy says incident was not terror-related .
Base supports U.S. Fifth Fleet, whose operations span 27 nations . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Dubai has forgiven the nearly $7 billion Baghdad owes it, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced Sunday. UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has promised to appoint an ambassador to Iraq. UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan promised to "put out these debts," appoint an ambassador to Baghdad, and "help Iraq building the holy shrines that were targeted by the terrorists," al-Maliki said in a written statement. Al-Maliki and the sheikh met Sunday, the first day of a two-day official visit. Al-Maliki was accompanied by the Iraqi ministers of Interior, Commerce and Industry. "Our biggest challenge is now the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the economic situation and to provide services to our citizens," al-Maliki said. Debt relief is a major issue for Iraq, and the United States has urged other nations to forgive Iraqi debt, most of which is held by Arab states, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt said in late May. Also, the UAE Cabinet on Sunday nominated Abdullah Ibrahim al-Shehhi to be the country's ambassador to Iraq. Al-Shehhi, who previously served as the Emirates' ambassador to India, is to travel to Iraq after his nomination is confirmed. An official government source said the UAE intends to reopen its embassy in Baghdad by the end of the year. The United States and other nations have urged Arab countries to post ambassadors to Iraq, reopen embassies and forge closer relationships with Iraq's government. The UAE mission in Iraq hasn't been active since a UAE diplomat was kidnapped and released two years ago. The year before that, two Iraqis working for that mission were killed. No ambassador from an Arab country has been stationed permanently in Iraq since July 2005, when Egypt's ambassador, Dr. Ihab al-Sherif, was abducted from a Baghdad street and slain. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the assassination, saying it had killed al-Sherif because of Egypt's foreign policies and its alliances with the United States and Israel. The UAE's announcement Sunday came a month after its foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, visited Baghdad. During that visit, al-Nahyan extended the official invitation that brought al-Maliki to Dubai. Iraq's government said that al-Nahyan's one-day visit was the first to Iraq by a Gulf Cooperation Council foreign minister since the 2003 U.S-led invasion that toppled the regime of President Saddam Hussein. The Gulf Cooperation Council also includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Prior to al-Nahyan's visit, only Syria and Jordan had sent foreign ministers to Iraq in the post-Saddam Hussein era. The Arab League's secretary-general has also visited. War and the Sunni-Shiite rivalry in Iraq and the Muslim world have slowed the Arab world's re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Iraq. Iraq's mixed population is mostly Arab with some Kurds and Turkmens, and mostly Shiite Muslim, with a Sunni Muslim minority. Most Arab countries -- including the UAE -- are Sunni-ruled. Iraq's government is Shiite-dominated and it is forging a close relationship with its neighbor, the non-Arab Shiite nation of Iran -- a development that concerns Arab nations wary of Iran's Islamic Republic government. Al-Maliki's government is seeking to develop close ties to all countries of the region. CNN's Caroline Faraj in Dubai and Mohammed Tawfeeq in Baghdad contributed to this report. | [
"who did they nominated"
] | [
[
"Abdullah Ibrahim al-Shehhi"
]
] | President of United Arab Emirates agrees to cancel all Iraq's debts to the nation .
West has urged nations to forgive billions in Iraqi debt .
UAE Cabinet nominates Abdullah Ibrahim al-Shehhi to be ambassador to Iraq . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The British Foreign Office has warned its nationals -- traveling to or living in the United Arab Emirates -- about the increased threat of a terrorist attack. In 2006 over one million Britons visited the United Arab Emirates, according to the UK Foreign office. The alert, posted on its Web site, urged Britons in the oil-rich Gulf kingdom to be vigilant -- especially in public places -- because of a "high threat of terrorism." The UAE is among the most moderate Gulf states and is home to thousands of expatriates. "We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE," the Foreign Office statement read. "Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests." By Monday, the U.S. State Department had not issued any warnings about the UAE. The UAE, slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maine, is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- boasts the largest indoor snow park in the world. According to the British Foreign Office, more than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, while over 100,000 British nationals live there. The country is an ally in the United States' "war on terror," and its ports host more U.S. Navy ships than any port outside the U.S., according to the U.S. State Department. Two of the attackers who took part in the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington came from the UAE. And it was among a handful of countries that recognized the fundamentalist Taliban regime before the September 11 attacks. | [
"Who is the UAE's key ally?",
"When do they think this will happen?",
"Where does the UK Foreign Office suspect terrorists will attack?",
"What is the UAE?",
"Who is a key ally of the US?",
"Who is an ally for the united states?",
"What did the UK Foreign Office state?"
] | [
[
"United States'"
],
[
"at any time,"
],
[
"UAE,\""
],
[
"Arab Emirates"
],
[
"British"
],
[
"UAE,"
],
[
"\"We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE,\""
]
] | UK Foreign Office: Terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE .
It added that attacks could be "indiscriminate and could happen at any time"
U.S. State Department has not issued any warnings about the UAE .
UAE is a key ally in the United States' "war on terror" |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The United Arab Emirates has refused to grant a visa to a female Israeli tennis player, preventing her from competing in the Sony Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai, the WTA said in a statement Sunday.
The UAE has refused to grant a visa allowing Shahar Peer to compete in Dubai.
Shahar Peer would have been the first Israeli athlete to participate in a professional sporting event in the UAE, CNN Sports correspondent Pedro Pinto said.
The UAE has no diplomatic ties with Israel.
Peer told CNN on Sunday evening she was "very, very disappointed" to be denied access to the tournament.
"Any player that qualifies should attend, and I was prevented," she said from Israel. "I'm glad the WTA support me. A red line was crossed for every athlete in the world -- politics should be kept separate from sports."
The governing body of women's tennis said it was "deeply disappointed" that Peer was being denied entry to the country hosting the tournament, but it did not cancel the competition, which began Sunday.
The move runs counter to WTA policy, which says no player should be barred from competing in a tournament for which she has qualified.
Dubai could lose its membership in the WTA tour next year over the ban on Peer, according to WTA rules. That would mean professional players could compete only in exhibition matches in Dubai, the results of which would not count in pro rankings.
Government officials in Dubai have not responded to CNN's request to comment over their refusal to allow Peer to compete in the event.
"Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament, and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right," said Larry Scott, chairman and chief executive of the tour. Watch Scott express disappointment »
"Following various consultations, the tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the tour's board of directors."
The patron of the Dubai Tennis Championships is Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Makhtoum. Two million dollars in prize money is on the line.
Al-Makhtoum told CNN in 2004 that Dubai would accept Israeli students to a school dedicated to students from the Middle East who are talented at sports.
In 2003, Dubai hosted World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings, which Israeli government officials attended. The Israeli flag -- among other member states' flags -- is still part of a globe monument in Dubai.
Peer, 21, is ranked 48th in the world among female tennis players. She was allowed to compete at the Doha tournament in Qatar last year, where she received a warm welcome, according to Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz.
Qatar, another Gulf Arab state, froze diplomatic ties with Israel after Israel's military offensive in Gaza last month.
Peer downplayed the political undertones of her participation in last year's Doha tournament, telling Haaretz that she didn't come to Qatar "to help the politics of course." But she added that if her playing in the tournament "can help for peace or anything, I'd be really happy."
Scott said the tour will "review appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer" as well as "appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament."
Peer was advised Saturday by tournament and WTA officials of the denial of her visa while she was participating in a tournament in Pattaya, Thailand, according to a WTA statement.
The Dubai Tennis Championships runs through February 28. | [
"What did the United Arab Emirates refuse?",
"What did Peer need to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships?",
"What does Peer say?",
"Who is Shahar Peer?",
"Who refused visa?"
] | [
[
"grant a visa to a female"
],
[
"visa"
],
[
"she was \"very, very disappointed\" to be denied access to the tournament."
],
[
"a female"
],
[
"The United Arab Emirates"
]
] | NEW: Shahar Peer, female Israeli tennis player, says she's "very, very disappointed"
United Arab Emirates refuses to grant a visa to Peer .
Peer needed the visa to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships .
World Tennis Association unhappy, says move runs counter to its policy . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The United Arab Emirates has refused to grant a visa to a female Israeli tennis player, preventing her from competing in the Sony Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai, the WTA said in a statement Sunday. The UAE has refused to grant a visa allowing Shahar Peer to compete in Dubai. Shahar Peer would have been the first Israeli athlete to participate in a professional sporting event in the UAE, CNN Sports correspondent Pedro Pinto said. The UAE has no diplomatic ties with Israel. Peer told CNN on Sunday evening she was "very, very disappointed" to be denied access to the tournament. "Any player that qualifies should attend, and I was prevented," she said from Israel. "I'm glad the WTA support me. A red line was crossed for every athlete in the world -- politics should be kept separate from sports." The governing body of women's tennis said it was "deeply disappointed" that Peer was being denied entry to the country hosting the tournament, but it did not cancel the competition, which began Sunday. The move runs counter to WTA policy, which says no player should be barred from competing in a tournament for which she has qualified. Dubai could lose its membership in the WTA tour next year over the ban on Peer, according to WTA rules. That would mean professional players could compete only in exhibition matches in Dubai, the results of which would not count in pro rankings. Government officials in Dubai have not responded to CNN's request to comment over their refusal to allow Peer to compete in the event. "Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament, and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right," said Larry Scott, chairman and chief executive of the tour. Watch Scott express disappointment » "Following various consultations, the tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the tour's board of directors." The patron of the Dubai Tennis Championships is Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Makhtoum. Two million dollars in prize money is on the line. Al-Makhtoum told CNN in 2004 that Dubai would accept Israeli students to a school dedicated to students from the Middle East who are talented at sports. In 2003, Dubai hosted World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings, which Israeli government officials attended. The Israeli flag -- among other member states' flags -- is still part of a globe monument in Dubai. Peer, 21, is ranked 48th in the world among female tennis players. She was allowed to compete at the Doha tournament in Qatar last year, where she received a warm welcome, according to Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz. Qatar, another Gulf Arab state, froze diplomatic ties with Israel after Israel's military offensive in Gaza last month. Peer downplayed the political undertones of her participation in last year's Doha tournament, telling Haaretz that she didn't come to Qatar "to help the politics of course." But she added that if her playing in the tournament "can help for peace or anything, I'd be really happy." Scott said the tour will "review appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer" as well as "appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament." Peer was advised Saturday by tournament and WTA officials of the denial of her visa while she was participating in a tournament in Pattaya, Thailand, according to a WTA statement. The Dubai Tennis Championships runs through February 28. | [
"What did the World Tennis Association say?",
"Who has refused to grant a via?",
"Who is disappointed?",
"Who is Shahar Peer?",
"Who is very very disappointed?",
"What did she need a visa for?",
"Who refuses to grant a visa?"
] | [
[
"\"deeply disappointed\""
],
[
"The United Arab Emirates"
],
[
"governing body of women's tennis"
],
[
"Israeli tennis player,"
],
[
"Shahar Peer"
],
[
"competing in the Sony Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai,"
],
[
"UAE"
]
] | NEW: Shahar Peer, female Israeli tennis player, says she's "very, very disappointed"
United Arab Emirates refuses to grant a visa to Peer .
Peer needed the visa to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships .
World Tennis Association unhappy, says move runs counter to its policy . |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The recent arrest and sentencing of a British disc jockey in Dubai highlights the need for foreign travelers to pay close attention to the United Arab Emirates' strict rules on prohibited substances, a legal charity said Wednesday.
Western tourists oblivious to the severe drugs laws in the UAE often end up in jail after arriving in the conservative Muslim country with tiny amounts of narcotics.
DJ Grooverider, whose real name is Raymond Bingham, was jailed Tuesday for four years in Dubai for possession of cannabis, said a spokesman for BBC Radio 1, where the he presented a weekly drum 'n bass show.
He was arrested November 23 after being caught with 2.16 grams of the drug at the airport, the BBC spokesman said.
"It's another incident of exactly the sort of case we've seen occurring with increased frequency," said Catherine Wolthuizen, chief executive of Fair Trials International.
The charity issued a warning to travelers earlier this month, urging them to read up on Dubai's restrictions and make sure they are free of any substances. The warning followed a series of cases in which Dubai authorities arrested travelers with trace amounts of banned substances or seemingly innocuous items.
Fair Trials highlighted the case of a Swiss man jailed for having three poppy seeds on his shirt which apparently came from a sandwich he had eaten at the airport before departure.
UAE customs officials said the man was stopped after arriving in Dubai from Zurich on January 18, though it provided no other details on his case.
The U.S. State Department warns that poppy seeds are on the UAE's list of controlled substances. An official at the UAE's police labs who declined to be named said the Emirates only ban raw poppy seeds -- not baked -- because raw seeds could be planted for drug use.
The British and U.S. governments have warnings in place for travelers to the UAE, alerting them to the severe penalties for being found with drugs, and the types of drugs which are illegal in the country.
"The possession and/or import of even the smallest amount of drugs can result in a minimum prison sentence of four years," states the advice from Britain's Foreign Office. "The presence of drugs in the system is counted as possession."
Some prescribed medications -- such as Valium or those used for hormone replacement therapy -- are forbidden even with a prescription, Fair Trials said. Codeine, which is available over the counter in Britain, is allowed only with a doctor's prescription, the Foreign Office states.
Fair Trials mentioned the case of an unnamed 20-year-old who was traveling back to England from Pakistan. The charity said he was arrested after customs officers allegedly found 0.02 grams of cannabis in his pocket.
UAE customs officials told CNN the 20-year-old was arrested January 16 and actually was found with 0.67 grams of cannabis.
"Travelers must be aware about and understand the laws of any country they visit," said a customs official, who also declined to be named.
The BBC spokesman said Grooverider, who went to Dubai to work at a club, claimed he forgot the drugs were in the pocket of a pair of trousers.
"Grooverider is paying a very high price for a serious mistake," the Radio 1 spokesman said.
Fair Trials' Wolthuizen said one thing is clear: Travelers to the UAE must be careful.
"The Emirates are quite happy to be known as having an unusually strict approach to enforcing their drug laws," Wolthuizen said. "They are going to extraordinary lengths to enforce them." E-mail to a friend | [
"What amount of cannabis was in his possession?",
"What country is Dubai in?",
"How many years was the DJ jailed?",
"Number of years the DJ was jailed for?",
"How many grams of drugs did Grooverider have?",
"Who has an unusually strict approach to enforcing their drug laws?",
"When was he arrested?",
"How long was the DJ in Dubai jailed for?",
"When was the DJ arrested?",
"Who was sentenced?",
"How long will Grooverider be in jail for?"
] | [
[
"2.16 grams"
],
[
"UAE"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"2.16"
],
[
"the United Arab Emirates'"
],
[
"November 23"
],
[
"four years"
],
[
"November 23"
],
[
"DJ Grooverider, whose real name is Raymond Bingham,"
],
[
"four years"
]
] | Grooverider sentence highlights UAE's strict drug rules .
The DJ was jailed for four years in Dubai on Tuesday for possession of cannabis .
He was arrested November 23 after being caught with 2.16 grams of the drug .
The Emirates have an unusually strict approach to enforcing their drug laws . |
DUBLIN, Ireland (CNN) -- Irish voters are going to the polls again Friday -- to vote on a treaty they rejected just over a year ago. Prime Minister Brian Cowen gets out the 'vote yes' message in Tullamore. But this time round, opinion polls indicate the "yes" campaign to adopt the Lisbon Treaty and its rules for governing an expanded European Union will be successful. The EU has made assurances to Ireland that the Lisbon Treaty will not affect the country's abortion laws or its neutrality and that Ireland will keep a European Commissioner. In the weeks leading up to the vote, Dublin was awash with posters for both sides of the emotional argument. "Yes" posters reminded voters how much Ireland has benefited financially from being inside the European Union. "No" placards questioned whether Ireland will lose its military neutrality, its anti-abortion laws and its minimum wage despite the EU assurances. Just more than half -- 53 percent -- of Irish voters said "No" to the Lisbon Treaty in June 2008, throwing the future structure of the European Union into doubt as all member states have to ratify the treaty before it can be adopted. Lisbon is the plan to modernize the EU's structure after it expanded to 27 members, with most of the new member states coming from Eastern Europe. Ireland has just one percent of the EU's population but its "no" vote effectively stopped adoption of the Lisbon Treaty across the continent. So, the Dublin government is holding another referendum Friday in the hope of this time getting a "yes" vote. No other EU citizens have been allowed to vote on the treaty as national parliaments have ratified the treaty. And to date only Poland and the Czech Republic governments have held up the final passage of the treaty in their own countries. But Ireland's constitution mandates citizens must be allowed to vote on any major changes to its own governmental structure. A handful of Dublin taxi drivers told CNN they would vote no because they see no reason to give to Brussels the powers that Ireland fought hard to wrestle away from Britain. "No" campaigner Brendan Young, from a group called People Before Profit, put it bluntly: "People having had experience of benign British presence don't want to be going fighting Britain's wars, or anybody else's." But the "no" campaign is a rag bag of groups that have little in common. Young says he is pro-Europe but does not want Irish tax money to pay for Europe's military structure. To illustrate the diverging political viewpoints in the "no" campaign, Young was not happy that the United Kingdom Independence Party was in Dublin and on his side. UKIP is an anti-European Union, British party and it finds itself on the same side as Sinn Fein, the anti-British, nationalist party. Conservative anti-abortion catholic groups also press the "no" case. "When I see the UK Independence Party join up with Sinn Fein and religious extremists, I must be on the right side," laughed Michael Wall, a "yes" campaigner. He said he volunteered to hand out leaflets because he says last year the pro-Lisbon Treaty lobby took a "yes" for granted. He says by talking about what is actually in the treaty -- a document most people last time round admitted they had not read -- he has changed minds. "I have met a lot of people on the campaign who voted no the last time. Voted no out of anger, voted no because of the arrogance of politicians who put their faces on the posters when the issue wasn't about, say, local elections," Wall said. "A lot of people have changed their mind and I think they should be given that opportunity" by getting to vote a second time. But Ireland is going through one of the worst recessions of any developed nation since the 1930s. There are no green shoots on the emerald island. Property prices have collapsed, unemployment doubled in a year and for the first time | [
"What do polls indicate?",
"What was the year voters rejected the treaty?",
"What indicates that a 'yes' campaign will succeed this time?",
"When was the treaty rejected?",
"Who rejected the treaty?",
"What country will vote on a treaty covering European expansion?"
] | [
[
"the \"yes\" campaign to adopt the Lisbon Treaty and its rules for governing an expanded European Union will be successful."
],
[
"2008,"
],
[
"opinion polls"
],
[
"in June 2008,"
],
[
"Irish voters"
],
[
"Ireland"
]
] | Ireland votes on treaty covering expansion of European Union .
Voters rejected treaty in 2008 but have new EU assurances this time .
A 'no' vote would delay, and possibly kill, implementation of the treaty EU-wide .
Opinion polls indicate the 'yes' campaign will succeed this time . |
DUBLIN, Ireland (CNN) -- Jane Orobator lives in a small house in Dublin, Ireland. She's a full time psychology student at Trinity college and she is single-handedly raising 3 girls aged 9 to 14. Their smiling faces are framed in photos on the walls at home -- the only ornaments in an otherwise sparsely decorated house. An emotional Jane Orabator said her daughter's arrest made her world crumble like a pack of cards. But there is one family member missing from these photos: the oldest sister, Samantha, now 21, in prison in Laos charged with smuggling heroin. "My life, my world is crumbling like a pack of cards right before me," Jane Orobator told CNN in an emotional interview. "Samantha has never given me any cause to worry." Over the course of a 90-minute interview with CNN, Orobator frequently broke down in tears. At one point, she collapsed to her knees and begged for her daughter's release. But Jane Orobator is clearly baffled and mystified as to how her daughter ended up in Laos in the first place. Samantha Orobator was born in Nigeria. Her family sent her to London, England, to live with her aunt when she was 8 years old to escape the political strife back home. By many accounts, Samantha was a happy and popular child. She achieved good grades and excelled in biology, hoping to become a surgeon. "A really nice child, who loved school, good friends, respected the staff, behaved herself and achieved good academic results," recalls school headmaster Serge Cefai. "We're extremely surprised," he says, "We've had some of her ex-friends get in touch with the school saying 'What do you know?' Well, we only know what the media has told us and what's now coming out. And everybody is in the same boat. Samantha couldn't be involved in drugs, could she?" Jane Orobator describes her daughter as quiet, petite and "fragile." Her daughter never mentioned any boyfriends and didn't smoke or drink, she says. In fact, Samantha's life was so trouble-free that when her mother and three sisters eventually moved to Dublin, Ireland, the family decided that she should stay with her friends and school in London. Friends say she was popular and outgoing, but that she also had an adventurous streak. Her former classmate Ronke Oseni describes a fun-loving girl with a passion for travel. "The thing about Samantha is that she likes to travel and do new things," she explains. "She's very funny, like extremely funny, the weirdest sense of humor, very articulate, very hard working." But the last time Oseni talked to her friend was in June last year. She did not mention any plans to go overseas. In fact, Samantha was planning a holiday, says her mother. Jane Orobator last talked to her daughter in July when she was traveling with friends in Holland. But Samantha did not mention any details about who she was traveling with or where she was going next. In August Samantha was arrested at the Wattan Airport in Vientiane, Laos, allegedly in possession of 1.5 pounds of heroin -- an offense punishable by death. How did Samantha end up here? Jane Orobator doesn't know. British consular officials contacted her sister, the aunt who raised Samantha, in September, informing the family that she was in jail. When Jane Orobator discussed it with her sister, both women dismissed it as impossible. "I just didn't believe it. It was totally out of character." She told us, "I thought it was her passport that someone else was using. And I was furious that Samantha had lost her passport or given it to someone else." It wasn't until January that British consular officials contacted Jane Orobator directly and confirmed that the woman inside the Phothong prison in Laos was indeed her daughter. And the nightmare got worse: She was told Samantha was five months pregnant. | [
"Samantha Orobator is charged with what.",
"what did mom say",
"what age is Samantha Orobator",
"where is Samantha Orobator in prison",
"What is she in prison for?",
"Who is pregnant"
] | [
[
"smuggling heroin."
],
[
"\"My life, my world is crumbling like a pack of cards right before me,\""
],
[
"21,"
],
[
"Laos"
],
[
"smuggling heroin."
],
[
"Samantha"
]
] | Mom: "Samantha has never given me any cause to worry"
Samantha Orobator, now 21, in prison in Laos charged with smuggling heroin .
Daughter was facing death penalty, but now won't because she's pregnant .
Mom happy about deal that would allow daughter to serve time in England . |
DULUTH, Georgia (CNN) -- Neither the on-the-field fame nor the off-the-field notoriety of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was enough to spark a bidding war for his suburban Atlanta mansion Tuesday. No one submitted the minimum $3.2 million bid for former Falcon Michael Vick's Atlanta-area mansion. The multimillion-dollar home in Duluth was on the auction block Tuesday, but just three real estate agents showed up -- and one of them, Lance Hempen of Funari Realty, was a listing agent who had no clients interested in the property. No one offered a bid, so the auction ended before it began. The auction required a minimum bid of $3.2 million, with a deposit of $160,000. Vick, 28, is serving a 23-month sentence after pleading guilty in August 2007 to a federal conspiracy charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia. He is expected to be released early, possibly in May, and to serve the final two months or so of his sentence under home confinement, most likely in Virginia. No dogfights occurred in Duluth, 40 miles northeast of Atlanta. The home, in the upscale Sugarloaf Country Club community, has been on the market for more than a year. It has eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a four-car garage and a movie theater, among other deluxe features. Narender Reddy of Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate said his client offered $3.2 million for the home two months ago, but the auction organizers said they wanted to see whether someone would offer more. Reddy said his client withdrew the bid but remains interested. "Why would I let them use my offer as a benchmark?" Reddy asked. "I wanted to see who was going to bid and what were they going to offer." He will advise his client to offer less money now, Reddy said. Seema Jain of Virtual Properties Realty also was on hand. She said that she has interested buyers but that they didn't want to bid if there was no competition. The next step is to be determined by the bankruptcy judge in Virginia who ordered the sale. Reddy said the price is too high for today's economy. "It is the economy that is dictating the price of the houses, and I'm sure most of the people still think $3.2 million ... is higher than what the market can fetch," he said. Jain said no one seems turned off by Vick's reputation. "Nobody cares about who owns it. It's just the product and the location," she said. Reddy said the home is "well-built, has a lake view and an excellent floor plan." CNN's Amanda Moyer and Deb Krajnak contributed to this report. | [
"Where is Michael Vick's mansion located?",
"Michael Vick is the former quarterback for which team?",
"Michael Vick was convicted for his connection with what type of operation?",
"What was the minimum bid for the mansion?",
"What did his conviction stem from?",
"What is the length of Vick's prison sentence?",
"Where is the mansion located?",
"Where is Vick's mansion?",
"Where is Michael Vick?"
] | [
[
"Atlanta"
],
[
"Atlanta"
],
[
"dogfighting"
],
[
"$3.2 million"
],
[
"federal conspiracy charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned"
],
[
"23-month"
],
[
"suburban Atlanta"
],
[
"Atlanta"
],
[
"serving a 23-month sentence"
]
] | No one submitted minimum $3.2 million bid for Michael Vick's mansion .
Vick, former quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, is in prison .
He was convicted last year in connection with dogfighting operation .
Mansion in Duluth, Georgia, has eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms . |
DUNN, North Carolina (CNN) -- Barack Obama's campaign announced Sunday the Democratic presidential candidate raised $150 million in donations in September, setting a new high-water mark in campaign fundraising. Barack Obama calls a prospective voter from a headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday. In a campaign video, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said a record 632,000 new donors gave to the campaign, with the average contribution under $100. More than 3 million donors have given so far. The Obama campaign raised $65 million in August. Regardless of the stunning haul, Plouffe told supporters the campaign still needed more money because of "the slime that we're getting from the McCain campaign." Plouffe cited recent attack ads and automated phone calls in battleground states and said the campaign needed to have every resource to "fight back." "Their campaign is going to descend even more into the gutter," he said. Plouffe also said the campaign was expanding its reach to compete "aggressively" in West Virginia. Tightening polls in Georgia and North Dakota meant more money and resources could be sent to those two states in the remaining days, he said. "We can't afford to make any cuts. We have to execute everything we think is required to win," Plouffe said of their battleground strategy. "None of us can look back on the night of November 4 or the morning of November 5 and wished we had done something extra." The McCain campaign accepted $85 million in federal matching funds for the last two months of the campaign. The Obama campaign opted out of the matching funds program and is free to raise and spend as much money as it can. CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Sasha Johnson contributed to this report. | [
"What month has the biggest monthly fundraising total?",
"Who accepted $85 million in federal funds?",
"What is the fundraising for?",
"Who added 632,000 new donors in September?",
"What did McCain accept?",
"What month is biggest for campaigning?"
] | [
[
"September,"
],
[
"The McCain campaign"
],
[
"campaign"
],
[
"Obama campaign"
],
[
"$85 million in federal matching funds"
],
[
"September,"
]
] | September amount is biggest monthly fundraising total for a presidential campaign .
Obama campaign added 632,000 new donors in September .
McCain accepted $85 million in federal funds for last two months of campaign . |
DURBAN, South Africa -- India's Yuvraj Singh smashed six sixes in one over as England crashed out of cricket's World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa on Wednesday.
Yuvraj Singh smashes his sixth successive six off England fast bowler Stuart Broad
Paul Collingwood's side were eliminated at the Super Eights stage after South Africa earlier beat New Zealand by six wickets in Durban.
England then lost by 18 runs to the Singh-inspired Indians, who kept their semifinal hopes alive ahead of Thursday's must-win clash with the hosts.
Singh reached the fastest 50 in Twenty20 history, needing just 12 deliveries, as India made 218-4.
The left-hander's six consecutive sixes in the 19th over bowled by Stuart Broad made him the first player to do so in Twenty20 matches and just the fourth in all senior cricket.
South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs performed the feat at the 50-over World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year, while Sir Garfield Sobers and Ravi Shastri achieved it in first-class matches.
Singh's innings ended on 58 -- from 16 balls -- when he hit a full-toss from Andrew Flintoff to captain Collingwood at long-on from the penultimate delivery of the final over, in which he also cleared the boundary ropes once.
Virender Sehwag top-scored with 68 off 52 balls, putting on 136 for the first wicket with Gautam Gambhir, who hit 58 off 41 deliveries.
Broad ended with the embarrassing figures of 0-60 off his four overs, while fellow seamer Chris Tremlett took 2-45.
In reply, England battled gamely but could only post 200-6 in their 20 overs.
Opener Vikram Solanki top-scored with 43 off 31 balls, and Kevin Pietersen hit 39 off 23 deliveries, but no-one could match the fireworks provided by Singh.
Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan claimed figures of 3-37 off four overs, while Rudra Pratap Singh took 2-28.
If India can beat South Africa, it would create a three-way tie and require net run-rates to decide the two teams going through.
The Proteas have two wins from two Group E outings after beating New Zealand, who have completed their Super Eights fixtures with two victories and a defeat.
South Africa restricted the Black Caps to 153-8 from their 20 overs on Wednesday, then reached the target with five deliveries to spare as Justin Kemp made an unbeaten 89.
Kemp was named man of the match after smashing a six off the otherwise economical Mark Gillespie for the winning runs.
He belted six sixes and six fours in his 56-ball innings, having come to the crease in the fourth over with South Africa reeling at 17-2.
Kemp added 28 in four overs with Gibbs (19) before putting on another 65 in eight overs with Mark Boucher.
Boucher departed for 23, caught by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off Gillespie, who ended with figures of 2-11 off 3.1 overs.
The experienced Shaun Pollock then joined Kemp, and struck one six in his unbeaten 16 off 11 deliveries to help guide the Proteas to their second victory.
The in-form Craig McMillan top-scored for the Kiwis, hitting an unbeaten 48 off only 25 balls to follow up his blistering 57 in Tuesday's five-run win against England.
McCullum had put on 68 for the first wicket with Lou Vincent, scoring 38 before becoming the first of Morne Morkel's four victims.
Morkel, who ended with figures of 4-17 off four overs, then removed Ross Taylor (1) two runs later and later bowled the dangerous Jacob Oram for a quickfire 15.
He had Shane Bond caught by Boucher, and then almost became the first Twenty20 bowler to claim five wickets when his penultimate delivery -- which clean bowled Gillespie -- was declared a no-ball by umpire Billy Doctrove. E-mail to a friend | [
"Who became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in Twenty20 game",
"Who became the first player to hit six sixes in an over Twenty20game?",
"Who hit hits 58 in 16 deliveries at Durban?",
"What caused England to be eliminated?",
"Who became the first person to hit six sixes in an over in Twenty20 game?",
"What sport is this?",
"What record does Singh hold",
"what has yuvraj singh become the first to do?",
"What was the score between India and England?",
"Which team does Singh play for?",
"Who was eliminated from World Twenty20?",
"Who did India beat in Durham",
"What team did south Africa beat that eliminated England?",
"Who did India beat in Durban?",
"who did india beat?",
"Who was the first player to hit six sixes?",
"Which country was eliminated from World Twenty20",
"What caused their elimination?",
"Which team beat NZ in the World Twenty20?",
"What is the number of hits Singh hit?",
"What team is Yuvraj Singh in?",
"what did singh do?",
"who did south africa beat?"
] | [
[
"Yuvraj Singh"
],
[
"Yuvraj Singh"
],
[
"Yuvraj Singh"
],
[
"Singh smashed six sixes in one over"
],
[
"Yuvraj Singh"
],
[
"cricket's"
],
[
"fastest 50"
],
[
"fastest 50 in Twenty20 history,"
],
[
"then lost by 18 runs to the Singh-inspired Indians,"
],
[
"India's"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"New Zealand"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"Yuvraj Singh"
],
[
"England"
],
[
"India's Yuvraj Singh smashed six sixes in one over"
],
[
"South Africa"
],
[
"58"
],
[
"India's"
],
[
"smashed six sixes in one"
],
[
"New Zealand"
]
] | Yuvraj Singh becomes first player to hit six sixes in an over in Twenty20 game .
Singh hits 58 in 16 deliveries as India beat England by 18 runs in Durban .
England already eliminated from World Twenty20 after South Africa beat NZ . |
DURHAM, North Carolina (CNN) -- An operation to remove a malignant tumor from Sen. Edward Kennedy's brain was successful, and the Democrat should suffer no permanent damage from the procedure, his surgeon reported Monday. Sen. Edward Kennedy, right, leaves a Boston hospital with his son Patrick on May 21. The patient himself expressed satisfaction. "I feel like a million bucks," Kennedy said after the surgery, according to a family spokesperson. "I think I'll do that again tomorrow." Kennedy's doctor's statement focused on the 3½-hour operation, which was performed at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. "I am pleased to report that Sen. Kennedy's surgery was successful and accomplished our goals," Dr. Allan Friedman said in a written statement issued after the procedure. "Sen. Kennedy was awake during the resection, and should therefore experience no permanent neurological effects from the surgery." Friedman called the resection "just the first step" in Kennedy's treatment plan, which is to include radiation and chemotherapy, to be carried out at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Paging Dr. Gupta Blog: Mapping Ted Kennedy's brain The 76-year-old Massachusetts senator, patriarch of one of the leading families of American politics, said in a written statement earlier that he expected to remain in the hospital for about a week after surgery. He is also expected to undergo radiation and chemotherapy. During such surgery, doctors locate the areas of the brain responsible for key attributes such as movement and speech, and map them to ensure they avoid cutting in those areas. They then attempt to resect as much of the tumor as they believe they can safely remove. Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta explain possible treatment » During such operations -- which Friedman and the Duke hospital are known for -- surgeons typically ask a patient to identify objects in pictures or make a certain movement, such as squeezing a hand to make sure areas of the brain involving speech and movement are not being impaired. Kennedy, a senator since 1962, suffered a seizure May 17 while walking his dogs at his home in Hyannisport, Massachusetts. Three days later, Kennedy's doctors at Massachusetts General said preliminary results from a brain biopsy showed a tumor in the left parietal lobe was responsible for the seizure. Friedman is chief of the division of neurosurgery and co-director of Duke's Neuro-Oncology Program, according to the hospital's Web site. He is responsible for more than 90 percent of all tumor removals and biopsies conducted at Duke, the Web site says. A tumor in the left parietal lobe could affect the senator's ability to speak and understand speech as well as the strength on the right side of his body, said CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Hear iReporter describes what gave him strength through brain cancer battle Gupta said such tumors don't usually metastasize or spread to other parts of the body. "What they do do -- and I think that's a concern to people -- is that they grow, and sometimes they invade other normal parts of the brain. That is the big concern here," he said. Malignant glioma is the most common primary brain tumor, accounting for more than half of the 18,000 primary malignant brain tumors diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. An expert explains potential complications » Kennedy is the brother of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in Dallas in 1963, and New York Sen. Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated while seeking the White House in 1968. Though his own attempt to seek the presidency failed, Edward Kennedy has built a reputation as one of the most effective lawmakers in the Senate. Kennedy's Monday statement focused on the current presidential race as well his surgery. "After completing treatment, I look forward to returning to the United States Senate and to doing everything I can to help elect Barack Obama as our next president," he said. Obama, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, described Kennedy as a "giant" of the Senate when the tumor was | [
"Who had surgery?",
"Where will Kennedy stay?",
"Where did the surgery take place?",
"What will follow surgery?",
"Where will Kennedy stay for a week?",
"What did Kennedy say after the surgery?",
"Will there be any effects to Kennedy's surgery?",
"What was the surgery for?"
] | [
[
"Kennedy"
],
[
"in the hospital"
],
[
"Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina."
],
[
"radiation and chemotherapy."
],
[
"in the hospital"
],
[
"\"I feel like a million bucks,\""
],
[
"should suffer no permanent damage from the procedure,"
],
[
"malignant tumor"
]
] | NEW: Kennedy should not have any "permanent neurological effects" from surgery .
NEW: "I feel like a million bucks," senator reportedly says after surgery .
Chemotherapy and radiation will follow surgery in North Carolina, statement says .
Kennedy expected to stay at Duke hospital for about a week . |
Dallas (CNN) -- Severe weather hit the Houston area Monday, flooding streets and homes and leaving thousands of people without power, emergency officials said.
Torrential rain fell across the area, causing flash flooding that left streets and highways impassable and submerged some vehicles.
"We have a lot of roadways closed, and some evacuations are going on," said Alan Spears of the Fort Bend County office of emergency management.
In the city of Richmond, rescues were conducted by boat and on foot. Spears said he believes a tornado touched down in the area.
"We had 7,000 people without power in the county," he said.
iReport: Are you there? Send in your stories, videos, photos
Sixty miles southeast, in Texas City, a law enforcement officer witnessed what appeared to be a tornado strike near the Mall of Midland, the National Weather Service reported.
The Houston/Galveston weather forecast office will examine the area and two other reported areas on Tuesday to confirm reported strikes, said Timothy Oram, an emergency response meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
As much as 6.3 inches of rain had fallen in the past day, nearly all of it during the previous 12 hours, Oram said late Monday afternoon.
At Houston Hobby Airport, 4.05 inches of rain fell, which douses the previous January 9 record of 2.54 inches set in 1955, according to Oram.
Though flash flood warnings were still in effect for Chambers County and Galveston County, the worst was over, he said. "It's moved off to the northeast; things should be improving here," he told CNN.
Video from Fort Bend County showed wind damage, including debris from building roofs and broken glass, and people trapped by the storm described terrifying moments.
One resident said he felt the wind pushing into his home just before the garage door fell in and the front door of his home was blown open.
"It just kept getting louder and louder and louder," Umair Sayyed told CNN affiliate KPRC.
Sayyed said he and his mother and sister sheltered inside a closet moments before the roof fell and rain poured into his home.
Michael Walter, spokesman for the Houston Office of Emergency Management, said the city conducted 20 to 30 high-water rescues.
The rain was falling so hard and fast in Houston that the weather service recorded 1.6 inches in just 10 minutes. No injuries were reported.
CNN's Dave Alsup and Carma Hassan contributed to this report. | [
"what did the official say",
"What will be investigated?",
"What number of high water rescues were conducted?",
"what is conducted by houston",
"what is the height of water",
"what will they investigate",
"how many inches fall at airport"
] | [
[
"Severe weather hit the Houston area Monday, flooding streets and homes and leaving thousands"
],
[
"the area and two other reported areas on Tuesday"
],
[
"20 to 30"
],
[
"20 to 30 high-water rescues."
],
[
"6.3 inches of rain"
],
[
"the area and two other reported areas"
],
[
"4.05"
]
] | NEW: More than 4 inches fall at Houston Hobby Airport, setting a record .
National Weather Service to investigate possible tornado touchdowns .
Houston has conducted 20 to 30 high-water rescues, another official says . |
Dallas, Texas (CNN) -- The modern Tea Party movement began on February 27, 2009, when small groups in 22 American cities gathered to protest the signing of President Obama's stimulus bill.
The Tea Party groups viewed the stimulus bill as the crowning moment of decades of irresponsible government fiscal behavior. The federal government is addicted to spending, and the consequences are now staring us in the face.
Our national debt is at emergency levels and growing rapidly. Congressional Budget Office head Doug Elmendorf recently said the nation's fiscal path is simply "unsustainable." And yet this financial crisis seems obvious to virtually everyone except our elected officials in Washington.
Tea Party members are not averse to paying taxes. However, taxpayers are stretched thin, and piling more taxes on their backs is not the answer. We do not understand nor approve of Washington's insatiable appetite for spending, because that's not the way we as individuals live. We do not massively overspend today and borrow money tomorrow to cover the bills. As California and New York are learning, that ride eventually comes to an end.
This week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said, "To avoid large and unsustainable budget deficits, the nation will ultimately have to choose among higher taxes, modifications to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, less spending on everything else from education to defense, or some combination of the above."
The Tea Party endorses massive reductions of federal spending before any consideration of new taxes is brought to the table. Tea Party members clearly understand Bernanke's warning. If something drastic is not done soon, our entire financial system and way of life will collapse.
The Tea Party's goal from inception has been to replace big-spending politicians from both political parties with common-sense, fiscally responsible leaders. America has moved away from the vision of our Founding Fathers who advocated for a nuanced balance between federal and state power. As America has drifted from constitutional values, federal power has grown.
We have gone from a nation of self-sufficient producers to a nation divided between overburdened taxpaying producers and some nonproducers who exist on welfare from cradle to grave.
So what would the Tea Party movement recommend to set America on its rightful course?
Federal spending must immediately be drastically slashed across the board: Abolish the useless departments of Education and Agriculture, among others; get rid of the EPA; and repeal the stimulus bill and other pork spending. These are millstones around the neck of the American taxpayer and our economy.
Send all responsibilities of these agencies back to the states where they can be better and more efficiently managed. Foreign aid and Pentagon spending must be equally constrained and reduced.
Second, the number of government jobs must be substantially cut, and those employees must return to the private sector. Overpaid bureaucrats with fat benefits and pensions not found in the real world are simply not needed. Or wanted.
Third, fraud and welfare waste must be eliminated. Welfare and unemployment benefits must be drastically cut.
Welfare, health and education services for illegal immigrants must be eliminated.
The Center for Immigration Studies recently reported that 33 percent of immigrant households use some kind of "welfare." Again, who pays? The American taxpayer!
Government must get completely out of the private sector. Market freedoms must prevail for America to be successful. Government control over our financial and insurance industries, major manufacturing, health care and energy is a sure recipe for disaster.
Washington bureaucrats are simply incapable of efficiency. The Tea Party is determined to send new, fiscally responsible leaders to Washington to trim government fat -- and not with scalpels, but with chainsaws.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Phillip Dennis. | [
"Dennis wrote what?",
"what must be substantially cut?",
"What Philip Dennis eliminated?"
] | [
[
"commentary"
],
[
"the number of government jobs"
],
[
"fraud and welfare waste"
]
] | Phillip Dennis: Eliminate Education and Agriculture departments, the EPA, the stimulus bill .
Dennis: Government jobs must be substantially cut; employees sent to the private sector .
Tea Party wants welfare and unemployment benefits drastically cut, he says .
Take a chainsaw to government, get it out of the private sector, Dennis writes . |
Dallas, Texas (CNN) -- African-American workers at a Texas pipe factory endured a string of racial slurs and harassment and were targeted by their managers when they complained, federal investigators have determined.
Black employees at the Turner Industries plant in Paris, Texas, regularly "were subjected to unwelcome racial slurs, comments and intimidation, racial graffiti, nooses in the workplace and other symbols of discrimination," the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported.
Black workers also were denied promotions and disciplined more harshly than whites, the agency concluded in a three-page letter in late March. Managers at the plant not only were aware of a "hostile environment," they also targeted workers who complained and disciplined white employees who opposed the harassment, the EEOC found.
The EEOC has called on Turner Industries, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to join talks aimed at producing a "just resolution" to the problems. The company said its plant "is free from any form of discrimination, retaliation, or any other workplace conduct that violates the law."
"We are disappointed that the EEOC has issued this determination and strongly disagree with the EEOC's findings," Michael Phelps, Turner Industries' vice president for human resources, said in a written statement.
Lawyers for the seven Turner employees who went to the EEOC displayed photographs of the slurs, of hanging nooses and threatening notes left for employees at the Paris plant during a news conference Wednesday. One of those employees, Dontrail Mathis, told reporters that he was frequently called racially inflammatory names and that most African-American employees were relegated to the paint shop.
Mathis, a painter's helper, said one co-worker who found out he was married to a white woman told him, "In the Bible, it says that white women shouldn't mix with monkeys." When he called Turner's corporate office to complain about that incident, he heard nothing back, Mathis said.
"I tried to back away from it. It kept going and going and coming and coming," he said.
Jason Milligan, a former night foreman at the plant, said his bosses "more or less wanted me to do their dirty work."
"I watched certain people more than I did the others, to see if I could get anything on them that could be used against them," he said. But he said he was fired after he refused to sign an affidavit accusing a Turner employee of theft -- a man he believed had been "set up."
"I'm not going to lie for anyone," Milligan said. "He was a man just like me. He has a family to take care of. I'm not going to do it. And from then on, that was my down-slide."
Milligan worked at the plant for nine months before he was fired. Company officials told him he was sacked for failing a drug test, he said. But a lawyer for the employees, Jay Ellwanger, said Milligan warned testers that he was taking a diet medication that could show up as a stimulant.
Milligan said managers were told to document and clean off any racist graffiti immediately, but he said one such case he handled in his nine months at the plant was "swept under the rug" when the person behind it turned out to be a relative of another manager.
In the year since workers in the Paris plant went to the EEOC, similar complaints have emerged at other Turner factories in Texas, Ellwanger said.
Paris is about 110 miles northeast of Dallas. The Rev. Peter Johnson, a state civil rights leader, said the problems reported at the Turner plant reflect a "culture of discrimination" that lingers in East Texas.
"East Texas is Mississippi 50 years ago. This case will begin to help us unravel the history of discrimination and bigotry throughout East Texas," he said.
CNN's Tracy Sabo and Ed Lavandera contributed to this report. | [
"who endured racial slurs?",
"What did the workers endure?",
"Who did the managers target?",
"what group of people were denied promotion?"
] | [
[
"African-American workers"
],
[
"racial slurs"
],
[
"African-American workers"
],
[
"Black workers"
]
] | Investigators say African-American pipe factory workers endured racial slurs, harassment .
Workers say managers targeted them when they complained, denied them promotions .
White employees who opposed harassment were disciplined, they say .
Agency wants problems resolved; company denies any "conduct that violates the law" |
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