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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A crowd of about 10,000 came to Dodger Stadium on Saturday, but they weren't there for a baseball game. Job seeker Eric Clardy, right, shakes hands with recruiter Raul Mendez from L.A. County Probation Department. While the Dodgers were in Arizona for spring training, more than 80 employers set up employment booths in the parking lot just beyond the center field fence. To those who turned out, finding a job would be a home run. Participating companies included Coca-Cola, Lowe's and Union Bank. And government agencies including the FBI, the Social Security Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers were there, too. All had one thing in common: They were hiring. And that was music to the ears of 30-year-old Eric Clardy. It has been a rough couple of years for Clardy. He was laid off from his job as a loan processor when the real estate market started to tank. Then, after finding work as a project manager for a plumbing company, layoffs struck again. "It's kind of like, get the job now so you can pay your bills, then start towards the career that you really want," he said. Clardy said his goal is to make contact with at least 10 potential employers a day via phone, letters and the Internet. Being unemployed is hard work, too. Watch how Clardy goes about trying to find a job » "It was a scramble," Clardy said. "I was selling insurance, doing temp jobs, going to job fairs." The city of Los Angeles and the California Employment Development Department organized Saturday's event, which they said drew about 10,000 people. Earlier this month, a two-day job fair to fill some 500 part-time jobs at the stadium during baseball season drew about 7,000 applicants. California's unemployment rate is 10.1 percent, a full 2 percentage points higher than the national rate. The state's Employment Development office estimates that nearly a half-million state residents have lost their jobs in the past year. "We are not seeing as many job opportunities as we saw a year ago," said Gloria Bratton Moore, who runs the state-funded Work Source job center in Los Angeles. Nonetheless, she said, "There are jobs available." But at Dodger Stadium, it was clear that competition for those available jobs is stiff. Applicants were often stacked four and five people deep in front of employer tables, and there was little chance for most of the 10,000 job seekers to make much of an impression. But organizers worked hard to pump up any flagging spirits. "Yes we can. Yes we can," Los Angeles School Board member Monica Garcia chanted over a loudspeaker. State lawmaker Kevin deLeon told the crowd that they are among the nation's hardest-hit in this economic downturn, but he exhorted them to not give up. "We will get out of this economic funk," he said. "We will recover soon. We've got to have hope." Garcia and deLeon's comments echoed the campaign slogans of President Obama, who recently won approval of a nearly $800 billion economic stimulus package. Recruiters from the government agencies present at the job fair said that money will start creating jobs within the next few months. The Army Corps of Engineers told applicants that it is hiring for a wide variety of positions, including those for engineers, heavy-equipment operators and environmental field workers. The Commerce Department is adding more than 1 million jobs in preparation of the 2010 census, and other federal agencies are hiring as well. All of that was good news to Clardy, who left resumes and filled out applications at a number of the 80 booths cluttering the stadium's parking lot. But he remained realistic about this day's activities leading directly to a job. "It seemed like a couple of years ago, the job fair was really your first interview," he said. "Now it doesn't seem like that. Some companies | [
"Where were the employer booths?",
"Who is the head of the LA job center?",
"What is California's jobless rate?",
"What state has an unemployment rate 10.2% higher than the nation?",
"Where was the job fair held?",
"What number of employers set up booths?",
"What is California's unemployment rate?"
] | [
[
"in the parking lot"
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[
"Gloria Bratton Moore,"
],
[
"10.1 percent,"
],
[
"California's"
],
[
"Dodger Stadium"
],
[
"80"
],
[
"10.1 percent,"
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] | Eighty employers set up booths in parking lot of Dodger Stadium .
Thousands vie for time with representatives from companies, government agencies .
California's unemployment rate of 10.2 percent is higher than nation's .
Head of state-funded job center in Los Angeles: "There are jobs available" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A hearing is set for Monday in a case involving actress Lindsay Lohan after an arrest warrant was issued for her Friday, officials said. A warrant issued for Lindsay Lohan apparently stems from her 2007 drunken driving convictions, police said. Lohan's attorney told CNN the warrant was issued "out of a misunderstanding." It was not known whether she would attend the hearing Monday. The warrant was issued by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge in Beverly Hills, California. It apparently stems from Lohan's 2007 convictions for drunken driving, police said Friday. She is serving three years probation. Sandi Gibbons of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office told CNN on Sunday the warrant is believed to be in connection with a possible probation violation. The district attorney's office prosecuted the original 2007 case, she said. The hearing is set to begin sometime after 8:30 a.m., she said. Lohan "has the right to appear" at the hearing, said Alan Parachini, Los Angeles Superior Court spokesman. "That decision is up to her." Lohan's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, told CNN on Sunday that she will appear at the hearing on Lohan's behalf. "Since her case was resolved, Ms. Lohan has been in compliance with all the terms and conditions of her probation and all orders of the court," Holley said in a statement. "The warrant issued on Friday was, in our view, born out of a misunderstanding which I am confident I can clear up next week," Holley said. Police said Saturday they were not actively seeking Lohan, as they would not usually go after a person to take them into custody in such cases. Beverly Hills police Sgt. Mike Foxen said on Friday authorities were hoping Lohan would turn herself in. Lohan was arrested twice in 2007 on driving under the influence charges, with a cocaine possession charge in the second incident. The first arrest, in May 2007, came after Lohan lost control of her Mercedes-Benz convertible and struck a curb in Beverly Hills. Just two weeks after checking out of a Malibu drug and alcohol rehab facility, she was arrested again in July 2007 after a woman called Santa Monica police saying Lohan was trying to run her down in a car. A judge sentenced Lohan to three years probation after she entered guilty and no contest pleas to the charges. Lohan's acting career, which started at age 10 on a soap opera, took off on the big screen a year later when she played both identical twins in Disney's "The Parent Trap." Since then, she has starred in at least a dozen movies, including "Georgia Rule" with Jane Fonda in 2007. Her pop music recording career, boosted by her movie roles, has floundered in the past year. Her last album was released in 2005. CNN's Irving Last contributed to this report. | [
"What was Lohan convicted of in 2007?",
"What was issued for Lindsay Lohan?",
"Who is Lohan's lawyer?",
"When was Lindsay Lohan convicted of drunk driving?",
"What year was Lohan convicted of drunken driving?",
"What actress was issued an arrest warrant?",
"What was Lindsay Lohan convicted of in 2007?",
"Where was Friday's warrant issued?"
] | [
[
"drunken driving"
],
[
"an arrest warrant"
],
[
"Shawn Chapman Holley,"
],
[
"2007"
],
[
"2007"
],
[
"Lindsay Lohan"
],
[
"drunken driving convictions,"
],
[
"Beverly Hills, California."
]
] | Arrest warrant was issued for actress Lindsay Lohan in Beverly Hills on Friday .
Warrant believed connected with possible probation violation, D.A.'s office says .
Lohan's attorney blames misunderstanding .
Actress was convicted of drunken driving in 2007 . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A judge Wednesday approved Katherine Jackson's request that Michael Jackson's estate get the bill for the cost of this week's burial of her son. A private funeral for Michael Jackson, here in 2002, will be held Thursday in Glendale, California, his family says. More than two months after his death, the pop singer will be interred in a private ceremony Thursday evening at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, the Jackson family said. A short hearing was held Wednesday morning before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff to consider Katherine Jackson's petition. The special administrators of his estate -- in control of the purse strings until the will is probated -- did not object to the Jackson family's request. The cost of the burial is a secret -- kept under court seal by Beckloff's order -- but it is believed to include paying Glendale police to handle traffic and security around the cemetery. The ceremony, which will be closed to the public and news media, is set for 7 p.m. at the cemetery's Holly Terrace in the Great Mausoleum, a family spokesman said. On July 7, Jackson's family and friends gathered at Forest Lawn's Hollywood Hills cemetery for a short service just before a public tribute to the singer in downtown Los Angeles. There has been widespread speculation about the whereabouts of Jackson's body. It has remained a closely guarded secret. The pop star's siblings and parents have been divided over where to bury him, several family members have said. Older brother Jermaine Jackson has said he wanted the singer to be buried at his former Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County, California, while others have objected. The burial comes less than a week after the Los Angeles County coroner made public his conclusion that Jackson's June 25 death was a homicide. The coroner ruled that the anesthetic drug propofol and the sedative lorazepam were the primary drugs responsible for the death. Los Angeles police detectives have not concluded their criminal investigation into the singer's death. No one has been charged. | [
"when will the public tribute be held",
"Where will Michael Jackson be interred?",
"What has been kept under court seal?",
"What did the family request about the funeral?",
"When was the public tribute held?",
"What was kept under court seal by judge's order?",
"what is the cost of the burial"
] | [
[
"July 7,"
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"Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California,"
],
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"The cost of the burial"
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],
[
"July 7,"
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[
"The cost of the burial is a secret"
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"is a secret"
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] | Michael Jackson will be interred in private cermony Thursday night, family says .
Cost of burial in Glendale, California, cemetery kept under court seal by judge's order .
Judge approves family's request for Jackson's estate to pay for funeral .
Public tribute to pop singer held July 7 in Los Angeles; he died June 25 . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A light earthquake shook Southern California Thursday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The magnitude 4.5 quake struck at 7:50 p.m. (10:50 p.m. ET) and was centered in San Bernardino, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles. A smaller magnitude 3.3 aftershock hit about an hour later. Although the quake was centered just a mile from San Bernadino's city hall, it was 10 miles below the surface, said Dr. Egill Hauksson, a seismologist with the Earthquake Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. "It's unlikely that there's going to be damage," said Hauksson said. There are about 10 quakes of this strength every year in this area, he said. Initial estimates put the quake at a magnitude 5.0, but it was downgraded shortly afterward. The USGS said people reported feeling the earthquake as far away as San Diego. | [
"What was the magnitude of the quake",
"Where did Quake centered?",
"Where was it centered?",
"What happened to Southern California on Thursday evening?",
"When was the light quake?",
"Where was the earthquake on Thursday",
"Where was the quake centered",
"What was the magnitude of quake?"
] | [
[
"4.5"
],
[
"San Bernardino,"
],
[
"San Bernardino,"
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[
"light earthquake"
],
[
"Thursday evening,"
],
[
"Southern California"
],
[
"just a mile from San Bernadino's city hall,"
],
[
"4.5"
]
] | Southern California shaken by light quake Thursday evening .
Quake centered in San Bernardino, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles .
Seismologist: "It's unlikely that there's going to be damage"
Quake downgraded to magnitude 4.5, it's felt all the way in San Diego . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A man distraught because he could not find work shot and killed his mother-in-law, his wife and three sons and then killed himself inside a home in an upscale San Fernando Valley neighborhood, police said. Police say Karthik Rajaram left suicide notes taking responsibility for the murders of his family. Authorities said the man had an MBA in finance but appeared to have been unemployed for several months and had worked for major accounting firms, such as Price Waterhouse. The two-story rented home is in a gated community in Porter Ranch, about 20 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The shootings were discovered after 8:20 a.m. Monday, after a neighbor called police to report that the wife had failed to pick her up to take her to her job at a pharmacy, Deputy Chief of Police Michel Moore said. Ed Winter, assistant chief from the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, identified the suspect as Karthik Rajaram, 45. Winter said the victims included Rajaram's mother-in-law, Indra Ramasesham, 69, and his 19-year-old son Krishna Rajaram, a Fulbright Scholar and honor student at UCLA. Watch police remove body from home » Also dead were Rajaram's wife, 39, Subasari Rajaram, and their two other sons, 12 and 7. Some of the victims had been shot more than once, and their identities were not immediately confirmed, he said. "Due to the nature of their injuries, it's been a little difficult," Winter said, adding that there were no signs of a struggle. Police first found the mother-in-law shot in her bed in a downstairs bedroom, Moore said. Upstairs, the couple's eldest son was shot in the master bedroom; the wife in another bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head; the two younger sons in the bedroom they shared, both shot in the head. The 12-year-old was on the floor and the 7-year-old in bed, Moore said. Watch more on what police had to say about tragedy » The suspect was also in that bedroom, a gun still in his hand. The killings are thought to have occurred after 6 p.m. Saturday, when the man was last reported seen, Moore said. Inside the house, police also found three letters, one to law enforcement acknowledging responsibility for the killings, a second to friends and relatives and a third that appears to be the suspect's will, Moore said. "He attests to some financial difficulties, and he takes responsibility for the taking of the lives of his family members and himself as a result of those financial difficulties," Moore said. Neighbors, family and friends told police that the suspect, who had not worked for several months, had said in recent days he was having had extreme financial difficulties, Moore said. One of the letters, intended for friends and marked "personal and confidential," detailed his financial transactions that resulted in "an unfortunate, downward spiral," Moore said. "His narrative is one of talking about this tragedy befalling him and his contemplation of an available exit or solution," Moore said. "One is taking his own life and the other is taking the lives of his family and himself. ... He talked himself into the second strategy, believing that was, in effect, the honorable thing to do." Moore said the several-page narrative appeared to have been written over a period of time. "This was something that was not a spur-of-the-moment type of event," he said. Moore said it was clear to police that the family members were close and "had an affection for each other." He said the parents had given up their master bedroom to their eldest -- who was spending the weekend home from college -- "out of respect." "This is a perfect American family behind me that has absolutely been destroyed, apparently because of a man who just got stuck in a rabbit hole, if you will, of | [
"What did the man have a degree in?",
"What did the man get stuck in?",
"What was the man's name?",
"What did the father have an MBA in",
"Who was a fulbright schokar",
"Where was one of the son's attending school?",
"How many letters did the man leave"
] | [
[
"MBA in finance"
],
[
"a rabbit hole,"
],
[
"Karthik Rajaram"
],
[
"finance"
],
[
"Krishna Rajaram,"
],
[
"UCLA."
],
[
"three"
]
] | One of man's three sons was Fulbright Scholar and honor student at UCLA .
Officer speaks of man "who just got stuck in ... absolute despair"
Father had MBA in finance but seemed to have been unemployed for months .
Police: Man left three letters, including one taking responsibility for shootings . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A man who Los Angeles police believe raped and murdered dozens of women decades ago was arrested by cold case investigators this month after a computer matched his DNA to evidence from two killings in the 1970s.
John Floyd Thomas Jr. may have begun his killings as far back as 1955.
John Floyd Thomas Jr., 72, may have begun his killings as far back as 1955 and he could be one of the worst serial killers in United States history, according to Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton.
"We have yet to reach the depths of what he has done," Bratton said Thursday.
Until his April 2 arrest, Thomas was a Los Angeles insurance adjuster. Police now call him the "Southland Strangler" -- named for the geographical section of Los Angeles County where they suspect he killed at least 30 women and raped many more.
Thomas, who sits in a Los Angeles jail, has been charged with two killings -- in 1972 and 1976 -- but prosecutors will likely add more cases when he faces arraignment on May 20, Bratton said.
While Thomas was arrested "a number of times between 1955 and 1978" for sex crimes and burglaries, detectives did not have the technology to identify him as a suspect when the region was terrorized by a series of killings then blamed on the "Westside Rapist," Bratton said. Watch why the suspect may be L.A.'s most prolific serial killer »
Officials, using new computer databases and software, are now "looking to see what the patterns were," said Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Charlie Beck.
"A lot of work has yet to be done," Beck said.
Bob Kistner had just begun his law enforcement career in 1976 when his great aunt, 80-year-old Maybelle Hudson, was beaten, raped and strangled in the garage of her Inglewood, California, home.
He had just retired as a sergeant with the Long Beach, California, Police Department when he got the call recently that investigators linked Thomas to her murder.
"I waited my entire career for that phone call," Kistner said.
It was a routine call to Thomas from an LAPD officer last fall that led to the break in the case.
Thomas, a registered sex offender, is required by California law to provide a DNA sample for inclusion in the state's database.
Because of a backlog of cases, Thomas was not asked until October to report to a patrol station to have the inside of his cheek swabbed.
"He was very cooperative," the patrolman who took the sample said.
The California Department of Justice called LAPD cold case detectives on March 27 to tell them the DNA came up as a match to rape kit evidence collected from Ethel Sokoloff, who was 68 in 1972 when she was found beaten and strangled in her Los Angeles home.
Those detectives had sent the biological evidence from the Sokoloff case to a state lab in 2002 as part of their review of about 6,000 unsolved murders in Los Angeles that happened between 1960 and 1996.
DNA analysis in 2004 concluded that Sokoloff's killer also beat, raped and killed Elizabeth McKeown, 67, in 1976, Beck said.
The murders of three other older women -- including Maybelle Hudson -- were also linked by DNA to a common killer, he said.
"Because of Thomas's criminal background, the close proximity of his homes to murder locations, similar victim descriptions [white elderly females] and other evidence that suggests the type of modus operandi used by the suspect, detectives strongly believe Thomas is very likely the suspect in 'The Westside Rapist' cases," a police statement said.
Thomas is single, although he has been married five times, police said.
While he served about 12 years in prison between 1955 and the late 1970s for his previous convictions, he has no record since his last arrest in 1978, police said.
Deputy Chief Beck said the growing use of DNA databases and computers to match them to crime evidence will likely lead to more cold case killers being identified. | [
"When did the killing begin?",
"When did Thomas start killing?",
"What is the age of the killer?",
"What do the police say?",
"When was he arrested?",
"When was Thomas arrested?"
] | [
[
"1955."
],
[
"1955."
],
[
"72,"
],
[
"John Floyd Thomas Jr., 72, may have begun his killings as far back as 1955 and he could be one of the worst serial killers in United States history,"
],
[
"April 2"
],
[
"April 2"
]
] | Police say John Thomas Jr. may have begun killing as far back as 1955 .
Thomas arrested April 2 and is charged with killing two women .
72-year-old could be linked to dozens of other killings and assaults . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A pharmacist testified that he warned Anna Nicole Smith's doctors and boyfriend that a list of medications intended for Smith a week after her son's death could be "pharmaceutical suicide." Anna Nicole Smith, with Howard K. Stern, was found dead in her hotel room in February 2007. The former Playboy model and reality TV star died five months later of what a Florida medical examiner ruled was from "acute combined drug intoxication." Ira Freeman, the chief pharmacist at Key Pharmacy in Los Angeles, testified on the seventh day of a preliminary hearing for Howard K. Stern -- Smith's lawyer and companion -- and co-defendants Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor. The three are charged with an illegal conspiracy to prescribe, administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict. Stern faces 11 felony counts, and the doctors were charged with six each. They are not charged in her death. Smith's death in a Hollywood, Florida, hotel on February 8, 2007, came just five months after the birth of her daughter, Dannielynn, and the sudden death of her 20-year-old son, Daniel, on September 10, 2006. Freeman testified that Kapoor faxed to him a list of six drugs that Eroshevich wanted to be sent to the Bahamas, where Eroshevich was treating Smith for anxiety and depression in the days after her son's death. "The more I thought about it, the more concern I had that if she got hold of those medications, it could have fatal consequences" Freeman said. The pharmacist said the dosages of the drugs were "not appropriate." Freeman said he consulted Dr. Greg Thompson, a pharmaceutical expert, who agreed with him and who offered to talk with Eroshevich about the dangers. Freeman said Thompson later told him that he found Eroshevich, a psychiatrist, to be "way out of her league" in her requests for strong drugs for Smith. At the time, Smith was holed up in her home in the Bahamas mourning her son's death. Her bodyguard said in earlier testimony that the home was under siege by photographers, keeping Smith inside with her windows covered. Thompson recommended to Eroshevich that she "forget the paparazzi and get her to a hospital" if she needed all of those drugs, Freeman said. Freeman said the stress of the publicity after Smith's death affected his own health, especially after the celebrity Web site TMZ.com published a copy of the faxed list of medications in question. Under questioning by the defense, Freeman said that over the previous five years he had filled prescriptions for Smith, he never saw any "red flags" that she was getting dangerous amounts of drugs. Charges against the three defendants also include the use of false names on prescriptions. Freeman said he always understood that prescriptions written under the pseudonym "Michelle Chase" were intended for Smith. It was a practice begun in 2001, three years before Kapoor or Eroshevich began treating her, to prevent "trouble for her in terms of her celebrity status," Freeman said. After the preliminary hearing, which could last about three weeks, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry will decide whether a trial will be held. In earlier testimony, Smith's part-time bodyguard Maurice Brighthaupt said "she just didn't want to deal with life after the death of her son." Brighthaupt described Smith as "manipulative" when she wanted something. "She manipulated Dr. Eroshevich," he said. Eroshevich, a Los Angeles psychiatrist, traveled to the Bahamas five or six times in 2006 to attend to Smith, he said. They had a mother-daughter friendship, not a doctor-patient relationship, Brighthaupt said. The doctor sometimes substituted placebos for the tray full of pills Smith regularly took for her complaints of pain and depression, he said. "She was very concerned that we needed to wean her off the medications," Brighthaupt said. California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement Special Agent Danny Santiago testified that investigators found 12 prescription drugs, including dangerous opiates, in | [
"Who is the model?",
"Who is the pharmacist?"
] | [
[
"Anna Nicole Smith,"
],
[
"Ira Freeman,"
]
] | Testimony given at preliminary hearing for model's doctors, lawyer .
Pharmacist says he was faxed list of drugs that doctor wanted for Smith .
He found dosages "not appropriate," he testifies .
Pharmacist says expert thought one doctor was "way out of her league" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor Henry Gibson, who played roles ranging from loopy poets to vengeful Illinois Nazis and cranky judges during a 40-year film and television career, has died at age 73, his representatives said Wednesday. Henry Gibson had a role as a neo-Nazi in the cult movie classic "The Blues Brothers." Gibson was a regular on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," where he was known for popping up to read short, humorous poems during the show's 1968-71 run. He was a frequent guest star on television shows from the 1970s through the mid-2000s, with a recurring role as a judge on ABC's "Boston Legal" as late as 2008. His movie roles included turns in two of director Robert Altman's 1970s films, "Nashville" and "The Long Goodbye," and as the neo-Nazi leader pursuing John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in "The Blues Brothers." No details of his death were immediately available, said Peter Gross, a spokesman Talentworks LA, which represented Gibson. CNN's Doug Ganley contributed to this report. | [
"Gibson was known to what?",
"Which films is he in?",
"We're any details of his death available?",
"What is Gibson known to do?",
"He recently played a judge on what show?"
] | [
[
"read short, humorous poems"
],
[
"\"The Blues Brothers.\""
],
[
"were immediately"
],
[
"read short, humorous poems"
],
[
"\"Boston Legal\""
]
] | Gibson was known to "Laugh-In" audiences for reading short, funny poems .
He was in two Robert Altman films and recently played judge on "Boston Legal"
No details of his death were immediately available . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor Tim Roth is in an abandoned building near downtown Los Angeles, and he's about to mix things up. British actor Tim Roth plays a human lie detector on the hit series "Lie to Me." "This is a scene where the FBI is interrogating a suspect," Roth said. "I'm breaking into the interrogation to get information out of him using the sort of techniques that my character espouses as opposed to pressuring him." Roth, who plays Dr. Cal Lightman on the hit Fox series "Lie to Me," is shooting scenes for the season finale, which will air May 13. His character is an expert on body language and the detection of deception. "Our series is based on the idea that we can read what's going on across your face and if it's contradicting what you're actually saying," Roth said. Lightman and his colleague, Dr. Gillian Foster -- played by Kelli Williams -- run "The Lightman Group." They observe body language and interpret what it means in order to help law enforcement agencies see through the bull. His character is based on Dr. Paul Ekman, a specialist who reads clues embedded in the human face, body and voice to expose the truth in criminal investigations. Ekman, who in 2001 was named as one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century by the American Psychological Association, is a scientific consultant for the show. Roth says Ekman can be intimidating. "He makes me very, very nervous, Paul, you know," he said. "I mean, he's the sweetest man, as sweet as can be, but when he's around, you feel like your acting is really being judged." Roth is perhaps best known for his outings with famed director Quentin Tarantino. The British actor pulled off a convincing American accent in the cult classics "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction." He uses his true-Brit accent in "Lie to Me," which debuted in January and is one of the season's few successful new dramas. In a review for Entertainment Weekly, critic-at-large Ken Tucker wrote that "Like 'Monk' and 'Psych' and 'The Mentalist,' 'Lie' offers us an eccentric who's brought in by law enforcement to solve crimes." Though he gave the show a B-minus, Tucker praised Roth for "resist[ing] the cuddly/cranky." The show has quickly found its fan base, though ratings have declined slightly since the show was put in its 8 p.m. Wednesday time slot, ahead of "American Idol." (The first five episodes aired after "Idol.") "I got stopped because one of my lights was out and I was coming back from work and the guy, the cop that stopped me said 'Oh, we watch your show' and they seemed to enjoy it," said Roth. "ER" alum Mekhi Phifer is set to join the cast as an FBI agent for two episodes this season, starting Thursday. "I'm here to kick ass and take names, you know. So it's kind of different," Phifer said. "It's fun, you know. Obviously, I carry a gun and I'm in law enforcement rather than being a doctor." Phifer particularly likes acting in intense scenes with Roth. "I have my own way of doing it," he said. "It's a little different than the way Tim does it. It's a lot of fun, and we're having a great time." And will time spent on the show help Phifer better detect when people are lying to him in real life? "It's going to take a few more episodes, but I'm pretty perceptive," he said. Roth, however, makes no claims of special powers -- at least when he's away from the set. "I try not to know too much, because it | [
"Which 'ER\" alum is set to join the cast?",
"Who was the actor?",
"Which British actor stars in the hit Fox series \"Lie to Me\"?",
"who stars in the hit Fox series \"Lie to Me\"?",
"for which role he is best known?",
"Who did he play?",
"who is set to join the cast?",
"What was the Fox series called?",
"Who stars in \"Lie to Me?\"",
"who is this actor?",
"What is Mekhi Phifer set to do?",
"What does Roth play as?"
] | [
[
"Mekhi Phifer"
],
[
"Tim Roth"
],
[
"Tim Roth"
],
[
"British actor Tim Roth"
],
[
"\"Reservoir Dogs\" and \"Pulp Fiction.\""
],
[
"a human lie detector on the hit series \"Lie to Me.\""
],
[
"Tim Roth"
],
[
"\"Lie to Me,\""
],
[
"British actor Tim Roth"
],
[
"Tim Roth"
],
[
"join the cast as an FBI agent"
],
[
"a human lie detector on the hit series \"Lie to Me.\""
]
] | British actor Tim Roth stars in the hit Fox series "Lie to Me"
Actor best known for his appearances in Quentin Tarantino films .
Roth plays a body language expert who can detect liars .
"ER" alum Mekhi Phifer is set to join the cast . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- After about 30 hours of deliberation, a jury on Monday convicted music producer Phil Spector of second-degree murder in the death of actress Lana Clarkson more than six years ago.
Phil Spector will not remain free on bail pending his May 29 sentencing.
Wearing a black suit with a red tie and pocket square, Spector showed no reaction as the verdict was announced. Now 69, he faces a sentence of 18 years to life in prison when he is sentenced May 29.
Asked if he agreed to the sentencing date, Spector quietly answered, "Yes."
Prosecutor Alan Jackson said he believed the jury reached the correct verdict, and he acknowledged the strength and backing of Clarkson's family. But defense attorney Doron Weinberg said Spector's defense team disagreed and planned to appeal.
"We don't believe justice was done," Weinberg said.
Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler declined to allow Spector to remain free on bail pending sentencing, citing Spector's years-long "pattern of violence" involving firearms. Watch the lawyers give their views of the verdict »
"This was not an isolated incident," Fidler said, noting Spector's two previous firearm-related convictions from the 1970s. "The taking of an innocent human life, it doesn't get any more serious than that."
Spector's wife, Rachelle, was in the courtroom to hear the verdict Monday, as was Clarkson's mother, Donna.
Clarkson, 40, was found dead, slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector's Alhambra, California, mansion with a gunshot wound through the roof of her mouth in February 2003.
A mistrial was declared in Spector's first trial in September 2007. After deliberating 15 days, jurors told Fidler that they were unable to reach a verdict. Spector was also charged with second-degree murder in that trial. Jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of conviction.
In closing arguments at the retrial, prosecutor Truc Do called Spector "a very dangerous man" who "has a history of playing Russian roulette with women -- six women. Lana just happened to be the sixth."
Weinberg argued that the prosecution's case hinged on circumstantial evidence. He said the possibility that Clarkson committed suicide could not be ruled out.
Do pointed out, however, to jurors that Clarkson bought new shoes on the day of her death -- something a suicidal woman would not have done, the prosecutor said.
A female juror who declined to be identified told reporters the jurors considered all the evidence and testimony to reach their verdict.
"This entire jury took this so seriously," she said with tears in her eyes, before adding that "it's tough to be in a jury," because another person's life is in the jury's hands.
Clarkson starred in the 1985 B-movie "Barbarian Queen" and appeared in many other films, including "DeathStalker," "Blind Date," "Scarface," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and the spoof "Amazon Women on the Moon." She was working as a VIP hostess at Hollywood's House of Blues at the time of her death.
In the 2007 trial, Spector's attorneys argued that Clarkson was depressed over a recent breakup and grabbed a .38-caliber pistol to kill herself while at Spector's home.
But prosecution witnesses painted Spector as a gun-toting menace. Five women took the stand and claimed he had threatened them with firearms. His driver testified that he heard a loud noise and saw the producer leave the home, pistol in hand, saying, "I think I killed somebody."
Spector's retrial began in October. Fidler ruled that jurors could consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter against Spector.
Spector's professional trademark was the "Wall of Sound," the layering of instrumental tracks and percussion that underpinned a string of hits on his Philles label -- named for Spector and his business partner, Lester Sill -- in the early 1960s. iReport.com: What do you think of this verdict?
The | [
"What prison term does he face?",
"When was the actress allegedly killed?",
"what were phil's charges",
"Who says they will appeal?",
"What was Phil Spector found guilty of?",
"Who is guilty of murder?",
"what is new there"
] | [
[
"18 years to life"
],
[
"more than six years ago."
],
[
"second-degree murder"
],
[
"Spector's defense team"
],
[
"second-degree murder in the death of actress Lana Clarkson"
],
[
"Phil Spector"
],
[
"shoes"
]
] | NEW: Defense says it will appeal; "We don't believe justice was done"
Phil Spector guilty of second-degree murder at retrial .
He faces 15 years to life in prison for shooting death of Lana Clarkson .
Renowned music producer accused in death of actress in 2003 . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- After four years of "Jon & Kate Plus 8," Jon Gosselin said he's decided it's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show. Jon Gosselin appears on "Larry King Live" Thursday. He said he doesn't want his kids to continue with TV show. "The reason I don't think it's healthy for them is that we're going through a divorce right now, and I don't think it should be televised and I think my kids should be taken off the show," Gosselin told CNN's Larry King on Thursday night. "They're 5 and 8 now; let them experience a normal childhood," he said. His lawyer said the TLC reality series about the Gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever "subject the children to the show if the father believes it's detrimental." Jon and Kate Gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in June. They agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins. "I had an epiphany one day," Gosselin told King. "I just looked in the mirror and I said, 'I don't want to be this person anymore.' I made mistakes. I know I messed up. I do regret a lot of things. But I have to learn from those mistakes and move forward." Watch Jon Gosselin talk with Larry King » He blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago. "He had no manager, he had no lawyer, he had no idea what he was signing," said Mark J. Heller, the lawyer recently hired by Jon Gosselin. "Now I have a sense of empowerment," Gosselin said. "Before, I didn't have any representation. I take blame for not being an initiator. I was an avoider. I was passive." Kate Gosselin said she was "saddened and confused by Jon's public media statements." "Jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and, in fact, is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on Friday with the kids," she said. She said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children's involvement after TLC "announced the name change of the show and indicated that Jon would have a lesser role in the show." "It appears that Jon's priority is Jon and his interests," Kate Gosselin said. TLC announced Tuesday that it was retitling the show "Kate Plus 8" because of "recent changes in the family dynamics." Jon Gosselin's lawyer said the network only fired him "before he fired the show." The state labor department is investigating whether TLC violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons, Heller said. "These kids have been working without compensation for four years," Heller said. Gosselin revealed to King that the family was paid $22,500 per episode, with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children. TLC, in a written statement Thursday, said it had halted "direct filming of the children" until Jon and Kate Gosselin have "further conversations." The network said Jon Gosselin's "latest comments are grossly inaccurate, without merit and are clearly opportunistic," noting he and the family were taping as recently as last Friday. "Despite Jon Gosselin's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions, he remains under an exclusive contract with TLC," the network said. Heller said, however, the contract the Gosselins signed four years ago with TLC was "null and void" because the network dropped Jon Gosselin. TLC gave King a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract. The new show will take "a deeper focus on | [
"For what reason does Jon say children should no longer film the show?",
"What did Jon say>",
"Who told King he hasn't talked to Kate in a month?",
"Who got divorced?"
] | [
[
"I don't think it's healthy"
],
[
"decided it's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show."
],
[
"Jon Gosselin"
],
[
"Jon and Kate Gosselin"
]
] | Because of his divorce with Kate, Jon says children should no longer film show .
Jon Gosselin tells Larry King he hasn't talked with Kate in about a month .
Kate: I've been "saddened and confused by Jon's public media statements"
Jon on relationship with TLC: "They put me on house arrest" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen married National Football League star Tom Brady Thursday in an "intimate" sunset ceremony, US Weekly magazine reported on its Web site. Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen attend a Metropolitan Museum of Art gala May 5, 2008, in New York City. The couple wed at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, in front of mostly immediate family members, the entertainment magazine reported. The two had dated since 2006. The bride wore a Dolce & Gabbana gown. Her three dogs, which attended the ceremony, wore matching Dolce & Gabbana floral lace collars, the Web site said. Bundchen, 28, is the highest-paid model in the world, the business Web site Forbes.com reported last year. New England Patriots quarterback Brady has gone to the Super Bowl four times, winning three of those games. | [
"What kind of church do they wed?",
"What is her profession?",
"Where did the couple wed?",
"What is she famous for?",
"What brand gown does the bride wear?",
"what did the bride wear",
"What religous are couple weds?",
"what Bride wears a Dolce & Gabbana gown; her three dogs attend the ceremony?",
"what Couple weds at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, US Weekly reports?",
"where She's world's highest-paid model?",
"Who's the world's highest paid model?",
"What couple got married?"
] | [
[
"at a Catholic"
],
[
"Brazilian model"
],
[
"a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California,"
],
[
"highest-paid model in the world,"
],
[
"Dolce & Gabbana"
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[
"a Dolce & Gabbana gown."
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[
"Catholic"
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[
"Gisele Bundchen"
],
[
"Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen"
],
[
"Forbes.com"
],
[
"Gisele Bundchen"
],
[
"Tom Brady"
]
] | Couple weds at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, US Weekly reports .
Bride wears a Dolce & Gabbana gown; her three dogs attend the ceremony .
She's world's highest-paid model; he's gone to the Super Bowl four times . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Dressed as Santa, Bruce Jeffrey Pardo walked up to his ex-in-laws' home in Covina, California, on Christmas Eve and knocked on the door. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo was sought for a Christmas party shooting before taking his own life, police said. An 8-year-old girl, elated to see Santa, ran toward the door. That's when, police say, Pardo lifted a gun and shot her in the face. Pardo, 45, with a gun in one hand and a wrapped present in the other, began shooting indiscriminately, police said at a news conference Thursday. He sprayed the living room with bullets. Watch police describe the child getting shot » Nearly 25 friends and family members were at the home for an annual Christmas party. Some ran, some took cover under furniture, some broke windows in an effort to escape -- one woman jumped from the second-story of the home, police said. Neighbors heard gunfire and called 911 shortly before 11:30 p.m. Police said they arrived within three minutes to find the home engulfed in flames. Police said Thursday afternoon that six bodies had been recovered. The Los Angeles County coroner's office later said two more bodies had been recovered. The names of the victims have not yet been released by authorities. Police said they have not accounted for three people: Pardo's ex-mother-in-law, ex-father-in-law and ex-wife -- whom he recently divorced. The 8-year-old, whose injuries indicate the bullet went straight through her face, is recovering at a hospital in Los Angeles, police said. "She has a very, very severe injury to her face. It's not life-threatening, but she's got a very tough road ahead of her," Lt. Pat Buchanan of the Covina Police Department said Thursday. A 16-year-old with a gunshot wound and the woman who jumped out the window were also being treated at the hospital. Police believe that after Pardo stopped shooting he unwrapped his gift -- a home-made device used to spread fire -- and used it to set the house ablaze. Watch firefighters on the scene of the inferno » Buchanan said the device was "something we have never seen before." Covina Police Chief Kim Raney described it as a pressurized tank attached to another tank filled with accelerant. Police believe that after Pardo set fire to the home, he changed into his regular clothing, went to another relative's home in the nearby Sylmar area and committed suicide. Authorities identified Pardo's body, said Buchanan. Police have not released the identities of any of his alleged victims. At the news conference Ed Winter, assistant chief Los Angeles County coroner, said the recovered bodies were "severely burned and charred," making it necessary to use dental and medical records, and X-rays to establish identities. The intense fire caused the top floor of the two-story house to collapse onto the first floor, according to Winter. Raney said Pardo's former in-laws regularly have a party Christmas Eve and that one neighbor always arrives dressed as Santa. This year, that neighbor was away, police said. Police suggested marital problems as a possible motive for the attack and said they believe Pardo and his wife of one year finally settled a contentious divorce last week. Authorities said Pardo's name was given to them by people who were at the party. Police also said they recovered multiple weapons from inside the house. | [
"What sort of device?",
"Which relative's house?",
"Where was the suspected gunman found at?",
"With what was the fire spread?",
"Who shot the 8 year-old?",
"Who is Pardo in the highlights?",
"Where was the suspected gunman found dead?"
] | [
[
"home-made device used to spread fire"
],
[
"ex-in-laws'"
],
[
"another relative's home in the nearby Sylmar area"
],
[
"home-made device"
],
[
"Bruce Jeffrey Pardo"
],
[
"Santa,"
],
[
"another relative's home in the nearby Sylmar area"
]
] | Pardo shot 8-year-old at ex-in-laws' home as she ran toward him .
Pardo carried gift-wrapped, homemade device to spread fire .
Eight found dead after shootings, fire at the Los Angeles-area house .
Suspected gunman found dead at relative's house, police say . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Fifteen first ladies from African nations will attend a two-day summit in Los Angeles on health, women's issues and HIV/AIDS, organizers said Friday. Actors Billy Zane and Sharon Stone, with Ted Alemayhu and Jean Stephane Biatcha, help announce the summit. The conference, which begins Monday, is organized by U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA) and African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, a nonprofit organization formed by 22 first ladies from Africa. Sponsors include the RAND Corporation, General Electric, the World Health Organization and others. "Empowering Africa's first ladies is an innovative approach to bettering the lives of millions of Africans," USDFA Chairman Ted Alemayhu said in a written statement. "The summit will pair these leaders with U.S. experts, key political figures and important organizations to create ongoing partnerships." The event will include a summit, a gala and a private party. Expected attendees include the first ladies of Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Swaziland and Zambia. Maria Shriver, the wife of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, will give opening remarks, according to a USDFA statement. Other celebrities expected to attend include Maria Bello, Diane Lane, Jessica Alba, Sharon Stone, Blair Underwood, Joely Fisher, Kristin Davis and Camryn Manheim, USDFA told CNN. Grammy award-winning singer Natalie Cole will perform at the gala, the organization said. | [
"how many days take meeting?",
"What groups set the event up?",
"Which celebrities are going to attend?",
"who are the first ladies?",
"When does the meeting begin?"
] | [
[
"two-day"
],
[
"U.S. Doctors for Africa"
],
[
"Billy Zane and Sharon Stone,"
],
[
"U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA) and African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, a nonprofit organization formed by"
],
[
"Monday,"
]
] | Two-day meeting begins Monday in Los Angeles; will include gala, private party .
U.S. Doctors for Africa, African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering set up event .
USDFA chairman: Summit will pair first ladies with experts, key groups, politicians .
Maria Shriver, Jessica Alba, Blair Underwood, Natalie Cole, other celebrities to attend . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Grammy-winning rapper Coolio was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, according to a spokeswoman for the airport. Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" was used in the movie "Dangerous Minds." Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was taken to the Van Nuys Division station for booking, the spokeswoman said. A source at the airport's public relations division confirmed the arrest but declined to be named. Coolio is best known for his 1995 hip-hop hit "Gangsta's Paradise." Efforts to reach his publicist were unsuccessful. | [
"What is his best known hit?",
"Where was the Grammy winner held?",
"What is the singers best known hit?",
"who accused of possessing illegal drugs, paraphernalia?",
"What grammy winner?",
"What is the Grammy winner's best known song?",
"What has he been accused of?",
"Who was held at Los Angeles International Airport?",
"What is his best known hit?",
"What was the Grammy winner accused of doing?"
] | [
[
"\"Gangsta's Paradise.\""
],
[
"Van Nuys Division station"
],
[
"\"Gangsta's Paradise.\""
],
[
"Coolio"
],
[
"Coolio"
],
[
"\"Gangsta's Paradise.\""
],
[
"possessing illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia,"
],
[
"Coolio"
],
[
"\"Gangsta's Paradise.\""
],
[
"possessing illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia,"
]
] | Grammy winner held at Los Angeles International Airport .
He is accused of possessing illegal drugs, paraphernalia .
His best-known hit is "Gangsta's Paradise" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Grammy-winning rapper Coolio was charged Tuesday with possession of cocaine and a smoking device, and battery against an airport screener who allegedly found the illegal drugs in his luggage, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office.
Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" was used in the movie "Dangerous Minds."
Coolio -- whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr. -- was arrested Friday while attempting to board a flight at Los Angeles International Airport, the office said in a written statement.
"At one point, Ivey allegedly grabbed a screener's arm to prevent the search," the statement said.
Coolio, 45, was freed on bail and ordered to appear in court for arraignment April 3, it said.
He is best known for his 1995 hip-hop hit "Gangsta's Paradise."
Efforts to reach his publicist were unsuccessful. | [
"What do police accuse him of?",
"What was he accused of?",
"who won the grammy?",
"Who was arrested at LA airport?",
"Whose arm did he grab?"
] | [
[
"cocaine and a smoking device, and battery"
],
[
"cocaine and a smoking device, and battery against an airport screener"
],
[
"Coolio"
],
[
"Artis Leon Ivey Jr."
],
[
"screener's"
]
] | Grammy winner Coolio arrested at Los Angeles International Airport .
He is accused of possessing illegal drugs, paraphernalia .
Police say he grabbed screener's arm to prevent search of luggage . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- It was a night for neon pink bow ties and words like "disaster" and "monstrosity." It was not the night, however, to be Paris Hilton, Mike Myers or Uwe Boll. Paula Einstein, Rebecca Marcotte and Kelie McIver do a parody of "Dancing Queen" to open the show. The 29th Annual Golden Raspberry Awards honored the worst film achievements of the year in a small theater in Hollywood on February 21. The night opened with a parody of the "Mamma Mia" song, "Dancing Queen," and ended with "Love Guru" being named worst picture. "It wasn't just the economy that tanked, so did the qualities of the movies being offered," Razzie founder John Wilson told CNN several weeks before the show. "I would suggest putting away all sharp [instruments] before putting the DVDs in your machine." Paris Hilton and Mike Myers came out on top -- or bottom -- for the awards. Hilton earned both the worst actress and worst supporting actress awards for her roles in "Hottie & the Nottie" and "Repo: The Genetic Opera." She was also awarded worst screen couple for her on-screen time with her co-stars Christine Lakin and Joel David Moore. Razzie host Gretchen Enders said that "Hottie & the Nottie" was "a vanity production in the worst sense... Hilton, who served as executive producer, has no one to blame but herself." Hilton's film had a budget of $2 million but only earned about $27,000 at the box office. "Under Obama's new plan, they wouldn't even have to pay taxes," Wilson deadpanned. Myers added worst actor to the "Love Guru" worst picture and worst screenplay Razzies. To save anyone else from having to watch it, Wilson shredded a DVD copy of the film on stage. Parody films "Disaster Movie" and "Meet the Spartans," each nominated in five categories, came away empty-handed. However, that doesn't mean the Razzie foundation thinks they were worthwhile. "When you invest the kind of money that a mainstream, big-budget star film requires, you want some insurance that your investment is going to come back to you. So... you're going to do what worked before," Wilson said. "Financially that may make sense, but in terms of the audience's enjoyment, surprise or appreciation of what you're doing, it doesn't work." Enter "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," this year's winner of the worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel award. "A fourth installment of a beloved franchise, but this one found itself loved by almost no one," hosts Katsy Chappell and Josh Thoemke said. The approximately 740 voting members of the Raspberry Foundation also found Pierce Brosnan's singing voice sorely lacking. His role in "Mama Mia" earned him the worst supporting actor award. "An actor who could not sing, should not sing and arguably did not sing, in a role he should not have accepted," Razzie hosts Chip Dornell and Kelie McIver said about the former James Bond. But perhaps the biggest "winner" of the night was Uwe Boll. Recipient of the worst director award, the foundation also recognized his lifetime work with the worst career achievement award. Boll is the "worst living director on Earth," Wilson told CNN. Boll had a sense of humor about his Razzie success. He sent in a video rejection speech from a fake set of Darfur, Sudan, saying the Razzies had ruined his life and he would never be back. The Razzie team is already predicting next year's nominees. A few to watch out for: "Hannah Montana," "Friday the 13th" and "Bride Wars," -- the last of which has already grossed more than $50 million. "It's kind of like watching a train wreck, isn't it?" Wilson said. | [
"What was Indiana Jones awarded?",
"What do Razzies honor?",
"what \"Indiana Jones\" won worst prequel, remake?",
"who won three razzies",
"what did idiana jones win",
"what is the purpose of the razzies"
] | [
[
"the worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel award."
],
[
"the worst film achievements of the year"
],
[
"Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,\""
],
[
"Paris Hilton"
],
[
"Razzie"
],
[
"honored the worst film achievements of the year"
]
] | Razzies honor worst film achievements of the past year .
Mike Myers, Paris Hilton each won three Razzies .
"Indiana Jones" won worst prequel, remake, rip-off or sequel award . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Kanye West may be able to take time off to think about his life after all now that his concert tour has been canceled. Kanye West has canceled his "Fame Kills" tour with Lady Gaga. It was announced two weeks ago. Concert promoter Live Nation said Thursday that West's concert tour with Lady Gaga, titled "Fame Kills," has been canceled just two weeks after it was announced. The reason for the cancellation was not revealed. West told NBC's Jay Leno last month, before the tour was officially announced, that he planned "to take some time off" in the aftermath of his MTV Awards show embarrassment. The three-month, 34-show tour across the United States and Canada was to start next month. Tickets went on sale last week. Live Nation said people who bought tickets could get refunds at the point of purchase. Tickets purchased online and on the phone will be refunded automatically, the promoter said. West caused a ruckus at the MTV Awards last month when he put down his bottle of cognac, jumped on the MTV Music Video Awards stage and grabbed the microphone from singer Taylor Swift as she was giving an acceptance speech. West, who apologized the next day on "The Jay Leno Show," seemed to blame his erratic behavior on the lack of time he had to grieve his mother's death two years ago. "I deal with hurt and, you know, so many, you know, celebrities, they never take the time off, and I've never taken the time off to really, you know, I just, music after music and tour after tour on tour," West told Leno. CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report. | [
"When will the refunds be given?",
"What did the concert promoter Live Nation announce",
"How many shows where scheduled for the tour",
"Lady Gaga's tour with who has been cancelled"
] | [
[
"automatically,"
],
[
"tour with Lady Gaga, titled \"Fame Kills,\" has been canceled"
],
[
"34-show"
],
[
"Kanye West"
]
] | Kanye West's tour with Lady Gaga canceled two weeks after being announced .
Three-month, 34-show tour across U.S. and Canada was to start next month .
West told Jay Leno he was planning to take time off in wake of MTV embarrassment .
Concert promoter Live Nation says refunds will be given . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was among three people killed in a crash in Fullerton, California, early Thursday, according to the team and a hospital spokesman.
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed Thursday, hours after his fourth MLB start.
Adenhart, 22, of Silver Spring, Maryland, died at UC Irvine Medical Center, according to spokesman John Murray.
"The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today," Tony Reagins, the team's general manager, said in a written statement. "We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick's family, friends, loved ones and fans."
One person was arrested in connection with the three-vehicle accident, which occurred about 12:23 a.m. Thursday in Fullerton, south of Los Angeles. Witnesses say a red minivan ran a red light and struck two vehicles at an intersection, police Lt. Craig Brower said.
One of the vehicles, a gray Mitsubishi, slammed into a power pole, Brower said. Two of its passengers were declared dead at the scene, he said. The other two were transported to UC Irvine Medical Center.
Murray said Adenhart underwent surgery and died at the hospital but did not know whether he died during or after the procedure. Brower said the remaining passenger was in critical condition.
The Angels said the two dead at the scene were the female driver of the Mitsubishi and another male. No other members of the Angels organization were involved, the team said.
Adenhart reportedly was "in bad condition at the scene," team spokesman Tim Mead said, and there wasn't much that could be done for him at the hospital. He died "mid- to late morning," Mead said.
A passenger in the minivan was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, Brower said. The third vehicle sustained minor damage, and its driver was unhurt, he said. Police did not identify any of the dead.
The minivan's driver fled the scene and was later arrested, Brower said. Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside will face charges of manslaughter, felony driving under the influence and hit-and-run, he said.
Footage from the scene showed the minivan with a smashed front end and the Mitsubishi, which was heavily damaged. Debris littered the intersection where the crash took place, and it was cordoned off with yellow police tape.
The Angels' game Thursday night with the Oakland A's was postponed at the direction of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. No information was released as to when the game would be played.
"Major League Baseball is in mourning today upon the news of this tragedy that has taken Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others," Selig said in a statement. "Nick was just 22 years of age, with a wonderful life and career ahead of him. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my sincere sympathy to the families and friends of all three victims and to the entire Angels' organization. I send my deepest condolences to Nick's parents, Jim and Janet. The hearts of everyone in baseball are with them at this most difficult time."
The Angels quoted Adenhart's family in the team statement, saying they express "sincere gratitude for all the help the Angels have provided."
"He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring and compassionate people," Adenhart's parents said. "The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick's loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone's hearts forever."
Funeral and memorial arrangements were pending, the team said.
Adenhart pitched in a game against the Oakland A's on Wednesday night in Anaheim, California, making a "brilliant effort" despite the Angels' 6-4 loss, according to MLB.com.
In his fourth major league start, Adenhart pitched a scoreless six innings, with seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts.
" | [
"What do police say about it?",
"Where was the fatal crash?",
"what team is he on?",
"Who pitched six scoreless innings?",
"Where was the venue of the crash?",
"what was the score?"
] | [
[
"a red minivan ran a red light and struck two vehicles at an intersection,"
],
[
"Fullerton, California,"
],
[
"Los Angeles Angels"
],
[
"Nick Adenhart"
],
[
"Fullerton, California,"
],
[
"scoreless six innings,"
]
] | Adenhart, 22, pitched six scoreless innings in Wednesday's game .
Three people killed in crash early Thursday in Fullerton, California .
One man arrested, will face charges in wreck, police say . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Members of the Screen Actors Guild overwhelmingly voted to approve a new two-year contract with studios and producers, the union announced Tuesday. Alan Rosenberg, national president of SAG, calls the terms of the contract "devastatingly unsatisfactory." "This decisive vote gets our members back to work with immediate pay raises and puts SAG in a strong position for the future," said David White, the group's interim national executive director. The union endorsed the package 78 percent to 22 percent. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers hailed the vote, after a two-year-long negotiating process. "The ratification vote by SAG members is good news for the entertainment industry," the alliance's Web site said. "We look forward to working with SAG members ... to emerge from today's significant economic challenges with a strong and growing business." The actors had been working without a contract for nearly a year and the new contract did not immediately clear away the bad feelings. "The membership has spoken and has decided to work under the terms of this contract that many of us, who have been involved in these negotiations from the beginning, believe to be devastatingly unsatisfactory," said Alan Rosenberg, the Screen Actors Guild national president. "I call upon all SAG members to begin to ready themselves for the battle ahead." Before the agreement, the two sides had been at odds mainly over the amount actors should be paid when their movies or TV shows are distributed on discs or through new media, such as mobile phones and the Internet. The talks were tumultuous for Hollywood's biggest actors union. During the drawn-out process, SAG fired its executive director and named a new chief negotiator amid a bitter division among the actors over the question of calling a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. | [
"what was the main sticking point",
"What is the Screen Actors Guild?",
"Who things the union settled for a bad deal?",
"Who endorsed the package?",
"What is the sticking point?",
"did the Screen Actors Guild endorse the package",
"Who is Alan Rosenberg?"
] | [
[
"the amount actors should be paid when their movies or TV shows are distributed on discs or through new media, such as mobile phones and the Internet."
],
[
"union."
],
[
"Alan Rosenberg,"
],
[
"The union"
],
[
"amount actors should be paid when their movies or TV shows are distributed on discs or through new media, such as mobile phones and the Internet."
],
[
"The union endorsed the"
],
[
"national president of SAG,"
]
] | Screen Actors Guild endorses package with studios and producers 78% to 22% .
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers hails the vote .
SAG National President Alan Rosenberg thinks union settled for bad deal .
Main sticking point had been how actors get paid in new-media distributions . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Michael Jackson fans will get their first peek at the behind-the-scenes documentary of the pop star's final three months Sunday evening during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV said. Michael Jackson died in June at the age of 50, amid preparations for his This Is It tour. Janet Jackson "will help open the entire show to honor Michael's celebrated career," the network said. No other details about her "special appearance" were released. The debut of the trailer for "Michael Jackson's This Is It" will come about four weeks after concert promoter AEG Live handed over to Sony Pictures about 100 hours of video captured between April and June, when Jackson was preparing for his concert comeback. Fans who miss the MTV show, which will air live at 9 p.m. ET Sunday, can preview the documentary at www.thisisit-movie.com beginning Sunday night, the network said. The trailer makes its big screen debut September 18 with the Sony Pictures Animation release of "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." The Jackson documentary will run in theaters worldwide for just two weeks starting October 28, Sony Pictures said. Tickets will go on sale September 27. "Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect and genius as he creates and perfects his final show," Sony said. Kenny Ortega, who was working with Jackson to create the This Is It concert, is also directing the documentary. "As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special," Ortega said. "It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius's world." Ortega said Jackson's This Is It "may go down as the greatest concert that no one got a chance to see," as the pop singer died June 25, three weeks before it was to debut in London, England's O2 Arena. "But with this film, we get a rare portrait of Michael as he prepares for his final curtain call and what I believe was going to be his master work." Watch Jermaine Jackson talk about tributes to his brother » A Los Angeles Superior Court judge last month approved allowing the special administrators of Jackson's estate to sign a contract with Sony and AEG Live to clear the way for the production. AEG Live also will conduct a three-city tour of a Michael Jackson memorabilia exhibition to coincide with the film's release. The cities have not been named. | [
"What show will Janet help open?",
"Fans can also preview the documentary where?",
"What is being celebrated?",
"What can be previewed online?",
"Janet will help open what awards show?",
"How long will the film be shown for?",
"Where can fans also preview it?",
"Which month will film start to be shown?",
"For how long will the film be shown?"
] | [
[
"Music Awards,"
],
[
"www.thisisit-movie.com"
],
[
"career,\""
],
[
"the documentary"
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[
"2009 MTV Video Music"
],
[
"two weeks"
],
[
"www.thisisit-movie.com"
],
[
"October"
],
[
"two weeks"
]
] | Star's sister Janet will help open MTV awards show, in celebration of his life .
Fans can also preview documentary online .
Film will be shown worldwide for two weeks starting in October . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of his two oldest children, Debbie Rowe, has agreed not to challenge the singer's mother for custody of the children, according to a joint statement from lawyers for Rowe and Katherine Jackson. Debbie Rowe will not pursue custody of the children she bore with Michael Jackson, a lawyer says. The agreement does not involve any financial payments to Rowe "apart from the continuation of spousal support payments" that Michael Jackson personally agreed to make to Rowe after their divorce, the lawyers said. Rowe will get visitation rights with the children and the "timing, frequency and manner of visits shall be implemented according to the best interests of the children, as determined by a child psychologist selected jointly, and paid jointly," by Jackson and Rowe, the announcement said. Rowe never publicly said if she would fight Jackson's 79-year-old mother for custody of her son and daughter -- ages 11 and 12 -- and a court hearing concerning custody was delayed several times this month while lawyers for the two talked. Jackson's youngest child, 7, was carried by a surrogate mother, whose name has not yet been released. Katherine Jackson gained temporary guardianship of the three children soon after his death last month. Learn about other notable custody cases » The agreement must be approved by the judge. A custody hearing is set for Monday before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff. Beckloff will also hear arguments Monday about Jackson's estate and who will control it. Katherine Jackson is asking the court for more involvement in the estate's business. Watch what may have happened in Jackson's final hours » Jackson family lawyer Londell McMillan said the family was pleased the custody matter was "resolved and was handled in a caring, thoughtful and courteous manner by the parties and their representatives." "We were all united in our goals to do what is best for Michael's wonderful children, and both Mrs. Jackson and Debbie Rowe were on the exact same page," McMillan said. "Accordingly, although important issues had to be resolved, this was no legal contest but rather simply a process (of) doing the right thing for the right reasons." Rowe's lawyer, Eric George, said the women and their lawyers "engaged in a dignified discussion that resulted in a dignified outcome." "The sole consideration between the parties was the best interests of the children," George said. "I'm proud to have worked with such professionals who represented Ms. Jackson, and I am particularly proud of Deborah for her integrity and selflessness." Efforts to resolve who will control Jackson's estate have not been so amicable. Earlier this month, Beckloff granted temporary control to the executors named in his 2002 will: John Branca, Jackson's longtime personal attorney, and John McClain, a music industry executive and longtime friend. McMillan, in a statement issued Wednesday, said Katherine Jackson was not disputing the will. But, he said, she wanted the judge to order the executors to disclose information about what he said was "a suspicious circle of relationships" involving them. He said the executors "have either denied Mrs. Jackson access to critical information or insisted on ... onerous and unreasonable restrictions" to information about deals they are making on behalf of the estate. McMillan, in an interview with CBS Thursday, estimated the Jackson estate was worth $2 billion, while the executors have estimated in court that its value is around $500 million. The will placed all assets into a family trust benefiting his mother, his three children and unnamed charities. Jackson's children have been living with their paternal grandmother at her Encino, California, home since their father's death on June 25. "They read the news on the Web and the reports," McMillan said. "I really tried to push the media to be responsible in how they try to handle this matter because there are three precious children involved." The oldest child -- Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., more commonly known | [
"What day is the hearing set?",
"Who is the children's guardian?",
"who made custody agreement?",
"Who will have visitation rights of the two kids?",
"who is the childrens guardian?",
"who will have visitation rights?",
"who made a custody agreement?"
] | [
[
"Monday"
],
[
"Katherine Jackson"
],
[
"Debbie Rowe,"
],
[
"Debbie Rowe"
],
[
"Katherine Jackson"
],
[
"Debbie Rowe"
],
[
"Debbie Rowe,"
]
] | Debbie Rowe, Katherine Jackson make custody agreement .
Rowe, Michael Jackson's ex-wife and mother of two kids, will have visitation rights .
Katherine Jackson is the children's guardian .
Hearing is set for Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Misha Di Bono zips around town in her Infiniti sport-utility vehicle, breezy and unconcerned about the price of gas. Misha Di Bono says people used to make fun of her rolling billboard. She gets $500 a month and free gas. That's because she gets $500 a month -- plus free gas -- for turning her car into a rolling billboard for Jobing.com, the online recruiting company she works for. "People used to tease me about the 'Jobing' mobile, and now they're like, 'Oh, we'll get Misha to drive,' " she said, standing next to her decal-covered car. Jobing.com might be the most extreme example of how companies are helping employees during the current gas crunch. But with gas averaging more than $4 a gallon, more and more companies are trying to figure out incentives to help ease the pain at the pump for their employees. Watch a rolling billboard for your company » "There's no question companies are feeling the pinch," said John Challenger, the chief executive officer of global outplacement company Challenger, Gray and Christmas. "It's an important issue because no company wants to lose its people." His firm recently surveyed about 100 human resources executives at white-collar and blue-collar companies. The survey found that 57 percent of the companies offer programs to help ease commutes. The most popular option was reducing the work week from five eight-hour days to four 10-hour days. Twenty-three percent of the companies polled have such an option, Challenger said. Calculator: How much do you need to work to pay your gas? » "We're at a watershed time of how people go to work," he said. "Maybe the gas crisis will be the real trigger." Other incentives: Twenty percent of the companies offer carpools, and 18 percent pay for the cost of public transportation. Only 14 percent of the companies offer telecommuting options, the poll found. The survey reports that companies had seen a recent jump in carpooling of 43 percent and a 23 percent increase in the use of public transportation. Still, 31 percent of the companies saw no increase in their employees' commuting behaviors. See gas prices around the country » Some of the companies have had the incentives for years, but it's taken the soaring gas prices for employees to look more closely at the programs. "It's something that is much more important than two years ago," Challenger said. "It's hard to get away from, because you're constantly going back to the gas station." He added, "It's hitting people's radar screens now." One company offering generous commuting benefits is online giant Yahoo, which rewards employees who organize carpools, ride bikes to work and take company shuttles to and from offices. Yahoo rewards these green-conscious commuters with free movie tickets, lunches, massages and other benefits. iReport: How is your company helping you The company recently hired an "employee transportation coordinator" to help devise even more incentives. "We've really been listening to our employees to make sure we help them find ways to make the cost of the commute a little less excessive," said Barbary Brunner, a Yahoo vice president. But it is the Jobing.com vehicle that is most eye-popping. Company spokesman Joe Cockrell says the company started the rolling billboard cars in 2001, but only three executives took part in it. But now, 60 percent of its 270 employees nationwide drive the cars. Watch a shift from marketing ploy to employee benefit » "This year, for the first time, we've had a long waiting list for our wrap," Cockrell says. "It's basically a huge sticker that goes on your car and should last in theory about three to four years." It costs the company about $3,000 to $4,000 to turn the cars into rolling billboards. They do have rules: The car can't be older | [
"what is the offer to the woman for turning car into billboard?",
"What are companies trying to ease for their employees?",
"What did the CEO say?",
"What did the woman turn her car into?",
"What did the woman do?",
"What did a woman turn her car into?",
"What has she turned into a billboard?",
"Where was this?",
"What does the woman get for her billboard car?",
"what did Bono say about this?",
"What did people used to do according to Misha Di Bono?"
] | [
[
"$500 a month and free gas."
],
[
"pain at the pump"
],
[
"\"There's no question companies are feeling the pinch,\""
],
[
"rolling billboard for Jobing.com,"
],
[
"turning her car into a rolling billboard for Jobing.com,"
],
[
"a rolling billboard for Jobing.com,"
],
[
"Infiniti sport-utility vehicle,"
],
[
"LOS"
],
[
"$500 a month and free gas."
],
[
"Misha Di Bono says people used to make fun of her rolling billboard. She gets $500 a month and free gas."
],
[
"make fun of her rolling billboard."
]
] | Woman gets paid $500 extra a month, plus free gas, for turning car into billboard .
"People used to tease me," says Misha Di Bono .
Survey finds companies are looking at ways to help ease commuting costs .
CEO: "We're at a watershed time of how people go to work" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Music fans who buy concert tickets during Live Nation's "No Service Fee Wednesday" may be surprised when they check their receipt and see some service fees were charged. Concertgoers expecting service-free tickets during a Live Nation promotion may still find fees. Live Nation's announcement for the promotion -- and stories based on their news release -- did not mention the concert promoter's narrow definition of a "service fee." "Fans will still be asked to pay parking fees (usually $6) as well as in some cases facility fees and/or charity fees," Live Nation spokesman John Vlautin wrote in a reply to CNN's request for clarification. Still, the promotion will save consumers several dollars on amphitheater lawn seats bought from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Vlautin did not respond to CNN's question about why the promotion was called "No Service Fee Wednesday" if there were still fees added to the base cost of each ticket -- or why it was not disclosed in the announcement. Service fees tacked on to ticket purchases -- averaging a third of the base price -- have long been a source of grumbling from concertgoers. "People get a little ticked off when they think they're paying $20 for a ticket and as they progress along the various pages of the electronic transaction they see more fees added along the way," said Ray Waddell, who writes about live music tours for Billboard magazine. When buying tickets online using a credit card, the buyer does not see the total charged -- with the added fees -- until after they've submitted the order. Live Nation discloses this in its "terms and conditions" statement: "Live Nation Ticketing may assess a convenience charge on each ticket purchased and/or ordered for certain events." The parking fee, which does not actually pay for a parking space, is on each ticket -- even if the fan doesn't drive to the show. "We have always charged it this way to alleviate traffic issues that occur when the fee is taken at the lot entrance," Vlautin said. A facility fee is "charged at some venues and goes to defray the cost of venue maintenance," he said. Vlautin did not respond to CNN's request for a detailed list of service fees that will be waived during "No Service Fee Wednesday." Live Nation only began selling tickets to its own concerts last year, just months before announcing plans to merge with Ticketmaster -- the world's largest ticket-seller. Before that, Live Nation promoted shows but had no infrastructure to sell tickets, and it contracted out to Ticketmaster or others to sell them. The Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger plan has drawn criticism. The Justice Department launched an investigation of the proposed merger in February. Neither Live Nation nor Ticketmaster executives would respond to questions about the merger. However, Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff did talk about it before a U.S. Senate subcommittee earlier this year. "[The merger] will give us greater flexibility in how we promote, market and sell tickets to events. It will give us a pathway to alternative pricing and fee structures. And we will be better able to develop new and innovative products and services that enhance the fan experience and make all forms of entertainment more accessible to everyone." | [
"What did the billboard writer say?",
"What did a spokesman tell CNN?",
"When will no service fees be charged?",
"What are fans complaining about?",
"what did live nation promote?",
"When is it best for no service fees?"
] | [
[
"\"People get a little ticked off when they think they're paying $20 for a ticket and as they progress along the various pages of the electronic transaction they see more fees added along the way,\""
],
[
"\"Fans will still be asked to pay parking fees (usually $6) as well as in some cases facility fees and/or charity fees,\""
],
[
"Wednesday\""
],
[
"see some service fees were charged."
],
[
"Fee Wednesday\""
],
[
"Wednesday\""
]
] | Live Nation promotion doesn't mention narrow definition of a "service fee"
Company says no service fees charged from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Wednesday .
Spokesman tells CNN: Fans will still pay parking, facility or charity fees .
Billboard writer says "people get a little ticked off" when they see the charges . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- No charges will be brought against a 10-year-old boy accused of accidentally starting an October wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres north of Los Angeles, California, prosecutors announced Tuesday. Firefighters battle the Buckweed Fire October 22, 2007. "There is no evidence of intent on the part of the minor," the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a written statement issued Tuesday afternoon. "The district attorney's office is referring the matter to the Department of Children and Family Services for evaluation of the minor's situation to determine if other intervention is necessary." The boy had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to sheriff's deputies that he had started the Buckweed fire by playing with matches, investigators said. The blaze eventually destroyed 21 homes and 42 other structures. The fire started October 21 in the Agua Dulce community north of Los Angeles. It was one of nearly two dozen wind-whipped wildfires that swept across southern California in late October, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from homes near Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino and leaving 14 people dead. E-mail to a friend | [
"When did the fire start?",
"What city was close to the Buckweed fires?",
"is there evidence?",
"When did the Buckweed fire start?",
"What was the boy playing with?",
"did he face charges?",
"when was the fire?",
"Where did the Buckweed fire start?",
"What was the number of homes destroyed in the fire"
] | [
[
"October 21"
],
[
"Los Angeles,"
],
[
"no"
],
[
"October 21"
],
[
"matches,"
],
[
"will be brought"
],
[
"October 22, 2007."
],
[
"October 22, 2007."
],
[
"21"
]
] | There is no evidence that the boy intended to set the fire, prosecutors say .
He had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to setting blaze .
The boy was playing with matches; the blaze destroyed 21 homes .
The Buckweed fire started October 21 north of Los Angeles . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- One of two doctors charged with conspiring to furnish drugs to Anna Nicole Smith before her fatal overdose in 2007 surrendered to authorities and was jailed Monday, authorities said.
Anna Nicole Smith's boyfriend Howard K. Stern was among those charged last week.
Dr. Khristine Eroshevich surrendered at the Van Nuys, California, jail, said police and jail officials. Bail was set at $20,000, but Eroshevich had not posted bail as of Monday afternoon.
Eroshevich was charged last week along with Howard K. Stern, Smith's longtime partner and attorney; and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor. Stern and Kapoor were arrested and released from a Los Angeles County jail Thursday night after each posted a $20,000 bond.
All three are charged with eight felonies, including conspiring to furnish controlled substances, unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance and obtaining fraudulent prescriptions from June 2004 through January 2007, only weeks before Smith's death. Kapoor and Eroshevich were also charged with obtaining a prescription for opiates by "fraud, deceit or misrepresentation." And each was charged with one count of obtaining a prescription for opiates by giving a false name or address, prosecutors said.
"Anna was the center of a cruel tabloid feeding frenzy," Eroshevich's attorney, Adam Braun, told CNN in a statement Monday. "In the face of this, Dr. Eroshevich did her best to help the patient while protecting what little privacy Anna had left. Any actions were done with the patient's well-being in mind and were certainly not criminal."
California Attorney General Jerry Brown said the doctors and Stern devised a plan to use fake names so Smith could be prescribed "thousands of pills." The former Playboy playmate and reality TV star was drugged "almost to the point of stupefaction," Brown said.
"The quantity of the drugs, the variety of the drugs, the combination at any given point, and her continuing to use that -- that, to a professional, is clear evidence of addiction," Brown said Friday. "These cocktails of methadone and antidepressants and sleeping pills and Xanax, you put all that into a cocktail, it explodes and can cause death, injury and permanent morbidity and disability."
Brown said Stern was the "principal enabler" in a conspiracy with two doctors for giving the "known addict" thousands of prescription pills.
Stern's attorney Krista Barth said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Friday night that she thought Brown's comments were prejudicial.
"I don't think that this was something that should have been stated in a public forum," Barth said. "I think it's contrary to the rules of professional conduct regarding trial publicity. And you have to wonder why such a statement was made."
Smith, 39, was pronounced dead February 8, 2007, after being found unconscious in her hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino near Hollywood, Florida. A coroner said she died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
Officials said that both prescription and over-the-counter drugs were found in Smith's system, including three antidepressant or anti-anxiety drugs. Human growth hormone and chloral hydrate, a sleep medication, were also found in toxicology tests, officials said.
CNN's Marc Balinsky contributed to this report. | [
"What did the lawyer say?",
"Who was jailed?",
"What are they accused of?",
"When did she surrender?"
] | [
[
"\"Anna was the center of a cruel tabloid feeding frenzy,\""
],
[
"Dr. Khristine Eroshevich"
],
[
"Nicole Smith"
],
[
"Monday,"
]
] | NEW: Lawyer: Doctor had "patient's well-being in mind," actions "not criminal"
Khristine Eroshevich surrendered Monday and was jailed .
Howard K. Stern, Sandeep Kapoor, Eroshevich charged with felonies .
Three are accused of conspiring to furnish drugs before Smith's death . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Oscar-nominated director John Singleton accidentally struck and killed a pedestrian, a Los Angeles police spokesman said late Friday. John Singleton directed "Rosewood," "Baby Boy," "Shaft" and "Four Brothers" after "Boyz N the Hood." Constance Russell, 57, of Los Angeles, died at a hospital a few hours after the accident Thursday evening, Los Angeles Police Officer Jason Lee said. Russell was not using a crosswalk when she stepped in front of Singleton's car, Lee said. According to a preliminary police investigation, Singleton was not under the influence of drugs, alcohol or any other substance and was permitted to leave after being questioned. However, Lee said because the victim was killed, the case has been turned over to the district attorney's office for review. Singleton, 39, earned two Academy Award nominations for his 1991 debut film "Boyz N the Hood." That film also won him an MTV Movie Award as best new filmmaker. Other films he has directed include "Rosewood," "Baby Boy," "Shaft" and "Four Brothers." E-mail to a friend | [
"Whose vehicle struck the woman?",
"Who was allowed to leave after questioning?",
"How many Oscars was he nominated for?",
"For which movie was he nominated for two Oscars?",
"who strikes the woman?",
"Who stroke woman with his vehicle?",
"how many oscar was nominated the director?"
] | [
[
"John Singleton"
],
[
"John Singleton"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"\"Boyz N the Hood.\""
],
[
"John Singleton"
],
[
"John Singleton"
],
[
"two Academy Award nominations"
]
] | John Singleton's vehicle strikes woman, 57, who stepped into street .
Singleton sober, not charged, allowed to leave after questioning .
Director nominated for two Oscars for "Boyz N the Hood" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Porn icon Marilyn Chambers was found dead in her Los Angeles home Sunday night, but investigators do not suspect foul play, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman.
Marilyn Chambers rose to fame as an adult-film actress in the 1970s.
Chambers began her career in 1970 as a model for Ivory Snow soap, and starred two years later in the porn classic "Behind the Green Door."
"She was a really nice girl," said actor Ron Jeremy, who co-starred with Chambers in adult films starting in the 1970s.
Chambers' death was a "total shock," Jeremy said, because they had been scheduled to sign a contract Monday to perform together in an off-Broadway "tongue-in-cheek" re-enactment of the porn classic "Deep Throat."
"What's strange is that she was at a stage where she was totally happy and totally content with her life," Jeremy said. "Her life was falling together, and she was doing really well."
A family member found Chambers, 56, in the mobile home where she lived in the Canyon Country area and called police Sunday evening, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitemore said.
The death appeared to be from natural causes, although toxicology tests have not been completed, Whitemore said.
The coroner's investigation has not been completed, and no cause of death has been determined, according to a spokesman with the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office.
Although her career was mostly in X-rated films, Chambers' fame was boosted by the irony that her face had graced the Ivory Snow box, a soap advertised as "99 and 44/100 percent pure."
Chambers eventually co-starred with all of the best-known porn actors of the 1970s and 1980s, Jeremy said. | [
"When Chamber's body was found?",
"What happened to Chambers?",
"Who is Ron Jeremy?",
"Who is Marilyn Chambers?",
"What his her claim to fame during the 1970s?",
"What was Marilyn Chambers set to do?"
] | [
[
"Sunday night,"
],
[
"was found dead"
],
[
"co-starred with Chambers in adult films starting in the 1970s."
],
[
"Porn icon"
],
[
"adult-film actress"
],
[
"sign a contract"
]
] | NEW: She had been set to sign contract for off-Broadway show with Ron Jeremy .
Marilyn Chambers starred in some of the most famous porn movies of '70s .
Chambers, once a model for Ivory Snow, was in "Behind the Green Door"
Chambers' body was found Sunday; investigators do not suspect foul play . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Questions swirled Friday about the possible role prescription medications may have played in the death Thursday of pop idol Michael Jackson, people close to him said. The cause of pop star Michael Jackson's death has not been determined after Friday's autopsy. His autopsy was completed, but further tests must be carried out before the cause of death can be determined, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner said. Craig Harvey said the tests would take four to six weeks, after which "we anticipate being able to close the case and issuing a final cause of death." Among the tests to be carried out, he said, are neuropathology (brain) and pulmonary (lung) tests. Harvey added, "We know that he was taking some prescription medications," but said he was not able to divulge what. The possibility that Jackson may have been taking medication that could have contributed to his death at the age of 50 weighed heavily Friday on a number of people close to the star. Watch coroner's office discuss Jackson's death. » In 2005, after he was cleared on charges of child molestation, Jackson spent a week at a center run by Dr. Deepak Chopra, a physician who focuses on spirituality and the mind-body connection. During that week, Jackson asked Chopra for a prescription for a narcotic, the doctor told CNN. "I said, 'What the heck do you want a narcotic prescription for?' And it suddenly dawned on me that he was probably taking these and that he had probably a number of doctors who were giving him these prescriptions, so I confronted him with that. At first, he denied it. Then, he said he was in a lot of pain." Chopra said he responded to Jackson that there were plenty of other ways for him to handle his pain, but that the arguments were not persuasive. Watch CNN's Sanjay Gupta discuss Jackson's death » "For a while, I lost him," he said. "I have had that happen with me with other celebrities in Hollywood. There's a plethora of doctors in Hollywood, they're drug peddlers, they're drug pushers, they just happen to be having a medical license and I hope that this episode today, this tragic death of a great human being, will bring to light the huge problem we have in Hollywood with some of the medical establishment, the celebrity doctors, who not only initiate people into the drug experience, but then they perpetuate it so that people become dependent on them." Chopra said Jackson had recently gone on a diet to prepare for his planned comeback tour, which was to have begun next month in England, and was excited about his planned resumption of his performing career. "He was practicing, he was fasting, and yet he wasn't physically in the condition to do this, and he was not confronting his drug addiction, which is the big problem," Chopra said. He blamed Jackson's death on drug abuse, though he offered no direct evidence. "When you have enough drugs in your system, your heart goes into an arrhythmia and your respiration stops," he said. "I think the drugs killed him." Chopra said he had known Jackson to take the opium-derived painkiller OxyContin at one time, as well as injections of the narcotic pain reliever Demerol "and other narcotics, and I was really desperate to try to help him, but you know you can't help somebody who would go into denial." Watch crowds gather at the hospital. » Jackson typically would refuse to call Chopra for several weeks at a time, the doctor said. "Then he would call me two or three weeks later and say he was sorry, that he had been busy and it wasn't the drugs -- but it was the drugs." Chopra, who said he knew Jackson for more than two decades, described him as "my little brother -- I feel very bad for him." Brian Oxman, a former | [
"What spokesman said about Jackson`s death?",
"What caused the death to \"King of Pop\" comparing to Deepak Chopra?",
"what does chopra believe",
"Who believes prescription drugs killed the \"King of Pop?\"",
"What did the spokesman say?"
] | [
[
"further tests must be carried out before"
],
[
"prescription medications"
],
[
"\"I think the drugs killed him.\""
],
[
"a number of people"
],
[
"His autopsy was completed, but further tests must be carried out before the cause of death can be determined,"
]
] | NEW: Deepak Chopra believes prescription drugs killed "King of Pop"
Cause of Michael Jackson's death deferred; no trauma or foul play found .
Spokesman: Jackson was taking prescription medications .
Physician's car may contain "medications pertinent to the investigation" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Rapper Kanye West and his business manager must complete 50 hours of community service in exchange for the dismissal of charges stemming from a Los Angeles airport scuffle with paparazzi last year. Kanye West must complete 50 hours of community service by December 23. West has already attended 12 hours of anger management classes and paid for the camera that was broken during the incident, his lawyer told the judge during a hearing Friday morning. Police arrested West and Don Crawley on September 11, 2008, after an altercation with a photographer and a cameraman who were taking their photos, airport police said. West and Crawley were later charged with three misdemeanors counts: vandalism, battery and grand theft. "There was not a situation where there was a lot of time for either defendant to reflect on what they were doing," said Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Mark Zuckman. Zuckman, who presided over Friday's hearing, said he could take the position that "a brief impulsive response" by West and Crawley "doesn't necessarily demonstrate a severe character flaw that needs to be addressed in a criminal case." Still, he said, he did not want "to send a message that ripping the camera from someone's hand and destroying it [in] an act of vandalism is acceptable, no matter what kind of provocation caused them to be angry. There are other remedies." Zuckman said if anyone had been injured in the incident, his decision would have been different. West and Crawley have until December 23 to complete 50 hours of community service, Zuckman said. If they do, he will dismissed the charges. If convicted, West could have faced up to two years and six months in jail, while Crawley could have faced up to five years, according to Frank Mateljan, the spokesman for the city attorney. | [
"How many hours must rapper and business manager finish?",
"What is the name of West's manager?",
"How long is the community service due to be?",
"who is kayne west",
"Who was the altercation with?",
"Which airport did the scuffle take place?",
"What is the rapper's name?"
] | [
[
"50"
],
[
"Don Crawley"
],
[
"50 hours"
],
[
"Rapper"
],
[
"a photographer and a cameraman"
],
[
"Los Angeles"
],
[
"Kanye West"
]
] | Rapper and his business manager must finish 50 hours of community service .
In exchange, charges will be dismissed in L.A. airport scuffle in 2008 .
Kanye West, Don Crawley had altercation with photographer, cameraman .
Court official: Incident doesn't "demonstrate a severe character flaw" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Rudolpho Marquez, Richard Reyes and Cesar Cruz make for a most unlikely car pool. They are all former gang rivals who have spent hard time in prison. But they've put the past behind them for common goals: jobs and their families. Rudolpho Marquez, Richard Reyes and Cesar Cruz are ex-gang members working together now. "It's a lesson in that you don't have to kill your neighbors," said Reyes, who spent the last decade in and out of prison for an array of drug offenses. "It don't matter where you come from, what background you come from. We are all humans, and we should learn to live together." Marquez chimed in, "We treat each other like normal human beings now. We get along great. We socialize." The three men are part of a solar-installation program paid for by Homeboy Industries, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that works with former gang members and others who have spent time in prison to put them to work. Watch Homeboy help ex-gang members » The latest project is aimed at green jobs, offering former gang members and parolees a chance to break ground in alternative energy programs while the issue is being pushed by President Obama and the nation's lawmakers. Homeboy is the brainchild of the Rev. Gregory Boyle, known simply as Father Greg by everyone here. Boyle first started a small program in 1988 to offer alternatives to gang violence in one of Los Angeles' toughest neighborhoods. "I started burying young kids who were killed in our community," he told CNN. "I buried my first in 1988 and just buried my 165th two months ago. So we as a community started to say, 'We have to do something.' " Over the last two decades, Homeboy has reached out to the 1,100 gangs in metro LA, helping provide a second chance to those who want it. The organization provides much-needed job training, hires ex-gang members for transitional jobs and helps give other free programs to people who otherwise struggle in the outside world. Boyle said it's a simple philosophy: Offer gang members hope through gainful employment, and they'll want to "leave behind all of their gang past." "This population really can't afford to just go to school. They are not living at home with their parents. They have no one there, really," he said. Reyes calls the Catholic priest a saint. "If there were more people like him, there'd be less people like me," he said. In Reyes' case, he missed the births of his daughters -- Valerie, 9, and Vanessa, 7 -- because he was behind bars. "I feel I wasted my life," he said. "I thought being a father was making babies, but being a father is taking an interest in your kids." Since his release from prison in May 2008, he has graduated at the top his class in the Homeboy-sponsored solar program. He is now working on a $2.5 million project for Lite Solar to install 1,500 solar panels on an apartment building. As he watched his daughters play on a recent afternoon, he said, "It feels good knowing you can provide for them." On Tuesday, Reyes got another reward: He welcomed his first son into the world. His wife, Susana Reyes, said the Homeboy program completely changed her husband. "Before, it was all about his gang," she said. "Now, I know he loves his daughters." Albert Ortega, now 34, spent seven years in prison, beginning when he was just 19. He was hired by Homeboy and is now the coordinator of the solar program. "This program totally changed my life," he said. A father of three children, Ortega said he kept making poor choices to make quick money. After his most recent release from prison, he said he approached Boyle to help | [
"what is the lesson?",
"What skills do ex-gang members learn in Homeboy Industries programs?",
"who went to jail?",
"what was started in 1988?",
"When did Homeboy Industries start?",
"For what reason do they want ex-gang members?",
"Where does Homeboy Industries operate?"
] | [
[
"you don't have to kill your neighbors,\""
],
[
"job training,"
],
[
"Rudolpho Marquez, Richard Reyes and Cesar Cruz"
],
[
"a small program"
],
[
"1988"
],
[
"put them to work."
],
[
"a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization"
]
] | Homeboy Industries started in 1988 to help ease tensions among gangs .
A new program funded by Homeboy trains ex-gang members on green jobs .
"It's a lesson in that you don't have to kill your neighbors," says Richard Reyes .
Ex-gang member says friends all went to jail: "I didn't want to live that life" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Tami Farrell, who became Miss California USA last week when Donald Trump dumped Carrie Prejean, promises to avoid controversy during the five months of her reign. Tami Farrell became Miss California USA last week and is set to reign for five months. "I'm trying my best to kind of calm the waters," Farrell said in an interview Sunday at the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. Prejean's same-sex marriage comments, semi-nude photos and personal feud with state pageant officials contributed to a storm of controversy that brought unusual attention to the title Farrell now carries. "I think that everything in life happens for a reason, and I'm just blessed to have this opportunity," Farrell said. Farrell, 24, said, "it's been a crazy few days" since Wednesday, when she got the call that Prejean had been ousted. "I keep stepping into controversy, but hopefully I can avoid it for a while," she said. She hopes the extra attention will help launch her show business career. "A couple of my favorite music groups have called, because I sing, so maybe we could record something together," she said. Farrell did not name the groups. She is also a writer and has had meetings in recent days about a screenplay she's written. "All I can tell you is that it's hilarious and that if (actor) Will Farrell or (director) Adam McCay could give me a call, things would be wonderful," she said. | [
"Who claimed to be blessed to have this opportunity?",
"What does Farrell hope for?",
"What does Farrell hope to avoid?",
"Who is Tami Farrell replacing?",
"What does Farrell hope to accomplish by gaining the title?",
"Who wants this new title to help launch her show business carrier?",
"Who replaces Carrie Prejean for the next five months?"
] | [
[
"Tami Farrell"
],
[
"help launch her show business career."
],
[
"controversy during the five months of her reign."
],
[
"Carrie Prejean,"
],
[
"help launch her show business career."
],
[
"Tami Farrell,"
],
[
"Tami Farrell,"
]
] | Tami Farrell replaces Carrie Prejean for the next five months .
Farrell says she hopes to avoid the controversy that plagued Prejean .
"I'm just blessed to have this opportunity," Farrell says .
Farrell hopes ascending to title will help launch her show business career . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Los Angeles Times' headquarters aptly sits where the U.S. Army corralled camels during the Civil War, when Southern California was a desert with no natural resources. A new film on PBS explores how the Chandler family helped develop Los Angeles through their newspaper. Los Angeles' development from an arid wasteland to a world metropolis and cultural capital is closely linked to the newspaper's rise under the ownership of one family. "It would still be a desert," documentary filmmaker Peter Jones said, if Gen. Harrison Gray Otis didn't arrive in the 1880s to take over the bankrupt Los Angeles Times and his son-in-law, Harry Chandler, wasn't there to follow him. Jones' documentary is a saga of four generations of the region's most powerful family shaping Los Angeles as they pursued their own civil agendas -- and accumulated wealth. "Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times" premieres Monday on PBS. Historian David Halberstam said in the documentary that the Chandlers dominated Southern California as no other family has dominated any major region of the United States. "They did not so much foster the growth of Los Angeles as invent it," said Halberstam, who died in 2007. Harrison Gray Otis, Harry Chandler, Norman Chandler and Otis Chandler succeeded each other at the helm of the Los Angeles Times over a span of 100 years. The city grew from a small desert town to the nation's second-largest city, while the family became one of the nation's wealthiest. The Chandler family dynasty ended when the general's great-grandson Otis Chandler was ousted as chairman of the Times board of directors in 1985. The family eventually sold its Times-Mirror Company to Chicago's Tribune Company -- which is now in bankruptcy. Each man's personality and strengths were tailored for what was demanded of their time, said Jones. "For each era, they were up to that particular era," he said. "You couldn't actually rearrange them," said Harry Chandler's namesake and the great-great-grandson of the general. "You couldn't have a General Otis in late 20th-century America," Chandler told CNN, referring to the dynasty's founder who served as an Army general in the Philippine-American War before taking over the Los Angeles Times. "His character was one of the period. 'I have a vision and everything I touch needs to support that vision and damn the consequences.'" Otis used his newspaper to scare the public about the threat of drought, drumming up support for a 230-mile aqueduct -- one of the modern engineering marvels -- to divert water from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles, Jones said. He was part of a syndicate that bought vast tracts of barren land in the San Fernando Valley with the inside knowledge the Los Angeles Aqueduct would bring water there. The scandal later inspired Roman Polanski's award-winning film "Chinatown." Otis also used the Times to influence the federal government's decision to build the Port of Los Angeles, Jones said. "He had the foresight to say 'We have to build a man-made harbor here in Los Angeles if we want to become a major port of trade,' and today the Port of Los Angeles is the busiest port in the United States," Jones said. The general and his successor son-in-law promoted investment in and migration to the Los Angeles area with stories of sunshine and opportunity. More people moving in meant more readers for their newspaper and demand for the real estate empire they were building. Harrison Gray Otis and Harry Chandler used their newspaper to create a vision of Los Angeles as "America's Great White Spot" -- free of crime and communism. They fought a decades-long battle against labor unions -- a battle that included the 1910 bombing of The Los Angeles Times headquarters. The Los Angeles film, aviation, high technology, shipping and oil industries grew from the Chandlers' influence, Jones said. As a conservative Republican | [
"What is the name of the program premiering on Monday on PBS?",
"What is teh name of the show that premiers on Monday?",
"What comparative size is Los Angeles currently?",
"What premiers on PBS on Monday?",
"What did L.A. grow from?",
"When did the Chandler family newspaper dynasty end?",
"When did the Chandler newspaper dynasty end?",
"When did the newspaper dynasty end?",
"Which city started out as a small desert town?"
] | [
[
"\"Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times\""
],
[
"\"Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times\""
],
[
"nation's second-largest city,"
],
[
"\"Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times\""
],
[
"an arid wasteland"
],
[
"1985."
],
[
"1985."
],
[
"1985."
],
[
"Los Angeles'"
]
] | "Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times" premieres Monday on PBS .
Historian: Chandlers not only dominated Los Angeles, they invented it .
Los Angeles grew from small desert town to nation's second-largest city .
The Chandler family newspaper dynasty ended in 1985 . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The man police say was driving drunk when he ran a red light and struck a car, killing a Major League Baseball pitcher and two others has been charged with murder.
Fans gather around a memorial for Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart on Friday.
Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, was charged with three counts of murder, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crime, the Orange County district attorney's office announced Friday.
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was among those killed in the crash in Fullerton, California, early Thursday morning. Adenhart was beginning his first full season in the majors and had pitched his fourth Major League game hours earlier.
Gallo, whose blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit, according to police, faces up to life in prison if convicted on all charges.
According to the DA's office, Gallo was driving a minivan 65 mph in a 35 mph zone at about 12:35 a.m. Thursday. He was on probation and his license had been suspended after a previous drunk-driving charge. Watch Adenhart's agent describe his friend »
Authorities say he ran a red light and hit the car Adenhart was in, killing the pitcher, 20-year-old California State University student Courtney Stewart and law student Henry Pearson, 25.
A fourth victim, 24-year-old John Wilhite, a former baseball player at California State, remained in critical condition Friday. A driver in a third car suffered minor injuries.
Adenhart died at UC Irvine Medical Center, where he underwent surgery, according to spokesman John Murray.
The Angels' game Thursday night with the Oakland A's was postponed at the direction of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.
"Major League Baseball is in mourning today upon the news of this tragedy that has taken Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others," Selig said in a statement that accompanied the announcement. "Nick was just 22 years of age, with a wonderful life and career ahead of him."
After the wreck, Gallo fled the scene, according to the district attorney. He was captured about 30 minutes later.
Adenhart pitched in a game against the Oakland A's Wednesday night in Anaheim, California, making what was characterized as a "brilliant effort" despite the Angels' 6-4 loss, according to Major League Baseball's Web site, MLB.com.
In his fourth major league start, Adenhart pitched a scoreless six innings, allowing seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts.
"The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today," Tony Reagins, the team's general manager, said in a written statement. "We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick's family, friends, loved ones and fans." | [
"How many people were killed in the Fullerton crash?",
"The age of Adenhart is?",
"Which team does Adenhart pitch for?",
"What charges doe the driver face?",
"Is it the driver faces any charges?",
"How many people were killed in a crash in Fullerton?",
"Where has killing of three happen?",
"What was the name of the driver?"
] | [
[
"Nick Adenhart and two others,\""
],
[
"22 years of"
],
[
"Los Angeles Angels"
],
[
"three counts of murder,"
],
[
"charged with three counts of murder, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crime,"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"Fullerton, California,"
],
[
"Andrew Thomas Gallo,"
]
] | Driver also faces charges of DUI and leaving the scene .
Adenhart, 22, pitched six scoreless innings in Wednesday's game .
Three people killed in crash early Thursday in Fullerton, California . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The man who police say dressed as Santa Claus and killed nine people at a Christmas Eve party lived with guilt from an incident that left his son from a previous relationship a paraplegic, according to an attorney who once represented the woman in that relationship. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo went on a shooting rampage in a Los Angeles suburb on Wednesday, police say. Prime suspect Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, who police said committed suicide hours after he went on a shooting rampage and started a raging house fire in the Los Angeles suburb of Covina, had a son who sustained severe brain damage several years ago in an apparent swimming pool accident while he was in Pardo's care, according to attorney Jeffrey Alvirez. Police have said Pardo targeted his rampage at his former wife, Sylvia Ortega Pardo, and her family at the family's Christmas Eve party. The Los Angeles Times reported that Pardo had kept his son's existence and condition a secret from his wife. When she found out, her anger over the situation and also finding out that Pardo had claimed the child as a tax dependent for several years became a major factor in divorce proceedings, the paper said, quoting an unidentified source close to the investigation. Covina Police Chief Kim Raney said Friday that a divorce between the two was finalized in court December 18 in a "somewhat contentious proceeding." On Saturday, Covina police released the names of the nine people unaccounted for since the shooting and fire. Nine bodies were recovered from the rubble of the house, but authorities said they are having to work with dental records to establish identities. "The bodies were so badly burned they cannot be identified any other way," Covina police Lt. Pat Buchanan said. The nine unaccounted for are Sylvia Pardo, her parents, her sister, her two brothers, both brothers' wives and a nephew. Ages of the nine range from 17 to 80, police said. Police said Sunday a car believed to have been rented by Pardo on December 19, a gray Toyota RAV4, was found in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale. Authorities had cautioned the missing car might be booby-trapped or contain explosives, but it was unclear whether any had been found. Another rented car that Pardo used to flee the scene was found booby-trapped after the shooting, police said. That car burned as the Covina bomb squad was trying to disconnect an explosive device in it, police said. In an interview Saturday with CNN, Alvirez -- who represented Pardo's former girlfriend Elena Lucano in a child support case against Pardo -- said that Pardo and Lucano were in an "off-and-on again relationship" in 2001 and that Pardo was watching their 13-month-old son, Matthew, one Saturday while Lucano went grocery shopping. When Lucano returned a short time later, she found Pardo frantically holding the unconscious toddler, Alvirez said. "The child did get away from him for a few minutes and managed to crawl out of a patio door and slip into the pool," Alvirez said. The couple rushed the child to a nearby hospital, where paramedics resuscitated him. Later, the gravely traumatized child was airlifted to Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, a world-renowned trauma center that specializes in severe pediatric care, for specialized treatment, Alvirez said. During the first week in the intensive care unit, Pardo never left his son's bedside, Alvirez said. But a few weeks after the child was stabilized, doctors concluded that severe brain damage would confine him to a wheelchair for life, Alvirez said. Less than six months later, Pardo and Lucano ended their relationship, and Pardo stopped visiting his son. Pardo also neglected to contribute to Matthew's medical costs, which surged up to $340,000 within the first year, Alvirez said. "We had to sue [Pardo] on his $100,000 homeowner's insurance policy, and I recommended that Elena sue Bruce beyond the policy," he said. "She was not a vindictive type, and she knew he was living with overwhelming guilt and | [
"Who was brain damaged?",
"What is the name of Bruce Pardos son?",
"What Is Bruce Pardo known for?",
"What did Pardo rent?"
] | [
[
"Matthew,"
],
[
"Matthew,"
],
[
"went on a shooting rampage in a Los Angeles suburb on Wednesday, police say."
],
[
"car"
]
] | Bruce Pardo's son from previous relationship was brain damaged, attorney says .
Secret of boy's existence was factor in divorce, newspaper reports .
Police are looking for car Pardo might have rented .
Authorities release information on those unaccounted for after fire . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The man who, dressed as Santa Claus, killed nine people at a Christmas Eve party planned to flee to Canada the next day, but California police believe he decided to kill himself instead because of severe burn injuries. Pardo rigged his rental car so that if someone tried to remove the Santa suit, the car would explode. During a news conference on Friday, Covina Police Chief Kim Raney said Bruce Jeffrey Pardo had purchased a ticket for an early Christmas Day flight from Los Angeles to Canada. Raney said that while police do not know why Pardo, 45, decided against his plan to flee, they speculate it may have been due to the burn injuries Pardo received after setting fire to the home where the slayings occurred. Pardo's body was covered in third-degree burns, Raney said, and part of the Santa suit the gunman wore to the massacre burned and melted into his legs. Police believe Pardo's injuries came after he set fire to the home using a homemade device used to spread fuel. Raney also said Pardo came to his former in-laws' home with $17,000 strapped to his legs and inside a girdle, indicating he may have wanted quick access to his money as he fled the country. Watch police talk about what was found on the gunman's body » Police said that after leaving the home, Pardo changed out of the Santa suit and into regular clothes. Raney also spoke about a pipe bomb that exploded in Pardo's rental car Thursday night. He said Pardo had rigged the rental car so that if someone tried to remove the Santa suit, the car would explode. The car was packed with ammunition and black powder, he said. Police said that inside Pardo's home in Montrose, California, they also found five empty boxes for semiautomatic handguns, two high-powered shotguns and "racing fuel," which they believe was used to help set fire to the home. Police also said they found Pardo's resume, which said he had a bachelor's and master's degree in electrical engineering, but they could not verify if it was accurate. The resume also indicated Pardo had worked in the aerospace field. The news conference Friday came after officials said a ninth body was found in the rubble at the home. Watch investigators at the burned-out home » Police said about 25 people attended the holiday party where Pardo, dressed in a full Santa Claus outfit, came in the front door and then moved through the house, firing two semiautomatic handguns. Covina police Friday released a recording of a chaotic 911 call. Voices are heard on the recording yelling, "Stay away from the window!" and pleading, "Please come immediately ... he's shooting! He's shooting!" Later a voice gasps, "He's left the house -- my mom's house is on fire!" A distraught woman cries, "My daughter's been shot! She was shot in the face on the side, and she's bleeding!" Police said Pardo brought four handguns to the home. The first victim was an 8-year-old girl who ran to the door after hearing a knock, police said. She was shot in the face but survived. "She has a very, very severe injury to her face. It's not life-threatening, but she's got a very tough road ahead of her," Lt. Pat Buchanan of the Covina Police Department said at a news conference Thursday. Watch police describe girl's injuries » Raney said Friday that witnesses, who may have caught only glimpses of what was happening because of the chaos, thought Pardo may have targeted some victims. He said witnesses at the party said Pardo may have stood over some of the victims and executed them. Raney said people at the party were jumping out of windows on both floors of the house trying to escape the gunfire and flames. "The information we have so far is that Mr. Pardo was married to the daughter of the resident of the | [
"What was heard on the 911 call?",
"What was the suspect wearing when they found his body?",
"What did police say the flight locations were?",
"What suit melted?",
"Where was the suspect trying to fly to?",
"Who said that the ninth person's body was found in ashes?",
"Where did this shooting occur?",
"Where was the suspect flying from?",
"What was the suspect's scheduled route?"
] | [
[
"yelling, \"Stay away from the window!\" and pleading, \"Please come immediately"
],
[
"Santa suit"
],
[
"Canada."
],
[
"Santa"
],
[
"Canada"
],
[
"officials"
],
[
"California"
],
[
"Los Angeles"
],
[
"flight from Los Angeles to Canada."
]
] | NEW: 911 call: "Please come immediately ... he's shooting! He's shooting!"
Police say suspect had flight scheduled from Los Angeles to Canada .
Cops say Santa suit melted onto suspects body .
Body of missing ninth person found in ashes, coroner's office says . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The two men running Michael Jackson's estate gained new powers and an extension of their authority until the end of the year in a court hearing Friday. An investigator's report said Michael Jackson's children are doing well with Katherine Jackson as their guardian. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff also accepted an investigator's report that said Jackson's three children are adjusting well under the guardianship of Katherine Jackson. "It looks like the children are really doing wonderfully with their grandmother guardian," Beckloff said. Joe Jackson sat in the courtroom for the hearing on estate and custody matters. It was the first time Michael Jackson's father has attended the hearings since his son's June 25 death. John Branca and John McClain, named as executors of Jackson's 2002 will, have been handling the estate's business as temporary special administrators since July while the will probate process is completed. Branca was a longtime attorney for Michael Jackson, who was rehired by the pop star just a week before his death, according to estate lawyer Howard Weitzman. McClain is a former music industry executive who worked with Jackson for years. Katherine Jackson's challenge of Branca and McClain appears headed for a trial in December, unless an agreement is reached between them. Her lawyers have not publicly given their objections to the two men, but have suggested the trial would explore possible conflicts of interest that would prevent them from running the estate. Jackson's lawyers have also said a Jackson family member should be included as an executor. While Joe Jackson did not speak to reporters after the hearing, a Jackson family friend, Majestik Magnificent, talked about the special administrators. "Why are they even here? Why are they even involved in this? This is a family affair," he said. Until now, the administrators had to ask for court approval for every agreement they made for the estate, including a deal for a movie that will hit theaters at the end of October. "Things went well for the estate, because the estate can now continue to do it's business," Weitzman said after the hearing. Beckloff said that while the case is fascinating, his calendar is too full for him to be involved in all of the estate's business. With their new powers, the special administrators only have to notify the court and the Jacksons about deals. Michael Jackson's mother and three children, along with unnamed charities, are the beneficiaries of the estate, which is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. An odd moment came in the hearing when a woman who has previously filed a papers claiming to be the mother of Michael Jackson's youngest child, Prince Michael II, spoke up to remind the judge she was there. She says her name is Billie Jean Jackson. At the end of the hearing, Joe Jackson approached her, but she frowned at him and walked away. Majestik Magnificent later wondered aloud why reporters even give any attention to "crazy" people surrounding the case. | [
"What did Joe Jackson attend for the first time?",
"Until when did the judge extend administrators' powers?",
"How long were administrator powers extended?",
"What is the name of Michael Jackson's father?",
"When did Michael Jackson pass away?",
"Who don't need court approval?"
] | [
[
"the hearing on estate and custody matters."
],
[
"the end of the year"
],
[
"until the end of the year"
],
[
"Joe"
],
[
"June 25"
],
[
"administrators"
]
] | Judge extends Michael Jackson administrators' powers until the end of the year .
Administrators of estate don't need to have court approval for every decision .
Joe Jackson attends court hearing for the first time since son's death . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- They poured in to Los Angeles from places far-flung, an army of Michael Jackson fans hoping to collectively mourn their idol in a massive ceremony at the Staples Center downtown Tuesday. A fan leaves a note on a Michael Jackson memorial outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The singer's memorial service Tuesday will be a star-studded affair, with singers Mariah Carey, Usher and Stevie Wonder among the participants, according to an announcement released on behalf of the Jackson family. Also participating in the event will be basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson, and singers Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Smokey Robinson, the family said. The Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III will be among others taking part. Ken Ehrlich, known for producing the Grammy Awards, is producing the memorial show, his company said. Kenny Ortega, who was to have co-directed Jackson's series of concerts in London, England, this summer, will direct it. Mayer posted on Twitter on Monday afternoon saying "I'm going not to 'perform' but to contribute." "I'm honored to have been asked to play at MJ's memorial service. I will be representing all of us who can't be there," Mayer tweeted. "Going to say goodbye from all us kids." One notable who won't be attending: longtime Jackson friend Elizabeth Taylor, who put out a message on Twitter that she "cannot be part of the public whoopla." "I just don't believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others," Taylor tweeted. "How I feel is between us. Not a public event." "I love him too much," she added, "and I cannot guarantee that I would be coherent to say a word." Debbie Rowe, Jackson's former wife and the mother of his two oldest children, will not attend the memorial service, her lawyer Marta Almli said Monday. "Although Debbie had originally planned to attend tomorrow's Staples Center memorial service, we have concluded with Debbie that she will not be attending," a statement from Almli said. "The onslaught of media attention has made it clear her attendance would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy. Debbie will continue to celebrate Michael's memory privately." Fans without tickets to the memorial are being asked to stay away from downtown Los Angeles and watch the service on television. Details: See who will be there, map of area » The family decided to provide a free live video feed to networks so it would be televised everywhere. "Everything about the memorial has to do with accommodating as many fans as possible," Ken Sunshine, the Jackson family spokesman, said. While Jackson's family remains tight-lipped about the singer's burial arrangements, sources told CNN that relatives will hold a private gathering at the Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles Tuesday morning ahead of the public service. The California Highway Patrol will escort their motorcade, the sources said. The gathering is scheduled for 8 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) -- two hours before the service at the Staples Center arena. Cemetery officials have not commented on the matter. While there are five Forest Lawn cemeteries in the Los Angeles area, media trucks and crews have been parked at the gate of the Hollywood Hills facility for several days in anticipation of Jackson's possible interment there. Fans claim tickets On Monday, fans chosen by random lottery for Jackson's memorial began arriving at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to pick up their tickets. Full story Los Angeles Police Capt. Bill Murphy said the distribution process was going smoothly. One person tried to pass off a photocopied voucher; he was ejected, Murphy said. The 8,750 fans have until 6 p.m. PT to claim their tickets. iReport.com: "Surreal journey" to get Jackson tickets Each winner gets two tickets, bringing the number awarded in the lottery to 17,500. | [
"Whose memorial was Taylor and Rowe not attending?",
"What is the relationship of Taylor and Rowe to Michael Jackson?",
"who is not attending memorial",
"Who are Jackson's former wifes?",
"When is a private gathering expected to be held?",
"When will the private gathering expected to be held at?"
] | [
[
"MJ's"
],
[
"wife"
],
[
"Elizabeth Taylor,"
],
[
"Debbie Rowe,"
],
[
"Tuesday morning ahead of the public service."
],
[
"the Staples Center downtown Tuesday."
]
] | Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Rowe, Jackson's former wife, not attending memorial .
Musicians, famed athletes slated for Michael Jackson memorial .
Private gathering expected to be held at 8 a.m. PT Tuesday . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Those extra service fees tacked on to concert ticket prices -- long a source of grumbling by ticket buyers -- will disappear for millions of seats sold by the largest U.S. concert promoter this summer. Live Nation is awaiting government approval of a merger with giant Ticketmaster. Live Nation launches "No Service Fee Wednesdays" this week for lawn seats at amphitheaters, removing extra fees from 5 million lawn seats for shows at amphitheaters across the United States. Live Nation insisted that the promotion was about selling more tickets and helping music fans hit by hard times, not improving public relations while it waits for government approval of its merger with Ticketmaster. But the promotion could soothe some bad feelings. "People get a little ticked off when they think they're paying $20 for a ticket and as they progress along the various pages of the electronic transaction, they see more fees added a long the way," said Ray Waddell, who writes about live music tours for Billboard magazine. Live Nation will waive fees on lawn seats for 24 hours, beginning at midnight Tuesday local time and lasting through Wednesday. Lawn seat tickets available this week include concerts by Aerosmith, Blink-182, Coldplay, No Doubt, Nickelback, Depeche Mode, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and many others, Live Nation said. Other shows coming later in the summer include Crosby Stills & Nash, Crue Fest 2, Def Leppard with Poison and Cheap Trick, Jason Mraz, Kid Rock & Lynyrd Skynyrd, Incubus, New Kids on the Block, Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction, Phish, the Dead, Rascall Flats with Darius Rucker, the Allman Brothers Band, the Fray and the Killers. "They're sacrificing quite a lot of revenue here," Waddell said He estimated that fees add up to about a third of the average price for lawn seats. The economic recession has not seemed to slow the live concert business, which "considering everything else, is going like gangbusters," he said. "It looks like it could be a really strong year," he said. "People want to go to shows. They want to hear music." Every tour offers some type of promotion, he said, including a lot of $10 lawn seats. "This is a business that's pretty flexible when it needs to be," he said. Live Nation began selling tickets to its own concerts only last year, just months before announcing plans to merge with Ticketmaster, the world's largest ticket-seller. Before that, Live Nation promoted shows but had no infrastructure to sell tickets, and it contracted out to Ticketmaster or others to sell them. The Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger plan has drawn criticism. The Justice Department launched an investigation of the proposed merger in February. Neither Live Nation nor Ticketmaster executives would respond to questions about the merger. However, Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff did talk about it before a U.S. Senate subcommittee earlier this year. The merger "will give us greater flexibility in how we promote, market and sell tickets to events," he said. "It will give us a pathway to alternative pricing and fee structures. And we will be better able to develop new and innovative products and services that enhance the fan experience and make all forms of entertainment more accessible to everyone." CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report. | [
"Which company is launchng the promotion?",
"What could soothe feathers?",
"What shows does it apply to?",
"What did the Ticketmaster merger consist of?",
"How many million seats does the no service fee apply to?"
] | [
[
"Live Nation"
],
[
"promotion"
],
[
"lawn seats at amphitheaters,"
],
[
"\"will give us greater flexibility in how we promote, market and sell tickets to events,\""
],
[
"5"
]
] | Live Nation's "No Service Fee Wednesdays" applies to 5 million seats .
Promotion could soothe feathers ruffled by Ticketmaster merger .
It applies to shows such as No Doubt, the Dead, Jason Mraz, Nine Inch Nails . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Three men charged with sexually exploiting Cambodian children are being brought back to the United States to face prosecution, the Justice Department announced Monday. The men are among the first charged under an international law enforcement initiative specifically targeting Americans traveling to Cambodia for the purpose of sexually abusing children. The initiative, Operation Twisted Traveler, is an effort by the Justice Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to crack down on sex tourism. "The men charged in this investigation apparently thought they could pursue their abhorrent desires by leaving the United States to prey on children in another country, but they were sadly mistaken," U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said in a statement. "We are now working closer than ever with officials in other nations and concerned private parties to take every effort we can to identify and prosecute sex tourists, as well as to provide every protection we can to the world's children." Ronald Boyajian, 49, Erik Peeters, 41, and Jack Sporich, 75, are each charged with international travel and engaging in sexual contact with minors, a charge carrying a maximum prison sentence of 30 years, according to the Justice Department. They are slated to make their first appearances in federal court on Tuesday, the Justice Department indicated in a news release. The defendants are charged with international travel and engaging in sexual contact with minors, a charge carrying a maximum prison sentence of 30 years for each of their alleged victims, according to the department. They are charged under the federal Protect Act, enacted six years ago to strengthen federal laws relating to predatory crimes against children outside U.S. borders, the department added. The three defendants were apprehended, according to Immigration and Customs officials, as a result of information provided by the human rights organization International Justice Mission and the group Action Pour les Enfants, which combats child exploitation. All three men have been previously convicted of sex offenses in the United States, the Justice Department noted in its statement. "These types of cases are disturbing not only because young, defenseless children were victimized in unspeakable ways but also because the defendants went to such lengths to engage in their dark activities overseas," O'Brien said at a news conference. He highlighted the case against Peeters, who was convicted on child molestation charges in 1990. "Our case against Mr. Peeters outlines evidence of him allegedly molesting Cambodian boys, paying them small amounts of money -- $5 to $10 -- and possibly taking digital pictures of his young victims while they were naked," O'Brien noted. He said Peeters molested at least three boys in Cambodia over the course of several months. One of the boys was 12 years old when the abuse is said to have started. Boyajian is said to have "engaged in sexual activity with a 10-year-old Vietnamese girl in an area outside Phnom Penh frequented by child sex tourists known as 'Kilo 11,' " the Justice Department statement said. Sporich, according to Action Pour les Enfants investigators cited in the government's criminal complaint, repeatedly hosted three Cambodian boys at a residence outside the city of Siem Reap. The complaint states that Sporich "was known to drive his motor bike through the neighborhoods while dropping Cambodian (money) on the street in order to meet kids." The new charges "clearly demonstrate to the Cambodian people that the United States will not tolerate this type of abuse," said Carol Rodley, the American ambassador to Cambodia. "These cases not only signal to the Cambodian victims our commitment to justice, but they will also act as a powerful deterrent for those individuals who are contemplating traveling to Cambodia to engage in illegal sexual activity with minors." The International Labor Organization estimates that at least 12.3 million adults and children are victims of forced labor, bonded labor and sex slavery each year. Cambodia is one of several countries recently added to a U.S. "watch list" because of what a State Department report calls a worsening human trafficking record in that country. | [
"what was operation twisted traveler?",
"How long are their sentences going to be?",
"What act are the men charged under?",
"What is the operation cracking down on?",
"what sentences do these men face?",
"How long is the sentance faced?",
"what act was 3 men charged under?",
"How many men are being returned to United States?",
"What is the operation called?"
] | [
[
"an effort by the Justice Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to crack down on sex tourism."
],
[
"of 30 years,"
],
[
"federal Protect"
],
[
"sex tourism."
],
[
"30 years,"
],
[
"carrying a maximum prison sentence of 30 years,"
],
[
"with sexually exploiting Cambodian children"
],
[
"Three"
],
[
"Twisted Traveler,"
]
] | Operation Twisted Traveler is crackdown on U.S. sex tourism in Cambodia .
Three men being returned to United States, charged under Protect Act .
Suspects convicted of previous sexual offenses in U.S., agency says .
They face sentences of 30 years for each alleged victim . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Tim Russert's personal physician says medics tried to save the NBC anchor shortly after he collapsed at work. Dr. Michael Newman said medics tried to revive Tim Russert several times before he died. Dr. Michael Newman told CNN's Larry King that a defibrillator, a heart-shocking device, was used to try to save Russert. "A resuscitation was begun almost immediately," he said. Russert, a mainstay of television journalism's political talk as the host of "Meet the Press," died of a heart attack after collapsing at NBC's Washington bureau Friday. He was 58. Newman appeared on "Larry King Live" on Monday, along with Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiac thoracic surgeon, and Dr. P.K. Shah, King's heart doctor. Watch Russert's son greet guests at wake » Newman described Russert as a model patient: "He complied with almost everything that was asked of him." The following is an edited version of the show's transcript: Newman: Tim had a cardiac arrest. It was related to an acute -- presumably acute dissection, rupturing plaque that's causing a blockage of a coronary artery. He had a heart attack -- a fatal arrhythmia. Watch panel discuss if Russert's death was preventable » King: Did we know he had heart disease? Newman: Tim was known to have coronary artery disease, and it was being treated with respect to management of his risk factors. King: Was he on medication? Did he exercise? Did he watch what he ate? Newman: Tim was on medication. I'd like to say, I'm glad you mentioned exercise and watching what we eat. The foundation of management of heart disease and every medical condition, really, starts with lifestyle modification. You know, a healthy lifestyle, and you'll have good health, and you'll certainly have a healthy heart. ... Tim appreciated that. Yes, he exercised. He was on his Aerodyne bicycle. See a timeline of Russert's career » King: Dr. Oz, from what Dr. Newman said, could it have been prevented? Oz: You can never tell for sure. And the reality is a big wake-up call. And it's the question that Tim Russert would be asking right now: What are the odds that I could have done something different myself? Let's examine it for a second. Of the 450,000 people a year who die of heart attacks in this country, probably half of them never knew they were at risk of a heart attack. It's because the heart doesn't really have pain fibers. In fact, the only reason you ever feel any pain when you're having a heart attack is because the nerves in the heart cross other nerves -- from your chin, your arm or from the chest and the spinal column. And they short-circuit each other out. And that creates this referred pain that in cardiology and cardiosurgery we recognize to be angina. The other reality -- and this is a big wake-up call for a lot of Americans, as well -- is that a lot of the plaques that we have are not flow limiting. And by that I mean they don't cause a limitation on the amount of blood that courses through the veins that go to our heart. ... King: Dr. Shah has brought along a defibrillator. Right? Dr. Newman, it was not used, is that correct? Newman: That's not correct. King: OK, it was used. Newman: NBC had a defibrillator. A resuscitation was begun almost immediately. NBC had an EAD [external automated defibrillator] on site, and they were preparing to use it. At the same moment, the DC EMS, emergency medical squad, arrived, and they immediately defibrillated Tim. He had no heart rhythm. They defibrillated him. His heart was beating then in a ventricular -- fine ventricular fib, and then it deteriorated. They shocked him again. Actually, he was defibrillated three times before his | [
"What was Russert on?",
"How many times was a defibrillator used on Russert before he got to the hospital?",
"how many times used a defibrillator?",
"what its the name of Doctor?",
"What did medics use three times before Russert got to hospital?",
"What does Tim Russert's doctor says he was?",
"Who said Tim Russert was a model patient?"
] | [
[
"medication."
],
[
"three"
],
[
"three"
],
[
"Dr. Michael Newman"
],
[
"a defibrillator."
],
[
"a model patient:"
],
[
"Dr. Michael Newman"
]
] | Tim Russert's doctor says he was a model patient .
Doctor: Russert was on heart medication and exercised .
Doctor says medics used a defibrillator three times before Russert got to hospital . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- While authorities do not yet know what killed Michael Jackson, the possibility that anesthetics -- particularly the drug Diprivan -- might be involved continues to swell with each new revelation. Propofol induces a coma, not sleep, an anesthesiologist told CNN. On Friday, The Associated Press quoted an unnamed law enforcement source saying investigators found Diprivan in Jackson's Holmby Hills home. A nutritionist, Cherilyn Lee, said earlier in the week that Jackson pleaded for the drug despite being told of its harmful effects. Sources close to Jackson told CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta that the singer, who suffered from a sleep disorder, traveled with an anesthesiologist who would "take him down" at night and "bring him back up" during a world tour in the mid-90s. The California State Attorney General's office has now said it is helping the Los Angeles Police Department in Jackson's death investigation. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is also looking into the role of drugs, two federal law enforcement sources said. The drug Diprivan, known by its generic name Propofol, is administered intravenously in operating rooms as a general anesthetic, the manufacturer AstraZeneca said Friday. "It is neither indicated nor approved for use as a sleep aid," said spokesman Tony Jewell. The drug works as a depressant on one's central nervous system. "It works on your brain," said Dr. Zeev Kain, the chair of the anesthesiology department at the University of California Irvine. "It basically puts the entire brain to sleep." However, once the infusion is stopped, the patient wakes up almost immediately. "So if you're going to do this, you'd have to have somebody right there giving you the medication and monitoring you continuously," Kain said. Dr. Hector Vila, chairman of the Ambulatory Surgery Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists, said he administers the drug during office procedures such as urology, dentistry and gynecology. It is also the most common anesthetic for colonoscopies, he said. Both doctors said that while they have heard of the drug being abused by health care professionals, who have ready access to it, they had not heard of it being used as a sleep aid medication. "Propofol induces coma, it does not induce sleep," Kain said. "I can put you in a coma for as many days as you want. And, in fact, in intensive care units who have patients who are on a ventilator, that's one of the drugs they use." Dr. Rakesh Marwah, of the anesthesiology department at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said the drug can lead to cardiac arrest without proper monitoring. "Propofol slows down the heart rate and slows down the respiratory rate and slows down the vital functions of the body," he said. Not enough carbon dioxide exits the body; not enough oxygen enters. And the situation can cause the heart to abruptly stop. "[It is] as dangerous as it comes," Kain said. "You will die if you will give yourself, or if somebody will give you, Propofol and you're not in the proper medical hands." Los Angeles police have interviewed Jackson's cardiologist, Dr. Conrad Murray, who apparently tried to revive the singer after he was found unconscious on June 25. They also impounded Murray's car, saying it might contain evidence -- possibly prescription medications. Police did not say whether they found anything. Through his lawyers, Murray has released several statements saying that he would not be commenting until the toxicology results into Jackson's death are released. The tests are due back in two to three weeks, the Los Angeles County coroner said Thursday. "We are treating all unnamed sources as rumors. And, as we have stated before, we will not be responding to rumors or innuendo," Murray's lawyer, Matt Alford said Friday. "We are awaiting the facts to come out and we will respond at that time. " The anesthesiologist who accompanied Jackson during the HIStory tour in the mid-'90s also | [
"What drug is \"as dangerous as it comes\"?",
"What is as dangerous as it comes?",
"What is dangerous without proper guidance?",
"Who says Diprivan found in house?",
"Who went on world tour in the 1990s?",
"Who did sources say Jackson traveled with?"
] | [
[
"Propofol"
],
[
"Propofol"
],
[
"Propofol"
],
[
"unnamed law enforcement source"
],
[
"Michael Jackson,"
],
[
"an anesthesiologist"
]
] | Anesthesiologist: Diprivan "as dangerous as it comes," without proper guidance .
Sources say Jackson traveled with an anesthesiologist during world tour in 1990s .
Doctor would "take him down" at night and "bring him back up," sources say .
Associated Press: Unnamed law enforcement source says Diprivan found in house . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- While automakers lay off staff and shut down plants in response to the economic downturn, one automaker announced Thursday that it will open a manufacturing plant in the United States, potentially creating hundreds of jobs in the area eventually chosen. Tesla unveils its Model S sedan, with a base price of $57,400. The manufacturing plant will be in California. Tesla Motors, maker of a high-end electric sports car, says it will build an all-electric sedan in Southern California. Thursday's announcement was made in Hawthorne, California, where Tesla unveiled the Model S sedan at a base price of $49,900, after a federal tax credit of $7,500. That's less than half the price of its first model, the Roadster. Started in 2003 and bankrolled by PayPal millionaire Elon Musk, Tesla has attracted investments from the Silicon Valley elite, among them Google founder Larry Page. It is widely believed that the Model S sedan will be built near the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation facility in Hawthorne. That aerospace company, more commonly known as SpaceX, was founded by Musk in 2002. SpaceX recently won a NASA contract to deliver cargo to the international space station when the space shuttle program is retired next year. That contract, worth $1.6 billion, was won over such industry mainstays as Boeing and Lockheed. The promise of a high-performance, all-electric vehicle became a reality with the startup's first model, the Tesla Roadster, a car with the look, speed and price tag -- a steep $109,000 and up -- that rivals other high-end, high-performance vehicles. Recently though, the economic downturn has forced Tesla to delay production of their would-be flagship Model S until 2011. They've also had to lay off more than 80 workers, which is about 25 percent of the company's staff. Nonetheless, Tesla predicts it will manufacture 20,000 Model S vehicles a year. That would make it more of a mass-market vehicle than the Roadster; only 1,200 of which are produced yearly. The company faces many challenges, the foremost of which is convincing consumers to pay almost $50,000 for an all-electric sedan when they could pay thousands less for another brand of upmarket sedan or a gas-electric hybrid. | [
"Who owns the Tesla corporation?",
"What kind of plant will be located in California?",
"What will be the base price of the all-electric Model S sedan?",
"What is the base price of the Model S sedan?",
"Who hopes to make 20,000 sedans?",
"Where will the Tesla manufacturing plant be located?",
"What number of Model S sedans does Tesla hope to make each year?",
"Where will the Tesla manufacturing plant be?",
"What is the base price for the all-electric Model S sedan?"
] | [
[
"Elon Musk,"
],
[
"manufacturing"
],
[
"$57,400."
],
[
"$57,400."
],
[
"Tesla"
],
[
"California."
],
[
"20,000"
],
[
"California."
],
[
"$57,400."
]
] | Tesla says manufacturing plant will be in California; hundreds of jobs possible .
The all-electric Model S sedan will go for a base price of about $50,000 .
Tesla's challenge: Will consumers pay that much for a car in recessionary times?
The company hopes to make 20,000 Model S sedans a year . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched a Beverly Hills pharmacy Friday in connection with the investigation into the death of Michael Jackson, an agency spokesman said. Dr. Arnold Klein denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs. The agents executed a federal search warrant at the Mickey Fine Pharmacy and Grill, and were expected to seize pharmacy records, said DEA spokesman Jose Martinez. The pharmacy is in the same building as the office of Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein. Shortly before his death, Jackson visited the building several times to see Klein. The store remained open for business, giving journalists who chose to dine at its lunch counter an unusually close look at the searchers at work. Several DEA agents crowded behind the pharmacy counter, shuffling through paper documents, while pharmacy employees stood by to answer questions. Jackson had been sued by the pharmacy, which claimed the pop singer had not paid a $100,000 bill, but the dispute was later settled. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office visited Klein's office. "We wanted some additional information and they provided it," said Ed Winter, coroner's spokesman. He said Klein's staff and attorneys cooperated with the requests. The coroner's office said more than a week ago that a "thorough and comprehensive" report into the death of Michael Jackson is complete, but police have requested that it not yet be released because of the ongoing criminal investigation. The coroner's office said it would abide by the request that "the cause and manner of death remain confidential," and referred all questions to Los Angeles police. The DEA search did not involve detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department, although Martinez said the federal agents would share their findings with them. Jackson's June 25 death is also the focus of an investigation by Los Angeles police and the state attorney general's office. Klein, who treated Jackson for decades, denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs. CNN's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report. | [
"Which pharmacy is next door to Dr. Arnold Klein's office?",
"Who was Jackson's dermatologist?",
"Who was Michael Jackson's dermatologist?",
"What investigation did the DEA search?",
"What is next door to Dr. Arnold Klein's office?",
"what was klein to jackson",
"What is next door to Beverly Hills pharmacy?",
"what is the dea searching"
] | [
[
"Mickey Fine"
],
[
"Dr. Arnold Klein."
],
[
"Dr. Arnold Klein."
],
[
"the death of Michael Jackson,"
],
[
"Mickey Fine Pharmacy and Grill,"
],
[
"dermatologist,"
],
[
"office of Jackson's dermatologist,"
],
[
"Beverly Hills pharmacy"
]
] | Beverly Hills pharmacy is next door to Dr. Arnold Klein's office .
DEA search in connection with Michael Jackson investigation .
Klein was Jackson's dermatologist . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert confirmed publicly what he assumed everyone already knew: He is gay. Adam Lambert talks about his sexuality and his "Idol" experience in the new Rolling Stone. "I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I am gay," Lambert told Rolling Stone magazine. He said he is "proud of my sexuality" and never sought to hide it during the "Idol" competition. "I embrace it," he said. "It's just another part of me." Still, he stayed silent when, in March, a picture of him, dressed in drag and kissing an ex-boyfriend, emerged online. Lambert told Rolling Stone he was worried coming out would "be so sensationalized that it would overshadow what I was there to do, which was sing." The photo was taken on one of the three or four times he's dressed in drag, Lambert said, "but 'sucking my boy's face? Yes, that I will own.' " He took down all of the pictures on his Facebook and MySpace pages before the "Idol" season, but he forgot about another Web site profile that included the drag photo, he said. Watch Lambert pose with a snake for the cover » With the competition over, Lambert's public confirmation of his homosexuality is in preparation for the "American Idol" national tour, which starts next month. He said he wanted to avoid "the Clay Aiken thing and the celebrity-magazine bulls--t." "I find it very important to be in control of this situation," he said. "I feel like everyone has an opinion of me, and I want a chance to say, 'Well, do you want to hear how I really feel about all this?'" Aiken, the runner-up on "Idol's" second season, dodged questions about his sexuality until coming out in People magazine last year. Lambert said his coming out is not a political statement. "I'm trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader," he said. The Rolling Stone article revealed some "bi-curious" ambiguity for Lambert, whose tall, dark and handsome looks appealed to the female audience. "I loved it this season when girls went crazy for me," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's all hot." He said he is "kind of interested" in girls. Lambert made another revelation to Rolling Stone that might not be expected. His decision to audition for "American Idol" came after a week at Burning Man -- an annual festival held in a Nevada desert -- where he experimented with "certain funguses." "I had a psychedelic experience where I looked up at the clouds and went, 'Oh!' " he said. "I realized that we all have our own power, and that whatever I wanted to do, I had to make happen." And what he wanted to do was be on "American Idol," he said. "I knew it was my only shot to be taken seriously in the recording industry, because it's fast and broad." | [
"What decision is mentioned?",
"Who is subject of cover story in Rolling Stone?"
] | [
[
"audition for \"American Idol\""
],
[
"Adam Lambert"
]
] | Adam Lambert subject of cover story in Rolling Stone; says he is gay .
Lambert said he never sought to hide sexuality, but didn't want it sensationalized .
Decision to try out for "American Idol" came after psychedelic experience . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- "I like L.A., but there sure are a lot of ugly bastards running around here," says James Hunter, with a set of grotesque joke teeth in his mouth -- and tongue firmly in cheek. James Hunter has received raves for his recordings, but has yet to break through to big-time success. Midway through a lengthy tour, it's nice to know his sense of humor is intact. The boyish 46-year-old British retro-R&B singer is in a dressing room at the Sunset Strip's House of Blues, sitting in a throne-like chair festooned with Mexican Day of the Dead skulls. It's oddly fitting. Like that festival, Hunter is remembering -- through his music -- those who are no longer with us. His classic soul-inspired sound and concert style harkens back to the golden days of R&B and the men who practiced it: Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and guitarist Lowman Pauling, among others. "I think I probably stole a couple of tricks from people who were already dead by the time I started," he replies, when asked about his stage moves. Indeed, an hour later he's on stage and it's clear that if you put him in the "Back to the Future" DeLorean, traveled back to 1955 and dropped him off with Marvin Berry's band at the "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance, he'd be right at home. Watch Hunter perform for a sound check » That authentic old-school sound has made him a cult favorite among jazz and blues aficionados. His first two albums -- 2006's "People Gonna Talk" and last year's "The Hard Way" -- were acclaimed by critics and the cognoscenti, with the Boston Globe calling "The Hard Way" "one of the year's smoothest and best discs." He's also earned praise as a dazzling live performer, one who is known for guitar acrobatics performed with a smile. But he has yet to achieve the mainstream success of British retro-soul contemporaries Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Adele. Could it be because they've found a way to blend contemporary lyrics with an older sound? Hunter acknowledges he doesn't do enough of that in his own music: "I think that's my downfall, to be honest. I think they picked up on a trick that I'm trying, that I've mastered. I mean, I think they're as much immersed in contemporary stuff as the old days. I think that's pretty cool. I'm trying to do that. "Stylistically, I'm more embedded, not in tradition -- I mean I'm not into genres -- but styles, you know," he continues. "The sound of things. I've got my preference in the sound and stuff. But, you know, I think I can afford to go their way a little bit, not because it's successful, but because it works." Interestingly, few American acts have embraced the retro-soul sound with the fervor of their British counterparts. Hunter has his theories on why that's the case. "It could be because you guys invented it, you know. I think it's possible," he says. "I'm not sure these days, but initially you had the Stones and people like that, even the Beatles who were much more in awe in this American music than Americans were. It all tends to be on your doorstep and you tend to be more cavalier to the stuff that's already there. It's like the thing when John Lennon told the reporters that he wanted to see Muddy Waters and they said, 'Where's that?' " But despite the love he has for the music of the classic soul era, Hunter understands that going forward, a healthy irreverence is what will keep it fresh for audiences -- and himself. "I think the downfall of any type of music is to treat it with too much reverence, because the people at the time weren't treating it with reverence and they were | [
"Hunter is known for what?",
"What instrument does he play?",
"What is James Hunter known for?"
] | [
[
"James"
],
[
"guitar"
],
[
"guitar acrobatics performed with a smile."
]
] | James Hunter known for old-school R&B recordings .
British guitarist has earned raves, but still no big-time success .
Hunter admits that he's trying to combine contemporary lyrics with old sound . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A 24-year-old gang member was arrested Thursday in connection with a shooting at a Los Angeles bus stop in which eight people were wounded, city officials said. Bystanders express shock after a shooting at a bus stop in Los Angeles Wednesday. Billy Ray Hines is believed to have fired into a crowd of people at the bus stop. Hines was apprehended Thursday afternoon as he was walking down the street, about a half-mile from the scene of the shooting, Police Chief William Bratton told reporters. Hines will face 10 counts of attempted murder -- one for each of the eight victims, and two more for what authorities believe to be his two intended victims, who were still being sought Thursday, Bratton said. Authorities are also seeking the gun used in the incident, he said. The shootings took place Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Central and Vernon avenues, in an area where police are concerned about gang violence. Five of the victims were children. An 11-year-old girl was shot in the chest, and another girl, age 11, was shot in the right arm. Three boys were wounded -- ages 10, 12 and 14. One was shot in the leg, one in the buttocks and the third in the ankle, police said. One man was wounded in the leg and another in the ankle, and a woman was shot in the face. "While no one died yesterday, the bullets unleashed shot through the core of the entire community," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in announcing the arrest Thursday. "The decent people of this community responded with force." Watch mayor, authorities discuss arrest of gunman » Witnesses came forward after the incident to identify the gunman as Hines, Bratton said. The shooting was believed to stem from a dispute between the gunman and the two intended victims, he said. E-mail to a friend | [
"What number of counts will Hines face?",
"When did the shooting happen?",
"Who fired into the crowd?",
"Who is believed to have fired into a crowd?",
"What number of people were shot?",
"Who will face attempted murder?",
"Where did Hines fire his gun?",
"Who was shot by the gunfire?",
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[
"10"
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[
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[
"eight"
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[
"Hines"
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"Los Angeles bus stop"
],
[
"eight people"
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[
"Five"
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] | Billy Ray Hines is believed to have fired into a crowd, police say .
Eight people, including five children, were shot, authorities say .
Shooting happened Wednesday near a middle school, but not on school grounds .
Hines will face 10 counts of attempted murder, police say . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A California woman who turned up alive 18 years after being kidnapped at age 11 is reconnecting with her family after nearly two decades apart, her aunt said Thursday. Tina Dugard speaks to the media Thursday about how her niece Jaycee is reconnecting with her family. Police said Thursday that the man charged with abducting and raping Jaycee Lee Dugard had been accused of raping a 14-year-old in 1972, but those charges were dropped for unknown reasons. "I think there's a good chance of that, yes," Antioch Police Lt. Leonard Orman said when asked whether he believed that other victims would be found. Dugard is spending time in "a secluded place, reconnecting" with her mother and younger sister, said Jaycee's aunt, Tina Dugard, who spent time with them. The two children born to her during her captivity are "clever, articulate, curious girls," she said. "This is a joyful time for my family," she said. "Jaycee remembers all of us." Jaycee Lee Dugard was kidnapped in 1991 from a bus stop near her home in South Lake Tahoe, California, and discovered last week. Authorities say a couple kidnapped her and raised her in a compound of tents and outbuildings in the backyard of their Antioch, California, home for 18 years. Nancy and Phillip Garrido have been charged with a total of 29 felonies, including the rape and kidnapping of Dugard, who police say gave birth to two daughters fathered by Garrido during her captivity. The Garridos have pleaded not guilty. Philip Garrido is a registered sex offender. Tina Dugard appeared in Los Angeles on Thursday to read a statement on behalf of her family. Watch Jaycee's aunt speak to the media » "Jaycee is a remarkable young woman who has raised two beautiful daughters," she said. "They are clever, articulate, curious girls who have a bright future ahead of them." The girls are 11 and 15. "Although they have no formal education, they are certainly educated," she said. "Jaycee did a truly amazing job with the limited resources and education that she herself had, and we are so proud of her." Tina Dugard said Jaycee's mother's smile is "as wide as the sea." "Her oldest daughter is finally home," she said. Dugard, now 29, is enjoying catching up on the years missed with her family, Tina Dugard said. "She is especially enjoying getting to know her little sister, who was just a baby when Jaycee was taken," she said. "Not only have we laughed and cried together, but we've spent time sitting quietly, taking pleasure in each other's company." The Dugard family statement thanked the law enforcement and social agencies involved in reconnecting them. "Their support and professionalism have been invaluable," it said. A trust fund has been established for donations to help Dugard, the aunt said. "It has come to my family's attention that there may be unauthorized solicitation of funds to support Jaycee and the family," she said. The family released three photos of a young Dugard. One was taken at her grandmother's home when she was 3. A second showed her dressed as a punk rocker the Halloween before her abduction. Tina Dugard said she snapped the third photo at the 1991 Rose Bowl Parade when she asked her niece to "make a face for me, and she did." | [
"Who has raised two \"clever, articulate, curious\" daughters?",
"who was trust fund set up for",
"When did the suspect supposedly rape the 14-year-old?",
"Is there a trust fund established for her?",
"what was the victims name",
"What has been established for Jaycee Dugard?",
"What is the name of the victim?"
] | [
[
"Jaycee Lee Dugard"
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"donations to help Dugard,"
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[
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[
"Jaycee Lee Dugard"
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[
"A trust fund"
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[
"Jaycee Lee Dugard"
]
] | NEW: Police say suspect accused of raping 14-year-old in 1972 .
Jaycee Dugard "reconnecting" with family, her aunt says .
Dugard has raised two "clever, articulate, curious" daughters .
Trust fund has been established for Jaycee Dugard . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A Florida man told police he drove across the country to meet "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Shawn Johnson because she was communicating with him through the television, according to a restraining order application filed this week. "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Shawn Johnson is a gymnast who won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. Robert Michael O'Ryan entered a not guilty plea Thursday to a felony count of stalking and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle stemming from his arrest outside the "Dancing with the Stars" studio earlier this week. O'Ryan, 34, was ordered held on $220,000 bail, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office said. O'Ryan is accused of driving from Florida to Los Angeles to meet Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, 17, who is appearing on the show, prosecutors said. He was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly tried to jump a security fence at CBS Studios in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles, where the ABC television show is filmed, authorities said. Police found a loaded handgun and shotgun in his car. O'Ryan was also ordered to have no contact with Johnson or her family and to stay 500 feet away from the gymnast and the CBS studio. A preliminary hearing was set for April 27. O'Ryan told police at the time of his arrest that "he packed all his belongings, permanently left Florida to drive across the country because he believes [Johnson] is speaking to him personally through the television and via ESP and that he will be with her no matter what," according to an application for a restraining order against him filed by Johnson's mother, Teri. Also found in O'Ryan's car were love letters, clippings and other information on Johnson, the court documents said, along with items such as duct tape and "zip ties." The application said Johnson fears for her life. "She is extremely upset by this incident and her entire family and those around her are all extremely concerned and fearful that the respondent might try to kidnap her or harm her in an effort to make good on his statements." O'Ryan was attempting to contact Johnson at the studio, and was detained by security while police were summoned because no one knew who he was, Teri Johnson said in an affidavit accompanying the application. "It was extremely disturbing to us that this person had so much information on my daughter's life," the court documents said. "This incident has caused us severe emotional distress. We have been on the move ever since and have not been able to rest at all for fear that this disturbed person will attempt to make good on his statements and attempt to harm my daughter and possibly us as well." A temporary restraining order was put in place, with a hearing set next month on the matter. If convicted, O'Ryan could be sentenced to up to four years in prison, prosecutors said. It was not known whether he had retained an attorney. "The appropriate authorities are handling the matter," a Dancing With the Stars" spokeswoman said. "The matter has been turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. It is currently an ongoing investigation and we are confident that it will be handled appropriately by all involved," said Johnson's publicist, Susan Madore. Johnson won a gold medal on the balance beam and three silver medals in the women's team, all-around and floor competitions at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, China. CNN's Marc Balinsky contributed to this report. | [
"How much is Robert Michael O'Ryan's bail?",
"What did police find?",
"Who is O'Ryan ordered to have no contact with?",
"Who is ordered to have no contact with Johnson?",
"Who was held on a $220,000 bond?",
"What did police find in Ryan's car?",
"Who was held on bail?",
"Who is Ryan ordered to have no contact with?"
] | [
[
"$220,000"
],
[
"love letters, clippings and other information on Johnson,"
],
[
"Shawn Johnson"
],
[
"Robert Michael O'Ryan"
],
[
"O'Ryan,"
],
[
"loaded firearm"
],
[
"Robert Michael O'Ryan"
],
[
"Johnson or her family"
]
] | NEW: Robert Michael O'Ryan ordered held on $220,000 bail in stalking case .
NEW: Police find love letters, duct tape, zip ties in O'Ryan's car .
He allegedly told police that contestant Shawn Johnson was talking to him via ESP .
O'Ryan is ordered to have no contact with Johnson or her family . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday approved an agreement granting Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, permanent custody of his children. Katherine Jackson has accused the executors of her son Michael's estate of "keeping her in the dark." A hearing is scheduled for October to look at some remaining issues. An agreement between Katherine Jackson, 79, and Debbie Rowe, mother of Jackson's two eldest children, cleared the way for an uncontested custody hearing. Rowe, who was briefly married to Michael Jackson, agreed not to fight for custody in exchange for visits with the children. Katherine Jackson was in the courtroom along with her daughters LaToya and Rebbie and a son, Randy. Rowe did not attend Monday's hearing, but her attorney, Eric George, spoke briefly outside the courthouse. "She's faced difficulties and pressures none of us know, and today's agreement shows that she responded with heart, integrity and selflessness," George said of Rowe. He also praised Katherine Jackson's attorneys for their part in bringing about the agreement. Michael Jackson's two oldest children -- Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., 12, and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, 11 -- signed consents to the agreement. He also has a 7-year-old son, Michael Joseph Jackson II, known as Blanket, with an unidentified surrogate. The custody agreement does not involve any financial payments to Rowe "apart from the continuation of spousal support payments" that Michael Jackson personally agreed to make to Rowe after the divorce, their lawyers said in a joint statement. Watch Rowe's attorney talk about the decision » Jackson's children have been living with their paternal grandmother at her Encino, California, home since their father's death June 25. Also at the hearing Monday, attorneys for Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, said he sought a role in the children's lives and wanted "in some way to be involved" in respect to their education and medical care, although he was not objecting to the custody agreement. But Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff denied Klein's request to be a party to the hearing. Details of how the children were conceived and who was the biological father have been closely guarded amid much public speculation. In an interview last month on ABC's "Good Morning America," Klein did not rule out being the biological father of the children. "Not to the best of my knowledge," he said when asked by Diane Sawyer whether he was the father. "All I can tell you is, best of my knowledge, I am not the father of these children. But I am telling you, if push comes to shove, I can't say anything." Asked about Klein's attorneys saying he wants a role in the children's lives, George declined comment. Klein was not in the hearing Monday. Rowe and Jackson divorced in 1999, with Rowe giving him full custody while she got an $8.5 million settlement, according to court documents. Jackson later agreed to additional support. Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001, but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children. A California appeals court ruled that her rights were improperly terminated, opening the door for a possible custody battle. On Monday, Beckloff awarded Katherine Jackson all of the family allowance funds she requested but gave only 83.5 percent of what she requested in support of the children. He said he disallowed money for one item, which he described as "quite a large amount" that he was not sure was necessary. The allowance order is sealed. Beckloff set a hearing to revisit the allowance matter in January. Also Monday, Beckloff ordered Katherine Jackson be given copies of her son's contracts in connection with a series of concerts that had been scheduled for this summer. She sought the contracts between Michael Jackson and AEG, the company that was organizing and promoting the concerts, along with others involved in the tour. She has agreed to keep the contract provisions | [
"who was named guardian",
"what does the petition accuse",
"what will she receive copies of",
"What did lawyers accuse executirs of doing?",
"What is she being given copies of?",
"What was Katherine Jackson named guardian of?",
"Lawyers petition accuses executors of what?",
"Katherine will be give copies of Michael's what?",
"Who is the permanent guardian of Michael's kids?"
] | [
[
"Katherine Jackson,"
],
[
"Michael's estate of \"keeping her in the dark.\""
],
[
"her son's contracts"
],
[
"\"keeping her in the dark.\""
],
[
"her son's contracts"
],
[
"his children."
],
[
"\"keeping her in the dark.\""
],
[
"her son's contracts in connection with a series of concerts that had been scheduled for this summer."
],
[
"Katherine Jackson,"
]
] | Katherine Jackson named permanent guardian of Michael Jackson's kids .
She will be given copies of Michael Jackson AEG contracts .
Lawyers' petition accuses executors of keeping singer's mother "in the dark" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A boy playing with matches started a Southern California wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday. A firefighter talks on a radio while battling the Buckweed blaze on October 22. The Buckweed Fire, which destroyed 21 homes on its rampage, began October 21 in the Agua Dulce community. "Our arson explosive detectives, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Fire Department investigators, immediately began their investigation, and during the course of the investigation, it led to a juvenile suspect," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Tony Moore told CNN's "American Morning" Wednesday. "After talking with that juvenile, he admitted to playing with matches, and accidentally starting the fire in that area," he said. Watch what's next for young suspect » The boy, whose name and age were not given, is home with his parents, police said. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County district attorney for possible charges. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Buckweed Fire burned 38,526 acres. Sixty-three structures, 21 of them homes, were destroyed, and three civilians and two firefighters were injured. The sheriff's department said the fire forced the evacuation of about 15,000 people. As of Tuesday, 18 of 23 wildfires in Southern California were completely under control, and the remainder were at least 70 percent contained, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fires are blamed for 14 deaths and charred more than 508,000 acres, destroying about 1,600 homes. Five people were arrested in arson probes last week, and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Saturday vowed to "hunt down" people responsible for setting wildfires. Authorities said Saturday they were following 1,700 tips about a white Ford F-150 pickup seen near the origin of the sprawling Santiago Fire in Orange County. Witnesses reported seeing the 1998-2004 model truck with chrome tubular running boards on Santiago Canyon Road on October 21 at about the time the Santiago Fire started. Authorities said last week they had found evidence at the scene, although they declined to describe it. "If I were one of the people who started the fires, I would not sleep soundly right now, because we're right behind you," Schwarzenegger said, urging the culprits to turn themselves in. E-mail to a friend | [
"DId he start the fire?",
"whose name and age were not given?",
"Where is the boy who started the fire?",
"who burned 38,000 acres, destroyed 63 structures, 21 of them homes?",
"what number of acres was burnt?",
"Were any homes destroyed in the fire?"
] | [
[
"admitted to playing with matches, and accidentally starting the"
],
[
"The boy,"
],
[
"home with his parents,"
],
[
"A boy"
],
[
"more than 38,000"
],
[
"21"
]
] | "He admitted playing with matches and starting the fire," says police report .
Boy, whose name and age were not given, is home with his parents .
Buckweed Fire burned 38,000 acres, destroyed 63 structures, 21 of them homes . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A former engineer for Rockwell International and Boeing was convicted Thursday of economic espionage and acting as an agent of China, authorities said. A Delta IV rocket launches on March 10, 2003 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dongfan "Greg" Chung, 73, was accused of stealing restricted technology and Boeing trade secrets, including information related to the space shuttle program and the Delta IV rocket. U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney convicted him on charges of conspiracy to commit economic espionage; six counts of economic espionage to benefit a foreign country; one count of acting as an agent of the People's Republic of China; and one count of making false statements to the FBI, according to a statement from federal prosecutors. Carney presided over Chung's three-week bench trial last month. In a bench trial, there is no jury and the judge decides whether to convict a defendant after hearing testimony. Chung was free on bond after his arrest by FBI agents and NASA investigators in February 2008. He was taken into custody after Carney's ruling was read. Chung, a native of China who is a naturalized United States citizen, was employed by Rockwell International from 1973 until Boeing acquired its defense and space unit in 1996, and by Boeing thereafter. He retired from Boeing in 2002, but returned as a contractor, a position he held until September 2006, prosecutors said. Chung held a "secret" security clearance, authorities said. "For years, Mr. Chung stole critical trade secrets from Boeing relating to the space shuttle and the Delta IV rocket -- all for the benefit of the government of China," said David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security, in the prosecutors' statement. "Today's verdict should serve as a warning to others willing to compromise America's economic and national security to assist foreign governments." The case against Chung resulted from an investigation into another engineer who obtained information for China. That engineer, Chi Mak, and several of his relatives were convicted of providing defense articles to the PRC, authorities said. Mak was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison last year. According to evidence presented at trial, individuals in the Chinese aviation industry began sending tasks to Chung via letter as early as 1979, federal prosecutors said. Over the years, the letters directed Chung to collect data related to the space shuttle and various military and civilian aircraft. In his letters back to China, Chung referenced materials he had already sent, including 24 manuals relating to the B-1 bomber, which Rockwell had forbidden for distribution outside the company and federal agencies. In addition, between 1985 and 2003, Chung traveled to China several times and met with government officials. His contacts in China discussed these trips in letters and recommended methods of passing information, authorities said. In a 2006 search of Chung's home, FBI and NASA agents found more than 250,000 pages of documents from Boeing, Rockwell and other defense contractors in the house and in its crawl space, prosecutors said. They included "scores of binders containing decades' worth of stress analysis reports, test results and design information for the space shuttle." Each economic espionage charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, authorities said. The charge of acting as an agent for a foreign government carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges of conspiracy to commit economic espionage and making false statements to federal investigators each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Chung is set for sentencing November 9. | [
"What did he steal?",
"what age was Dongfan Chung",
"What was Chung convicted of?",
"What was Chung accused of stealing?",
"what was the accusation",
"where did chung come from",
"What did technology include?",
"How many yeras old is Chung?"
] | [
[
"restricted technology and Boeing trade secrets, including information related to the space shuttle program and the Delta IV rocket."
],
[
"73,"
],
[
"charges of conspiracy to commit economic espionage; six counts of economic espionage to benefit a foreign country; one count of acting as an agent of the People's Republic of China; and one count of making false statements to the FBI,"
],
[
"restricted technology and Boeing trade secrets,"
],
[
"stealing restricted technology and Boeing trade secrets,"
],
[
"China"
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[
"the space shuttle program and the Delta IV rocket."
],
[
"73,"
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] | Dongfan Chung, 73, convicted of economic espionage; acting as agent of china .
Accused of stealing restricted technology, Boeing trade secrets .
Technology included information on space shuttle; Delta IV rocket .
Chung is a native of China who is a naturalized United States citizen . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A hearing to consider who will raise Michael Jackson's three children has been delayed another week, while lawyers work to avoid a court battle over custody. Debbie Rowe said she married Michael Jackson to avoid the taboo of having childrien out of wedlock. The delay -- the third one this month -- was announced Friday afternoon by a Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman. Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children, has not publicly revealed whether she will challenge Katherine Jackson, his 79-year-old mother, for custody or visitation rights. Katherine Jackson gained temporary guardianship of her son's children soon after his death last month. The two women have been working to "privately and amicably resolve" the matter since Jackson's death, a Jackson family lawyer said. Rowe's lawyer said this week that she was not asking the Jackson family for more money in exchange for dropping a possible custody challenge. A close friend of Rowe said she has been grieving Jackson's death -- grief made more painful by paparazzi hounding her and media reports vilifying Rowe by depicting her as a heartless woman who would trade her kids for cash. "Debbie's a very caring, wonderful, warm person," said Marc Schaffel, who met first met Rowe when he worked for Jackson. "She's a very humble person. People, you know, don't give her credit that she was a friend of Michael's for over 30 years." Jackson and Rowe met when she was working as a nursing assistant in the Beverly Hills office of Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein. Rowe said in a 2003 interview, later obtained by ABC News, that she became closer to Jackson in 1996 when she consoled him after his brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley ended. "He was upset because he really wanted to be a dad," Rowe said. "I said, 'So, be a dad.' He looked at me puzzled. That is when I looked at him and said. 'Let me do this. I want to do this. You have been so good to me. You are such a great friend. Please let me do this. You need to be a dad, and I want you to be.'" She told the interviewer they married in 1996 only to "prevent some of the taboo of a child out of wedlock." While Schaffel would not say if their relationship was sexual, he said Rowe had "a true, true love there for Michael." Their first child, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., was born in February 1997. A daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, was born the next year. Details of how the children were conceived and who was the biological father have been closely guarded amid much public speculation. The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got a $8.5 million settlement, according to court documents. Jackson later agreed to additional support. Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001, but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children. A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated, opening the door to a possible custody battle. Rowe claimed in the 2003 interview that she still had "some influence" over how Jackson raised the children, citing his practice of covering their faces in public as her idea. "That was my request, not his," she said. "I am the one who's terrified. I am the one who's seen the notes that someone's going to take his children," she said. She said the children don't call her "mom" because she did not want them to. "It's not that they're not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father," she said. Rowe, 50, lives on a farm in Palmdale, California, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles, where she breeds horses and dogs. | [
"What are lawyers working to avoid?",
"What are Jackson and Rowe working to avoid?",
"What did she tell ABC in 2003?",
"When did Jackson and Rowe meet?",
"What did she want to help Jackson become?",
"Who is Debbie Rowe?",
"who is the mother?",
"when did this happen",
"what was the court battle for",
"Name the person that died",
"Who are the lawyers representing?"
] | [
[
"a court battle over custody."
],
[
"a court battle over custody."
],
[
"consoled him after his brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley ended."
],
[
"dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein."
],
[
"a dad,\""
],
[
"Jackson's ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children,"
],
[
"Debbie Rowe"
],
[
"Friday afternoon"
],
[
"consider who will raise Michael Jackson's three children"
],
[
"Michael Jackson's"
],
[
"Debbie Rowe"
]
] | Lawyers for Katherine Jackson and Debbie Rowe working to avoid court battle .
Rowe's friend says vilification in the press exacerbating grief over Jackson's death .
Jackson and Rowe met when she was a nursing assistant for his dermatologist .
She told ABC in 2003 that she wanted to help Jackson become a dad . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A judge declared a mistrial in the murder case against music legend Phil Spector after a jury announced for the second time in eight days that it was hopelessly deadlocked. Phil Spector did not testify at his five-month murder trial. The jury said it was split 10-2. The jury deliberated for 12 days, taking six ballots, but was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Jurors told Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler they were split 10-2, without indicating which way they were leaning. They added there was nothing Fidler could do to help them arrive at a unanimous verdict. Fidler discharged the nine men and three women, thanking them for their service. Watch what the jurors have to say » Spector went on trial in April, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of B-movie queen Lana Clarkson after a night out in the clubs of Hollywood. The judge told attorneys to return to his Los Angeles, California, courtroom on October 3 to discuss the next legal move. Spector, 67, did not take the witness stand at the trial. Deliberations were arduous, entering the third week on Monday. Last week, jurors received new instructions on the law and were told to start over after the foreman declared the panel was deadlocked 7-5. The jury's inability to reach a verdict capped a five-month trial that played like a Hollywood film noir classic -- with a twist of the bizarre. A 6-foot-tall, blue-eyed blonde with a toothpaste commercial smile, Clarkson was known for her roles in "Barbarian Queen" and "Amazon Women on the Moon." But at 40 the parts were few and far between and she had taken a $9-an-hour job as a VIP hostess at the House of Blues in Hollywood. Spector invented the "wall of sound" in the 1960s and worked with the Beatles, Ike and Tina Turner and other acts. Normally reclusive, Spector had spent a rare night out on the town, found Clarkson at the House of Blues at closing time and invited her home for a drink in the wee hours of February 3, 2003. After initially turning him down, she agreed to accompany him, according to testimony. Hours later, police were summoned to Spector's mansion in Alhambra, a suburb of Los Angeles. The diminutive music producer had wandered into the driveway in the predawn and told his Brazilian-born chauffeur, "I think I killed somebody," according to the driver's testimony. Clarkson was found inside, slumped in a chair in the foyer. She had been shot in the mouth. A .38-caliber Colt Special revolver lay at her feet. It appeared someone had attempted to clean up the blood with a diaper found in the guest bathroom. Spector's attorneys argued that Clarkson was depressed over a recent breakup, grabbed the gun and took her own life. But prosecution witnesses painted Spector as a gun-toting menace, with five women telling harrowing tales on the witness stand of the music producer threatening them with firearms. Spector's driver testified he heard a loud noise and saw the producer leave the home, pistol in hand, saying, "I think I killed somebody." At issue was whether Spector pulled the trigger -- or whether Clarkson did. In photos projected on a large screen, the gruesome crime scene resembled a set decorated for a horror film. In all, 77 witnesses testified and more than 600 pieces of evidence were submitted. The evidence cart wheeled into the jury room was piled high with exhibits. The jury even toured the scene of the alleged crime. The experts' testimony differed widely on what the physical evidence showed. Prosecutors pointed to the leopard print purse slung over Clarkson's shoulder as evidence she was trying to leave when she was shot. The defense argued that blood-spatter evidence on the white women's jacket Spector wore showed he was standing too far away to place the gun in Clarkson's mouth. Spector hired and fired a who | [
"Whose home was the actress found dead at?",
"Who was found dead at Phil Spector's home?",
"What did the defense say Clarkson did?",
"Where did the defense say Clarkson shoot herself?",
"Where did the defense say she shot herself?",
"Who was found dead?"
] | [
[
"Phil Spector"
],
[
"Lana Clarkson"
],
[
"grabbed the gun and"
],
[
"mouth."
],
[
"in the mouth."
],
[
"Lana Clarkson"
]
] | Judge to meet with lawyers next week to discuss options .
Actress found dead at music legend's home .
Prosecutors said Spector shot Lana Clarkson when she tried to leave .
Defense said Clarkson shot herself in the mouth . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A lot of people like Adam Sandler. Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen star in "Funny People," the new film from Judd Apatow. The box office earnings for many of his films are testament to his drawing power. Sandler's biggest comedic blockbusters include "Big Daddy," "The Waterboy" and "The Longest Yard," each of which has earned well over $150 million domestically. He has seven other titles that have also passed the coveted $100 million mark. The thing all these films have in common is that they are all comedies. So, it's likely safe to assume there are more than a few Hollywood execs nervously biting their knuckles right now, wondering how Sandler's latest big-screen offering, the dark comedy "Funny People" -- written and directed by his longtime friend Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin") -- will fare. Though hilarious at times, the film's overall story of a world-famous comedian's brush with a terminal illness is decidedly serious. Watch Apatow and Sandler react to a doctor with an accent » Much of the movie's personality can be summarized in one scene in particular in which Sandler and co-star Seth Rogen are sitting in a doctor's office receiving very bad news that they somehow turn into laughter. Sandler and Rogen talked to CNN about what went into creating that scene. | [
"Who is the director of \"Funny People\"?",
"Who does Adam Sandler play?",
"Who is the star of the film \"Funny People\"?",
"What film balances comedy with dead seriousness?",
"Who stars in \"Funny People\"?",
"Who directed the film?",
"who was the director",
"who stars in funny people"
] | [
[
"Judd Apatow."
],
[
"\"Big Daddy,\" \"The Waterboy\""
],
[
"Seth Rogen"
],
[
"\"Funny People,\""
],
[
"Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen"
],
[
"Judd Apatow."
],
[
"Judd Apatow."
],
[
"Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen"
]
] | "Funny People" stars Adam Sandler as comedian who gets bad health news .
Judd Apatow-directed film balances comedy with dead seriousness .
Many tough scenes are lightened by byplay of Sandler, co-stars . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A magnitude-5.4 earthquake shook the Los Angeles metropolitan area Tuesday, leaving residents rattled but causing no serious damage or injuries. Bricks and other debris clutter an alleyway in Pomona, near Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon. However, the temblor served as a warning to southern Californians who had not experienced an earthquake in some time: the "Big One" remains a possibility. "This is a sample, a small sample," said Kate Hutton, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology. "This is somewhere between small and moderate." She said there is a 5 percent chance the quake could be a precursor to a larger earthquake. After 24 hours, she said, that chance will drop to 1 percent. "Every earthquake relieves some stress," Hutton said. "It's usually only a drop in the ocean. In other words, the amount of stress released by this earthquake is minuscule compared to the amount that's built up and is building up for the Big One when it happens some day in the future." Watch Hutton say Tuesday's quake was a sign of bigger ones to come » And when will that be? "From a geologist's point of view, the answer has to be soon," she said. "But geologists are used to thinking on millions of years and thousands of years time scale, so I don't think that gives any useful information for people, except be prepared at any time because it could happen at any time." A 5.4 magnitude quake is considered by the USGS to be "moderate," which can cause slight damage to buildings and others structures. So far this year, 39 "moderate" earthquakes of between magnitude 5.0 and 5.9 have occurred in the United States, and 790 globally. The last moderate quake to strike California was a magnitude 5.4 in April in the northern part of the state. A magnitude 4.4 struck the greater Los Angeles area in August 2007. There is a 99 percent chance of California experiencing a quake of magnitude 6.7 or larger within the next 30 years, according to the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey, the California Geological Survey and the Southern California Earthquake Center and published in Science Daily in April. "This earthquake reminds us to be prepared," said California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "We were very fortunate that there were no serious injuries or property damage." He said he believes the state is "as prepared as anyone can be. We have continuous discussions about that. We are fanatics about emergencies and to be ready." The largest earthquake in recent years in California was a magnitude 7.1 in 1999, Hutton said. But it was centered in the desert, near Twentynine Palms, in a sparsely populated area. Tuesday's quake struck about 11:42 a.m., according to the USGS. Its epicenter was about 2 miles southwest of Chino Hills and about 5 miles southeast of Diamond Bar. The epicenter was about 7.6 miles deep, making it a fairly shallow quake, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Meyers. In general, earthquakes centered closer to the surface produce stronger shaking and can cause more damage than those further underground. But most Southern California earthquakes tend to be fairly shallow, officials said. More than 30 aftershocks were recorded. Hutton said the largest was a magnitude 3.6. Los Angeles police said a downtown hotel sustained some structural damage, but no one was injured and the building was not evacuated. There were some unconfirmed reports of minor injuries. The White House was also monitoring the situation, said spokeswoman Dana Perino. Despite the absence of serious damage or injuries, some Los Angeles-area residents were left rattled. The quake was felt as far south as San Diego, California, and the USGS said it received reports of light shaking as far north as Rosamond, California, about 55 miles north-northeast of Los Angeles. Reports from those who felt the quake poured into CNN. Did you feel the quake? "My house was like a fun house. Everything was moving | [
"What was moderate?",
"Who had reports on the damage?",
"Who said the earthquake was a reminder to be prepared?",
"Who said the earthquake is a riminder to be prepared?",
"What time was the earthquake?"
] | [
[
"earthquake"
],
[
"USGS"
],
[
"California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."
],
[
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."
],
[
"11:42 a.m.,"
]
] | NEW: Few reports of damage or injury from "moderate" earthquake .
NEW: Experts, officials say earthquake is a reminder to be prepared .
11:42 a.m. PT quake's epicenter was about 32 miles east of Los Angeles .
More than 30 aftershocks were recorded, largest was 3.6 . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to U.S. cycling legend Lance Armstrong was stolen from a team truck in California just hours after he rode it Saturday on the first day of a nine-day race. Lance Armstrong's bike was stolen after he competed in the first day of the Amgen Tour of California. Cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong is racing in the Amgen Tour of California this week as he attempts another comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005. Armstrong's first comeback came in 1998, two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. Doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival. Armstrong announced the bike theft on his Twitter account Sunday morning and posted a photograph. "There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off. Reward being offered," he wrote. The bicycle that was stolen is not the one Armstrong rides every day during the race. The stolen bike is used only for time trials, a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time. The thieves took four bicycles from a truck Armstrong's Astana team had parked behind a hotel in Sacramento. The other three bicycles belonged to team members Janez Brajkovic, Steve Morabito and Yaroslav Popovych, Astana said. Armstrong, 37, won the Tour de France, considered the premier bicycle race in the world, a record seven times from 1999-2005. The 750-mile Amgen Tour of California ends Sunday. It is the second major race in which Armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in September. He raced last month in the Tour Down Under in Australia, finishing 29th. Armstrong said he is aiming for another Tour de France victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the Australian race, which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle. | [
"Where was bicycle taken from?",
"where was it taken",
"who was the biker",
"What is the name of the cyclist?",
"Where did he post announcement of theft?",
"What tour is mentioned?",
"what kind of bicycle was it",
"Where was the bike taken from?",
"Who's bike was it?"
] | [
[
"a team truck in California"
],
[
"California"
],
[
"Lance Armstrong"
],
[
"Lance Armstrong's"
],
[
"on his Twitter account"
],
[
"Amgen"
],
[
"used only for time trials,"
],
[
"a team truck in California"
],
[
"Lance Armstrong"
]
] | One-of-a-kind bicycle taken from team truck in California .
Armstrong posted announcement of theft on Twitter account .
Champion cyclist aiming for comeback with participation in Amgen Tour . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A plane carrying California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made an emergency landing Friday evening after the cockpit filled with smoke, his office said in a statement. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called his plane's emergency landing "a little adventure" on Twitter. Schwarzenegger confirmed the incident with a tweet on the social-networking Web site, Twitter. He also included a photo of the jet on the tarmac. "A little adventure just now when my plane made an emergency landing. All's OK, though," he posted. The governor was on his way to the Santa Monica airport after a speech in Mendota, California, about the drought affecting the state. The jet was diverted to Van Nuys Airport after the pilot reported "smoke emanating from the instrument panel in the cockpit," Schwarzenegger's office said, adding that there were no visible signs of a fire. The pilot made a "quick, steep, but safe landing," his office said. No one was injured. Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to update what they are doing using 140 characters or less. | [
"Were there injuries?",
"Upon landing what did Schwarzenegger do?",
"For what reason did Schwarzenegger's plane land?",
"What came out of the cockpit panel?",
"What went wrong on the plane?",
"what emanated from cockpit panel?"
] | [
[
"No one was injured."
],
[
"tweet on the social-networking Web site, Twitter."
],
[
"cockpit filled with smoke,"
],
[
"smoke,"
],
[
"\"smoke emanating from the instrument panel in the cockpit,\""
],
[
"\"smoke"
]
] | California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plane makes "steep" emergency landing .
Jet diverted after smoke emanates from cockpit panel .
Schwarzenegger tweets about landing, calls it "a little adventure" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A private funeral service for actress Farrah Fawcett will be conducted Tuesday afternoon at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, California, according to her publicist. Actress Farrah Fawcett, known for her blonde mane and gleaming smile, died Thursday at age 62. The family did not release any details about who would deliver the eulogy or how many people have been invited. Fawcett, the blonde actress whose best-selling poster and "Charlie's Angels" stardom made her one of the most famous faces in the world, died Thursday. She was 62, and had been battling anal cancer on and off for three years. Fawcett's beauty -- her gleaming smile was printed on millions of posters -- initially made her famous. But she later established herself as a serious actress. She starred as a battered wife in the 1984 TV movie "The Burning Bed." Learn more about Fawcett's life and career » She appeared on stage as a woman who extracts vengeance from a would-be rapist in William Mastrosimone's play "Extremities," a performance she reprised on film in 1986. Other Fawcett films include "Logan's Run" (1976), "Saturn 3" (1980), "The Cannonball Run" (1981), "The Apostle" (1997) and the Robert Altman-directed "Dr. T and the Women" (2000). But to many, Fawcett will always be best known for the poster of her in a red swimsuit, which sold an estimated 12 million copies after its release in 1976. CNN's Karen Bonsignore contributed to this report. | [
"What did the family not release details about?",
"Where will the funeral be held?",
"What did the person die from?",
"when will funeral be held",
"what will be private",
"Who is the funeral for?"
] | [
[
"who would deliver the eulogy or how many people have been invited."
],
[
"the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, California,"
],
[
"anal cancer"
],
[
"Tuesday afternoon"
],
[
"funeral service for actress Farrah Fawcett"
],
[
"Farrah Fawcett"
]
] | Funeral will be held at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles .
The family did not release any details about who would deliver the eulogy .
Service will be private with no indication on how many people invited . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A second lingerie-modeling photo of Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has appeared after she assured pageant officials this week that the earlier shot was the only one she had appeared in. Miss California USA Carrie Prejean may lose her crown because of some semi-nude photos she appeared in. The Web site that published the first picture published a second one Wednesday. It had already promised to "slowly roll out" more photos. After the appearance of the first photo, the possibility that racier images could emerge prompted "closed-door meetings" Tuesday to consider stripping Prejean of her beauty queen title, pageant spokesman Ron Neal said. Although Neal said Prejean "breached her contract" by keeping the semi-nude photo or photos a secret, the only pictures published so far appear about as revealing as the bikini Prejean wore in the pageant's swimsuit competition. "We have been told by Carrie Prejean there are no other photos other than the one circulating in existence. She should know better than anyone," Miss California USA Director Keith Lewis said Wednesday before the latest photo was released. Watch reaction to racy photos » Pageant officials were not immediately available for comment on the new picture. The 21-year-old Miss USA contestant has been the center of controversy since she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage in a response to a question on the national pageant stage last month. She finished as runner-up to Miss USA. In a statement given to CNN on Tuesday, Prejean said the photos -- and she did use the plural -- were being used in a "vicious and mean-spirited" effort to silence her for "defending traditional marriage." While she vowed to "continue to support and defend marriage as the honorable institution it is," Prejean may be doing so without the Miss California USA title. State pageant officials met Tuesday with lawyers and representatives of Donald Trump, who owns the international competition, to consider whether they had grounds to take the crown away from Prejean, according to Neal. "When you compete for Miss California, you're supposed to disclose whether you posed for nude or semi-nude photos, because it's grounds for disqualification," he said. CNN obtained a copy of the pageant contract Prejean signed last year, in which she agreed that the discovery of semi-nude photos could mean disqualification. The first photo made public shows Prejean -- who said she was 17 at the time -- wearing pink panties and no top. She is turned away from the camera, with her arm hiding most of her breast. The second photo is essentially the same, but Prejean is looking over her opposite shoulder. It was unclear whether pageant officials would consider that a semi-nude photo, in light of their standard requirement that contestants parade across stage wearing a bikini that arguably shows more skin. Ahead of the second photo being published, Nik Richie -- of TheDirty.com -- said he was upgrading his Web site's servers to handle the flood of traffic he expects will come after he posts the additional photos. "I will slowly roll these out," Richie said. The Web site appeared to be overwhelmed by traffic early Thursday. CNN tried to access it, but could not. "We'll see what happens with those and we want to know who's releasing them," Neal said. Shanna Moakler, the co-executive director of the Miss California USA organization, will meet with Tami Farrell, the runner-up for the title, "to discuss the possible next steps," Neal said. Prejean defended the photos, which she said were taken when she was a teenager aspiring to be a Victoria's Secret model. "I am a Christian, and I am a model," she said. "Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos." She said the photos "have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith." "I am not perfect, and I will never claim to | [
"Who posed for a semi-nude photo?",
"did the website say anything",
"what did Miss California USA Carrie Prejean say",
"What is Prejean in the news for?",
"What does the website plan to do?",
"What did Miss California say?",
"Who claims to have more?",
"what was posed for?",
"What did say Miss California USA?",
"What does the web site say it will roll out slowly?",
"Who is Miss California?"
] | [
[
"Carrie Prejean"
],
[
"The Web site that published the first picture published a second one Wednesday. It had already promised to \"slowly roll out\" more photos."
],
[
"the photos"
],
[
"semi-nude photos"
],
[
"\"slowly roll out\" more photos."
],
[
"to \"continue to support and defend marriage as the honorable institution it is,\""
],
[
"TheDirty.com"
],
[
"nude or semi-nude photos,"
],
[
"declared her opposition to same-sex marriage"
],
[
"more photos."
],
[
"Carrie Prejean"
]
] | Miss California USA Carrie Prejean says she posed for one semi-nude photo .
A Web site says it has more photos of Prejean, and plans to slowly roll them out .
Prejean is in the news for her response to question about same-sex marriage . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- About 1.6 million fans registered for a chance at fewer than 9,000 pairs of tickets to Michael Jackson's memorial service next week, organizers said. Some memorial tickets went out to "friends and family" on Sunday. Registration ended at 6 p.m. Saturday. Officials will now "scrub" all entries to eliminate duplicates and those they suspect may have been registered using software that ticket scalpers use to generate multiple hits. A random drawing will follow. The winning 8,750 registrants will receive an e-mail Sunday after 11 a.m. (2 p.m. ET), AEG Live said. "I know I'll be hitting the 'refresh' button on my inbox over and over again," said Jackie Flower, an arts student in San Diego, California. The e-mail will assign the selected registrants a unique code and direct them to a designated distribution center away from the Staples Center. There, they will each receive two tickets to either the memorial service at the Staples Center arena or a simulcast of the event at the adjacent Nokia Theater LA Live, AEG said. Jackson's family has still not announced the singer's burial arrangements, saying only that it will hold a private ceremony ahead of the massive public memorial service Tuesday. Journalists staked out several possible burial locations. A long line of television satellite trucks remained parked outside the Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn Cemetery in case it was chosen by the family, but there has been no word from cemetery officials. Police set up metal barricades around the front lawn, creating spaces for media and fans. Two state trooper cruisers idled at the Hall of Liberty inside the grounds, which contains a 1,200-seat auditorium. Watch reporters prepare for Tuesday's service » The family has not decided whether Jackson's body will be brought to the Staples Center arena, where the public ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. PT. At the time of his death, Jackson was working with a concert promotions company on 50 sold-out shows in London, England, beginning in mid-July. Also Saturday, a handful of fans milled about the Jackson family home in Encino, California, bringing flowers and taking pictures next to an informal sidewalk shrine to the pop star. Farzana Payind of Los Angeles snapped a picture of her 6-year-old daughter, Enayah. Payind said Enayah loves to dance to Jackson songs "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" and cried when she learned of the singer's death. "Does that mean his music died too?" the girl asked, according to Payind. Neighbor Michael Singer watched the activities with interest. "This makes Elvis look like nothing," he said. "When you grow up with Michael Jackson's music pretty much your whole life, you feel like you lost a family member, and you have to go to the funeral," said Add Seymour of Atlanta, Georgia, who registered Friday morning and planned to fly out if picked. "I got some frequent-flier miles just in case I wanted to do something wild and crazy -- and this is wild and crazy." Tickets will be handed out Monday outside the Staples Center, said Tim Leiweke, president of AEG Live. Ticketholders will also have wristbands to match their tickets, a precaution against people "trying to take advantage" of the system, he said. Although 11,000 seats are available for fans inside the Staples Center, another 6,500 can watch from the Nokia Theater site across the street, according to Leiweke. Police said they will close the area near the Staples Center to all those without a ticket. The family will provide a free live video feed to networks so it can be televised everywhere. "I want to stress to those people who are coming, or are thinking about coming, to the city for this special event that you might want to consider watching this from the comfort of your home," said Councilwoman Jan Perry, the city's acting mayor while Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is out of the country. The city government will provide security for the | [
"Have any plans for the burial been announced by the family?",
"Who is staking out possible locations for the burial?",
"What is Jackson's family decideing?",
"Who is deciding whether to bring body to public service?",
"What has the family not announced?",
"Who are staking out locations for the burial?",
"What registration closes?",
"Who is deciding to bring the body to public service?"
] | [
[
"arrangements,"
],
[
"Journalists"
],
[
"body will be brought to the Staples Center arena,"
],
[
"Jackson's family"
],
[
"singer's burial arrangements,"
],
[
"Journalists staked"
],
[
"Michael Jackson's memorial service"
],
[
"Jackson's family"
]
] | NEW: Registration for tickets to singer's memorial service closes .
Michael Jackson's family deciding whether to bring body to public service .
Family has not announced any plans for his burial .
Journalists stake out possible locations of singer's burial . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor Derek Mears has a big hockey mask to fill. Derek Mears arrives on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the new "Friday the 13th" movie. Mears was cast as the iconic boogeyman Jason Voorhees in the new "Friday the 13th" movie. A remake of the original 1980 film, the new movie aims to breathe life into the former franchise about a psychopathic killer who preys on a group of young people at the fictitious Camp Crystal Lake. Mears is no stranger to the horror genre, having co-starred in "The Hills Have Eyes II." His career is extensive and includes stints as a stuntman in two of the popular "Pirates of the Caribbean" films. He recently spoke to CNN about taking a turn as the ultimate evil, the thrill of continuing a slasher legacy and why he's really not that bloody nice. CNN: You aren't that scary in person, so what made you think you could be that scary on camera? Derek Mears: I've got a lot of issues. I've got a whole lot of daddy issues. No, I sound like a basket case. It's funny with acting -- we all wear masks in our normal life. Not to sound like a weirdo in the hockey mask, but like right now I'm really excited about the film and excited about playing the character, and I will start to speak faster. That's kind of what's coming over me: "Oh you're, you're really nice," but ... on the other side of me there are other Dereks that are angry, and like I said before, have a little bit of issues. CNN: Tell me a little bit about how you were approached. Did you know they were making it before they came to you? Was it kind of a shock? Mears: It's so weird. There's two different versions. There's my version of how it went about, and there's the producer's version. I'll tell the producer's version because my version is really, really long. The short version of my version was I heard they were doing a new "Friday the 13th," and I've never tried to pursue a role before and I went, I really want to do this. So when I heard they were doing it, before I even had an audition, I started training for it. I found out a little about what they wanted for the character -- that he wasn't going to be super, you know bulky or big, that he's more functional. He's still big, but he's lean. So I started training that way and trying to do what I could just to get an audition. On the other end, on the producer's end, they asked a bunch of different industry professionals. They said, "Hey, were doing a new 'Friday the 13th.' Who do you think would be a great new Jason?" And my name kept popping up, which I'm blown away by. They brought me in for an audition, and I met with them. and they called me the next day and went, "OK, you're the guy." And I still don't believe it till this day. I'm blown away. CNN: How did you keep it light on the set? Mears: Believe it or not, all the actors ... got along so well. I have never been so close to a cast before on set. We were just goofing around and playing, but then when it's time to work and get serious with certain scenes, we'd all switch over and do our job and get to the point where we needed to. CNN: Had you seen any of the original "Friday the 13th" movies? Mears: Oh yeah. I mean, I'm a fan. I consider myself a fan of the series. I already knew all of the originals. I had them all on DVD | [
"Who was a popular casting choice?",
"What does Mears say of the iconic role?",
"Who takes on role of Jason in new \"Friday the 13th\"?",
"Who takes on role of Jason?",
"Who is taking on the role of Jason?",
"Who says he tried to \"definitely make it my own\"?",
"Who heard from producers that he was a popular casting choice?",
"Who trid to \"definitely make it my own\"?"
] | [
[
"Derek Mears"
],
[
"It's so weird. There's two different versions. There's my version of how it went about, and there's the producer's"
],
[
"Derek Mears"
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[
"Derek Mears"
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[
"Derek Mears"
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[
"Derek Mears"
],
[
"Derek Mears"
],
[
"Derek Mears"
]
] | Actor Derek Mears takes on role of Jason in new "Friday the 13th"
Actor heard from producers that he was a popular casting choice .
Of iconic role, Mears says he tried to "definitely make it my own" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor Ricardo Montalban, star of the hit TV series "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday in Los Angeles, a family spokesman said. Ricardo Montalban attends the opening of a theater named for him in 2004 in Hollywood, California. Montalban, 88, was in deteriorating health over the past several days but "died peacefully" at 6:30 a.m. at his home, son-in-law Gilbert Smith said. He understood "it was his time," Smith said. The cause of death was not given. Montalban rose to prominence as one of the most visible Hispanic actors in post-war Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s. But his star grew as he took on television roles as the mysterious host Mr. Roarke on the hit drama "Fantasy Island" and as Captain Kirk's archnemesis Khan Noonien Singh in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Born in Mexico City, Mexico, on November 25, 1920, Montalban knew at an early age that he wanted to be an actor. He moved to Hollywood as a teenager, and his first big break came when he was cast in a small part in a 1941 play, Tallulah Bankhead's "Her Cardboard Lover." After starring in 13 Spanish-language films in Mexico, Montalban made his American feature film debut in 1947 in "Fiesta." Montalban became a member of the MGM stable and was often cast in the role of the steamy Latin lover opposite such female stars as Lana Turner and Esther Williams. While working on "Across the Wide Missouri" with MGM's biggest star, Clark Gable, Montalban suffered an injury to his spinal cord that, despite surgery, would plague him for decades to come, according to Turner Classic Movies. It was during this early stage in his career that Montalban dedicated himself to changing Hollywood's stereotypes of Latinos. "When I first came to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer under contract in 1945, that's when the image was at its worst," Montalban said. "They didn't realize that by trying to be colorful, they were very insulting." Montalban played a wide range of film roles over the years, often relishing the chance to play in comedies. As he approached midlife in the 1960s, Montalban made numerous guest appearances on television shows including "The Untouchables" and "The Lieutenant," eventually landing a recurring role as Damon West on the popular medical drama "Dr. Kildare." During this period, Montalban secured his place in science-fiction history playing the evil but charismatic Khan in the first season of "Star Trek." Montalban's dignified demeanor and rich accent added flair to the small screen on a number of television shows. It also established him as a popular pitchman for Maxwell House Coffee and Chrysler. It was the role of the wise and benevolent Mr. Roarke on the 1970's hit TV series "Fantasy Island" that perhaps earned Montalban his greatest number of fans, something he called "very rewarding." iReport.com: Share your memories of Montalban But he said he tired of hearing fans shouting "Zee plane, zee plane" when they saw him. The line was featured in the show's opening credits by another character, Tattoo. "They think they are the only ones that thought of saying that," he told CNN during the 1990s. "People mean well, but the joke gets a little tired at times." Montalban never tired of fighting for the rights of Latinos in Hollywood. For almost 20 years, he served as president of Nosotros, an organization he founded for the advancement of Hispanics in the entertainment industry. "The ideals of Nosotros continue. As our community of Latinos in show business increases, so will our participation in all of the many aspects of our industry," he said in 1987. | [
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"What movies was he in",
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"Say how he died?"
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] | Montalban's health was deteriorating, but he "died peacefully" in his home .
Montalban rose to fame as one of MGM's most visible Hispanic actors in 1950s .
The Mexican-born actor was best known for his roles on "Fantasy Island," "Star Trek"
Montalban was dedicated to changing Hollywood's stereotypes of Latinos . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actress Demi Moore's frequent postings on Twitter put her in the middle of a life-and-death drama Friday when a woman sent her an online message threatening suicide.
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are both active members of the Twitter social-networking site.
Moore, who was in southern France where her husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, is filming a movie, quickly replied to the threat saying, "Hope you are joking."
Twitter followers who saw the message tracked it to a San Jose, California, home, where police found a 48-year-old woman. The police took her into custody for a psychological evaluation, according to a police spokesman.
About two hours after the initial exchange, Moore posted this message -- known as a "tweet" -- on Twitter: "Thanks everyone for reaching out to the San Jose PD i am told they are aware and no need to call anymore. I do not know this woman."
A San Jose police spokesman said a "concerned citizen" -- not Moore or Kutcher -- called his department at 4:37 a.m. to report seeing the threat on Twitter.
Police went to the residence that the caller provided and found the woman unharmed but in need of help, Sgt. Ronnie Lopez said.
"We determined she did meet the criteria for a 72-hour psychological evaluation, and she was taken to a hospital for that treatment," Lopez said.
Both Moore and Kutcher post tweets from their cell phones several times a day.
Kutcher has 675,000 subscribers following his Twitter postings, while 380,000 have signed up to follow Moore.
Twitter attracts many readers who enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes writing, photos and video from celebrities who have embraced the social-network technology.
This unusual access also allows subscribers to send messages to celebrities, who sometimes reply.
The original tweet to Moore on Friday, which was still online several hours later, read: "getting a knife,a big one that is sharp. Going to cut my arm down the whole arm so it doesn't waste time."
Moore, who apparently knew others were trying to locate the person who wrote it, tweeted that she "was very torn about responding or retweeting that woman's post but felt uncomfortable just letting it go."
She assured readers that "the twitterverse is on the case."
Two hours after the first message, Moore wrote: "And if it is a joke it is not funny and nor is this an appropriate outlet for such a serious matter Time for us to move on."
Her husband, who is known as a constant tweeter, posted his own praise of Moore: "Wifey is pretty amazing, huh?"
"Lot of pain in the world... Reach out to someone you don't usually reach out to just to say hi. They might be lonely," Kutcher tweeted. | [
"what was Demi Moore a recipient of",
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] | [
[
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"\"Thanks everyone for reaching out to the San Jose PD i am told they are aware and no need to call anymore. I do not know this woman.\""
],
[
"Police"
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[
"Actress Demi Moore's"
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] | Demi Moore was recipient of suicide threat on Twitter .
Moore helped put word out; police later took troubled texter into custody .
Moore: "The twitterverse is on the case" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actress Kelly Preston, whose son Jett Travolta died earlier this year, will talk publicly in October about how she and her husband, actor John Travolta, have dealt with their grief. Kelly Preston is going to speak on a panel titled "Grief and Resilience" in October. Preston, 46, will appear on a panel titled "Grief and Resilience" at a conference hosted by California first lady Maria Shriver, according to a conference spokeswoman. Jett, 16, was found unconscious on January 2, while on vacation with his family in the Bahamas' West End. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival, local police said. The Travolta family has not spoken publicly about the exact cause of Jett's death, but employees of the funeral home that handled the remains said in January the death certificate listed "seizure" as the cause of death. The family has remained out of the public eye since his death, only issuing a few written statements. When his latest movie, "The Taking of Pelham 123," was released last month, John Travolta did not take part in the publicity tour to promote the movie, instead issuing a short statement saying his family needed "additional time to reconcile our loss." Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former Sen. John Edwards, and actress Susan St. James will also be on the panel, conference spokeswoman Marissa Moss said. Both women have mourned the loss of sons. The Women's Conference will be in Long Beach, California, in late October, according to its Web site. | [
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"Who is John Travolta's wife?",
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[
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[
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] | Kelly Preston, John Travolta's wife, to address conference on grief .
Preston and Travolta's 16-year-old son Jett died in January .
Other speakers include Elizabeth Edwards, Susan St. James . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actress Patricia Clarkson has a giggle whenever she thinks about the handwritten letter she received from the great Woody Allen. Woody Allen, Patricia Clarkson, Evan Rachel Wood and Larry David worked together on "Whatever Works." The actress, who first worked with the famed director on the 2008 film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," was tickled by a letter on Allen's personal stationery in which he said he had written a part for her, "but if you have something better to do, I'll understand." "You know, he had me at the letter," Clarkson said. "It's Woody Allen! 'If you have something better to do'? Woody, come on!" Clarkson definitely made time to perform in Allen's latest film, "Whatever Works." The movie centers on a quirky, grouchy New Yorker -- played by the aptly cast Larry David -- who abandons his privileged life to become more Bohemian and hooks up with a younger woman played by Evan Rachel Wood. David, the "Seinfeld" co-creator known for his curmudgeonly ways and his hit HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," had appeared briefly in two earlier Allen films, "Radio Days" and "New York Stories." EW ranks every single Allen film David said he was slightly hesitant about embracing a role as large as that of Boris Yellnikoff in "Whatever Works." "I read the script and I looked at the first page and there's Boris all over the first page, then I turned to page 50, and there's Boris on page 50, then I went to the last page, and there's a big monologue by this character Boris, and I thought, 'Oh, wow, this is something,' " David said. "So I called [Allen] up on the phone, and I said, 'I don't know if I can do this, you're making a big mistake!' " Watch David talk about Allen encouraging him to "stretch" » David said Allen convinced him that he could pull it off. He said he enjoyed his time acting for the iconic director who, he said, was great to work with and allowed his actors freedom. "If you're not comfortable with something, he doesn't want you to do it," David said. "He doesn't mind if you change his words -- he's very easy. It was very easy to work with him." It wasn't as easy to work with Clarkson, David said, because she is such an amazing talent. "You forget that you're in the movie because you're just enjoying what she's doing," David said. "Then all of a sudden it dawns on you, 'Oh, hey, I've got a line coming up, I better get back to this movie.' " Clarkson, who recently garnered buzz for her appearance in the Justin Timberlake-Andy Samberg "Motherlover" SNL skit, plays Marietta, the mother of Yellnikoff's young paramour. She echoed David's admiration and said working with the comedian in an Allen-helmed film was incredible. "You have a part written by Woody, you're being directed by Woody, and then you're acting with Larry David," she said. "It's just genius, genius, genius, and then you have Evan Rachel Wood, who's this beautiful, amazing emerging star. I was in heaven every single day on that set." The movie marks Wood's debut in a comedy, and like David, she found the experience a bit daunting at first. "Not only am I doing Woody Allen dialogue, but opposite Larry," she said. "Thank God he was just as nervous as I was, because he does 'Curb,' but that's mainly improv, so he never had to really memorize lines before." Her character Melody, Wood said, isn't exactly dumb, but she is earnest. "She is | [
"What role does David play?",
"What does Clarkson say?",
"What is Woody Allen's new film?",
"What is the title of Allen's new film?",
"What is the name of Woody Allen's new film?",
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] | [
[
"Boris Yellnikoff"
],
[
"\"It's Woody Allen! 'If you have something better to do'? Woody, come on!\""
],
[
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],
[
"\"Whatever Works.\""
],
[
"\"Whatever Works.\""
],
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"Woody Allen, Patricia Clarkson, Evan Rachel Wood"
]
] | Woody Allen's new film is "Whatever Works"
Movie stars Larry David, Rachel Evan Wood and Patricia Clarkson .
David plays a grouchy New Yorker who takes up with the younger Wood .
Clarkson says Allen manages to always keep it "fresh" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- After a long apprenticeship, it's been an astonishingly fast rise for R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan. Jazmine Sullivan is up for five Grammys next month, including best new artist. Before she was in her teens, Sullivan sang on "It's Showtime at the Apollo." At 13, she met Stevie Wonder. Soon she was performing regularly at the jam sessions called Black Lily in her hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She went to that city's performing arts high school and was signed to a contract by Jive Records, where she was paired with producers such as Timbaland and Cool & Dre. It didn't work out -- then. But soon, Sullivan signed with Clive Davis' J Records, and suddenly she was everywhere. Her debut single, "Need U Bad," hit No. 1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and her album "Fearless" hit the Top 10 on Billboard's album chart. Now she's up for five Grammys on February 8, including best R&B performance (for "Bust Your Windows") and best new artist. CNN's KJ Matthews talked with Sullivan about her inspirations, who she's bringing to the Grammys and the mysterious person behind "Bust Your Windows." The following is an edited version of that interview. CNN: How would you describe your sound? Jazmine Sullivan: I can't really describe it; that's the whole thing. Once you hear the CD, you'll hear that one sound doesn't sound like the next. You know, I've been influenced by so many different styles and different genres of music that I felt like that should be represented on my first album, so when you get it, you get a taste of gospel, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, reggae, pop ... everything is on there, there's something for everybody to enjoy. I didn't want to exclude anybody from the album. CNN: Let me ask you this: When you saw or heard the other nominees in the best new artist category who happen to be a little bit more well-known, was it intimidating? I mean, you got the Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Adele ... Sullivan: Yeah, the Jonas Brothers, specifically. I didn't even know they were new artists because they are so huge, so, you know, so after, when my name was called after theirs, I thought, "Wow, they're new artists, too?" I got a little scared, I tell you that. But I'm just so honored to be mentioned to be in the same categories with such wonderful artists, so I'm looking forward to February and the Grammys and just being in that atmosphere. CNN: I was looking at your background, and I didn't know that you're a protegee of Missy Elliott. I was thinking to myself, you would think that you would do rap, but you're this big voice, this soulful voice. You might not equate that with Missy. Sullivan: Yeah, and a lot of people don't know that Missy Elliott ... grew up in the church, and she's really into vocalists. When I met her, was I was about 13 or 14, [and] she was ecstatic about me. When nobody else was there to support me, Missy was there, so she's a good friend of mine, and I'm happy to have her by my side. She's definitely taught me a lot of things. CNN: So everybody wants to know, the guy behind "Bust Your Windows" -- is there one? Sullivan: We won't talk about that on camera -- that's an off-camera conversation -- but it's definitely a song that relates to a lot of women especially. You know, even if they really haven't busted windows out of anybody's car, they have wanted to. A lot of women have been through that, so I'm glad that my music is touching those people CNN: " | [
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"What is name of Elliott's protegee?",
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[
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],
[
"five Grammys"
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[
"Missy Elliott."
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[
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[
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[
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],
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[
"vocalists."
],
[
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] | R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan is up for five awards next month .
Sullivan's hits include "Need U Bad" and "Bust Your Windows"
Singer is a protegee of Missy Elliott's . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- After shooting several people at the home of his former in-laws, police say Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, still dressed as Santa Claus, sprayed gasoline throughout the home intending to set it on fire. Police carry the homemade device they believe Bruce Jeffrey Pardo used to set the home on fire. But his plan went awry. The home exploded, windows were blown out, and part of Pardo's Santa suit melted onto his skin. He suffered third-degree burns. That's why police say he decided to kill himself rather than use the airline ticket to Canada that was in his pocket. Pardo killed nine people, police said. Three others were injured, including an 8-year-old. A 16-year-old girl was wounded by gunfire and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. A woman who jumped out a second-floor window broke her leg and was hospitalized. None of the victims has been identified. Police said Pardo showed up at the home dressed as Santa and had $17,000 cling-wrapped to his legs and inside a girdle. Watch police talk about what was found on the gunman's body » He knocked on the door. And when the 8-year-old ran to greet him, he shot her in the face. Watch police describe the girl's injuries » Terrified people inside the home called 911. "Stay away from the window!" a woman can be heard pleading, "Please come immediately ... he's shooting! He's shooting!" See photos from the scene » Some fled the house any way they could. Others sought shelter inside, some ducking under the dining room table, one witness said. Pardo was targeting his ex-wife's family, police said, shooting some of them "execution-style." Afterward, he prepared to set the home on fire using a homemade device designed to spread fuel. Watch investigators at the burned-out home » After the home exploded, Pardo removed his Santa suit, put on street clothes and began to knock out lights in the area as he fled the scene, according to a witness on a recording of a 911 call. Pardo fled to his brother's home in nearby Sylmar, California, police said. When Pardo realized his brother wasn't home, he broke in and eventually shot himself to death, police said. Police later found his rental car with the remnants of the Santa suit on the seat. It was rigged to explode if the costume was removed. During a search of Pardo's home in Montrose, California, police found five empty boxes for semiautomatic handguns, two high-powered shotguns and a container of "racing fuel." Police said they recovered four handguns at various locations. Watch how the massacre unfolded » Investigators have yet to identify the charred remains recovered from the burned house. Ed Winter, assistant chief Los Angeles County coroner, said the intense fire caused the top floor of the two-story house to collapse. Winter said the bodies were "severely burned and charred," and dental and medical records and X-rays will be used to establish identities. Police said they have not accounted for Pardo's ex-mother-in-law, ex-father-in-law and ex-wife. Police suggested marital problems as a motive for the attack and said Pardo and his wife of one year settled a contentious divorce last week. Covina Police Chief Kim Raney said Pardo's former in-laws regularly have a party Christmas Eve and that one neighbor always arrives dressed as Santa. This year that neighbor was away, police said. | [
"What weapons did Pardo use in the attack?",
"Which country was suspect fleeing to?",
"How much cash was found on Pardo's person?",
"What was the name of the police suspect?",
"Was the suspect injured in any way?",
"Where was Jeffrey Pardo's initial attack?",
"How many people were killed?"
] | [
[
"homemade device designed to spread fuel."
],
[
"Canada"
],
[
"$17,000"
],
[
"Bruce Jeffrey Pardo,"
],
[
"He suffered third-degree burns."
],
[
"his former in-laws,"
],
[
"nine"
]
] | Police say suspect had flight scheduled from Los Angeles to Canada .
Police believe Bruce Jeffrey Pardo's injuries prevented him from fleeing .
Pardo, who killed nine people, committed suicide after the attack, police say .
Police found $17,000 cling-wrapped to Pardo's legs, inside a girdle . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Alex Trebek, the long-time host of the popular television quiz show "Jeopardy," suffered a minor heart attack at his home Monday night. Alex Trebek has hosted "Jeopardy!" for 23 years. Trebek, 67, was recovering at a local hospital, and it was not clear when he would be released, a representative of the show said. He is expected to resume taping the show in January. The representative added that Trebek did not have any previous known condition that would have led to the heart attack. Trebek, 67, is a native of Sudbury, Ontario. He has hosted "Jeopardy!" since 1984. Prior to becoming "Jeopardy!" host, he served as emcee for a number of game shows, including "High Rollers," "The Wizard of Odds" and "Battlestars." E-mail to a friend | [
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"Who suffered heart attack?",
"What did he host for 23 years?",
"Where is Trebek resting?",
"what happened to alex trebek",
"where does he recovere",
"Which show did he host?",
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"suffered a minor heart attack at his home Monday night."
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] | Alex Trebek suffered heart attack at home Monday .
Trebek has hosted "Jeopardy!" for 23 years .
Trebek is recovering at L.A. hospital . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- America faces an economic calamity. Trouble brews in faraway lands. Superman #14, cover art. Artist: Fred Ray. (c) 1941 DC Comics. All rights reserved. Sound familiar? More than 70 years ago, the very first superheroes debuted in the dire times of the Great Depression and the early years of World War II. Their names became legend -- Superman, Batman (or, as he was then known, the Bat-Man), Wonder Woman, Captain America -- and they're still with us today. A new exhibit at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles celebrates these icons from the Golden Age of Comic Books. Through a collection of rare original artwork and comics, the exhibit explores how a group of mostly Jewish artists created the costumed heroes who came to symbolize the hopes of a beleaguered nation. "In the 1930s, the American Dream had become a nightmare, and I think comic books and superheroes in particular provided an escapist form of entertainment that allowed the American public to go into a fantasy world where all the ills of the world were righted by these larger-than-life heroes," says Erin Clancy, a curator at the Skirball. Watch a tour of the exhibit » Guest curator Jerry Robinson not only organized the exhibit, he's a part of it. The comic book pioneer created Batman's arch-enemy, The Joker, and named the caped crusader's sidekick Robin. (Success has many fathers, of course: Bob Kane, credited with creating Batman, has long disputed elements of Robinson's creation stories.) "We were just emerging from the Depression," Robinson recalls. "Superman started in 1938. Batman started in 1939. So, we were just recovering." Robinson says the villains changed with the times. "The first villains in the comic books were hijackers, embezzlers, bank robbers. It was the era of Pretty Boy Floyd and so forth. Once the war came along, we felt a need for more patriotic heroes to fight Hitler. "In fact," he adds, "Hitler banned American comics, at least Superman and superheroes. He said they were Jewish. Little did he know that the creators were actually Jewish. ... Hitler banned American comics, except one: Mickey Mouse, which was his favorite." One of the highlights of the collection is Robinson's original sketch for The Joker. "My first thought was that a villain who had a sense of humor would be different and memorable," he says. "So, I'm thinking of a name for a villain that has a sense of humor. I thought of 'The Joker' as a name, and as soon as I thought that, I associate it with the playing card, as my family had a tradition of champion playing; my brother was a contract champion bridge player. There were always cards around the house. "So I searched, and luckily it had the typical image of the joker, which came out of a tradition in Europe. This was an important element. Throughout history, we had court jesters, clowns, and so this was an iconic image that was also very useful." In our own times, the public is turning to costumed heroes again in record numbers. Movies based on comic books are box office leaders; comic books themselves remain a strong and growing industry. "I think the comic book superhero came out of a context in which the political, social and economic realties were a little tough," Clancy says, "and we can certainly relate to those realities now in our own day. I think the resurgence of popularity of superheroes can be attributed to that." Last year, audiences made "The Dark Knight" the second-highest grossing film of all time. The late Heath Ledger, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance as The Joker in that film, spoke with Robinson before he died. "I was flattered to hear from him that he based the whole concept of The Joker | [
"Who created The Joker",
"When was Batman created?",
"What does the new exhibit show",
"When was the golden age for superheroes?",
"Who created The Joker: \"We're looking for heroes?",
"When were Superman and Batman created?"
] | [
[
"Jerry Robinson"
],
[
"1939."
],
[
"rare original artwork and comics,"
],
[
"1930s,"
],
[
"Jerry Robinson"
],
[
"More than 70 years ago,"
]
] | Superman, Batman, others born during Great Depression, early World War II years .
New exhibit shows "golden age" of superhero characters .
Artist Jerry Robinson, who created The Joker: "We're looking for heroes" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- An 850-pound emerald said to be worth as much as $370 million is in the hands of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department while a court decides who really owns it, a spokesman for the sheriff said. This enormous raw emerald was being kept in a Las Vegas, Nevada, warehouse. The "Bahia Emerald" -- one of the largest ever found -- was reported stolen in September from a secured vault in South El Monte in Los Angeles County. The report was made by someone who claimed to own the giant gemstone, Los Angeles Sheriff's Lt. Thomas Grubb said. Federal court papers showed the emerald has been at the center of a dispute between a California man who claimed ownership, a company he contracted with to sell it, and a potential buyer. Detective work traced the Brazilian stone to a Las Vegas, Nevada, warehouse, where the person in possession claimed to be the rightful owner, Grubb said. A federal judge ordered the sheriff to hold the 180,000-carat emerald until he can sort the case out, Grubb said. Investigators suspect someone used falsified papers to remove the stone from the secured vault in California, although no criminal charges have been filed, Grubb said. While Grubb said it was his understanding the stone had been appraised at $370 million, the value is unclear. The company hired by the owner to sell it said in court papers it had received a $19 million offer, which the company wanted to accept. It alleged the gemstone's owner then tried to go around the broker to sell the emerald to the same buyer for $75 million. At one point, the emerald was listed for sale on eBay for a "buy it now" price of $75 million. | [
"What is the gem potentially worth?",
"What type of gemstone is the center of a dispute?",
"Who is the seller?",
"What are the seller, buyer, and the broker arguing over?",
"What is the value of this emerald?",
"L.A. sheriff took custody of what?",
"What did the L.A. sheriff take custody of?",
"Where is the gemstone from?",
"How many carats is the gemstone?",
"How many carats is the stone?",
"The seller, buyer and broker are arguing over what?"
] | [
[
"as much as $370 million"
],
[
"An 850-pound emerald"
],
[
"gemstone's owner"
],
[
"850-pound emerald"
],
[
"$370 million"
],
[
"An 850-pound emerald"
],
[
"850-pound emerald"
],
[
"a secured vault in South El Monte in Los Angeles County."
],
[
"180,000-carat"
],
[
"180,000-carat"
],
[
"850-pound emerald"
]
] | L.A. sheriff takes custody of 180,000-carat gemstone pending resolution .
Seller, buyer, broker arguing over ownership, sale agreement .
Estimates of raw emerald's value range from $19 million to $370 million . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- An American Airlines Boeing 757 made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport an hour after taking off because the crew smelled smoke in the cockpit, a fire department official said. Inflatable chutes extend from a jet that made an emergency landing Tuesday in Los Angeles. American Airlines spokesman John Hotard said there was evidence of smoke in the cabin, but he could not say if it was visible or just an odor. Flight 31 was headed from Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii. There were 188 passengers and seven crew members aboard. When it landed, the pilot ordered an emergency evacuation. Passengers evacuated by inflatable slides. Watch passengers slide down chutes » "It was split-second, 'Go, go, go. Don't take any bags with you. Just go, get off,' " said passenger Julie Brown. "And we just walked to the exit door, and there's that huge slide." Five passengers had minor cuts and bruises, Hotard said. Hotard said the flight was the first of the day for the aircraft, and there were no reports of problems with it in the past 30 days. The pilot requested an emergency landing as a precaution, Hotard said. Watch as official tells what happened » American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said most passengers would take an afternoon flight to Hawaii, although he added that a "handful" of passengers were not continuing to Honolulu. He did not specify why. CNN's Tracy Sabo contributed to this report. | [
"Where did it stop?",
"Where was the jet going?",
"Where is Honolulu located?",
"were any injuries to passengers reported",
"where did the american bound jet land"
] | [
[
"International Airport"
],
[
"Honolulu, Hawaii."
],
[
"Hawaii."
],
[
"had minor cuts and bruises,"
],
[
"Los Angeles"
]
] | Honolulu-bound American jet lands at Los Angeles International Airport .
Pilot requests emergency landing after smoke in cabin reported, official says .
Passengers slide down inflatable chutes to get out of cabin; minor injuries reported . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Anna Nicole Smith's bizarre introduction of rapper Kanye West at the 2004 American Music Awards took center stage on the first day of a preliminary hearing for three people facing charges stemming from her death. Anna Nicole Smith's death on February 8, 2007, was ruled to be from "acute combined drug intoxication." Prosecutors said they wanted Judge Robert Perry to see how the former Playboy model and reality TV star was affected by what they alleged was an illegal conspiracy to prescribe, administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict. Howard K. Stern, Smith's lawyer and companion, and co-defendants Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor each entered not guilty pleas in Los Angeles County Superior Court in September. The preliminary hearing, which lawyers said could last three weeks, is an opportunity for the defense to "lock in" the testimony of prosecution witnesses, one defense lawyer said. It is not expected to result in any charges being dropped, he said. The lawyer for Stern, who faces 11 felony counts, said to prove a conspiracy, the prosecutor would have to show Stern knew it was illegal to use fake names to obtain narcotics for Smith, which he said was to protect her privacy. "He has no reason to believe that there was anything improper in what was going on," defense lawyer Steve Sadow said. "He honestly believed that if the doctor said he could do it this way and, in fact, did it, then it was legitimate and lawful." Smith's death in a Hollywood, Florida, hotel on February 8, 2007, was ruled to be from "acute combined drug intoxication," the Broward County, Florida, medical examiner said. Smith's introduction of Kanye West -- projected on a courtroom screen -- was a brief respite from a mostly tedious hearing spent shuffling through prescription records. "Like my body?" a slim and busty Smith asked as she showed off her tight-fitting gown. Smith slurred much of her speech as she tried to read from a teleprompter. "Make some noise for my boy, Kanye West," Smith finally yelled. Sadow said the video should be viewed in the context of the medical problems Smith was suffering at the time. "We all have bad days, and she suffered from seizures and she had medical problems," Sadow said. "So, if she's on medication for that, [it] would explain her activity." Stern sat with his head in his hands at times while the government's lead investigator described what happened the day Smith died at the Hard Rock Hotel. Danny Santiago, special agent for the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, said investigators found 12 types of prescription drugs, including dangerous opiates, in the hotel room. Seven of them were prescribed using Stern's name, although spelled "Stearn," he said. Two of the drugs apparently were for treatment of "flu-like symptoms" Smith was suffering when she arrived at the hotel three days before her death, he said. A hotel employee who saw Smith and Stern arrive told investigators she "wasn't her normal vivacious self," Santiago said. Another hotel worker who had closely assisted Smith during several earlier stays said she was not allowed contact with Smith, which she said was "very unusual," Santiago testified. The workers said they were told Smith was suffering from "flu-like symptoms." The autopsy revealed Smith had a bacterial infection, Santiago said. When Stern left the hotel on the morning of February 8 to shop for a new boat, he asked Tasma Brighthaupt, a registered nurse who is married to Smith's bodyguard, to watch over Smith, who he said was sleeping, the investigator said. Brighthaupt sat next to the bed, surfing the Internet with a laptop and talking on her cell phone, believing Smith was sleeping, he said. Finally, Brigette Neben, described as a friend of Smith's, noticed her lips were turning blue and her skin was pale, he | [
"What played at the hearing?",
"What is the full name of the reality star who died after being administered the drugs?",
"What is the names of the people who plead not guilty?",
"who pleaded not guilty?",
"What type of drugs were the 3 charged with conspiracy to prescribe, administer and dispense?",
"For what charges did Howard Stern, Khristine Eroshevich, and Sandeep Kapoor plead not guilty to?",
"how many were charged with conspiracy to prescribe, administer and dispense drugs?"
] | [
[
"Smith's introduction of Kanye West"
],
[
"Anna Nicole Smith's"
],
[
"Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor"
],
[
"Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor"
],
[
"controlled substances"
],
[
"dispense controlled substances"
],
[
"three people"
]
] | Video played at preliminary hearing on reality star Smith's death .
3 charged with conspiracy to prescribe, administer and dispense drugs .
Howard Stern, Khristine Eroshevich, Sandeep Kapoor have pleaded not guilty . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Another Hollywood marriage is ending -- but this one was no flash in the pan. Robin Wright Penn and Sean Penn had been married 11 years. Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn are divorcing, according to their representative, Mara Buxbaum. People magazine first reported the split Thursday night. The actors began dating after they met making the 1990 movie "State of Grace." They married in 1996, and have two children, Dylan Frances, 16, and Hopper Jack, 14. Previously, Penn was married to Madonna for four years, while Wright was married to actor Dane Witherspoon for two years. In addition to "State of Grace," Penn and Wright appeared together in 1997's "She's So Lovely" and 1998's "Hurlyburly," and both are set to appear in Barry Levinson's next film, "What Just Happened?," due out in 2008. Penn, 47, won a best actor Oscar for 2003's "Mystic River," and was nominated for best actor for "Dead Man Walking," "Sweet and Lowdown," and "I Am Sam." His latest directorial effort, "Into The Wild," has received four SAG Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. Wright, 41, is best known for her title role in "The Princess Bride" and for starring opposite Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump." E-mail to a friend | [
"Where did the pair meet?",
"Where did the couple met?",
"For how long were they married?",
"What is the number of children they had together?",
"For how long have Sean and Robin been married?",
"How many children does the couple have?",
"Who has been married 11 years?",
"How many children do Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn have?",
"How many years had Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn been married?",
"How many children do they have?",
"Where did the pair meet?",
"How many children does the couple have?",
"How long has Sean Penn been married for?"
] | [
[
"making the 1990 movie \"State of Grace.\""
],
[
"making the 1990 movie \"State of Grace.\""
],
[
"11 years."
],
[
"two"
],
[
"11 years."
],
[
"two"
],
[
"Robin Wright Penn and Sean Penn"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"11"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"making the 1990 movie \"State of Grace.\""
],
[
"two"
],
[
"11 years."
]
] | Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn had been married 11 years .
Pair met while making 1990's "State of Grace"
Couple has two children; has made three films together, with fourth due out . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Anthony and Lisa Leoni have little time to worry about whether California's budget crisis will affect their daughter's life-sustaining care. Anthony and Lisa Leoni are afraid of budget cuts that pose a threat to daughter Jessica's care. A steady stream of nurses, caregivers and therapists visit 12-year-old Jessica at home around the clock. Jessica suffers from a rare and fatal disease called Niemann Pick Type C. A cholesterol imbalance destroys healthy cells in the liver, spleen and brain. Although Jessica led a relatively normal life before the illness worsened, her mother always knew the disease would eventually take over. "Jessica was playful, happy and loves people. My heart was always a flutter because you never knew how many moments you'd get," Lisa Leoni says. In Jessica's case, a grand mal seizure suffered Memorial Day weekend 2005 brought a world of hurt to the Leonis. At the height of her symptoms, Jessica suffered up to 60 seizures a day. The disease, also known as NPC, has stolen her ability to walk, talk, eat or even breathe on her own. An oxygen machine pumps air into her lungs around the clock. Anthony Leoni knew they needed help. "If you told us 10 years ago this is how your life is going to be, I would have said we're not capable. We don't have the training, ability, we don't have the energy, we don't have the stamina." They found Bill Feeman of Westside Regional Center. "When you walk into this home and you see Jessica, [you] just fall in love with her," Feeman says. "She is a sweet soul -- you see her, she's physically helpless, yet there's a light that shines out of her eyes, it takes you in. "When you meet this family and you see how hard-working and involved they are, you just wanna do everything you can to help." Watch the family's heartbreaking struggle » Feeman worked to find in-home support in the form of nurse caregivers, therapists and medical supplies. "This family also has all the normal responsibilities of raising a family. They have to pay their mortgage, they have to feed their family, they have to go to work. So when you have someone as medically involved as Jessica is, and you're talking about all that worriment and responsibility of your child being ill and on top of that you still have to ... bring home a paycheck every week in order to pay your bills, you need a lot of help. "You have to be awake at night with Jessica. She cannot be left alone for even five minutes where someone is not awake and attentive to her needs. So you're looking at a family, who when I first met them a year ago had some help in the home but nowhere near enough and they were exhausted. They were trying to be caregivers, nurses, doctors, and then get up and go to work during the day and still support their family." "We pieced all these programs together. We finally got everything in place where they can be parents again, which is a wonderful thing. And that's what scares me about these budget cuts ... it scares me a little bit that things might start moving backwards." One of those caregivers is Carmen Bailey, a certified nurse assistant and home health aide with Caring Connection. She has been working with Jessica for more than two years. "It's been an experience. I call her my angel. I bathe her, groom her, position her, massage her to make her comfortable." Carmen may be affected by the budget cuts. "I also have to live to keep on going. I know I will still be here and whatever I need to do extra I'm willing to do it for the family and Jessica." Westside Regional Center is one of 21 state regional centers providing services literally from birth to death. They | [
"What is wrong with Jessica Leoni?",
"What threatens cutbacks in Jessica's care?",
"How many years old is Jessica Leoni?"
] | [
[
"Niemann Pick Type C."
],
[
"budget cuts"
],
[
"12-year-old"
]
] | Twelve-year-old Jessica Leoni has rare and fatal disease .
Illness requires around-the-clock care for Jessica .
California budget crisis threatens cutbacks in Jessica's care .
Potential budget cuts are "going to affect everybody" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- As Ryan O'Neal walked the red carpet at the premiere of "Farrah's Story," he stopped every few feet to answer reporters' questions about Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer. Farrah Fawcett was diagnosed with cancer three years ago. 'Farrah's Story,' a documentary on her battle, will air Friday. CNN's Douglas Hyde was at the end of the line and the last to interview the actor, who was almost in tears after a string of intense explanations about his longtime companion's condition. "She was OK in the first interview, but now I'm worried," O'Neal said, visibly drained after focusing on Fawcett's battle. The documentary, which airs Friday night on NBC, is not a celebration of Fawcett's career, but an intimate look at her life since being diagnosed with anal cancer three years ago. "Basically, it's a gonzo trip," O'Neal said. It was shot by Fawcett's close friend, Alana Stewart. "It shows you every detail, how she found out and how she dealt with it," O'Neal said. Early in 2007, Fawcett said she was told her cancer had gone into remission. Her official Web site has posts from February 2007 celebrating the news. But the cancer returned later that year. Anal cancer affects more women than men, and the illness is usually found in people who are in their early 60s. The American Cancer Society estimates that 5,000 new cases of anal cancer are diagnosed each year and about 680 people die from it annually. While cancer keeps Farrah in her bed, a legal fight has begun over the documentary. Producer Craig Nevius filed a lawsuit this week against O'Neal and Stewart, claiming they stole creative control of the film from him. Nevius told CNN he was kicked off the project more than two months ago. "I have been banned from talking to or seeing Farrah for about ten weeks, which is highly unusual, considering that healthy or sick, I spoke to this woman at least twice a day from the time of her diagnosis on," Nevius said. Nevius said his goal was to do the film "based on Farrah's artistic visions that are a reflection of her and while at the same time maintaining and protecting her privacy to the extent that she wants it maintained and protected." "I take no joy in this," Nevius said. "I tried to avoid this, but I am doing it for Farrah." A spokesman for O'Neal called it "horrific" that Nevius would file the lawsuit. "We hope and we pray that Farrah Fawcett does not find out about this lawsuit, because we know it would impact her health even more so," said O'Neal spokesman Paul Bloch. CNN's Douglas Hyde and Marc Balinsky contributed to this report. | [
"What did the producer claim he was robbed of?",
"What does the producer claim he was robbed of?",
"Which person described it as a \"gonzo trip\"?",
"What is Craig banned from?",
"What is the name of the documentary?",
"What was the producer robbed of?",
"What is the name is the documentary?"
] | [
[
"creative control of the film"
],
[
"creative control of the film"
],
[
"O'Neal said."
],
[
"talking to or seeing Farrah for about ten weeks,"
],
[
"'Farrah's Story,'"
],
[
"creative control of the film"
],
[
"'Farrah's Story,'"
]
] | Documentary "Farrah's Story" is a "gonzo trip," Ryan O'Neal says .
Producer claims he was robbed of creative control .
Craig Nevius: "I have been banned from talking to or seeing Farrah"
O'Neal spokesman: "We hope and we pray" Fawcett does not learn about lawsuit . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- As millions of people enter the job market and business owners struggle to entice consumers, Ryan Taylor may be better positioned than most to weather the economic crisis. Ryan Taylor, right, and client Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men at Taylor's downtown Los Angeles office. Taylor is a custom tailor who brings his showroom to clients' homes and offices. The day before former New Edition artist Johnny Gill left for a U.S. concert tour in March, Taylor sat in the musician's modest condominium taking measurements for a customized shirt and suit that needed to be completed and shipped in a few days. Even on short notice, "Taylor the Tailor," as he is known, delivered on his promise -- and made Gill a loyal and satisfied customer. Taylor says he wants to change the apparel business model by personalizing a customer's needs, instead of having large inventories and high overhead costs that can quickly put someone out of business in a bad economy. His recipe for success: virtually no inventory and prices competitive with brand name department stores. His story in the apparel business began with the word "wardrobe" itself. "I had seen it numerous times and thought, 'Why would a word associated with business suits or casual attire have such a negative prefix?' " He decided to remove the word "war" and create a brand called DROBE that would offer professionals and smaller mom-and-pop boutiques his personalized custom style. But his first foray into the apparel business began and ended about 10 years ago at a trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. He borrowed money to pay for a booth, but like many entrepreneurial designers getting started, Taylor said buyers were not interested in clothing without established brand names. Soon after, Taylor was broke. "When I came home from that show thousands of dollars in the hole, I thought, 'How can I create a better story?' " Watch Taylor discuss how his business started » Several months later, Taylor was surprised that some of his personal customers were coming back for more shirts because of his attention to size and detail. "I discovered that clothes off the rack fit less than 50 percent of the consumer population," he said, "and that my custom clothes can be generally close to the same price as those on the rack." He also began visiting his clients in their living rooms or offices for custom fittings and offering a range of fabrics, textures and designs conducive to an individual's style. When a sale is made, Taylor collects half the money up front, which helps pay for the cost of materials. "Nine times out of 10 we visit clients in their home or offices, we take their measurements right there inside their office, have them select the fabric they prefer, take their measurements right then and there, and [in] a couple weeks have a tailor-made garment to wear," he said. Although he discovered his custom-tailored clients looked great in his shirts, he noticed that most Main Street customers wore pants and suits that did not properly fit, so Taylor saw that as another opportunity to expand. With no inventory and a small staff on commission, Taylor's reputation spread throughout the Los Angeles, Chicago, Illinois, and Atlanta, Georgia, business communities, partly with the help of fellow Hampton University alumni. He said television shows and celebrities began to take notice, and soon he found himself in the fitting rooms of major motion picture and recording studios. Taylor told CNN's Ted Rowlands that one of his first clients was the late comedian Bernie Mac. "I called the Bernie Mac show and the stylist there said come on in and he was my first celebrity client." Some of his other celebrity clients include Al Pacino, Martin Lawrence, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, George Lopez and musician and multi-Grammy winner Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. But his reputation did not change his business style. "Our business model is remarkably fit and lean," he said | [
"What is Taylor's business?",
"What's his business name?"
] | [
[
"custom tailor"
],
[
"DROBE"
]
] | Ryan Taylor finds a niche in the apparel market with custom fittings .
"Taylor the Tailor" starts with a small loan and a failed booth at a trade show .
He now has 1,300 clients, among them Al Pacino, Jay Leno and other celebrities .
The vast majority of clients earn a living on Main Street, he says . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- As the man in the Dodgers jersey walked quickly around the perimeter of the infield, fans poured down from the bleachers begging for autographs. Pitbull says he learns from setbacks: "Usually the negatives turned out to be the most positive for me." No, it wasn't home run king Manny Ramirez. It was Armando Christian Perez, the Cuban-American rapper better known as Pitbull. In five years, he's gone from a mouthy Miami street hustler to a chart-topping hip-hop star whose infectious Caribbean beats have enticed crossover audiences to swing their hips and sing along -- even taking on some of the words in Spanish. His fourth studio album, "Rebelution," debuted in the Top 10 on the mainstream Billboard chart. But Pitbull's growing profile means nada as he takes the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. "I'm the only Cuban who never picked up a baseball in his life," he said, preparing. He awkwardly winds up and releases the pitch. It falls short, bouncing on the ground before reaching the plate. "One more try!" he signals. The second attempt is closer to the mark. It's symbolic of Pit's career. "It's not how you start. It's how you finish it," he likes to say. Watch how Pitbull leads his "Rebelution" » Tommy Lasorda, the legendary Dodgers manager, is waiting to bust his chops as he leaves the infield. Later, we get the scoop on the conversation. (By the way, the Dodgers won that game.) CNN: Tommy Lasorda was out there giving you a little bit of grief. Pitbull: Tommy Lasorda told me, "It was the worst throw I've ever seen in my life!" I said, "Well, I'll throw you in the studio. You rap, I'll play baseball." He goes, "I'll rap a whole lot better than that throw!" (Laughs) CNN: How much do you deflect things with humor? Pitbull: [Humor is] everything. Everything. Usually the negatives turned out to be the most positive for me. In the music industry, any other artist would have looked at the situation I was in and thought, "Oh man, this is not for me." I looked at it more like [Darwin exploring] the Galápagos Islands. You know -- survival of the fittest. CNN: Were you a troublemaker growing up? Pitbull: Not a troublemaker. I'm sharp. Slick, if you want to call it. What the street taught me how to do is how to hustle. How to make something out of nothing. CNN: In the music industry, street cred may help an artist. Pitbull: Anybody who's made it out of the street -- they want to do this (places index finger over his lips). Shh. CNN: Even though some of the struggles are similar, there doesn't seem to be a lot of crossover between African-American hip-hop artists and Latin-American hip-hop artists. Pitbull: You can't get a Diddy or Jay-Z to speak to the Latins. It's not gonna happen. There's a force field where they said, "OK, we're going to let you here -- but that's it." Diddy got the closest. Why? Because he had J. Lo. The only reason my grandmother knows Puff Daddy is because of J. Lo. But he couldn't cross that barrier. So as far as myself -- I guess I'm their role model. CNN: How much do you want to cross over? Pitbull: I have respect for Jay-Z and Diddy for what they did in the hip-hop game. But I want to be Celia Cruz. I want to be Gloria Estefan [both were born in Cuba]. I want to enterprise -- open clubs and restaurants. They've done it also -- | [
"What type of heritage has pitbull",
"Whose album debuted in Top 10?",
"What has Piybull had?",
"What does he say about failure?",
"Who has Cuban heritage?",
"Where did his new album debut",
"Who says negatives can lead to positives?",
"Pitbull has what heritage?",
"Pitbull sings what genre?",
"Who debuted n top 10 his new album?",
"Who has Cuban heritage?",
"Who says he's not fazed by failure?",
"Pitbull's new album debuted in what position?"
] | [
[
"Cuban-American"
],
[
"Armando Christian Perez,"
],
[
"learns from setbacks:"
],
[
"\"Usually the negatives turned out to be the most positive for me.\""
],
[
"Armando Christian Perez,"
],
[
"in the Top 10 on the mainstream Billboard chart."
],
[
"Pitbull"
],
[
"Cuban-American"
],
[
"rapper"
],
[
"Pitbull."
],
[
"Armando Christian Perez,"
],
[
"Pitbull"
],
[
"in the Top 10"
]
] | Pitbull has had some crossover success; his new album debuted in Top 10 .
Hip-hop artist has Cuban heritage, has balanced that with American upbringing .
He says he's not fazed by failure: negatives can lead to positives, he says . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Before Jada Pinkett Smith took the role of producer and star of TNT's "HawthoRNe," she made sure her family was fine with her being away from her mother and wife duties during filming. Jada Pinkett Smith's new TV show, "HawthoRNe," premieres Tuesday on TNT. Pinkett Smith plays a single mom and a hospital's chief nurse on the medical show, which debuts Tuesday night on cable's TNT Network, which is owned by the parent company of CNN. "I sat down with kids and my husband and I really asked their permission," she said. "I said 'Listen, there was this show I'd love to do and it will be three months that you might not see Mommy a lot.' And they're looking at me like 'Really? What does that mean?'" It meant that on weekdays Will would get Willow, 8, and Jaden, 11, out of bed each morning, tuck them in at night and take care of them in-between. "So they get to eat chocolate for breakfast and go to bed whenever they feel like it for those three months while I'm working," Pinkett Smith said. "So, it works out, and they know that the rest of the year, I'm off." While the show is based on a Richmond, Virginia, hospital, it's produced in a recently closed Inglewood, California, hospital just a few miles from the Smiths' home. "The great thing is that my kids do know I'm in town," she said. It's close enough for Will to spend time on the set with Jada while still taking care of the kids. "He's an extra in one of the episodes, so just see if you can catch him," she said. "He's walking by, doing a drive-by, and we could hardly afford that. It was a very costly walk-by." Smith also works as a "ghost producer" helping structure her episodes, she said. "He's quite a fantastic story structuralist," she said. "So right now, I'm learning from him just how to structure a story in a way that speaks to the universal voice and to understand how to hit those human emotional cords that resonate universally, no matter what country you're from, your economic status." Will Smith was also on the set at Paramount Studios last month when daughter Willow taped her TV sitcom debut on Nickelodeon's "True Jackson, VP." His role then was stage dad. Hollywood's highest paid actor, as ranked by Forbes magazine, sat with the other parents through the day-long rehearsals and taping "like a regular dad," according to the parent of a cast member. By the way, Jada reports her daughter came home saying she wanted to do more television acting. When "HawthoRNe" production ends later this summer, Jada may have to return the "supportive spouse" favor to her husband when he travels to Beijing, China, to work on a "Karate Kid" remake. Will Smith will produce, with son Jaden playing the lead role, opposite Jackie Chan. It's not clear if Jada will seek work as a background extra. | [
"What is Jada's husbands name?",
"Jada's daughter will appear in what?",
"On what network?",
"What is the name of Smith's new show?",
"When does it premiere?",
"When does the show premiere?",
"What is the name of Jada Pinkett-Smith's new show?"
] | [
[
"Will Smith"
],
[
"\"Karate Kid\" remake."
],
[
"TNT"
],
[
"\"HawthoRNe,\""
],
[
"Tuesday"
],
[
"Tuesday"
],
[
"\"HawthoRNe,\""
]
] | Jada Pinkett Smith's new TV show, "HawthoRNe," premieres Tuesday on TNT .
Jada's actor-husband Will Smith will appear as extra in an episode .
Acting runs in family: Jada's daughter will appear in TV sitcom, son will be in film . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Bone-dry conditions in an area that has not seen a major fire in more than 60 years pushed a Southern California wildfire from 45,000 acres to more than 100,000 acres in a matter of hours Monday, fire officials said. A charred fire truck sits at the bottom of a hill Monday near Acton, California. Two firefighters died in the vehicle. The Station fire, burning in Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles, has forced thousands of evacuations and threatened thousands of structures -- including major communications installations on Mount Wilson, said Mike Dietrich, the U.S. Forest Service's incident commander. "This is a very difficult firefight," Dietrich said. "This is a very angry fire that we're fighting right now. Until we can get a change in weather conditions, I'm not overly optimist." Weather forecasts show little change in conditions for the next four to five days. The fire, which has sent plumes of thick smoke spiraling as much as 20,000 feet into the air, is creating its own wind patterns, making it unpredictable, officials said. See images of the wildfire » "This fire is headed just about anywhere it wants to right now," said Dietrich, who earlier said the blaze had "a mind of its own." Fire officials said Monday they had issued evacuation notices for residents of the 10,000 homes under threat. Nearly 100 homes were added to the notices Monday afternoon. But six people in the evacuation area had refused repeated requests to leave, said Commander David Fender, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's incident commander. "There's six individuals, they're up there, they've been asked to leave three times," Fender said. "They refuse to leave. That's their choice." Earlier reports indicated the six were trapped at their Gold Canyon ranch and firefighters were unable to reach them, but Fender said he had no indication that was true. "They've all shared that they do not want to leave," he said. The fire claimed the lives of two firefighters Sunday. Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47, and Specialist Arnaldo Quinones, 35, were killed when their vehicle went down a steep, 700-foot embankment, Dietrich said. Hall was with the department for 26 years and Quinones for eight years. Watch a fire official give details on the "tragic" accident » Dietrich said the blaze had destroyed two communications arrays in the area but had not flared up on Mount Wilson, home to 20 television and radio transmission towers, fire and police communications equipment and the Mount Wilson Observatory. That area is under a critical threat and a strike team is in position to protect the observatory. But, Dietrich stressed, "My No. 1 priority is our firefighters' safety." "If they have to abandon the position, there's no facility that is worth a human life," he said. Despite the difficulties, Dietrich told reporters that firefighting teams "will not rest until it's out." And Los Angeles County Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Bryant noted that "there have been hundreds of homes saved by firefighters in this effort." The Station fire was the largest of eight blazes burning across the state on Monday, officials said. Watch iReporters' footage of the wildfire » Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday his administration is "working around the clock to ensure that our brave men and women working on the fires' front lines have the resources needed to respond and beat back these fires as quickly as possible. "We have the toughest and best-trained firefighters in the world fighting to protect public safety and property," Schwarzenegger said. "I am confident in the state's response as these fires continue to burn throughout California." The governor on Monday toured damage left in the wake of the 49 Fire in Placer County, in northern California. As of Monday, the fire had burned 275 acres and was 50 percent contained. On Sunday, the governor expressed his condolences for the loss of the firefighters | [
"what is unpredictable?",
"What does Fire create?",
"What went down steep embankment?",
"how many firefighters where killed?",
"How many firefighters were killed?",
"What do Six people refuse to do?",
"how many people refuse to evacuate?"
] | [
[
"The fire,"
],
[
"is creating its own wind patterns, making it unpredictable,"
],
[
"their vehicle"
],
[
"Two"
],
[
"Two"
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[
"leave,"
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[
"six"
]
] | NEW: Fire creates own wind patterns, making it unpredictable, officials say .
Fast-growing wildfire nearly doubles to 164-square-mile conflagration .
Two firefighters killed battling blaze when vehicle went down steep embankment .
Six people refuse to evacuate their Gold Canyon ranch . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Brad Pitt gets top billing in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," but Austrian actor Christoph Waltz may have turned in the most memorable performance as a Nazi "Jew Hunter." Christoph Waltz attends a special screening of "Inglourious Basterds" in New York. Waltz, a 52-year-old veteran of German television, was hardly known outside of Europe, until now. Tarantino, insisting on actors with geographic origins similar to their characters, chose Waltz to play a complex and unforgettable villain: Nazi Col. Hans Landa. Landa mixes charm, humor and intelligence with great cruelty and opportunism as he travels through Tarantino's unpredictable screenplay. Waltz calls Landa "one of the great villains in dramatic literature." His performance earned Waltz the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, but the actor credits the writer for creating a "multifaceted and layered" character. "It's what Quentin [Tarantino] has written, and let me tell you, that's plenty," Waltz said. "Because I could still be sitting there trying to figure out what else is in there. And it's bottomless." The opening scene of "Inglourious Basterds" is itself a short film in the style of a spaghetti western, starring Waltz as "The Jew Hunter." Watch the stars of the movie discuss the film » "It was pure Tarantino to me in that it blended so many different elements perfectly, of tension and comedy, dialogue and excitement," actor B.J. Novak said of the scene. Waltz's character uses three languages in his encounter with a French dairy farmer who was hiding a Jewish family under his farmhouse floor. "The feature that makes me such an effective hunter of the Jews is, as opposed to most German soldiers, I can think like a Jew, where they can only think like a German or, more precisely, a German soldier," Landa tells the farmer. Landa's motivation is more complex than the typical Nazi depicted in a past movies. A literature scholar could build a career around studying the character, Waltz said. "Landa is one of the great villains in dramatic literature from the very beginning, for specific reasons, and it's a real job to find out the reasons," he said. "You sit there and you study and you study." The role provided him "ample opportunity to show other sides," Waltz said. "That's the fantastic thing with Landa, is it's so multifaceted and layered." But Waltz said he will be careful about repeating a similar role. "This is the best villain there is, and now it has to be significantly different for me to consider," he said. His three-decades-long acting résumé shows the diversity of his talent. His 1996 portrayal of Roy Black, one of Germany's most beloved pop stars, earned him one of Germany's highest acting honors. Waltz, now with a Hollywood agent, hints that scripts are coming his way because of the "Inglourious Basterds" exposure. One disadvantage of playing the villain in a Tarantino film is that the director insisted that Waltz not pal around with cast mates while away from the set. "It might be a good idea not to establish this buddy-buddy situation, to keep everybody on their toes a little bit," he said. "That awkward distance that they kept from me made it easier." Pitt, however, did approach him early in the filming, he said. "The fact that he is one of the biggest stars didn't come into that equation after he eliminated it," Waltz said. "He approached me literally with open arms, and that was that." "Inglourious Basterds"-- rated R -- hits theaters Friday, August 21. | [
"who plays colonel?",
"who made the movie?",
"how long has his career been",
"who won the best actor award?",
"Christoph Waltz has how many decades-long acting résumé?",
"His performance earned Waltz the best actor award at what film festival?"
] | [
[
"Christoph Waltz"
],
[
"Quentin Tarantino's"
],
[
"three-decades-long acting résumé"
],
[
"Christoph Waltz"
],
[
"three-decades-long"
],
[
"Cannes"
]
] | Christoph Waltz plays Nazi Col. Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's new movie .
Performance earned Waltz the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival .
His three-decades-long acting résumé shows the diversity of his talent .
The German television veteran was hardly known outside of Europe, until now . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Brandon Boyd blends into his Venice, California, neighborhood like any other resident. Brandon Boyd, front man for Incubus, is going on the road with the band in July. He surfs. Shuns Starbucks in favor of the local smoothie shop. Walks his French bulldog, Bruce. Oh, he also paints and makes music with his multiplatinum rock band, Incubus. The quintet hits the road on a North American summer tour in July, and just released a greatest hits collection called "Monuments and Melodies." The packaging features artwork by Boyd, who held his first solo art exhibit at Mr. Musichead Rock Art Gallery in Los Angeles last fall. The showroom is on the Sunset Strip, a stone's throw from the clubs that were host to Incubus' first gigs. The most spectacular paintings are large, fantasy-inspired pieces drenched in burgundy or aqua. Usually, the artwork springs to life in a corner of the singer's kitchen, where an easel permanently resides. It's a zen-like space, with high ceilings, glossy concrete floors and warm, burnished wood. But instead of the requisite Buddha statue, there's a rubber rabbit's head for inspiration. The muse seems ironic and appropriate, especially since Boyd swears his home was a brothel back in the 1900s. CNN talked to Boyd about collaboration, the fulfillment of art and finding the perfect wave. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Isn't it ironic that you had your first solo art show before your first solo album? Brandon Boyd: I've actually thought very little about solo work up until just very recently. Most of it is because in my band, Incubus, it is very much a collaborative effort. I do what I do in the band, and everyone plays their respective parts, but in the end, we are sort of a democratic process. We meet in the middle for a lot of the songs, and I think that's why we sound the way we do -- because it's sort of five minds meeting in the middle. With my art thing, it's completely self-indulgent. Watch the singer discuss his art » CNN: So what does art fulfill in you that you don't get out of music? Boyd: To me, it's like the difference between a pen and a paintbrush. Music draws from almost the identical place as art does, which really is that intangible -- it's like you're pulling from the ether. I don't know where it comes from. Nobody really does. It sort of arrives when it wants to. ... I've been painting and drawing and taking pictures as long as I've been writing music -- and I've actually been drawing longer than I've been writing music. I didn't go around looking for it. It kind of found me. CNN: Your parents always encouraged you to explore your artistic side. Boyd: My parents are wonderful, and I'm really lucky -- but my mom has always been almost exclusively a right-brained person. She goes completely on her feelings of things, on her intuition, and so she instilled that in my brothers and I. And she also instilled in us from a very young age the importance of visualization -- visualization as a tool towards manifestation in your life. And so, from a very young age, if I didn't feel well, she's like, "Well, draw what's happening and draw a solution." If I had a stomach ache, I would draw a picture of my stomach, and I would draw what I thought the bad germs looked like -- and, you know, they had little robber masks on and stuff. And then I would draw a good germ, and of course it had a cape, and some tights, and he had a washcloth in his hands, and he could fly around and clean up the bad germs. And for some reason, I would always feel better afterwards. CNN: Did you ever visualize and | [
"When will the tour happen?",
"Who has been indulging in a love of painting?",
"Band will hit the road in what month?",
"What kind of album will Incubus be releasing?",
"Band has new what?",
"Which Incubus band member has been painting?",
"What does the band have out?"
] | [
[
"July,"
],
[
"Brandon Boyd,"
],
[
"July."
],
[
"greatest hits collection"
],
[
"a greatest hits collection called \"Monuments and Melodies.\""
],
[
"Brandon Boyd"
],
[
"a greatest hits collection called \"Monuments and Melodies.\""
]
] | Incubus' Brandon Boyd has been indulging in a love of painting .
Band has new greatest hits album out, will hit the road in July .
"These were the things I was supposed to do," says Boyd . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Brenda Gardenhire shows off her new home with pride. It looks like an oversized shopping cart covered with a khaki canvas. But to her, it's "wonderful" -- a stepping stone to get her off the streets and get her life back in order. Brenda Gardenhire was homeless over the last year, until she got her EDAR unit. "It's like your own home, your own apartment, your own room," she said, showing off the 7-foot-long living space on wheels. "No one else can come in here but me." Gardenhire is talking about her makeshift home called an EDAR, which stands for Everyone Deserves A Roof. The units are being distributed to homeless people in the Los Angeles area by the Everyone Deserves A Roof nonprofit organization. It's the brainchild of "Revenge of the Nerds" movie producer Peter Samuelson, who has spent much of his life working with charities to help impoverished children. He got the idea to help the homeless in recent years as he rode his bicycle from Los Angeles to the beach at Santa Monica. Watch a canvas-covered 'home' for the homeless » On those bike rides, he began seeing more and more homeless people. But he didn't just whiz by. He stopped to talk with them -- 62 people in all. One by one, he listened to their needs and what they wanted most: a roof over their heads. And the idea for the EDAR was born. iReport.com: Homeless in pink tents "If you had to define the value of a civilization, it's not how many SUVs you've got," Samuelson said. "To me, I think it's how well do we take care of our children, our homeless people, our mentally ill, those less fortunate." He partnered with the Pasadena Art Center College of Design for a design contest and the current contraption was created. Each unit costs about $500 to make. The four-wheeled home has an expandable base that stays off the ground and is covered by a canvas, giving it the feel of a tent. It extends 86 inches and is 32 inches wide, thin enough to fit through standard doorways. Each unit has a mattress and sleeping bag to provide comfort. It's also flame-retardant and sturdy enough to keep its occupants dry during heavy rains. A braking mechanism prevents the unit from rolling away at night. They also come with a chain and padlock to prevent it from being stolen. Samuelson said he initially wanted to build more permanent shelters for all of the homeless people in the Los Angeles area. "But when you do the math, you're looking at $3 billion to get 60,000 people off the damp concrete, and that's just in L.A.," he said, explaining why he opted for the cheaper EDAR instead of permanent shelters. He said the EDAR isn't a perfect solution, but it's a good, economical stopgap. "This is $500 to get a man or a woman or a child off the damp concrete," he said. "I don't think it's the best. ... But for now, I think a little bit of privacy -- not being rained on, not sleeping on the ground, not getting pneumonia from the damp -- has a little bit of value." Jose Font, 50, agrees. He got an EDAR late last year. He said he's been homeless off and on since 1979. He slept on a tarp with a blanket and worked on computer repairs before he became one of about 60 people to get an EDAR. "Everybody calls it the hobo condo. Everybody envies me because I sleep on a mattress inside," he said. "It makes me feel like I've got something to come to. It feels more like a home than just a tarp and concrete." He added, "It's light as a feather when I push it. I can put it anywhere." Font keeps it locked to a telephone on | [
"what began distributing makeshift tents",
"What was Charity the brainchild of?",
"what does homeless man say",
"What did the homeless man call it?",
"Who is distributing makeshift tents?"
] | [
[
"Everyone Deserves A Roof nonprofit organization."
],
[
"\"Revenge of the Nerds\" movie producer Peter Samuelson,"
],
[
"\"Everybody calls it the hobo condo. Everybody envies me because I sleep on a mattress inside,\""
],
[
"hobo condo."
],
[
"Gardenhire"
]
] | A Los Angeles-based charity has begun distributing makeshift tents .
Charity was brainchild of "Revenge of the Nerds" movie producer Peter Samuelson .
"This is $500 to get a man or a woman or a child off the damp concrete," he says .
Homeless man: "Everybody calls it the hobo condo" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Burt Reynolds checked into a drug rehab clinic "to regain control of his life" after becoming addicting to painkillers prescribed following back surgery, his manager said. Reynolds won Golden Globe for his role as a porn producer in the 1997 hit movie "Boogie Nights." A short statement, issued by manager Erik Kritzer on Wednesday, did not say when or where Reynolds entered rehab. "After a recent back surgery, Mr. Reynolds felt like he was going through hell and after a while, realized he was a prisoner of prescription pain pills," Kritzer said. "He checked himself into rehab in order to regain control of his life. "Mr. Reynolds hopes his story will help others in a similar situation," Kritzer said. "He hopes they will not try to solve the problem by themselves, but realize that sometimes it is too tough to do on their own and they should seek help, as he did." Reynolds was an Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner for his role as a porn producer in the 1997 hit movie "Boogie Nights." His film career, which started in 1961, also included starring roles in the classic movies "Deliverance," "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Cannonball Run." | [
"How long has Reynolds been addicted to painkillers?",
"What is he addicted to?",
"What films are included in his career?",
"What is Reynolds addicted to?",
"What was the reason he checked himself into rehab?"
] | [
[
"following back surgery,"
],
[
"painkillers"
],
[
"\"Deliverance,\" \"Smokey and the Bandit\" and \"Cannonball Run.\""
],
[
"painkillers prescribed following back surgery,"
],
[
"\"to regain control of"
]
] | Reynolds is addicted to painkillers prescribed after back surgery, manager says .
Not clear where or when the legendary film and television actor entered rehab .
"He checked himself into rehab in order to regain control of his life," manager says .
His film career includes starring roles in "Deliverance," "Smokey and the Bandit" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- California's director of adult prisons is recommending against "compassionate release" for a terminally ill former Manson family member, a spokeswoman said. Susan Atkins is led from a Los Angeles grand jury room after her indictment in the 1969 "Manson murders." Suzan Hubbard, director of the Division of Adult Institutions, decided that Susan Atkins' request should not be sent to the sentencing court for consideration, said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Hubbard's recommendation is advisory and will not necessarily prevent Atkins' release. The court -- not the department or the state Board of Parole Hearings -- has the final say on whether Atkins should be released, Thornton said. "They're the only ones legally who can recall the sentence," she added. Atkins, 60, was convicted in the 1969 slayings of actress Sharon Tate and four others. She had been incarcerated at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California, but has been hospitalized since mid-March. Her request is now before the Board of Parole Hearings, which is conducting an independent investigation and will hear the case during its monthly public meeting, Thornton said. The next meeting is scheduled July 15. Atkins had been held for years at the Corona prison, which earlier determined that she met the criteria for compassionate release under the law, and sent her request to the corrections department. The Board of Parole Hearings will receive public comment, discuss the request in closed session and then announce its recommendation. The board also can decide whether to refer the request to the sentencing court. The court, based in Los Angeles, can either grant or deny Atkins' request. It also can recall her life sentence and resentence Atkins to a lesser term, allowing for her to be paroled. In 2007, the department received 60 compassionate release requests, Thornton said. Ten were approved. Citing privacy rules, prison officials would not disclose the nature of Atkins' illness. Her husband and attorney, James Whitehouse, has been quoted as saying she has terminal brain cancer, according to a blog called Manson Family Today. She also has had a leg amputated, the Los Angeles Times has reported. Atkins, known within the Manson family as "Sadie Mae Glutz," has been in prison since 1971 and has been denied parole 11 times. She is California's longest-serving female inmate. Tate and three houseguests were slain in August 1969 by killers who burst into her Benedict Canyon home. A teenager who was visiting the home's caretaker in his cottage on the property also was killed. According to historical accounts of the murders, Atkins stabbed Tate, who was 8½ months pregnant, and wrote the word "pig" in blood on the door of the home the actress shared with her husband, director Roman Polanski. The following night, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were slain in their home in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. The two-day crime spree sent shock waves throughout Los Angeles. All of the killers remain behind bars. Atkins also was convicted in the earlier murder of music teacher Gary Hinman. Atkins, like family leader Charles Manson, received a death sentence. Her punishment was changed to life in prison when the California Supreme Court ruled the state's death penalty unconstitutional in 1972. Atkins is a born-again Christian, according to a Web site maintained by her husband. During her incarceration, the site says, Atkins has worked to help at-risk youth, victims of violent crimes and homeless children. Last month, authorities dug for buried bodies at the Inyo County, California, ranch where Manson and his followers once lived, after police became aware that testing had indicated humans might be buried there. Nothing was found, police said. | [
"What is the length of Susan Atkin's sentaence?",
"Who says Susan has brain cancer?",
"What was Susan Atkin's role in the Manson family murders?",
"Who is serving a life sentence?",
"Who has terminal brain cancer?",
"What decade the murders occur?"
] | [
[
"life sentence"
],
[
"Her husband and attorney, James Whitehouse,"
],
[
"slayings of actress Sharon Tate and four others."
],
[
"Susan Atkins"
],
[
"Susan Atkins"
],
[
"1969"
]
] | Decision puts case in parole board's hands, spokeswoman says .
Susan Atkins is serving life sentence for role in Manson family murders of late 1960s .
Web site quotes Atkins' husband as saying she has terminal brain cancer . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Carrie Prejean has filed a lawsuit against Miss California USA officials who stripped her of her title, accusing them of libel and religious discrimination for her views on same-sex marriage. Carrie Prejean was stripped of her Miss California USA title earlier this year. "We will make the case that her title was taken from her solely because of her support of traditional marriage," her attorney, Charles LiMandri, said in a news release. Prejean stepped into controversy at the Miss USA pageant in April when, in response to a question from a judge, she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage. Prejean finished as first runner-up. The complaint was filed in Superior Court of California against Miss California USA officials Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler, as well as publicist Roger Neal. It alleges that Prejean suffered because of "libel, public disclosure of private facts, religious discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress." LiMandri had threatened to file a defamation lawsuit if Lewis did not retract statements he made about the former beauty queen. LiMandri's letter to Lewis' attorney also accused Lewis of setting Prejean up to be fired because of her statements opposing same-sex marriage. When Prejean, 22, was dethroned in June, Lewis said it was for "contract violations," including missed public appearances. He said then it wasn't one thing Prejean did, but "many, many, many things." "She came to us and said I'm not interested in your input; I'll make my own decision what I'm going to do," Lewis told CNN's Larry King in June. "You know, when you have a contract, when you're working for someone, you have a responsibility to follow through on what that requirement is." Lewis said it was clear "she was not interesting in upholding the title or the responsibilities." After that interview, LiMandri penned a letter to Lewis' attorney saying, "Carrie Prejean's good name has been tarnished by your client's false and defamatory accusations." "Please view this letter as a last opportunity for Mr. Lewis to retract the defamatory statements made against my client and to seek to restore her good name," LiMandri wrote. He denied any contract violations by Prejean, calling those claims a "complete and utter pretext" for her firing. The list Lewis gave to reporters of Prejean's missed appearances was "an outright fraud," he said. "She did not think it was appropriate for her to accept Mr. Lewis' invitation to attend a gay documentary in Hollywood promoting same-sex marriage," he said. "It was not my client's job, as Miss California, simply to help your client promote his personal or business interests as a Hollywood agent and producer, or gay activist." Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump announced in May that Prejean could keep her title despite a controversy over topless photos, missed appearances and her statements against same-sex marriage. Trump later reversed himself. "I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA organization, and I gave her the opportunity to do so," Trump said. "Unfortunately, it just doesn't look like it is going to happen, and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision." | [
"What was Prejean involved in?",
"What did Prejean make controversial statements about?",
"What controversial statements did Prejean make?",
"Who was stripped of her Miss California USA title?",
"What year did she win her title?",
"What is the name of the pageant which Prejean won?",
"What does Prejean claim?",
"What happened to Carrie Prejean?",
"What did Carrie Prejean claim?"
] | [
[
"controversy at the Miss USA pageant in April when, in response to a question from a judge, she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage."
],
[
"opposition to same-sex marriage."
],
[
"opposition to same-sex marriage."
],
[
"Carrie Prejean"
],
[
"this"
],
[
"Miss California USA"
],
[
"libel and religious discrimination for her views on same-sex marriage."
],
[
"stripped of her Miss California USA title"
],
[
"suffered because of \"libel, public disclosure of private facts, religious discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress,"
]
] | Carrie Prejean was stripped of Miss California USA title earlier this year .
Prejean claims she suffered because of officials' statements, actions .
Prejean was involved in controversy after statements about same-sex marriage . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Carrie Prejean's lawyer gave Miss California USA executive director Keith Lewis what he said was a final warning to retract statements made about the former beauty queen or face a defamation lawsuit. The lawyer for former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean, says the ousted beauty queen's good name is "tarnished." Prejean, stripped of the Miss California USA title last week, "suffered severe emotional distress" and her reputation was harmed by Lewis, Charles LiMandri said in a letter sent Thursday to Lewis' lawyer. LiMandri's letter also accused Lewis, whom he referred to as a "gay activist," of setting Prejean up to be fired because of her statements opposing same-sex marriage. When Prejean, 22, was dethroned, Lewis said it was for "contract violations," including missed public appearances. He told CNN's Larry King last week that it wasn't one thing Prejean did, but "many, many, many things." "She came to us and said I'm not interested in your input; I'll make my own decision what I'm going to do," Lewis said. "You know, when you have a contract, when you're working for someone, you have a responsibility to follow through on what that requirement is." Lewis told King it was clear "she was not interested in upholding the title or the responsibilities." "Carrie Prejean's good name has been tarnished by your client's false and defamatory accusations," the letter from her lawyer to Lewis' said. "Please view this letter as a last opportunity for Mr. Lewis to retract the defamatory statements made against my client and to seek to restore her good name," LiMandri said. "If he does not comply, I will have no alternative but to recommend that Ms. Prejean proceed to do so through litigation." In response to the letter, Lewis issued a statement that said: "Mr. LiMandri obviously has never watched 'The Apprentice' if he believes that Mr. Trump could be so easily fooled. Facts are facts, and we stand by them." LiMandri denied any contract violations, saying it was a "complete and utter pretext" for her firing. The list Lewis gave to reporters of Prejean's missed appearances was "an outright fraud," he said. Prejean "did not refuse reasonable appearance requests" that could "be expected to promote and further the intended purposes of Miss California USA," he said. The beauty queen expected to be asked to attend "Rotary conventions and avocado festivals," not events Lewis suggested, LiMandri said. "She did not think it was appropriate for her to accept Mr. Lewis' invitation to attend a gay documentary in Hollywood promoting same-sex marriage," he said. "It was not my client's job, as Miss California, simply to help your client promote his personal or business interests as a Hollywood agent and producer, or gay activist." He accused Lewis of trying to make commissions off Prejean's appearances. "Your client was trying to wrongfully profit off of my client's participation as Miss California, in violation of her contract, by taking 20 percent of any appearance fee she would earn, such as at the Las Vegas jewelers convention she attended at his request," LiMandri's letter said. LiMandri cited a statement he said Lewis made during a May 15 conference call that "clearly shows that your client was trying to 'set-up' our client for termination" by relaying an offer to appear semi-nude in Playboy. Three people who worked for a public relations agency representing Prejean at the time heard it, he said. "All three of those people distinctly remember Keith Lewis talking about sending Ms. Prejean an offer to do a Playboy photo shoot 'so when they take her title away, she doesn't sue me,' " he said. LiMandri said Lewis -- and former co-executive director Shanna Moakler -- were "bound and determined to get her fired, and they have now finally gotten | [
"Who pens ultimatum to Miss California?",
"What did LiMandri write?",
"Who is the pagaent director?",
"What did the pageant director say?",
"What cause \"severe emotional distress\"?",
"What was Pageant director's response?",
"what does Carrie Prejean's lawyer says abouth dethronement?",
"Who penned ultimatum?",
"What does Prejeans lawyer say?"
] | [
[
"Keith Lewis"
],
[
"a letter"
],
[
"Keith Lewis"
],
[
"\"You know, when you have a contract, when you're working for someone, you have a responsibility to follow through on"
],
[
"statements made about the former beauty queen"
],
[
"Lewis issued a statement that said: \"Mr. LiMandri obviously has never watched 'The Apprentice' if he believes that Mr. Trump could be so easily fooled. Facts are facts, and we stand by them.\""
],
[
"the ousted beauty queen's good name is \"tarnished.\""
],
[
"Carrie Prejean's lawyer"
],
[
"final warning to retract statements made about the former beauty queen or face a defamation lawsuit."
]
] | NEW: Pagaent director responds, "Facts are facts, and we stand by them"
Attorney Charles LiMandri pens ultimatum to Miss California USA director's lawyer .
Carrie Prejean's lawyer says dethronement caused "severe emotional distress"
"Please view this letter as a last opportunity" to retract statements, LiMandri writes . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Comic book fans have been waiting for years for a film to be made of "Watchmen," the famed graphic novel about a group of misfit crimefighters battling a plot to eliminate their members while the world awaits nuclear war. Malin Akerman, who plays the second Silk Spectre, says "Watchmen" will make fans proud. Now that the film is complete and set for release Friday, the cast of the adaptation is confident the movie will meet fans' high expectations. "We've heard a few comments from diehard fans where they're just saying, 'Wow, we're really impressed,' " said Malin Akerman, who plays Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre II in the movie. Praising director Zack Snyder, whose resume includes the highly successful "300" and "Dawn of the Dead," Akerman said the film will make fans proud. "This is just sort of a huge feat for Zack to take on. But him being a true fan, he came in with the mind of these fanboys and really kept that in mind and I think that he did a great job," she said. "Watchmen" had a long road to the screen. The original comic book series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons came out in 1986 and 1987 and was compiled into a book. Since then it has been considered both brilliant -- it made Time magazine's list of the 20th century's greatest novels -- and unfilmable. Watch "Watchmen" stars talk about the film at its premiere » Rights passed from studio to studio, with any number of directors attached (including Terry Gilliam and Paul Greengrass), before ending up with Warner Bros. (like CNN, a division of Time Warner) and Snyder. A longtime fan himself, Snyder said he was determined to remain true to the book. "Zack respected the source material so much that he knew the only way to adapt it was to hew as close to the source material as possible," said Snyder's wife and producing partner, Deborah Snyder. EW: A "Watchmen" primer Jackie Earle Haley, who stars in the film as Rorschach, said Snyder's passion for the film will lead to its success among dedicated fans. "I think the film does to the comic book film genre what ['Watchmen'] the comic book does to the comic book genre," Haley said. "I think Zack captured it ... and it's just an in-your-face, kick-butt comic book film, but it's got that extra depth, it's a little smarter." Fans of the comic book have been scrutinizing the film "every step of the way," said Jeffrey Dean Morgan. But, he added, "It's going to blow people away even with these high frigging expectations that everybody has." Indeed, there have been any number of challenges. The comic book is set in an alternative 1985 in which the United States and Soviet Union are on the verge of nuclear war, so there were period details to attend to. There are some superhero accessories, such as a flying machine nicknamed Archie, as well as the character Dr. Manhattan, a blue, extremely powerful and often naked Superman type. Carla Gugino lost herself in the part of Sally Jupiter, an early female crimefighter who is the mother of Akerman's character. That immersion -- which included age makeup for scenes in which Sally is in her 60s -- made the film easier to watch, she said. "I look at it and don't feel like I'm watching myself, which then liberates you, because I am my own worst, harshest critic," she said. "There was something about watching Sally older and I was like, 'Oh, that seems like a different woman ...' and I can sort of see her for what she is." iReport.com: Are you excited for "Watchmen"? Billy Crudup, who plays Dr. Manhattan, said seeing himself transformed with the effects of computer-generated imaging was astonishing. " | [
"Who is the actor in watchmen?",
"Which film is anticipated since the comics of mid 80s?",
"When will film be released?",
"When did watchmen comcis come out?",
"When will the watchmen film come out?",
"Since when has the Watchmen film been anticipated?"
] | [
[
"Malin Akerman,"
],
[
"\"Watchmen\""
],
[
"Friday,"
],
[
"1986 and 1987"
],
[
"is complete and set for release Friday,"
],
[
"for years"
]
] | "Watchmen" film has been anticipated since comic books in mid-'80s .
Film to be released Friday; stars are proud of finished product .
Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan: "We got to play superheroes" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Dangerous cocktails of prescription drugs were pumped into Anna Nicole Smith "almost to the point of stupefaction" and eventually led to her death, California Attorney General Jerry Brown said Friday. Anna Nicole Smith's boyfriend Howard K. Stern was among those charged Thursday. Brown called Smith's longtime partner and attorney Howard K. Stern the "principal enabler" in a conspiracy with two doctors for giving the "known addict" thousands of prescription pills. Stern and a doctor were jailed on charges of conspiring to furnish drugs before her death in 2007, authorities said. "Stern and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor were arrested and later released from a Los Angeles County jail Thursday night after each posted a $20,000 bond, a police spokesman said. Dr. Khristine Eroshevich also faces charges and is expected to turn herself in Monday, authorities said. The doctors and Stern devised a plan to use fake names so Smith could be prescribed "thousands of pills," Brown said. Her doctors knew she was addicted and gave her drugs "excessively," Brown said. "The quantity of the drugs, the variety of the drugs, the combination at any given point and her continuing to use that; that, to a professional, is clear evidence of addiction," Brown said. "These cocktails of methadone and antidepressants and sleeping pills and Xanax, you put all that into a cocktail, it explodes and can cause death, injury and permanent morbidity and disability," he said. Watch Brown speak to the media » Brown said he hoped the charges send a loud and clear message. "Doctors do not have a license to pump innocent and often vulnerable people full of dangerous chemicals," he said. Smith, 39, was pronounced dead February 8, 2007, after being found unconscious in her hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood, Florida. The former Playboy playmate and reality TV star died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, a coroner said. Several prescription medications -- both in Smith's and Stern's names -- were found in the room after her death. Officials said prescription and over-the-counter drugs were found in Smith's system, including three antidepressant or anti-anxiety drugs. Also found in toxicology testing was human growth hormone and chloral hydrate, a sleep medication, officials said. Stern and Kapoor, both 40, and Eroshevich, 61, each were charged with eight felonies, including conspiring to furnish controlled substances, unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance and obtaining fraudulent prescriptions from June 2004 to January 2007 -- only weeks before Smith's death. Kapoor and Eroshevich also were each charged with obtaining a prescription for opiates by "fraud, deceit or misrepresentation." And each was charged with one count of obtaining a prescription for opiates by giving a false name or address, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. Smith was buried in the Bahamas on March 2, 2007, next to the grave of her son, Daniel, who had died in September 2006, days after the birth of her daughter, Dannielynn. Brown said his office will aggressively target California doctors who over-prescribe dangerous drugs. "People think those drug dealers on the street corners are the only threat," he said. "As a matter of fact, people in white smocks and pharmacies and with their medical degrees are a growing threat, and we aim to curtail it and curb it in the best way we can." | [
"What does the Attorney General call Howard K. Stern?",
"The three are accused of what?",
"What was Stern role in the conspiracy ?",
"How many charges are Stern, Kapoor and Eroshevich facing ?",
"Who was drugged \"almost to the point of stupefaction\"?"
] | [
[
"\"principal enabler\""
],
[
"charges of conspiring to furnish drugs before her death in 2007,"
],
[
"\"principal enabler\""
],
[
"eight felonies,"
],
[
"Anna Nicole"
]
] | NEW: Attorney General calls Howard K. Stern the "principal enabler" in conspiracy .
Ex-playmate drugged "almost to the point of stupefaction," California AG says .
Howard K. Stern, Sandeep Kapoor, Khristine Eroshevich charged with eight felonies .
The three are accused of conspiring to furnish drugs before her death . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- David Carradine's wife and his manager disputed suggestions that the actor's death was a suicide, while rescue workers and police in Bangkok, Thailand, said the actor's neck and genitals were found bound with rope.
David Carradine was the star of the 1970s TV series, "Kung Fu," and appeared in more than 100 films.
After Carradine's body arrives back to the United States this weekend, an autopsy ordered by Carradine's family will be conducted, according to the actor's co-manager.
"They're doing everything possible to get to the bottom of what really happened," said Carradine's co-manager Tiffany Smith.
Carradine, 72, became famous in the 1970s when he portrayed the traveling Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the television series "Kung Fu."
Bangkok police said Carradine was found hanging by a nylon rope in a Bangkok hotel room closet Thursday morning.
"Our preliminary assumption is that the cause of death was suffocation, because there was a rope tied to his neck," said Bangkok police spokesman Somprasong Yenthuam.
Autopsy results will not be available for three or four weeks, said a high-ranking Thai police source who asked not to be identified.
The actor's body was released to the U.S. Embassy for a Saturday flight home after a judge signed the death certificate Friday, the police source said.
A member of the emergency crew who was called to the hotel after a maid found Carradine told CNN that a yellow nylon rope was tied around the actor's neck and a black rope was around his genitals. Police later confirmed that information.
The same emergency crew source said Carradine's hands were not tied, contrary to some media reports. Smith, the co-manager, also said media reports quoting the actor's management saying the hands were tied were untrue.
"I do not know if you want to call it accidental," Chuck Binder, Carradine's manager, told CNN's Larry King on Thursday. He said Carradine's career was on a roll.
Binder said a producer of the movie, "Stretch," which Carradine was to act in, called him from Thailand to tell him what was happening there.
"I do not want to get in the middle of this whole investigation, but this guy said to me for sure there was foul play," Binder said. Watch Carradine's friends discuss loss »
Actor Michael Madsen told King that the one thing Carradine's wife, Annie Bierman, wanted everyone to know is, "David was not suicidal."
Investigators found no sign of a forced entry into Carradine's room, Bangkok Police Lt. Colonel Pirom Chanpirom said.
Smith would not confirm Friday that Carradine's family had hired private investigators to look into his death, but she did say a private autopsy would be done.
Modern audiences may best know Carradine as "Bill" in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films. He earned a 2005 Golden Globe nomination for his role in the second movie in the two-part saga.
Tarantino, also appearing on "Larry King Live," called Carradine one of "Hollywood's great mad geniuses."
"He was a rock star at the time 'Kung Fu' came out," Tarantino said, holding up a vintage metal lunch box with an image from the popular show. Watch Carradine discuss "Kung Fu" role »
"I'm in shock," he said.
Carradine's career included more than 100 feature films, two dozen television movies and theater work, according to the Internet Movie Database.
"He was clearly an actor who followed his own path," said Leah Rozen, movie critic for People magazine. See photos of some of his notable roles »
"He was never a guy who talked a whole lot. You knew, as an actor, the characters he played, you knew they had a past, you knew there was probably some unhappiness there, but he wasn't going to talk about it."
Carradine | [
"Where was Carradine found?",
"who did he play in kill bill",
"what happened to carradine",
"What did the family dispute?",
"what did he star in"
] | [
[
"Bangkok hotel room closet"
],
[
"\"Bill\""
],
[
"death"
],
[
"suggestions that the"
],
[
"\"Kung Fu,\""
]
] | NEW: David Carradine's family orders autopsy when body returns to United States .
Actor's family, manager dispute suicide theory .
Carradine found hanging by rope in Bangkok hotel closet, police say .
He was the star of "Kung Fu" TV series; also known as "Bill" in "Kill Bill" films . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spent their last debate before next week's Super Tuesday contests pointing out differences on Iraq, health care and the economy -- but without all of the finger-pointing that's marked their campaigns. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton struck a mostly cordial tone during the debate. The exchange was in sharp contrast to previous debates because of the absence of political sniping, yet was one of the most substantive policy discussions yet in the race for the nomination. On Iraq, Obama said he'd be more able to end the war because he opposed it from the beginning. He said Clinton's vote to authorize the use of force there would undermine her efforts to bring it to an end. "I think it is much easier for us to have the argument when we have a nominee who says, 'I always thought this was a bad idea -- this was a bad strategy,' " he said. Clinton defended her vote, saying she was told by the White House that it would be used initially to return weapons inspectors to see whether Saddam Hussein had an active weapons program. See where they stand on Iraq "I believe strongly that we needed to put inspectors in," the New York senator said. "That was the underlying reason why I at least voted to give President Bush the authority, put those inspectors in, let them do their work, figure out what is there and what isn't." Watch reaction to Clinton's thoughts on Iraq » Both Obama and Clinton said they support ending the war. On health care, Obama defended a plan he says would make insurance affordable to everyone who wants it, but not require everyone to buy it. The Illinois senator said his proposal would require that all children be covered and allow young people to remain on their parents' health insurance up to age 25 -- but would not require adults to purchase care. Watch candidates discuss their differences » "Every expert who looks at it says there won't be anybody out there who wants health care who will not be able to get it," he said. Watch the rivals discuss health care » Clinton, who as first lady spearheaded her husband's ultimately failed health care reform effort in the early '90s, argued that any health plan should offer universal coverage. "It is so important that as Democrats, we carry the banner of universal health care," she said. See where the candidates stand on health care Clinton noted her experience pushing her husband's plan, saying she's best suited to hammer out the details of a new plan and create "a coalition that can withstand the insurance and the prescription drug companies." The pair praised former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who dropped out of the Democratic race this week. Both are vying for his supporters. See what the candidates had to say, in their own words » The Democratic race remains close going into Super Tuesday, when more than 20 states -- including California and New York -- will vote. Obama won the season-opening Iowa caucuses, then finished second to Clinton in every contest until last week's South Carolina primary -- which he won with a commanding 55 percent of the vote in a three-way race. Clinton scored victories in the New Hampshire primary and Nevada caucuses. She also was the top vote-getter in Florida and Michigan, although no Democrats campaigned in those states and their delegates to the nominating convention will not count because of a squabble between state and national party leaders over the timing of the primaries. Thursday's debate differed from the last time the two took to a stage together -- at a contentious January 21 debate in South Carolina in which the front-runners peppered each other with sharp attacks. In contrast, on Thursday the two smiled, laughed at each other's jokes and repeatedly complimented the other when they agreed. What does the debate's cordial tone mean? » Obama got laughs when asked about how he might counter Republican charges | [
"Who pushes for experience/",
"Who keeps it cordial?",
"What does the debate focus on?",
"What does Clinton push?",
"Who kept it cordial, drawing comparisons to ex-Sen. John Edwards?",
"What did the debate foucus on?"
] | [
[
"Clinton"
],
[
"Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton"
],
[
"Iraq, health care and the economy"
],
[
"her husband's plan,"
],
[
"Barack Obama"
],
[
"Iraq, health care and the economy"
]
] | Debate focuses on health care, Iraq, economy .
Clinton, Obama keep it cordial, draw comparisons to ex-Sen. John Edwards .
Clinton pushes experience, Obama pushes judgment .
Candidate Mike Gravel didn't meet criteria, wasn't invited . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Doctors gave Anna Nicole Smith a long list of dangerous drugs over the three years before her death, including while she was pregnant, according to sworn statements by investigators from state agencies. Dosages prescribed to Anna Nicole Smith were "dangerously high," a drug expert says in an affidavit. Two doctors charged in connection with Smith's death allegedly also crossed professional lines by having personal relationships with their patient, the court documents released Tuesday said. Smith died in a Hollywood, Florida, hotel on February 8, 2007, of what was later ruled to be "acute combined drug intoxication." One affidavit quoted a pharmacist who refused to fill a prescription written for Smith as saying he warned one doctor he would not give her the drug "unless you want your picture on the front page of the National Enquirer." One investigator described the former Playboy model and reality show TV star as a "drug seeker." Her boyfriend, Howard K. Stern, and two doctors -- Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor -- were charged with several felonies, including conspiring to furnish controlled substances, unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance and obtaining fraudulent prescriptions from June 2004 through January 2007. All three defendants entered not-guilty pleas in May. A preliminary hearing is set for next month in the case. Smith, whose real name was Vickie Lynn Marshall, "was given drugs in excessive amounts," according to a medical expert consulted and quoted by a state medical board investigator. Dr. Jill Klessig also told an investigator that "in addition to the prescribing issues, there appears to have been a personal relationship" between Smith and the two doctors that crossed the boundaries of professionalism. The affidavit references a video clip of Kapoor "kissing and snuggling" with Smith "in a reclined position in a nightclub setting." Eroshevich traveled to the Bahamas to visit Smith and was with her for four days in Hollywood, Florida, four days before her death, an investigator said in an affidavit. The doctor personally visited a Burbank, California, pharmacy in September 2006 to get a sleep aid -- chloral hydrate -- for Smith to use in the Bahamas. It was just four days after Smith gave birth to a daughter in Nassau. "I wouldn't give her chloral hydrate unless you want your picture on the front page of the National Enquirer," pharmacist Steve Mazlin told Eroshevich, according to the affidavit. The affidavit from Jon Genens, a senior investigator with the California medical board, detailed dozens of prescriptions written for Smith -- under several aliases -- for a long list of narcotics and sleep aids. Genens said even during the time she was pregnant -- starting in January 2006 -- Kapoor prescribed an average of 10 tablets of Methadone per day for Smith. He noted that Kapoor lowered the dosage in the last three months of her pregnancy. The volume of dangerous drugs being ordered by doctors spurred the chief pharmacist at the store where most of the prescriptions were filled to call a drug expert for advice in late 2006, according to a sworn statement by California Department of Justice Special Agent Jennifer Doss. Dr. Greg Thompson told Doss he recalled the dosages were "dangerously high." "Dr. Thompson stated they might work for a drug addict under supervised care, or with a dying cancer patient in a hospital, or 'if you were going to kill someone,' " Doss said. Thompson told Doss he later "admonished Dr. Eroshevich" about the drugs she was requesting for Smith. "Dr. Thompson stated Dr. Eroshevich was obviously not familiar with a lot of medications she was prescribing for ... Smith," Doss said in her affidavit. The Doss affidavit said the doctor used Smith's boyfriend as a cover to get the prescriptions filled. "Of the 12 medications found in Anna Nicole Smith's hotel room at the time of her death, seven medications were prescribed the name of Howard K. Stearn [believed to be Howard K. Stern] by Dr. Eroshevich," Agent Doss said. The drugs were apparently personally delivered to Smith in the Bahamas and Florida by her | [
"What did the former Playboy die from?",
"What did the investigator say Anna Nicole Smith died of?",
"What did one doctor warn?",
"What is the year of Anna's death?",
"What was the cause of Anna Nicole Smith's death?",
"Who did the investigator say was a \"drug seeker\"?"
] | [
[
"\"acute combined drug intoxication.\""
],
[
"\"acute combined drug intoxication.\""
],
[
"dosages were \"dangerously high.\""
],
[
"2007,"
],
[
"\"acute combined drug intoxication.\""
],
[
"Anna Nicole Smith"
]
] | NEW: Doctors' relationships with Smith crossed professional lines, affidavits say .
Investigator says Anna Nicole Smith was "drug seeker," court documents say .
Former Playboy model died of drug intoxication in 2007 .
Pharmacist refused to fill one prescription, warned doctor, affidavit says . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Dom DeLuise, who spiced up such movies as "Blazing Saddles," "Silent Movie" and "The Cannonball Run" with his manic delivery and roly-poly persona, has died, his son's publicist said. Dom DeLuise was best known for his roles in Mel Brooks films as well as films with his friend Burt Reynolds. Publicist Jay Schwartz did not disclose the cause of death, but DeLuise, 75, had been battling cancer for more than a year. DeLuise was surrounded by family when he died in a Santa Monica, California, hospital Monday night, son Michael DeLuise told CNN affiliate KTLA. DeLuise was most famous for his supporting roles in a number of Mel Brooks films, including 1974's "Saddles" -- in which he played a flamboyant musical director who led dancers in a number called "The French Mistake" -- and 1976's "Silent Movie," in which he played the assistant to Brooks' director Mel Funn. He was also in the Brooks-directed "The Twelve Chairs" (1970), "Spaceballs" (1987) and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993). But he could also assay more serious roles, most notably in the 1980 dark comedy "Fatso," in which he played an overweight man trying to wean himself from comfort food. The film was directed by Brooks' wife, Anne Bancroft. Watch an impromptu performance by Dom DeLuise » DeLuise, who struggled with his own weight, was also an author of cookbooks. In 1991, he told CNN's Larry King that after meeting Luciano Pavarotti while working on an opera, he realized he needed to try to shed some of his weight. "I finally became powerless over food," he told King. "You know, anybody who's an alcoholic or cocaine or something, that's what food was to me." Besides authoring cookbooks, DeLuise penned seven children's books. DeLuise was also part of the supporting cast in the Burt Reynolds crash-'em-up vehicles "Smokey and the Bandit II" (1980), "Cannonball Run" (1981) and "Cannonball Run II" (1984). Other DeLuise films include "The End" (1978), "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982) and "Johnny Dangerously" (1984). His voice was featured in such films as "An American Tail" (1986) and its sequels, "All Dogs Go to Heaven" (1989) and its 1996 sequel, and "Oliver & Company" (1988). Dominic DeLuise was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 1, 1933. In the 1960s he had bit parts in a handful of movies, including "Fail Safe" (1964), but became well known as a regular on "The Entertainers" and a Dean Martin variety show. He had his own summer replacement show in 1968 and was a regular on Glen Campbell's "Goodtime Hour" in 1971-72. Watch DeLuise talk about working on "The Mike Douglas Show" » DeLuise had three sons -- Peter, Michael and David -- who all became actors. He told Larry King that it was the "joy of my life" to work with his oldest son, Peter, when he directed the film "Second Nature." His wife of 40 years, actress Carol Arthur, appeared in several movies with him, including "Blazing Saddles" and "Silent Movie," according to DeLuise's Web site. DeLuise worked closely on several films with pal Gene Wilder, who in 2002 told Larry King that of all of his co-stars, DeLuise "makes me laugh the most." A frequent collaborator with DeLuise, Burt Reynolds released a statement to "Entertainment Tonight" on his friend's death. "I was thinking the other day about this. As you get older you think about this more and more, I was dreading this moment. Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around. I never heard him say | [
"What are some of DeLuise's best-known films?",
"What was DeLuise's best films?",
"Whose films did he appear in?"
] | [
[
"\"The Cannonball Run\""
],
[
"Mel Brooks films as well as films with his friend Burt Reynolds."
],
[
"Mel Brooks"
]
] | Dom DeLuise appeared in several Mel Brooks films and Burt Reynolds movies .
Among DeLuise's best-known films: "Silent Movie," "Cannonball Run"
Reynolds: "Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around" |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician under investigation in the death of singer Michael Jackson, said in a video posted online Tuesday that he has "faith the truth will prevail." In Dr. Conrad Murray's video, posted on YouTube, he tells supporters he has been receiving their messages. Murray, who was with Jackson when he died, recorded the one-minute video in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday and it posted on YouTube Tuesday, the spokeswoman for his lawyer said. "I have done all I could do," Murray said. "I told the truth, and I have faith the truth will prevail." The video is the first public comment by Murray since Jackson's June 25 death. "I want to thank all of my patients and friends who have sent such kind e-mails, letters and messages to let me know of your support and prayers for me and my family," Murray said. Watch the statement from Jackson's doctor » "Because of all that is going on, I am afraid to return phone calls or use my e-mail. Therefore, I recorded this video to let all of you know that I have been receiving your messages," he said. Murray, a cardiologist, owned and operated two medical clinics -- in Las Vegas, Nevada, and in Houston -- but he took a full-time job as Jackson's personal doctor in May as the pop singer prepared for his comeback concerts scheduled to start in July. He was at Jackson's Los Angeles home when the entertainer was found unconscious and rushed to a hospital. Investigators have searched Murray's home and clinics for evidence related to the anesthetic propofol, according to documents filed in court. A source close to the investigation told CNN that Murray is believed to have administered the drug -- also known by the brand name Diprivan -- to Jackson within 24 hours of his death. Murray has been "under siege" by the media and targeted by death threats in recent weeks, according to the spokeswoman. "I have not been able to thank you personally, which, as you know, is not normal for me," Murray said in the video. "Your messages give me strength and courage and keep me going. They mean the world to me. Please, don't worry. As long as I keep God in my heart and you in my life, I will be fine." | [
"Who was Michael Jackson's doctor?",
"What is the name of Michael Jackson's doctor?",
"who is under investigation",
"Who has been uder siege in recent weeks?",
"who was MJs doctor",
"Murray made videos posted on which website?",
"Dr. Conrad Murray was the doctor of which superstar?",
"Who did Michael's Jackson's doctor thank in video?"
] | [
[
"Dr. Conrad Murray,"
],
[
"Dr. Conrad Murray,"
],
[
"Dr. Conrad Murray,"
],
[
"Dr. Conrad Murray,"
],
[
"Dr. Conrad Murray,"
],
[
"YouTube,"
],
[
"Michael Jackson,"
],
[
"all of my patients and friends"
]
] | Dr. Conrad Murray was Michael Jackson's doctor; he's under investigation .
Murray made video, posted to YouTube, in which he thanks supporters .
Spokesperson: Murray has been "under siege" in recent weeks . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, withdrew his name from consideration as surgeon general of the United States on Thursday. He spoke to CNN's Larry King about the decision and President Obama's health care plans. Here is an edited transcript: Dr. Sanjay Gupta says he just returned from India, where he looked into medical tourism. Larry King: But, first, breaking news about CNN's own Dr. Sanjay Gupta, long rumored to be the main candidate for U.S. surgeon general. He's taken himself out of the running. Joins us now here in Los Angeles to talk about it. Why? Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Well, first of all, it was a really tough decision, and a long decision and a long process for sure. And I was incredibly flattered, humbled by the consideration even for the position. I think for me it really came down to a sense of timing more than anything else. You know, I have two daughters. Our third daughter is now imminent. In fact, I have my phone on right here, I might get called off the set. King: As we talk. Gupta: As we talk, my wife is imminent with our third child. You know, this job that we have collectively takes us away from our children for so many years at once, and I sort of came to grips with the fact that I'd probably be away at least the first several years, four or five years -- there's my existing two daughters, one more on the way -- but several years of their lives. And I just didn't feel like I should do that now. And the other thing, let me just add, you know, you know me and a lot of people know me, obviously, as a journalist for CNN, but you know, I continue to practice neurosurgery, Larry. You and I have talked about that, and I... King: You do brain surgery all the time. Gupta: Yes. And it's an important part of my life. And I work at a county hospital. That's the hospital I've chosen to work at in Atlanta [Georgia]. And I really enjoy that. I came to grips with, ironically, that being surgeon general, I probably would not be able to continue to practice surgery. King: How about the cut in pay? Gupta: Well, you know, that's a sacrifice we were willing to make. I think, you know, either you're a public servant or you're not a public servant. I've always been drawn to public service. So that really wasn't a consideration for me. King: Was it an offer or a "would you consider if"? Gupta: It's a little bit of a funny thing -- and I've never been through this process before. I guess the formal part of it is when you are nominated. I was not nominated, but I had conversations with the senior-most people that would make an offer, and they told me they wanted me to do this job. So... King: Was it the thought of [Democratic former] Sen. Tom Daschle, who was going to be secretary of health, that you be his surgeon general? Gupta: Well, I did have conversations with him, but you know, the fact that he withdrew did not play as big a role in my mind in terms of not considering the job. Again, I think either you do public service or you don't. You want your job to be as precisely defined as possible, for sure, but that wasn't a major factor. King: The way it was presented, then, you feel that you would have been offered it even if Daschle had not left or had left, no matter what? Gupta: I think so. You know, I mean, you know, I've had a lot of conversations with the White House folks. I think there was a big interest | [
"What would the job have taken him from?",
"What was the disadvantage of the job?",
"What did it come down to?",
"What would have taken him away too long from family?",
"Who faces challenges in reforming health care?"
] | [
[
"children"
],
[
"takes us away from our children for so many years at once,"
],
[
"sense of timing"
],
[
"U.S. surgeon general."
],
[
"President Obama's"
]
] | Gupta: "It really came down to a sense of timing"
Gupta says job would have taken him away too long from family .
Gupta talks about challenges Obama faces in reforming health care . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- DreamWorks Studios will back out of plans to produce a movie about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. unless King's three surviving children settle their differences over the deal, the studio said Wednesday. From left, Dexter, Bernice, Martin and Yolanda King. The three surviving siblings have had several public rifts. A longtime friend of the three Kings predicted peace may be at hand for the squabbling siblings and that all of them want Steven Spielberg's studio to portray their father's life on the big screen. The latest public rift between Dexter King, the chief executive of the King estate, and his brother and sister -- Martin Luther King III and Bernice King -- erupted Tuesday after it was made public that Dexter King, 48, had finalized the deal with DreamWorks. Martin King, 51, and Bernice King, 46, learned that a deal had been struck when Dexter sent them an e-mail Tuesday morning, just as the news media was being told by the studio, a source close to the family told CNN. Yolanda King, the eldest of the Kings' four children, died two years ago at age 51. Martin King and Bernice King, who live in Atlanta, Georgia, had known that Dexter King, who lives in California, was negotiating with Spielberg on a possible movie deal, the source said. Bernice King and Martin King said they knew nothing about the DreamWorks project. They said they embraced the idea of a film about their father but told CNN's "Larry King Live" they were concerned about the deal. "I think Mr. Spielberg is a great producer and we look forward to hearing from him about the scope of this agreement," Bernice King said. "We know nothing about the scope of this agreement. We have no details to say whether or not this particular one is a good idea." DreamWorks issued a statement Wednesday that suggested King family unity was essential for the movie to be made. "The purpose of making a movie about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to tell a great story which could bridge distances and bring people together," the statement said. "We remain committed to pursuing a film chronicling Martin Luther King's life provided that there is unity in the family so we can make a film about unity in our nation." DreamWorks executives appeared caught by surprise by the King family's infighting, although such squabbles are not new -- Martin King and Bernice King filed a lawsuit against Dexter King last year over publication of their mother's recently discovered love letters. Martin King and Bernice King have complained in court filings that Dexter King has acted independently for years on estate business matters, refusing to call a family meeting. Over the past year, angered over Dexter King's move to publish their mother's love letters, neither Martin King nor Bernice King has spoken to Dexter King, the source close to the family said. Dexter King, in a written statement Wednesday evening, said he has "always upheld my duty" as CEO of the King estate to communicate with the others. "Although my communication with family members has been somewhat stymied by the current litigation, I have continued to reach out and I remain committed to working together with my siblings on projects to educate people about the life, leadership and teachings of our father, Martin Luther King Jr.," Dexter King said. DreamWorks is "a company with unrivaled resources for making epic films of the highest quality, offers an unprecedented opportunity for educating the largest possible audience about our father's legacy as the leader of America's greatest nonviolent movement," he said. "Just as Sir Richard Attenborough's film, 'Gandhi,' educated many millions of people all over the world about the Mahatma's teachings, I believe this project can do the same regarding the life, work and teachings of Martin Luther King Jr., and I sincerely hope my brother and sister will join us in supporting this urgently needed project," Dexter King said. Tom Houck, an Atlanta public relations agent who has | [
"Who is the source that says a resolution may be at hand?",
"What problems does DreamWorks Studios have about a movie with Martin Luther King Jr?",
"What may be at hand?",
"What won't go ahead unless King's three children agree?",
"Who hesitates on movie about Martin Luther King Jr.?"
] | [
[
"A longtime friend of the three Kings"
],
[
"three surviving children settle their differences over the deal,"
],
[
"predicted peace"
],
[
"the DreamWorks project."
],
[
"DreamWorks Studios"
]
] | DreamWorks Studios hesitates on movie about Martin Luther King Jr.
Studio says film won't go ahead unless King's three children agree .
Dexter King has OK'd project without notifying his siblings .
Source close to family says resolution may be at hand . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Elizabeth Taylor went to the Hollywood Bowl to hear Andrea Bocelli in concert, the first night out in months for the big-screen legend. Elizabeth Taylor went to see Andrea Bocelli at the Hollywood Bowl, a rare outing for the film legend. Taylor, bound to a wheelchair by scoliosis, said her mind and soul "were transported by his beauty, his voice, his inner being." The 77-year-old actress posted online messages through the Twitter social network after the Italian tenor's concert Monday night. "I went to see Andrea Bocelli last night. The first time I've been out in months. The Hollywood Bowl allowed me to use my wheelchair," Taylor's first tweet said. "My mind, my soul were transported by his beauty, his voice, his inner being. God has kissed this man and I thank God for it," she wrote in a second message. Taylor opened her Twitter account this year as "DameElizabeth" at the suggestion of her close friend, model-actress-author-businesswoman Kathy Ireland, her publicist Dick Guttman said. Taylor is "very adventurous" and "exceedingly active" despite health problems that sent her to a hospital for a week last month, Guttman said. She is working on a new perfume to follow up on her popular White Diamonds, he said. | [
"Whose concert did Elizabeth Taylor attend?",
"Where dud Taylor attend the concert?",
"Who attended Andrea Bocelli's concert?",
"Where was the concert?",
"Who attended Andrea Bocelli concert at Hollywood Bowl ?",
"What did Taylor write on Twirrer ?",
"Who was in hospital last month but still \"exceedingly active,\" ?",
"What did the spokesman say about Taylor?",
"What did Taylor write on Twitter?"
] | [
[
"Andrea Bocelli"
],
[
"Hollywood Bowl"
],
[
"Elizabeth Taylor"
],
[
"the Hollywood Bowl"
],
[
"Elizabeth Taylor"
],
[
"\"I went to see Andrea Bocelli last night. The first time I've been out in months. The Hollywood Bowl allowed me to use my wheelchair,\""
],
[
"Taylor"
],
[
"is \"very adventurous\" and \"exceedingly active\" despite health problems that sent her to a hospital for a week last month,"
],
[
"\"I went to see Andrea Bocelli last night. The first time I've been out in months. The Hollywood Bowl allowed me to use my wheelchair,\""
]
] | Elizabeth Taylor attended Andrea Bocelli concert at Hollywood Bowl .
"The first time I've been out in months," Taylor wrote on Twitter .
Taylor was in hospital last month but still "exceedingly active," says spokesman . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Elizabeth and Mary Profit will not be taking center court at the U.S. Open women's doubles final to face Venus and Serena Williams, but they share many of the athletic qualities that have made Venus and Serena the most dominant sisters in tennis history. Elizabeth Profit plays tennis while wearing an insulin monitor at her waist in this family photo. Elizabeth is 13 years old and holds a top ten ranking among 14-year-olds in Southern California. She is already defeating top-ranked players in the 18-year-old division. Her sister Mary, at 11, is also a top-ranked player and dominating her age group. Mary won her first tournament at the age of 6. Both girls started playing tennis as infants by hitting balls of socks across their living room. Their mother, Yvonne Profit, recognized their talent and saw it as an opportunity to develop sportsmanship and character and help them earn athletic scholarships at top national universities. So far, they have exceeded her expectations. In a sport that more often tends to develop players from affluent backgrounds, Elizabeth and Mary have already beaten overwhelming odds and endured the kind of adversity that too often ends in defeat. Watch how the sisters hope to achieve their tennis dreams » The Profit sisters grew up in a single-parent household and trained with less than stellar coaches. They developed an exemplary work ethic to compensate for a lack of resources, Elizabeth said. Yvonne, who earned a degree at the University of Michigan, decided to give up her full-time job and move her daughters into an RV to keep up with the rigorous demands of traveling for tournaments. Elizabeth sleeps on a couch. There is a portable stove and shower. But the girls view living in an RV as an inconvenience rather than a hardship. The Profit sisters may be on a path toward a professional tennis career, but Elizabeth's story off the court is just as compelling. She has juvenile diabetes and has been living with the disease since the age of 2, when her body stopped producing insulin. Elizabeth learned how to test her blood sugar levels before the age of 3 and two years later, she began administering insulin injections on her own. "My mom said I'm not going use my diabetes as a disability," said Elizabeth. "I've got it for the rest of my life. And if they miraculously find a cure for it then that's great, but I have to live with it. I can't make excuses." Until she learned how to manage diabetes, Elizabeth found herself collapsing at times. "In this one particular tournament Elizabeth played in, her blood sugar was totally out of control and I kept hollering out to her, 'Quit! Retire, you don't have to do this,' " said Yvonne. "She stopped and she turned around and said, 'I can do this. I can do this, Mom.' " Elizabeth went on to win the match and the tournament. "By the time we got home, she had collapsed on the floor. And I said, 'Sweetie pie, why didn't you quit?' " Yvonne remembered. "Because you didn't raise me to be a quitter," Elizabeth told her mother. In spite of her diabetes, Elizabeth reached the No. 1 ranking in her age group in Southern California at 10 years old. Her sister Mary knows that diabetes can be debilitating and a matter of life and death, so she constantly watches over her older sister. "Sometimes when I wake up to go to the bathroom, I check her blood sugar, when my mom's sleeping," said Mary. "Sometimes I wake up and give her something if her blood sugar is low." For the past ten years, Yvonne said, she has been unable to obtain private health insurance on the open market for her daughter because diabetes is considered a pre-existing medical condition. Elizabeth used to rely on a large insulin pump to make it through the day, but now she wears a small patch that releases | [
"What is Marys age?",
"What limitations does diabetes cause for Elizabeth?",
"What condition does Elizabeth have?",
"Who is Elizabeth's sister?",
"Who is the Tennis players name?",
"Who has juvenile diabetes?"
] | [
[
"11,"
],
[
"unable to obtain private health insurance"
],
[
"juvenile diabetes"
],
[
"Mary Profit"
],
[
"Elizabeth Profit"
],
[
"Elizabeth."
]
] | Tennis player Elizabeth Profit, 13, ranks high in her age group; to turn pro next year .
Elizabeth has juvenile diabetes, manages it; "I can't make excuses," she says .
Sister Mary, 11, also a rising tennis star, watches over her older sister .
"You don't want to let life pass you by," Elizabeth advises others with diabetes . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Fans wishing to attend singer Michael Jackson's memorial service next week will have to register for the 11,000 free tickets, organizers said Thursday. Michael Jackson is shown rehearsing at the Staples Center on June 23, two days before his death. Details on how to register for the 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET) service at the 20,000-seat Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Tuesday are to be announced Friday. Jackson's family will hold a private ceremony before the public memorial service, his brother said Thursday. Speaking to CNN's Larry King, Jermaine Jackson said the ceremony will be held Tuesday morning, but he did not say where. Jackson rehearsed at Staples Center two nights before he died, and he appeared healthy in a video clip of the rehearsal obtained by CNN. Jackson died June 25 after collapsing at his rented home in Los Angeles. AEG, promoter of Jackson's planned London, England, shows, released the short video of Jackson rehearsing in the arena on June 23. Jackson sang "They Don't Care About Us," a song from his "HIStory" album, as he danced along with eight male dancers. Watch Jackson rehearse » Jackson did not specify where he wished to be buried in a 2002 will, which was filed in court Wednesday. Watch CNN's Anderson Cooper talk about his interview with AEG » More information emerged Thursday about how Jackson's estate will be shared, which his will estimated in 2002 as being worth $500 million. The family trust created by Jackson to receive all of his assets includes his mother, his children and a list of charities, according to a person with direct knowledge of the contents of the trust. Mother Katherine Jackson's 40 percent share would go to Michael Jackson's three children after her death, the source said. The children -- ages 7, 11 and 12 -- also will share 40 percent of the estate's assets, and the remaining 20 percent will benefit charities designated by the executors of the will, the source said. A judge has delayed for a week, until July 13, a hearing to decide whether Katherine Jackson will remain the temporary guardian of Jackson's children. At a brief talk with reporters Thursday, an attorney for Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe said she "has not reached a final decision" on whether she will challenge Jackson's mother for custody of Jackson's two oldest children, according to her lawyer. A Los Angeles TV station quoted Rowe on Thursday morning saying, "I want my children." Except for the statement to the radio station, she has not publicly indicated whether she would seek custody now that Jackson is dead. Rowe was left out of the will. "I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife, Deborah Rowe Jackson," the will said. The will nominated Katherine Jackson, now 79, as the guardian of his children. If Katherine Jackson were to die, "I nominate Diana Ross as guardian," Jackson said in the will, written July 7, 2002. Singer Ross, 65, was a lifelong friend of Jackson's. Watch how the two had a close relationship » There's also a question on when the will's executors should take over control of the late entertainer's assets, which Judge Mitchell Beckloff temporarily placed under Katherine Jackson's control. One man named as executor is John Branca, who represented Jackson from 1980 until 2006 and was hired again before the singer's death. He helped acquire Jackson's music catalog, which is worth millions. The other is music industry executive John McClain, a longtime Jackson friend who has worked with him and his sister Janet. DEA reportedly joins investigation The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into Jackson's death, a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday night. And the California State Attorney General's office said Thursday that it is helping the Los Angeles Police Department in its investigation. The attorney general's office said it will assist police in sifting through information in a | [
"Who has joined inquiry into Jackson's death?",
"How many days before Jackson's death was the video taken?",
"Where will Jackon's memorial be?",
"Who joins the inquiry into Jackson's death?",
"How many service tickets will be made available?",
"How many memorial service tickets will be made available?",
"Whose memorial will be Tuesday?"
] | [
[
"The Drug Enforcement Administration"
],
[
"two nights"
],
[
"Staples Center in Los Angeles,"
],
[
"The Drug Enforcement Administration"
],
[
"11,000"
],
[
"11,000"
],
[
"Michael Jackson's"
]
] | NEW: 11,000 memorial service tickets will be made available .
Source: Jackson memorial to be Tuesday at Los Angeles' Staples Center .
Jackson appears healthy in video clip of rehearsal two days before death .
Drug Enforcement Administration reportedly joins inquiry into Jackson's death . |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Farrah Fawcett has been hospitalized in the latest stage of her battle against cancer, a producer working with the actress said Monday.
Farrah Fawcett, shown here in 2004, was first diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
"She is not unconscious, she is not unresponsive, and she is not comatose," Craig Nevius told CNN.
He added that Fawcett "is surrounded by family and friends." She "has a real iron will" and is "a fighter," he said.
Nevius has been working with the 62-year-old on a documentary about her fight with cancer.
Earlier, he told People magazine that Fawcett had checked into "a Los Angeles hospital."
Fawcett was diagnosed in 2006. People magazine reported that she has anal cancer.
Early in 2007, Fawcett said she was told her cancer had gone into remission. Her official Web site has posts from February, 2007 celebrating the news.
But the cancer returned later that year.
Fawcett was a model best known for bit parts and commercials, and as "Six Million Dollar Man" actor Lee Majors' wife, when she shot a best-selling pinup poster in early 1976 at the behest of a Cleveland, Ohio, company called Pro Arts.
Photographer Bruce McBroom placed Fawcett -- then known as Farrah Fawcett-Majors -- in the Indian blanket-draped front seat of his 1937 Chevy and snapped away. The poster, with Fawcett's million-dollar smile front and center and right nipple obvious through the fabric of her red bathing suit, became a sensation.
Soon after the photo shoot, Fawcett was asked to join the cast of a new Aaron Spelling TV show, "Charlie's Angels," about a trio of female detectives who work for a mysterious man named Charlie. Fawcett, who played Jill Munroe, was the last to be cast -- co-star Kate Jackson was the known name at the time -- but, thanks to her poster, Fawcett became the series' breakout star.
The highly rated TV series kicked off what came to be known as "jiggle TV," series full of young actresses who appeared in bikinis at the drop of a hat. "Denunciations of 'massage parlor television' and 'voyeurism' only brought more viewers to the screen, to see what the controversy was about," wrote Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh in their exhaustive reference, "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows."
"Charlie's Angels" turned out to be a huge hit, and shows ranging from the sitcom "Three's Company" to the drama "Baywatch" owe the show a debt.
Fawcett didn't stay with "Angels" long. At the end of the first season, unhappy with her contract, she left the show, replaced by Cheryl Ladd.
Fawcett's career stagnated for a time after "Charlie's Angels," as she appeared in a handful of forgettable films and divorced Majors. But her career received a major boost with her starring role in "The Burning Bed," a 1984 made-for-television movie co-starring Paul LeMat. In the film, Fawcett played an abused wife who sets fire to her husband's bed as he lies sleeping. Fawcett received an Emmy nomination for her performance.
Around that time, Fawcett became romantically involved with actor Ryan O'Neal, with whom she had a son, Redmond, in 1985. Redmond O'Neal was arrested Sunday morning for narcotics possession.
In recent years, Fawcett has appeared sporadically in the public eye. She posed nude for Playboy in 1995. In 1997, she appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman," an interview that became notorious for Fawcett's apparent incoherence. She later said she was just having fun with Letterman.
She reunited with her "Charlie's Angels" co-stars, Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, for an awards-show appearance in 2006.
Fawcett has been making a documentary, "A Wing and a Prayer," for NBC about her cancer battle.
"She is an | [
"which hospital are the actress in for treatment?",
"Who is speaking on her behalf?",
"where is the actress",
"what is new regarding fawcett",
"What is Farrah Fawcett battling?",
"When did she first get cancer?",
"when the actress diagnosed with disease?"
] | [
[
"\"a Los Angeles hospital.\""
],
[
"Craig Nevius"
],
[
"Los Angeles hospital.\""
],
[
"has been hospitalized in the latest stage of her battle"
],
[
"cancer,"
],
[
"2006."
],
[
"2006."
]
] | NEW: Farrah Fawcett not unconscious, unresponsive or comatose, says producer .
Actress in Los Angeles hospital battling cancer .
Actress diagnosed with disease in 2006; after remission, cancer recurred in 2007 .
Fawcett best known for 1970s pinup poster, role in "Charlie's Angels" TV series . |
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