story
stringlengths 117
4.55k
| questions
sequence | answers
sequence | summary
stringlengths 65
465
|
---|---|---|---|
Editor's note: CNN affiliates report on where job seekers are finding work across the country and how those looking for employment are coping with the situation. Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, shown in April, once worked in a city jobs program as a youth. (CNN) -- Some of the stimulus money from the U.S. government is going to programs that help young adults find jobs. In Baltimore, Maryland, the city wants to put more than 7,000 to work, mostly in local government jobs. It will use more than $6 million from the federal government and sponsorship money, according to WBAL-TV in Baltimore. Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon recalled her days as a young worker. "I worked at a camp, and then in high school, I was able to continue to work in the program," she said. Read the full report on WBAL In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Kahtoya Wesley, 20, has had difficulty finding a job, but she has a better chance of finding work now because she has joined the Summer Youth Employment Program, according to WPBF-TV in West Palm Beach. So far 200 people have landed jobs through the program, an initiative of the Workforce Alliance of Palm Beach County, WPBF reported. The organization is using $3 million of stimulus money to fund the positions the young adults find, the station said. iReport.com: Share your job hunt story The group also prepares the job seekers for interviews and provides seminars in how to deal with work-life situations. "I got fired like five times. It was bad," John Hill told WPBF. He chose a seminar on working better with a supervisor. "Because I usually don't," he told the station. Read the full report on WPBF The state of Arkansas is using federal money to fund jobs for at-risk students in Springdale, according to KHBS-TV in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The town's youth center hired five teens to work in clerical and maintenance positions, KHBS reported. David Cook told the station he has had trouble motivating himself to go to school. The summer job was helping him with a shift on focus. "It gives me a sense of responsibility of showing up on time, working on a schedule and with other people," he told KHBS. Read the full report on KHBS West: FedEx center brings 650 jobs to Oregon Even before a new FedEx shipping center brings hundreds of jobs to Troutdale, Oregon, it is helping with employment through road construction jobs, according to KPTV-TV in Portland. The new hub, which is expected to be completed in July 2010, will bring more than 1,000 additional cars to the area, so the Oregon Department of Transportation called for two additional lanes at a nearby major intersection, KPTV reported. FedEx is expected to employ 650 workers at the facility once it opens, according to KPTV. "We're creating family wage jobs, because this project will take place this summer," Troutdale Mayor Jim Kight told the station. Oregon's unemployment rate was a record 12.4 percent in May. Read the full report on KPTV South: No job? Create your own He was once a senior loan officer who had been laid off and was looking every day for a job anywhere there might be an opportunity. When he couldn't find the right chance, he created his own. Kenneth Hodge is now a small business owner, the founder of SFG Records. "If you look at your failures, if you stare at your failures too long, you'll never go anywhere," Hodge told WPBF. "But if you look beyond your failures, you can move to and fulfill your dreams. You can do that. I think I can do that, and we are doing that." Six recording artists are featured on his Web site, and Hodge told the West Palm Beach station that he has already hired seven employees. Read the full report on WPBF Midwest: Iowa town sees trickle-down effect from stimulus Federal stimulus | [
"What did a man lose his position as?",
"Where is teh FedEx centre?",
"what is the fedex center bringing",
"what is maryland doing",
"What will bring more jobs in Oregon?",
"How many teens will be hired?",
"How many teens will Baltimore hire?",
"What business did a man start?"
] | [
[
"senior loan officer"
],
[
"Troutdale, Oregon,"
],
[
"650 jobs to Oregon"
],
[
"the city wants to put more than 7,000 to work, mostly in local government jobs."
],
[
"a new FedEx shipping center"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"7,000"
],
[
"SFG Records."
]
] | Job fair aimed at people 50 and older draws big crowd .
Pittsburgh area business executives meeting with high school students .
Wal-Mart adding 3,000 jobs in North Carolina .
Air Force recruiter in Florida has seen increase in interest . |
Editor's note: CNN affiliates report on where job seekers are finding work across the country and how those looking for employment are coping with the situation. Job fairs are becoming more popular and are seeing record attendance. (CNN) -- A record number of senior citizens attended a job fair this week in Loveland, Colorado. The fair, which targeted people 50 and older, drew the biggest crowd -- about 900 people -- for the annual event. Nan Cooper, a job seeker, said applicants have to do more these days than just walk into a prospective employer's office with a resume. "[Times] have changed radically," she told KMGH in Denver. "I've spent countless, countless hours on the Internet and filling out applications." iReport.com: Share your job hunt story She said she had even applied for jobs through the online auction site eBay. Read the full report on KMGH Northeast: Job week seeks to solve 'disconnect' between employers, job hunters Employers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area say they are having a difficult time filling 22,000 available positions. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said this week the city would increase its participation in a job placement program, both monetarily and through city organizations. The mayor made his remarks as part of a kickoff event for Imagine Career Week, which links high school students and employers. A spokesman for one of the groups sponsoring the week's events said there shouldn't be so many employers with open spots. "At the same time, we have young people walking around famously saying that they can't find a job. There's a big disconnect there someplace," Paul Leger of the Allegheny Conference told WTAE. During the career week, students will visit businesses and prospective employers will visit classrooms. Read the full report on WTAE Southeast: Wal-Mart to increase its N.C. workforce by nearly 6 percent Wal-Mart said Wednesday it plans to add 3,000 jobs in North Carolina. The retail chain currently employs 51,000 people at 155 locations in the state. "In a time when many are suffering, we want North Carolinians to know that we are here to stay," David Cameron, general manager for the Carolinas, told WRAL of Raleigh. He did not say where the jobs would be located. North Carolina is one of eight states with unemployment above 10 percent. Read the report on WRAL Southeast: Military recruiter sees more potential airmen Technical Sgt. Greg O'Conner is staying very busy these days. He is an Air Force recruiter in Bradenton, Florida. "With the way the economy is, recruitment is up," he told Bay News 9. "I get dozens of calls every day and walk-ins from young men and women interested in joining the Air Force." One of his recruits was 20-year-old Dakota Slentz, who cannot afford to go to law enforcement training school. He said the Air Force offers a chance for great experiences as well as a great salary. In statistics provided by the Department of Defense, the Air Force has reported meeting its recruiting goals each month of the fiscal year, which began in October. Read the full report on Bay News 9 West: Sacramento project to bring thousands of jobs A building developer in Sacramento, California, says plans to turn rail yards into a residential and commercial district will require thousands of workers over the next 20 years. Suheil Totah of Thomas Enterprises told KCRA that initial projects like building roads will mean jobs for 3,000 people. The company said more than 56,000 people will be needed for the project in the next two decades. The 244 acres will be converted into a mix of homes, businesses, entertainment venues and government offices. Read the report on KCRA Around the nation Tennessee will use federal stimulus money to hire 12,000 people ages 24 and younger, WSMV reports. A food company is converting a North Carolina textile plant and bringing 172 jobs, WXII reports. | [
"How many jobs is Walmart adding in North Carolina?",
"At what age is the fair aimed?",
"The job fair is aimed for what type of people?",
"How many jobs is Wal-Mart adding?"
] | [
[
"3,000"
],
[
"24 and younger,"
],
[
"senior citizens"
],
[
"in North Carolina."
]
] | Job fair aimed at people 50 and older draws big crowd .
Pittsburgh area business executives meeting with high school students .
Wal-Mart adding 3,000 jobs in North Carolina .
Air Force recruiter in Florida has seen increase in interest . |
Editor's note: CNN affiliates report on where job seekers are finding work across the country and how those looking for employment are coping with the situation. Tennessee's Williamson County Public Library in Franklin is trying to improve computer skills of older job seekers. (CNN) -- An Ohio company transforming its business model will build its headquarters in the town of Greenville. LAH Development will become a wind turbine manufacturer and installer after years of constructing commercial buildings. The company's new building is expected to cost $1 million, CNN affiliate WHIO-TV in Dayton reported. The state of Ohio has granted the company a tax credit of almost $400,000 to help create jobs. The company expects to hire 100 new employees. iReport.com: Share your job hunt story Under an agreement with the state, the company is required to operate at the new site for 12 years. Read the full report on WHIO Northeast: Grant money used to train veterans Pennsylvania is providing $311,000 to train 80 unemployed veterans in the field of welding. The state's Department of Labor and Industry grant will be used to train the former military members for 96 hours in beginner welding over an eight-week period. "As more troops return home after tours of duty, it's important that we provide tools and resources to help them reintegrate into civilian life," Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato told WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh. Read the full report on WPXI South: Library to teach computer skills to job seekers In Franklin, Tennessee, the county library is trying to help older job seekers by expanding its computer course offerings. Teachers will instruct students on how to use social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn to search for jobs as well as make sure they have basic skills. "If you don't know those skills and you can't use them readily, it makes everything else so much harder," said Janice Keck, director of the Williamson County Public Library, told WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tennessee. Read the full report on WSMV Midwest: Indiana business to add 125 positions An Indianapolis, Indiana, life science firm is more than doubling the size of its staff. Biostorage provides biomaterials storage and distribution for companies around the world, according to WTHR-TV in Indianapolis. "Ninety percent of our clients are actually outside Indiana," John Mills of Biostorage Technologies told the station. "So we are earning Indiana dollars from companies outside Indiana." The current staff has 70 people; Biostorage plans to add 125 more employees. Read the full report on WTHR Around the nation Quintiles Transnational Corp. is moving its world headquarters to the Research Triangle Park near Raleigh, North Carolina, News 14 Carolina reports. A new Wal-Mart in Owasso, Oklahoma, is expected to hire 100 people, Tulsa's KOTV-TV reports. | [
"Who is looking to hire 125 people?",
"Who is getting a $400,000 tax credit to hire workers?",
"What will the Pennsylvania program train veterans to do?",
"How much tax credit?",
"How many people were hired?",
"How much is the tax credit?",
"The company will hire how many people?"
] | [
[
"Biostorage"
],
[
"LAH Development"
],
[
"welding."
],
[
"$400,000"
],
[
"100"
],
[
"almost $400,000"
],
[
"100"
]
] | Job fair aimed at people 50 and older draws big crowd .
Pittsburgh area business executives meeting with high school students .
Wal-Mart adding 3,000 jobs in North Carolina .
Air Force recruiter in Florida has seen increase in interest . |
Editor's note: CNN affiliates report on where job seekers are finding work across the country and how those looking for employment are coping with the situation. Workers at the Jayco plant in Elkhart County in Indiana put together a travel trailer in February. (CNN) -- Elkhart, Indiana, has suffered through a litany of economic bad news and layoffs. The United States Department of Labor said that in March, the Elkhart metropolitan area had the fifth highest unemployment in the country. Just last year the Monaco Coach Corp. closed down its motor home assembly plants in Elkhart, Nappanee and Wakarusa. But Electric Motors Corp., which builds engines, cars and trucks, is moving into Elkhart County and bringing hundreds of jobs. "Their production working skills will be a little bit different than RV workers, but not that much different. We'll easily be able to train the workers," County Commissioner Mike Yoder told WSJV. Neither the company nor government officials would comment on how many jobs could potentially be created. "It's good to get a small number just to build up and hopefully it'll keep coming," said college student Erika Miller, who is looking for summer work. Read the full report on WSJV South: Famed New Orleans hotel closed after Katrina hiring hundreds The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, is almost ready to reopen after being shuttered after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. After undergoing a $145 million renovation, the hotel will be staffed by 400 employees. This past week, more than 5,000 job seekers came to a job fair at the downtown landmark. Some of the people hired will begin in a few weeks, while others will start later. "We are looking to make some additional hires in September and in October when business picks up," Roosevelt employee Melissa Kariker told WDSU. One applicant at the fair had worked previously at the hotel. "I started my career with the Fairmont-Roosevelt," Gregory Smith said. "I worked in the Blue Room for several years." Read the report on WDSU Midwest: Newspaper giving away space for 'Hire me' ads The New Herald newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, will publish "Hire me" ads in its Sunday editions and on its Web site. There is no cost for job seekers, but the offer applies only to this Sunday's paper. "It's actually something our publisher suggested that they did back in the '70s at the height of unemployment that he had worked at that time," executive editor Tricia Ambrose told WEWS. The Web site will also post video resumes. Read the report on WEWS West: Solar panel plant to hire 300 Schott Solar, which makes photovoltaic solar panels, opened a plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week, bringing 350 jobs. Officials with the company told KRQE the number of employees could grow to more than 1,500. A plant manager said the company provides its own funding and has not been hurt much during the recession, KRQE reported. Officials from the California-based company said they chose New Mexico in part because of the amount of sunshine it receives. Watch the full report on KRQE Around the nation General Mills will hire 112 people when it builds a distribution center in Social Circle, Georgia, WGCL in Atlanta reports. ... In Richland, Washington, federal stimulus money is being used to pay for environmental cleanup, KREM reports. ... Target and Lowe's stores are scheduled to open in Greenland, New Hampshire, this summer, bringing 400 jobs to the town, WMUR reports. | [
"On what day is the newspaper providing free classified ads?",
"WHat is moving into RV plant?",
"What opens this week in New Mexico?",
"Where is the hotel opening?"
] | [
[
"Sunday"
],
[
"Electric Motors Corp.,"
],
[
"Schott Solar,"
],
[
"New Orleans, Louisiana,"
]
] | Job fair aimed at people 50 and older draws big crowd .
Pittsburgh area business executives meeting with high school students .
Wal-Mart adding 3,000 jobs in North Carolina .
Air Force recruiter in Florida has seen increase in interest . |
Editor's note: CNN agreed not to use the full names of the family in this article due to concern for their safety. Youssif is able to smile again, and his scars are healing well. Doctors are monitoring the swelling on his right ear. WOODLAND HILLS, California (CNN) -- Youssif happily pulls off his plastic face mask and pats his cheeks, which were once covered by horrific burns. "No hurt," the 5-year-old Iraqi boy says in English. "No hurt." He then shows off his right hand. It too had been marred by hardened scar tissue after he was attacked by masked men outside his central Baghdad home January 15, 2007. Now, his hand is smooth. Youssif flashes a proud grin. A few moments later, he darts off and comes back toting his kindergarten portfolio. In less than a month of schooling, he's now writing the alphabet in upper- and lowercase. See photos of a transformed Youssif » He reads a book, repeating each word after the narrator. When he gets to the word "you," he gets tickled. He points at the name "Youssif" and then covers the final four letters. "You," he says. Youssif began attending an American school just last month, one year to the day after he was so savagely attacked in Baghdad. In a recent letter to those who have helped his son, Youssif's father described the anniversary as a "very hard day" to endure but one that also brought joy. "But this year, it was the day for another miracle, Youssif's first day of kindergarten. It was a very happy day," Youssif's father said. Youssif begins each day with his father strapping him into a bike trailer. Dad then pedals him to school. On one recent outing, his dad's mobile phone blared Arabic music as Youssif quietly sat in the back, a helmet securely strapped to his head, the wind whirling past. As soon as they reached the school, Youssif's slow walk away from his father, his head held down, quickly changed into a sprint toward his classroom, and all you could see was the big red "S" on his Superman backpack flying away. "Harry," Youssif says in a small, muffled tone, reading the writing on the dry-erase board after receiving a little help from some classmates seated on the rug. Watch Youssif-inspired music video » He then receives a congratulatory high-five from one of his kindergarten teachers. Youssif is adjusting well to school, able to write out the alphabet and count to 12 without hesitation. He always finishes with an accomplished sigh, wide eyes and a smile so big, it's as if he is making up for the 10 months he was not able to smile. He is quick to show the pencil box on his desk, pointing to his name written on it and then pointing to himself with the same tiny finger and nodding his head, letting you know that it is his. "The kids love Youssif. They get more excited than he does when he learns a new word in English, and they brag about it for hours," the mother of a classmate says. Youssif is attending the school thanks to help from the Children's Burn Foundation, the Grossman Burn Center and hundreds of thousands of dollars donated by you, the CNN.com user, to help bring him and his family to the United States for treatment. Youssif has undergone more than half a dozen surgeries. One removed the most massive scarring, which stretched about half a foot, from one of his ears to below his chin. See how doctors removed Youssif's scars » He could undergo as many as 12 more procedures, his doctors say, mostly to tweak scars. His right ear has swelled, and doctors are monitoring it to figure out the best way to keep it in check. He wears a clear plastic face mask for much of the day to keep his skin tight and to allow it | [
"when was boy burned?",
"What is the boy already doing?",
"Where did Youssif attend school?",
"Where was Youssif attending school?",
"What is the boy who was burned doing?",
"Who's lively spirit has returned?"
] | [
[
"January 15, 2007."
],
[
"write out the alphabet"
],
[
"American"
],
[
"American"
],
[
"attending an American school"
],
[
"Youssif"
]
] | Youssif began attending school in metro LA one year to the day of his attack .
Boy burned in Iraq is already writing the alphabet and counting .
Dad says, "I have begun to see my son's lively spirit return" |
Editor's note: CNN agreed not to use the full names of the family members in this article due to concern for their safety. Youssif and his surgeon, Dr. Peter Grossman, shake hands at the end of their Wednesday visit. SHERMAN OAKS, California (CNN) -- Youssif nervously scanned the doctor's examining room, his dark brown eyes darting around, from the floor to the wall to the ceiling. His mother stroked his hair and then his forehead to put him at ease before the doctor walked in to the room. A day earlier, the badly burned 5-year-old Iraqi boy had boarded a plane in Amman, Jordan, with his family, their first trip on an airplane. Now, more than 7,500 miles later, his mom, dad and 14-month-old sister were with him at the Grossman Burn Center in the heart of sunny Southern California. Dr. Peter Grossman strode into the room, a warm smile across his face. He held Youssif's hand. The boy turned shyly around and buried his face into his father's leg. "This is not unusual," said Grossman, a plastic surgeon with more than 12 years of experience, including helping one young girl whose face had melted to her shoulder after a horrific accident. Watch Youssif show his scars to Grossman for the first time » A father of two children, Grossman spoke softly and reassured Youssif that they would soon be friends. "We're going to do everything we can to make him better," he told Youssif's parents. Perhaps haunted by the pain he suffered in Baghdad's hospitals, Youssif hiccupped back sobs as his father lifted him onto the examination table. But the boy put on a brave face after his father told him to let the doctor do his job. "Who's the brave one? Youssif," his father whispered reassuringly. "He's not going to hurt you, I promise." Grossman pulled out measuring tape and took measurements of scars under the boy's chin and around his nose. One swollen scar around his chin measured nearly 3 inches. He also examined burns on Youssif's hands, forehead and right ear. At one point, Youssif thrust his head back and opened his mouth as best he could for the doctor. But his lips barely separated, their movement hampered by the swollen, hardened flesh. "What we want to eventually do is be able to get him to open his mouth as wide as he can," Grossman said. Youssif faces eight to 10 operations, possibly more, over the next six to eight months. He also will undergo psychological therapy to help him better adapt to all that has happened to him. See photos of the boy's arrival in the U.S. » On January 15, masked men grabbed Youssif outside his central Baghdad home, doused him in gas and set him on fire. Grossman won't be able to make all the scars go away, he said, but he's confident that "we can make him significantly better." "We're going to do everything we can to move forward and to do a good job," he said. The boy's mother nodded solemnly. "I just want my son's smile back," she told the doctor. Watch how masked men stole a boy's smile Youssif was introduced to his other doctors, a pediatrician and anesthesiologist. The boy cuddled into the warm confines of his father's chest. His dark eyes kept a keen watch on all those around him. His first operation could come as early as next week and involve multiple procedures. Grossman will cut away scar tissue around his nose and put temporary skin from a cadaver over it. "We're also going to stick a balloon underneath the good skin under his neck and on his face," the doctor said. "The purpose of that is over time we will stretch the good skin, so that in about three months he will be able to go back to surgery, remove the scar tissue and pull up the stretched out good tissues. | [
"Who shake hands?",
"Who will undergo eight to 10 surgeries?",
"Where does Youssif's medical treatment took place?",
"How many surgeries will the burned Iraqi boy undergo?",
"What age was the boy?",
"What is the name of the burned Iraqi boy?",
"What age is the boy?"
] | [
[
"Youssif and his surgeon, Dr. Peter Grossman,"
],
[
"Youssif"
],
[
"Grossman Burn Center in the heart of sunny Southern California."
],
[
"eight to 10"
],
[
"5-year-old"
],
[
"Youssif"
],
[
"5-year-old"
]
] | Burned Iraqi boy will undergo eight to 10 surgeries in coming months .
Youssif's medical treatment in California follows CNN story about him .
Youssif remains cautious around doctor but eventually warms up .
By the end of first visit, the boy, 5, and doctor shake hands . |
Editor's note: CNN contributor Bob Greene is a best-selling author whose current book is "When We Get to Surf City: A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll, Friendship, and Dreams." "Tumbling tumbleweeds" have been romanticized in song, but they're no fun in some parts of the U.S. (CNN) -- "Do we like them?" Patrick Victor, a game and fish commission employee in San Carlos, Arizona, repeated the question back to me as if I had proved my lunacy by asking it in the first place. "Do we like tumbleweeds?" he said. "No one likes them. They're not like in the cowboy movies. We consider them garbage -- worse than garbage. There is nothing to treasure or cherish about a tumbleweed." We were talking about tumbleweeds because of a theory I had been pondering: In this country, because of the immediacy of news, it seems as if everyone from one coast to the other is worrying obsessively about the same thing at the same time. You name it: the banking meltdown one day, the feared floods in Fargo, North Dakota, the next; the forced ouster of the head of General Motors one morning, followed soon after by the street demonstrations in London during the Group of 20 summit. We all tend to fret together about one crisis at a time; undoubtedly there will be something new for all of us to be nervous about together before sundown tonight. So the goal here was to come up with something utterly unlikely -- something that, in 2009, you wouldn't think would bother people -- and find out if it does. Tumbleweeds. That, just picked at random, was the test case. "They can be a pretty big problem out here," said Scott McGuire, a code enforcement inspector in Greeley, Colorado. "When the wind is right, they'll pile up right to the roofline of a house. Seriously -- people can't see out of their windows or even easily get out of their homes." There was something instructive, even (in an off-kilter way) comforting, about learning this: the affirmation that, in this increasingly monolithic country, there are still local vexations that override the breaking news bulletins on the national networks, that people in one pocket of America are routinely dealing with forces that people a few hundred miles away are blissfully unaware of. Just hearing about it makes life seem somehow more life-size. "I meant what I said literally," McGuire said, continuing on his pinned-in-the-house-by-tumbleweeds theme. "They are big and prickly -- they can blow for hundreds of miles, sometimes all the way from Wyoming. They go until the wind dies out or they run into something. That's when people can have piles of them pressing against their homes -- when the tumbleweeds stop there." Tumbleweeds, if you haven't thought about them in years, may seem like a gauzy memory from old Western movies, a nostalgic high-plains symbol of desolation and loneliness. There was that campfire song by Roy Rogers and his group, the Sons of the Pioneers; once you think of the lyrics and melody again, you can't get it out of your head: "See them tumbling down/Pledging their love to the ground/Lonely but free I'll be found/Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds." But in the 21st century? In our connected-by-broadband, addicted-to-cell phones, technologically tethered nation? Tumbleweeds? As something to be concerned about? "They're ugly and nasty," said Charlene Hardin, the county manager of Roosevelt County, New Mexico. "They can make our roads impassable. You can see 12-foot-high, chain-link fences with tumbleweeds piled all the way up to the top. They're very flammable -- toss a cigarette, and you have a big fire. "Tumbleweeds are more than a nuisance out here. We'll get | [
"What dominates news?",
"What are some parts of the U.S. plagued by?"
] | [
[
"banking meltdown"
],
[
"\"Tumbling tumbleweeds\""
]
] | Bob Greene: National issues such as economic crisis dominate news .
Greene says that we quickly move from one crisis to the next .
Greene: Still there are regional concerns that never get a big spotlight .
Some parts of the U.S. are plagued by "tumbling tumbleweeds" |
Editor's note: CNN contributor Bob Greene is a best-selling author whose forthcoming book is "Late Edition: A Love Story." Bob Greene says kin of Columbine victims don't have the luxury of moving on after the 10th anniversary is marked. (CNN) -- The weddings that will never be held. The birthdays when there will be no one to embrace. The first jobs that will never be greeted with a parent's proud smile of congratulations. Those are the things -- the sacred things, perhaps the sole things -- that we should pause to think about Monday. Because while the rest of the world considers anew the meaning of what happened 10 years ago at the school in Littleton, Colorado, the people who matter -- the only people who truly can fathom the meaning -- are the people with the wounds in their hearts that will never quite heal: The mothers and fathers of the children who were murdered. The brothers and sisters who were left with the empty and soundless spaces in their homes and in their lives. For the rest of us, it's all guesswork, and the anniversary provides a circumscribed time to think about it somberly. But by tomorrow we will have moved on to other concerns, while the mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers -- the grandfathers and the grandmothers -- will return to that which they can never wish away: The weddings that won't ever come. The birthdays when there is only silence. Is it possible to break that April day from 10 years ago into its incremental elements, as if by doing so we will be able to find a possible future remedy? If we think enough about the saturation of our society with violent images, from the movies we watch to the video games our children play to the stories on the evening news -- is that what can explain Columbine? If we dissect the live television coverage of that day when millions stared for hours on end -- was it those unblinking pictures that made the scenes still so hard to shake? Is there a resolution to be discovered in debates about the guns that were used, the need for security checkpoints? Those are all just details, not answers. Those are merely facts to be noted. What is worth paying attention to is that we, as a people, have developed, without really wanting to or knowing we were doing it, the thousand-yard stare that you see in the eyes of certain homicide detectives who have been doing their jobs for a very long time. It is a look of utter numbness -- a look that is the opposite of cynical, a look of sorrowful surrender. It is a look that says, of the bearer of those eyes: My eyes are dead because I know that what they have witnessed is only prologue. My eyes show nothing because they must be prepared for what they know they will be seeing again. To encounter those eyes -- to see the thousand-yard stare -- in a police officer is one thing. But to see it in a country. ... Yet that is what the many years of nonstop killings have done to us. Columbine -- that word, that label -- is the way we sum up this kind of thing, but labels like that are at core our way of conceding our inability to process the despair. There was murderous madness that came before Columbine, and murderous madness that came after. We tell ourselves on each new occasion that what has happened is shocking, but the word has become all but meaningless. The only genuinely shocking thing would be if the cruelty and the killings were to somehow suddenly cease. We can blame all of this on our modern times veering out of control, if we wish, but it really speaks of something more elemental and dark, of factors beyond our earthly understanding. The most deadly attack upon sons and daughters at a school did not occur at Columbine 10 years ago, or at Virginia Tech two years ago. On May 18, 1927, in Bath Township, Michigan, 44 people, most of them elementary school pupils in their | [
"What do the kin of the victims live with?",
"Which victims live with the pain every day?",
"what did greene say"
] | [
[
"the wounds in their hearts that will never quite heal:"
],
[
"kin of Columbine"
],
[
"kin of Columbine victims don't have the luxury of moving on after the 10th anniversary is marked."
]
] | Bob Greene: Kin of Columbine victims live with the pain every day .
Greene: Most Americans see such violence with numb eyes and can look elsewhere .
The pain of these incidents predated the horror of Columbine, Greene says .
He says people eternally have sought to tame human savagery . |
Editor's note: CNN contributor Bob Greene is a best-selling author whose new book is "Late Edition: A Love Story." Bob Greene says discussion of ballplayer Ted Williams' corpse is a shameful way to remember the superstar. (CNN) -- "I was scared," Ted Williams said. He was talking about his lifelong fear of not being good enough -- of coming up short. "I was always afraid I might fail," he said. "I was pictured as being so cocky -- I might have been cocky to some people, but not in my heart. All the time, I was just hoping to make whatever league I was in." I am thinking about a long conversation I had with Williams toward the end of his life. I'm thinking about it because of the unconscionable thing that is being done to him now that he is gone, now that he is without any defenses. You may have heard about a new book that makes some cruel and repugnant allegations about the mistreatment of his remains. What has been done to Williams' good name since his death at age 83 in 2002 is heartbreaking. First there was the very public battle within his family about what to do with his body; when it was entrusted to a facility that specializes in cryonics -- freezing -- there were tasteless gags all over television. Now there is the nauseating voyeurism surrounding these new allegations. They are unspeakable, and I will not repeat them here. He has been made a joke. It is as if there has been a conscious effort to rob him of his humanity. As if he is a punch line, as if he was never a person with thoughts and feelings. No one deserves this, and certainly not Ted Williams. A magnificent 19-year career with the Boston Red Sox; twice the winner of baseball's triple crown; the last ballplayer to hit .400 in a season; two tours of duty in the military in World War II and the Korean War ... This is the man whose right to rest in respectful peace is being stripped from him. It is a crime. And because he can no longer speak for himself, I will share with you his voice from a time when he could. "I can't believe how well people have treated me, how nicely," he told me. He had suffered a series of strokes; he knew there wasn't much time left. I was writing a monthly column for Life magazine, and he had agreed to talk with me. I told him that there was something striking about his voice: He sounded just like John Wayne. "John Wayne sounded like me," he said, not kidding. When he told me about his fear of failure, it was in the context of always being fixated on his own shortcomings. "The only time I could savor an evening is if I had done something well," he said. "My most disappointing things all my life were always related to baseball. I didn't feel good because I did something successfully; I felt bad if I failed to do something that I was expected to do." As a young ballplayer, he supposedly said, "All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street, people will say, 'There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.' " It happened. That was what people said about him. Did it satisfy him? "I would slide down in my seat a little bit when I heard someone say that," he told me. "Because I wanted people to believe it, but I didn't believe it myself. I didn't believe it then, and I don't believe it now. Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron -- they were so good. When I would be at a dinner and someone would say I was the best, I would want to hide out of sight and sink into the floor." At the height of his talent, he stepped away from baseball to fly Panther fighter jets | [
"Who was a vereran of two wars?",
"Who said that the discussion about Williams' remains is distasteful?",
"What does Greene call distasteful?",
"Who always strove to do his best?",
"Williams was the last what in baseball?",
"Who was a veteran of two wars?"
] | [
[
"Ted Williams"
],
[
"Bob Greene"
],
[
"discussion of ballplayer Ted Williams' corpse"
],
[
"Ted Williams"
],
[
"ballplayer to hit .400 in a season;"
],
[
"Ted Williams."
]
] | Bob Greene: Discussion about Ted Williams' remains is distasteful .
He recalls superstar player as a man who always strove to do his best .
Williams was baseball's last .400 hitter and a veteran of two wars . |
Editor's note: CNN executive producer Suzanne Simons is the author of "Master of War: Blackwater's Erik Prince and the Global Business of War." Private contractor Xe flies military personnel in Afghanistan and helps train Afghan border police. The company formerly known as Blackwater, now called Xe much to its chagrin, has been at the center of the contractor debate for years. From the time four of its men were ambushed and murdered in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, to a shooting involving a team of its men in a Baghdad neighborhood in which at least 14 Iraqi civilians were killed in 2007, the company has drawn unwanted headlines. Blackwater owner Erik Prince downsized the company earlier this year when business failed to keep pace with investment. He changed the company's name after the Iraqi government banned it from doing business there. But those who thought contractors were going away under President Obama's administration couldn't be more wrong. According to the Department of Defense, there are some 68,000 contractors in Afghanistan today and more than 132,000 in Iraq. But those numbers aren't an accurate reflection of the total number of contractors because they don't include those working for other government agencies such as the Department of State. Many of those tens of thousands are third-country nationals, meaning they were hired from a third country to go to Iraq. Many earn between $400 and $700 a month; while Americans, particularly those performing dangerous security duties, can earn as much in a day. Despite being kicked out of Iraq, Xe still does a healthy business in Afghanistan, flying military personnel from one location to another and helping train Afghan border police charged with making the country's massive, porous borders more secure. It's one of the many jobs that the U.S. military just isn't staffed to tackle on its own. In fact, the U.S. military today is beefed up by a force of nearly a quarter million private contractors. There are even cases where contractors oversee the contractors. And that's the problem. The U.S. has come to rely on them so heavily, in such a short period of time, that the government has come under fire for not managing them adequately. Even among the eight-member team that makes up the Wartime Contracting Commission, a congressionally mandated effort to review the contracting process in Iraq and Afghanistan, the question of whether the United States needs the contractors isn't even an issue. The issue, rather, is how well the government is managing this massive support force called up in the immediate aftermath of the war in Iraq. In its interim report released this month, the Commission found that "neither the military nor the federal civilian acquisition workforces have expanded to keep pace with recent years' enormous growth in the number and value of contingency contracts." The report also said, "the government still lacks clear standards and policy on inherently governmental functions. The decision has immediate salience given the decisions to use contractors in armed-security and life-support tasks for military units." One of the biggest nightmares for legislators is that the force that has grown into such a critical modern-day military support structure was for a long time operating in a legal gray zone with no clear avenue of justice should something unsavory occur. That has led to some tough work for both prosecutors and the FBI, as they take on the task of investigating allegations of wrongdoing by contractors overseas. Doug Brooks, head of the IPOA, an industry-friendly voluntary organization made up of 62 companies, spends much of his time doing outreach and making sure member companies measure up to the internal standards. "We have the power to kick people out of the association," Brooks said, but that's about where it ends. They can't prosecute anyone. But to say that there has been no progress on the legal front wouldn't be fair. Legislation has been passed that essentially holds contractors accountable for their actions under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, but with everything in this business, there was a hang-up with that, too. The legislation was written to cover contractors | [
"What is the issue?",
"who has garnered unwanted attention over the past few years?",
"Where does Xe do business?",
"Where does Xe do a great deal of business?",
"What does the U.S. rely heavily on?"
] | [
[
"how well the government is managing this massive support force called up in the immediate aftermath of the war in Iraq."
],
[
"Blackwater, now called Xe"
],
[
"in Afghanistan,"
],
[
"Afghanistan,"
],
[
"private contractors."
]
] | Blackwater, now Xe, has garnered unwanted attention over the past few years .
Though kicked out of Iraq, Xe does a great deal of business in Afghanistan .
Bottom line: U.S. relies heavily on private military contractors .
The issue is how well U.S. government manages this support force . |
Editor's note: CNN has asked its journalists across the country to offer their thoughts on how the economic crisis is affecting their cities. In this installment, All Platform Journalist Jim Spellman reports from Denver, Colorado.
Hari Dallakoti says business at his UPS store in Denver, Colorado, is down 25 percent.
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- The conventional wisdom here in the Mile High City is that Denver entered the recession early and is pulling out of it ahead of the rest of the country.
Time and again I have heard politicians, journalists and business people tell me that it isn't so bad here, that Denver is poised to lead the nation in an economic recovery. Maybe, but the signs on the ground are a little harder to read.
Down on Broadway I stop by a UPS store a couple of times a week. The owner's name is Hari Dallakoti.
Dallakoti always has a smile on his face and seems to know all his customers by name -- he was calling out to me by the second time I entered the shop. People drop by to ship out packages, make copies and pick up deliveries.
There is always a crowd when I have been in, but Dallakoti tells me business is down 25 percent this month versus the same time last year.
"Finally it's hitting in this area, and I believe that people are afraid of spending money," he says. "It's like a ripple effect, and I think I am feeling it now."
Dallakoti says customers who once sent birthday presents across the country are now only sending cards. Also, eBay-related shipping is down, and he has seen a falloff in people sending mortgage-related documents. He has five employees and says he hasn't had to let anyone go, but he has had to cut back their hours.
He agrees that business is better in Denver than in other parts of the country and is confident he will weather the economic storm, but it may be a while before things get better for him.
"In my opinion it's going to get worse for the next couple, three months, and I'm hoping it will turn around after June," he says. Watch how the downturn is affecting Denver »
A block up Broadway is a little guitar store called Music Gear Guys. I play guitar, and this was one of the first businesses I stopped by when I moved to Denver in January. I have been in the shop four or five times and have been surprised that every time I drop by, the place is packed.
"The recession affected us a little last year but overall -- knock on wood -- it hasn't really affected me too much," says owner Gregory Decker, who thinks the recession may actually be helping his business.
"I have a feeling that people are looking for hobbies or different forms of entertainment that aren't too expensive," Decker explains. His store is crowded with new and used guitars, amplifiers and accessories.
He says guitars based on designs from the 1960s are the hot items in the store. Like Dallakoti, the UPS store owner, Decker seems to know all of his customers by name. He says that in this economy you have to focus on customer service to stand a chance. He doesn't advertise, instead relying on word of mouth, and keeps overhead low: He is the sole employee.
"Relationships are what make my business thrive. Without them I wouldn't be as successful," he says.
But even here in a relatively successful small business there are signs of the hard times other people have been experiencing. Beginning last year more customers started coming in to sell Decker their guitars in hopes of making ends meet.
"A lot of people are selling their gear due to job layoffs and needed the money," he says.
The recession started with free-falling housing values and, in this respect, the signs are harder to read.
Over the weekend I took my dog for a walk through my neighborhood near Sloans Lake | [
"How is the UPS store owner's business doing?",
"What is one nickname for the city of Denver?",
"What are people selling to obtain money?",
"By how much is business down?",
"What is the Mile High City?",
"Who is the CNN journalist reporting in Denver?",
"The owner of what store says business is down 25%?",
"What were people in Denver selling to make money?",
"The CNN journalist weighs in on how what affects the city?",
"Who said that their business was down at least 25 percent?"
] | [
[
"is down 25 percent."
],
[
"Mile High"
],
[
"their guitars"
],
[
"25 percent."
],
[
"Denver"
],
[
"Jim Spellman"
],
[
"UPS"
],
[
"their guitars"
],
[
"economic"
],
[
"Hari Dallakoti says"
]
] | Hardware store owner in Boston slams "negative story after negative story"
Worker laid off twice in two months says he's trying to stay positive .
Layoff also brings on feelings of rejection, worker says .
Gallery owner says business is down but not "devastating" |
Editor's note: CNN has asked its journalists across the country to offer their thoughts on how the economic crisis is affecting their cities. In this installment, All Platform Journalist John Couwels reports from Orlando, Florida.
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has announced that it will lay off employees.
ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Orlando: What first comes to mind? Walt Disney World or Universal resorts, perhaps? The two parks are the nation's biggest tourist draws.
As a new resident of Orlando, I find that the tourist areas are more removed from the city than I thought. Still, some people in the area where I currently live either work or have business dealings at tourist attractions.
As with every city in the United States, Orlando is dealing with the fallout of an economic slowdown. Tourism officials expect an 8 percent to 10 percent drop in tourism dollars for 2009.
Nonetheless, during a recent visit to Disney's Magic Kingdom with my family, I experienced a packed park. My first visit in 10 years: The park did not seem any different except for the $129 I paid for a six-month Florida resident pass.
Disney World recently announced a major loss in income and that layoffs are expected. Sources within Disney say the layoffs could begin this week. Disney will not say how many people will be eliminated while it restructures and consolidates operations.
I have not heard panic among businesses and city officials over the Disney announcement, despite the fact Disney World says it is the biggest single-site employer in the United States with 62,000. Disney spokesman Mike Griffin said: "We are bigger than the Pentagon."
Disney told me cuts would be significant, affecting back office workers. Griffin said guests visiting the parks would not see any difference.
Danielle Courtney, spokeswoman of the Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she was sure that "Disney will provide a value experience for their guests." But she said Disney is doing what every other business is doing: cutting costs.
Orlando's economic and development director, Bill Billingsley, said the city has not lost a significant amount of jobs. Billingsley is concerned about the Disney layoffs but optimistic on the limited effect on the city's economic health.
From the big corporations to the funky little tea and sandwich shop east of downtown, businesses are feeling the pinch.
The owner of Pom Pom's Teahouse and Sandwicheria was telling my friend how she had to cut everyone's hours to part time to save on expenses. The store has been open since 2006.
Owner Pom Moongauklang, a trained pastry chef, told me she's doing whatever it takes to stay open. Pom cut her four employees' hours instead of their jobs, lowered prices and extended hours to 24 hours on the weekends.
Pom said of the 60- to 70-hour work week: "It's killing me, but it's working."
Along the epicenter of tourist hotels, restaurants and T-shirt shops, International Drive business owners say they are hurting.
Aby Aly, owner of a gift shop selling goods from T-shirts to plush dolls, said that "business is off by 35 percent, and people are not buying."
As I drive around town, I do not see a large number of closed-down stores. Like other cities, Orlando has seen big national chain closures like Linen-N-Things and Circuit City. Yet at two of the area's outlet malls, you would never know there is an economic crisis. I waited 10 minutes in line to enter the parking lot.
In the suburbs where foreclosures are their highest, more businesses have closed their doors. As I looked for a house to rent I was surprised how a one-bedroom condo in downtown was the same price as a four-bedroom house only five miles away.
Real estate agent Sue Bee Laginess said the city has a glut of homes and condominiums for sale or rent. She said her office has seen business double from four months ago because of the low prices.
The agent said owners | [
"What does resort mecca Orlando, Florida feel the pinch of?",
"What is Disney World doing?",
"Who will have to lay off employees?",
"What does Disney have to do?"
] | [
[
"economic slowdown."
],
[
"cutting costs."
],
[
"Walt Disney World"
],
[
"cutting costs."
]
] | Hardware store owner in Boston slams "negative story after negative story"
Worker laid off twice in two months says he's trying to stay positive .
Layoff also brings on feelings of rejection, worker says .
Gallery owner says business is down but not "devastating" |
Editor's note: CNN has asked its journalists across the country to offer their thoughts on how the economic crisis is affecting their cities. In this installment, Bob Crowley reports from Boston, Massachusetts.
Hardware store owner Brendan Kenney says "people who have money should go out and spend it."
BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Brendan Kenney has seen enough bad news about the economy.
"I'm also getting tired of being worried," he says.
His family has been running a small hardware store in Brookline, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, for about 56 years. He says business has slowed down a little, but mostly because winter is normally the slow time of year for them.
Though he hopes the stimulus plan will help his and other small businesses, he believes people shouldn't be afraid.
"I think the American consumer holds a lot of power," he continues. "I think people who have money should go out and spend it."
Like many in the Boston area, Kenney doesn't want to hear more discouraging stories and sees that as part of the problem.
"It's just negative story after negative story, kind of creating a crisis of confidence." Watch Boston-area reaction to the economic slump »
South of Boston, Jose Nieto, from Plainville, has his own reasons to be discouraged. Between September and October of last year, he was laid off twice.
Nieto, a civil engineer who works on road construction projects, had felt fortunate. After losing his job of 14 years, he was able to find employment after only being out of work for two weeks.
After being on the new job for three weeks, however, he got called into the boss's office.
"I said, 'Oh, no. My God, not again.'" He was faced with looking for work in an industry that traditionally slows down in the winter months.
"It's more than losing your job. It gives you a feeling of rejection," he says. Yet, Nieto feels this is a time to learn valuable lessons, especially for those who need to dip into their savings when unemployment checks don't cover all of the bills.
"I think a lot of people will learn from this situation, and, going forward, they'll try to save more money."
He has been trying to stay healthy, busy and positive. Passing the time working on projects in his basement workshop and taking yoga classes has helped him get through the rough spots, and his luck is turning. He was offered a job that starts in March.
"It is a relief, because I'm employed," he says, "however, I'm taking a job for much less money."
Nieto believes that most employers cannot afford to hire at the salaries they could offer in the past.
Like Kenney's hardware store, Sue Stein's American craft gallery, also in Brookline, is not seeing any major shifts in her business, yet.
"Our business has been certainly down, but not devastating," she says.
Fire Opal, her gallery, sells everything from earrings to pottery to scarves, all made by artists from around the country.
To keep her business healthy, she says, she is trying to make adjustments like buying less merchandise. But she is changing her approach to her customers as well.
She says she tries to keep "understanding that people are having a hard time and trying to find things that are more in their price range."
Like Kenney and Nieto, Stein is also trying to stay optimistic.
"I think if we all are very careful," she says, "we'll sort of ride it out and then things will adjust." | [
"What did the hardware store owner say?",
"What city is the store owner from?",
"What did the gallery owner say?",
"How many times was the worker laid off who is trying to remain positive?",
"Who is trying to stay positive?",
"Number of times that worker had been laid off in two months?",
"What does layoff also bring?",
"What does the Gallery owner say?",
"How many times was the worker laid off?"
] | [
[
"\"people who have money should go out and spend it.\""
],
[
"Brookline,"
],
[
"\"people who have money should go out and spend it.\""
],
[
"twice."
],
[
"Nieto"
],
[
"twice."
],
[
"feeling of rejection,\""
],
[
"\"people who have money should go out and spend it.\""
],
[
"twice."
]
] | Hardware store owner in Boston slams "negative story after negative story"
Worker laid off twice in two months says he's trying to stay positive .
Layoff also brings on feelings of rejection, worker says .
Gallery owner says business is down but not "devastating" |
Editor's note: CNN writer Alan Duke has had two small voice-only roles in Tyler Perry's TV series, "House of Payne," which airs on CNN's sister network TBS. He has had no relationship with Perry beyond observing him on set.
Tyler Perry stars in "Madea Goes to Jail," which is due out Friday. Perry is trying to expand his reach to Europe.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Tyler Perry wants to take his character Madea to Europe, but he's been told that audiences there won't relate to his stories about African-American lives. The films have made nearly $300 million at U.S. box offices.
The challenge to conquer Europe has "sat in my spirit," Perry wrote in a newsletter to his fans.
Perry, who just a few years ago was homeless and broke, has made a fortune proving naysayers and critics wrong with a successful string of low-budget movies based on his Christian-themed stage plays.
"I was once told [by] someone that my movies only appeal to black people and no one else," Perry wrote. "Now, I know that's not true."
When his first movie -- "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" -- debuted in 2005, people who had seen his stage plays in person or on DVD flocked to theaters, making it the week's top movie with almost $22 million in ticket sales.
Critics, who consistently pan Perry's productions, were confounded.
"They think I don't know what I am doing," he said in a CNN interview. "They think that this is all haphazard, that I am some sort of idiot or something." Watch Perry sound off on "Madea" and other topics »
Perry said he does not write to please the critics, but for a broad audience of all ages.
With six films already out and a seventh -- "Madea Goes To Jail" -- coming soon, Perry has never made a box office flop. His movies average nearly $22 million on opening weekends and almost $47 million in total domestic sales.
"Tyler Perry has a definite and growing fan base in this country and it's simply a matter of, can he create and grow a fan base in other countries," said independent producer Alex Franklin.
Franklin -- a former development executive at Lionsgate, the film company that distributes Perry's films in the United States -- was the first person at that studio to read his script for "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."
He agrees that Perry's movies should sell in Europe, but he said there is a tendency by distributors there to avoid films about African-Americans and films without major American stars who are well-known in Europe.
While Perry's casts have included Angela Bassett, Janet Jackson and Kathy Bates, many of his characters, including Madea, come from his stage plays, which are known only to a mostly black American audience.
But David Mann -- who is "Mr. Brown" in Perry's productions -- said he has seen the audience broaden since the early years of the stage plays.
"I can recall when we first started, I would say 90 to 95 percent of the audience would be African-American," Mann said. "But now, you look out there and it's like, 'Wow! It's just a rainbow.' "
Perry, in his message to fans, said he sees his stories as universal.
"I know that even though I write from an African-American experience and most of the time I have an all-African-American cast, that doesn't mean that other people from other walks of life can't relate," he said. "I think that any human being who goes through what we all go through can relate to my films.
"I know and remember that when I'm writing," he continued. "But when this person said that to me, they also said Europeans would never relate, and | [
"Where is Tyler Perry hoping to market his films?",
"When is Perry's next film out?",
"When will his latest film be released?",
"Where are Perry's films seen?"
] | [
[
"Europe."
],
[
"Friday."
],
[
"Friday."
],
[
"CNN's sister network TBS."
]
] | Tyler Perry hoping to find market for his films in Europe .
Perry has already overcome obstacles to get his films seen in America .
Latest Perry film, "Madea Goes to Jail," is out Friday . |
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com. (CareerBuilder.com) -- If you love the nightlife, and, perhaps more importantly, you like to boogie, why wait until the weekend? If you thrive on meeting new people and being in-the-know about the latest events and products, with the right training and experience, you could get paid to play. Check out five jobs that let you do just that: Media Specialists What they do: Media specialists serve as advocates for professional organizations or individuals by developing plans to establish or build a client's public reputation. They send out press releases and maintain relationships with members of the media to keep the public informed about their clients' activities. Why they party: They are often called to arrange and make appearances at public events to maintain contact between their clients and the public, so depending on the client, these events could be everything from political rallies to swanky product launch parties. How to break in: Media specialists often hold degrees in public relations and start their careers as interns. Jobs often come through networking and making industry contacts through public relations and media organizations. What they get paid: $86,292 (average annual salary) Radio/TV Announcers What they do: Radio or television announcers' jobs can range from interviewing guests to moderating panels to providing commentary for occasions such as parades and sporting events. Why they party: Well-known among radio and television audiences, announcers are often called on to make promotional appearances at public events. They could be at a neighborhood music festival one day and the launch of a trendy new bar the next. How to break in: Because competition for network employment is intense and employers look for college graduates with extensive experience, many announcers start at stations in small cities before advancing to a job that reaches a larger market. What they get paid: $35, 755 (average annual salary) Event Photographers What they do: Photographers produce and preserve images that paint a picture, tell a story, or record an event. Why they party: Shooting on location can mean exclusive invitations to wedding receptions, parties, galas, fundraisers, and all sorts of celebrations where music, food, and the occasional, responsibly-handled drink are plentiful. How to break in: Building a good portfolio is essential to landing jobs in this field. If you don't have a degree in photography, take some classes and try to land a job as a photographer's assistant. Many photographers develop contacts in the field by subscribing to photographic newsletters and joining camera clubs. What it pays: $27,850 (average annual salary) Social Columnists What they do: Social columnists gather information to write about local, state, national and international social happenings and report on the actions of noteworthy public figures at these events. Why they party: Like photographers, these members of the media also get exclusive access to fabulous parties and social celebrations. How to break in: Like many of these jobs, columnists often start small as general assignment reporters or copy editors at smaller newspapers before working their way up. What it pays: $44,419 (average annual salary) Promotion Models What they do: Promotional models help create public interest in buying products such as clothing, cosmetics, food items and housewares. They answer questions and provide product information to potential consumers. Why they party: Demonstrations and product promotions are conducted in places that the products are most likely to sell, which can mean appearances at clubs, premiere parties and festivals if the product is right. How to break in: Oftentimes, good communications skills, an outgoing personality and pleasant appearance trump education and experience when it comes to getting hired. What it pays: $23,104 (average annual salary) E-mail to a friend | [
"Where are media specialists often found?",
"For what reason are media specialists at public events?",
"What do social columnists get?",
"Who gets exclusive access to parties and celebrations?"
] | [
[
"networking and making industry contacts through public relations and"
],
[
"serve as advocates"
],
[
"$44,419 (average annual salary)"
],
[
"Social Columnists"
]
] | One high-profile film producer has fired hundreds of personal assistants .
Naomi Campbell's treatment of her employees has landed her in court .
And would you really want to answer to Simon Cowell or Al Capone? |
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com. Although this is a challenging market for new grads, remember: Attitude can be the key to your success. Nate Torvik has mixed feelings about his upcoming graduation from Purdue University. While there's relief that classes are over, exams have been taken and term papers turned in, what lies ahead is an extremely challenging and competitive job market. "I feel like the wind has been taken out of my sails," says Torvik, who received a bachelor's degree in mass communication. "There is so much pride and happiness that comes with graduation, but as soon as I step off that stage at graduation, I become another statistic of the current miserable economy." Torvik is one of thousands of soon-to-be college graduates thinking about relocating for work this spring. While choosing the best place to settle down can be a daunting decision, the current economic climate has raised the stakes. "I have been looking just about everywhere throughout the Midwest for a job because I do not want to be too far away from my family, but things are looking more bleak everywhere I turn," Torvik says. For now, he's working in retail and hopes it might open other doors to a job as an account executive at a marketing or advertising firm. Allison Lackey is one of the lucky ones ... for now. She is graduating with a communications degree from Millikin University and starts a ten-month stint as a traveling field consultant for Delta Delta Delta women's fraternity. After that, she hopes to find a position as a marketing or PR specialist for a nonprofit organization. "In a way, I am grateful to be searching for a job in this tough economy," Lackey says. "It has forced me to become comfortable with being able to articulate why I am the best candidate for the job and it has also forced me to learn how to network well with people in my field." Top cities for new grads While many new grads tend to look for jobs near their college or hometowns, scores of them are considering locations they might not have when they entered school four or five years ago. "Given the current economy, new grads looking to relocate are becoming increasingly concerned with the cost of living as they are faced with more competition for jobs than seen in previous years," said Tammy Kotula, public relations and promotions manager at Apartments.com. "With these very real concerns weighing on the minds of many, two leading online resources for apartments and jobs have come together to paint a realistic landscape of both the job market and cost of living in the most popular cities for young adults after college." For new grads who plan to expand their job searches beyond their college or hometowns, Apartments.com and CBcampus.com just released the "Top 10 Best Cities for Recent College Graduates." The list is based on the ranking of the top U.S. cities with the highest concentration of young adults (age 20 -- 24) from the U.S. Census Bureau (2006), inventory of jobs requiring less than one year of experience from CBcampus.com (2009) and the average cost of rent for a one bedroom apartment from Apartments.com (2009). According to Apartments.com and CBcampus.com, the top 10 cities for new grads are: 1. Indianapolis Average rent:* $625 Popular entry-level categories:** sales, customer service, health care 2. Philadelphia Average rent: $1,034 Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, management 3. Baltimore Average rent: $1,130 Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care 4. Cincinnati Average rent: $691 Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, health care 5. Cleveland Average rent: $686 Popular entry-level categories: sales, marketing, customer service 6. New York Average rent: $1,548 Popular entry-level categories: sales, customer service, admin-clerical | [
"Which websites release list of best cities for recent college grads?",
"What has raised the stakes in choosing a place to settle down?",
"What has the current economic climate done?",
"Which cities top the list for best cities?",
"What has raised the stakes in choosing were to settle down?",
"Which cities top the best cities for college grads list?",
"Where are there lists for the best ciites for recent college grads?",
"Who released the top cities for college grads?"
] | [
[
"CBcampus.com"
],
[
"the current economic climate"
],
[
"raised the stakes."
],
[
"Cleveland"
],
[
"the current economic climate"
],
[
"Cleveland"
],
[
"Apartments.com and CBcampus.com"
],
[
"Apartments.com and CBcampus.com,"
]
] | One high-profile film producer has fired hundreds of personal assistants .
Naomi Campbell's treatment of her employees has landed her in court .
And would you really want to answer to Simon Cowell or Al Capone? |
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com. If you've rewritten that résumé several times and sent out dozens of applications but your job search still shows no promise, you might not be the problem. One frequently overlooked but critical factor in finding a new job is your state's unemployment rate. You can have the experience and skills of an employer's dream, but they won't do you any good if there just aren't enough jobs available. The unemployment rate is the percentage of job seekers in the work force who are still looking for work. The higher the percentage, the more difficult it is to find a job. The national unemployment rate is 5 percent, based on the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). If you're looking for a job, you should see how your state compares to the rest of the country. Here are the 10 worst states to find work ranked by their unemployment rates. 1. Michigan Unemployment rate: 7.6 percent Population: 10,071,822 Mean annual wage: $41,230 Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (18.4 percent)*** 2. Mississippi Unemployment rate: 6.8 percent Population: 2,918,785 Mean annual wage: $30,460 Top industry: Government (21.2 percent) 3. South Carolina Unemployment rate: 6.6 percent Population: 4,407,709 Mean annual wage: $33,400 Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (19.4 percent) 4. Alaska Unemployment rate: 6.5 percent Population: 683,478 Mean annual wage: $43,920 Top industry: Government (25.9 percent) 5. California Unemployment rate: 6.1 percent Population: 36,553,215 Mean annual wage: $44,180 Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (18.9 percent) 6. District of Columbia Unemployment rate: 6.1 percent Population: 588,292 Mean annual wage: $61,500 Top industry: Government (33.3 percent) 7. Ohio Unemployment rate: 6 percent Population: 11,466,917 Mean annual wage: $37,360 Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (19.3 percent) 8. Arkansas Unemployment rate: 5.9 percent Population: 2,834,797 Mean annual wage: $30,870 Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (20.6 percent) 9. Nevada Unemployment rate: 5.8 percent Population: 2,565,382 Mean annual wage: $36,000 Top industry: Leisure and hospitality (26.5 percent) 10. Kentucky Unemployment rate: 5.7 percent Population: 4,241,474 Mean annual wage: $33,490 Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (20.4 percent) *Unemployment rates, mean annual wages and industry percentages obtained from BLS in January 2008. Percentages based on nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted. **Population figures based on U.S. Census Bureau data. ***Top industries are those that employ the largest percentage of a state's labor force. E-mail to a friend | [
"What is Alaska's top industry?",
"who have highest rates?",
"Which states have the highest unemployment rates?",
"which is Alaska's top industry?",
"What can high unemployment rats do?"
] | [
[
"Government"
],
[
"Michigan"
],
[
"Mississippi"
],
[
"Government"
],
[
"more difficult it is to find a job."
]
] | One high-profile film producer has fired hundreds of personal assistants .
Naomi Campbell's treatment of her employees has landed her in court .
And would you really want to answer to Simon Cowell or Al Capone? |
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com. If you've rolled up your sleeves and gotten experience, tell potential employers when applying for a job. Talk to a dozen students on any college campus and you're likely to hear a dozen different perspectives on what they hope to get out of college. Some want high GPAs; some want to get into the work force and earn a lot of money. Ask their parents and you'll get just as many different answers. Some parents hope that their children earn their degree and have an easy time finding a job. Others want them to be at the top of the class so they can get into the best graduate school possible. And some just want their children to stop partying long enough to attend class once in a while. Ask employers what they want from graduates and the answers are equally diverse. Depending on the job, you might need a degree and an internship, a degree and work experience, or the right connections to even land an interview. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 39 million Americans over the age of 18 have a bachelor's degree. Considering that 281 million people live in the country, college graduates are still a small percentage of the population. Still, with a number in the millions, you are competing with a lot of job seekers who also have the same educational background as you. Relying only on your bachelor's to land a job is not the safest route to employment. As with most things, it's all in the presentation. Degree or not, presentation matters Sue Chehrenegar studied biology as an undergraduate and biomedical research as a graduate student. During her job search, she found herself losing out on job opportunities because she lacked the proper experience, despite her education. Or so she thought. "At the end of the 1980s, I spent more than one year looking for a job," she remembers. "I kept getting this question: 'Have you done anything in the area of molecular biology?'" She would tell employers that she didn't have the proper experience because she wasn't specifically trained for that. "I did not mention the fact that I once assisted a graduate student who was putting DNA and RNA into cultured cells." What does that mean in layman's terms? Because her specialization and the bulk of her experience was not in this particular field, she didn't consider the limited work with the graduate student worth mentioning. She later realized employers weren't looking for someone to be the ultimate authority on the subject; they wanted someone who had a broad range of knowledge. "I realized my mistake more than two years after I got a job," Chehrenegar remembers. "My first year I worked in an infectious disease lab. Later, they put me in a molecular biology lab. When I helped with one of the projects in that lab, I realized that my old, unmentioned experience related to what I was doing at that time." A degree isn't useless Sure, if you're applying for a job with bio- as a prefix, you know a degree is a requirement. But for less research-intensive jobs, you might think a degree can always be supplanted by enough experience. Depending on your occupation, that could be true but isn't a hard and fast rule for all positions. For example, you might be able to find work at a museum, but you the odds of you transitioning into a curator can be extremely difficult without extensive education in art history and related courses. You could find that you hit a ceiling in an organization. Although this bodes well for graduates who come armed with one or more degrees, it also means that workers in this industry have the opportunity to earn an education while they ascend the corporate ladder. In some cases, the combination of their experience and a recently awarded degree could be more impressive if you've relied on your degree and haven't diversified your experience. | [
"What's just as important as your degree?",
"how many Americans have a Bachelor's Degree?",
"What can be just as important as your degree?",
"How many Americans have bachelor's degrees?"
] | [
[
"presentation matters"
],
[
"nearly 39 million"
],
[
"presentation"
],
[
"39 million"
]
] | One high-profile film producer has fired hundreds of personal assistants .
Naomi Campbell's treatment of her employees has landed her in court .
And would you really want to answer to Simon Cowell or Al Capone? |
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com. When Twitter asks "What are you doing," maybe you should be following tweets on job advice. When microblogging and social networking site Twitter debuted three years ago, plenty of people wrote it off as yet another pointless addition in the overcrowded networking world. Considering the site only allows people to post, or Tweet, messages of 140 characters or less, you can't blame early skeptics. But little by little, users proved the site's worth to nonbelievers. Last year, student James Karl Buck was traveling in Egypt and wound up in jail. He Tweeted "arrested" to notify his friends of what was going on and ultimately get out of jail. During the 2008 presidential election, candidates reached out to voters using the service. When a plane crashed into the Hudson River in January, a Twitter user posted the first photograph from the scene. Although we're in the nascent stage of Twitter's existence and therefore have no idea how long it will be around, we do know it has more growing to do. If you're not yet certain you want to start posting your own daily activities for everyone to read, you can still use the service as a resource for tips on finding a job and keeping up with industry news. Job seekers can follow people who will make your job search process easier, from the interviewing stage to the salary negotiations. I follow many people whom I think give great advice, post informative articles and know what they're talking about. Seeing as the Twitter feed refreshes constantly so that I see new posts instantly, it's like having a scrolling news ticker about only the subjects I want to read. I suggest you do the same to improve your job search. Here are the 10 job Tweeters you should be following. @adriennewaldo About the author: Adrienne Waldo, a New York-based writer, consultant and blogger, made a name for herself when she began blogging about Generation Y. Why you should follow her: Waldo, a Generation Y-er herself, offers advice as someone who's in the same shoes as many of her equally young Twitter followers, but she also uses her experience to let followers know what employers are thinking. @AlisonDoyle About the author: Alison Doyle regularly writes articles on job-seeking issues, ranging from interview advice to using social media appropriately. Why you should follow her: She's prolific, so you always have something to read, and she knows her stuff. @AnitaBruzzese About the author: Anita Bruzzese is the author of "45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy" and also writes a workplace blog full of tips and advice for employees. Why you should follow her: She lets you know when she's updated her blog, which is full of helpful advice. She also shares quirky, sometimes off-topic links that lighten the day's mood. @CAREEREALISM About the authors: Careerealism.com founder J.T. O'Donnell and a group of job experts let you know when they've posted new advice for job seekers. They also respond to job seekers with career questions -- in 140 characters or less, of course. Why you should follow them: As a follower, you get to read advice from several experts who know what they're talking about and give their own perspectives. @careerdiva About the author: Eve Tahmincioglu blogs, publishes articles and Tweets on career issues. Why you should follow her: Her advice is excellent and she often brings up issues you might not have otherwise considered. @CBforJobSeekers About the authors: CareerBuilder's team of experts writes for the job seeking blog TheWorkBuzz.com and workplace articles, such as the one you're reading right now. Why you should follow them: The team's Tweets are a mix of tips, news stories, helpful articles and blog posts to keep you informed of what's going on in the world of job seekers. @heatherhuhman About the author: Heather Huhman is an expert | [
"What is becoming a good career tool?",
"What is becoming a good tool to use for your career?",
"What is also posted?"
] | [
[
"Twitter"
],
[
"CareerBuilder.com,"
],
[
"first photograph"
]
] | One high-profile film producer has fired hundreds of personal assistants .
Naomi Campbell's treatment of her employees has landed her in court .
And would you really want to answer to Simon Cowell or Al Capone? |
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com. With money a bit tight these days, many people searching for jobs would like a salary of $80,000 a year. (CareerBuilder.com) -- Let's be honest: Sometimes you don't care about the job -- you just care about the salary. But it's awfully hard to look for a job that fits both your salary requirements and your skill set. Not to mention that we always tell you that your work and career should be something you love. Ideally, money is just an added benefit. That being said, we're also realists. We know that times are tough and at this point, some people just need to get paid. We went to the Bureau of Labor Statistics to look at the latest (May 2008) salary information for the United States and found 30 occupations pay in the $80,000 range based on national averages. 1. Administrative law judges, adjudicators and hearing officers Do this: Conduct hearings to rule on government-related claims; determine penalties and liability; and help to craft settlements. Get paid: $80,870 2. Biomedical engineers Do this: Design and develop devices and procedures to help solve health-related problems. Projects might include information systems, artificial organs or artificial limbs. Get paid: $81,120 3. Chiropractors Do this: Diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions of the spinal column to prevent disease and alleviate imbalance, pain and pressure believed to be caused by interference with nervous system. Get paid: $81,340 4. Atmospheric, earth, marine and space sciences teachers, post-secondary Do this: Teach courses and research topics in the physical sciences, except chemistry and physics. Get paid: $81,470 5. Agents and business managers of artists, performers and athletes Do this: Represent and promote their client's business while handling business matters and contract negotiations. Get paid: $81,550 6. Materials scientists Do this: Study the chemical composition of various materials and figure out ways to develop new materials and improve existing ones; also determine ways to use materials in products. Get paid: $81,600 7. Physician assistants Do this: Perform health-care services and provide treatment plans under a physician's supervision. Get paid: $81,610 8. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists Do this: Research and investigate human diseases and how to improve human health. Get paid: $81,870 9. Physics teachers, post-secondary Do this: Teach courses and research topics pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Get paid: $81,880 10. Atmospheric and space scientists Do this: Study the effects the atmosphere has on the environment, most commonly through weather forecasting. Get paid: $82,080 11. Management analysts Do this: Figure out best practices of management by conducting studies and procedures to help companies figure out how to operate more effectively. Get paid: $82,920 12. Producers and directors Do this: Produce or direct, and make all creative decisions for stage, television, radio, video or motion picture productions. Get paid: $83,030 13. Biological science teachers, post-secondary Do this: Teach courses and research topics in biological sciences. Get paid: $83,270 14. Materials engineers Do this: Develop new uses for recognized materials, and develop new machinery and processes to make materials for use in specialized products. Get paid: $84,200 15. Transportation, storage and distribution managers Do this: Oversee transportation, storage or distribution activities in accordance with governmental policies and regulations. Get paid: $84,520 16. Financial analysts Do this: Assess the financial situations of an individual or organization. Get paid: $84,780 17. Electrical engineers Do this: Design, develop and test the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment. Get paid: $85,350 18. Education administrators, elementary and secondary school Do this: Oversee all activities of public or private elementary or secondary schools. Get paid: $86,060 19. Industrial-organizational psychologists | [
"The 2008 report lists dozens of jobs paying at least what?",
"What year was the report created?",
"Which orgranization created the report?",
"How much can physics and post-secondary biology teachers earn?",
"What year is the Bureau of Labor Statistics report?",
"how much do physics teachers earn",
"how much Physics and post-secondary biology teachers can earn?",
"how many jobs are listed that pay at least 80,000"
] | [
[
"$80,000 a year."
],
[
"(May 2008)"
],
[
"CareerBuilder.com,"
],
[
"$81,880"
],
[
"(May 2008)"
],
[
"$81,880"
],
[
"$81,880"
],
[
"30 occupations"
]
] | One high-profile film producer has fired hundreds of personal assistants .
Naomi Campbell's treatment of her employees has landed her in court .
And would you really want to answer to Simon Cowell or Al Capone? |
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com. You may think you have the worst boss in the Western Hemisphere, but if you've never had to dodge a cell phone, been fired over a breakfast pastry or had your work referred to as "a complete and utter mess," you probably have it better than you realize. Consider the following celebrities, whose poor underlings withstood verbal and sometimes physical abuse and lived to tell about it: Scott Rudin The high-profile film producer, whose film credits include "The Queen," "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Firm," is infamous for his hot temper and verbal rants. The Wall Street Journal once claimed he has fired 250 personal assistants, sometimes for offenses as minor as bringing him the wrong breakfast muffin. (Rudin claimed the actual number is closer to 120; however, he wasn't counting those who didn't survive his grueling two-week trial period.) Despite Rudin's reputation, however, being his personal assistant remains one of the most coveted jobs among wannabe movie moguls. Naomi Campbell Campbell is to her employees what fireworks are to the average person: If not handled carefully, she may cause bodily harm. In early 2007, the British supermodel pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault for hitting her housekeeper with a cell phone over a pair of missing jeans. Campbell insisted the incident was an accident, but a history of similar events -- including a 2000 guilty plea for assaulting a personal assistant on a movie set in 1998 -- indicates otherwise. Simon Cowell It's no secret that the mastermind behind "American Idol" has notoriously high standards, nor does he apologize for them. In fact, Cowell, who is known for finding new and creative ways to insult everyone from contestants to "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, seems to relish his reputation as the judge everyone loves to hate. And why not? After all, it is his famously prickly personality that has helped make him a household name. Al Capone Alphonse "Al" Capone's name is synonymous with organized crime. He was as well-known for his involvement in illegal gambling, bootlegging and prostitution as for his brutality. His own men were behind 1929's infamous "St. Valentine's Day Massacre." In 1931, Capone finally went to prison for income tax evasion and was released -- ironically, for good behavior -- after serving eight years in federal prisons. Afterward, Capone retired to his estate in Florida, where he died in 1947 of heart failure. Leona Helmsley The recently-deceased Manhattan hotelier will go down in history as the "Queen of Mean," a nickname she earned as a result of her erratic behavior and hasty firing of employees. After serving time for tax evasion in 1989 ("Only the little people pay taxes," was her infamous defense), Helmsley again brushed with the law in 2004 when a court ordered her to pay a former landscaper for breach of contract (Helmsley had abruptly fired the man after finding out he was gay). Gordon Ramsay The hot-tempered (pun intended) host of "Hell's Kitchen" could give Simon Cowell a run for his money as the cruelest judge on TV. Neither holds back when it comes to doling out criticism, but Ramsay steps it up a notch with slightly more colorful language. In fact, his fondness for four-letter words is matched only by Cowell's fondness for tight black T-shirts. E-mail to a friend | [
"What super model is named in this article?",
"Who might you not want to answer to?",
"What is the reason Naomi was in court for?",
"Who fired hundreds of personal assistants?",
"Who had to go to court?"
] | [
[
"Naomi Campbell"
],
[
"Naomi Campbell"
],
[
"misdemeanor assault"
],
[
"Scott Rudin"
],
[
"Naomi Campbell"
]
] | One high-profile film producer has fired hundreds of personal assistants .
Naomi Campbell's treatment of her employees has landed her in court .
And would you really want to answer to Simon Cowell or Al Capone? |
Editor's note: CNN.com's Wayne Drash writes about his maniacal love for University of Memphis basketball. Memphis, North Carolina, UCLA and Kansas play in the Final Four this weekend. Drash says the Memphis team can help heal the city's old wounds. CNN.com's Wayne Drash, left, says he's been hooked on University of Memphis basketball since he was a kid. ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- My love for University of Memphis basketball is completely irrational. I never went to school there and have no affiliation with the university. But I bleed Tiger blue. My dad used to take my brothers and me to Memphis games as a kid, and I've been hooked ever since. We once bought tickets from a scalper for six bucks apiece against arch-rival the University of Louisville in the 1980s. My dad complained we paid too much. But then we moved in seventh grade. I became an even bigger fan after we left the city. I'd huddle over my AM radio, hooked up with a coat hanger wrapped in aluminum foil as an antenna. More than 350 miles away, I managed to pick up the then-Memphis State games through the crackle and static of the radio. Memphis basketball was my only way to remain connected to my youth and the city that I loved. That was 1985, the last time Memphis made the Final Four. Is your team in the Final Four? Send your iReport celebratory photos Back then, Memphis was led by a phenom named Keith Lee. He was best known for a sweet baseline jumper as soft as the nylon nets he swished. He was also known for his giant Afro. He was listed as 6 feet 10 inches. The joke was if you included his wild hairdo, he was 7-4. When my parents were away at work, sometimes I'd sneak into my mom's cabinet, steal her mousse and then put it in my hair. Then this white kid would go out back and shoot hoops for hours, hair sticking straight out like I stuck my finger in a socket. It was the only way I could be like Lee, my hero and idol. Back then, Memphians would rank Lee right up there with Elvis Presley as the city's most popular icons. Many still do. And that's the thing about Tiger basketball. In a place where race has often divided so much of it, Memphis basketball has helped unite the city. As a boy, white and black kids would crowd the basketball court at Tiger games to try to snatch the players' sweatbands as they raced into the locker room. Up until I graduated from high school, the sweatbands of Phillip "Doom" Haynes and Baskerville "Batman" Holmes sat on my shelf in my room. Like a fan of any team, there have been good and bad times over the years. But sometimes the pain of being a Tiger fan is that much greater. Tragedy and heartbreak are part of it, such as when Holmes killed his girlfriend and then himself in 1997. Other players, such as Aaron Price and A. Maceo Battle, have died far too young along the way, furthering the pain of being a fan. Larry Finch -- who as a black player brought together the city and took Memphis to its only national championship game in 1973, and later became one of its greatest coaches -- has lived much of the past few years in a rehabilitation center after suffering severe strokes. In some ways, that's what makes Memphis basketball so special. Memphis players embody the real life of so many Americans, many faced with extreme hard times. Some succeed; some don't. Others, such as Finch, keep on fighting. I don't find it an accident that Memphis is now seeking history the same week of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "I think Dr. King would find this a source of joy," the Rev. Jesse Jackson told the team this week, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper. A city that has seen so much pain, so much | [
"what is the really special thing?"
] | [
[
"Memphis basketball"
]
] | University of Memphis basketball has brought together whites, blacks, fan says .
Memphis team has a chance to do something really special in Final Four, he says .
Memphis players embody struggle and aspirations of many Americans, fan says . |
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Friday night's broadcast. CNN's Campbell Brown praises Mark Felt, the Watergate case's "Deep Throat." (CNN) -- Cutting through the bull. It's hard to think of anyone who gave those words more meaning than Mark Felt. The man we all came to know as "Deep Throat" died Thursday at his California home after a life in the shadows. His willingness to risk everything -- career, family, and even his safety -- helped bring down President Richard Nixon in disgrace. Felt was the No. 2 man at the FBI. And yes, it's fair to say he had an ax to grind after being snubbed for the top job. Watch Campbell Brown's commentary » But that didn't make his information less accurate or crucial. And even after taking that huge risk, he gave up all kinds of chances to cash in on his secret identity. Imagine the book deal "Deep Throat" would have gotten or the movie rights to a blockbuster like "All the President's Men"? What millions did he lose by not spending years on the lecture circuit? No, Felt's willingness to keep Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward pointed in the right direction as Woodward and Carl Bernstein flushed out the greatest political scandal in American history had its roots in the integrity that no one else would show back then. We remind you of this because the timing of Felt's death is not lost on us. Just this month, we've watched a governor accused of redefining crooked politics in Illinois. We're in the final days of a White House that pushed the limits of the Constitution and never appeared eager to share information with the American people. And just this week, the president-elect, who talks of change, tried to stop a journalist from finishing a question at a news conference. Now, as ever, we need people like Woodward and Bernstein to keep asking questions. But more importantly, we need people brave enough to give the answers. People like Mark Felt. A man whose name you never heard until he finally surfaced near the end of his life. By then, he was a quiet, meek-looking person who changed our country forever -- by cutting through the bull. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown. | [
"Who was Watergate's \"Deep Throat\" who died?",
"Who had just died?",
"What did Felt have that no one else would show back then?",
"Who delt with the president?",
"who had integrity that no one else?",
"what happened to Mark Felt?"
] | [
[
"Mark Felt,"
],
[
"\"Deep Throat\""
],
[
"integrity"
],
[
"Mark Felt,"
],
[
"Woodward and Carl Bernstein"
],
[
"died Thursday at his California home after a life in the shadows."
]
] | Rendell says choice for Homeland Security good because she has "no life"
Brown: Janet Napolitano has many qualifications beyond having no family .
Nobody would have said the same about a male candidate, Brown says .
Women deserve same treatment as men on work-life issues, she says . |
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Monday night's broadcast. CNN's Campbell Brown says nonemergency legislation needs time to be read by the public and Congress. (CNN) -- Whether by omission or commission, both the White House and Congress get a dose of blame for not living up to the new era of transparency promised by President Obama. The president's old campaign Web site still has this commitment there for all to see: "As president, Obama will not sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days." Well, the president broke that promise barely a week after taking office when he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Bill dealing with equal pay for men and women. A good bill, and certainly one that could have survived a five-day comment period. So, maybe the White House folks just forgot? But then there is Congress and the Stimulus Bill. How fast could you get through it? According to the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation, lawmakers had just 13 hours to read 1,100 pages of material that would cost the American taxpayer $787 billion. That's less than a minute and a half per page, with no time for bathroom breaks. No wonder so many of our lawmakers didn't seem to notice that last-minute exemption clearing the way for bailed-out companies like AIG to pay out big bonuses. So, the House tried to clean up the mess last week by rushing through another bill -- a tax on AIG bonuses. That bill was just 11 hours old before it went on the floor to be argued and then quickly approved. And the list goes on well before the president took office. The bank bailout got all of 29 hours, the rescue of Fannie and Freddie was only available for 19 hours. This is how bills could literally become, to borrow a phrase, too big to fail -- and too fast to stop. The Sunlight Foundation is calling on Congress to allow the American people three days, 72 hours, to read a nonemergency bill online before debate begins. We strongly agree. And yes lawmakers, you can have three days to read it over, too, before taking a stand. As for President Obama's promise of a five-day public review once a bill leaves Capitol Hill headed for his desk, it would be nice if he kept his word on this going forward. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown. | [
"What did Obama post on the web for 5 days?",
"What bill should congress take more time on?",
"How long did Obama say he'd post the legislation for?",
"Who should take more time to study bills?",
"What bill did he broke that promise with?",
"Legislation for what?",
"How long will the legislation be posted for?",
"What bill did he break the promise with?"
] | [
[
"any nonemergency bill"
],
[
"nonemergency legislation"
],
[
"five days.\""
],
[
"American public"
],
[
"Lilly Ledbetter"
],
[
"equal pay"
],
[
"five days.\""
],
[
"Lilly Ledbetter"
]
] | Rendell says choice for Homeland Security good because she has "no life"
Brown: Janet Napolitano has many qualifications beyond having no family .
Nobody would have said the same about a male candidate, Brown says .
Women deserve same treatment as men on work-life issues, she says . |
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Monday night's broadcast. Campbell Brown says President Bush can't seem to see the failure of his administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. (CNN) -- Much of President Bush's news conference today was a defense of the many controversial decisions of his presidency, it was also reflective, with the president showing a willingness to admit and talk about the serious mistakes made by this administration. But on one topic in particular, he seemed almost entirely disconnected from what really happened: Hurricane Katrina. As someone who spent many days in New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina, I was taken aback listening to the president talk about the government's response. President Bush: "People said, 'Well, the federal response was slow.' Don't tell me the federal response was slow when there was 30,000 people pulled off roofs right after the storm passed. I remember going to see those helicopter drivers, Coast Guard drivers, to thank them for their courageous efforts to rescue people off roofs. Thirty-thousand people were pulled off roofs right after the storm moved through. It's a pretty quick response. Could things have been done better? Absolutely. Absolutely. But when I hear people say, the federal response was slow, then what are they going to say to those chopper drivers, or the 30,000 that got pulled off the roofs?" It is impossible to challenge what so many of us witnessed firsthand -- what the entire country witnessed through television day and night: New Orleans was a city for a time abandoned by the government; where people old and young were left at the New Orleans convention center for days with no water or food. People will disagree over aspects of the Bush legacy, but on the government's handling of Katrina? We were there. Watch Campbell Brown's reaction to President Bush's news conference » The whole country saw what happened. People stuck on roofs were one part of a massive catastrophe. But there was so much else the government didn't do. To this day that city is fighting for its life. Mr. President, you cannot pat yourself on the back for that one. We will debate the war in Iraq, national security, the economy and the rest of your legacy. Those debates will continue for years to come. But on how you handled Katrina, there is no debate. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown. | [
"What did Brown say about Katrina?",
"What did Brown say was the catastrophe that America watched?",
"Who defended many decisions at Monday news conference?",
"Who defended many decisions?",
"What did Brown say about Bush?",
"What catastrophe did America watch on TV?",
"Who disconnected from what happened with Hurricane Katrina?",
"What did Bush defend?",
"What will people disagree over?"
] | [
[
"President Bush can't seem to see the failure of his administration's response to Hurricane"
],
[
"Hurricane Katrina."
],
[
"President Bush's"
],
[
"President Bush's"
],
[
"can't seem to see the failure of his administration's response to Hurricane Katrina."
],
[
"New Orleans was a city for a time abandoned by the government;"
],
[
"President Bush"
],
[
"controversial decisions of his presidency,"
],
[
"aspects of the Bush legacy,"
]
] | Rendell says choice for Homeland Security good because she has "no life"
Brown: Janet Napolitano has many qualifications beyond having no family .
Nobody would have said the same about a male candidate, Brown says .
Women deserve same treatment as men on work-life issues, she says . |
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Thursday night's broadcast.
CNN's Campbell Brown says John Thain, according to CNBC, spent $28,000 on curtains.
(CNN) -- John Thain, the former CEO of Merrill Lynch, resigned Thursday from the company that bought Merrill out, Bank of America. As far as we can tell, his departure couldn't come soon enough.
Not long ago, Thain was credited with keeping Merrill alive long enough to be rescued.
Now we learn the man who asked for, then quickly withdrew, his request for a $10 million bonus still managed to live large while Merrill teetered on the brink and workers paid the price.
According to CNBC, Thain spent more than $1.2 million in company funds to spruce up his office, hiring a world-class designer to decorate in full decadence.
The list includes an $87,000 "area rug," $28,000 for curtains, a $68,000 credenza and the perfect finishing touch: a $1,400 wastebasket.
This is what passes for corporate responsibility?
CEO John Thain: picking out fancy new curtains while the walls are tumbling down.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown. | [
"how much money was spent by Thain for his office?",
"How much money did Thain use to remodel his office?",
"who resigned from Bank of America?",
"what bank did he work at?",
"who said departure of tHAIN couldn't come soon?"
] | [
[
"$1.2 million"
],
[
"spent more than $1.2 million in company funds"
],
[
"John Thain,"
],
[
"of America."
],
[
"Campbell Brown"
]
] | Rendell says choice for Homeland Security good because she has "no life"
Brown: Janet Napolitano has many qualifications beyond having no family .
Nobody would have said the same about a male candidate, Brown says .
Women deserve same treatment as men on work-life issues, she says . |
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Tuesday night's broadcast.
CNN's Campbell Brown says "having no life" isn't a requirement for a man to get a job.
(CNN) -- How many times have politicians been warned about the dangers of an open microphone? And yet, on Tuesday, the lectern mic at the National Governors Conference picked up this little nugget from Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.
He's having a conversation near the lectern about President-elect Barack Obama's choice for to lead the Homeland Security Department, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano. Here is what Rendell said about Napolitano:
Rendell: Janet's perfect for that job. Because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family. Perfect. She can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day to it
Wow. Now, I'm sure Gov. Napolitano has many qualifications for the job beyond having no family, and therefore the ability to devote 20 hours a day to the job. Watch Campbell Brown's commentary »
But it is fascinating to me that that is the quality being highlighted here as so perfect. C'mon. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is married with two grown children. His predecessor, Tom Ridge, had a family. Anybody remember a debate about whether they would have trouble balancing the demands of work and family?
Now, I am a fan of Gov. Rendell. He has been on this show many times. I like him for his candor. In our attempts to cut through the bull, he delivers far less bull than most politicians. But it is his frankness here that raises so many questions.
1. If a man had been Obama's choice for the job, would having a family or not having a family ever even have been an issue? Would it have ever prompted a comment? Probably not. We all know the assumption tends to be that with a man, there is almost always a wife in the wings managing those family concerns.
2. As a woman, hearing this, it is hard not to wonder if we are counted out for certain jobs, certain opportunities, because we do have a family or because we are in our child-bearing years. Are we? It is a fair question.
3. If you are a childless, single woman with suspicions that you get stuck working holidays, weekends and the more burdensome shifts more often than your colleagues with families, are those suspicions well-founded? Probably so. Is there an assumption that if you're family-free then you have no life? By some, yes.
Again Gov. Rendell, I don't mean to rake you over the coals. I know what you meant to say. But your comments do perpetuate stereotypes that put us in boxes, both mothers and single women.
In government and beyond, men have been given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to striking the right work-life balance. Women are owed the same consideration.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown. | [
"What did Rendell say regarding why she's a good choice?",
"What types of issues should men and women be treated equally on, according to the reading?",
"Women deserve what?",
"Who has many qualifications according to Brown?",
"Who is Rendell?",
"Rendell is a good choice because she has what?",
"What did Rendell say about Homeland Security?",
"What did Brown say about Napolitano?"
] | [
[
"Janet's perfect for that job."
],
[
"work-life balance."
],
[
"the same consideration."
],
[
"Gov. Napolitano"
],
[
"Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov."
],
[
"no family."
],
[
"for that job, you have to have no life."
],
[
"Janet's perfect for that job."
]
] | Rendell says choice for Homeland Security good because she has "no life"
Brown: Janet Napolitano has many qualifications beyond having no family .
Nobody would have said the same about a male candidate, Brown says .
Women deserve same treatment as men on work-life issues, she says . |
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Wednesday night's broadcast.
CNN's Campbell Brown says Flynt and Francis have brought some absurdity to the financial news.
(CNN) -- I have to mention tonight the headline that caught my eye on the CNN Ticker earlier today: "Porn Industry Seeks Federal Bailout."
Yeah, you heard me.
The porn industry wants a bailout.
Leave it to Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and "Girls Gone Wild" CEO Joe Francis to take the absurdity of what is going on now with our federal bailout program to a whole new level.
According to their press release, the adult entertainment industry needs $5 billion of your tax money because it, too, has been hit by the economic downturn.
They concede the $13 billion industry is in no fear of collapse, but say in this environment, why take chances?
I don't really think this requires commentary or condemnation, just thought you would enjoy it.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown. | [
"what are the owners seeking?",
"What do Larry Flynt and Joe Francis say about the porn industry?",
"What type of bailout is sought by \"Girls Gone Wild\"?"
] | [
[
"Federal Bailout.\""
],
[
"needs $5 billion of your tax money because it, too, has been hit by the economic downturn."
],
[
"Seeks Federal Bailout.\""
]
] | Rendell says choice for Homeland Security good because she has "no life"
Brown: Janet Napolitano has many qualifications beyond having no family .
Nobody would have said the same about a male candidate, Brown says .
Women deserve same treatment as men on work-life issues, she says . |
Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Wednesday night's broadcast. CNN's Campbell Brown says The Huffington Post has audio of an executive talking about the "awards." (CNN) -- And timing is everything when it comes to cashing in during the bailout. The soon-to-be-combined Morgan Stanley and Citigroup's Smith Barney will be doling out bonuses to its financial advisers, even as both firms take $60 billion of your bailout dollars. And it gets better. The bonuses, which could total $3 billion, will be based on the companies' 2008 numbers, which, while bad, will almost certainly be better than this year. How do we all know this? Someone gave The Huffington Post Web site audio from a conference call where, by the way, a Morgan Stanley executive told them not to use the "b" word. Conference audio: "There will be a retention award. Please do not call it a bonus. It is not a bonus. It is an award. And it recognizes the importance of keeping our team in place as we go through this integration." Sounds like a bonus to us. The dictionary describes a bonus as a sum of money granted to an employee on top of their regular pay, usually in appreciation for work done, length of service, or accumulated favors. Semantics aside, the companies have good reason to want to hide the truth. But in the middle of a bailout, we have good reason to call this bonus -- bogus. Jim Wiggins, spokesman for Morgan Stanley, would not confirm the authenticity of the tape, but he did defend their practice of so-called retention programs. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown. | [
"Banks is reportedly giving what to its employees?",
"how much in bonuses",
"What did Banks say?",
"Brown says what?",
"what did the firms accept",
"what awards are being given to employees"
] | [
[
"bonuses"
],
[
"$3 billion,"
],
[
"award. Please do not call it a bonus. It is not a bonus. It is an award."
],
[
"The Huffington Post has audio of an executive talking about the \"awards.\""
],
[
"$60 billion of your bailout dollars."
],
[
"retention"
]
] | Rendell says choice for Homeland Security good because she has "no life"
Brown: Janet Napolitano has many qualifications beyond having no family .
Nobody would have said the same about a male candidate, Brown says .
Women deserve same treatment as men on work-life issues, she says . |
Editor's note: Carlos del Rio, MD, is the Hubert Professor and chair in the global health department at the Rollins School of Public Health and professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Emory University's School of Medicine. Del Rio is a native of Mexico and was executive director of the National AIDS Council of Mexico from 1992 through 1996.
Dr. Carlos del Rio says U.S. and Mexican authorities deserve credit for their responses to the swine flu outbreak.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The swine flu outbreak that started less than a month ago has caused more than 150 deaths in Mexico and more than 60 confirmed cases across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with suspected cases in France, Spain, Israel and New Zealand.
It is clear that a new virus has emerged that is different enough that the population's previous exposure to influenza viruses and vaccines do not provide immunity.
So far, public health authorities are meeting this challenge with strength and preparedness. The Mexican and American federal governments deserve credit for their thorough responses.
The major control strategy that has been implemented in Mexico is social-distancing, a range of nonquarantine measures that attempt to reduce contact between persons, such as closing schools, canceling cultural and sports events, and closing museums and parks. In addition, countries are strengthening surveillance, releasing antiviral stockpiles and issuing travel advisories.
In the United States, federal officials are working closely with and providing guidance to state and local public health authorities, who have to make decisions about whether to close schools or prevent other large-scale gatherings.
The cross-border nature of this outbreak is a strong argument for why the United States should cooperate with and support competent institutions of government in other countries, even during a period of economic uncertainty.
The first case of swine flu in the United States during the current outbreak was identified in San Diego County by part of a surveillance program connected with the Naval Health Research Center there, which only began monitoring influenza in 2005.
In this program, physicians collect nasal swabs from patients at community clinics on both sides of the border. Only when Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists sent a suspect sample to the mass spectrometer did they discover the new variety of swine flu, according to an article describing the techniques in Science magazine.
Two critical questions remain. Why have mortality rates been higher in Mexico? And how should preparations for the regular flu season later this year be modified?
Reports from Mexico that the virus has primarily struck otherwise healthy young adults are alarming because seasonal influenza typically affects the very young and very old. Still, preliminary genetic analysis shows that the virus strains isolated from patients in California are identical to those seen in severely ill Mexican patients.
It is possible that some of the patients in Mexico, many of whom are dying of pneumonia, are succumbing to secondary infections. Medical historians believe that a large proportion of those who died of the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 were not killed by the flu virus, but by secondary bacterial pneumonia, which was difficult to treat before the introduction of antibiotics.
Thus, enhancing vaccination against pneumonia may prove to be a critical strategy in decreasing influenza mortality during future outbreaks. Additional investigation of those who have died is however, urgently needed to determine the best response strategy.
An issue that keeps coming up is the idea of closing the U.S.-Mexico border. Already at various border crossing points, customs authorities are having people who appear sick taken to a secondary inspection area for further evaluation. More systematic monitoring at border crossing and airports such as mouth swabs has been proposed.
Is that a good strategy? I would argue that it is not. The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the busiest in the world with millions of people and goods crossing each day. Many items that we routinely use in the United States are produced in Mexico and closing the border would have a crippling effect to the United States.
For example, in the event of a serious flu outbreak in this country there would be a need for mechanical ventilator deployments to hospitals. The national stockpile has sufficient ventilators, | [
"What is a possible factor present with those who have died?",
"Which country has had more deadly instances of the illness?",
"What type of outbreak is this?",
"What does Dr. Carlos del Rio say is crucial to the battle against swine flu?"
] | [
[
"secondary bacterial pneumonia,"
],
[
"Mexico"
],
[
"swine flu"
],
[
"pneumonia"
]
] | Dr. Carlos del Rio: U.S. and Mexico have responded well to swine flu outbreak .
He says cross-border cooperation is crucial to successful battle against flu .
Key question is why Mexico's illnesses have been more deadly, he says .
Del Rio: One factor may be presence of pneumonia in those who died . |
Editor's note: Carly Fiorina is chief executive of Carly Fiorina Enterprises and former chief executive of HP. She was an adviser to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign last year.
Carly Fiorina says outrage at Wall St. pay is justified but salaries shouldn't be set by government.
(CNN) -- Americans are outraged over excessive CEO pay and perks. That outrage is justified, particularly when American taxpayers are footing the bill.
Our capitalist system works best when there is transparency and accountability. There has been too little of both on Wall Street.
Inevitably, the president and Congress are now attempting to respond to taxpayer anger and restore some "common sense," as President Obama recently declared, to CEO compensation. The proposed solution caps top executive pay at $500,000 for institutions that have received bailout money.
I don't think this is the answer, although it is an understandable reaction. It's arbitrary: Why not $400,000 or $600,000? It's incomplete. It only applies to institutions that will receive more government assistance going forward. And it doesn't strengthen our economy when government decides how much each job is worth. In America we leave that job to markets.
So what's the answer? To strengthen transparency, all aspects of CEO pay and perks should be fully disclosed on a regular basis. This should include airplanes, cars, golf-club memberships, bonuses, stock options, retirement plans and salaries -- in short everything that a common-sense person would consider part of a CEO reward package. See Fiorina discuss exec pay, including her own »
To strengthen accountability, all aspects of CEO compensation should be voted on by shareholders on an annual basis.
Ultimately, it is the owners of a company who must determine whether a CEO's rewards are justified by a CEO's performance. And because the American taxpayer is now a partial owner in many companies, the government can get a vote as well -- in some cases a very sizeable vote.
In addition, "clawback provisions," which require a CEO to return compensation to shareholders if promised results aren't delivered, should be standard fare.
Finally, when a company comes to Washington for American taxpayer money, it is an admission that mistakes have been made and major bets have failed. These CEOs should be prepared to tender their resignations and those of their boards. To earn a bailout, a CEO and board should be held accountable.
We should not weaken our economy while trying to fix it. These are difficult times. President Obama has described our current situation as a "crisis" and an impending "catastrophe." In such times, action is required. The key is to take actions that help in the short-term, while also being sensible for the medium and long-term.
Too often our politicians react to crisis and public anger by over-reaching, and they create new, unforeseen problems that only become clear with the passage of time.
In this country, the opportunity to be rewarded for taking prudent risk is fundamental to our economic vitality and strength. Let's not lose that fundamental principle in our outrage over Wall Street greed and excess.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Carly Fiorina. | [
"What is the reason people are outraged?",
"What is executive compensation?",
"What does she say about pay and perks?",
"What did Carly Fiorina say?",
"What does Fiorina say should be disclosed?",
"What should be voted on?"
] | [
[
"over excessive CEO pay and perks."
],
[
"pay at $500,000"
],
[
"is justified but salaries shouldn't be set by government."
],
[
"outrage at Wall St. pay is justified but salaries shouldn't be set by government."
],
[
"all aspects of CEO pay and perks"
],
[
"all aspects of CEO compensation"
]
] | Carly Fiorina: It's understandable that people are outraged at Wall St. pay .
Fiorina says government shouldn't set limits on executive compensation .
She says all aspects of pay and perks should be disclosed .
Fiorina: Shareholders, including government, should vote on pay packages . |
Editor's note: Clarence B. Jones, author of "What Would Martin Say?" is Scholar in Residence at the Stanford University Martin Luther King Jr. Research & Education Institute. He was a lawyer and speechwriter for Dr. King.
Clarence Jones says America is indebted to Martin Luther King Jr. for breaking its addiction to segregation.
Next week, the day after our national holiday commemorating the 80th birthday of Dr. King, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, the first African-American elected as president.
Obama's election would not have been possible without the transformative effect of Dr. King's struggle, leadership and legacy in dismantling segregation and institutional racism in the United States.
America owes a great debt to Dr. King. Prior to him, our nation was like a dysfunctional drug addict or alcoholic, hooked and addicted to segregation and institutional racism.
His "tough love" of nonviolent direct action civil disobedience forced America to confront its conscience and the immorality of racial injustice.
Dr. King enabled our country to embark on an extraordinary journey of recovery to reclaim its soul. He enabled us to reactivate those precepts enshrined in our Declaration of Independence: "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights."
In twelve years and four months, from 1956 to April 4, 1968 -- except for President Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation -- Martin Luther King Jr. may have done more to achieve racial, social and political justice and equality in America than any other person in our country's history.
Dr. King had confidence in the democratic future of America. He believed that we, as a people, would be able to "transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."
I met Martin Luther King, Jr. for the first time 49 years ago when he visited my home in California to enlist my assistance in the defense of a criminal tax indictment against him by the state of Alabama.
Only six months earlier, I had graduated from Boston University Law School. I worked for him as a law clerk, political organizer, personal lawyer and, at his request, I drafted speeches for Dr. King until his death on April 4, 1968.
He was an ordained Christian minister before he was a civil rights leader. His religious faith and abiding belief in God were the fuel that ignited the engine of his moral leadership. President-elect Obama's religion and belief in God appear central to his political leadership.
During the 40 years following Dr, King's assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, the most recurring question asked of me has been: "Who today, what black leader, if anyone, is most like Dr. King?" I would consistently answer that Dr. King was sui generis, one of a kind And, then ask rhetorically: "Who today is most like Michelangelo, Mozart, Galileo, Copernicus, Aristotle, Beethoven or Shakespeare?"
Since Obama's election, I have been asked:
• Is Barack Obama another Martin Luther King Jr?
• What would Dr. King say about the election of Obama?
• Does the election of Obama, as the first African-American president of the United States, mean that Dr. King's dream has been fulfilled?
• Does Obama's election indicate that racism for all practical purposes no longer exists in America?
• Will Obama's election have any impact on the number of African-American men incarcerated or the high percentage of out-of-wedlock births within the African-American community?
There are no easy answers to these questions, but it is clear that those of us in the civil rights movement of the 1960s never anticipated the event we will witness Tuesday.
After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the assumption of the presidency by former Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, some of us who worked closely with Dr. King, concluded no fundamental change in race relations in America could be accomplished successfully and sustained unless it was done under the political leadership of a white man from the south, people like Presidents | [
"What did King do for the US?",
"What was never anticipated?",
"What did Martin Luther King do?",
"what made obama's victory possible",
"what did jones say",
"Who is Clarence Jones?",
"Who helped make Obama's victory possible?"
] | [
[
"breaking its addiction to segregation."
],
[
"sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, the first African-American elected as president."
],
[
"breaking its addiction to segregation."
],
[
"the transformative effect of Dr. King's struggle, leadership and legacy in dismantling segregation and institutional racism in the United States."
],
[
"America is indebted to Martin Luther King Jr. for breaking its addiction to segregation."
],
[
"author of \"What Would Martin Say?\""
],
[
"Dr. King's"
]
] | Clarence Jones: Martin Luther King cured U.S. of addiction to racial segregation .
He says King's work helped make Barack Obama's victory possible .
Jones: Leaders assumed only white Southern presidents could make progress .
He says they never anticipated election of an African-American president . |
Editor's note: Clark Howard, the Atlanta, Georgia-based host of a nationally syndicated radio show, hosts a television show designed to help viewers save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off during these tough economic times. The show airs at noon and 4 p.m. ET Saturdays and Sundays on HLN.
Clark Howard says, "The only smart move is to pay your debt down or pay it off entirely."
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- I've been getting many calls from listeners who are outraged or perplexed by the actions of their credit card issuer.
The issuing banks are raising interest rates by 20 percent or more -- even if the individual has good credit, has never been late on a payment or hasn't even had any change in their credit standing.
This is happening across all income levels. It's even affecting successful business owners and moderate to wealthy individuals. Fortune magazine recently spotlighted one small business owner who had a card that went from nearly 8 percent to 26 percent, even though nothing changed with his finances or payment history.
Bank of America, Citibank and Capital One are among the big issuers arbitrarily jacking up rates in the face of what they often cite as a "continually changing business environment." In fact, the Federal Reserve reports 37 percent of banks have increased their interest rates.
The reality is that the banks are fearful of the high rate of credit card default, and they know they've got you if you're among the 70 percent of Americans who carry a month-to-month balance.
The good news here is that there are new rules coming that will stop the banks from retroactively raising the rate on existing balances you already carry. The banks will still, however, be able to raise the rates if you stop paying as well as on all future purchases.
But what stinks is that these rules won't go into effect until July 2010. That gives the banks plenty of time to lobby members of Congress and get this pending legislation overturned.
For right now, the problem with banks jacking up the rates is that they're making it tougher for someone who might have been able to pay at 5 percent but could never pay at 30 percent, for example.
So they're setting you up for failure, and they're shooting themselves in the foot at the same time.
The only smart move is to pay your debt down or pay it off entirely. And don't assume you're a sitting duck if your credit standing is decent. You can always shop around for a card that has a lower rate. Try looking at Web sites such as CardWeb.com or CardTrak.com to find the best rates.
I also have a special warning for you if you're buried in debt and thinking about using one of those debt-negotiation firms that advertise all over the Internet and late-night TV.
Do not believe these people about their ability to negotiate with your credit card company and reduce your outstanding balance by 50 percent or more. These con artists get you to pay them money as a retainer and then tell you to stop making all payments while they negotiate on your behalf.
But they're rip-off artists through and through. Many banks won't even take a phone call from these people anymore because they're on to their game. That leaves you scammed out of your retainer fee while your bills continue to pile up.
There is a better way to address your debt. Try calling your credit card company and telling them you're in over your head. You may get blown off, or they may work with you. If you do get the cold shoulder, go to NFCC.org -- the National Foundation for Credit Counseling -- and find a local affiliate who can help you come up with a debt-conquering plan for free or very low cost.
You didn't get into credit card debt overnight, and you won't get out of it overnight; the recovery is going to be a slow step-by-step process. | [
"when will rules stop banks from retroactively raising rate on existing balances?",
"Who are getting hit?",
"what did Howard say?",
"What says Clark Howard?",
"what is Howard advice?",
"What will the rules do?",
"What does Howard advise?"
] | [
[
"July 2010."
],
[
"successful business owners and moderate to wealthy individuals."
],
[
"\"The only smart move is to pay your debt down or pay it off entirely.\""
],
[
"\"The only smart move is to pay your debt down or pay it off entirely.\""
],
[
"\"The only smart move is to pay your debt down or pay it off entirely.\""
],
[
"stop the banks from retroactively raising the rate on existing balances you already carry."
],
[
"\"The only smart move is to pay your debt down or pay it off entirely.\""
]
] | Clark Howard: Banks raising interest rates on credit cards by 20 percent or more .
Even people with good credit ratings who pay on time are getting hit, Howard says .
In 2010, rules will stop banks from retroactively raising rate on existing balances .
Howard advises consumers to pay down or pay off credit card debt . |
Editor's note: Clark Howard, the Atlanta, Georgia-based host of a nationally syndicated radio show, is host of a television show designed to help viewers save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off during these tough economic times. The show airs at noon and 4 p.m. ET Saturdays and Sundays on HLN.
Clark Howard says use the Internet to hook up with powerful networking groups.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Many years ago, I had the opportunity to start an Atlanta-based civic program called Career Action. The program's goal was to provide free resources to help the jobless and underemployed find steady work.
That was 1979. Today, it's 2009 and the need for job assistance is greater than ever as unemployment continues to rise.
The conventional wisdom about education and employment -- that as your level of education rises, the less likely you are to be impacted by layoffs -- has been completely flipped on its head. This recession knows no boundaries in terms of education, skill level, training or years on the job.
So, what do you do if you're laid off or have your hours cut at work? First, don't panic! You're going to need to apply for unemployment insurance.
I'm hearing a lot of people badmouthing unemployment compensation. There's nothing shameful about it. Employers pay premiums over time during the good years to provide for those who get laid off in lean times. It's not beneath you to accept this insurance money.
Next, you need to triage your finances so you know which debts to prioritize and which to neglect if your money runs out. Paying your car note is central to finding employment for most people. It's practically higher than paying your mortgage or rent. In fact, you may need to live with friends or relatives until you can get back on your feet.
What shouldn't you prioritize paying? Your credit cards. People say, "But that will hurt my credit..." Look, if you're in a situation where there's no money coming in and you have to decide between paying the mortgage and putting food on the table, chances are your credit is already damaged.
Once you get organized financially, it's time to job hunt. Looking for work is a full-time job and you need an action plan. Start by reviewing your list of contacts, but understand that people don't like to be called and asked if there's a job. But they do love to give advice that may lead to a job opportunity. Visit in person with your contacts if possible.
I'm also a big believer in networking groups and unemployment support groups. Networking for jobs has become something of a lost art in our country because people think the Internet replaces everything else. It doesn't.
However, there are ways to use the Internet to hook up with powerful networking groups. There's even a new organization called LaidOffCamp that is like a free day camp for the underemployed. According to the movement's Web site, it's "an ad-hoc gathering of unemployed and nontraditionally employed people (including freelancers, entrepreneurs and startups) who want to share ideas and learn from each other." You never know whom you might meet.
When you are job hunting on the Internet, be sure to check out screen-scraper sites like SimplyHired and Indeed.com. They're both "one-stop shops" that collect content from all the traditional job sites such as Monster and Yahoo! HotJobs, plus the career pages of individual company sites.
In addition, The Boston Globe recently recommended several specialty sites when you're looking for work in a specific field. BioSpace.com is geared toward the science and biotechnology fields; Idealist.org focuses on the nonprofit charity world; and for those who are 50 years or older, there's a site called WorkForce50.com.
In the course of your job search, you may find that you need money immediately and can't sit around waiting for a job offer to materialize. In that case, certain skill sets -- Web design, programming, marketing and videography, | [
"What does Clark suggest joining?",
"what does Clark Suggest",
"what do you need to prioritize",
"What did Clark say?",
"What type of work should be tried?",
"What do you need to know?"
] | [
[
"powerful networking groups."
],
[
"use the Internet to hook up with powerful networking groups."
],
[
"which debts"
],
[
"use the Internet to hook up with powerful networking groups."
],
[
"Web design, programming, marketing"
],
[
"apply for unemployment insurance."
]
] | Clark says you're going to need to apply for unemployment insurance .
You need to know which debts to prioritize, which to neglect if your money runs out .
Clark suggests you join networking and unemployment support groups .
With certain skills, try consulting work or freelancing on a project . |
Editor's note: Clark Howard, the Atlanta, Georgia-based host of a nationally syndicated radio show, is host of a television show designed to help viewers save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off during these tough economic times. The show airs at noon and 4 p.m. ET Saturdays and Sundays on HLN. Clark Howard says it's smart to cut back and save, but sometimes being cheap doesn't pay. ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Over the last several years, we as Americans became "negative net savers" -- a fancy term used by pointy-headed economists to say that we spent more money than we made. In fact, our savings rate was at negative 2.7 percent as recently as four years ago. Now, however, the trend seems to be reversing. We actually saved five percent out of every dollar of disposable income in January, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Wow, a whole nickel out of every dollar. Thomas Jefferson would be proud! Sure, it's not the "dime on a dollar" rule of thumb for savings that I rave about, but it's a start. Watch Clark talk with an amazing saver » The truly noteworthy thing here is how we're saving this much-heralded five percent. Where exactly are we cutting back to satisfy our newfound hunger for pinching nickels? The BEA's numbers show that vehicles and fuel expenses account for nearly two-thirds of the savings. That category alone has seen a $115.2 billion decline compared with January 2008 numbers. Americans are riding their vehicles until the wheels fall off. The second largest category where we've cut back on is eating out, which is down $55.7 billion from last January. After that, we're also trimming the budget on clothing, jewelry, alcohol and more. In most recessions, the sales of alcohol do very well as people try to drown their worries in a bottle. I'm not so sure that behavior itself has changed, but this time around, people are trading down in their drink of choice. For example, fancy wine drinkers may be switching to Trader Joe's lines of Charles Shaw wines (a.k.a. Two Buck Chuck, for their $1.99-$3.49 per bottle price). Beer drinkers, meanwhile, are skipping expensive and exotic microbrews in favor of cheaper choices. Of course, there are other ways to save a nickel without having to trade down or go without. Many people are simply becoming "do-it-yourselfers." This trend has also been called insourcing -- when you do something yourself instead of paying someone else to do it. Some marketers have seized on insourcing to great effect. For example, Target recently ran an ad campaign that aimed to reinvent the store's image for these new, leaner times. Consider this: The ailing retailer has always positioned itself as an affordable splurge over the years. But suddenly, any kind of splurge is seen as irrelevant in today's economy and Target's sales are suffering. So their recent ad campaign was all about the "new." A circular I saw showed the "new" room service (store brand orange juice and cereal served at home); the "new" personal trainer (using home exercise equipment instead of paying for a gym membership); and the "new" restaurant (eating at home) -- all things that can be pricey, but are now being repositioned on the cheap in an effort to boost sales. Insourcing is making direct inroads into the home too -- quite literally. The Wall Street Journal's Weekend Journal recently reported on "closet boutiques" where women are now opening up their homes and closets to strangers in order to sell unwanted designer clothes. Closet boutiques are typically advertised on Craigslist. There were 715,000 postings in February -- more than double the amount last year at that time. For buyers, a closet boutique offers the opportunity to pick up designer threads at a tiny fraction of their new cost. But a word of caution for sellers: You'll almost certainly have some questionable characters | [
"How much are Americans saving out of every dollar?",
"Where does two thrids of the savings go?",
"What accounts for two-thirds of the savings?",
"What does Clark say?",
"How much are American's saving?",
"how much money Americans are saving by dollar?",
"what about the expenses on fuel?"
] | [
[
"five percent"
],
[
"vehicles and fuel expenses account for nearly two-thirds of the"
],
[
"vehicles and fuel expenses"
],
[
"it's smart to cut back and save, but sometimes being cheap doesn't pay."
],
[
"five percent out of every dollar of disposable income"
],
[
"five percent out of every"
],
[
"account for nearly two-thirds of the savings."
]
] | Clark says you're going to need to apply for unemployment insurance .
You need to know which debts to prioritize, which to neglect if your money runs out .
Clark suggests you join networking and unemployment support groups .
With certain skills, try consulting work or freelancing on a project . |
Editor's note: Dan Buettner is the best-selling author of "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest." Watch Buettner's reports from Greece all week on "AC360°" Greek-American Yiannis Karimalis, 73, lives in Ikaria nearly 40 years after a diagnosis of stomach cancer. Ikaria, GREECE (CNN) -- In 1970, when doctors diagnosed Greek-American Yiannis Karimalis with stomach cancer and only gave him a few months to live, he decided to move back to Ikaria, his birth island. There, he reasoned, he could be buried more inexpensively among his fellow Greeks. But when he moved back to the island he didn't die. He has lived nearly 40 years more. And when he returned to America on a recent visit, he discovered that his doctors were all dead. The people on this 99-square-mile Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea smugly tell this story as yet another example of what they've always known and scientists are now discovering: People in Ikaria live longer than in just about any other place in the world. A recent study of 90-year-old siblings, conducted by the National Hellenic Research Foundation, discovered 10 times more 90-year-old brothers and sisters here than the European average. Why is this important? Most scientists agree that the average human should live to age 90. (You have to have won the genetic lottery to live to 100.) But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says life expectancy in America is 78. Somewhere along the line, we're losing about a dozen years -- most of them to costly and potentially preventable chronic diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes and cancer. These diseases are dragging down our health care system and account for much of the reason why the National Institute on Aging says the average American suffers about three disabled end-of-life years during which they incur 90 percent of our lifelong health care costs. Ikarians are avoiding these diseases and reaching age 90 at a rate of about four times the rate that Americans do. They are getting the good years we're missing, dying quickly and less expensively. For the next two weeks, I'm leading "The Blue Zones" expedition, an AARP and National Geographic sponsored team of the world's best demographers, physicians, medical researchers and media specialists, to explore Ikarian longevity. We already have a few clues. Since at least the sixth century B.C., Icaria was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as a health destination -- largely for its hot springs believed to relieve pain, joint problems and skin ailments. Our team has reviewed reports of high levels of radon in these baths and will be exploring a theory that chronic exposure to low-level radiation may help protect DNA against the ravages of aging. For much of the ensuing two millenniums, people here lived in relative isolation. The people here evolved a unique diet that we believe is a more heart-protective version of the Mediterranean diet. We're doing pharmacological analyses of dozens of herbal teas and unique honey produced by bees that draw pollen of thyme, fir and erica. We think we'll find anti-cancer, anti-oxidant and probiotic properties in these locally produced products. We also know that people here have a vastly different character than the rest of the Mediterranean. They have volcanic tempers that quickly subside. Despite living on harsh, steep terrain, they're known for relentless optimism and three-day parties. They don't get stressed by deadlines. They go to bed well after midnight, sleep late and take naps. Anecdotally, we know that most people over 90 are sexually active. Do these people possess the true secret to longevity? We're not sure yet, but we'll certainly distill a few clues about living longer, better. Ikarian wisdom may not help you live to 100. But at least they may help you outlive your doctor. Follow and vote to direct Dan's expedition at aarp.org/bluezones The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dan Buettner. | [
"What are experts exploring in regards to Ikaria?",
"how long did he live",
"What type of cancer does he have?",
"When did Yiannis Karimalis move back to Greece?",
"What killed the doctors?",
"what was his illness"
] | [
[
"a theory that chronic exposure to low-level radiation may help protect DNA against the ravages of aging."
],
[
"40 years"
],
[
"stomach"
],
[
"In 1970,"
],
[
"cancer and only"
],
[
"stomach cancer"
]
] | Yiannis Karimalis moved back to Greece in 1970 after learning he had months to live .
Karimalis returned recently to the U.S. to find all his doctors had died .
Karimalis' home -- Greek island Ikaria -- boasts among longest life expectancies .
Team of experts are exploring Ikarian longevity . |
Editor's note: Danyel Smith is the chief content officer of Vibe Media Group and the editor-in-chief of Vibe. Danyel Smith says Michael Jackson sacrificed himself in the name of his art. (CNN) -- It falls to me to prepare a statement on behalf of Vibe magazine when someone is promoted, when there is trouble, or when something major happens in the world of pop. It occasionally falls to me to write an obituary or a tribute when an entertainer dies. It's a part of my job. One has to do it quickly, and I've never been prepared. Yet I've been prepping for this one my whole life. Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50. The sorrow at his passing is palpable, and wet, and illogical -- in my 20 years of being a critic and an editor, I've never met him. But this is a death in the family. I've known Jackson's work since I was 5 years old and was given The Jackson 5's "ABC" as a gift. He was on the surface the most uncomplicated of all boys -- beautiful, emotional, untouchable, ours. Michael has bruised my heart many times -- his antics and the accusations, his seeming desire not to be, at least physically, who he'd been. Which is who I am. But as his funeral is prepared, I, like the Jackson brothers sang with optimistic melancholy in 1976, think about the good times. There is no moonwalk down memory lane about Michael. The legends mix in with the rumors mix in with the ice-cold facts of 1960s black working-class Gary, Indiana. That mixes in with girls fainting at the sight of him when he was barely a teenager; which mixes with the many sold-out tours, and with Michael collaborating with Quincy Jones on 1979's "Off the Wall" and 1982's "Thriller." There is the alleged abuse inflicted on Jackson and his brothers by his father, Joe, along with the strong love and late rivalry with his superstar sister, Janet. There is the magic and melodrama of Motown. The accusation of child abuse (no charge; he agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit against him in 1994), and the 2005 trial in which Jackson was acquitted of child molestation and other heinous charges. There is the drastic change of his skin color, the radical narrowing of his nose, the short marriage to Elvis Presley's daughter, the friendship with Emmanuel Lewis, the 13 Grammys, the 13 No. 1 singles, the two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the haunting, otherworldly performance at Motown's 25th Anniversary special. The way he integrated MTV in 1983 with "Billie Jean," the "We Are the World" extravaganzas, the face masks, the oxygen tanks, the Neverland Ranch -- all that mixes in with everything from "Stop the Love You Save" to "Dancing Machine," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," "P.Y.T.," "Man in The Mirror," adding up to the more than 750 million albums sold worldwide... I mean. And this is not the half, the tenth, the thousandth of what he was. It comes down to the fact that Michael Jackson gave. Whether he chose to or did it because it was all he knew, he sacrificed himself in the name of his art. Jackson gave almost his entire life on this planet to singing, to dancing, to recording, to performing. He practiced, he watched James Brown and Jackie Wilson and Diana Ross and he watched his brothers. He bent, when he had to, to the will of those who could have done better by him. He was knowing enough about who he was to pretty much demand we all call him The King of Pop, but it was the public shyness, the nerdiness of Michael Jackson that endeared. The whispery voice juxtaposed with the explosive grace he demonstrated on stage and on record. The tenderness, especially of his childhood work, and | [
"Who did Danyel Smith say made millions believe?",
"What did Smith believe?",
"According to Smith, who was the best entertainer who ever lived?",
"How much of his life did Danyel Smith believe Michael Jackson gave to entertaining others?"
] | [
[
"Michael Jackson"
],
[
"Michael Jackson sacrificed himself in the name of his art."
],
[
"Michael Jackson"
],
[
"entire"
]
] | Danyel Smith: Michael Jackson made millions believe .
She says he gave almost all of his life to entertaining others .
Smith: He sacrificed and left nothing but blood on the dance floor .
Smith believes Jackson was the best entertainer who ever lived . |
Editor's note: Daria Roithmayr is a law professor at the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, where she teaches on race and law. She worked for Sen. Edward Kennedy as special counsel on the Clarence Thomas and David Souter confirmation hearings. Guy-Uriel Charles is a law professor at Duke Law School where he is the founding director of the Center on Law, Race, and Politics. Daria Roithmayr says Sotomayor would add broader life experiences to the background of Supreme Court justices. No one was surprised when the subject of race dominated the public conversation during Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings. What was surprising was how unwilling both sides of the aisle were to talk about race openly. Republicans tried to argue that race should be completely separated from judicial decision-making. For their part, Democrats tried to minimize the importance of her race to her decision-making by focusing on her record, to show that her race had played no role in her decisions. Judge Sotomayor herself suggested that life experiences are an important part of the process of judging, but then sought to minimize the difference that those experiences might have made to a particular result. Most people understand that life experiences and racial identity do affect the decision-making process. But is this something to be lamented or celebrated? We think the latter. In this, the not quite post-racial era of Obama, scholars are developing new understandings of the connection between race, life experience and decisions. Researchers such as Scott Page and James Surowiecki are telling us that varied life experiences and ethnicity can improve the result when a group makes decisions together. At the University of Michigan, Page uses mathematical models to show not only that people's backgrounds make a difference in how they think, but far more importantly, that these differences are essential for good collective decision-making. As Page acknowledges, the relationship between life experience and decision-making is an empirical question -- a question of fact to be determined based on research. In some domains -- making decisions about the scope of anti-discrimination law or deciding on a health care policy -- we likely will see that broader life experience makes for better decisions. Surowiecki, who wrote "The Wisdom of Crowds," points out that a group will more often than not come to a better decision than the average individual, so long as the group includes a range of people with different life experiences and ways of looking at and solving problems. As Surowiecki notes, if the group has enough variation in the information that they bring to the table, their thought processes and their approach to solving problems, the group is more likely to come up with the right answer before an individual, even in some instances when the individual is an expert. The Constitution itself recognizes the importance of life experiences to legal decision-making. Defendants in the criminal process are entitled to a jury of their peers precisely because jurors bring to the process a collection of life experiences that will shape their understanding of the facts and the law. All-white juries are problematic in large part because we believe that the life experiences of jurors are an integral part of their collective judgment of innocence or guilt. We also are coming to understand that race is just one of several structural factors that affect a person's life experiences and life chances, together with economic security, gender, class and geography. These days, the best thinking on race focuses less on racial symbolism and more on understanding how race affects a person's life experiences and life chances -- her access to education, health care, economic and physical security, her experience with the criminal justice system, whether she grew up wealthy or in a public housing project. Thus, we understand that the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. for disorderly conduct after he opened his jammed front door might be a signal of existing racism in law enforcement. But the better way to understand his arrest might be to acknowledge that whether one thinks this is the symbol of continued racism in law enforcement or an officer trying to do his job, in general, | [
"who is sotomayor",
"What subject dominated the Senate hearing?",
"What benefit will Sotomayor provide the court?",
"what says roithmayr",
"What does research show about diverse groups of people and decisions?",
"Who was the Senate hearing about?"
] | [
[
"Judge"
],
[
"of race"
],
[
"Sotomayor would add broader life experiences to the"
],
[
"Sotomayor would add broader life experiences to the background of Supreme Court justices."
],
[
"backgrounds make a difference in how they think, but far more importantly, that these differences are essential for good collective decision-making."
],
[
"subject of race"
]
] | Roithmayr, Charles: Race dominated the Senate hearing on Sotomayor .
They say research shows groups of diverse people make better decisions .
Having Sotomayor on court will widen life experiences of the justices, they say .
Roithmayr, Charles: We should strive for diversity of class, gender, geography . |
Editor's note: David B. Givens is Director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies in Spokane, Washington. He is the author of "Love Signals: A Practical Field Guide to the Body Language of Courtship" (St. Martin's, New York, 2005), "Crime Signals: How to Spot a Criminal Before You Become a Victim" (St. Martin's, 2008), and the forthcoming "The Body of Work: Sightreading the Language of Business, Bosses, and Boardrooms." His online Nonverbal Dictionary is used around the world as a reference tool. Barack and Michelle Obama celebrate winning the Democratic nomination with a fist bump in 2008. SPOKANE, Washington (CNN) -- The H1N1 swine flu virus is putting our most familiar gesture of greeting -- handshakes -- at risk. As an anthropologist who watches people for a living, I can tell you that human beings touch their own faces with their own fingertips hundreds, if not thousands of times a day. Repeated face touching -- especially finger contact with eyelids, lips, and nostrils -- is as predictable as blinking. You'll observe hand-to-face gestures in every culture and society, as well as in our closest primate relatives, the monkeys and apes. There's nothing wrong with face touching. Nothing, that is, unless you're afraid of germs. And today, many of us around the world are terrified by these tiny organisms, especially ones that cause swine flu. Merely by shaking the hand of someone infected by the swine-flu virus, we risk infection each time we inadvertently reach up and touch our faces. Physicians urge that we wash right after shaking hands. But since the anthropologist in me knows that, as a primate, you'll touch your face before washing, germs will inevitably visit unsuspecting lids, lip, and noses. The human handshake itself, meanwhile, is a widespread gesture used for meeting, greeting, and sealing a deal. It's a ritualized gripping of another's hand, with one or more up-and-down (or, in Texas, sideways) motions followed by a quick release. Since the fingertips and palm of the hand are exquisitely sensitive, the shake itself can be deeply personal. We instantly feel the warmth or coolness, dryness or moistness, and firmness or weakness of another's grip. Sensory input from a hand's thermal and pressure receptors to the brain's sensory cortex and then to deeper, emotional brain areas can be intense. If you travel to France, be prepared to shake hands dozens of times a day. Office workers in Paris, for example, may shake in the morning to greet, and in the afternoon to say goodbye, to colleagues. Outside vendors and technicians will handshake with everyone present when they enter or leave an office. The risk of hand-carried flu virus is thus greater here than it is in the United States, where handshaking is far less frequent. Contrast this to the Japanese practice of giving fewer handshakes, still, in favor of polite bows of the head. In all three nations, casual face touching is frequent, but germs in Tokyo are less apt to spread through handshakes. In Islamic nations, it is strictly taboo for men to shake hands in public with women. So, Muslim couples are less likely to exchange swine-flu germs through manual contact than are business men and women in, say, Seattle, Washington. Since in much of the world a handshake is both a visual and a tactile index of your concern for other people, it's hard to hold one back. In North America, Latin America, and Europe, when someone holds out a hand, it's difficult not to just take a step forward and shake. You don't want, after all, to seem rude. In Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East, handshaking may be more nuanced than in the West, or even absent. An Asian namasté, with your palms and fingers pressed together in front of your chest, given with a slight bow -- or a Muslim salaam, in which your right | [
"What creates risk of spreading the flu virus?",
"What did David Givens say about the H1N1 flu?",
"Who have popularized the fist bump?",
"What creates risk of spreading H1N1?",
"What is the risk of handshakes during flu season?",
"What risks spreading the flu virus?",
"Who has popularized the fist bump?",
"What do handshakes do",
"Who have popularized the fist bump",
"what strain of flu is being discussed",
"What do handshakes create a risk of?",
"What's a less risky way of greeting people?"
] | [
[
"handshakes"
],
[
"at risk."
],
[
"Barack and Michelle Obama"
],
[
"handshakes"
],
[
"H1N1 swine"
],
[
"handshakes"
],
[
"Barack and Michelle Obama"
],
[
"gesture used for meeting, greeting, and sealing a deal."
],
[
"Barack and Michelle Obama"
],
[
"H1N1 swine"
],
[
"H1N1 swine flu virus"
],
[
"polite bows of the head."
]
] | David Givens: H1N1 flu is prompting focus on how we greet each other .
He says handshakes create risk of spreading the flu virus .
Fist bumps are a less risky way of greeting people .
Givens: Obamas and Dalai Lama have popularized the fist bump . |
Editor's note: David Craig is a film, television and Web producer, an adjunct professor at the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California, and a gay rights activist.
David Craig says there's growing support for recognition of gay unions and gay marriage.
LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- My battle for marriage equality began in 1990, after my partner, Brian Binder, and I had a commitment ceremony. The ceremony was held at the end of a conference for Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays and was attended by more than 300 friends and members of both our families.
We were featured in a couple of books on gay marriage because the concept was so new at the time. We also registered as domestic partners and entered into every possible form of legal recognition available at the time.
A few years later, Brian was visiting his parents in Nevada to inform them that he was giving up his battle with AIDS. Something went horribly wrong, and he was rushed to the hospital. I flew there immediately.
As his caretaker, I knew his medical condition and had been involved in every medical decision. We had shared the joy of making a commitment to one another and the pain and suffering of a horrible disease.
But when I arrived, I was told I could not see him because I was not "family" and because my legal documents were valid only in California. Even as I heard him calling out my name, they refused to let me see him because we were not married. Brian died in 1992.
In 1995, I helped organize the first Freedom to Marry March in Los Angeles. Ten years later, the idea for A Day Without Gays was conceived. iReport.com: Are you taking part in "A Day Without Gays?"
I was discussing same-sex marriage with Delia Fine, my colleague at the A&E Network. I proposed a gay version of Lysistrata, an ancient Greek satire about Athenian women who withheld sex from their husbands until they agreed to stop going to war.
She replied, "what if gays went on strike instead?" and the idea was born.
We convinced A&E to produce a movie based on the idea, which became a romantic comedy called "Wedding Wars" that aired on the network in 2006. Critics compared the film to "A Day Without a Mexican," which led to the one-day protest by the Latino community called A Day Without Immigrants.
In the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 in California, which banned same-sex marriage, I posted the event on Facebook. My fellow organizer, Steve Holzer, inspired by the Latino protests, suggested we call it A Day Without Gays.
We soon discovered that other organizers had conceived of the same idea simultaneously, and we all agreed to schedule the protest for December 10, which is International Human Rights Day. A week later, Join The Impact, the group that organized City Hall rallies nationwide November 14, joined forces with us.
Our goal is to raise awareness that marriage is a "basic human right" as declared by the U.S. Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia, the case that ended race-based restrictions on marriage.
We believe that to deny gays and lesbians that right, and the 1,400 state and federal legal and economic benefits of marriage, is discrimination and in violation of the 14th Amendment.
We are asking people who support us to "call in gay" to their workplace by taking the day off or to shut down their businesses. Our goal is to raise awareness that we are gay and lesbian Americans who work, own businesses, pay our taxes and support the economy to the tune of $712 billion a year, according to an analysis by Witeck-Combs Communications, a public relations agency that specializes in the gay and lesbian consumer market. This is a declaration that we take our rights seriously and demand full equality.
Our Facebook site has had a million visitors, and more than 225,000 people indicate that they will or might participate. There are also more than 17,000 postings from participants who have taken | [
"What protest is scheduled for December 10th?",
"Where is the protest going to be?",
"How long has Craig been battling for gays?",
"What is gaining support?",
"What kind of marriage rights is David Craig fighting for?",
"What kind of protest is Craig organizing for December 10?"
] | [
[
"A Day Without Gays"
],
[
"nationwide"
],
[
"began in 1990,"
],
[
"recognition of gay unions and gay marriage."
],
[
"gay"
],
[
"A Day Without Gays"
]
] | David Craig: I've been battling for marriage equality for gays since 1990 .
He says civil unions don't provide same level of rights and benefits as marriage .
Craig is part of a group organizing "day without gays" protest for December 10 .
Craig: Poll shows growing support for gay unions and for gay marriage . |
Editor's note: Dina Habib Powell, global head of corporate engagement at Goldman Sachs, served as U.S. assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs from 2005 to 2007.
Dina Habib Powell says there are encouraging signs the world is ready to invest in empowering women.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- As we mark International Women's Month in March, it is encouraging to see that the movement to recognize the vital role that women play in families, nations and economies has been building for more than a decade and that developments in the past few years have shown that real progress has begun to take hold.
On the heels of International Women's Day, President Obama said Monday, "we will not sow the seeds for a brighter future or reap the benefits of the change we need without the full and active participation of women around the world."
He also recently announced the creation of a new position, ambassador-at-large for global women's Issues, at the State Department.
To fill this critical role, the president nominated Melanne Verveer, a widely respected women's advocate and former top aide to then first lady Hillary Clinton.
Verveer was a founder of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an organization committed to empowering women and recently co-chaired by Secretary Clinton and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
There has also been very recent progress on Capitol Hill. Last month, the U.S. Senate created a Foreign Relations subcommittee that will focus on the global status of women, led by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California.
The efforts have been a bipartisan priority for our leaders. In 2008, then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice successfully led the effort in the U.N. Security Council to officially recognize rape as a weapon of war. And in 2001, Laura Bush used the first presidential radio address ever given by a first lady to focus international attention on the plight of women in Afghanistan and used her influence to protect and empower women around the world.
Critical strides are also being made globally. In Rwanda, a country devastated by genocide, women have become a key part of the nation's rebirth. Under the leadership of President Paul Kagame, more than half of the parliament is made up of women. In Liberia, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf made history when she became the first female president on the African continent.
In the Middle East, Kuwait has emerged as a leader in women's suffrage and political participation. And in the United Arab Emirates, women such as Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, minister of foreign trade, have been trailblazers for progress throughout the region.
This social change is being promoted at the United Nations, where Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently noted that the protection, education and empowerment of women and girls are among the most important ingredients to achieving all other Millennium Development Goals.
Such consensus should not be surprising as study after study has found that investing in the education of women improves lives.
Every extra year of girls' education can reduce infant mortality by 5 to 10 percent. In Africa, children of mothers who receive five years of primary education are 40 percent more likely to live beyond age 5. And multicountry data show educated mothers are about 50 percent more likely to immunize their children than uneducated mothers are.
But one of the most important developments of recent years has been the increasing amount of research that shows investments in women can offer not only social benefits, but also real economic growth. A growing body of evidence highlights the economic advantage of educating and empowering women.
The private sector has seized on this data. There is now broad consensus that investing in women is not only just good social policy, it is "smart economics," as Bob Zoellick, president of the World Bank, says.
Toward that end, the World Bank has convened a Private Sector Leaders Forum with companies committed to these issues, such as Standard Chartered, Cisco, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Carlson and Nike.
My own firm, Goldman Sachs, published two critical pieces of research, "Womenomics" and "Women Hold Up Half | [
"What is so encouraging here?",
"What does the study show?"
] | [
[
"signs the world is ready to invest in empowering women."
],
[
"investing in the education of women improves lives."
]
] | Dina Powell: As we mark Women's Month, there are encouraging signs .
Both parties in the U.S. are taking steps to invest in the role of women, she says .
She says studies show that more education decreases infant mortality .
Investing in women's education leads to increases in economic growth, she says . |
Editor's note: Dr. Anthony S. Fauci is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci: Progress has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but "our work is just beginning." (CNN) -- When we commemorated the first World AIDS Day on December 1, 1988, we had little to celebrate. The number of reported AIDS cases in the United States was nearing 80,000 and rising rapidly. Untold thousands more in this country were living with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Globally, AIDS cases already had been reported from more than 135 countries. An AIDS tsunami clearly was looming, but we had few defenses at our disposal. For those of us caring for people with AIDS, it was a dark time. We had just one anti-HIV medicine in our pharmacies, AZT, a drug that the virus rapidly defeated by mutating and developing resistance. Lacking other medicines to slow the relentless replication of HIV and its destruction of a person's immune system, we did our best to help our patients by managing to the extent possible their AIDS-related infections and complications. But the life span of most of the patients was measured in months. Two decades later, much has changed. An unprecedented research effort has led to more than two dozen anti-HIV drugs, more than for all other viral diseases combined. Taken in proper combinations, these medications have dramatically improved the prognosis for people living with HIV by increasing their life span by at least a decade and providing the possibility of a normal life span with continued therapy. Scientifically proven prevention approaches -- education and outreach to at-risk populations, voluntary HIV testing and counseling, condom distribution, prevention of HIV transmission from mother to baby, harm reduction approaches for drug abusers, mass-media campaigns and the screening of donated blood -- have been deployed with great success in the United States and many other countries. Innovative programs such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as the efforts of nongovernment organizations, have reached millions of people in low- and mid-income countries worldwide with HIV-related services, at a scale unimaginable a few years ago. And gradually -- but too slowly -- we have begun addressing AIDS-related stigma in this country and abroad. Much has been accomplished in the fight against HIV/AIDS from scientific, medical and public health standpoints. However, now is no time to rest on our accomplishments or our laurels. The statistics of the HIV/AIDS pandemic tell us that much more needs to be done. Around the world, a staggering 2.7 million people were infected in 2007 alone. Globally, 33 million people are living with HIV infection, most of them in the developing world. In the United States, more than 1 million people are living with HIV. And 56,000 more people are infected each year in the U.S., driving HIV prevalence rates in some of our communities to levels that rival those seen in sub-Saharan Africa. Gay and bisexual men, and African-Americans in general, are disproportionately affected. The true ground zero of the HIV epidemic in the United States is in those communities. What is the way forward? First, even in the face of a world economic crisis, the global community must scale up the delivery of proven HIV therapies and prevention services. In low- and middle-income countries, less than one-third of people in need of anti-HIV therapy are receiving it, and only one in five people at risk of HIV infection have access to prevention services. All around the world, access to HIV services -- and medical care in general -- remains a challenge in many poor communities. The global community must sustain our commitment to investing resources for medicines, clinics, as well as training and salaries for doctors, nurses and community health care workers to provide care for HIV/AIDS and other diseases in the settings where they occur. Here in the United States, more than one-fifth of | [
"What did Dr. Anthony S. Fauci think?",
"What is a challenge in poor areas?",
"What did the medications improve prognosis for?",
"What are the prevention approaches hat are available?",
"does medications improve health?"
] | [
[
"Progress has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but \"our work is just beginning.\""
],
[
"access to HIV services"
],
[
"increasing their life span by at least a decade and providing the possibility of a normal life span with continued therapy."
],
[
"of HIV transmission from mother to baby, harm reduction"
],
[
"have dramatically improved the prognosis for people living with HIV"
]
] | Dr. Anthony S. Fauci: Access to HIV services, medical care a challenge in poor areas .
Fauci: Preventive HIV vaccine is best hope for halting spread of HIV/AIDS .
Medications improved prognosis for people living with HIV by increasing life spans .
Prevention approaches, education, testing, counseling, condoms deployed . |
Editor's note: Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, world-renowned HIV/AIDS researcher who has been on the forefront of battling the disease since it was discovered, previews his speech to this week's International AIDS Conference.
Dr. Anthony Fauci is cautiously optimistic that eventually some AIDS/HIV patients will be cured.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- This week, more than 25,000 people from the global HIV/AIDS community are in Mexico City, Mexico, attending the XVII International AIDS Conference. I am pleased to be among them.
This is the first International AIDS Conference to be held in Latin America, a region hard-hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, but also a place where exceptional scientific and public health advances have been made.
The theme of the conference is Universal Action Now, which stresses the need for scientists, policymakers, activists and other concerned citizens everywhere -- in rich countries and poor ones -- to work even harder to defeat a scourge that already has claimed more than 25 million lives.
We have made considerable progress against HIV/AIDS, not only on the scientific front, but also with regard to the political will, funding and essential public health efforts on the ground that are delivering medicine, care and prevention services. However, much remains to be done, as 2.7 million people worldwide were infected with HIV in 2007. Watch more on the International AIDS Conference »
In the United States, the rate of new infections continues at an unacceptably high level, especially in the African-American community. In my home city of Washington D.C., a staggering 5 percent of the population is infected with HIV, a rate that rivals those in sub-Saharan Africa. Eighty percent of my infected neighbors in Washington, D.C., are African-American.
Throughout the United States, we are seeing a resurgence in HIV cases among men who have sex with men of all races, with African-Americans again hardest hit. Despite what you might hear, the AIDS pandemic is still raging.
Many hundreds of presentations at the conference are dealing with important research on the basic biology of HIV and its disease-causing mechanisms; the complex immune responses to the virus; and advances in tools to diagnose, treat and prevent HIV.
My talk on Wednesday, is called "Looking to the Future: New Directions in HIV/AIDS Research" and will look at all these issues, and the many challenges (and opportunities) in AIDS science. But I hope to leave the audience with at least a tentative answer to an important question I get all the time: Will we ever have a cure or a vaccine for HIV?
Despite our considerable success in managing HIV infection and improving the length and quality of life for people living with HIV, there is no well-documented case of anyone being truly cured of HIV disease. This is because HIV is unlike virtually any other virus in its ability to hide from the immune system in protected cellular sanctuaries that we call "latent reservoirs."
We know that these reservoirs are established within days of infection, and even our most potent combinations of anti-HIV drugs are unable to purge the virus from these hiding places, even in people who have been on therapy for a decade or more. If you take a patient off his or her anti-HIV therapy, the virus hiding in these reservoirs springs back, and soon billions of viruses are renewing their assault on immune system cells and other organs. Photos chronicle AIDS treatment worldwide
Our best hope for eradicating HIV from the reservoirs may be to diagnose and treat people aggressively very early in infection, before the reservoirs have become too large. Our laboratory and other groups are testing this approach with intensive regimens of new drugs that prevent the virus from entering cells or from inserting its genes into a cell's DNA.
Even if the virus is not completely eradicated, such early, intense treatment, perhaps with the help of immune-boosting drugs, might keep the reservoir small -- and the immune system strong -- thereby allowing a person to come off therapy. This would be a "functional" cure. Other approaches | [
"How many are expected at the International AIDS Conference?",
"Where will the International AIDS Conference be held?",
"How many people are expected at the International AIDS Conerence?"
] | [
[
"more than 25,000"
],
[
"Mexico City, Mexico,"
],
[
"25,000"
]
] | More than 25,000 people expected at the International AIDS Conference .
Progress made in science, political will, funding, public health, expert says .
For every person put on therapy, 2 to 3 people are newly infected, he says .
Cure critical to attempts to contain the pandemic, he says . |
Editor's note: Dr. John Boyce, chief of the Infectious Diseases Section at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut, was lead author of the Centers for Disease Control's national hand hygiene guidelines for health-care workers and heads the Hand Hygiene Resource Center. Dr. John Boyce says hands contaminated with virus are often a pathway for people to develop flu. (CNN) -- The rapid spread of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (also known as swine flu) from Mexico to at least 19 other countries in less than 10 days is a cause of major concern. It emphasizes the need for the public to become familiar with how influenza is spread and which preventive measures they can use to reduce their chances of becoming infected. Although little information is available at this time, it appears that this influenza virus spreads from one person to another in the same way as other influenza viruses -- by "droplet spread." Respiratory droplets are generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes and expels droplets of fluid. Those droplets travel short distances (usually less than three feet) through the air and can be deposited on the mouth or in the nose of people or on surfaces. Those who develop influenza often shed large amounts of virus in their respiratory secretions for several days after they become ill. Experience with other viruses suggests that individuals with influenza can contaminate their hands when coughing, sneezing or blowing their noses. The virus can survive on the hands for at least one hour. If a person whose hands are heavily contaminated touches a surface such as a doorknob, table or computer keyboard, they can deposit the virus onto that surface, where it can survive for minutes to several hours. One study conducted with a regular seasonal strain of influenza virus found that the virus could survive on facial tissues for several minutes and for two to eight hours on stainless steel or plastic surfaces. If another person touches a contaminated surface with his hands when the virus is still alive and then touches his own mouth or nose, he may become infected. Infection might also occur when a person with influenza shakes hands with another person who subsequently touches their own mouth or nose with their fingers. Several studies have found that many people touch their noses or mouths several times an hour during the course of daily activities. So there are plenty of opportunities for people to inadvertently introduce a flu virus into their bodies if their hands become contaminated. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that individuals perform hand hygiene -- also known as hand washing or decontamination -- frequently during influenza outbreaks. In addition to reducing the risk of developing influenza, hand hygiene can help protect people from becoming ill with several other respiratory viruses by eliminating these organisms from the hands. A recent study found that hand washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer were both highly effective in reducing a seasonal strain of influenza virus on the hands. This should also be true for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Either plain soap or antimicrobial soap will reduce the amount of virus on the hands. To ensure decontamination, be sure to wash your hands vigorously and keep both soap and water on your hands for at least 15 seconds. When sinks are not readily available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are a convenient and effective way of eliminate the virus from hands. Use an amount of sanitizer at least the size of quarter or enough to keep your hands wet for at least 15 to 20 seconds while you're rubbing them together. The CDC also recommends that people should avoid touching their mouths, noses and eyes, since surfaces they touch may be contaminated when flu virus is present. People who develop influenza or other respiratory viral infections should also clean their hands after blowing their nose or after covering a cough with their hands. Since droplet spread is the most common way influenza is transmitted from person to person, the CDC also recommends avoiding close contact with individuals who are sick. If you do become ill with influenza, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others. | [
"How long can the virus survive on various surfaces",
"what does boyce say",
"What causes the flu to spread?",
"Can the virus surivve for hours?",
"What part of the body is said to often spread the flu virus",
"How long should people wash hands for?",
"When you cant use a sink what is the next best method that works"
] | [
[
"several hours."
],
[
"a pathway for people to develop flu."
],
[
"coughs or sneezes and expels droplets of fluid."
],
[
"at least one"
],
[
"hands"
],
[
"at least 15 seconds."
],
[
"alcohol-based hand sanitizers"
]
] | John Boyce: Hands contaminated with virus often spread the flu .
He says viruses can survive for hours on various surfaces .
Boyce: People need to wash hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds .
He says alcohol-based sanitizers can work in the absence of a sink . |
Editor's note: Dr. Thomas H. Murray is chief executive of The Hastings Center, a nonprofit research institute on bioethics in Garrison, New York. Murray was formerly director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics at Case Western Reserve University and president of the Society for Health and Human Values.
Thomas Murray says doctors have responsibility for welfare of children conceived through IVF procedure.
GARRISON, New York (CNN) -- The birth of octuplets to a California woman last week raised a boatload of issues that can distract us from the central ethical question posed by the case: How do we take children's well-being into account in reproductive medicine?
Yes, it's puzzling why an unemployed single woman who already had six children wanted a passel more. And it is not crazy to wonder who will pay for these children's needs over the years, beginning with what is sure to be a gobsmacking bill for neonatal intensive care.
For now, we can put aside the lifeboat problem: A human uterus is not built for eight passengers; the odds for each child to be born alive and healthy go down as the number in the lifeboat goes up.
Her physicians offered to reduce the number of fetuses she was carrying; citing her moral convictions, she declined. As of the last reports, all eight survived. Still, knowing what we do about the many risks that come with being born too soon and too small, their medical course is likely to be complex and unsteady.
What this case really does is split wide open a fault line running through infertility treatment in American medicine. People who show up at fertility clinics are adults. In the typical case, they've been trying to get pregnant for a year or more without success.
When all goes well, a cycle of IVF (in-vitro fertilization) results in a pregnancy and the birth of one, perhaps two, healthy babies. As a son, a father, and now a grandfather, I can attest that there is no more important or enduring relationship in our lives than the one between parents and children.
Whether that relationship is forged through infertility medicine, adoption or the old-fashioned way matters not at all: What counts is that adults who want to love and raise a child are matched with a child who needs just that love and care.
The point of infertility treatment, after all, is to create a child. But that child-to-be is not the clinic's patient -- the would-be parents are. I believe that the interests of those children deserve at least as much consideration as the wishes of the prospective parents.
The vast majority of infertility patients are no doubt fierce advocates for the well-being of the child they so earnestly seek to bring into their lives. What happens, though, when the client's request shows little consideration or regard for the welfare of the would-be children? What happens if a woman in her early 30s with six children wants eight embryos implanted all at once?
A responsible physician could turn down such a request, citing professional guidelines that counsel implanting one, at most two, embryos in women younger than 35. How Nadya Suleman ended up with eight is a mystery. That's what Nadya Suleman is claiming.
Perhaps there is a physician somewhere willing to defy the wisdom of his or her peers; perhaps Suleman used fertility drugs rather than IVF as she claimed. Whatever the case, this guideline is based on safety. Carrying more than a couple of fetuses is dangerous to the pregnant woman and to the health and survival of the fetuses in her womb.
Citing safety is a prudent way to turn down requests an infertility physician thinks are ill-considered. But sometimes that gambit isn't available.
A psychiatrist friend who conducted intake interviews for a well-respected clinic described a rough-looking couple who carried for their up-front payment thousands of dollars in cash stuffed in a bag -- drug money, she was certain.
She was able to discourage the couple from following through on their plan. Here's the rub: Her concern was the ultimate | [
"Where were the octuplets born?",
"In what cases do doctors have responsibility for children's welfare?",
"The case of the birth of what in California raises questions?",
"Where were the octuplets born?",
"What did Thomas Murray say about the case of the birth of octuplets?",
"Who is thomas Murray?"
] | [
[
"California"
],
[
"conceived through IVF procedure."
],
[
"octuplets"
],
[
"California"
],
[
"How Nadya Suleman ended up with eight is a mystery."
],
[
"chief executive of The Hastings Center,"
]
] | Thomas Murray: The case of the birth of octuplets in California raises questions .
He says doctors typically cater to the wishes of their patients, the parents .
In IVF cases, the doctors also have responsibility for children's welfare, he says .
He says doctors shouldn't use a loophole to evade their responsibility . |
Editor's note: Dr. Vance Harris is a primary care physician in Redding, California. An earlier version of this commentary was posted on SERMO.com, a private, physicians-only online community.
Dr. Vance Harris says primary care doctors get minuscule payment for saving the system huge sums of money.
(CNN) -- Health policy experts agree that any reform in our health care system must include a well-educated, caring primary care doctor who is able to manage the health of his or her patients with an eye to using resources optimally to keep costs down.
That's a tall order and it seems that few policy makers realize the value of primary care physicians.
People are making a huge assumption in this reform effort that as we extend coverage to millions who don't have health insurance, there will be doctors there to actually provide the health care. Fewer and fewer medical students are choosing primary care and many primary care doctors are leaving the field.
Let me share with you why we are losing so many primary care doctors. What follows are a few examples I experience each week.
How many dozens of chest pain patients have I seen in the last month for whom I didn't order an EKG, get a consult, set up nuclear imaging or send for a catheterization?
Only I have the advantage of knowing how anxious some are and that they have had similar symptoms over the last 20 years. After a history and exam, I am willing to make the call that this is not heart disease. In doing so, I save the system tens of thousands of dollars.
Most of these patients are worked into a busy day, pushing me even deeper into that mire of tardiness for which I will be chastised by at least six patients before the end of the day. My reward for working these people in and making the call is at most $75.
How many times has an anxious patient come in demanding an endoscopy who I examined and then decided to treat less invasively for three to four weeks first? Few of these patients are happy no matter how many times I explain that it is reasonable to treat their reflux symptoms for several weeks before endoscopy.
This delay in referral has led to many tense moments in the last 20 years. The cost savings to the system is thousands of dollars each and every time I am willing to make the call and go with the treatment. My reward is about $55 from Medicare and private health insurers.
How many low back pain patients have come to the office in agony knowing that there has to be something serious to cause this kind of pain? A good history and exam allows me to reassure the patient that there is nothing we need to operate on and that the risk of missing anything is low.
This takes a lot of time to explain as I teach them why they don't need an MRI. If someone else ordered the MRI, guess who gets to explain the significance of bulging disks to an alarmed patient? Setting realistic expectations on recovery and avoiding needless imaging helps saves the system thousands of dollars. My reward is another $55.
How many diabetics do I struggle with, trying to get them to take better care of themselves? How many hours have I spent with teenage diabetics who will not check their blood sugar and forget half of their insulin doses?
Hundreds of hours seem wasted until one day they open their eyes and want to take care of themselves. My reward for years of struggle is a few hundred dollars at best. The savings to society for my hard work and never-give-up attitude is in the tens of thousands of dollars.
I am in my 22nd year in practice, now caring for 3,600 patients. Having me in the system has resulted in savings in the hundreds of thousands of dollars each and every year. My financial incentive to hang in there and work harder is that I now make less than half what I did 20 years ago. This year I will make even less.
These are the reasons so many physicians have left medicine entirely and most of us who are left wonder | [
"What is the happening to primary care doctors?",
"Is Harris a primary doctor?",
"What is Harris' profession?",
"Does the doctor make more money now?"
] | [
[
"get minuscule payment for saving the system huge sums of money."
],
[
"Dr. Vance Harris is a primary care physician"
],
[
"primary care physician"
],
[
"less than half what I did 20 years ago."
]
] | Dr. Vance Harris: Health care reform assumes doctors will be available .
He says primary care doctors are dropping out of the business .
He says he saves the system big bucks but gets only small payments .
Harris: My financial incentive is less than half what it was 20 years ago . |
Editor's note: Ed Rollins, a senior political contributor for CNN, was political director for President Reagan and chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Ed Rollins says Jack Kemp's intellect and force of personality helped guide the Republican party. NEW YORK (CNN) -- The world of politics has many players but few giants. One of the giants left the stage last week. I was privileged to have had Jack Kemp as a friend. Our friendship was not unique, because Jack Kemp had thousands and maybe tens of thousands of people who thought of themselves as his friend. He gave his friendship willingly and with a spirit of generosity. Those of us who knew him are saddened by his passing and the political world is a whole lot emptier because he's gone. When Jack entered a room he filled it with an energy and fervor and his presence was felt big-time. Every conversation with him became a debate, even if you agreed with him on an issue. Jack Kemp had no casual thoughts. I knew Jack for nearly 40 years. He was one of my early heroes. To this day I think of myself as a Reagan-Kemp Republican. We both were Californians who came out of blue-collar working-class roots. His father was a truck driver, my father a shipyard worker. We both wanted to remake the Republican Party into a party for working people where hard work was rewarded and opportunities were offered to every man and woman regardless of background, color, religion or beliefs. Jack went from a 13-year all-star career as the starting quarterback with the Buffalo Bills straight to Congress. He was first elected in 1970 and over the next four decades he was one of the most influential and popular men in the Republican Party. He was a true intellectual, a vociferous reader and was a warrior for his ideas. He took the intensity that made him the AFL's most valuable player directly to the halls of Congress without missing a beat. In his 18 years in Congress he was a leader of the new breed of conservatives. After he ran for president in 1988, he was appointed the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by President George H.W. Bush. In 1996, he was the Republican vice presidential nominee running with Sen. Bob Dole's presidential effort . Along the way he was an extraordinary husband for 50 years to his wonderful Joanne and a remarkable father to his two sons, Jeff and Jimmy, and his two daughters, Jennifer and Judith, who provided him 17 grandchildren. I was the national chairman of Jack's presidential campaign in 1988. I believed he was the rightful heir to Ronald Reagan and that his conservative principles and ideas would continue to build on the foundation that President Reagan had established. Many of us thought Jack or Sen. Paul Laxalt, Reagan's closest friend and campaign chairman, should have been the vice presidential candidate in 1980. If either of them had been selected, he likely would have been the future president and there would not have been a Bush dynasty. They were the favorites of the convention delegates and President Reagan's top choices, too. He was argued out of them because people said you couldn't have a movie star running with a football star -- or two former governors from neighboring states (California and Nevada). Be that as it may. Jack's contributions to Ronald Reagan's legacy as the tax-cutting guru and unstoppable missionary of supply side economics made much of President Reagan's domestic policy possible. Even though he had always been a quarterback, he became a blocking back for President Reagan in moving his legislation through Congress. Shortly after he became HUD secretary in 1989, several National Football League team owners came to him offering him the job of National Football League Commissioner to replace his long time friend Pete Rozelle. He told me it was the one job he always wanted. My counsel was to take it. He called me back several days later and said he couldn't, because he felt he owed it to President Bush not to walk away after so short a time | [
"What did Kemp believe in?",
"Who helped guide Republican Party in 1980s and 1990s?",
"What does he say about Kemp?"
] | [
[
"believed he was the rightful heir to Ronald Reagan and that his conservative principles and ideas would continue to build on the foundation that President Reagan had established."
],
[
"Jack Kemp's"
],
[
"intellect and force of personality helped guide the Republican party."
]
] | Ed Rollins: Jack Kemp helped guide Republican Party in 1980s and 1990s .
He says Kemp was a strong source of ideas the party put to use .
Rollins: Kemp believed in a GOP "big tent" and encouraged minority participation . |
Editor's note: Ed Rollins, who was political director for President Reagan, is a Republican strategist who was national chairman of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign.
Ron Silver, seen in a 2006 photo, was an actor with a strong interest in justice and peace, Ed Rollins says.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- The lights on Broadway were dimmed Wednesday night to honor Ron Silver, the Tony-award winning actor who was buried Wednesday after a courageous battle against cancer of the esophagus.
Ron was a lifelong social liberal and a Democratic activist, but you couldn't narrowly define him. And to those of us privileged to be his friend, he was an extraordinary pal.
In the 25 years we were friends, he and I faced off most of that time on opposite sides of the political spectrum. In this era when people want bipartisanship, Ron was the role model.
Our earliest encounters began when I was managing Ronald Reagan's campaign and he was a Dukakis supporter. He was passionate and a true intellectual. I have spent much of my life around smart people (fortunately a lot smarter than I) and Ron was one of the smartest.
Whatever the topic, he had an opinion on it and probably had just read a book or two on the subject. Ron was a Chinese and international relations scholar and had no casual thoughts, only deep convictions. He backed up his opinions with empirical evidence and could rattle off facts like a baseball statistician.
"Eddie, why do you think that way?" (Only my mother and wife have called me Eddie.) "Why would a smart man like you ever come to that conclusion?" And then we would proceed to discuss the topic for hours. I don't think we ever changed each other's opinions, but after a bottle or two of wine or a bottle of Scotch had been emptied, we still respected each other.
We never had a cross word and no discussion ever ended in anger. After a while I learned it wasn't personal and it wasn't because I was Republican. Ron argued with everyone -- even those on his side in an issue -- because he had great curiosity and always wanted to know more.
The closest we ever came to harsh words was when I teased him on his Emmy nomination for a recurring role as a slick campaign strategist on the TV show "The West Wing."
"You would have won if you asked me how to play the part," I declared. "After all you're just an actor. I am the real thing. I worked in the real West Wing and I managed a real campaign that won 49 states," He quickly replied with a big grin: "Why the hell would I want the input of a guy who lost Minnesota [the only state Reagan lost]? And remember, you only won because you had an actor named Ron making you look good!"
Our discussions often ended in laughter. Because for Ron, politics was serious but it was also fun. I don't think he enjoyed anything more than a great political debate. To Ron, debate was an educational experience. To those of us on the opposite side it was like a combat sport.
Several years ago, I was approached by one of the planners for the 2004 Republican Convention in New York. He wanted to know if I could recommend any movie or entertainment stars who would be willing to participate in the convention. Since the passing of the Reagan era, Republicans haven't had a long list of entertainers to choose from.
From our discussions, I knew that Ron supported President Bush's battle against Islamic terrorism and the war in Iraq and he had been profoundly affected by 9/11. I asked him would he be willing to participate if asked. He said yes, but emphatically stated he was remaining a Democrat. But he also knew that when he publicly supported Bush on the war, it would affect his long relationships in Hollywood and could cost him future work.
Ron's Monday night convention speech was short, less than five | [
"What did Silver support?",
"What was Ron Silver?",
"What political party did Silver belong to?"
] | [
[
"President Bush's battle against Islamic terrorism and the war in Iraq"
],
[
"actor"
],
[
"social liberal and a Democratic activist,"
]
] | Ed Rollins: Ron Silver was a liberal Democrat, but impossible to narrowly define .
He says Silver was passionate and knowledgeable about current events .
He says Silver faced a backlash in Hollywood because he supported Bush on war .
Silver's work lit up Broadway, television and films, Rollins says . |
Editor's note: Eric Cantor, a Republican serving his fifth term representing the 7th District of Virginia, was elected last month as the Republican Whip, the party's second-highest position in the House of Representatives. He also serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.
Rep. Eric Cantor says Republicans want to make sure the massive economic stimulus plan is used wisely.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Bolstered by wide Democratic margins in both chambers of Congress, the new administration assumes power Tuesday with a broad public mandate to repair the feeble economy.
But with such a free hand over current stimulus efforts comes great danger. Costing at the very least a hefty $825 billion, the plan's potential for taxpayer waste and special-interest-driven giveaways is enormous.
We Republicans believe we can help mitigate those risks if we are given a meaningful place at the table. President-elect Barack Obama was correct to point out recently that no one party has a monopoly over sound ideas.
Rather than presenting an obstacle, House Republicans intend to use the full force of our ideas to help Democrats produce a better package to help pull the country back from the economic abyss.
Specifically, we want to keep the stimulus bill -- as well as all other future economic "rescue" measures -- limited in scope and transparent.
Our country has no other choice. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a sobering report that this year's deficit will likely climb to over 8 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, or $1.2 trillion. That's higher than at any point since World War II -- and those figures don't even account for the forthcoming stimulus.
Such heavy borrowing runs the risk down the line of rampant inflation, which scares away foreign capital while making the purchasing power of the dollar weaker for American consumers.
While deflation may be the more immediate threat that the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department are correctly focused on, uncontrolled spending and borrowing could easily necessitate much higher Treasury interest rates to keep foreigners financing our mounting debt.
Especially given the looming entitlement crisis, this poses heavy danger for businesses and families alike.
Let's not lay the groundwork for future financial catastrophe. Let's lay it for future growth. The stimulus can do that by focusing exclusively on strengthening businesses, boosting job creation and lifting consumer confidence.
Our preferred strategy is to provide meaningful tax relief directly to middle-class taxpayers and the small businesses that they operate or work for.
Particularly in down times, tax cuts can lift an economy by encouraging work, investment and business expansion. That should be the aim of the $300 billion in tax cuts the president-elect has pledged -- an apparent recognition, however overdue, that tax cuts are in fact stimulative for the economy.
But we also accept that these are dizzyingly uncertain economic days for our country. The Democrats have proposed additional spending for infrastructure and the like, ostensibly to compensate for stagnation in the private sector.
Like bears sniffing out food at a campfire pit, those looking for a piece of the multi-billion dollar pie have flooded Washington with a cascade of requests, some capable of spurring immediate and lasting growth, others falling hopelessly short.
In order for the public to know that money is not wasted, two things are needed. First, we need to reconcile the American people's demands for swift action with the fact that a good bill requires time -- time to hold hearings, read the bill in painstaking detail, and root out waste.
Second, Democrats have to live up to President-elect Obama's vow for "unprecedented transparency." The GOP welcomes and strongly encourages the president-elect's idea to post all contents of the bill online for the American people to judge.
Lastly, any new spending must be introduced with the clear understanding that it is temporary rather than permanent. It is not always easy to terminate spending programs once they have been funded, but our bleak long-term budget outlook requires significant sacrifices over the coming years.
We trust the Democrats' assurances that the economic stimulus will not be turned into | [
"What did he say was the best strategy?",
"what did cantor sAY",
"what is the best strategy",
"who supports obama?",
"who has a mandate?",
"what did he say",
"What did Rep. Eric Cantor say about Obama?"
] | [
[
"to provide meaningful tax relief directly to middle-class taxpayers and the small businesses that they operate or work for."
],
[
"Republicans want to make sure the massive economic stimulus plan is used wisely."
],
[
"to provide meaningful tax relief directly to middle-class taxpayers and the small businesses that they operate or work for."
],
[
"The GOP"
],
[
"the new administration"
],
[
"Republicans want to make sure the massive economic stimulus plan is used wisely."
],
[
"was correct to point out recently that no one party has a monopoly over sound"
]
] | Rep. Eric Cantor: Obama has a mandate for plan to spark the economy .
Plan's potential for waste and special-interest giveaways is enormous, he says .
Cantor: We support Obama's idea of making the plan transparent .
He says best strategy is to provide tax relief to middle class, small business . |
Editor's note: Erica Williams is deputy director of Campus Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based organization that describes itself as dedicated to progressive causes. She works to engage the millennial generation and communities such as people of color, women and people of faith in the political process. She can be found at ericawilliamsonline.com and on Twitter at @ericawilliamsdc. Erica Williams says the idea that young people don't care about the health care issue is wrong. (CNN) -- As Congress returns to Capitol Hill, back from a recess of contentious town halls on health care reform, one new voice has the potential to break through the seemingly endless deadlock: the voice of young Americans. Just Thursday, there were more than 880,000 Facebook status updates posted with the meme of a demand for health care reform, generated organically and spread virally from young people and other Facebook users across the country. Some are regarding this as the first symbolic demonstration of young people's engagement in the debate despite the common, and categorically false, notion that young people "don't care about health care reform." Young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 represent nearly a third of the entire uninsured population, and two-thirds of those uninsured young people reported going without necessary medical care because of costs in 2007, according to research for the Commonwealth Fund. More than half of all young adults have low incomes (below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, $21,660 for a single person in 2009), and low-income young adults are more than 2.5 times as likely to be uninsured as higher-income young adults, according to the Urban Institute. And contrary to popular belief that young people see themselves as invincible college students who choose to remain uninsured, 56 percent of uninsured young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 are full-time workers who are half as likely to be covered by their employer as older workers. Millennials regarded health care reform as one of their top concerns during the 2008 election campaign, according to the Rock the Vote Poll of 18- to 29-year-olds, conducted in February 2008 by Lake Research Partners. Whether it is the 25-year-old freelancer with a pre-existing condition who can't purchase insurance in the individual market, the 20-year-old line cook who doesn't receive insurance through her job or the 28-year-old bank employee who is insured but is worried about the rising costs of premiums, young Americans experience the deficiencies of our health care system on a daily basis. Nevertheless, despite a recent CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey showing that 60 percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 support Obama's reform plan, the voice of young Americans has been strikingly absent from the public, televised national debate. And that silence is a dangerous state of affairs for the larger dialogue around reform. Young Americans have the most at stake and the longest to live with the result, and they are often the primary voice of a moral imperative (the idea that health care reform is not only economically necessary but the just and fair thing to do). Without their voices, the health care reform debate will continue to be stalled and hemmed in by older Americans who are in a better economic position than young people and who are afraid to change the status quo, despite all signs that it is rapidly failing. Young people were such a vital force during the election, not simply because of their own voting turnout but because of their ability to reach out to their elders and persuade them. And what could be more needed now? But if health care reform matters so much to young people and their voice is so crucial in the debate, why the silence? Why does it appear as if young people aren't interested in the debate that will inform so much of their future? Well, if we are gauging America's overall interest in the debate by the aforementioned displays of partisan yelling, screaming and death panel-ing at some town halls, no wonder we think young people don't care. Those sideshows were a clear turnoff to a population | [
"What is the myth?",
"Who says that young people's lack of concern about healthcare is a myth?",
"There is a myth that young people don't care about what?",
"What do they overwhelmingly support?",
"What does she say they overwhelmingly support?",
"When did young people show concern?",
"What year did young people show concern about the issue?"
] | [
[
"the idea that young people don't care about the health care issue is wrong."
],
[
"Erica Williams"
],
[
"the health"
],
[
"Obama's reform plan,"
],
[
"Obama's reform plan,"
],
[
"2008 election campaign,"
],
[
"2008"
]
] | Erica Williams: There's a myth that young people don't care about health care .
She says young people showed concern about the issue in 2008 .
She says they overwhelmingly support Obama's health care plans .
Williams: Reform fight needs enthusiasm and perspective of young people . |
Editor's note: Eve Ensler is the playwright of "The Vagina Monologues" and the founder of V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day has funded over 10,000 community-based anti-violence programs and launched safe houses in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, South Dakota, Egypt and Iraq. This commentary was adapted from remarks Ensler made Wednesday to the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs and the Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women's Issues. Playwright Eve Ensler says conflict in Congo is taking a terrible toll on women and girls. (CNN) -- I write today on behalf of countless V-Day activists worldwide, and in solidarity with my many Congolese sisters and brothers who demand justice and an end to rape and war. It is my hope that these words and those of others will break the silence and break open a sea of action to move Congolese women toward peace, safety and freedom. My play, "The Vagina Monologues," opened my eyes to the world inside this world. Everywhere I traveled with it scores of women lined up to tell me of their rapes, incest, beatings, mutilations. It was because of this that over 11 years ago we launched V-Day, a worldwide movement to end violence against women and girls. The movement has spread like wildfire to 130 countries, raising $70 million. I have visited and revisited the rape mines of the world, from defined war zones like Bosnia, Afghanistan and Haiti to the domestic battlegrounds in colleges and communities throughout North America, Europe and the world. My in-box -- and heart -- have been jammed with stories every hour of every day for over a decade. Nothing I have heard or seen compares with what is going on in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where corporate greed, fueled by capitalist consumption, and the rape of women have merged into a single nightmare. Femicide, the systematic and planned destruction of the female population, is being used as a tactic of war to clear villages, pillage mines and destroy the fabric of Congolese society. In 12 years, there have been 6 million dead men and women in Congo and 1.4 million people displaced. Hundreds and thousands of women and girls have been raped and tortured. Babies as young as 6 months, women as old as 80, their insides torn apart. What I witnessed in Congo has shattered and changed me forever. I will never be the same. None of us should ever be the same. I think of Beatrice, shot in her vagina, who now has tubes instead of organs. Honorata, raped by gangs as she was tied upside down to a wheel. Noella, who is my heart -- an 8-year-old girl who was held for 2 weeks as groups of grown men raped her over and over. Now she has a fistula, causing her to urinate and defecate on herself. Now she lives in humiliation. I was in Bosnia during the war in 1994 when it was discovered there were rape camps where white women were being raped. Within two years there was adequate intervention. Yet, in Congo, femicide has continued for 12 years. Why? Is it that coltan, the mineral that keeps our cell phones and computers in play, is more important than Congolese girls? Is it flat-out racism, the world's utter indifference and disregard for black people and black women in particular? Is it simply that the UN and most governments are run by men who have never known what it feels like to be raped? What is happening in Congo is the most brutal and rampant violence toward women in the world. If it continues to go unchecked, if there continues to be complete impunity, it sets a precedent, it expands the boundaries of what is permissible to do to women's bodies in the name of exploitation and greed everywhere. It's cheap warfare. The women in Congo are some of the most resilient women in the world. They need our protection and support. Western governments, like | [
"What did she say is being used as a weapon?",
"what is being used as weapon",
"What governments need to protect Congo's women?",
"Who is Ensler?",
"What did Eve Ensler say about the war in Congo?",
"What did she say was being used as a weapon?"
] | [
[
"Femicide, the systematic and planned destruction of the female population,"
],
[
"Femicide,"
],
[
"Western"
],
[
"playwright of \"The Vagina Monologues\" and the founder of V-Day,"
],
[
"taking a terrible toll on women and girls."
],
[
"Femicide,"
]
] | Eve Ensler: War in Congo is targeting girls and women .
She says rape is being used as a weapon, with 1,100 raped each month .
Western governments, including the U.S., need to protect Congo's women, she says . |
Editor's note: Fareed Zakaria is a foreign affairs analyst who hosts "Fareed Zakaria: GPS" on CNN at 1 p.m. ET Sundays. Fareed Zakaria says he doesn't think the crisis between Russia and Georgia is likely to be resolved soon. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential candidates. In an exclusive interview Thursday with CNN's Matthew Chance in the Black Sea city of Sochi, Russia, Putin said the U.S. had encouraged Georgia to attack the autonomous region of South Ossetia. Putin said his defense officials had told him it was done to benefit a presidential candidate, but he presented no evidence to back it up. "U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict," Putin said. "They were acting in implementing those orders doing as they were ordered, and the only one who can give such orders is their leader." White House spokeswoman Dana Perino blasted Putin's statements, saying they were "patently false." Russia is trying to counterbalance mounting pressure from the West over its military action in Georgia and its recognition of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But Russia's hopes of winning international support were dashed Thursday when China and other Asian nations expressed concern about tension in the region. The joint declaration from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes China, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, said the countries hoped that any further conflict could be resolved peacefully. CNN spoke to world affairs expert and author Fareed Zakaria about the Russia-Georgia situation. CNN: Is the crisis between Russia and Georgia likely to get resolved soon? Zakaria: No, positions are actually hardening. The Russians have formally recognized the two regions of Georgia -- Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- and on our program, the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, has demanded the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers, to be replaced by European Union peacekeepers. So the two sides are actually further apart than they were 10 days ago. CNN: Who will prevail? Zakaria: It's difficult to see the circumstances under which Russia will withdraw completely. On the other hand, its recognition of the two provinces is a joke. Almost no country in the world has followed them in this recognition. So they might be willing to reverse themselves on this issue. But I can't see them getting out completely. CNN: So Russia wins? Zakaria: Well, even if it wins in the narrow sense, it will lose in a broader sense. Russia's actions have scared all their neighbors, aroused anti-Russian nationalism, driven the Poles, the Ukrainians and so many other countries closer to the West and away from Moscow. Countries around the world have been startled by the Soviet-era tactics. And what have they gained for all this? South Ossetia. I think this will go down in history as a major strategic blunder. The Russians have massively overplayed their hand. CNN: Why did they do it? Zakaria: They would argue that the West pushed and punished them after the collapse of the Soviet Union and that by expanding NATO to their borders, it signaled that it still saw Russia as a rival and relations as competitive. Perhaps there is some truth to their perception, but there were also much broader developments in Russia over the last decade. The rise of Russian nationalism, an anti-Western and anti-democratic movement, the rise of an elected dictatorship, and above all, the rise in oil wealth, which always produces corruption, dysfunction and arrogance. Russia has moved in anti-modern directions, and much of it has nothing to do with what the West did or didn't do. CNN: What should the United States do? Zakaria: Assist Georgia in rebuilding and securing itself. Assure countries like Poland that may be insecure. But also, don't overreact. Russia's blunder is producing a reaction in the region and across the world. Let that play itself out | [
"What will be viewed as \"a major strategic blunder\"?",
"Zakaria calls Russia's recognition of what a joke?",
"What is Fareed Zakaria's job?",
"What did Zakaria say the U.S. should do?",
"What did Fareed Zakaria say about Russia's actions?",
"What country is characterized as \"anti-modern\"?",
"What does Zakaria say the US shouldn't do?",
"What does Zakaria call a \"joke\"?",
"How many provinces broke away from Georgia?",
"What did Zakaria call a \"a joke\"?",
"Zakaria says what country's actions will be viewed as a blunder?",
"Zakaria says who shouldn't overreact?"
] | [
[
"Soviet-era tactics."
],
[
"of the two provinces"
],
[
"foreign affairs analyst"
],
[
"Assist Georgia in rebuilding and securing itself. Assure countries like Poland that may be insecure. But also, don't overreact."
],
[
"have scared all their neighbors, aroused anti-Russian nationalism, driven the Poles, the Ukrainians and so many other countries closer to the West and away from Moscow."
],
[
"Russia"
],
[
"Assist Georgia in rebuilding and securing itself. Assure countries like Poland that may be insecure. But"
],
[
"its recognition of the two provinces is a joke."
],
[
"Abkhazia and South Ossetia."
],
[
"recognition of the two provinces"
],
[
"Russia"
],
[
"United States"
]
] | Fareed Zakaria says Russia's actions will be viewed as "a major strategic blunder"
Zakaria calls Russia's recognition of Georgia's two breakaway provinces "a joke"
Analyst: Russia has moved in "anti-modern" directions in recent years .
Zakaria says U.S. shouldn't overreact, let world reaction play itself out . |
Editor's note: Fareed Zakaria is a foreign affairs analyst who is the host of "Fareed Zakaria: GPS" on CNN at 1 p.m. ET Sundays. "America will have to fight to attract capital and investment like every other nation," says Fareed Zakaria. NEW YORK (CNN) -- The crisis in global financial markets will top the agenda as finance ministers from the world's top industrialized nations and central bank governors meet in Washington. In an effort to breathe some life into economies around the world, the Federal Reserve, in tandem with five other central banks, lowered its key lending rate to 1.5 percent from 2 percent. However, the global financial crisis has sunk its teeth in to the point that analysts say the $700 billion bailout plan and coordinated rate cut were merely steps in the right direction, and it will take much more to really get credit moving. CNN spoke to world affairs expert Fareed Zakaria about the most recent developments. CNN: Is the economy as bad as everyone is saying? Zakaria: What is happening now is a deep, wrenching financial crisis unlike any we've seen since the 1930s. It's contributing to a broad slowdown of the American economy. The pain is spreading across the world. It's ugly. But the history of capitalism is filled with credit crises, panics, financial meltdowns and recessions. It doesn't mean the end of capitalism. CNN: Then why can't we just let the free markets resolve the current economic problems without the federal government getting involved? Zakaria: We just can't accept the downswings that used to be routine for Western countries in the 19th century, when we saw much less intervention by the government. Can you imagine the political fallout from 20 percent unemployment or 5 percent growth rates? The government must experiment with massive interventions in the market to ensure credit starts flowing smoothly again. These interventions have become part and parcel of modern capitalism. CNN: So what should the government do? Zakaria: That is the real question: How to regulate the markets so you get the maximum innovation and growth, but temper their wilder movements? The government will have to do this by trial and error. No one knows in theory what the perfect system would look like. In the short run, whatever it takes, including buying up mortgages, debt, equities. Clearly, America's financial system needs new, different and better regulations for the 21st century, and this crisis should help produce those. CNN: What does it mean for the United States? Zakaria: People around the world once saw the United States as the most modern, sophisticated and productive economy in the world. Now they wonder, was this all a house of cards? They listened to American policymakers with respect, even awe. Today, they wonder if these officials know what they are doing. This loss of credibility will have hard consequences. For decades, the United States has attracted massive amounts of capital -- 80 percent of the surplus savings of the world -- which has allowed it to live beyond its means. That era is drawing to a close. America will have to fight to attract capital and investment like every other nation. CNN: What can we do? Zakaria: We need to wake up and get serious about our challenges. We must address all these issues, and fast -- restore confidence, reform the system, return the country to fiscal sanity. We have the opportunity to remain the pivotal player in a richer, more dynamic, more exciting world. But we have to take a substantial shift in our approach. | [
"What are not the end of capitalism?",
"What aren't the end of capitalism?",
"Who must try massive market interventions?",
"what needs better regulations?",
"What does America's financial system need?"
] | [
[
"credit crises, panics, financial meltdowns and recessions."
],
[
"credit crises, panics, financial meltdowns and recessions."
],
[
"The government"
],
[
"America's financial system"
],
[
"new, different and better regulations"
]
] | Zakaria: Credit crises, financial meltdowns, recessions aren't end of capitalism .
Government must try massive market interventions to get credit to flow, he says .
Zakaria: America's financial system needs new, different and better regulations .
We must quickly restore confidence, reform system, return fiscal sanity, he says . |
Editor's note: Fawaz A. Gerges holds the Christian A. Johnson Chair in Middle Eastern Studies and International Affairs at Sarah Lawrence College. His most recent book is "The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global." Fawaz Gerges says the elite running Iran has lost the support of two key groups -- women and young voters. (CNN) -- With an apparent political coup in Iran by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his supporters over the weekend, the ruling mullahs have dispensed with all democratic pretense and joined the ranks of traditional dictators in the Middle East. The hardliners in Tehran, led by the Revolutionary Guards and ultraconservatives, have won the first round against reformist conservatives but at an extravagant cost: loss of public support. Widespread accusations of fraud and manipulation are calling into question the very legitimacy and authority of the mullahs' Islamic-based regime. The electoral crisis has exposed a deepening divide between female and young voters, who represent about 70 percent of the population, and a radical conservative ruling elite out of touch with the hopes, fears and aspirations of young Iranians. The consensus in Iran, particularly among young voters, is that the election was stolen from reformist candidate, Mir Hossein Moussavi, and that the outcome did not reflect the electorate's genuine will. After the Interior Ministry announced the final election results showing a nearly 2-to-1 landslide for Ahmadinejad (62.63 to 33.75 percent), thousands of young protesters took to the streets and clashed with police and set trash bins and tires ablaze. Shock and disbelief turned to anger and rage. What poured gasoline on a simmering fire among the youth was a belief of widespread fraud. "It's like taking 10 million votes away from Moussavi and giving them to Ahmadinejad," said Tehran-based analyst Saeed Leilaz. That is equivalent to more than 30 million votes in the American electorate. "Death to the dictatorship" and "down with the dictator" shouted the demonstrators while being clubbed by police and anti-riot squads. For the first time, young Iranians showed defiance against their tormentors and overcame their fear. Many young men reportedly roamed Tehran streets looking for a fight with the police. The ruling mullahs face an unprecedentedly serious crisis at home. While it does not threaten their existence, the crisis risks undermining their ability to govern effectively and pursue a successful foreign policy. In his first response to the results of the election, Moussavi nailed it on the head. "I won't surrender to this manipulation," he wrote on his Web site. "The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardize the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny." Moussavi's warning to the mullahs that stealing the election would weaken the very foundation of their regime and ultimately bring about its collapse carries weight because he has been part of the political inner circle of the Islamic Republic, not an outsider. Moussavi is a former prime minister admired for the way he managed the country's economy during the prolonged and bloody Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, a conflict which cost Iran over $500 billion. He worked closely with Ali Khamenei, then Iran's president and today supreme leader, and clashed with him over political authority and powers. Moussavi is a member of Iran's Expediency Council, which mediates between the parliament and the non-elected Guardian Council led by Ayatollah Khamenei. Initially, many reformists were skeptical about Moussavi's reform credentials and feared that he was too conservative for their taste. Throughout the presidential campaign, Moussavi labored hard to portray his proposals on social policy and foreign affairs as an extension of the Islamic system in order to disarm conservative critics, even denying that he is a mainstream reformist candidate in the hope of winning the support of reformers and moderate conservatives. Indeed, as the presidential campaign progressed, Moussavi won the backing not only of an important conservative segment of the electorate but also the formidable youth constituency. His charismatic wife, Zahra Rahnavard, electrified the female vote and won the hearts and minds of women voters who flooded their campaign rallies. In the past two weeks, Moussavi's campaign gained momentum. There | [
"What country is Gerges referring to in his commentary?",
"Where do the mullahs rule?",
"What was the result of the election?",
"The mullahs are out of step with what?",
"Do the ruling mullahs have public support?",
"What groups are the ruling mullahs out of step with?"
] | [
[
"Iran"
],
[
"Iran"
],
[
"nearly 2-to-1 landslide for Ahmadinejad"
],
[
"the hopes, fears and aspirations of young Iranians."
],
[
"loss of"
],
[
"women and young voters."
]
] | Fawaz Gerges: Iranian election likely to turn on local issues, not foreign policy .
Iran's economy in trouble due to lower oil prices, inflation, joblessness, he says .
Women think Ahmadinejad has broken his promises to them, Gerges says .
Gerges: Women and young people have been key factors in past votes . |
Editor's note: Fawaz A. Gerges holds the Christian A. Johnson Chair in Middle Eastern Studies and International Affairs at Sarah Lawrence College. His most recent book is "The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global." This is the first of two pieces by Gerges on the Iranian election. Fawaz Gerges says Iran's president is vulnerable on the economy and broken promises of women's rights. (CNN) -- In Iran, as in every country, all politics is local. While there exist few substantive differences among leading presidential contenders over foreign and nuclear policy, there are divisions over the economy. With uncertain and declining oil revenues and a global financial crisis, Iran has fallen on hard times. The nation suffers from high inflation and an unemployment rate that tops 30 percent (according to unofficial figures) -- one of the highest in the region, despite the country's huge oil exports. Public discontent over the faltering economy has seen President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad become increasingly unpopular. His reformist and conservative opponents alike have criticized him publicly for spending too much time agitating the U.S. and Israel and not enough trying to fix the crumbling economy. Regardless of which candidate wins on June 12 or in a potential runoff, he will inherit a grave economic crisis and a restive population. Dealing with foreign affairs is likely to be some way down his list of priorities. At his first press conference after announcing his presidential candidacy, Hossein Mousavi, Ahmadinejad's main opponent, pledged to increase freedoms for Iranians and curb controversial restrictions that require women to cover their hair in public. "Can a security patrol save our youths?" Mousavi said of the increase in the moral police operations to prevent women from allowing their hair to show in public. "Or can they be saved by the words of a grandfather who talks to his granddaughter?" he asked rhetorically. The patrols began after Ahmadinejad became president, though his government denies responsibility; many women claim that his administration has institutionalized discrimination against them. Criticizing the president's rhetoric and the strictures he has imposed on daily life and public discourse, Mousavi, who appeals to the youth vote and women, said social controls are the domain of the people, not the government -- a radical departure from the dominant orthodoxy of the ruling mullahs. Mousavi frames his reforms as an affirmation of Iran's constitution, which he says has been "violated and undermined" by Ahmadinejad. The reason for his rhetoric is that women and young voters could tip the balance of power in his favor. Half of the 46 million eligible voters are women. In 1997, more than 60 percent of the votes that brought former President Mohammad Khatami to power were cast by women, and in 2000 women voters were instrumental in giving reformists a sweeping majority in the parliament. Promising greater individual freedoms to Iran's young people was instrumental in the two landslide victories by Khatami in 1997 and 2001. Ironically, during the 2005 presidential election, candidate Ahmadinejad said he would loosen state control over people's personal affairs. Trying to garner support among women and young voters, in one of his pre-election television interviews he questioned the role of the morality police: "Let our children arrange their hair any way they wish. It does not concern you and me. ... The government should fix the economy of the nation and improve its atmosphere. ... People have variegated tastes." His broken promises to women voters could cost him the presidency on June 12. A reformist woman and a former member of parliament said in a newspaper article that the president's days are numbered: "The women's movement in Iran is gaining momentum and these elections may be the first step towards Ahmadinejad [being] forced out." Indeed, women have become critical players in Iran's electoral map. More women activists are making their voices and demands heard and have formed coalitions to defeat the incumbent. Almost 600 women have registered for the forthcoming 290-seat Majlis (parliamentary) election, which will be crucial in determining the future of the ultra-conservatives who broadly back Ahmadinejad. There are currently only two women in secondary Cabinet positions and 11 | [
"Whose economy is in trouble due to lower oil prices?",
"For what reasons is Iran's economy in trouble",
"Who are considered key factors in the past votes",
"What is considered the main turning point for the Iranian elections",
"Which group of people think Ahamdinejad broke their promises to them?"
] | [
[
"Iran"
],
[
"uncertain and declining oil revenues and"
],
[
"women,"
],
[
"Promising greater individual freedoms to Iran's young people was instrumental"
],
[
"women voters"
]
] | Fawaz Gerges: Iranian election likely to turn on local issues, not foreign policy .
Iran's economy in trouble due to lower oil prices, inflation, joblessness, he says .
Women think Ahmadinejad has broken his promises to them, Gerges says .
Gerges: Women and young people have been key factors in past votes . |
Editor's note: For 85 years, Yankee Stadium has hosted some of the greatest moments in sports. On Sunday, the Yankees will play their last game before the stadium is torn down. Former Yankee pitcher Jim Bouton played on the 1963 American League All-Star team and in two World Series. He wrote the classic baseball book, "Ball Four," named as one of the "Books of the Century" by the New York Public Library, and has been a sportscaster and actor. For Bouton's web site, click here Jim Bouton was photographed as a rookie in 1962 at Yankee Stadium, before the renovation of the ballpark. EGREMONT, Massachusetts (CNN) -- I'll never forget my first day in The House that Ruth Built: April 9, 1962, the day before opening day. I made the team that spring as a non-roster player, having pitched in the Texas League (AA) the year before. And I had just turned 23. The Yankees had scheduled an afternoon workout, but I was so excited that I couldn't sleep and I drove in from my parents' house in New Jersey at 7 in the morning. After introducing myself to a skeptical guard, he led me down two flights of stairs and through a hallway, where I was greeted by the clubhouse man Pete Sheehy (who died in 1985 and for whom the room is now named). The Yankee clubhouse in 1962 was like a large subterranean living room. A wall-to-wall grayish green carpet muffled all sound, and the overhead lighting was subdued. Three walls of walk-in wood lockers faced a wall of large frosted windows that cast shafts of light from the street above. Everything was painted a muted gray green to match the carpet, including the exposed ductwork in the ceiling above. A cleat-dented wooden stool sat in front of each locker. And hanging in the lockers, with military precision, were the classic Yankee uniforms. "Your locker is right here by the door," said Pete. I couldn't help smiling when I saw Whitey Ford's nameplate just one locker away. I asked Pete if this was the same room that Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and all those guys used. He pointed to a locker across the room where he used to bring "a bi-carb and coffee" each day to the Babe. Pete returned to his duties and I touched my uniform reverently. With no one around, I decided to try it on. Perfect fit. I adjusted my hat in a mirror. That looked good, too. iReport.com: Share your memories of Yankee Stadium Then I grabbed my glove and went out to the field -- you know, just to get oriented. After sitting in the dugout a few minutes, I trotted out to the mound. Looking up at the three tiers of stands was like being in the Roman Coliseum. Of course, I had to toe the rubber and look in for the sign. Fortunately, at that hour of the morning, it was just me and the pigeons. What would it be like to pitch there when the stands were filled with people? My big chance came on May 7, 1962, in the second game of a double-header against the Washington Senators, in front of a real crowd that included my Mom and Dad, my brothers and a whole bunch of neighbors from New Jersey. I was thrilled and scared at the same time -- maybe a little more on the scared side. I walked the bases loaded with nobody out. Then I fell behind 3 and 1 on the fourth hitter. My next pitch was a little bit high and manager Ralph Houk stepped out of the dugout - either to calm me down or remove me from the premises. But the umpire, bless him, called it a strike and Houk stepped back into the dugout. The inning seemed to last forever, but I finally got out of it and ended up pitching a complete game shutout. Maybe the worst shutout in history - 7 walks and 7 hits. After the | [
"Who recalled his baseball debut?",
"What sport venue will be torn down?",
"Jim Bouton is a former member of what team?",
"When did Bouton make his debut?",
"Who recalled his debut?",
"What's going to be torn down?",
"What team did Bouton play with?"
] | [
[
"Jim Bouton"
],
[
"Yankee Stadium"
],
[
"Yankee"
],
[
"April 9, 1962,"
],
[
"Jim Bouton"
],
[
"Yankee Stadium"
],
[
"American League All-Star"
]
] | Former Yankee Jim Bouton recalls his debut at Yankee Stadium in the 1960s .
Bouton played alongside stars Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford .
Bouton: Now the legendary sports venue is going to be torn down . |
Editor's note: Frances Fragos Townsend, a CNN contributor on national security issues, formerly served as President George W. Bush's chief anti-terrorism and homeland security adviser. Townsend has spent more than two decades in the fields of intelligence and criminal justice and has served during the past three administrations. Townsend is currently a consultant to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a member of President Bush's Intelligence Advisory Board, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Institute Homeland Security Program. Frances Townsend says the director of the CIA is not a post for on-the-job training. (CNN) -- Leon Panetta is an impressive man with many laudable achievements to his credit. Mr. Panetta served eight terms in Congress and worked in the Clinton White House as chief of staff to the president and director of the Office of Management and Budget. But his impressive credentials are insufficient to allay the well-founded concerns of senior Democrats and Republicans that he is the wrong man to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Panetta is a seasoned political operative and a proven manager -- both of which would be useful to him as CIA director -- but more is required. Accurate and actionable intelligence is among our most effective tools in fighting against terror threats. The nation has gone more than seven years without a terrorist attack and much of the credit for that lies with the men and women of the intelligence community: in the CIA, FBI, and Defense and Homeland Security departments, among others. Career intelligence officials need a leader they can count on to protect their mission from inappropriate political interference and who would be willing to defend their efforts when, as is often the case, they are attacked based on less than accurate or complete facts. Because of the critical role the intelligence community plays in protecting our nation, the director of the CIA is not a position for on-the-job training. President-elect Barack Obama had a competent, qualified career intelligence official to nominate. John Brennan served for decades at the CIA under numerous directors and in both Democratic and Republican administrations. Just prior to his retirement, Mr. Brennan served as the director of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, the predecessor to the current National Counterterrorism Center. John Brennan had no loyalty to the policies of the Bush administration and in fact at times voiced his disagreement. Mr. Brennan's loyalty was to the mission and role of the intelligence community in protecting our nation. Unfortunately, the incoming administration permitted the vicissitudes of party politics and special interests to derail this nomination. [In a letter to Obama obtained by CNN in early December, Brennan said he was dropping out of consideration for the job because of strong criticism by people who associated his work at the CIA with controversial Bush administration policies on interrogation techniques and the pre-emptive war in Iraq.] The next CIA director has many important issues to confront. He or she must continue to ensure adequate resources for the intelligence community and continue to build our human and technical intelligence capabilities. The new director will necessarily review detention, interrogation and rendition policies. And at the same time, the CIA director must seek new ways to gain the intelligence advantage on crucial priorities such as terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and a host of regional issues in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Regardless of who becomes the next CIA director, the nation is fortunate that from the deputy director on down, the CIA is run by career officials who will continue to do the nation's business. But they will continue to require the tools necessary to do the job. Before abrogating Bush Administration policies on interrogation and detention, the new CIA director must learn: what is legal; what is effective; and how have these policies been implemented. A new administration may choose to make more limited use of these tools or add additional procedural safeguards. But any decision must be made with caution. Tools that the Justice Department deem legal and the intelligence community determines are effective must not be taken away because they are politically unpopular. The nation and the intelligence community deserve better | [
"Who has had a fine career in government?",
"What is the CIA crucial to?",
"Who said the CIA director is too important for training?"
] | [
[
"Leon Panetta"
],
[
"terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and a host of regional issues in the Middle East, Africa and Asia."
],
[
"Frances Townsend"
]
] | Frances Townsend: Leon Panetta has had a fine career in government .
She says his lack of intelligence experience is raising questions .
Townsend: CIA crucial to U.S. security and needs leader who will back staff up .
She says CIA director is too important for on-the-job training . |
Editor's note: Frank Micciche is managing director of the Next Social Contract Initiative at the New America Foundation, a think tank that promotes thought from across the ideological spectrum. He has worked for Sallie Mae, former Michigan Gov. John Engler and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Frank Micciche says Detroit has to justify its bailout while Wall Street is getting more without tough scrutiny. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There was good news and bad news in the recent filings Chrysler and General Motors made with the federal officials overseeing their multibillion-dollar rescue. The good news was that, if the federal government can see its way clear to adding another $21 billion or so to the more than $17.4 billion they received in bridge loans in December -- including a cool $7 billion by the end of March to forestall their insolvency -- the companies are confident that they will be able to retool, return to profitability and repay the money provided them. The bad news: it won't happen until late in President Obama's first term, if at all, and in the meantime they will eliminate at least 50,000 jobs this year alone, close even more plants than previously announced and discontinue several of their most recognizable lines of cars. If you think keeping the automakers afloat for another few years is expensive, you won't believe how much it would cost to let them fail. In the same report, GM CEO Rick Wagoner put the price tag for the feds should his company file for bankruptcy at $100 billion. Such is the through-the-looking-glass nature of bailout economics, circa 2009. Of course, even Wagoner's worst case scenario is a pittance compared to the more than $600 billion that will eventually flow to Wall Street through the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). Which begs the question of why, after four months and nearly $400 billion in capital from the U.S. Treasury, we have still not seen anything remotely resembling the detailed disclosures and strategic planning required of the automakers from the banks that have received TARP funds? For that matter, shouldn't the state and local governments that stand to receive hundreds of billions of dollars under the recently enacted economic stimulus bill have to submit something, anything, that would explain how they intend to use this money, what their spending will do to speed and sustain the nation's overall recovery and what they will do to wean themselves from this emergency aid once the crisis has passed? Small nonprofits and community organizations that receive federal grants will tell you that the paperwork and scrutiny that comes with even the most modest federal award is often so exhaustive as to nullify the benefits of the grant. Not so, apparently, if your request is in the billions. Perhaps the secret to avoiding the withering glances of bean-counting bureaucrats is to ask for serious cash from Uncle Sam. How do we square the double standard in reporting required of Chrysler and GM, whose combined request is in the range of $40 billion, with the inability of even a pit bull like U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, to get answers as to exactly where and to what end the TARP money has gone? It may be that the situation on Wall Street is so complex, and the stakes so high, that lawmakers themselves have little confidence in their abilities to map a successful recovery for the industry, so they are relying on the sheer magnitude of their spending and the ingenuity of those left standing on Wall Street to work their market magic and revive the economy. The idea of a single "Car Czar" to oversee the rebuilding of the auto industry is now out the window, replaced by a task force led by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers, two of the most over-extended men in the history of American government. But it's still easier for Washington to imagine that they can manage Chrysler and GM back onto the road to viability than that anything short of massive infusions of vaguely traceable capital will unfreeze the credit markets and restore financial stability. In the meantime, the automakers await word | [
"What does Frank Micciche say?",
"What kind of plans were required to be given?"
] | [
[
"Detroit has to justify its bailout while Wall Street is getting more without tough scrutiny."
],
[
"detailed disclosures and strategic planning"
]
] | Frank Micciche: Auto companies are planning job cuts and plant closings .
He says they were required to give detailed plans in return for bailout money .
Micciche: Wall Street firms getting much more money from federal government .
He says the bankers haven't been required to provide their restructuring plan . |
Editor's note: Glenn Beck is on CNN Headline News nightly at 7 and 9 ET and also is host of a conservative national radio talk show. Glenn Beck has some lines McCain can use in tonight's speech to articulate his vision for change NEW YORK (CNN) -- Campaigns are ugly. Watching the way politicians act makes you long for the respect and self-control of the Sopranos. Throughout, there are legitimate attacks and outright lies. Every once in a while, I get a call on my radio show from someone telling me that Barack Obama is secretly a Muslim, who admitted it in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, and has a fake birth certificate. No, no, and no. As I tell them, there are legitimate reasons not to vote for Barack Obama, no need to make them up. But the newest target is Sarah Palin. Let's take a quick look at just a fraction of what she has faced in her first few days as John McCain's choice for vice president. iReport.com: Do you think Palin is being treated unfairly? "Sarah Palin believes God told her to go to war with Iraq!" There has been some hard-core journalistic malpractice on this one. The Associated Press ran this headline about a speech she gave at her church: "Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'" In the story, they omit the first part of the sentence they're quoting along with the entire previous sentence for good measure. Here are her actual words: "Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan." Palin is clearly praying that we're doing the right thing in Iraq, something sensible for an introspective woman of faith concerned about the lives of our troops to do. She's not saying that she just received a text message from heaven's BlackBerry ordering her to launch missiles. Sorry to disappoint you. And for those of you who think politicians asking God for guidance is offensive, might I remind you of this famous politician's prayer: "Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will." --Barack Obama "She has no experience!" It's fair to assume that Barack Obama believed he was qualified to be in the White House when he announced he was running for president. At that point, he had been a U.S. Senator for 767 days. When Sarah Palin was announced as a vice presidential candidate, she had been the governor of Alaska for 634 days. While I'm sure those extra 133 days were filled with personal discovery, I can't imagine anyone seriously trying to make the case that Obama is experienced and Palin isn't. Unless, of course, you're Matt Damon, who said a Palin presidency would be a really "scary thing" because she has been "governor of Alaska for...for less than two years!" (Damon originally expressed his presidential preference for Obama in December 2006, when he had been a senator for less than two years.) More importantly, Palin's career has been filled with executive experience. She's the only one of the four in this race who has run a business, town, and/or state (a state that gives her crucial energy experience in the middle of an energy crisis). When Obama's campaign complains that Palin would be one heartbeat away from the presidency, they should consider that their candidate would be zero heartbeats away. "But Obama is running a huge campaign -- Palin was just a small town mayor!" Believe it or not, this one was actually trotted out by Obama himself. "My understanding is, is that Gov. Palin's town of Wasilla has, I think, 50 employees. | [
"What did Sarah Palin say?",
"What jobs did she get the experience from?"
] | [
[
"God told her to go to war with Iraq!\""
],
[
"has run a business, town, and/or state"
]
] | Glenn Beck: Many of the things you've heard about Sarah Palin aren't true .
Beck: She didn't say the Iraq war is a task from God .
Palin has substantial executive experience in several jobs, Beck says.
Beck: She doesn't oppose teaching contraception in sex-ed classes . |
Editor's note: Glenn Beck is on CNN Headline News nightly at 7 and 9 ET and also is host of a conservative national radio talk show. Glenn Beck says Wall Street's troubles began with a wild craze for subprime mortages. NEW YORK (CNN) -- "Greed is good." At least, that's what Michael Douglas' character Gordon Gekko claimed in the movie Wall Street. But, just like Gekko, the modern-day companies that followed that motto now find themselves wondering how everything could collapse so fast. You know the names by now: Countrywide Financial, Bear Stearns, IndyMac, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, AIG. And that's not even counting companies like Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and Goldman Sachs that, while still in existence, have lost untold billions in market value and have laid off thousands of employees. Maybe greed isn't so good after all. Lehman was founded in 1844 when Henry Lehman, a German immigrant, opened a small shop in Montgomery, Alabama. His brothers joined him six years later and, by 1858 they were busy turning cotton provided by local farmers into a cash crop -- a business that didn't have anything to do with helping low-income families afford 27-bedroom McMansions. More than 150 years later, after surviving the Great Depression, Black Monday, the savings and loan crisis and the dot-com bust, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy protection. They had gone 14 years as a public company without ever reporting a single quarterly loss. Now they will never again post a profit. Bear Stearns' story is eerily similar. Founded in 1923. Survived every crisis. Never posted a quarterly loss until last year. Gone without a trace. So how did 235 years of rock-solid American finance disappear virtually overnight? Well, it's not as complicated as you think. If you replace all of the acronyms invented by the brainiacs on Wall Street with references to things that Main Street understands, it becomes a lot easier to see how it all happened. Here's a quick story I invented that does just that. (Note to any Wall Street executives who might be reading this: I know this simple little story isn't perfect, but let's remember that you're the ones who tried to make everything complicated and I'm the one who still has a job.) It's just before Christmas,1996, and as you watch overeager parents trample each other to buy Tickle Me Elmo dolls for their kids, you see an opportunity. "This isn't a Tickle Me Elmo bubble," you think to yourself, "this is a long-term trend. Every person in America will soon own a Tickle Me Elmo, maybe even two. It's the American dream." You approach your local banker about a loan and, naturally, he loves your idea. In fact, he loves it so much that for every $1 you have in your account, he's willing to lend you $34. Great deal, you think, as you max out your credit line and buy as many Tickle Me Elmos as you possibly can. Sales are easy at first. People are lining up to buy your dolls and the prices are going far higher than you ever thought. The only person happier than you is your banker. But the following year something unexpected happens: Kids stop asking for Tickle Me Elmos. You try to cut the price, but no buyers show up. You cut the price more, but your store remains empty. Panic sets in. You're pretty sure that this downturn is just temporary (after all, who wouldn't want a Tickle Me Elmo?) but you're quickly running out of cash. Your only option is to buy time and hope that Tickle Me Elmos start flying off your shelves again. You visit every bank in town and, using your piles of Tickle Me Elmo dolls as collateral (which, of course, you purchased with money you didn't have) you get as much new capital as possible. Soon that money is | [
"what happened to major companies due to the fiasco?",
"Who says that firms still own too many toxic mortgages they can't sell?",
"Who collapsed due to the subprime mortgage fiasco?",
"what does glenn beck say"
] | [
[
"lost untold billions in market value and have laid off thousands of employees."
],
[
"Glenn Beck"
],
[
"Lehman"
],
[
"Wall Street's troubles began with a wild craze for subprime mortages."
]
] | Glenn Beck: Hundreds of years of Wall Street history vanished this week .
Major companies collapsed due to the subprime mortgage fiasco, he says .
Beck: Firms still own too many toxic mortgages they can't sell .
A new government agency could form to buy up mortgages, Beck says . |
Editor's note: Glenn Beck is on CNN Headline News nightly at 7 and 9 ET and also is host of a conservative national radio talk show. Glenn Beck says the decisions Washington makes today could have fateful consequences for the future. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Dear America: Happy 300th Birthday! It's 2076 and we've just invented the time-fax machine. (Actually, "we" didn't invent the time-fax machine, the State did -- they pretty much control everything now.) I'm faxing this back to you in 2008 because that seems to be the year we had the best chance to reverse our course and get back to the vision laid out by our founding fathers -- a vision that didn't include the government being in the insurance business. I don't have a lot of time (the State only gives us one 30-minute break per day) so let me give you some advice: Stop worrying so much about who runs the country and start worrying about who runs your towns, your states, and your Congress. I know you're all distracted by the presidential election, but for all the money and time poured into it, the truth is that you're choosing between two roads that will lead you to the same destination. Sure, one may be the Autobahn and the other a two-lane highway, but you'll end up at the same place either way. Decades of Republicans and Democrats alike have all chipped in to lead you to where you are today. Believing that one person, from either party, can change that by themselves is a big mistake. Presidents are like captains of a large ship: They can map out a course and shout out orders, but without the trust and hard work of the people who actually move the rudders, their commands mean nothing. In retrospect, the lack of trust and confidence you now have in your leaders was really the root cause of everything that's happened since. While our founding fathers designed a brilliant system of checks and balances, separation of powers and democratic elections, trust was the one thing they couldn't mandate in the Constitution. Unfortunately, it's also the foundation upon which everything else is built and once it began to erode, our whole house inevitably began to crumble. Looking back now, it's pretty obvious that our trust in government declined at about the same rate as our partisanship increased. People became so concerned about getting their party into power at any cost that the truth didn't even seem to matter anymore. That's probably one of the reasons why George Washington hated the idea of political parties so much. Here's what he said about them in his 1796 farewell speech: "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty." I know that George had a habit for using big words, so allow me to translate into 2008 English: Political parties that put their own success over that of the country's will be the death of America. If you don't believe him yet, just wait a few more years...you're about to see firsthand how right he was. After all, if power corrupts, then the kind of absolute power gained by political parties (and feared by Washington) corrupts absolutely. The best advice I can give you is to stop thinking in terms of left and right and start thinking in terms of right and wrong. Demand the best leaders possible, and then demand the best out of them. Believe me, when you see what's coming your | [
"Why did people lose trust in government?",
"What did the people lose trust in?",
"What did uncontrolled partisanship cause?",
"What does Beck say about America in 2076?",
"What caused people to lose trust in the government?",
"What did Glenn Beck say?"
] | [
[
"partisanship increased."
],
[
"in your leaders"
],
[
"trust in government declined"
],
[
"we've just invented the time-fax machine."
],
[
"partisanship increased."
],
[
"the decisions Washington makes today could have fateful consequences for the future."
]
] | Glenn Beck: America in 2076 could be a very scary place .
Beck imagines a country that is controlled by an all-powerful state .
People lost trust in government because of uncontrolled partisanship, he says .
Beck: Bailing out industries amounts to socializing their losses . |
Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "Campbell Brown," "AC360°" and "State of the Union With John King" as well as other programs during special event coverage. Gloria Borger says President Obama's plans are running into Americans' widespread mistrust of government. (CNN) -- So now comes the hard part. Now that a key Senate committee has finally moved a health care bill, President Obama can get to work to try and figure out a final version of reform. Now that Gen. Stanley McChrystal has recommended a large troop buildup in Afghanistan -- setting off an internal debate about recalibrating strategy -- the president can decide what he wants to do about the war. And now that the stock market is on the rebound -- while unemployment remains high -- Obama can figure out how to come up with a "son of stimulus" package that targets jobs. Tough decisions are part of the president's job description, after all. But here's the tricky part: how to convince the public that you -- and government -- will do the right thing, or are even capable of it. Sure, distrust of government is as old as government itself. And there's an inherent conflict in current public thinking, as scholars William Galston and Elaine Kamarck point out: While people want government to solve big problems like health care, they don't trust the government to do it. "There is nothing new about this ambivalence," they write in an essay aptly titled "Change you can believe in requires a government you can trust." They write, "But how ... the president deals with it may make the difference between success and failure." So what's a president with a big agenda to do? He could have narrowed it, but instead decided to play "all-in." Because he was so popular, and because voters were so ready for a change, there was some thought the country might buy into the notion that good leadership could actually change the ethos of bad government. Obama probably believed it, too. So when the economic stimulus package was hatched, with hardly a Republican vote, the White House remained hopeful that, in the end, its success would restore confidence in their work. And they have since toiled mightily to brag about the stimulus package as evidence that government can work. After all, if FDR could do it, why not Barack Obama? Instead, the stimulus has become a handy target. Wall Street may be doing well, both conservatives and liberals rail, but the jobs elsewhere are not coming back. And as the president now moves to ask the nation to support an overhaul of health care, voters are still asking: Why should we trust the government to do that? Consider these numbers: At the end of the Bush administration -- with an unpopular president -- just 17 percent of the American public trusted the government to "do the right thing" all or most of the time. And for all of the popularity of Barack Obama, that number now stands at a measly 23 percent. After Bill Clinton lost health care reform -- and control of the Congress -- trust in government in 1994 was at an all-time low: 21 percent. We're almost there now. Ronald Reagan understood, and used to his benefit, the antipathy toward government. He used to joke that the scariest words in the lexicon were "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." He wanted to make government smaller, and his overall success with that notion prompted President Clinton to famously tell Congress "the era of big government is over." Well, it's back. The question is whether President Obama can convince us that more government is what we want -- and need. As Reagan once told us, "Trust, but verify." If only we could. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger. | [
"Who is still distrustful of the government?",
"Who has to make crucial decisions?",
"What does she say about the White House?"
] | [
[
"Americans'"
],
[
"President"
],
[
"remained hopeful that, in the end, its success would restore confidence in their work."
]
] | Gloria Borger: Congressional recess provides chance for health care discussion .
She says some people more interested in shouting than serious talk .
She says Congress is grappling with a tough, complex issue .
Borger: Stop reducing complicated issues to simplistic sound bites . |
Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "Campbell Brown," "AC360°" and "State of the Union With John King," as well as special event coverage. Gloria Borger says we could be in for a month of venting sessions aimed at members of Congress. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ah, the summer. Time for all those members of Congress to go home, meet with their constituents, get their input on health care reform and take back what they have learned from the voters. Not exactly. In some town hall meetings around the country, anger and fear are trumping any constructive argument -- at least so far. Recently, for instance, Sen. Arlen Specter held a town hall meeting with Kathleen Sebelius, the Health and Human Services secretary. In attempting to answer questions, they were shouted down by folks more interested in venting than discussing. On the conservative FreedomWorks Web site, the display was headlined "Specter Gets Schooled." Above the video of the event, the site says "... this is a must watch and a must emulate at town halls across the country over the next month." Really? What about those folks who are actually interested in debating and discussing a very complex issue they're trying to digest? There are some who may actually want to figure out the best way to solve the health care problem. What ever happened to asking questions about the quality of care, the cost of insurance, the impact of any public plan on the health care system? After all, this has been a turbulent economic time for this country, and another huge shock to the system is naturally worrisome. Especially when it comes to an issue as complex as health care. But it's not just the folks at these town halls who have learned how to heckle. Their bad behavior is a derivative of the questionable quality of the political debate they listen to every day. Indeed, if there's one thing we've gotten really good at over the years, it's this: reducing complicated problems to bite-sized slogans. It seems to work, so we keep doing it. Ipso facto, Obama's reform ideas become "socialism" to his Republican critics. And the administration is not above creating a handy bogeyman of its own: the insurance companies. At least according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who accuses them of "full-force carpet-bombing and shock and awe against the public option." Too bad they actually support the rest of reform, and are still running positive ads about the effort. They weren't at the table at all 16 years ago when Hillary Clinton's effort at reform failed. The world has changed since then, and the congressional plans for reforming health care have changed, too. But the invective of the debate, sad to say, has not. The effort on Capitol Hill has been serious. I hate to sound like Pollyanna, but members of Congress are actually doing some real work. Some policy differences may never get resolved because they are too ideological; others are regional, and that's tough, too. But they're working at it, for hours on end, behind closed doors. No cameras, no grandstanding. One of those working the hardest, Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, was derided at a town hall recently on the matter of his own health insurance. So here's the fellow who is spending every waking hour trying to get a bipartisan measure that can pass the Senate -- and be fair to Iowans -- and he goes home and gets an earful. Maybe the discourse will become more productive as the summer progresses. And maybe not. But the health care dilemma remains, no matter how loud the discussion. As John F. Kennedy told us, "To govern is to choose." Especially when the choices are not easy. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger. | [
"In what are more people interested than serious talk?"
] | [
[
"in venting"
]
] | Gloria Borger: Congressional recess provides chance for health care discussion .
She says some people more interested in shouting than serious talk .
She says Congress is grappling with a tough, complex issue .
Borger: Stop reducing complicated issues to simplistic sound bites . |
Editor's note: Hank Sheinkopf, a CNN contributor, is a longtime political consultant who was a member of the media team for President Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign. Sheinkopf was a media consultant for Eliot Spitzer's campaign for New York attorney general in 1998 and has represented candidates around the country and the world. He represented Rep. Steve Israel, a Democrat whose name has been mentioned for the New York senate seat, in 2000, but hasn't had a business relationship with him since. Sheinkopf, who also represents corporate clients, does not represent any of the other politicians whose names have been mentioned for the Senate seat. For a rival view, read here. Hank Sheinkopf says Caroline Kennedy hasn't earned the nod for a Senate seat from New York. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Judging by the screaming newspaper headlines and the steamy ecstasy of the gossip columns, people from other worlds might presume that it has already come to pass: that a woman who happens to be named Caroline Kennedy was pole-vaulted above the crowd and sent with magic wand and golden slippers to the U.S. Senate from New York, in the hope of saving the Empire State and bringing goodness to all its inhabitants. After all, why shouldn't she be sent to the Senate? Her unique experience of writing a book or two, smiling well, appearing from time to time -- but not too often -- at city mayoral news conferences announcing help for those who attend New York City public schools -- and, well, just being a Kennedy -- should suffice. Her social standing alone, some might argue, would give her the advantage of all advantages. A Kennedy. Camelot. Ah! The greatness of it all? Not. The man who has to make the decision whether or not New York is to be so vaunted in representation is Gov. David Paterson, the former lieutenant governor who had the fortune of replacing morally triangulated Gov. Eliot Spitzer after Spitzer's resignation in the face of a publicly humiliating sex scandal. Paterson will have to face the voters in 2010. So will his pick to fill the seat that will be left vacant after Hillary Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state in early 2009. The governor's poll numbers suggest that voters like him. Paterson has taken a tack much unexpected by challenging all to tighten belts, cut spending, pay more fees to the state and get rid of waste after Wall Street's collapse and the subsequent free fall in tax collections from the financial services business. Paterson could have a tough time. Voters don't like losing money, they hate losing services, and all the earnest explanations about fighting the good fight together won't put better food on the table or pay the bills. He needs someone who can help him win, and he needs someone who can win. He and the senator he chooses will both face the voters together. With that in mind, is Caroline Kennedy the correct choice? On the issues of the day, Kennedy has been mighty silent. Financial cretins stealing for fun, profit and because they can? Not a word. The wars? Syllable-less. Millions of humans evaporated in Africa's inner madness? Quiet and silent. The auto bailout? Nada. The printing of a trillion soon-to-be inflated dollars that will further sap our savings? On such matters, Kennedy remains absolutely silent. What about the destruction of the economy of western New York? Does she know that there is a deeply pained world beyond the Westchester County border just a bit north of New York City that benefited little from some fairy-tale place called Camelot and less from well-orchestrated and timed public relations campaigns afforded only by the rich? Why should Caroline Kennedy be named a U.S. senator? Is it because merit no longer matters? Surely, Kennedy offers the dazzle of an unmistakable surname and the kind of celebrity appeal that seems to follow members of the New York social elite. But for the white ethnics who gave their vote to Democrats on the promise of fairness and merit, Kennedy's star quality may not suffice | [
"What makes Kennedy a good candidate?",
"Who has to worry about facing voters in 2010?",
"Who hasn't been vocal on key issues?"
] | [
[
"Her unique experience of writing a book or two, smiling well, appearing from time to time"
],
[
"Gov. David Paterson,"
],
[
"Kennedy"
]
] | Hank Sheinkopf: Some treating Caroline Kennedy's Senate bid as a done deal .
He says Kennedy hasn't been vocal on many of the key issues we face .
Sheinkopf: What qualifies Kennedy to be given priority for the vacant seat?
He says Gov. Paterson has to worry about facing voters in 2010 . |
Editor's note: Harry Shearer is an actor, author, director, satirist, musician, radio host, playwright, fine artist and record label owner who is the voice of a variety of regular characters on "The Simpsons," most notably Mr. Burns, Smithers and insufferable neighbor Ned Flanders. Harry Shearer says the White House isn't getting actively involved in protecting New Orleans from flooding. (CNN) -- I spent much of this month in my adopted hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. Uncharacteristically for August, the streets and restaurants and galleries and music clubs were largely full and throbbing with energy. There are hubs of entrepreneurs all over town trying to invent the future. And thankfully, Mayor Ray Nagin's term is only months away from its end. Between my weeks in the Crescent City, I joined some local folks in traipsing up to the Aspen Institute to share the news of New Orleans with interested outsiders. One talked about the progress in rebuilding homes. Another discussed the reform of the public-school system, the decoupling of the schools from a centralized board, resulting in the city becoming the leader in charter-school enrollment. A third talked about the move to neighborhood medical clinics, an effort to replace the hospital beds missing in the flooding's wake. A fourth reported the good economic statistics, marred only by the continuing shortage in affordable rental housing (80,000 units were whacked by the flood). And a fifth discussed the citizen activism that is helping, along with a determined U.S. attorney (who's just sent Rep. William Jefferson and his brother Mose to jail), to clean up local politics. After all, it was New Jersey pols, not New Orleans ones, who got snagged in a scheme involving black-market kidneys. Wish we'd thought of that. All good news. And all transpiring under a shadow, one made all too evident early last week when the city experienced a collective shudder as the spinning cyclonic shape of Hurricane Bill appeared on TV screens. New Orleans, hit so hard by what so many (including President Obama in his Sunday interview with the local newspaper) still see fit to describe, mistakenly, as a natural disaster, is making remarkable progress, while the agency that so disastrously failed at building a protective system mandated by Congress -- the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- may be making some of the same mistakes in rebuilding that system. And the White House, for the second consecutive administration, seems not to care. Me? I'm a humorist, a comic actor, a sometime musician-filmmaker-novelist-blogger. What the hell do I know about what happened to the city I love? Since the levees collapsed, I've been reading the local newspaper, the Times-Picayune, watching and listening to the local media, which, post-disaster, have rediscovered their mission to make local news more than a recitation of the previous day's murders, car crashes and celebrity misbehaviors. While the national media packed up and moved away after the initial orgasm of anger at FEMA, the local media reported something remarkable: The Corps was claiming that the flooding was due to the "overtopping" of its levees and floodwalls, while two teams of pro-bono forensic investigators were finding evidence that no overtopping had occurred. As the Corps started denigrating these investigators, they kept digging, and kept coming up with the real story, available now for all to see (though all too few have) as the ILIT report from the University of California at Berkeley and the Team Louisiana report from Louisiana State University. Their conclusions: The "hurricane protection system" built by the Corps had serious design and construction flaws, baked into the system over 40 years under administrations of both parties, that caused catastrophic failure in more than 50 locations under storm surge conditions markedly less than the system was advertised to withstand. You and I, federal taxpayers, had paid to flood New Orleans. Since the Obama administration took office, the Corps has: announced that one part of the new "system" will be built using a | [
"Who does Harry Shearer say is ignoring the problem?"
] | [
[
"the White House isn't getting actively involved in protecting New Orleans from flooding."
]
] | Harry Shearer: There is much good news in New Orleans, but still problems .
He notes report that Corps of Engineers levee design and construction led to breach .
Shearer says there may be flaws with the Army Corps' levee rebuilding .
He says Obama is ignoring problem, as Bush did previously . |
Editor's note: Harvard Business School Professor Clayton M. Christensen and Innosight Institute Executive Director of Education Michael B. Horn are the co-authors along with Curtis W. Johnson of "Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns." Clay Christensen says the sudden burst of federal spending on schools holds great danger. (CNN) -- Historically the federal government has been a small investor in the nation's education system. With the recent economic stimulus bill, however, this changed virtually overnight. There is great danger in the sudden and massive amount of funding -- nearly $100 billion -- that the federal government is throwing at the nation's schools. District by district, the budgetary crises into which all schools were plunging created the impetus for long-needed changes. The most likely result of this stimulus will be to give our schools the luxury of affording not to change. This is borrowed money that we're pumping into our schools, and it comes at a price. Charging education isn't changing it. That our schools need to change should not be surprising. Just walk into your local school and enter a classroom. Odds are high that it won't look too different from a classroom from a generation or two ago. Sure, there might be some computers in the back of the room and perhaps an interactive white board instead of a chalkboard, but chances are high that students will still be sitting at desks lined up in neat rows with a teacher at the front delivering the same lesson on the same day to all the students. This might be acceptable if society and the skills many people need to succeed in today's economy hadn't changed either, but they have. While U.S. schools stand still, the rest of the world is moving forward, and this has a price tag -- not just for individual children, but also for the nation. We urge the federal government to consider four criteria when creating new programs or grants for states and districts to help transform an outdated educational system into one fit for the 21st Century. First, don't fund technology that simply shoves computers and other technologies into existing classrooms. We've spent well over $60 billion in the last two decades doing just that, and there is now overwhelming evidence that when we do it, the current unsatisfactory system co-opts the technology to sustain itself. We should instead use technology funding to bolster new learning models and innovations, such as online-learning environments, to level the playing field and allow students from all walks of life -- from small, rural communities to budget-strapped urban schools -- to access the rich variety that is now available only to children in wealthy suburban districts. Second, don't fund new school buildings that look like the existing ones. If the architecture of new buildings is the same as that of existing schools -- designed around teachers delivering monolithic, one-size-fits-all lessons to large batches of students -- it will lock students into another century in which the physical infrastructure works against the flexibility needed for student-centric learning. Instead, invest in bandwidth as an infrastructure of change. The government has a productive history in investing in infrastructure that creates change and innovation -- from allocating land to those building the transcontinental railroad and the land-grant colleges in 1862 to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funding the creation of the Internet. To allow all districts to realize the power of online learning to advance us toward a student-centric system, the federal government should help deliver broadband capabilities necessary not just for today's needs, where schools already lag, but also in anticipation of tomorrow's. Third, don't fund the institutions that are least likely to change. Our research shows that institutions are good at improving what they are structured to do, but that transformative innovations that fundamentally change the trade-off between cost and quality -- disruptive innovations -- come from start-up institutions. This means that there is a high probability that spending money on existing schools of education will only result in their doing more of the same, for example. Meanwhile, | [
"what would be a big mistake?",
"What should technology do?",
"Where should the money go?",
"what should be used to create new forms of schooling?"
] | [
[
"the sudden and massive amount of funding -- nearly $100 billion -- that the federal government is throwing at the nation's schools."
],
[
"bolster new learning models and innovations,"
],
[
"instead use technology funding to bolster new learning models and innovations,"
],
[
"use technology funding"
]
] | Christensen, Horn: Federal spending on schools is set to jump .
They say it would be a big mistake to use money to let failing schools resist change .
Co-authors: Federal money should go to innovators challenging traditional ways .
They say technology should be used to create new forms of schooling . |
Editor's note: How would you rate President Obama's first 100 days? You'll get a chance to make your opinion known at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on the CNN National Report Card.
Supporters say President Obama is tackling an aggressive agenda, while critics say he's leaving Republicans behind.
(CNN) -- More than two years ago, a junior senator with presidential aspirations stood on the steps of Illinois' Old State Capitol in Springfield and warned of politicians who fail to live up to expectations.
"Too many times, after the election is over, and the confetti is swept away, all those promises fade from memory, and the lobbyists and the special interests move in, and people turn away, disappointed as before, left to struggle on their own," then-Sen. Barack Obama said as he announced his intentions to pursue the Democratic nomination.
Now, after 100 days in office, observers are asking the same of him: Has President Obama lived up to the expectations that candidate Obama created?
"What Obama has successfully done is keep his persona intact, which is a man of deep family values and a core moral center. And I think that people are learning to trust Obama that when he talks, he's not just articulate, but he's shooting straight," said presidential historian Doug Brinkley.
Obama won the White House campaigning on a message of hope and a promise of change. As he emerged a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, he pushed an ambitious agenda, vowing to overhaul health care, education and energy policy.
But as the severity of the economic meltdown took hold and Obama moved into the White House, his inspirational rhetoric was injected with a sobering dose of reality. Obama encouraged patience and cautioned that, "change doesn't happen overnight."
In his first 100 days, Obama laid the groundwork for many of his campaign promises and faced criticism that he's trying to do too much.
"Nobody will ever be able to accuse him of being an idle man during his first 100 days," Brinkley said. "He's clearly showing himself to be a progressive in the tradition of Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, with the moral core of Jimmy Carter."
So far Obama is showing himself to be "the same guy that we had on the campaign trail," Brinkley said.
Given the items on his agenda, Obama is living up to expectations, CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider said. "The public is patient and is not expecting to see a quick turnaround in the economy," he said.
"I count 10 major items -- jobs, health care, education, energy, housing, banks, automakers, deficit reduction, taxes and the war in Afghanistan. Plus, a pledge to take up immigration reform and climate change in the near future. Any one of those things would be a significant agenda," he said.
But some Republicans say the president has failed when it comes to his pledge to reach across the aisle.
After Democrats moved ahead with a $787 billion stimulus bill that garnered no Republican support in the House and just three Republican votes in the Senate, "That's when it became clear to me that all of this post-partisan talk and working down the middle and working together was a ruse," said John Boehner, House minority leader.
Obama's approval ratings remain high -- hovering around 65 percent. Those numbers are on par with where President Reagan and President Carter stood at this point in their presidencies. But one year later, their approval ratings dropped to about 40 percent.
Obama has maintained his popularity, Republican strategist and CNN contributor Mary Matalin said, but he's lost support from Republicans and some independents "because what he is not is what he was perceived to be in the campaign -- a centrist."
Schneider said Obama's agenda -- which includes massive government spending -- represents a challenge to the Republicans' core principle of smaller government. Republicans haven't responded to Obama's outreach, and "it's causing serious political damage to their | [
"What will he not be accused of?",
"Who claims Obama did not act like a centrist?",
"What was Obama's message?",
"What was the main message of the compaign?",
"What does the agenda represent?"
] | [
[
"idle man"
],
[
"Mary Matalin"
],
[
"hope and a promise of change."
],
[
"hope and a promise of change."
],
[
"overhaul health care, education and energy policy."
]
] | As a candidate, Obama campaigned on a message of hope and change .
"Nobody will ever be able to accuse him of being an idle man," historian says .
GOP strategist says Obama not acting like the centrist he was during the campaign .
Obama's agenda represents a challenge to GOP principles, analyst says . |
Editor's note: How would you rate President Obama's first 100 days? You'll get a chance to make your opinion known on at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on the CNN National Report Card. Franklin D. Roosevelt had an ambitious first 100 days, CNN's Bill Schneider says. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senior White House adviser David Axelrod has called the 100-day benchmark an "odd custom, the journalistic equivalent of the Hallmark holiday.'' But where did the notion of a president's "First 100 Days" originate? With Franklin D. Roosevelt, another president who took office at a time of dire economic crisis. Roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal, his plan to jumpstart the economy and put people back to work. Democrats had just won huge majorities in Congress and were ready to do the president's bidding. But, should Congress fail to act, Roosevelt would ask for "broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were, in fact, invaded by a foreign foe," he warned in his inaugural address. Watch what FDR's First 100 Days were like » Congress gave Roosevelt nearly nearly everything he wanted -- 15 major bills in the first 100 days, including the Emergency Banking Relief Act, the Public Works Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the National Industrial Recovery Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Congress also approved the Beer-Wine Revenue Act that anticipated the end of Prohibition. A White House adviser remarked that members of Congress had forgotten to be Republicans or Democrats. Comedian Will Rogers joked at the time that, "Congress doesn't pass legislation any more. They just wave at the bills as they go by." Nothing since has equaled FDR's first 100 days. But as Obama nears the symbolic benchmark, he may have had the boldest 100-day agenda since FDR. Still, Congress has passed only a few major bills, including the $787 billion economic stimulus package, the public lands preservation bill and an expansion of children's health insurance. So what has changed? Presidents can no longer count on the kind of bipartisan cooperation FDR got in 1933 -- even at a time of crisis. | [
"Who used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal?",
"Obama took office during economic crisis, like who?",
"Roosevelt quickly acted on how many major bills?",
"Who launched the New Deal?",
"Roosevelt quickly acted on 15 what?",
"what did roodevelt",
"Roosevelt took office during what type of crisis?",
"who is barack obama"
] | [
[
"Franklin D. Roosevelt"
],
[
"Franklin D. Roosevelt,"
],
[
"15"
],
[
"Franklin D. Roosevelt,"
],
[
"major bills"
],
[
"Roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal,"
],
[
"economic"
],
[
"President"
]
] | Franklin Roosevelt used his first 100 days to launch the New Deal .
Roosevelt, like President Obama, took office during an economic crisis .
Roosevelt quickly acted on 15 major bills .
Obama has bold agenda, but little legislation to show for it . |
Editor's note: Ilya Shapiro is a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian public policy research foundation, and editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review. Before joining Cato, he was special assistant/adviser to the Multi-National Force-Iraq and practiced law at Patton Boggs LLP and Cleary Gottlieb LLP. Earlier, Shapiro clerked for Judge E. Grady Jolly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Ilya Shapiro says the Sotomayor appointment is a case of identity politics rather than a choice on the merits. (CNN) -- In picking Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama has confirmed that identity politics matter to him more than merit. While Judge Sotomayor exemplifies the American Dream, she would not have even been on the short list if she were not Hispanic. She is not one of the leading lights of the federal judiciary, and far less qualified for a seat on the Supreme Court than Judges Diane Wood and Merrick Garland or Solicitor General Elena Kagan. To be sure, Sotomayor has a compelling story: a daughter of working-class Puerto Ricans raised in Bronx public housing projects, diagnosed with diabetes at 8, losing her father at 9, accolades at Princeton and Yale Law, ending up on the federal bench. Still, in over 10 years on the Second Circuit, she has not issued any important decisions or made a name for herself as a legal scholar or particularly respected jurist. In picking a case to highlight during his introduction of the nominee, President Obama had to go back to her days as a trial judge and a technical ruling that ended the 1994-95 baseball strike. Moreover, Sotomayor has a mixed reputation among lawyers who have practiced before her, some questioning her abilities as a judicial craftsman, others her erratic temperament, according to a piece by Jeffrey Rosen in The New Republic, which itself has come in for criticism. Such anecdotal criticism is to be taken with a grain of salt -- while Justice Antonin Scalia's bench-side manner is more vinegar than honey, even his detractors recognize his brilliance -- but it does need to be investigated. So, too, do certain statements she made in presentations at Berkeley and Duke, respectively, the former arguing that a Latina necessarily sees the law differently than a white man, the latter suggesting that, at least to some degree, judges make rather than interpret law. Again, this does not mean that Sotomayor is unqualified to be a judge -- or less qualified to be a Supreme Court justice than, say, Harriet Miers. It also does not detract from the history she would make as the first Hispanic Supreme Court nominee -- if you don't count Benjamin Cardozo, a descendant of Portuguese Jews. But a Supreme Court nomination is not a lifetime achievement award, and should not be treated as an opportunity to practice affirmative action. Ironically, it is race-based employment practices of another kind that will likely get this nomination in hottest water. Sotomayor was on a panel that summarily affirmed the dismissal of claims brought by firefighters, including one Hispanic, whose promotions were denied because they would be based on a (race-neutral) exam whose results didn't yield the "right" racial mix. Curiously, the Ricci v. DeStefano appellate panel issued a cursory "unpublished" opinion that failed to grapple with the complex legal issues presented in the case. Sotomayor's colleague José Cabranes, a liberal Democrat, excoriated the panel, without expressing a view on the merits of the case. Cabranes' dissent from the Second Circuit's decision not to rehear the case caught the Supreme Court's attention and, based on the oral argument, the court will probably reverse Sotomayor's panel when it rules on the case next month. iReport.com: Sotomayor 'the new face of America' We are thus likely to have the unusual scenario of a Supreme Court decision having a direct personal effect on a nominee's confirmation process, which will not only force Sotomayor onto the defensive but cost the president significant political capital. It will also show that Obama's calls for "empathy," echoed by Sotomayor's citing | [
"What does he say her life story is?",
"On what is the choice of Sotomayor based?",
"What is the choice of Sotomayor based on?"
] | [
[
"a daughter of working-class Puerto Ricans raised in Bronx public housing projects, diagnosed with diabetes at 8, losing"
],
[
"identity politics"
],
[
"the merits."
]
] | Ilya Shapiro: Choice of Sotomayor is based on identity politics, not merit .
He says her life story is compelling but she should be thoroughly vetted .
Shapiro: Sotomayor may suffer from failure to deal with issues in New Haven case .
He says Republicans should educate public about differences over the law . |
Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences covering the news. Here, CNN Anchor Rick Sanchez describes spending some time with day laborers for a report that will air on 'Out in the Open' tonight at 8 ET. CNN's Rick Sanchez, pictured center, visits a street corner where many people gather to seek manual labor jobs. PALISADES PARK, New Jersey (CNN) -- For four hours Friday morning, I joined about 200 immigrants -- legal and illegal -- at a day-laborer site at the corner of East Columbia Avenue and Broad Avenue in downtown Palisades Park, New Jersey. My goal was not to find a job; rather it was to see how day laborers go about finding one themselves. Dressed in jeans, running shoes and a short-sleeve shirt, I looked like one of them. I also carried over my shoulder a bag containing a hidden camera. Day laborer sites like this one have sprung up all over the country. The laborers -- mostly immigrants, mostly men -- come to them to find jobs in construction or masonry or painting or landscaping. Some communities encourage the formation of these sites. In others, they have become lightning rods of controversy. In Palisades Park, they have become fixtures. At the site I visited, the last thing the folks there needed was more competition for jobs, but they nonetheless welcomed me into their group. They gave me pointers about how to get a good job. "Always ask how much," one man told me in Spanish as he prepped me in the art of negotiating for a days' wage. Another said it's better to be paid by the day instead of the hour. That way you're assured of a decent payment even if the work is cut short or the job is finished early. The guys I met told me they come here seven days a week. They wait and wait and wait for work. "Sometimes there's no work, sometimes there is work. Not every day," one man said. It gets worse when winter comes. "When it's cold, there's no work," another told me. A good week, they said, is one where they get offered jobs on two days for about $90 a day. That's a weekly salary of $180. It's barely enough to put food on the table, but it's better than the alternative. Life in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, they said, offers little in the way of income -- about $5 a week for manual labor. "We don't have a choice but to try to save a little bit and go back to our country," a 23-year-old Guatemalan man told me. The routine is simple: Show up early and wait for hours until a prospective employer shows up, if one shows up. As more people flock to these sites the competition for jobs gets intense. "There are a lot of people ... and I mean a lot of people at the stop here. So you no longer get a lot of work," the Guatemalan said. On Friday, I was there for 3½ hours until I finally witnessed a job offer. It came from, ironically, another immigrant. He was from the Ivory Coast, Africa, new in America himself, and delighted to provide work for fellow immigrants. He was looking for someone to help him move furniture and other belongings. These immigrants -- the African with a job and the Latinos seeking work -- negotiated the job terms in broken English, with African and Spanish accents swirling in the air. "I need two," said the African employer referring to the number of workers. "Two dollars is not enough," responded the Guatemalan. After much arm waving and false starts, they eventually figured out what the other was saying and a deal was struck. Many of the men here have a love-hate relationship with the United States. They miss their home countries but feel compelled to stay | [
"They hope to earn enough to do what?",
"Where did the people in Palisades Park come from?",
"Laborers where say two days of work at $90 per day is good?",
"Where is Palisades Park?",
"What do the laborers work for in hopes of doing?",
"Amount laborers in Palisades Park make a day?",
"How much do these people make a day?"
] | [
[
"put food on the table,"
],
[
"New Jersey."
],
[
"Palisades Park, New Jersey."
],
[
"New Jersey"
],
[
"save a little bit and go back to our country,\""
],
[
"$90"
],
[
"$90"
]
] | Laborers in Palisades Park say two days of work at $90/day is a good week .
They hope to earn enough money to send some to family in other countries .
Some seem bitter about life in the U.S., but claim they stay for the money . |
Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and analyze the stories behind the events. Here, CNN's Arwa Damon describes the hardships faced by Iraqi women. Her documentary airs this weekend on CNN and CNN International. Nahla's husband returned to Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. He was killed in a bomb blast in 2007. BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The pain here is choking -- it's a dark, suffocating sorrow. "They took my husband away in front of me. I found his body in the morgue a few days later. He had multiple bullet wounds and his eyes had been gouged out," one woman tells me, forcefully twisting a tissue in her hands as if it somehow could ease her agony and erase the chilling memory. She didn't want her story told, too afraid that she would meet the same fate as the man she loved. Her husband's body bore the "signs of torture." How many times has that phrase been used? It's such a common phrase it's as if what really happened gets glossed over: skin scraped off their bodies, fingernails ripped out, horrifying screams of pain before death. How many times have we reported death tolls from one horrific bombing or another and not been able to get across that these are lives that literally were blown apart? No matter how hard we in the media try, Iraq remains a nation filled with untold tragedies, the scope of which so often is overwhelming. And no matter how hard Iraqis try to shield themselves and those they love from the horrors here, more often than not they fail. Yet they keep fighting. See the sacrifices of Iraq's women » Nahla works at a radio station and is one of those women. She's tall, slender, elegantly dressed and has a firm handshake. I look at her and it's nearly impossible to imagine what she's been through. "This numbers game, you always think that you are exempt from the numbers," Nahla tells me, referring to the daily death toll. "You're pained by them, but you are outside of them." Watch Nahla's struggle to live on » On April 14, 2007, her world shattered. There was an explosion on a bridge in the capital and 10 people were killed. Her husband, Mohammed, was one of them. "And with it, I am motionless," she says. "Truly, life was in color and now it is in black and white. I feel like it is a game of musical chairs we used to play with others. ... One time you are hit with the chair; another time, someone else is. Now, my son and I are out of the game completely, completely." The image of the man she loved, tall and proud, is of a doctor who moved his family back to Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein because he believed his country needed him. He was a father who doted on their 6-year-old autistic son. Also etched into her memory is the image of his charred body, melted together with nine others, a twisted pile of black, scorched flesh. Yet Nahla's voice is calm as she speaks, only breaking at the very end of our conversation, when the pain, buried so deep, rises to the surface. She couldn't suppress her gut-wrenching dry sobs. I don't know how many times I have heard stories like hers after nearly five years of war here, and yet I still get chills. I can't stop being in awe -- nor can I stop looking at these women in amazement. Life in Iraq has forced people to confront horror that would leave many of us paralyzed. Watch a divorcee forced to live amid squalor with her kids » Where do they find the strength to keep going? Some don't and choose to live out their lives as hollow shells, just waiting for this wretched existence to be over. But so | [
"When was her husband killed?",
"When was one woman's husband killed?",
"Where is the woman from?",
"Who does Arwa Damon work for?",
"What does Arwa Damon reveal?",
"what did cnn reveal"
] | [
[
"2007."
],
[
"2007."
],
[
"Iraq"
],
[
"CNN"
],
[
"the hardships faced by Iraqi women."
],
[
"hardships faced by Iraqi women."
]
] | Mentally ill inmates in Miami are housed on the "forgotten floor"
Judge Steven Leifman says most are there as a result of "avoidable felonies"
While CNN tours facility, patient shouts: "I am the son of the president"
Leifman says the system is unjust and he's fighting for change . |
Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and analyze the stories behind the events. Here, CNN's Jaime FlorCruz writes about press freedoms covering the Olympics. Journalists surf the Internet at the main Olympics press center in Beijing. BEIJING, China (CNN) -- For many overseas reporters now in Beijing, covering the Summer Games has turned into an Olympian task. We go through tedious security checkpoints to cover events and conduct interviews even as we deal with bureaucratic and linguistic barriers. But we face one particularly irritating issue: China's limits on Internet access. Despite Beijing's earlier promise to allow open reporting and unfettered access to information, Internet access remains erratic and unpredictable. "It's so counter-intuitive to find the Internet restricted, even if only selectively," one western journalist told me in Beijing. Last week, colleagues working in the Media Press Center faced a blank computer screen whenever they clicked on sites deemed sensitive to the Chinese authorities -- like Amnesty International and Falun Gong. That is attributed to China's sophisticated filter system, also known as the "Great Firewall." Why the paranoia? Pro-democracy activists, as well as advocates for Tibet independence and the spiritual group Falun Gong, have Web sites carrying information and views that the Chinese authorities deem "subversive." These sites reinforce Beijing's worst fears about cyberspace. China has groomed "Internet police" to patrol its networks and is constantly upgrading software to filter sites. Under Chinese law, using the Internet to "harm national interests," "spread rumors" or "leak state secrets" is punishable by stiff prison terms. Journalists and politicians alike cried "foul" but other critics turned their criticism on the International Olympic Committee (IOC.) When Beijing submitted its Olympic bid seven years ago, the Chinese promised: "There will be no restrictions on journalists in reporting on the Olympic Games." The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which monitors human rights and rule of law issues in China, has compiled documents that show that International Olympic Committee agreements with the Chinese government, from the start, were based on abiding by China's domestic laws. Those laws, the commission says, give authorities a lot of "wiggle room" to define actions that might "endanger state security" or "disrupt social order." Chinese regulations, for example, include a "service guide" for the foreign media. That guide notes the regulations apply to "the coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games and the preparation as well as political, economic, social and cultural matters of China by foreign journalists, in conformity with Chinese laws and regulations." China's "Provisions on the Technical Measures for the Protection of the Security of the Internet," which went into effect in 2006, note the regulations are aimed at "promoting the sound and orderly development of the Internet and safeguarding the state security, social order and public interests." Learn more how China monitors the Internet » Last week, foreign journalists discovered Internet access to Web sites such as Amnesty International or sites with Tibet in the address were still restricted. After a media uproar, China seems to have relented. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said: "If there are some needs to adjust on the Chinese side, we will do that." Amnesty International's site, for example, has been accessible since August 1. However, the site of Falun Gong remains taboo. Andrew Lih, a new media expert based in Beijing, says that "unblocked sites are still subject to the sophisticated keyword blocking system of the GFW (the Great Firewall of China.)" China has also tightened its grip on other media sources. The English version of Time Out, the monthly listings and entertainment guide, has been told to close. Freelance journalists are finding it hard to renew Chinese visas and accreditation for smaller, niche publications have become virtually impossible. Even a writer from Saveur, a food magazine, was denied a visa. Last Tuesday, relations between | [
"Where are the Olympics being held?",
"What were IOC agreements based on?",
"What did China promise journalists when it bid for the Olympics?",
"What remains erratic?",
"What is the name of the host city?"
] | [
[
"Beijing."
],
[
"abiding by China's domestic laws."
],
[
"allow open reporting and unfettered access to information,"
],
[
"Internet access"
],
[
"Beijing,"
]
] | Mentally ill inmates in Miami are housed on the "forgotten floor"
Judge Steven Leifman says most are there as a result of "avoidable felonies"
While CNN tours facility, patient shouts: "I am the son of the president"
Leifman says the system is unjust and he's fighting for change . |
Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and analyze the stories behind the events. Here, Soledad O'Brien takes users inside a jail where many of the inmates are mentally ill.
An inmate housed on the "forgotten floor," where many mentally ill inmates are housed in Miami before trial.
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The ninth floor of the Miami-Dade pretrial detention facility is dubbed the "forgotten floor." Here, inmates with the most severe mental illnesses are incarcerated until they're ready to appear in court.
Most often, they face drug charges or charges of assaulting an officer --charges that Judge Steven Leifman says are usually "avoidable felonies." He says the arrests often result from confrontations with police. Mentally ill people often won't do what they're told when police arrive on the scene -- confrontation seems to exacerbate their illness and they become more paranoid, delusional, and less likely to follow directions, according to Leifman.
So, they end up on the ninth floor severely mentally disturbed, but not getting any real help because they're in jail.
We toured the jail with Leifman. He is well known in Miami as an advocate for justice and the mentally ill. Even though we were not exactly welcomed with open arms by the guards, we were given permission to shoot videotape and tour the floor. Go inside the 'forgotten floor' »
At first, it's hard to determine where the people are. The prisoners are wearing sleeveless robes. Imagine cutting holes for arms and feet in a heavy wool sleeping bag -- that's kind of what they look like. They're designed to keep the mentally ill patients from injuring themselves. That's also why they have no shoes, laces or mattresses.
Leifman says about one-third of all people in Miami-Dade county jails are mentally ill. So, he says, the sheer volume is overwhelming the system, and the result is what we see on the ninth floor.
Of course, it is a jail, so it's not supposed to be warm and comforting, but the lights glare, the cells are tiny and it's loud. We see two, sometimes three men -- sometimes in the robes, sometimes naked, lying or sitting in their cells.
"I am the son of the president. You need to get me out of here!" one man shouts at me.
He is absolutely serious, convinced that help is on the way -- if only he could reach the White House.
Leifman tells me that these prisoner-patients will often circulate through the system, occasionally stabilizing in a mental hospital, only to return to jail to face their charges. It's brutally unjust, in his mind, and he has become a strong advocate for changing things in Miami.
Over a meal later, we talk about how things got this way for mental patients.
Leifman says 200 years ago people were considered "lunatics" and they were locked up in jails even if they had no charges against them. They were just considered unfit to be in society.
Over the years, he says, there was some public outcry, and the mentally ill were moved out of jails and into hospitals. But Leifman says many of these mental hospitals were so horrible they were shut down.
Where did the patients go? Nowhere. The streets. They became, in many cases, the homeless, he says. They never got treatment.
Leifman says in 1955 there were more than half a million people in state mental hospitals, and today that number has been reduced 90 percent, and 40,000 to 50,000 people are in mental hospitals.
The judge says he's working to change this. Starting in 2008, many inmates who would otherwise have been brought to the "forgotten floor" will instead be sent to a new mental health facility -- the first step on a journey toward long-term treatment, not just punishment.
Leifman says it's not the complete answer, but it's a start. Leifman says the | [
"Which news organization toured the facility?",
"What is Judge Leifman fighting for in Miami?",
"Where was CNN touring?",
"Is there a special area where mentally ill prisoners are kept in Miami?",
"Do they receive medical support?",
"Are the inmates behind bars for serious crimes?",
"Who is fighting for change?",
"Where are mentally ill inmates held?",
"What was Leifman's response?",
"What is the forgotten floor?",
"Which judge is presiding over the case?",
"Who toured facility?",
"In what city are mentally ill inmates housed on the \"forgotten floor\"?",
"What does the patient shout during the CNN tour?",
"Who is housed of the \"forgotten floor\"?",
"Which judge stated that most are there as a result of \"avoidable felonies\"?",
"What did a patient shout during the CNN tour of the facility?",
"Who are housed in Miami?"
] | [
[
"CNN"
],
[
"justice and the mentally ill."
],
[
"Miami-Dade pretrial detention facility"
],
[
"The ninth floor of the Miami-Dade pretrial detention facility"
],
[
"never got treatment."
],
[
"face drug charges or charges of assaulting an officer"
],
[
"Judge Steven Leifman"
],
[
"Miami-Dade county jails"
],
[
"says about one-third of all people in Miami-Dade county jails are mentally ill."
],
[
"The ninth"
],
[
"Steven Leifman"
],
[
"Soledad O'Brien"
],
[
"Miami"
],
[
"\"I am the son of the president. You need to get me out of here!\""
],
[
"inmates with the most severe mental illnesses"
],
[
"Steven Leifman"
],
[
"\"I am the son of the president. You need to get me out of here!\""
],
[
"mentally ill inmates"
]
] | Mentally ill inmates in Miami are housed on the "forgotten floor"
Judge Steven Leifman says most are there as a result of "avoidable felonies"
While CNN tours facility, patient shouts: "I am the son of the president"
Leifman says the system is unjust and he's fighting for change . |
Editor's note: Ivan Watson is CNN's correspondent based in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bamiyan Valley is a visually and archaeologically stunning part of Afghanistan. The region hopes to build its tourism industry. (CNN) -- Thursday is "Chinese night" at the Hotel Silk Road in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province. Hungry guests sip cans of Coke and nonalcoholic beer and pick at a buffet that includes General Tsao's chicken, egg drop soup and slices of sweet green melon grown in nearby fields. When a vegetarian diner arrives, the hotel's Japanese owner, Hiromi Yasui, runs back to the kitchen to whip up a dish of spinach, garlic and steamed rice. "This is the most clean kitchen in Bamiyan," she boasts in heavily accented English, as she directs her staff of Afghan assistants in fluent Dari. Yasui proudly points to an electric dishwasher, perhaps the only one of its kind in this battle-scarred Afghan province. The Hotel Silk Road has been open for less than two years. The green concrete walls of this compound jar somewhat with the brown, mud brick architecture of Bamiyan Valley. But the hotel is probably the largest foreign private investment in Bamiyan's fledgling tourism industry since the overthrow of the Taliban eight years ago. See photos of the Bamiyan Province » Aid workers say tourism is one of the greatest economic hopes for reviving this isolated, yet visually -- and archaeologically -- stunning part of Afghanistan, a region that has seen little infrastructure development over the last eight years, even though Bamiyan is one of the safest parts of the country. Tour the Bamiyan Valley's caves » "The natural resources and cultural resources here are probably the single best place for economic development to happen, around revitalizing the tourism industry here," says Bob Thelen, the representative for the Aga Khan Development Network in Bamiyan. The nonprofit organization has been working with the government of New Zealand to distribute $1.2 million over a three-year period to develop eco-tourism as an industry in Bamiyan. Bamiyan first attracted widespread international attention in 2001, when Taliban militants spent weeks blowing up two giant statues of Buddha. For more than 1,500 years, these colossal figures -- one was 53 meters (174 feet) high, the other 35 meters (115 feet) -- stood like sentries overlooking this alpine valley. Today, the massive caves where the Buddhas once stood are huge, empty pockets carved into cliffs that dominate the countryside. Despite the loss of these archaeological treasures, the cave network of monasteries that honeycomb the cliffs, as well as Bamiyan's breathtaking mountains and alpine lakes, continue to attract a trickle of both Afghan and foreign tourists. Hotel Silk Road owner Yasui spotted Bamiyan's potential when she first traveled here as a photojournalist in 1996. "Before the war, this was a touristic place," she says. "More than 7,000 cars a day visited here." In the '60s and '70s, Afghanistan was a Central Asian stop on the Hippie Trail, a destination favored by hash-smoking Western visitors driving Volkswagen vans. But the Soviet invasion of 1979 plunged the country into a decades-long spiral of conflict. Bamiyan became the site of horrific massacres during the civil war of the 1990s and the subsequent rise of the Taliban. The Taliban's overthrow in 2001 seemed to open the door to new opportunity. In 2002, with the help of her Afghan husband and a Japanese investor who fronted hundreds of thousands of dollars, Yasui purchased a plot of land next to a bend in the river that runs through the valley. The couple then spent the next five years building their hotel. "I like Afghanistan, I like Bamiyan," Yasui explains. "[But in the past,] I didn't want to stay more than three days, because there was no shower, no place to sleep." Yasui's hotel opened in 2007. Rooms cost $100 a night, pricing them far out of the range of most Afghans. Guests must remove their shoes at the entrance and wear slippers, in accordance with Yasui's strict | [
"Where is the safest parts of Afghanistan?",
"What once towered over the valley?",
"name of safest parts of afganistan",
"Where is the safest part of Afghanistan?",
"where is colossal buddha",
"Hotels have opened where?",
"When was the Taliban overthrown?",
"What draws tourist there?",
"What is one of the safest parts of Afghanistan?",
"Is it dangerous in Bamiyan ?",
"What have been destroyed by Taliban there ?"
] | [
[
"Bamiyan"
],
[
"two giant statues of Buddha."
],
[
"Bamiyan"
],
[
"Bamiyan"
],
[
"Bamiyan."
],
[
"Afghanistan's Bamiyan province."
],
[
"eight years ago."
],
[
"the cave network of monasteries that honeycomb the cliffs, as well as Bamiyan's breathtaking mountains and alpine lakes,"
],
[
"Bamiyan"
],
[
"is one of the safest parts of the country."
],
[
"two giant statues of Buddha."
]
] | Bamiyan is one of the safest parts of Afghanistan .
Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, hotels have opened in the region .
Colossal Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban once towered over the valley .
Stunning terrain and a cave network of monasteries draw tourists . |
Editor's note: Jack Cafferty is the author of a new book, "Now or Never: Getting Down to the Business of Saving Our American Dream." He provides commentary on CNN's "The Situation Room" daily from 4 to 7 p.m. ET. You can also visit Jack's Cafferty File blog. CNN's Jack Cafferty says "the pain won't go away" until Bush administration's misdeeds are addressed. (CNN) -- It doesn't go away by itself. Watergate "went away" when Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in disgrace and left town never to be heard from in an official capacity again. The Bush presidency is thankfully over...but the damage he and Dick Cheney did continues to press on the nerve of the American people like an impacted wisdom tooth. And until the questions surrounding arguably the most arrogant and perhaps most corrupt administration in our history are addressed, the pain won't go away. From Nancy ("Impeachment is off the table") Pelosi to President Barack ("I want to look forward, not backward") Obama, the country is being poorly served by their Democratic government. And on this subject President Obama is dead wrong. George W. Bush and his accomplices damaged this country like it's never been damaged before. And it's not just the phony war in Iraq or the torture memos that justified waterboarding. It's millions of missing emails and the constant use of executive privilege and signing statements. It's the secretive meetings with Enron and other energy executives and the wholesale firing of federal prosecutors. It's trying to get the president's personal attorney seated on the Supreme Court and that despicable Alberto Gonzales sitting in front of congressional investigators whining, "I don't remember, I don't know, I...etc." It's the domestic eavesdropping in violation of the FISA Court, the rendition prisons, and the lying. It's looking the other way while the City of New Orleans drowned and its people were left to fend for themselves. It's the violations of the Geneva Conventions, the soiling of our international reputation and the shredding of the U.S. Constitution. It's the handing over of $700 billion to the Wall Street fat cats last fall, no questions asked. Where is that money? What was it used for? It's the no-bid contracts to firms like Halliburton and Blackwater and the shoddy construction and lack of oversight of reconstruction in Iraq that cost American taxpayers untold billions. If the Republicans were serious about restoring their reputation, they would join the call for a special prosecutor to be appointed so that at long last justice can be done. It's too late for George W. Bush to resign the presidency. But it's not too late to put the people responsible for this national disgrace in prison. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jack Cafferty. | [
"Which administration left a trail of misdeeds?",
"Who should be investigated by a special prosecutor?",
"What needs to be addressed?",
"What did Cafferty say?",
"Who is Cafferty?",
"Who says the Bush administration has left behind a trail of misdeeds?"
] | [
[
"Bush"
],
[
"George W. Bush"
],
[
"Bush administration's misdeeds"
],
[
"\"the pain won't go away\""
],
[
"author of a new book, \"Now or Never: Getting Down to the Business"
],
[
"CNN's Jack Cafferty"
]
] | Jack Cafferty: Bush administration left behind a trail of misdeeds .
Cafferty: Obama is wrong to say he only wants to look forward, not back .
Cafferty: Damage will last until Bush-Cheney deeds are addressed .
Cafferty: A special prosecutor should be named to investigate . |
Editor's note: Jack D. Hidary co-founded a technology company, Earth Web/Dice, and a financial research company, Vista Research. He works currently in the fields of clean energy technology and policy and is chairman of SmartTransportation.org which successfully pushed for the use of hybrid cars as taxis in New York City. Jack Hidary says the Cash for Clunkers program promotes fuel economy and safety while boosting the economy. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Our country is facing a daunting economic challenge this year and we must take steps to pull ourselves out of this ditch. One such program that has hit the ground running is Cash for Clunkers. It's helping consumers move beyond these hard times and has reignited a whole industry. Cash for Clunkers is now working in more than 10 countries around the world. In Germany, consumers have junked more than 1.2 million guzzlers in the last five months and significantly boosted the economy there. So we know that Clunkers programs get the job done. How many other government programs can you say that about? The Senate has joined the House in passing an additional $2 billion for Cash for Clunkers, allowing the program to move forward. This will bring additional buyers to the showroom. One key feature of the Clunkers program is that it is not just $3 billion of new money into the economy. It is injecting $21 billion -- since consumers must bring the rest of the money to pay for the new car. That is a lot of stimulus for the dollar. Cash for Clunkers is saving jobs up and down the auto supply chain: from dealers to assembly workers and parts markers. Dealerships alone lost 50,000 jobs in the last 18 months and would continue to shed jobs without this program. If you look at the new cars consumers are buying with the program, 45 percent are from Detroit's Big Three automakers. That is a lot of new sales for Ford, GM and Chrysler. Cash for Clunkers also helps autoworkers across the country. Let's remember that lots of the Toyotas and Hondas sold in the program are made by American workers right here in this country. They are in states such as Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. This program helps all American autoworkers, not just those up North. Some people ask why we should help the auto industry and not other industries in this same way. Cash for Clunkers actually helps all of us -- even those of us who do not participate in the program or work in the auto industry. First, the auto industry has so many connected jobs in real estate, finance, manufacturing and other industries, that is hard to separate it out. Second, one of the biggest drags on our economy is our trade imbalance. We import about $700 billion more than we export. That hurts our capital flows, credit and other key indicators. Guess what amounts to 50 percent of that trade imbalance? Oil. We use 21 million barrels of oil every day in the United States and import 62 percent of that -- mainly from countries that really don't like us. We use that oil mainly for transportation -- cars, SUVs, and other vehicles. Unless we scrap guzzlers at a faster rate, we will never reduce our oil consumption. Cash for Clunkers is a step in the right direction. It educates the consumer on how much they are paying for having a low-MPG car and encourages them to get into a more efficient vehicle. A family can save $750-$1,000 a year by jumping just 10 mpg in efficiency. Those savings will increase as gas prices go back up. Gas has already shot up from $1.50 a gallon to $2.60. Do you want to be stuck with a 10 mile-per-gallon guzzler when gas jumps back to $4 a gallon? Third, Cash for Clunkers saves lives. When you bring in a clunker that has no airbags, anti-lock brakes or other modern safety features and get a new car that does, you are protecting your family. Forty thousand people die every year on American highways and many more get serious injuries. You can reduce | [
"What can lead to more safety and save cash?",
"Which program is boosting economy and auto industry?",
"What did Jack Hidary say about the Cash for Clunkers program ?",
"What is the name of the program?",
"What does the Cash for Clunkers program save?",
"What is being saved?",
"What is the reason as to why Cash for Clunkers is saving jobs?",
"What will decrease dependence on foreign oil?"
] | [
[
"fuel economy"
],
[
"Cash for Clunkers"
],
[
"promotes fuel economy and safety while boosting the economy."
],
[
"Cash for Clunkers"
],
[
"fuel economy and safety while boosting"
],
[
"jobs up and down the auto supply chain: from dealers to assembly workers and parts markers."
],
[
"It's helping consumers move beyond these hard times and has reignited a whole industry."
],
[
"Cash for Clunkers"
]
] | Jack Hidary: Cash for Clunkers program boosting economy and auto industry .
He says getting clunkers off the road will help decrease dependence on foreign oil .
He says switching to a more efficient car can improve safety and save cash .
Hidary: Cash for Clunkers is saving jobs up and down the auto supply chain . |
Editor's note: Jameel Jaffer and Amrit Singh are attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union and co-authors of "Administration of Torture: A Documentary Record from Washington to Abu Ghraib and Beyond". Jaffer is counsel to the plaintiffs in ACLU v. Department of Defense, a lawsuit that has forced the release of more than 100,000 pages of government documents concerning the abuse of prisoners. Singh is lead counsel in the suit seeking disclosure of photographs of U.S. personnel abusing prisoners at overseas locations. Jameel Jaffer says the courts have ruled that refusal to disclose the abuse photos was unlawful. (CNN) -- Last week President Obama announced that he would suppress prisoner abuse photographs that he earlier said he would release. Given the president's stated commitment to government transparency, this reversal was both surprising and profoundly disappointing. The ACLU has sought release of these photos for almost six years. In October 2003, we filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act for records -- including photographs -- relating to the abuse of prisoners in U.S. detention facilities overseas. In 2005, a federal judge in New York ruled that the Bush administration's refusal to disclose the photographs was unlawful, and in 2008 a federal appeals court unanimously affirmed that decision. The Bush administration continued to suppress the photos, and now President Obama has vowed to do the same. The photos are a critical part of the historical record. The government has acknowledged that they depict prisoner abuse at locations other than Abu Ghraib, and it's clear that the photos would provide irrefutable evidence that abuse was widespread and systemic. The photos would also shed light on the connection between the abuse and the decisions of high-level Bush administration officials. As the district court recognized, the photos are "the best evidence of what happened." In explaining his change of heart, President Obama said that the release of the photos "would not add any additional benefit" to the ongoing public debate about the abuse of prisoners. But the ongoing public debate is rife with false claims, and the photos would expose the truth. The Bush administration told the public that abuse was aberrational and isolated, and many media organizations adopted this fraudulent narrative as their own. But even President Obama, in explaining his reversal, perpetuated the myth that the abuse of prisoners "was carried out in the past by a small number of individuals." President Obama's statement was meant to explain why the photos would not inform the public debate, but it only underscored why the release of the photographs is so important. Many Americans still believe that abuse took place in spite of policy rather than because of it. The truth is that senior officials authorized the use of barbaric interrogation methods that the U.S. once prosecuted as war crimes, and even abuse that was not expressly authorized was traceable to a climate in which abuse was tolerated and often encouraged. The photos would help tell this story. President Obama's other rationale for suppressing the photographs is that they would "inflame anti-American opinion and put our troops in greater danger," an argument that was repeatedly rejected by the courts when made by the Bush administration. Nobody, of course, wants to see anyone get hurt by the release of this or any other information. But the fundamental problem with the government's argument is that it lacks a limiting principle. Any photograph of prisoner abuse, civilian casualties in Afghanistan, or U.S. military operations in Iraq could be used to "inflame anti-American opinion"; indeed, the same is true of any news article that discusses (for example) torture, Guantanamo, or the CIA's secret prisons. iReport.com: Did Obama make the right decision on photos? To give the government the power to suppress information because it might anger an unidentified set of people in an unspecified part of the world and ultimately endanger an ill-defined group of U.S. personnel would be to invest it with a virtually unlimited censorial power. And by investing it with such power, we would effectively be affording the greatest protection from disclosure to records that depict the worst kinds of government misconduct. President Obama has inherited a legacy | [
"What would the release of photos show?",
"What did they say the courts could not withhold?",
"What did the ACLU lawyers do?",
"The lawyers claimed that courts have ruled what?",
"What did the lawers say the photos would show?",
"What do they say about the courts?",
"What do the photos show?"
] | [
[
"provide irrefutable evidence that abuse was widespread and systemic."
],
[
"abuse photographs"
],
[
"sought release of these photos"
],
[
"refusal to disclose the abuse photos was unlawful."
],
[
"personnel abusing prisoners at overseas locations."
],
[
"have ruled that refusal to disclose the abuse photos was unlawful."
],
[
"prisoner abuse"
]
] | ACLU lawyers: We filed Freedom of Information request for abuse records .
They say courts have ruled that government can't withhold the photos .
Lawyers: Release of photos would show extent of prisoner abuse .
They say government shouldn't stop release because of possible negative reaction . |
Editor's note: James Alan Fox is Lipman Family Professor of Criminal Justice and professor of law, policy and society at Northeastern University in Boston. Fox has written 16 books, including "Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder" and is writing a book on school violence and security. James Alan Fox says perpetrators of mass shootings usually do not suddenly go berserk. (CNN) -- Massacre/suicide has become an all too familiar sight on the electronic pages of this and other news sites. But Tuesday's rampage in Samson, Alabama -- with a body count reaching to the double digits -- forces us to struggle mightily in search of plausible explanations and effective solutions. What could have prompted 28-year-old Michael McLendon to shoot to death his mother, grandmother, uncle, cousin and six others -- some of whom appear just to have been in the worst place at the worst time -- before turning the gun on himself? Mayor Clay King summarized the collective bewilderment in Samson in the immediate aftermath of the bloodshed. "I don't think anybody has any idea of what the motive is," he said. In just over a few moments of horror, this rural community of a couple thousand residents that hadn't had a single homicide in well over a decade, based on FBI crime reports, now had a multitude of questions about the will to kill. "Apparently something just snapped," speculated Wynnton Melton, mayor of Geneva, Alabama, the community just outside Samson where McLendon ended his own life after a police chase. Because McLendon chose suicide, the complete truth to his motivation may never be known. But from what can be learned from countless similar episodes in America and abroad, the crime may not be so unfathomable after all Contrary to the widely held belief of "snap judgment," perpetrators of mass murder -- and family annihilation in particular -- generally do not suddenly go berserk. If he was like most others who have walked in his shoes, McLendon would have contemplated his actions for some period of time, surely more than the few moments it took to load his assault rifle. With a list of enemies and a large arsenal, his planning would probably have reflected calm deliberation and cool determination. In decades of research in collaboration with my Northeastern University colleague Jack Levin, certain common characteristics of mass killers emerge time and time again. First, the perpetrators tend to have experienced a long history of frustration and failure, resulting in a diminished ability to cope with life's disappointments. Second, they typically externalize blame, frequently complaining that others didn't give them a decent chance. Without this, their destructiveness would instead be directed inward. In addition, these killers generally lack emotional support from friends or family. They are loners as well as losers. Lacking this support system and reality check, they come to perceive some precipitating event as being absolutely catastrophic. This most often involves some kind of major disappointment: the loss of a job, the breakup of a relationship or financial ruin, surely a major issue in today's economy. Finally, they need access to a weapon powerful and rapid enough to satisfy their intense need for revenge. Without much hope for a brighter tomorrow, these assailants often decide that life is not worth living; rather than just taking their own life in quiet solitude, they are eager for payback. It becomes their all-consuming mission to avenge, with a death penalty, against those who caused them to suffer -- in reality or perhaps only in their paranoid interpretation of events. Experiencing disappointment and failure so profound as to extinguish their desire to survive, most mass killers deliberately and methodically execute those closest to them, those they hold responsible for their troubles. There is little surprise, therefore, that mass murder overwhelmingly involves family members or co-workers, not total strangers. Although there certainly are many well-known episodes of random slaughter of complete strangers, these are more the exception than the rule. In the wake of extraordinary shooting sprees like the Alabama tragedy, calls for tighter gun control typically surface as a possible policy response | [
"who raise questions about motive?",
"Who says they blame others?",
"What did the evidence say?",
"Where did the shootings happened?"
] | [
[
"FBI"
],
[
"the perpetrators"
],
[
"society"
],
[
"Samson, Alabama"
]
] | James Alan Fox: Alabama and Germany shootings raise questions about motive .
Evidence in many cases shows killers don't suddenly go berserk, he says .
Fox says mass killers react after losses and lack social support system .
He says they blame others, rather than themselves, for their failures . |
Editor's note: Jane Velez-Mitchell is host of the HLN show, "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell," a topical event-driven show with a wide range of viewpoints. Velez-Mitchell is the author of "Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves." Jane Velez-Mitchell says tougher penalties are needed to keep sex offenders from committing more crimes. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Early last month, beautiful 25-year-old Laura Garza went missing. Her family holds out hope she is still alive. An aspiring dancer from Texas, Garza moved to New York City to pursue her career. On December 2nd, she went to the posh Manhattan nightclub Marquee to blow off some steam with her friend. Security video shows Garza leaving the club with convicted sex offender Michael Mele, according to the New York Police Department. NYPD officials confirmed that Mele then drove Garza about an hour away toward his apartment. Garza was reported missing the next day. New York state police searched Mele's apartment and court documents indicate officers observed apparent bite marks on Mele's hand and scratches on his back and shoulder. According to court records and state police, large pieces of carpet were missing from his apartment and days later, carpet pieces that seemed to match Mele's were found on the side of a nearby road. Search parties have been combing roads, woods, and swampland, and police divers searched for clues in a nearby lake, but the search has gone cold in recent weeks. Mele is in jail for violating probation and is a suspect, but he has not been charged in Garza's disappearance, according to state police. Laura Garza is still missing more than a month later. Her family has joined search efforts in New York and prays they will find her alive, but police are treating the case as a homicide. The worst part about this tragic story? It may have been preventable. Laura Garza had no idea she was leaving that club with a sex offender. After all, most of them look pretty normal. Few fit the Hollywood stereotype of the creepy guy wearing a trench coat and driving a white van. Laura Garza may have been unaware who she was with that night, but the legal system certainly knew him. Michael Mele previously pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault, including one count of masturbating in front of two women. And he was violating probation. And he had an outstanding warrant for allegedly exposing himself to a woman in a mall parking lot. Mele hasn't been convicted of anything in this case or charged in Garza's disappearance, but even if he is innocent, the larger question of how the criminal justice system deals with sex offenders remains a vital issue. In a sane world, Mele is not a free man on that night, able to allegedly target Laura Garza. But we don't live in a sane world. We live in a world where sexual assault is business as usual. Where's the outrage? The Garza case is a microcosm of a societal problem. As a nation, we must realize there is no such thing as a "minor" sexual offense -- because sex offenders often start small and graduate to more serious crimes. According to a 2003 Department of Justice study, 78 percent of imprisoned sex offenders had prior arrests and 28 percent had prior arrests for sex crimes. According to the same study, one quarter of men serving time for rape and 19 percent of those serving time for sexual assault had been on probation or parole at the time of the offense that landed them in prison. The formula is simple. Sex offenders start off by nabbing the easy prey -- committing the so-called "minor" sexual offenses like flashing random women, or the crimes Michael Mele committed. Then, after getting away with it or receiving a slap on the wrist, they become hungrier and develop into full-fledged predators. And it's only when they sink their teeth into their prey that the legal system finally brings down the hammer. But it | [
"What did Jane Velez-Mitchell say about sex offenders?",
"Who is Jane Velez Mitchell?"
] | [
[
"from committing more crimes."
],
[
"host of the HLN show, \"Issues with"
]
] | Jane Velez-Mitchell: Sex offenders are often let out on the street too soon .
Victims pay the price for inadequate punishment and rehabilitation, she says .
Velez-Mitchell says we must treat all sex offenses as serious crimes . |
Editor's note: Janet Tavakoli is president of Chicago-based Tavakoli Structured Finance and the author of "Dear Mr. Buffett: What An Investor Learns 1,269 Miles From Wall Street" (Wiley, 2009), a book about the causes of the global financial meltdown. Her company is a consulting firm for institutions and institutional investors on derivatives, the securitization of assets, and mergers and acquisitions. Her firm has done work for investment banks but not for Goldman Sachs; she worked for the company in the 1980s. Janet Tavakoli says Goldman Sachs' record profits were enabled by the taxpayer-funded bailout. CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc. announced record earnings Tuesday of $3.44 billion for the second quarter of 2009. Goldman's stock price leapt 77 percent for the first half of 2009, and closed Tuesday at $149.66 a share. Without an ongoing series of front- and backdoor bailouts financed by U.S. taxpayers, most of Goldman's record profits would not have been possible. In April 2009, Goldman Sachs' CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, who received record salary and bonus compensation of $68.5 million in 2007, said that bonus decisions made before the credit crisis looked "self-serving and greedy in hindsight." Now, they look self-serving and greedy with foresight. Goldman set aside $11.4 billion for employee compensation and benefits, up 33 percent from last year. That's enough to pay each employee more than $390,000, just for the first six months of this year. In June, Goldman bought back its preferred shares, repaying $10 billion it received from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, and setting it free of limits on executive compensation and dividends. But pay is not the key issue. U.S. taxpayers deserve a large cut of the profits, not the chump change -- less than a half-billion dollars -- they got from preferred shares in the company and the relatively small amount they could get from warrants in its stock. U.S. taxpayers should insist that a large part of Goldman's revenues and profits belong to the American public. TARP money was just part of a series of bailouts and concessions that allowed Goldman to prosper at the expense of a flawed regulatory system. In March 2008, Goldman, a primary dealer in Treasury securities, was among the beneficiaries of a massive backdoor bailout by the Federal Reserve Bank. At the time, Henry Paulson, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, was treasury secretary. In an unprecedented move, the Fed created a Term Securities Lending Facility, or TSLF, that allowed primary dealers like Goldman to give non-government-guaranteed "triple-A" rated assets to the Fed in exchange for loans. The trouble was that everyone knew the triple-A assets were not the safe securities they were advertised to be. Many were backed by mortgage loans that were failing at super speed. The bailout of American International Group, or AIG, ballooned from $85 billion in September 2008 to $182.5 billion. Of that money, $90 billion was funneled as collateral payments to banks that traded with AIG. American taxpayers may never see a dime of their bailout money again, but Goldman saw plenty. Goldman may be the largest indirect beneficiary of AIG's bailout, receiving $12.9 billion in collateral, including securities lending transactions, from AIG after the government bailed out the insurance company. The key question is whether Goldman asked AIG to insure products that were as dodgy as the doomed deal from Goldman Sachs Alternative Mortgage Products exposed by Fortune's Allan Sloan in his October 16, 2007, Loeb Award-winning article: "Junk Mortgages Under the Microscope." If the federal government had not intervened and if AIG had gone into bankruptcy, Goldman probably would not have received its $12.9 billion from AIG. U.S. taxpayers and the American economy are owed some of the bailout money passed directly through AIG to Goldman. Wall Street firms also reaped trading windfalls when AIG needed to close out its derivative transactions. This was the most lucrative windfall business in the history of the derivatives markets. When AIG left money | [
"What did Goldman Sachs report?",
"Who deserves a large share of what Goldman made?",
"In what quarter did Goldman Sachs report record profits?",
"Where was the record broken?",
"What did she say?",
"What was the record?",
"Who broke the record?",
"Goldman and Wall Street brought down what country's economy?"
] | [
[
"Group Inc. announced record earnings Tuesday of $3.44 billion for the second quarter of 2009."
],
[
"U.S. taxpayers"
],
[
"second"
],
[
"CHICAGO, Illinois"
],
[
"Goldman Sachs' record profits were enabled by the taxpayer-funded bailout."
],
[
"$3.44 billion for the second quarter of 2009."
],
[
"Goldman Sachs Group Inc."
],
[
"U.S."
]
] | Tavakoli: Goldman Sachs reported record second-quarter profits .
She says Goldman and Wall Street helped bring down the U.S. economy .
Goldman reaped huge profit enabled by help it got in federal bailout, she says .
Tavakoli: Taxpayers deserve a large share of what Goldman made . |
Editor's note: Jared L. Cohon is president of Carnegie Mellon University. Jared Cohon says Pittsburgh shows the power of education and innovation to revive an economy in crisis. (CNN) -- This week the international community is converging on my chosen hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as heads of state gather for the G20 summit. Pittsburgh may seem like an unlikely choice for such a high-profile event, but a closer look shows why this city personifies the transformative power of education and research, and how the practical application of innovation can drive growth and improvement in quality of life the world over. Pittsburgh is a city that was largely written off as a rusted industrial center. But as heads of state from around the world tour the city this week, they will see running trails replacing former industrial railways and they will find green hotels and LEED-certified buildings rising where abandoned steel mills once stood. These changes are creating jobs, bringing new commerce and making Pittsburgh the most livable city in the United States, according to the Economist magazine. President Obama has praised our city as a "bold example" of the new green economy. A significant part of Pittsburgh's renaissance can be attributed to its two major research universities: Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh. Having one such institution is an advantage in today's global economy; having two (very close to each other) puts Pittsburgh in a very small group of American cities. The shape of today's research university, with its heavy dependence on federally sponsored research, can be traced to World War II and its immediate aftermath, with a major boost a decade later when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. But what began as a response to national security threats has turned into the engine of America's -- and the world's -- prosperity. As my colleague, the Dean of Carnegie Mellon's College of Engineering, Pradeep Khosla has written, the industries that have fueled economic growth have come out of the American research university enterprise. Biotechnology, nanotechnology, digital communications, and computers and software that have improved our quality of life and economic standing all have their origins in research universities. The companies that apply this research create jobs and fuel economic growth and wealth generation in ways that the world has never before experienced. According to one report prepared for the White House, 50 percent of the growth in the American economy in the last 40 years has been due to investments in research and development. Obviously, the private sector is a major driver of R&D, but federally funded research at universities throughout the United States plays a key role. The presence of a major research university does not, by itself, guarantee economic progress beyond the direct jobs that the university creates. Realizing the full potential of a university depends on effectively tapping into the brilliance and ingenuity of its faculty and students and the innovations they create. Technology commercialization -- shaping a bright idea into a commercially successful product -- has been described as a "contact sport". It requires an innovative and entrepreneurial campus culture and an ecosystem surrounding it that supports technology-based economic development with facilities, money and people who know how to take ideas to the market. More than a decade ago, Carnegie Mellon embraced Pittsburgh's economic development as one of its institutional strategic priorities. We changed our technology transfer policies to make it easier and faster for our faculty and alumni to create local companies based on our technology. We joined forces with the University of Pittsburgh and partnered with state and local government and industry to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem on which we all rely. Today, there are more than 200 Pittsburgh companies commercializing Carnegie Mellon technology. Our economic development efforts have also included company attraction. With state and local government support, we built a building on campus for global technology companies, which see value in being so close to our faculty and students. There are now hundreds of new jobs in that building, created by Intel, Google and Apple. Disney set up their first research lab here, but they're across the street -- the new building is full. The success of the American research | [
"what played a key role"
] | [
[
"federally funded research at universities"
]
] | Jared Cohon: Pittsburgh economy has been reinvented through innovation .
He says universities have played a key role in economic revival .
He says G-20 meeting focuses attention on role of universities .
Cohon: Nations must focus on key role of education and research . |
Editor's note: Jay S. Winuk, co-founder of MyGoodDeed, is the brother of Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney and volunteer firefighter and EMT who died in the line of duty when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001. This week Glenn was posthumously honored with the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor from the United States of America. Jay Winuk says September 11 is best observed as a day of service to others. NEW YORK (CNN) -- The upcoming eighth anniversary of the attacks of September 11 raises a compelling question for millions of Americans: How should we best observe this uniquely tragic day in our nation's history? Surely, it should not be a holiday. This is no time for days off from work and three-day weekends to enjoy barbeques and white sales. No, September 11 is a day for reflection, and its historical and emotional significance should not lessen with time or be diminished in any way. It is a day to focus on the substantial lessons learned. I'm a 9/11 family member. My brave brother, Glenn J. Winuk, was a partner at a large law firm, Holland & Knight, located two blocks from the World Trade Center. For almost 20 years Glenn was also a volunteer firefighter and an emergency medical technician. When the Towers were hit, Glenn borrowed rescue equipment and ran from safety toward the South Tower to participate in the rescue effort. He died when the South Tower collapsed. Soon after the attacks, I co-founded, with my friend David Paine and other 9/11 family members and friends, a grassroots initiative called MyGoodDeed. Our goal? To establish the anniversary of September 11, 2001 as an annually recognized national day of service. Our widely shared view was that there would be no better way to pay tribute to those thousands lost and those millions who rose in spontaneous, compassionate and effective service to help rebuild our spirit and our nation in the aftermath of the attacks. Supported by all the leading 9/11 family, survivor and volunteer organizations, the initiative has since attracted the attention and participation of millions of people around the world, from all 50 states and more than 170 nations and territories. People choose whatever form of kindness and service they'd like to perform each 9/11. And with acts large and small, they are making a real difference in the lives of people and communities in need. Some make donations -- clothing, books, eyeglasses, money, blood. Some help repair schools and parks and beaches. Some send care packages to our troops overseas, or work in soup kitchens. Some read to the blind, or visit the elderly. This Sunday, retired New York Giants great George Martin is leading a fundraising walk from New York to New Jersey to raise money for the health care of thousands of rescue and recovery workers of Ground Zero who are ailing as a result of their service after 9/11. There is no limit to what people can do to participate. Of note is that just like those who died in the horror of that September morning, those who engage in service on 9/11 represent a wide range of political preferences, ages, races, religions, economic status and geographic locations. Unlike as suggested recently by some conservative journalists and bloggers, this 9/11 service phenomenon is not new and is certainly not about some kind of liberal agenda intended to diminish the meaning of September 11 or redefine it for political gain. Indeed, the notion of engaging in service to mark each 9/11 began during the Bush administration, and has been widely supported by both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill. In fact, in 2004 the U.S. Congress unanimously passed House Congressional Resolution 473, saying the anniversary of September 11 should be a national day of service and compassion. In April of this year, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, substantially bi-partisan legislation that included a provision formally establishing September 11 as a "National Day of Service and Remembrance." The 9/11 community largely applauded this major step forward. And as I watched the president sign this legislation | [
"Does President Obama support 9/11 as a national day of service?",
"who is jay winuk",
"What day should you not skip work or go shopping?",
"Which day in September is recognized as a national day of service?",
"On which day in September do people choose to do acts of kindness?"
] | [
[
"signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, substantially bi-partisan legislation that included a provision formally establishing September 11 as a \"National"
],
[
"co-founder of MyGoodDeed,"
],
[
"September 11"
],
[
"11"
],
[
"11,"
]
] | Jay Winuk: 9/11 has been recognized as a national day of service .
He says it's not a day to skip work or go shopping .
He says people choose to do acts of kindness, large or small .
Winuk: There's no political agenda, Bush and Obama have supported it . |
Editor's note: Jeffrey D. Sachs is director of the Earth Institute and a professor at Columbia University. He also serves as special advisor to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. From 2002 to 2006, he was director of the U.N. Millennium Project. He is president and co-founder of Millennium Promise, a nonprofit organization aimed at ending extreme global poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. He has twice been named among the 100 most influential leaders in the world by Time magazine and is the author of the bestsellers "Common Wealth" and "The End of Poverty." Jeff Sachs says the G-20 countries must take steps to cushion the poor from the financial crisis. (CNN) -- The G-20 meeting in London, England, on April 2 will be watched by the entire world with urgency and with a yearning for hope, vision and programmatic clarity. The preparatory work is not adequate. The G-20 discussions do not move sufficiently beyond financial regulation. I would like to suggest the following main points for G-20 leadership in the global recovery. The G-20 needs to combine stimulus, economic development and sustainability: stimulus to get the world recession reversed, development to ensure that all of the world (not merely the rich countries or the G-20) shares in the benefits, and sustainability to address the world's grave risks of climate change, water stress and loss of biodiversity. The world's 3 billion poor, especially the 1 billion poorest of the poor, are suffering powerful and destabilizing blows from the crisis, and these will get worse and threaten global security unless there is specific attention and action. The G-20 cannot limit its focus to regulating the financial sector, reforming the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, avoiding protectionism and reciting the measures that individual countries are taking. This would leave the world gasping for direction and hope. The G-20 must offer a vision that is big enough to quell global fears and action bold enough to protect the desperately poor while guiding the cooperative decision-making of the world's economic authorities. The G-20 must push forward based on real policy coordination. The world does not have a system of effective cooperation. The United States, for example, does not engage in comprehensive and deep coordination with other countries. The poor countries, with half the world's population, and the poorest countries, with roughly one-fifth of the world's population, have not been brought into the equation. The G-20 package for stimulus should include: First, fulfillment by all countries of stimulus measures already announced and a commitment to undertake new joint stimulus measures, especially priority public outlays on infrastructure, the social safety net and sustainable energy, as may be needed during the coming years. Second, establishment of a high-level G-20 coordination group, backed especially by China, the European Union, Japan and the United States, to work full-time on coordinating monetary, fiscal and financial policies for stimulus and long-term recovery. Such cooperative macroeconomic programming does not now exist. Third, increased currency support extended from the world's five major central banks (the U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the People's Bank of China) for emerging market economies facing the loss of loans from international banks (e.g. Eastern Europe). The Fed's currency swap lines to Brazil, Mexico, Korea and Singapore last fall played an important stabilizing role. The other central banks can and should do more, as can the Fed vis-à-vis other countries. Fourth, a G-20 commitment to gradual and orderly currency readjustments to help rebalance the world's financial and trade flows. The Asian currencies should gradually appreciate against the euro, which in turn should appreciate gradually against the dollar. Squabbling about bilateral rates between the dollar and Chinese renmenbi should be put to rest. G-20 actions for the poor should include: First, establishment of an urgent special food security program, which would make grants to low-income, food-deficit countries (including Africa, Haiti, Afghanistan and elsewhere | [
"What group must do more than just financial regulation",
"What number of poor are suffering from the global economic crisis",
"Who is meeting?"
] | [
[
"The G-20 discussions"
],
[
"especially the 1 billion poorest of the"
],
[
"G-20"
]
] | Jeffrey Sachs: When G-20 meets, it must do more than just financial regulation .
He says the world's 3 billion poor are suffering from global economic crisis .
Sachs: World needs food security plan for poor nations with aid from U.S., others .
He says health and clean energy should be key priorities for the G-20 . |
Editor's note: Jeffrey Wright is a stage and screen actor who has won a Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe. Wright has appeared in "Angels in America," "Basquiat," "The Manchurian Candidate," "Syriana," "W." and "Casino Royale." Actor Jeffrey Wright says a nation that put a man on the moon should be able to take race out of policing. NEW YORK (CNN) -- President Obama expressed what many Americans feel regarding the recent arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis "Skip" Gates -- that the Cambridge, Massachusetts, police responded "stupidly." Obama is catching some flak for that, but I applaud him for having had the courage to speak his heart and mind. I wonder if the president himself has ever experienced the blunt end of racial profiling, or if he personally knows of anyone other than Professor Gates who has. Among African-American males in this country, the small minority is those who have not or do not. Did some prior experience or knowledge inform his response about the Gates incident? I have no facts to back this up, but, to me, it seemed personal. If it was, I understand. I was arrested last July in Shreveport, Louisiana, outside a bar where dozens of members of the cast and crew of the movie "W." and I had gathered to celebrate the end of filming. There was no bar brawl as widely reported -- nor even a pre-election political argument. Nine police cars and a fire engine responded; seven people were arrested. Two of the seven suffered minor head wounds at the hands of the Shreveport police. Josh Brolin and I were pepper sprayed by cops, and while face down in the street, I was made to feel the business end of a Taser. The truth of what led to the whole morass has never been accurately reported. I was asked to leave the bar by a white female bartender who took exception to a comment I made. As with Professor Gates, the police in my case backed unquestioningly the suspicion of a white woman that the black man she accused must be guilty of something. Once that die of accusation was cast, a ghost of racial bias, misperception, and the potential abuse of police authority was set free to make mischief. The bar was one of two places in downtown Shreveport that serves food after 10 p.m. A few nights before my arrest, I had gone there very late after work to grab a bite to eat. It was before closing, and there were a few customers and employees inside, but the door was locked. I knocked and asked, over the music streaming from inside, if I might buy a small pizza. The bartender insisted that they were closed. "Whatever," I said with a shrug of resignation and walked back to my hotel room. Four nights later and in a festive mood, we gathered at this same establishment. Upon seeing the bartender who had a few nights before told me that the place was closed, I asked her for a drink, which she poured. I quipped, "Ah you're going to serve me tonight!" At that, she pulled the drink away and told me that I had to leave. I asked if she was kidding. She went on to say that if I didn't leave, she would call the police. As I stepped away to tell friends what had happened, a call was made to Shreveport police. Two cops, the first of many, arrived in minutes, and I was physically escorted outside although neither of them had the curiosity to ask what had transpired before they arrived. A mess ensued. To their credit, Josh and the others arrested followed me outside with a few others from our group. The cops physically released me and were seeming to be ready to let me go altogether when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw another member of the film crew driven headlong into the sidewalk by two newly arrived cops. Josh verbally objected to their actions, at which point | [
"who catches flak for remarks on professor's arrest?",
"who applauds obama",
"who applauds Obama for having courage to speak his mind?",
"who caught flak?",
"What does Wright applaud Obama for?"
] | [
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Jeffrey Wright"
],
[
"Actor Jeffrey Wright"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"having had the courage to speak his heart and mind."
]
] | Jeffrey Wright: President Obama catches flak for remarks on professor's arrest .
Wright applauds Obama for having courage to speak his mind .
Actor says he too was victim of arrest in which race played a part .
He says political leaders need to address race and policing . |
Editor's note: Jim Rogers is chief executive officer of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Duke Energy, which generates much of its power from coal-burning plants and is making investments in clean energy technology in China. Jonathan Lash is the president of the World Resources Institute. Ming Sung is Asia Pacific representative of the Clean Air Task Force.
Jim Rogers, CEO of coal-burning Duke Energy, wants the U.S. to join with China against greenhouse gases.
(CNN) -- There is a lot of rhetoric on Main Street and in our nation's Capitol these days portraying China as a job-stealing polluter whose economy is growing at the expense of the United States.
But business leaders and policy advocates who work in China see a different picture: a China that is investing heavily in innovation and determined to win the global race to supply its citizens and the world with clean energy technologies.
China is the largest producer of solar water heaters, with 50 percent of the world's production and 65 percent of all installations.
It produces 30 percent of the world's photovoltaic sets and is installing wind turbines faster than any other nation.
China's expanding middle class is increasingly mobile, with more than 50 million electric bicycles, and China is developing the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid electric car.
The country has 14 nuclear power plants under construction and plans to start 10 more next year.
Although there has been much talk about creating "green jobs" in the United States, China leads the world with its massive investment in energy efficiency and renewable power.
China's growth has come with a heavy price: pollution.
China produces 80 percent of its electricity from coal and now leads the world in greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.
Dirty air and contaminated water affect many millions of Chinese and are two of the nation's most serious problems.
Although the United States has made great strides in reducing pollution in recent decades, we are still the world's second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with emissions per capita four times higher than China's.
Our nation is also heavily dependent on coal and imported oil. We are moving ahead in solar energy, wind and efficiency, but we are doing so in a fragmented, state-by-state approach that reflects our democracy and regulatory structures.
By forging relationships with leading Chinese state-owned and private energy and technology companies, U.S. companies -- at times working with the federal government -- can create a "ladder of cooperation" with the Chinese to lead the world forward on climate change.
We will not climb this ladder overnight but one rung at a time.
With the United Nations' climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, just two months away, it is imperative that our two nations establish a more trusting, give-and-take relationship upon which good business partnerships are built.
The World Resources Institute, the Clean Air Task Force and Duke Energy have started this work, with great prospects for results.
WRI, an independent, non-partisan environmental research organization, is working with China to calculate its greenhouse emissions as a key part of its next national Five-Year Plan to advance its economy.
The intent is to develop reportable and verifiable measures in the plan that could facilitate China's participation in an international climate agreement.
Duke Energy recently announced a memorandum of understanding with the China Huaneng Group, China's largest power generator, and the ENN Group, one of the nation's largest private energy companies.
The focus of these efforts is to cooperatively develop and commercialize an array of clean energy technologies.
The Clean Air Task Force -- an environmental organization advancing clean technology in the United States and China -- is pivotal to Duke Energy efforts.
It has created a network of a dozen Chinese and U.S. companies to develop joint business ventures to build advanced, low-carbon coal technology in China and around the world.
This network is expanding to include an array of other renewable and clean energy technologies.
Historically, Americans have known little about China and, at times, are | [
"who are the biggest polluters",
"what do the authors want",
"Who should cooperate?"
] | [
[
"China"
],
[
"the U.S. to join with China against greenhouse gases."
],
[
"United States and China"
]
] | Authors urge 80 percent less greenhouse gas by 2050 .
They want big polluters U.S., China to cooperate .
Goal: Create path for Chinese participation in climate agreement, authors say .
They say Clean Air Task Force to build low-carbon coal technology in China . |
Editor's note: John Feehery worked as a staffer for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Republicans in Congress. He is president of Feehery Group, a Washington-based advocacy firm that has represented clients including the News Corp., Ford Motor Co. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He formerly was a government relations executive vice president for the Motion Picture Association of America. John Feehery says Al Franken's victory gives liberal Democrats a dominant position in Washington (CNN) -- The metric system is the kind of thing that you can expect from the 60-vote filibuster-proof majority Democrats now have in the United States Senate. After the Watergate scandal in 1974, Democrats trounced Republicans in the mid-term elections, getting 61 seats in the Senate and 291 in the House. In the Senate, they adjusted the rules to make it harder for Republicans to filibuster (reducing the magic number from 67 to 60 to invoke cloture, which ends debate). In the House, they passed all kinds of reforms to take power away from senior members and give it to junior members. And Congress mandated that the American people embrace the metric system. The metric system idea never really caught on, and although the pain of Watergate afflicted Republicans for another two elections, they eventually pulled themselves out of their deep hole, with some good ideas and a charismatic leader, who promised to restore America to greatness. Democrats have once again reached the magic number of 60, as Norm Coleman finally threw in the towel against the one-time joke writer for Saturday Night Live, Al Franken. Republicans have little reason to laugh, though, as they look at their diminished ranks and wonder how they have put themselves in such a weakened position. It was only four-and-a-half years ago that the GOP was on the top of the world, and some of their more smug strategists were confidently predicting a permanent Republican majority. This is a good time for such self-reflection. Republicans lost three top-notch senators in the last election -- Norm Coleman, Gordon Smith and John Sununu -- who lost not because they were bad senators, or because they had scandals, or because they had lost touch with constituents. All three lost because they were Republicans. In other words, the brand killed them. And if you look at the latest polls, the GOP brand hasn't gotten any better in the last six months. In fact, according to Gallup, even 38 percent of Republicans have a negative view of the Republican Party. But let's not throw in the towel yet, my Republican friends. Just as in the mid-1970s, when Democratic overreach led to a Republican resurgence, the house that Franken has built will inevitably collapse on its own leftward-self. A new Gallup poll shows that the American people are starting to catch on that Democrats are pushing the country to a place that it doesn't want to go. The poll "finds a statistically significant increase since last year in the percentage of Americans who describe the Democratic Party's views as being "too liberal," from 39 percent to 46 percent. This is the largest percentage saying so since November 1994, after the party's losses in that year's midterm elections." It is no surprise that Americans would have that impression of Democrats in the White House and in Congress. When they passed a so-called stimulus bill that Republicans branded as pork-filled, they lost their credibility on fiscal responsibility. When the president assumed control over General Motors, dictated terms to Chrysler, and then refused to allow some banks to pay back their TARP loans, independent voters grew nervous about the government's stepped-up intervention in the private sector. And last week, when Democrats passed a climate change bill that Republicans insist will sharply raise energy prices for middle-class families, moderate Democrats started to jump ship. In fact, 44 Democrats defied intense pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and voted no. Democrats are now making plans to intervene in the health care marketplace, with some liberals insisting on a government-run | [
"What does Feehery do?",
"Feehery says what about Democrats?",
"Where are liberals dominant?"
] | [
[
"president of Feehery Group,"
],
[
"a dominant position in Washington"
],
[
"Washington"
]
] | John Feehery: The Republican Party is struggling, but isn't dead .
He says there are five good reasons to think the GOP will bounce back .
U.S. system is designed to provide checks on the majority party, he says .
Republicans are in position for creative thinking about ideas, Feehery says . |
Editor's note: John Feehery worked for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Republicans in Congress. He is president of Feehery Group, a Washington-based advocacy firm that has represented clients that include News Corp., Ford Motor Co. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He formerly was a government relations executive vice president for the Motion Picture Association of America. John Feehery says he's proud Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, but now the president needs to earn it. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Usually, when a president wins the Nobel Peace Prize, it is uniformly seen as a positive development for America and for the world. Both opponents and allies tend to celebrate the fact that an American president actually got recognized by a bunch of Norwegians for something he achieved. But with Barack Obama, who surprisingly picked up his first Nobel Prize on Friday, the reaction was not altogether positive from either the left or the right. You would expect that conservatives would raise questions about the president's award. Conservatives raise questions about everything the president does. But liberals also joined in. Mickey Kaus of Slate said that the president should say thanks, but no thanks. "Turn it down! Politely decline. Say he's honored but he hasn't had the time yet to accomplish what he wants to accomplish." Liberal columnist Richard Cohen wrote a mocking column, comparing Obama's award to a fictional award given to Sarah Palin for promising to "read a book someday." We are all glad that Norway loves Obama, but come on. Let's get serious. I am reminded of when Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf decided to retire the jersey of longtime White Sox player Harold Baines. It was a little premature for Baines to get his uniform retired when he himself was playing for another team. (Baines played a couple more years, surely the only instance where a player's uniform was retired before the player was.) Awarding Obama the Nobel Peace Prize is similarly premature. In fact, the White House seemed as surprised as anybody about the gesture. I imagine that when Obama first picked up the line, he thought it was a crank call. "I won what?" he must have exclaimed. But it is no joke. It seems that President Obama won his first Nobel Peace Prize, for, well, being President Obama. Just the very idea of a President Obama is enough to make the Nobel Selection Committee swoon. The president said he was humbled by this award. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, he has much to be humble about. When it comes to peace, it is hard to see what notable accomplishments have been achieved thus far in the Obama presidency. That is not a slap at him. Peace takes time. It took John Hume and David Trimble about 30 years of really hard and dangerous work in Northern Ireland before they got a Nobel Peace Prize. And despite all of that hard work, peace and reconciliation is still elusive in that region. Mr. Obama hasn't even been able to get a peace deal between Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, who continue to snipe at each other over the health care public option and Afghanistan. Peace hasn't exactly broken out in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, or Iran either. Nobel Prizes usually go for some fairly notable accomplishments. Nelson Mandela spent much of his life protesting apartheid and serving a prison sentence. He is a man who deserved a peace prize. Mikhail Gorbachev allowed the Soviet Union to collapse without much of a whimper. That was an accomplishment that deserved a peace prize. But what exactly has President Obama done to deserve such an award? And if he actually does something in the future, does that mean he gets another one? Apparently, the voting on the peace prize started shortly after the president was sworn in. Perhaps he is getting the peace prize because of his inaugural address. Yep, a lot of people came to that speech, and peace mostly reigned on that day (except for those people with tickets to the Inauguration who got stuck | [
"Who was elected president?",
"who won nobel prize?",
"Whose win surprised the right?"
] | [
[
"Dennis Hastert"
],
[
"Obama"
],
[
"Barack Obama,"
]
] | John Feehery: Obama's Nobel Prize win surprised the right, the left, Obama himself .
Hard to see any notable achievements for peace by Obama so far, Feehery says .
He says Obama won because he was elected president and wasn't George Bush .
Obama voters should share the prize, because they elected him, Feehery says . |
Editor's note: John M. McCardell Jr., president emeritus at Middlebury College, is founder and president of Choose Responsibility, a nonprofit organization that seeks to engage the public in debate over the effects of the 21-year-old drinking age. John McCardell says the 21-year-old drinking age isn't preventing widespread binge drinking. (CNN) -- One year ago, a group of college and university presidents and chancellors, eventually totaling 135, issued a statement that garnered national attention. The "Amethyst Initiative" put a debate proposition before the public -- "Resolved: That the 21-year-old drinking age is not working." It offered, in much the way a grand jury performs its duties, sufficient evidence for putting the proposition to the test. It invited informed and dispassionate public debate and committed the signatory institutions to encouraging that debate. And it called on elected officials not to continue assuming that, after 25 years, the status quo could not be challenged, even improved. One year later, the drinking age debate continues, and new research reinforces the presidential impulse. Just this summer a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry revealed that, among college-age males, binge drinking is unchanged from its levels of 1979; that among non-college women it has increased by 20 percent; and that among college women it has increased by 40 percent. Remarkably, the counterintuitive conclusion drawn by the investigators, and accepted uncritically by the media, including editorials in The New York Times and The Washington Post is that the study proves that raising the drinking age to 21 has been a success. More recently, a study of binge drinking published in the Journal of the American Medical Association announced that "despite efforts at prevention, the prevalence of binge drinking among college students is continuing to rise, and so are the harms associated with it." Worse still, a related study has shown that habits formed at 18 die hard: "For each year studied, a greater percentage of 21- to 24-year-olds [those who were of course once 18, 19 and 20] engaged in binge drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol." Yet, in the face of mounting evidence that those young adults age 18 to 20 toward whom the drinking age law has been directed are routinely -- indeed in life- and health-threatening ways -- violating it, there remains a belief in the land that a minimum drinking age of 21 has been a "success." And elected officials are periodically reminded of a provision in the 1984 law that continues to stifle any serious public debate in our country's state legislative chambers: Any state that sets its drinking age lower than 21 forfeits 10 percent of its annual federal highway appropriation. But it's not 1984 anymore. This statement may seem obvious, but not necessarily. In 1984 Congress passed and the president signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. The Act, which raised the drinking age to 21 under threat of highway fund withholding, sought to address the problem of drunken driving fatalities. And indeed, that problem was serious. States that lowered their ages during the 1970s and did nothing else to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol witnessed an alarming increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities. It was as though the driving age were lowered but no drivers education were provided. The results were predictable. Now, 25 years later, we are in a much different, and better, place. Thanks to the effective public advocacy of organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we are far more aware of the risks of drinking and driving. Automobiles are much safer. Seatbelts and airbags are mandatory. The "designated driver" is now a part of our vocabulary. And more and more states are mandating ignition interlocks for first-time DUI offenders, perhaps the most effective way to get drunken drivers off the road. And the statistics are encouraging. Alcohol-related fatalities have declined over the last 25 years. Better still, they have declined in all age groups, though the greatest number of deaths occurs at age 21, | [
"What did 135 college officers question?",
"What does McCardell say about alcohol?"
] | [
[
"the 21-year-old drinking age"
],
[
"21-year-old drinking age isn't preventing widespread binge drinking."
]
] | John McCardell: 135 college officers joined in questioning 21 as drinking age .
He says binge drinking is flourishing in locked rooms and remote areas .
He says U.S. is one of very few countries with such a high drinking age .
McCardell says alcohol is a reality in lives of 18- to 20-year-olds . |
Editor's note: John Rice is founder and CEO of Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), a New York-based national nonprofit organization seeking to develop "the next generation of African American, Hispanic and Native American leaders in major corporations, nonprofit organizations and entrepreneurial ventures." John Rice says there's a tremendous need for new leaders in the nonprofit world. NEW YORK (CNN) -- President Obama has challenged all Americans to participate in the volunteer service movement and to support initiatives that help solve the problems that plague our communities. He recently introduced the Social Innovation Fund, intended to help increase the impact of the most effective and innovative nonprofits in our communities. This is a tremendous step in the right direction, but in order to expand these initiatives, we need a broader pool of leaders with a deep understanding of the communities they are serving and who have the skills, experience and relationships required to succeed in leadership roles. According to the Bridgespan Group, a leading nonprofit consulting firm, the number of vacant senior manager roles in the nonprofit arena is ever increasing, with 24,000 positions available in 2009 alone. Over the next 10 years, this sector will need to attract and develop more than two times the number of people currently employed in order to fill these roles. This next generation of leaders must come from within the communities that struggle most, as these leaders are the most passionate about making change and have the most to gain if successful. Watch John Rice on preparing for leadership roles » The good news is that there is an incredible desire among young African-Americans to give back to their communities. Darren Smith is a young investment banker who grew up in one of New York's underserved neighborhoods and won a scholarship to Baruch College in New York, where he graduated with honors. If you were to ask him what he wants to accomplish in his life, he will say that he aspires to do two things: become a business leader and build a nonprofit that has a large impact in the community in which he grew up. He believes that developing strong business skills, broad relationships and a track record of success will prepare him to maximize his impact in the community. Smith is one of thousands of talented African-American students and young professionals eager to become corporate or entrepreneurial leaders in sectors such as finance, technology, consulting and entertainment, where they have a broad sphere of influence that extends into their communities. Yet minority leaders remain dramatically under-represented in leadership positions and in the pipeline to those roles. Despite representing 13.5 percent of the U.S. population, African-Americans hold less than 3 percent of senior executive positions and represent only 5 percent of MBA graduates. To address this issue, I founded Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), a nonprofit that provides high-potential young people such as Smith with the "key ingredients" they need to realize their career potential -- the step by step career roadmap, coaching and mentoring, hard and soft skill development, door-opening relationships and a high-performing peer community. Every senior leader would say they would not be where they are today if they had not gotten some or all of these ingredients, but remarkably these key ingredients are not taught in even the best schools. Instead they are passed down through informal channels to which minorities still have more limited access. As a result, too many African-Americans who overcome a challenging home environment and troubled K-12 education system to attend college are not achieving their full career potential. Here at MLT, we have had exciting results to date: nearly 40 percent of the minority students at top business schools such as Harvard, Wharton and Kellogg completed MLT's MBA Prep program and 95 percent of the undergraduates who complete our Career Prep program land fast-track jobs at America's leading firms across all sectors. While participating in MLT's Career Prep program as a college student, Smith and several other MLT fellows founded a mentoring organization that prepares high school students from New York's most underserved communities for college. Like Smith, nearly 90 percent of our alumni desire to launch or | [
"What does John Rice say?",
"What does Rice say is crucial?",
"He says there's a huge need for what?"
] | [
[
"there's a tremendous need for new leaders in the nonprofit world."
],
[
"for new leaders in the nonprofit world."
],
[
"new leaders in the nonprofit world."
]
] | John Rice: President Obama is stressing need for national service .
He says there's a huge need for leaders in the nonprofit world .
Rice: It's crucial to train leaders from minority communities .
He says these leaders can help change communities in desperate need . |
Editor's note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A nationally syndicated columnist, Martin has said he will vote for Barack Obama in November. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America." Visit his Web site for more information. Roland S. Martin says Lifeway Christian Stores should be given hell for its actions against GospelToday. (CNN) -- In the 19 years that Teresa Hairston has published her magazine, GospelToday, she has never faced a major situation with Christian bookstores across the country that carry the publication. She's tackled any number of issues over the years,and has featured a number of celebrities and ministers, ranging from Yolanda Adams to Bishop T.D. Jakes to Kirk Franklin. But when the Atlanta, Georgia, entrepreneur decided to feature five female pastors on her cover this month, she says, Lifeway Christian Stores treated her like she had converted her Christian publication to something akin to the tastes of porn purveyor Larry Flynt. Apparently, the owner of Lifeway, the Southern Baptist Convention, wasn't too happy with Hairston telling the story of female pastors, because the women go against their 2000 decree that only men can serve in the role of reverend or pastor. According to Hairston, the Christian company didn't even give her the courtesy of a heads-up. "We got an anonymous tip," she told me Tuesday on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and after checking it out, she discovered that the magazine had been removed from the shelves in all of Lifeway's 100-plus stores nationwide and had been placed behind the counter. "They have never called me," Hairston said. "Never sent an e-mail. Nothing. I had to go see my distributor to verify what they had done." The actions of Lifeway didn't stun me. I had seen this movie before. A few years ago, my wife was a longtime Lifeway teacher. She had taught at the company's teaching centers for years, but then one day, she was notified that she would have to take down her Web site and comply with their rules against female pastors or be dropped as a teacher. Her crime? Calling herself the Rev. Jacquie Hood Martin. It wasn't that she did so for the heck of it. She graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; was the first female staff pastor at Houston's Brookhollow Baptist Church/the Church Without Walls, a Southern Baptist Convention church; and has been leading folks to the Lord all over the country for 20 years. She was angered by Lifeway's decision but made it clear that she didn't serve the bookstore or even the Southern Baptist Convention. She made a commitment to serving Jesus Christ and was not about to back away from her call to ministry because a male-dominated organization decided that its interpretation of the Bible calls for a woman not to be in the pulpit. So she cut them off and kept on calling herself the Rev. Jacquie Hood Martin. Religious folks will quickly say that Scripture is clear that women can't be pastors and lead men, yet Hairston says that when she featured Pastor Paula White on her cover two years ago, Lifeway didn't take any action against the magazine. Anyone who has served in a church or been a member of any faith knows that there are those who have strict interpretations of their faith's writings, while others have a different interpretation. I've heard Brookhollow's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Ralph Douglas West Sr., preach several sermons stating that what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy with regards to only men preaching was specific to that church and not a blanket ban. Second, there were instances where Paul wrote that his views were his own and not mandates from God. That is a doctrinal fight that any of us can have any time (and I love it how these same Bible thumpers ignore | [
"What kind of publication was placed behind store counters?",
"Who owns Lifeway stores?",
"Who was featured on the magazine's cover?",
"What did Martin say about Lifeway?",
"What was on the cover of the magazine?",
"Who was featured on the cover?",
"Where did Lifeway stores put Christian magazine?",
"What was featured on the cover of the magazine?",
"Who put a Christian magazine behind the counter?"
] | [
[
"magazine"
],
[
"Southern Baptist Convention,"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"Christian Stores should be given hell for its actions against GospelToday."
],
[
"five"
],
[
"five"
],
[
"placed behind the counter."
],
[
"celebrities"
],
[
"Lifeway's 100-plus stores nationwide"
]
] | Lifeway stores put Christian magazine behind counter .
Magazine featured female pastors on its cover .
Lifeway has no respect for freedom of the press, Martin says .
Lifeway, Southern Baptist Convention should apologize, he says . |
Editor's note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, Martin is a nationally syndicated columnist and Chicago, Illinois-based radio host. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America." Please visit his Web site. Roland S. Martin urges the candidates to stop with the lofty talk and simplistic solutions and be specific. (CNN) -- If you are a member of America's middle class in this presidential year, you are sort of like a blue-chip football recruit, lavished with praise, attention and adoration from fawning coaches and alumni who would love nothing better than to land the prized player to win the national championship. For "Coach" John McCain and "Coach" Barack Obama, the title to win is president of the United States, and like the big-time football coaches, they will say and do anything to make it happen. Tax cuts? Oh, absolutely, we don't want you to feel any more pain. Let the rich -- and the poor -- deal with carrying the burden. You want more jobs? Sure, we're going to force companies that send jobs overseas to make them stay at home because we know you need those long disappearing and high-paying manufacturing jobs that helped build this nation. Can't afford to send your kids to college? Don't sweat it. We've got tax credits, Pell grants, super-duper loans and all kinds of other options to make this a reality. Are they cutting back on health care at your job? No big deal. Coach McCain says he's got some nifty tax credits lined up to tickle your fancy and ignite your soul. Coach Obama? He's going to go for the whole enchilada by pushing for virtual universal health care. Oh, these guys are wonderful with their sales pitches. They have the ability to make every single one of you feel so special and loved; no one else is more important to them -- at that moment. I must admit, the pathetic pining and pandering for middle-class votes has turned so moronic that at times it drives me nuts. First, who in the world are we even talking about? If you listen to the candidates and their campaigns, those in the middle class could make upward of $200,000 a year, while some suggest middle class means earning as little as $20,000. I moderated a panel Tuesday for the National Black MBA Association and heard descriptions of the lower middle class, the middle class and the upper middle class. Someone even suggested that it's really about a "state of mind." That's right. It boils down to how we feel and think. If that's the case, then you can have $5 million in the bank, but if you love your family, go to church and share the same values as others around you, you're middle class. Please, can we just stop with lofty talk and plain-spoken and simplistic solutions and be as specific as possible? There are really four fundamental issues affecting middle-class voters. Jobs We've seen a loss of 600,000 jobs under President Bush, so how exactly will McCain and Obama create jobs? Is there anything in their past that shows they have the ability to do just that? I've heard "drill, drill, drill!" from McCain, and Obama says we're going to turn the old textile and steel mills into a green machine by targeting wind and other sources of energy. Housing Congress is providing a backstop for Wall Street -- making billions available if cash is needed. What will McCain and Obama actually do to keep folks from losing their homes? Oh, I know a lot of people suggest that these middle-class folks should have read the fine print and not gotten | [
"What did Martin call moronic?",
"What did Martin say that candidates will offer?",
"What are the bigges middle-class issues?",
"What class are the candidates pandering to?",
"What class does Roland S. Martin say candidates offer anything and everything to snag?",
"What doe Martin say about \"pathetic pining and pandering for middle-class votes\"?",
"Who is Roland S. Martin?",
"What did Martin describe as moronic?"
] | [
[
"pathetic pining and pandering for middle-class votes"
],
[
"lofty talk and simplistic solutions"
],
[
"four fundamental"
],
[
"middle-class"
],
[
"middle-class"
],
[
"turned so moronic that at times it drives me nuts."
],
[
"nationally syndicated columnist and Chicago, Illinois-based radio host."
],
[
"pathetic pining and pandering for middle-class votes"
]
] | Roland S. Martin: Candidates offer anything and everything to snag middle class .
Martin: "Pathetic pining and pandering for middle-class votes ... moronic"
Martin: Jobs, housing, health care, education are the big middle-class issues . |
Editor's note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 11:10 a.m. ET Thursday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A nationally syndicated columnist and Chicago-based radio host, Martin has said he will vote for Barack Obama in November. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America." Visit his Web site for more information. Roland Martin says Gov. Sarah Palin talks tough but ducks a lot of difficult questions. (CNN) -- Do you know what was so great about Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan? They were three of the biggest trash talkers in the history of the NBA, but they had the game to back it up. Somebody should tell that to Gov. Sarah Palin. Sen. John McCain's vice presidential running mate has been running around the country, firing up her -- yes, her, and not necessarily McCain's -- loyal supporters by blasting Sen. Barack Obama for "palling around with terrorists" and demanding that the American people know exactly when he learned of the past of 1960s radical William Ayers. She has stoked the crowds by saying, "This is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America." We all know what that is designed to do: Portray Obama as a foreigner who isn't as American as she. Or you. Or Joe Six-pack, the hockey mom, soccer mom, Wal-Mart mom, NASCAR dad and the other coded words she uses regularly. But what is truly pathetic is that Palin talks tough, but is really scared of facing her own issues. Since she is good at proclaiming that the American people need to know who Barack Obama is -- an attempt to paint him as a shady figure who might occupy the White House -- the American people deserve to hear Palin answer if her husband, Todd, a former member of the Alaska Independence Party, agreed with its founder, who wanted to secede from the union. Is there anything more anti-American than wanting to sever ties with the country? Send Roland Martin your questions and listen to his program on CNNRadio and CNN.com Live, Thursday at noon ET. It's critical that Palin answer questions about whether she disagrees with John McCain's criticism of the Bush administration's decision to remove North Korea from the terrorist nation list. She spoke in favor of it. McCain didn't. Are they on the same page or not? The American people deserve to hear from Palin as to why she didn't say a word to rebuke the hateful, pathetic and degrading comments made at rallies featuring her, such as when someone in the crowd called Obama a terrorist, someone else shouted, "Off with his head" and others suggested he is a traitor. Lastly, don't you think the self-described maverick needs to own up to what really happened with the firing of the commissioner in Alaska? She was declared by a special investigator to have been within her rights in firing the commissioner, but she was blasted for abuse of power and violating the state's ethics act. So what did she say in a conference call with Alaska reporters -- who were not allowed by the McCain camp to ask follow-up questions? That she was cleared of all wrongdoing, legally and ethically. That's right. She repeated over and over and over an absolute lie, and we are supposed to say, "Hey, it's all fine. She winks at us. We love her hockey mom schtick. Don't worry about that abuse of power thing." Well, after having to deal with Vice President Dick Cheney being accused of beating the drum for war by berating and pushing our intelligence apparatus to match his political views on Iraq, don't you think we should really care about someone who has been accused in a report, authorized by Democrats and Republicans, of using their power and influence to get their way? Sure | [
"what Palin has ducked?",
"what did palin do",
"what did martin say",
"what Roland Martin says?",
"did she lie about something"
] | [
[
"a lot of difficult questions."
],
[
"talks tough but ducks a lot of difficult questions."
],
[
"said he will vote for Barack Obama in November."
],
[
"Gov. Sarah Palin talks tough but ducks a lot of difficult questions."
],
[
"repeated over and over and over an absolute"
]
] | Roland Martin: Gov. Palin talks tough on the campaign trail .
Martin: Palin has ducked questions about many difficult issues .
Palin has given only a limited number of interviews, Martin says .
Palin hasn't been forthcoming on the Alaska ethics investigation, he says . |
Editor's note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 11:10 a.m. ET Wednesday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A nationally syndicated columnist, Martin has said he will vote for Barack Obama in November. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America." Visit his Web site for more information.
Roland Martin says Howard Dean bucked other leaders and insisted on a 50-state Democratic strategy.
(CNN) -- If Sen. Barack Obama is able to prevail over Sen. John McCain on Tuesday, all of those Democrats who ripped Howard Dean's 50-state strategy over the last four years should call the head of the Democratic National Committee and offer a heartfelt apology.
First in line should be New York Sen. Charles Schumer, Chicago, Illinois, Rep. Rahm Emanuel and my CNN colleague, political strategist James Carville.
When Democrats were in the final stages of winning back Congress in 2006, those three were at odds with Dean, saying he should forget about his pie-in-the-sky plan to have the Democratic Party competitive in all 50 states.
They reasoned that money spent on get-out-the vote efforts in non-congressional elections was futile, and all the effort should be on reclaiming Congress.
But Dean resisted their suggestions, weathering repeated calls for him to resign after that election.
Dean's insistence on having a Democratic Party that existed in the heartland, and not just California, New York and Massachusetts, was brilliant in that it made clear that the party recognized the rest of America. iReport.com: What would you ask Obama?
The Democratic Party earned its liberal label because it ignored the moderate and conservative voices that paved the way for the Reagan revolution to win three consecutive elections. Yet the decisive wins weren't just on the national level.
Texas is a prime example. What used to be a blue dog Democratic state now has Republicans holding every statewide office.
But things are looking up. In Dallas County, all of the county positions except for a handful were in the hands of the GOP, especially the judges. That changed four years ago, and now the party could solidify itself this time around.
The same thing in Harris County. The state's most populous county saw Republicans take everything in sight. This time around, Democrats are poised to take back Houston and surrounding cities.
Texas Democratic leaders used to cry the blues when an election was near, but after seeing the massive turnout during the primary, they have been able to build their voter database and cultivate a new generation of politicians to run for office.
Will the state go red? Sure. But with a rock solid black vote, the ability to attract more Hispanic voters and a growing appeal to whites, Democrats may soon make Texas a competitive two-party state.
If Democrats are going to achieve success on the national level, they must have significant enthusiasm on the local level. It's hard to get your supporters ginned up for a national campaign if they see no infrastructure, especially local get-out-the-vote operations.
When Obama announced that he was implementing a 50-state strategy, he was laughed at. But here we are with six days left in the campaign and the Republicans are having to spend precious dollars on ads in Montana, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada, GOP locks in past elections.
Obama deserves a lot of the credit for this because his "change" campaign theme, along with the horrible leadership of Republicans nationwide, is helping his candidacy. But changing the attitude among the nation's Democrats was also vital, and that's where Dean played a role.
The former governor of Vermont saw firsthand the sorry shape of the party when he ran for president in 2004. Republicans, led by Karl Rove, perfected their voter registration efforts, targeting voters down to the neighborhood, block and household.
They knew that to win they | [
"Who stuck to his 50-state strategy?",
"Dean stuck to what strategy?",
"What party is associated with Howard Dean?",
"What was the name of Dean's strategy?",
"Who has a strategy?",
"What does Martin say?",
"What is Dean's strategy?"
] | [
[
"Howard Dean"
],
[
"50-state Democratic"
],
[
"Democratic"
],
[
"50-state"
],
[
"Howard Dean"
],
[
"Howard Dean bucked other leaders and insisted on a 50-state Democratic strategy."
],
[
"Democratic Party competitive in all 50 states."
]
] | Roland Martin: DNC chair Howard Dean stuck to his 50-state strategy .
If Obama wins, other top Dems should apologize to Dean, he says .
Martin says the party needed to rebuild its local infrastructure .
Dean's strategy is creating a year-round base for Democratic efforts, he says . |
Editor's note: Jordan Lorence is senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization of Christian attorneys. He has litigated religious liberty and free speech cases since 1984, including the Southworth case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1999, involving mandatory student fees at public universities, and a 2004 case that resulted in a California Supreme Court ruling that marriage licenses issued by San Francisco to same-sex couples were invalid.
Jordan Lorence says Rick Warren's views on marriage shouldn't bar him from Barack Obama's inauguration.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (CNN) -- Proponents of redefining marriage couldn't wait for the new president to be sworn in before demanding that he erase from the inauguration ceremony a prominent American who disagrees with them.
The target of their rhetorical bombardment is Rick Warren, the popular Christian pastor from Southern California.
President-elect Barack Obama has asked Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. Not so fast, cries Kathryn Kolbert, head of People for the American Way, an organization that claims to advance equality and freedom of speech and religion (but not for Rick Warren and those who agree with his marriage views) in a piece published on CNN.com.
Warren's grave sin? Along with 52 percent of California voters, he supported California's Proposition 8, which affirmed the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. What a radical!
Though Warren will only be praying for the country's future (not giving a speech about marriage), Kolbert and others are pressuring Obama to set a precedent for his administration of publicly shunning someone who supports the traditional definition of marriage.
They want people like Warren silenced and ostracized for their "hate speech," defined today as disagreeing with their agenda to impose a redefinition of marriage on an unwilling America. Obama, to his credit, has resisted their strident demands.
The attacks on Warren are the latest in a series of coercive, intimidating attacks on supporters of traditional marriage.
Now, activists have ramped up their strong-arm tactics by pushing the president-elect to ban Warren from appearing at the inauguration.
This is amazingly audacious, in light of the fact that on marriage, the overwhelming majority of Americans and, indeed, humanity, agrees with Warren. Americans have voted to preserve marriage in all 30 states where it has been on the ballot by an average vote of more than 65 percent.
The collective experience and wisdom of every major civilization from the dawn of time agrees that societies function best and children are best protected when marriage is defined as between one man and one woman. Warren and those who agree with him want all nations to experience these benefits of marriage when it is rightly defined and consistently practiced.
Ironically, Obama has repeatedly stated that he agrees "that marriage is the union between a man and a woman." Does Kolbert question his fitness to serve as president in light of his allegedly "bigoted" views on marriage?
Kolbert brazenly denies that she and other activists desire to silence pastors like Warren because of their marriage views. She is indignant that Warren and others spread the "big lie" that redefining marriage would threaten the freedom of speech and religious liberties of those who hold the view shared by the vast majority of Americans.
Her argument is disarming in its pure duplicity. Part of Kolbert's case against Warren, who she thinks should not be speaking at such an important public ceremony, is that he believes that folks like her are working to ban people like him from speaking at public ceremonies. Thus, the "big lie" becomes an obvious truth.
This is really all about ideological purity -- and purging. Are the activists proposing that no one should be permitted to speak at the inauguration if they hold beliefs on marriage contrary to hers and her ideological bedfellows? How can publicly snubbing the influential and respected Warren advance what Kolbert calls "the values of unity and respect ... on which President-elect Obama campaigned?"
It won't. But it will surely send a message to those who believe in marriage, that they will be viciously attacked for expressing, or merely believing | [
"who is jordan lorence",
"what is the veiw on marriage",
"What are Warren's views on marriage?",
"What was Rick Warren asked to give?",
"What does Warren believe about marriage?",
"What has Obama asked of Rick Warren?"
] | [
[
"senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund,"
],
[
"as between one man and one woman."
],
[
"between one man and one woman."
],
[
"at his inauguration."
],
[
"as between one man and one woman."
],
[
"to give the invocation"
]
] | Jordan Lorence: Barack Obama has asked Rick Warren to give the invocation .
He says activists are seeking to ban Warren from speaking because of his views .
Lorence says Warren's view on marriage is the majority position in the U.S.
He says Obama also believes marriage is between a man and a woman . |
Editor's note: Joseph Cirincione is president of Ploughshares Fund, a nonprofit organization that makes grants to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and the author of "Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons." He formerly was a senior vice president at the Center for American Progress, a think tank that describes itself as "progressive," and was on the staff of the House Armed Services Committee. Joseph Cirincione says Clinton's trip was the culmination of diplomacy his adminstration began 15 years ago. (CNN) -- President Clinton did more than free two unjustly jailed journalists. He jump-started the successful diplomacy he had begun 15 years earlier. In October 2000, then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang. During Bill Clinton's presidency, the administration had locked down North Korea's plutonium production program, which had created enough deadly material for two bombs during the Reagan years. They had stopped all missile tests. They were a few details away from concluding a deal to end these programs completely. But Clinton ran out of time. Enmeshed in Middle East peace talks, Clinton could not get assurances that a presidential visit to North Korea would seal the deal. He passed off the almost completed process to the incoming George W. Bush administration. On March 6, 2001, new Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "We do plan to engage with North Korea to pick up where President Clinton and his administration left off." But Bush had different ideas. On March 7, Bush kneecapped Powell. With South Korean President Kim Dae-jung sitting next to him in embarrassed silence, Bush said, "We look forward to, at some point in the future, having a dialogue with the North Koreans, but any negotiation would require complete verification of the terms of a potential agreement." The conservative ideologues in the administration froze all discussions with North Korea for an 18-month review. Clinton's hard-earned diplomatic wins were replaced by the Bush Doctrine, summed up by Vice President Dick Cheney: "We don't negotiate with evil; we defeat it." The United States would instead overthrow difficult regimes. Serious options for diplomacy with North Korea were set aside. Negotiations were appeasement, the new administration believed, not a tool to advance American security. Then-Undersecretary of State John Bolton said in 2002 and repeats to this day, "We're not going to reward their bad behavior." The strategy backfired. North Korea expanded plutonium production, exploded nuclear bombs, tested new missiles and traded nuclear technology to Syria and possibly Burma. North Korea's nuclear and missile programs advanced more in the George W. Bush administration then they had in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations combined. Whether by accident or design, the Obama administration reset the diplomatic stage. Administration officials largely ignored North Korea for their first eight months in office. Kim Jong Il responded with provocative statements and actions. It almost spiraled out of control. But the Obama administration's patience -- or just policy drift, we may never know -- paid off. Kim Jong Il's regime got weaker and more isolated. North Korea's main partners, China and Russia, turned against it, the U.N. Security Council imposed tough new sanctions, and Kim's own health deteriorated. Now in a weaker position than at any time in his regime, Kim Jong Il has been on his best behavior for the past few months. This was the time for a power play, and Obama executed perfectly. He chose as his special envoy the most prestigious political figure in America outside the administration. It is a move that was sure to please the North Koreans, showing them the respect they crave, without costing America anything. To capitalize on this breakthrough, the Obama administration must now continue to play large. It should show North Korea what good relations with the United States can lead to. Clinton's 20 hours in Pyongyang could pave the way for renewed diplomatic efforts, including direct dialogue between the United States and North Korea, the re-freezing of North Korea's nuclear program and even North Korea's return to | [
"What did the Bush administration say the U.S. does not negotiate with?",
"What doesn't the US negotiate with?",
"Who started outreach to north korea?"
] | [
[
"evil;"
],
[
"evil;"
],
[
"then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright"
]
] | Joseph Cirincione: Clinton administration started outreach to North Korea .
He says Bush administration cut it off, saying U.S. doesn't negotiate with 'evil'
He says Clinton's successful trip shows effectiveness of diplomacy .
Cirincione: Obama administration must seize moment for further progress . |
Editor's note: Joseph E. Stiglitz, professor at Columbia University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001 for his work on the economics of information and was on the climate change panel that shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. Stiglitz, a supporter of Barack Obama, was a member and later chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton administration before joining the World Bank as chief economist and senior vice president. He is the co-author with Linda Bilmes of the "Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Costs of the Iraq Conflict." Economist Joseph Stiglitz says federal regulators and executives helped create the Wall Street crisis. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Many seem taken aback by the depth and severity of the current financial turmoil. I was among several economists who saw it coming and warned about the risks. There is ample blame to be shared; but the purpose of parsing out blame is to figure out how to make a recurrence less likely. President Bush famously said, a little while ago, that the problem is simple: Too many houses were built. Yes, but the answer is too simplistic: Why did that happen? One can say the Fed failed twice, both as a regulator and in the conduct of monetary policy. Its flood of liquidity (money made available to borrow at low interest rates) and lax regulations led to a housing bubble. When the bubble broke, the excessively leveraged loans made on the basis of overvalued assets went sour. For all the new-fangled financial instruments, this was just another one of those financial crises based on excess leverage, or borrowing, and a pyramid scheme. The new "innovations" simply hid the extent of systemic leverage and made the risks less transparent; it is these innovations that have made this collapse so much more dramatic than earlier financial crises. But one needs to push further: Why did the Fed fail? First, key regulators like Alan Greenspan didn't really believe in regulation; when the excesses of the financial system were noted, they called for self-regulation -- an oxymoron. Second, the macro-economy was in bad shape with the collapse of the tech bubble. The tax cut of 2001 was not designed to stimulate the economy but to give a largesse to the wealthy -- the group that had been doing so well over the last quarter-century. The coup d'grace was the Iraq War, which contributed to soaring oil prices. Money that used to be spent on American goods now got diverted abroad. The Fed took seriously its responsibility to keep the economy going. It did this by replacing the tech bubble with a new bubble, a housing bubble. Household savings plummeted to zero, to the lowest level since the Great Depression. It managed to sustain the economy, but the way it did it was shortsighted: America was living on borrowed money and borrowed time. Finally, at the center of blame must be the financial institutions themselves. They -- and even more their executives -- had incentives that were not well aligned with the needs of our economy and our society. They were amply rewarded, presumably for managing risk and allocating capital, which was supposed to improve the efficiency of the economy so much that it justified their generous compensation. But they misallocated capital; they mismanaged risk -- they created risk. They did what their incentive structures were designed to do: focusing on short-term profits and encouraging excessive risk-taking. This is not the first crisis in our financial system, not the first time that those who believe in free and unregulated markets have come running to the government for bail-outs. There is a pattern here, one that suggests deep systemic problems -- and a variety of solutions: 1. We need first to correct incentives for executives, reducing the scope for conflicts of interest and improving shareholder information about dilution in share value as a result of stock options. We should mitigate the incentives for excessive risk-taking and the short-term focus that has so long prevailed, for instance, by requiring bonuses to be paid on the basis | [
"who is joseph stiglitz",
"what does he say",
"What did Joseph Stiglitz say?",
"where did the money go",
"What did new-fangled instruments do?",
"what did he do"
] | [
[
"professor at Columbia University,"
],
[
"federal regulators and executives helped create the Wall Street crisis."
],
[
"federal regulators and executives helped create the Wall Street crisis."
],
[
"diverted abroad."
],
[
"hid the extent of systemic leverage and made the risks less transparent;"
],
[
"work on the economics of information"
]
] | Joseph Stiglitz: Fed pumped too much money, aiding housing bubble .
New-fangled instruments hid overuse of borrowing, Stiglitz says .
Executives followed short-term interests and magnified risks, he says .
Stiglitz: Widespread changes needed to prevent future crises . |
Editor's note: José Miguel Vivanco is executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit organization that seeks to protect people's rights. A lawyer from Chile, he was educated there, in Spain and at Harvard Law School.
José Miguel Vivanco says conviction of Peru's ex-president is a warning to those who deny human rights.
(CNN) -- Peruvians are celebrating an extraordinary victory this week: the conviction of their former president, Alberto Fujimori, for death squad killings carried out during his rule in the 1990s.
The Peruvian Supreme Court found him guilty of egregious human rights abuses, including the massacre of innocent civilians, and sentenced him to 25 years in prison -- a stiff message to other leaders that justice can eventually catch up to even the most powerful.
It is one of the first times a nation's own independent courts have convicted a former leader for such serious human rights crimes and it sets an important precedent for a region that suffered so much from political violence and rights violations. Equally significant, the ruling came after a lengthy televised trial, which was clearly fair to the defendant -- despite Peru's previous history of authoritarianism and weak rule of law.
Fujimori came to office in 1990 on the promise of crushing a vicious Maoist insurgency but, in the process of restoring order, he corrupted and weakened Peru's most vital government institutions -- including parliament, the courts and law enforcement. Just a few years ago, Fujimori had near-total control of Peru's judiciary.
For a decade, his government used bribery, extortion, and intimidation to concentrate power in the presidency, subverting the democratic process and eliminating normal checks by the judiciary, legislature, and media on government abuses.
He led Peru from 1990 to 2000, presiding over the war with the Shining Path guerrillas and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. He was convicted of authorizing killings and kidnappings by paramilitary death squads. Fujimori is to be tried separately on multiple corruption charges.
The landmark decision fits within a global trend of increasing accountability for former heads of state. Just 20 years ago, it was exceedingly rare for even the most brutal leaders to be brought to book. In the late 20th century, Mao Zedong, Idi Amin, Milton Obote, Ferdinand Marcos, Anastasio Somoza, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier and Mobutu Sese Seko, to name just a few, were never brought to trial.
Since then, however, the tide has turned. In October 1998, London police arrested General Augusto Pinochet on a warrant from a Spanish judge for human rights crimes. The arrest and the subsequent decisions by the British House of Lords to reject Pinochet's claim of immunity were a wake-up call to tyrants everywhere, but more important, they gave hope to victims elsewhere that they too could bring their tormentors to justice.
In country after country, particularly in Latin America, victims were inspired to challenge the amnesty laws of the 1980s and 1990s that had allowed the perpetrators of atrocities to go unpunished and, often, to remain in power. Thanks to these efforts, former leaders in Argentina, and Uruguay have also faced human rights trials.
Pinochet's arrest also strengthened a nascent international movement -- spurred by the killings in Bosnia and Rwanda, and facilitated by the end of the Cold War -- to make certain the worst abuses are punished.
After the creation of UN tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the world established the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so.
The ICC is now investigating crimes in the Central African Republic, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in March the court indicted President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan on charges of crimes against humanity in Darfur.
The Fujimori case stands out, though, because it was Peru's national court system which demonstrated the will, capacity, and independence to try its former president.
A second panel of the Supreme Court will now review an appeal by Fujimori. One can hope the second panel will be as | [
"what did vivanco say",
"did vivanco say anything",
"what was fujimori convicted for",
"What was Fuijimori conviced of ?",
"What was Fujimori convicted of?",
"Who is José Miguel Vivanco?",
"Where was this case tried?"
] | [
[
"conviction of Peru's ex-president is a warning to those who deny human rights."
],
[
"conviction of Peru's ex-president is a warning to those who deny human rights."
],
[
"death squad killings"
],
[
"authorizing killings and kidnappings by paramilitary death squads."
],
[
"for death squad killings carried out during his rule in the 1990s."
],
[
"executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch,"
],
[
"The Peruvian Supreme Court"
]
] | José Miguel Vivanco: Peruvian court verdict in Fujimori case sends strong message .
Fujimori was convicted for allowing death squads to murder innocents .
Since Pinochet case, Vivanco says, courts have been holding leaders accountable .
Vivanco: Leaders who deny human rights may suffer for it years later . |
Editor's note: Journalist Karl Penhaul spent several weeks tracking the gangs of the Mexican underworld, the corrupt officials who support them and the cops trying to halt the violence. This is the last of three exclusive reports. The first focused on the violent rules gangs live by and the second looked at how gangsters are honored in death.
Forensic investigators and federal police dig bodies out of mass graves in the desert near Juarez.
JUAREZ, Mexico (CNN) -- Heat waves shimmer over the desert. A team of forensic experts clad in white overalls excavate three shallow graves.
The sand gives up nine bodies -- seven men and two women. At least one of the victims' hands were cuffed behind their back. Others had been trussed up with duct tape.
The stale stench reveals that the corpses had been dumped there several days earlier and were decomposing fast.
That grisly find in mid-March came a week after thousands more soldiers had been deployed to Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. The arrival of the soldiers and more federal police agents had coincided with a short lull in the killings.
Snapping photos of the scene from behind the police line was Lucio Soria, photographer for Juarez's main newspaper, El Diario de Juarez, and its sister paper, PM.
PM is a perfect example of Mexico's so-called "red press," newspapers that specialize in covering violence. Soria seems like a perfect ambassador.
"I've gone for a week and a half without taking pictures of dead people. I was thinking 'Hell, what am I going to do?' At this rate I'll end up taking pictures for the social pages," he said.
Soria realizes snapping pictures of blood and gore may seem heartless. But he stays cheerful, cracking dark jokes with colleagues, all while listening to police communications on a radio scanner and searching for clues about where to find the next drug war victim.
"It might seem ugly, but that's our job," Soria said.
He and fellow photographers have been busy in recent months.
Last year, Juarez became the poster city for Mexico's narco-violence, with more than 1,600 gang killings. Watch musicians play "narco-ballads" honoring hitmen »
This year, Mayor Jose Reyes is trying to turn a page on the killings and make Juarez a showcase for solutions.
Military and federal police convoys patrol the streets around the clock. Cops armed with AR-15 assault rifles, identities obscured by ski masks, hang off pickup trucks that speed around in twos and threes. Watch cops round up gang suspects »
Soldiers strike a warlike pose behind heavy machine guns mounted on American-made Humvees.
Whether it's working depends on whom you ask and how hard you read between the lines.
"I think this is very effective because it closes transport routes for the movement of [cartel] personnel and weapons," said a state officer, assigned to guide us, at a federal police checkpoint.
The officer, known only by his call sign Trojan One, seemed confident.
The agent in command of the checkpoint was less convinced.
"Of course organized crime is trying to avoid us. I'm not sure what methods they use to operate. We don't know how they work," said the officer, identifying himself only as Aztec One.
On another day we ran into a three-truck federal police operation staking out a house in a middle-class Juarez neighborhood. See photos of police, gang life in Mexico »
The commander said his men believed they had made what he termed a "major" cocaine bust. When I met him they had already been waiting almost 24 hours for a judge to issue a search warrant.
When they gained access they discovered some 500 half-gram bags of cocaine. In Juarez those bags sell for around $8. Now do the math, 500 half-gram bags at possibly 60 percent purity means around 150 grams of pure cocaine -- hardly a major strike in the drug war. | [
"How many gang killings happened last year in Juarez?",
"how many gang killings occurred last year?"
] | [
[
"more than 1,600"
],
[
"more than 1,600"
]
] | Graveyards in Mexican town show tributes to gang leaders and hitmen .
"Lupito," who a relative said loved hitman life, was killed when he was 21 .
Cartel bosses are buried in mausoleums surrounded by bullet-proof glass .
Followers pay bands, leave tributes including cocaine at shrines to cult heroes . |
Editor's note: Journalist Karl Penhaul spent several weeks tracking the gangs of the Mexican underworld, the corrupt officials who support them and the cops trying to halt the violence. This is the last of three exclusive reports. The first focused on the violent rules gangs live by and the second looked at how gangsters are honored in death. Forensic investigators and federal police dig bodies out of mass graves in the desert near Juarez. JUAREZ, Mexico (CNN) -- Heat waves shimmer over the desert. A team of forensic experts clad in white overalls excavate three shallow graves. The sand gives up nine bodies -- seven men and two women. At least one of the victims' hands were cuffed behind their back. Others had been trussed up with duct tape. The stale stench reveals that the corpses had been dumped there several days earlier and were decomposing fast. That grisly find in mid-March came a week after thousands more soldiers had been deployed to Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. The arrival of the soldiers and more federal police agents had coincided with a short lull in the killings. Snapping photos of the scene from behind the police line was Lucio Soria, photographer for Juarez's main newspaper, El Diario de Juarez, and its sister paper, PM. PM is a perfect example of Mexico's so-called "red press," newspapers that specialize in covering violence. Soria seems like a perfect ambassador. "I've gone for a week and a half without taking pictures of dead people. I was thinking 'Hell, what am I going to do?' At this rate I'll end up taking pictures for the social pages," he said. Soria realizes snapping pictures of blood and gore may seem heartless. But he stays cheerful, cracking dark jokes with colleagues, all while listening to police communications on a radio scanner and searching for clues about where to find the next drug war victim. "It might seem ugly, but that's our job," Soria said. He and fellow photographers have been busy in recent months. Last year, Juarez became the poster city for Mexico's narco-violence, with more than 1,600 gang killings. Watch musicians play "narco-ballads" honoring hitmen » This year, Mayor Jose Reyes is trying to turn a page on the killings and make Juarez a showcase for solutions. Military and federal police convoys patrol the streets around the clock. Cops armed with AR-15 assault rifles, identities obscured by ski masks, hang off pickup trucks that speed around in twos and threes. Watch cops round up gang suspects » Soldiers strike a warlike pose behind heavy machine guns mounted on American-made Humvees. Whether it's working depends on whom you ask and how hard you read between the lines. "I think this is very effective because it closes transport routes for the movement of [cartel] personnel and weapons," said a state officer, assigned to guide us, at a federal police checkpoint. The officer, known only by his call sign Trojan One, seemed confident. The agent in command of the checkpoint was less convinced. "Of course organized crime is trying to avoid us. I'm not sure what methods they use to operate. We don't know how they work," said the officer, identifying himself only as Aztec One. On another day we ran into a three-truck federal police operation staking out a house in a middle-class Juarez neighborhood. See photos of police, gang life in Mexico » The commander said his men believed they had made what he termed a "major" cocaine bust. When I met him they had already been waiting almost 24 hours for a judge to issue a search warrant. When they gained access they discovered some 500 half-gram bags of cocaine. In Juarez those bags sell for around $8. Now do the math, 500 half-gram bags at possibly 60 percent purity means around 150 grams of pure cocaine -- hardly a major strike in the drug war. | [
"How many gang killings were there?",
"To whom does the mayor turn to control violence?",
"How many gang killings did Juarez have"
] | [
[
"more than 1,600"
],
[
"Military"
],
[
"1,600"
]
] | Graveyards in Mexican town show tributes to gang leaders and hitmen .
"Lupito," who a relative said loved hitman life, was killed when he was 21 .
Cartel bosses are buried in mausoleums surrounded by bullet-proof glass .
Followers pay bands, leave tributes including cocaine at shrines to cult heroes . |
Editor's note: Journalist Karl Penhaul spent several weeks tracking the gangs of the Mexican underworld, the corrupt officials who support them and the cops trying to halt the violence. This is the second of three exclusive reports. Part one looked at the violent rules gangs live by.
The faithful leave this "Holy Death" statue offerings including cigarettes and cocaine, visible in the nose.
CULIACAN, Mexico (CNN) -- A baseball cap dangles from a cement cross. The slogan on the hat reads "power, money, respect." On the brim there's the logo of the classic gangster movie "Scarface."
Etched on the gravestone, the words: "Jesus Guadalupe Parra. 12 December 1986 to 25 August 2008."
"Lupito," as friends and family knew him, went down in a hail of bullets before he reached 22. Authorities said he died alongside three others in a gunfight with a rival drug gang high in the Sierra Madre mountain range that is the backbone of Mexico's Pacific coast state of Sinaloa.
A printed banner draped over his tomb offers a deeper insight. It shows a photo of him alongside a marijuana plantation and an AK-47 assault rifle fitted with a 100-round ammunition drum.
The drab grave of this cartel triggerman, at the Jardines de Humaya cemetery in state capital Culiacan, stands in stark contrast to the mausoleums of dead capos, or drug bosses. Those are elaborate two- and three-story constructions, some perhaps 25 feet high, made of bullet-proof glass, Italian marble and spiral iron staircases.
A bricklayer at work in the cemetery told me the fanciest cost between $75,000 and $150,000. He said grateful drug barons often pay for loyal hitmen to be buried here, the city's toniest graveyard. Like so many other people we've met over the last few weeks, he declined to give his name or speak on camera.
"I can't. El patron [the boss] would kill me," he said.
Days later I track down Lupito's cousin, Giovanni Garcia, on the phone. He's an undertaker and by coincidence he took the call that Lupito had been shot.
"My cousin loved that way of life," Garcia said briefly before turning down a recorded interview. "We can't talk. You must understand how things are around here these days. It's not a good time."
That Sunday, I linger at Lupito's graveside. Three young men show up. They look about the same age as the dead gunman, the same cropped-hair, one heavily scarred around his eye.
In the breeze they struggle to light a dozen foot-high candles. I introduce myself. A few grunts later and I can see this conversation is going nowhere fast.
"We couldn't make it to the burial. This is the first time we've come to pay our respects," one of them explained. He never offered his name.
Drug rivalries have been known to spill over at funerals so many mourners opt to stay away leaving only the closest relatives to bury their dead quietly and without public complaints.
I stick around hoping to meet more talkative mourners. My wait is cut short. A fourth man appears between the tombstones some 20 yards away, apparently having seen me. As he talks into a phone I hear him say: "Hey, take your chance. Go grab f**king baldy."
I look around. No other bald men in sight -- just me. Time to leave.
At Jardines de Humaya and across town at the 21 de Marzo cemetery, rows of recently dug graves are filled with the young foot soldiers of Mexico's drug war.
A crosscheck of their names in the obituary columns of the local newspaper reveal tales of men in their late teens and early 20s, gunned down in firefights, shot in cold blood on their doorsteps or killed in prison clashes.
Jesus Gaston earns around $40 for every three graves he digs. But he can see the lure of easy money in the drug trade is little more than a | [
"What do the followers do to show tribute?",
"What tributes are shown in the graveyard?",
"At what age was Lupito killed?",
"At what age was \"Lupito,\" when he was killled?"
] | [
[
"light a dozen foot-high candles."
],
[
"\"Holy Death\" statue offerings including cigarettes and cocaine,"
],
[
"before he reached 22."
],
[
"22."
]
] | Graveyards in Mexican town show tributes to gang leaders and hitmen .
"Lupito," who a relative said loved hitman life, was killed when he was 21 .
Cartel bosses are buried in mausoleums surrounded by bullet-proof glass .
Followers pay bands, leave tributes including cocaine at shrines to cult heroes . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.