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Los Angeles (CNN) -- A man who allegedly shot his ex-wife and seven other people to death in the deadliest shooting in Orange County, California, history pleaded not guilty Tuesday, prosecutors said.
An Orange County Superior Court judge scheduled an April 24, 2012, preliminary hearing for Scott Evans Dekraai, 41. Dekraai is charged with eight counts of first-degree murder and a felony count of attempted murder in the October 12 shooting at the Salon Meritage hair salon in the small coastal community of Seal Beach, a district attorney's spokeswoman said.
The first-degree murder charges carry the special circumstance of multiple murder. The attempted murder count is for a ninth victim who was wounded.
Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty. Dekraai is being held without bond.
Dekraai and his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, 48, were battling over custody of their 8-year-old son, and the dispute was the motive in the shooting, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said in October. The prosecutor called Dekraai "a methodical and merciless killer."
On the morning of the shooting, Dekraai and Fournier got into an argument about child custody, authorities said.
"We're sort of guessing. We believe that the custody battle wasn't going well for him. We don't know the contents of their conversation or anything," Rackauckas said.
Hours later, the gunfire rampage at the salon, just blocks from the ocean, unfolded, authorities said.
"He also considered the people who were friends and who worked with his ex-wife were enablers, and he didn't have much use for them either," Rackauckas said.
The gunman was armed with three weapons -- a 9 mm Springfield, a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, and a Heckler & Koch .45 -- and was wearing body armor during the shooting rampage, Rackauckas said. He used at least two of those guns, the prosecutor said.
Rackauckas summarized the mass shooting, saying Dekraai "walked through the salon shooting anyone close enough to hit. He stopped to reload during this spree, and he continued gunning people down. He was not satisfied with murdering his intended target, his ex-wife. For almost two minutes, Dekraai shot victim after victim, executing people by shooting them in the head and chest.
"He shot eight people inside the salon. But he was not done. He then walked out of the salon and shot a ninth victim, a male who was sitting nearby in a parked Range Rover. The reason for this rampage: revenge," he said.
"We believe that the defendant committed this unimaginable act of violence because he wanted to kill his ex-wife over a custody dispute concerning their 8-year-old son. He was willing to end any life in his path, and he did. Clearly this two-minute murder spree could not have been about loving his son," the prosecutor said.
While Dekraai allegedly carried out the mass murder, his son was sitting alone in the principal's office at school, waiting for his mother or father to pick him up, authorities said.
"That little boy is also a victim. He is now left to mourn the murder of his mother and grow up with the knowledge that his father (allegedly) committed a mass murder," Rackauckas said. "What sick, twisted fatherly love is this?"
In addition to Fournier, of Los Alamitos, the people killed were salon employee Victoria Ann Buzzo, 54, of Laguna Beach; David Caouette, 64, of Seal Beach, who was in the vehicle outside the salon; salon employee Laura Lee Elody, 46, of Huntington Beach; salon owner Randy Lee Fannin, 62, of Murrieta; salon client Michele Daschbach Fast, 47, of Seal Beach; salon client Lucia Bernice Kondas, 65, of Huntington Beach; and salon employee Christy Lynn Wilson, 47, of Lakewood, authorities said.
Dekraai allegedly shot Caouette, who was in the parked vehicle, in the head through a closed front passenger side window, authorities said.
The | [
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"What was Dekraai's ruling?",
"Who's murder Dekraai was charged with?",
"What age is Dekraai?",
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"On how many counts of first-degree murder Dekraai is charged?"
] | [
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] | Scott Evans Dekraai, 41, is charged with killing his ex-wife and 7 others .
He pleads not guilty to 8 counts of first-degree murder .
He also pleads not guilty to a felony count of attempted murder of a 9th victim .
Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A man wounded Friday when a gunman opened fire at passing vehicles along a downtown street in Hollywood has died, a spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said Monday.
John Atterberry died shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, according to Simi Singer, the hospital spokeswoman.
The music-industry executive was shot in the jaw at Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street.
The gunman, 26-year-old Tyler Brehm, went on the rampage that ended with his being fatally shot by police, Los Angeles police spokeswoman Sgt. Mitzi Fierro has said.
An amateur video captured the scene of Brehm walking down Sunset Boulevard wielding a handgun and firing at vehicles, seemingly at random. Brehm fired a "significant number" of rounds, police said.
He then returned to an intersection, where he was confronted by a plainclothes police detective and an off-duty police officer working on a nearby movie set, officials said.
"At that point the police ordered him to drop his weapon and he pointed his gun at the police and an officer-involved shooting occurred," Fierro said.
Brehm died later at a nearby hospital, according to a police statement.
Christopher Johns recorded much of the incident from his apartment window and can be heard shouting at Brehm throughout.
"Why don't you come up here?" he yelled, later telling CNN that he intended to distract the gunman.
At one point, Brehm spoke with Johns, asking him for ammunition and to call an ambulance.
Fierro said it appeared Johns could interact with the suspect without jeopardizing his safety.
"It appears from the video that he was able to distract the suspect and keep him from shooting at additional people before the police arrived," she said.
Police have not indicated that they know Brehm's motive.
Two others suffered minor injuries.
Witnesses were stunned by the shooting spree. Amy Torgeson told CNN affiliate KABC that vehicles began "swerving and braking," and she sought cover at a nearby bank.
"A car drove by and he just shot right into the car," Torgeson said. "He was just shooting everywhere."
CNN's Regina Graham contributed to this report. | [
"Where was Atterberry shot?",
"Who died around 5pm on Monday?",
"Where did the shooting spree happen?",
"what is the spokeswoman name?",
"Who did the shooting on Sunset Boulevard?",
"who died around 5 p.m. Monday?",
"What happened to Brehm?",
"When did Atterberry die?",
"what is the age of Tyler Brehm?"
] | [
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"Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street."
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],
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],
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],
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"John Atterberry"
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"fatally shot by police,"
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"Monday,"
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[
"26-year-old"
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] | John Atterberry died around 5 p.m. Monday, a Cedars-Sinai spokeswoman says .
He was among three wounded during a shooting spree Friday in Hollywood .
Tyler Brehm, 26, went on the Sunset Boulevard rampage before being fatally shot . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A medical marijuana advocacy group sued the Obama administration Thursday, saying its policy "to subvert local and state medical marijuana laws in California" is unconstitutional.
Americans for Safe Access accused the U.S. Justice Department of deploying aggressive SWAT-style raids, prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers, and threatening local officials for implement state medical pot laws.
The group, a nonprofit based in Oakland, California, that says it's the country's largest medical marijuana advocacy organization, cited U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag of the northern district of California in its federal lawsuit filed in San Francisco.
"Under the Tenth Amendment, the government may not commandeer the law-making function of the state or its subdivisions or indirectly through the selective enforcement of its drug laws," the lawsuit said. "It is this misuse of the government's commerce clause powers, designed to deprive the state of its sovereign ability to chart a separate course, that forms the basis of the plaintiff's claim."
Earlier this month, federal prosecutors in California announced a series of actions targeting what they characterized as the "large, for-profit marijuana industry" that has developed since the state legalized medical marijuana for select patients 15 years ago.
Four U.S. attorneys -- Benjamin Wagner, Andre Birotte Jr., Laura Duffy and Melinda Haag -- detailed in a joint press release and later a press conference in Sacramento some steps that have been taken in conjunction with federal law enforcement and local officials in California.
They include letters of warning to landlords and lien holders of places in which marijuana is being sold illegally, "civil forfeiture lawsuits against properties involved in drug trafficking activity" and numerous criminal cases. The latter refers to arrests in recent weeks related to cases filed in federal courts in Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Fresno, all part of an effort that Wagner claimed has resulted in the seizure of hundreds of pounds of marijuana, tens of thousands of plants and hundreds of thousands in cash.
Thursday's lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and was filed on behalf of its 20,000 members in California, the medical marijuana advocacy group said.
"This case is aimed at restoring California's sovereign and constitutional right to establish its own public health laws based on this country's federalist principles," the association's chief counsel, Joe Elford, said in a statement.
In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 215 to exempt doctors and seriously ill patients from marijuana laws and allow them to grow and use it in treatment. The bill didn't legalize marijuana for all, but it did lead to the emergence of hundreds of dispensaries where people -- legally only those with medical conditions and a doctor's authorization -- could get the drug.
In explaining the federal crackdown earlier this month, Wagner, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, said authorities "are not focused on backyard grows with small amounts of marijuana by seriously ill people. We are targeting commercial operations, which profit from growing and distributing ... and often use the trappings of state law for cover, but in fact are abusing state law."
Haag, U.S. attorney for California's northern district, claimed that "profiteers ... motivated not by compassion, but by money" had "hijacked" the intent of voters to help those suffering from debilitating conditions. And Birotte, from California's central district, said a chief problem lies in operations that make money not by selling marijuana to the sick, but to relatively healthy people.
CNN's Rich Porter and Erica Henry contributed to this story. | [
"who did say the growers sell medical pot to healthy people?",
"what is violating the Tenth Amendment?",
"what did he say",
"What do prosecutors say the growers do?",
"Who is suing the feds for their California crackdown on medical pot?"
] | [
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],
[
"profit from growing and distributing"
],
[
"Safe Access"
]
] | Americans for Safe Access sues the feds for their California crackdown on medical pot .
The suit contends the federal government is violating the Tenth Amendment .
This month, California's four U.S. attorneys target big commercial pot growers .
Prosecutors say the growers sell medical pot to healthy people . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A third day of testimony gets underway in a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday as a judge decides whether Dr. Conrad Murray will face trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of singer Michael Jackson.
On Wednesday, a paramedic and a security guard testified that Jackson appeared to be dead when an ambulance arrived at his home at 12:26 p.m. June 25, 2009.
"When I picked him up, his legs were quite cool," Los Angeles County Paramedic Richard Senneff said. "His eyes were quite dry."
No pulse was detected, and the paramedics' heart monitor showed Jackson was "flatlined" as he lay on his bedroom floor, Senneff testified.
Prosecutors contend that Murray's should be held criminally responsible for giving the pop star a surgical anesthetic, propofol, at home without monitoring equipment.
The coroner concluded Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," in combination "the contributory affects of the benzodiazepines," Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said.
Murray allegedly delayed calling for help when he found Jackson was not breathing, misled paramedics and doctors about the series of sedatives and the anesthetic he'd given him and that he tried to hide evidence when he should have been trying to revive Jackson.
Murray told paramedics he had only given Jackson a dose of lorazepam to help him sleep and that he was treating him for dehydration, Senneff testified.
When he asked "how long the patient was down," the doctor responded "'It just happened,'" Senneff testified.
The paramedic said that account"it didn't add up."
Testimony Wednesday also included emotional accounts of crying and praying in the home as Jackson's children and employees realized something was very wrong upstairs.
Jackson chef Kia Chase said the first indication of a crisis was when Murray ran downstairs in a panic and asked her to send Jackson's oldest son, Prince, and the security guard upstairs.
"His eyes were enlarged," Chase testified. "He was screaming."
After the housekeepers started crying, the rest of the staff joined them, she said.
"We started praying," Chase said. "We held hands, and we were crying."
Jackson's two oldest children, Prince and Paris, watched from a bedroom doorway as Murray tried to revive their father before the ambulance arrived, according to Alberto Alvarez, who worked on Jackson's security team.
"Paris screamed 'Daddy!' and she started crying," Alvarez testified.
Michael Jackson's three sisters, parents and brother Randy listened from the second row of the courtroom as Alvarez appeared to be near tears as he described the scene.
"Dr. Murray then said 'Get them out, get them out. Don't let them see their father like this,' " Alvarez said. "I turned to the children and I told them 'Don't worry, children, we'll take care of it. Go outside please.' "
Alvarez testified that Murray asked for his help in collecting medicines from around the bedroom.
"He then grabbed a handful of bottles or vials," Alvarez said. "He instructed me to put them in a bag."
It was only then, about 21 minutes after prosecutors say Murray realized Jackson was not breathing, that he asked Alvarez to call for an ambulance. It arrived four minutes later.
Jackson's former security chief testified that Murray seemed not to know how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation as he waited for paramedics to arrive at the singer's house.
Faheem Muhammed said he and Alvarez saw Murray crouched next to Jackson's bed "in a panicked state asking, 'Does anyone know CPR?' "
"I looked at Alberto because we knew Dr. Murray was a heart surgeon, so we were shocked," Muhammed said.
When defense lawyer Ed Chernoff asked if perhaps Murray was only asking for help because he was tired, Muhammed said, "The way that he asked it is as if he didn't know CPR."
Alvarez testified that Murray told him and Muhammed that he was | [
"What was Murray treating jackson for?",
"How much time was the delayed 911 call?",
"Who appeared dead?",
"who is Dr. Conrad Murray ?",
"What did Paris Jackson cry?",
"who is Michael Jackson?",
"Who delayed calling 911?"
] | [
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"dehydration,"
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[
"'Daddy!'"
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"Murray"
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] | Michael Jackson appeared dead when ambulance arrived, witness says .
Paramedic testifies Dr. Conrad Murray said he was treating Jackson for dehydration .
Paris Jackson cried "Daddy!" as Murray tried to revive her dad, witness says .
Murray delayed calling 911 for 21 minutes, prosecutor says . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Actress Lindsay Lohan missed her first day of community service at the Los Angeles County morgue Thursday, one day after a judge rebuked her for similar failures, revoked her probation and forced her to post $100,000 bail.
"Lindsay arrived at the morgue approximately 20 minutes late and will be returning for orientation tomorrow," said her publicist Steven Honig.
"Her lateness was due to a combination of not knowing what entrance to go through and confusion caused by the media waiting for her arrival," Honig said in a statement. "Lindsay spoke with the supervisors at the morgue. They showed her how to get in, and everything is all cleared up."
Chief Coroner Craig Harvey said Lohan failed to show up on time -- 7 a.m. PT Thursday -- to the coroner's office.
Though she arrived late, Lohan was turned away because there wasn't enough time to complete her hours for the day, officials said.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner ruled Wednesday that after Lohan posted $100,000 bail for her probation revocation, she had to perform two working shifts -- or eight hours a day -- twice a week until her probation revocation hearing November 2.
Lohan's tardiness Thursday doesn't mean she is turned away from the program, Harvey said. If Lohan shows up Friday on time, she will be allowed to work and perform her community service, Harvey said.
The coroner's office will dismiss Lohan from her morgue duties only if she does something "terribly" wrong or shows misconduct, Harvey said.
Sautner revoked probation for Lohan because of her failure to comply with community service at a downtown Los Angeles women's center.
Under Sautner's ruling, once Lohan made bail the same day, the actress now must perform 16 hours of community service a week -- over a minimum of two days a week -- at the county morgue before her probation violation hearing next month.
Lohan, 25, was on probation after pleading guilty in May to stealing a necklace from a Venice, California, jewelry store. She served five weeks of home confinement ending in June for that misdemeanor theft and violation of another probation.
Lohan's legal woes began in 2007 with two drunken driving arrests and have been compounded by her failure to attend counseling classes and her failures of alcohol and drug tests. Her current probation calls for her to perform 360 hours at the Los Angeles Downtown Women's Center and 120 hours at the county morgue within a year.
But the judge expressed anger Wednesday at Lohan's repeated probation failures. She said Lohan posted nine absences at the women's center since her last court hearing July 21 -- and performed, at most, only two hours of service.
Lohan's attempt to perform community service at a nearby Red Cross facility -- instead of the women's center -- was voided Wednesday because the judge said she didn't authorize that change.
After the hearing, Lohan publicist Honig released a statement: "Lindsay is hoping this matter will be resolved on November 2 and the court will reinstate probation and allow her to continue fulfilling her community service."
Lohan's estranged father, Michael Lohan, told HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" that his daughter needs "a very, very intensive" program of rehabilitation for substance abuse.
"What the judge did, she had to do," he said Wednesday. But he said jail time would not be the proper remedy.
"She's not going to be working the morgue. She's going to wind up in a morgue if someone doesn't do something to get her help," he said.
At one point during this week's hearing, Los Angeles city attorneys Lisa Houle and Melanie Chavira asked the court to revoke Lohan's probation and impose jail time because of her failure to do community service. One of the city attorneys said Lohan "is in violation for getting herself kicked out of the women's center, which she was ordered to do."
But Lohan's attorney told the court that the actress received "a glowing" probation report, which said | [
"What did the judge revoke?",
"How many minutes was she late?",
"What did Coroner say?",
"Where was she doing community service?",
"When will she return?",
"What time was she supposed to be there?",
"Where is Lindsay Lohan doing her community service?"
] | [
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"probation for Lohan"
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"County morgue"
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"tomorrow,\""
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"7 a.m. PT Thursday"
],
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"Los Angeles"
]
] | NEW: Coroner says Lindsay Lohan missed her 7 a.m. PT start time .
Publicist: She arrives 20 minutes late to do community service at Los Angeles County morgue .
Actress will return to the morgue Friday and try again, her publicist says .
A judge has already revoked Lohan's probation because of other similar failures . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Acts signed for October's tribute concert for Michael Jackson include Christina Aguilera, Leona Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Cee Lo Green and JLS, the promoters told CNN Thursday.
Members of the Jackson family taking the stage October 8 in Cardiff, Wales, include several of Michael Jackson's brothers, "the next generation of Jacksons," and 3T, which consists of Tito Jackson's three sons.
Alternative rock band Alien Ant Farm and British R&B singer Craig David are also on the bill, while other artists will be added in the next few days, according to promoter Global Live Events.
"This announcement is just the beginning, we have many more to announce," Global Live Events executive Paul Ring said. "This concert will unite various generations and musical genres, reminding everyone of just how amazing a talent Michael was."
With the "Michael Forever: The Tribute Concert" lineup now known, fans can start "registering their interest for tickets" online at http://www.michaelforevertribute.com/ beginning Thursday, the promoter said. A lottery will determine which fans will be invited to purchase tickets, it said.
The concert in the Wales Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which seats 75,000 people, would be at least four hours long, Global Live Events CEO Chris Hunt said.
Jackson matriarch Katherine Jackson and the promoter are scheduled to discuss the show's plans in a live broadcast on CNN Monday.
The delay produced grumbling and doubts expressed on Jackson fan websites, but promoters hope the revelation of the lineup will satisfy them. "Fans of Michael's music will get the concert they've been waiting for," Hunt said in a message posted on the promoter's website last week.
Two of the five surviving Jackson brothers, Jermaine and Randy, objected to the timing of the show, issuing a sharply worded statement last month that reflected a deep division within the Jackson family.
"We want to make clear that this does not reflect the position of the entire family," the two brothers said in a joint statement after their mother and four siblings endorsed the show.
"While we wholeheartedly support the spirit of a tribute that honors our brother, we find it impossible to support an event that is due to take place during the criminal trial surrounding Michael's death," Jermaine and Randy Jackson said.
The involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, begins in September and is expected to continue into October.
While Katherine Jackson has previously said she would attend every day of Murray's trial -- as she did when her son was tried on a sex charge -- the promoter said the Jackson mother will travel to Wales for the concert.
"In light of this, we feel it is inappropriate to be involved with such an ill-timed event and its promoter, Global Live," Randy and Jermaine Jackson said.
Their statement said the idea of the October concert was presented to the entire family in April "as an idea already in its advanced stages." The decision to go ahead with it "disrespects opinions and wishes expressed in the strongest terms" by some members of the Jackson family, they said.
The Michael Jackson Fan Club agreed with the two brothers, issuing a similar statement.
"We share their concerns that this concert is taking place at a most inappropriate time when everyone's care and attention should be focused on the matter of justice. We believe that, as stated by Jermaine and Randy, the most important tribute we can give to Michael Jackson at this time is to seek justice in his name."
Jackson fans posted messages on the concert's Facebook page questioning ticket prices and the process for buying them.
Fans must register for a chance to buy a ticket. While the website initially said the higher a pledge to a charity they make while registering, the better their chances of getting a good seat. It was later revised to say that donations are not mandatory and all applications will have an equal chance.
A portion of the concert proceeds, particularly fan pledges, will go to charities, The Aids Project | [
"What were the fans registering for?",
"When is the concert starting?",
"What is the title of the concert?",
"When is the concert scheduled for?",
"who endorse the show",
"When can fans start registering for tickets?",
"Where is the concert?"
] | [
[
"the better their chances of getting a good seat."
],
[
"October 8"
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"\"Michael Forever: The Tribute Concert\""
],
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"October 8"
],
[
"Aguilera, Leona Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Cee Lo Green"
],
[
"Thursday,"
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[
"Cardiff, Wales,"
]
] | Fans start registering for tickets Thursday .
"Michael Forever: The Tribute Concert" is set for October 8 in Cardiff, Wales .
Fans gumble because of the line-up announcement delay .
Jackson's mother, four siblings endorse the show, but two brothers object . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- After approximately a week of poring over 145 jury questionnaires, lawyers in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor are due in court Wednesday to discuss removing jurors whose answers they believe should disqualify them from hearing the case.
But legal experts say prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Conrad Murray trial will be doing more than simply screening jurors based on their answers to the more than 100 questions filled out on September 8 and 9. They'll also be scrutinizing what prospective jurors may have said outside the courthouse and online about events surrounding the June 2009 death of pop star Michael Jackson.
"This is the world of social media, and it directly impacts criminal trials," said Thomas Mesereau, the attorney who successfully defended Jackson during his 2005 molestation trial. "I have no doubt that both sides will hire competent people to explore every aspect of social media to try and find out whatever they can about these jurors, and also to see if these potential jurors have communicated themselves with anyone else about this case."
The questionnaire asks whether potential jurors "ever posted any blogs or posted comments on any internet sites" and goes on to specifically ask whether the individual "accessed or posted" any comments about Murray, who is accused of administering a lethal dose of drugs to Jackson.
"I think it is safe to say that contemporary trial practice dictates that you make an effort to find out whatever information you can about jurors," Los Angeles defense attorney Shepard Kopp said. "If somebody has a Facebook page where the settings are public, and you can see what their interests are, you can very well learn valuable information there."
A simple Internet search can link attorneys to prospective jurors' blogs, tweets and postings on social networking sites to see if they have commented on a specific case. It also may offer insight into jurors' psyches.
"Any information you can get on a prospective juror is helpful, because you have such a short period of time in which to evaluate who the person is that is ultimately going to be making a very important decision in the case," said Richard Gabriel, a jury consultant with Decision Analysis.
Gabriel has been advising attorneys for 25 years on such high-profile murder cases as O.J. Simpson's and Casey Anthony's. He says screening jurors today is easier because of the amount of information people share on the Internet.
"If they have a Twitter account, it can give you a little bit more about how they interact with the rest of the world, not just in a courtroom setting," he said.
But Gabriel added that it is rare for a legal team to have time to do such vetting of prospective jurors, because jury selection is completed within hours in a vast majority of trials, not over several weeks as in the Anthony case (and most likely Murray's as well).
"The last thing you want to be doing in jury selection is research on your laptop computer in court," Kopp, the attorney, said about finding time to vet jurors. "That can send the message to the jurors that you are engaged in some other kind of work and you are not interested enough in the case you are trying."
And who knows what the reaction might be if jurors knew they were the ones being judged online -- to determine if they were fit to sit in judgment.
Opening statements for the trial, which will be televised, are scheduled for September 27. The trial is expected to last about a month.
If convicted of the involuntary manslaughter charge, Murray could face up to four years in prison. | [
"What is the name of the person on trial?",
"What will they base their screening on?",
"When are attorneys due in court?",
"What will the attorneys be discussing?",
"When will the attorneys appear in court?",
"What will lawyers be screened based on?",
"What will attorneys discuss on Wednesday?",
"What will the lawyers be screening?"
] | [
[
"Conrad Murray"
],
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"answers to the more than 100 questions filled out"
],
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"Wednesday"
],
[
"prospective jurors may have said outside the courthouse and online about events surrounding the June 2009 death of pop star Michael Jackson."
],
[
"Wednesday"
],
[
"their answers to the more than 100 questions filled out"
],
[
"removing jurors whose answers they believe should disqualify them from hearing the case."
],
[
"jurors based on their answers to the more than 100 questions filled out on September 8 and 9."
]
] | Attorneys are due in court Wednesday to discuss Conrad Murray case jury selection .
Lawyers will be screening based on what potential jurors have said online, experts say .
Simple Internet search can show blogs and postings on social networking sites . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- After missing her first day of community service at the Los Angeles County morgue, actress Lindsay Lohan gets a second chance to appear on time Friday.
"Lindsay arrived at the morgue approximately 20 minutes late and will be returning for orientation tomorrow," said her publicist Steven Honig Thursday.
Just a day earlier, a judge rebuked Lohan for similar failures, revoked her probation and forced her to post $100,000 bail.
"Her lateness was due to a combination of not knowing what entrance to go through and confusion caused by the media waiting for her arrival," Honig said in a statement. "Lindsay spoke with the supervisors at the morgue. They showed her how to get in, and everything is all cleared up."
Chief Coroner Craig Harvey said Lohan failed to show up on time -- 10 a.m. ET Thursday -- to the coroner's office.
Though she arrived late, Lohan was turned away because there wasn't enough time to complete her hours for the day, officials said.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner ruled Wednesday that after Lohan posted $100,000 bail for her probation revocation, she had to perform two working shifts -- or eight hours a day -- twice a week until her probation revocation hearing November 2.
Lohan's tardiness Thursday doesn't mean she is turned away from the program, Harvey said. If Lohan shows up Friday on time, she will be allowed to work and perform her community service, Harvey said.
The coroner's office will dismiss Lohan from her morgue duties only if she does something "terribly" wrong or shows misconduct, Harvey said.
Sautner revoked probation for Lohan because of her failure to comply with community service at a downtown Los Angeles women's center.
Under Sautner's ruling, once Lohan made bail the same day, the actress now must perform 16 hours of community service a week -- over a minimum of two days a week -- at the county morgue before her probation violation hearing next month.
Lohan, 25, was on probation after pleading guilty in May to stealing a necklace from a Venice, California, jewelry store. She served five weeks of home confinement ending in June for that misdemeanor theft and violation of another probation.
Lohan's legal woes began in 2007 with two drunken driving arrests and have been compounded by her failure to attend counseling classes and her failures of alcohol and drug tests. Her current probation calls for her to perform 360 hours at the Los Angeles Downtown Women's Center and 120 hours at the county morgue within a year.
But the judge expressed anger Wednesday at Lohan's repeated probation failures. She said Lohan posted nine absences at the women's center since her last court hearing July 21 -- and performed, at most, only two hours of service.
Lohan's attempt to perform community service at a nearby Red Cross facility -- instead of the women's center -- was voided Wednesday because the judge said she didn't authorize that change.
After the hearing, Lohan publicist Honig released a statement: "Lindsay is hoping this matter will be resolved on November 2 and the court will reinstate probation and allow her to continue fulfilling her community service."
Lohan's estranged father, Michael Lohan, told HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" that his daughter needs "a very, very intensive" program of rehabilitation for substance abuse.
"What the judge did, she had to do," he said Wednesday. But he said jail time would not be the proper remedy.
"She's not going to be working the morgue. She's going to wind up in a morgue if someone doesn't do something to get her help," he said.
At one point during this week's hearing, Los Angeles city attorneys Lisa Houle and Melanie Chavira asked the court to revoke Lohan's probation and impose jail time because of her failure to do community service. One of the city attorneys said Lohan "is in violation for getting herself kicked out of the women's center, which she was ordered to do."
But Lohan's attorney told the | [
"Who revoked Lohan's probation?",
"How many minutes was she late?",
"Where was Lohan send to do community service?",
"Who said she missed her 10 am start time?",
"Who said she arrives 20 minutes late?",
"What was lohan's start time"
] | [
[
"Judge Stephanie Sautner"
],
[
"20"
],
[
"Los Angeles County morgue,"
],
[
"Chief Coroner Craig Harvey"
],
[
"Lindsay Lohan"
],
[
"10 a.m. ET Thursday"
]
] | Publicist: She arrives 20 minutes late to do community service at Los Angeles County morgue .
Coroner says Lohan missed her 10 a.m. ET start time .
A judge has already revoked Lohan's probation because of other similar failures . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- After weeks of headlines about the outage of its hacker-compromised online gaming system, Sony on Monday looked to change the conversation with Playstation Vita, a machine they say will "revolutionize" handheld game play.
The gaming system, which will be available by this year's holiday season, marries advances in portable gaming with the Playstation's longstanding gaming pedigree, said Sony president of consumer products Kazuo Hirai.
"Playstation Vita will revolutionize the portable entertainment experience," he said. "It is an experience you really need to see and feel to believe."
The Vita was unveiled as part of Sony's presentation on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, which officially begins Tuesday.
The device will have a 5-inch touch screen and feature front and back-mounted cameras and touch pads in addition to a pair of mounted joysticks. The system will let players use any, or all, of those controls during a game.
With more than 80 titles already in development, according to Sony, the Vita will offer cross-platform play, letting players continue some games between the Vita and the Playstation or, in some cases, even play multiplayer games against others using either a Vita or Playstation.
The Wi-Fi only version will sell for $249 and a 3G model, with exclusive AT&T service, will be $299.
The Vita, which Sony had been calling the NGP (next-generation portable) before its official unveiling, marks the company's biggest advance in the handheld gaming space since it introduced the Sony PSP in 2006.
It doesn't feature 3D gaming, like rival Nintendo's 3DS, which was rolled out at last year's E3. But Hirai teased that the dual cameras will be used in another emerging video-game space -- augmented reality.
"With Playstation Vita, the whole world really is in play," he said.
John Davidson, of gaming website GameSpot, liked what he saw of the Vita after an early look, calling its visual fidelity "remarkable."
"Definitely closer to handheld 'HD' experience than previous handhelds," he said in an email to CNN.
Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, didn't waste time Monday addressing the hacker-caused outage that had the Playstation Network down for the better part of a month for most players.
He called it the "elephant in the room" and thanked gamers for staying loyal during the down time.
"You are the lifeblood of this company. Without you there is no Playstation," Tretton said. "I want to apologize, both personally and on behalf of the company, for any anxiety we caused you.
"I know we took you away from what you enjoy most ... and it is you that causes us both to be humble and amazed at the amount of dedication and support you continue to give to the Playstation brand."
Noting the weeks of negative headlines, he jokingly said "you're welcome" to members of the media. He said that more than 90 percent of users have returned to the online network, which saw its online store returned last week.
Sony also kept up the push for 3-D gaming Monday by taking on what's been considered one of the key stumbling blocks to its success: Price.
Acknowledging that the cost of 3-D television remains prohibitive for many gamers, Tretton announced that Sony will be making a Playstation-branded 3-D console that will sell, along with a set of 3-D glasses and the upcoming 3-D game "Resistance 3," for $499.
The 24-inch console, which can also be used to watch 3-D movies and television, offers a split-screen mode for multi-player gaming.
"We know that gaming is going to drive 3-D adoption," Tretton said.
Among the upcoming games Sony featured, the two that got the most attention were "Uncharted: Drake's Deception" and "Bioshock: Infinite."
Both will be available for the Playstation and Vita. | [
"What size screen will the device have?",
"When was the PSP launched?",
"Who called the recent outage of the Playstation Network an \"elephant in the room\"?",
"What did he say about the outage?",
"What does the Launch mark?",
"What did Sony's U.S. president call recent outage?",
"The launch marks Sony's biggest advance in handheld gaming since when?",
"What will the device have?"
] | [
[
"5-inch"
],
[
"2006."
],
[
"Jack Tretton,"
],
[
"\"elephant in the room\""
],
[
"the company's biggest advance in the handheld gaming space since it introduced the Sony PSP in 2006."
],
[
"the \"elephant in the room\""
],
[
"PSP in 2006."
],
[
"a 5-inch touch screen and feature front and back-mounted cameras and touch pads in addition to a pair of mounted joysticks."
]
] | Device will have 5-inch touch screen, cameras, touch pads and a pair of mounted joysticks .
Launch marks Sony's biggest advance in the handheld gaming space since Sony PSP in 2006 .
Sony's U.S. president called recent outage of Playstation Network "elephant in the room" |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Authorities on Saturday identified a gunman killed by police after he opened fire at passing vehicles along a downtown street in Hollywood.
But they said they don't know why Tyler Brehm, 26, went on a surreal shooting rampage captured on amateur video Friday.
The video shows Brehm walking down Sunset Boulevard, wielding a handgun and firing at vehicles, seemingly at random. Brehm fired a "significant number" of rounds, wounding three, police said.
He then returned to an intersection, where he was confronted by a plainclothes police detective and an off-duty police officer working on a nearby movie set, officials said.
"At that point the police ordered him to drop his weapon and he pointed his gun at the police and an officer-involved shooting occurred," police spokeswoman Sgt. Mitzi Fierro said on CNN.
Brehm died at a nearby hospital, a police statement said.
Christopher Johns filmed much of the five-minute scene from his apartment window and can be heard shouting at Brehm throughout.
"Why don't you come up here?" he yelled, later describing that he intended to distract the gunman.
"If people down there at point-blank range to the shooter were going to get shot, they were helpless to avoid being killed," Johns told CNN. "Me, I'm four stories up. If I can take any of his attention and divert it towards me ... I would have an opportunity to get out of the way."
"I'm screaming anything I can" in an effort to disrupt the shooting, Johns said.
At one point, Brehm spoke with Johns, asking him for ammunition and to call an ambulance.
Fierro said it appeared Johns could interact with the suspect without jeopardizing his safety.
"It appears from the video that he was able to distract the suspect and keep him from shooting at additional people before the police arrived," she said.
Police have contacted Brehm's family back east and are talking to acquaintances.
"So far we haven't been able to piece together really why he did it," Fierro told CNN Saturday evening.
Three people were injured during Friday's incident, including one man in silver Mercedes-Benz sedan who was shot multiple times in the face and upper torso, Fierro said. Two others suffered minor injuries.
The current status of the man in the car was unknown Saturday.
"We're very fortunate that more people weren't injured during this incident," Fierro said.
Witnesses were stunned by the shooting rampage.
"A car drove by and he just shot right into the car," Amy Torgeson told CNN affiliate KABC. "He was just shooting everywhere."
Torgeson said vehicles began "swerving and braking," and she sought cover at a nearby bank. | [
"what did the yelling prevent",
"what was the gunmans name",
"What is the age of the gunman?",
"What age was the gunman",
"Where did John film the scene from?",
"What did the man who filmed do",
"Where did the man fire from",
"Who was the gunman?",
"Where did Christopher Johns film from"
] | [
[
"keep him from shooting at additional people"
],
[
"Tyler Brehm,"
],
[
"26,"
],
[
"26,"
],
[
"his apartment window"
],
[
"went on a surreal shooting rampage"
],
[
"Sunset Boulevard,"
],
[
"Tyler Brehm,"
],
[
"his apartment window"
]
] | NEW: Police don't know why man fired from street .
NEW: Man who filmed, yelled at suspect may have prevented more injuries, police say .
Police killed the gunman, Tyler Brehm, 26 .
Christopher Johns filmed the scene from his apartment window . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Brooke Mueller has reconsidered her decision to undergo at-home drug rehab. Instead, Charlie Sheen's ex-wife has checked into an in-patient treatment center, her spokesman said Tuesday.
Mueller was arrested in Aspen, Colorado, on December 3 and charged with assault and cocaine possession, police said.
Mueller's publicist told CNN Monday that she would "take a different approach to deal with her addiction" with a daytime rehab program and around-the-clock supervision at home.
"After further reflection and consideration, Brooke has decided to remove herself from the media spotlight and has entered a long-term in-patient treatment center where she can focus on her recovery without distraction," spokesman Steve Honig said Tuesday.
Mueller, 34, checked into the rehab facility before the announcement was made, he said.
"Brooke's goal is to maintain her sobriety and she believes this is the best option to reach that goal," Honig said.
The 2-year-old twin sons she shares with Sheen "will remain in their home and familiar surroundings and be under the care of their longtime nanny," he said.
"Charlie and Brooke's parents fully support her decision and everyone recognizes the importance of maintaining the children's normal routine," he said.
The incidents in Aspen began when a woman at the Belly Up -- a bar and performance venue there -- complained that Mueller had been "the aggressor" in an assault, Aspen police said.
Mueller was found and arrested after midnight at another bar, Escobar, police said. She was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, which is a felony, and third-degree assault, which is a misdemeanor.
She was released after posting an $11,000 bond, Aspen police said. A court date is scheduled for Monday.
Mueller has appeared as an actress in several movies, including 2004's "A Love Song for Bobby Long," according to IMDb. But she is more widely known as the ex-wife of Sheen.
The twin sons and Mueller were part of Sheen's volatile public fall-out with CBS earlier this year as he left his starring role on the network's "Two and Half Men."
She claimed in March that he'd threatened to kill her, saying, "I will cut your head off, put it in a box and send it to your mom," according to a declaration made in a restraining order against Sheen. The revelations led to a court order removing the 2-year-old boys from Sheen's home.
The actor called the allegation "colorful" and described the quote attributed to him as fabricated in an interview with NBC's "Today Show."
Mueller has sought help for substance abuse and stress-related issues in the past.
Last December, her attorney, Yale Galanter, said that she entered a sober living facility. Earlier, in April 2010, Mueller had checked into a treatment facility for help with stress management to prevent a "return to old problems," her representative said.
She was in substance abuse rehab earlier in 2010 "to get her health in order," Galanter said at the time.
The couple was involved in an alleged domestic dispute in Aspen on Christmas Day 2009 that resulted in felony charges against Sheen.
CNN's Jack Hannah contributed to this report. | [
"Where did Mueller face drug charges?",
"What does the ex-wife decide?",
"Where will Mueller's twin sons stay?",
"what is charlie's involvment?",
"What did mueller say?",
"where will she go to rehab?"
] | [
[
"Aspen, Colorado,"
],
[
"checked into an in-patient treatment center,"
],
[
"\"will remain in their home and familiar surroundings and be under the care of their longtime nanny,\""
],
[
"he'd threatened to kill her,"
],
[
"\"take a different approach to deal with her addiction\""
],
[
"in-patient treatment center,"
]
] | Mueller can "focus on her recovery without distraction" in rehab, a spokesman says .
Charlie Sheen's ex-wife decides at-home care for her addiction is not the best .
Mueller faces drug charges in Aspen, Colorado, after a December 3 arrest .
Her twin sons will stay at home with their nanny . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Face-to-face questioning of potential jurors to hear the case against Michael Jackson's doctor began in a packed Los Angeles courtroom Friday morning, four days ahead of the opening statements and testimony.
The pool of 84 potential jurors in court appeared diverse, although only six were African-American.
Each side will be allowed 10 "peremptory challenges," allowing them to get rid of jurors without stating a reason.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers mutually agreed in closed-door sessions Wednesday and Thursday on which potential jurors in a pool of 145 were too biased to put their prejudices aside to decide if Dr. Conrad Murray is criminally responsible for the pop icon's death, according to Murray defense lawyer Michael Flanagan.
"Both sides just want to get a fair jury that hasn't made up their mind and is willing to make a decision based upon the facts," Flanagan said after Thursday's jury selection session.
Lead defense lawyer Ed Chernoff said there were no surprising reasons for striking jurors "for cause," and the pool was filled with people who could be open-minded. "Time ameliorates things," Chernoff said.
Flanagan predicted Thursday afternoon that Friday's jury selection would "go very fast."
While most judges allow defense lawyers an hour to question potential jurors, Pastor is allowing just 20 minutes for each side, Flanagan said.
"Twenty minutes is a pretty short period of time," Flanagan said. "You can't say 'hi' to everybody in 20 minutes."
It is expected 12 jurors and six alternates will be chosen by the end of court Friday.
Murray, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death, would face up to four years in prison if the jury finds him guilty.
The "for cause" strikes were based mostly on written answers potential jurors gave to 113 questions earlier this month.
Lawyers had a week to study the questionnaire responses, a process they went through once before in April before the trial was delayed for several months.
"One of the things that we learned in the case the last go-around in the jury selection, it's absolutely shocking how many jurors think already they know everything about this case," Chernoff said in an interview last week with Jean Casarez, a reporter with CNN sister network In Session.
Opening statements for the trial, which will be televised, are scheduled for September 27. The judge told members of the jury pool he expects their service will be over on or about October 28.
The Los Angeles coroner has ruled that Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, was caused by an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol combined with other drugs.
Prosecutors have accused Murray, who served as Jackson's personal and full-time physician at the time, of having a role in the overdose.
They contend Murray used a makeshift intravenous drip to administer propofol intended to help Jackson sleep, a practice they argue violated the standard of care and led to the pop music icon's death. | [
"What did michael flanagan say?",
"What is the name of the defense lawyer?",
"When will jury selection be wrapped up?",
"what is expected to be wrapped up Friday?",
"what is 84 potential jurors?",
"How many remain in the jury pool?",
"What day are opening statements set for?",
"what is going to go very fast?",
"How many potential jurors remain?"
] | [
[
"\"Both sides just want to get a fair jury that hasn't made up their mind and is willing to make a decision based upon the facts,\""
],
[
"Michael Flanagan."
],
[
"by the end of court Friday."
],
[
"the case against Michael Jackson's"
],
[
"diverse,"
],
[
"84"
],
[
"September 27."
],
[
"Friday's jury selection"
],
[
"84"
]
] | NEW: 84 potential jurors, including six African-Americans, remain in the jury pool .
Jury selection "is going to go very fast," defense lawyer Michael Flanagan says .
Jury selection is expected to be wrapped up Friday .
Opening statements in the trial of Michael Jackson's lawyer are set for Tuesday . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- For the first time in U.S. history, the largest single group of poor children in any racial or ethnic category is Hispanic, according to a new survey.
Calling it "a negative milestone" in Hispanics' explosive growth in the United States, the Pew Hispanic Center study said in 2010, 37.3% of poor children in the U.S. were Hispanic, compared with 30.5% white and 26.6% black.
The Pew analysis of new census data put the number of Hispanic children in poverty at 6.1 million in 2010.
This negative trend has emerged as the 2010 census confirmed for the first time that Hispanics are the nation's No. 2 group, surpassing African-Americans.
Hispanics now make up 16.3% of the total American population -- but in the youth demographic, Hispanic kids comprise an even bigger share -- 23.1% of U.S. children are Latino, the study said.
See how Hispanics drove the growth of the white population
The study found there are 6.1 million Latino children living in poverty, and more than two-thirds of them -- 4.1 million -- are children of immigrant parents. Of those 4.1 million, 86% were born in America, the study said.
The remaining 2 million poor Latino children have U.S.-born parents, the study said.
Prior to the recession, more white children lived in poverty than Latino kids, but since the recession began in 2007, those positions reversed, and the number of poor Hispanic children grew by 36.3% between 2007 and 2010, or 1.6 million, the study said.
The number of white and black children in poverty also grew, but not as big, the study found.
See how the white population changed in relation to minorities
The recession hit Latino families hard: the unemployment rate among Hispanic workers is 11.1%, compared with a national rate of 9.1%, and the household wealth for Latinos fell more sharply than for white or black families between 2005 and 2009, the study said.
Food insecurity also grew among Latinos, with one-third of households facing the problem in 2008, up from 23.8% the prior year, the study said.
Leaders of programs serving the poor said Thursday their experiences match the study's findings, which was released Wednesday.
In his twice-a-month acts of charity, Reverend Carlos Paiva has noticed the increasing number of Latino youngsters who arrive with their families at his Angelica Lutheran Church near downtown Los Angeles.
The church gives free rice, beans, potatoes, onions and fruits to needy families, he said.
"The numbers are growing," Paiva said about Latino kids who show up at the church with their families. "The average age of the people who come here for food is 10 years old."
Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said his group's recent summer lunch program for poor children saw "a lot more kids from the Latino community."
"It worries us," Flood said. "Given the fact that the economy hasn't turned around, it's a more desperate deal."
Victor Martinez, director of programming at Bienestar, a nonprofit that runs nine health community centers in southern California for Latinos, said he was "sad and disappointed to see that my community is facing these problems."
"Especially for the more recent immigrants, they have more limited resources to work. We have more requests to go to the food bank and housing," Martinez said. | [
"Who is in poverty?",
"What is the number of Latinos children who live in poverty in 2010?",
"Who were living in poverty?",
"Who lived in poverty?",
"What does the report reflect?",
"Who confirmed the report?",
"Who lives in more poverty?"
] | [
[
"Hispanic children"
],
[
"6.1 million"
],
[
"Hispanic children"
],
[
"Hispanic children"
],
[
"Prior to the recession, more white children lived in poverty than Latino kids, but since the recession began in 2007, those positions reversed, and the number of poor Hispanic children grew by 36.3% between 2007 and 2010, or 1.6 million, the study said."
],
[
"2010 census"
],
[
"6.1 million Latino children"
]
] | NEW: More than 6 million Latino kids were living in poverty in 2010, according to study .
NEW: Pew Hispanic Center study: 4.1 million of those are children of immigrants .
NEW: Prior to 2007, more white children lived in poverty than Latino kids, study reports .
NEW: Providers of services to poor say the report reflects what they're seeing . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Four southern California teenagers have been charged following the apparent drug overdose death of an 18-year-old high school quarterback whose father is a retired NFL player, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Saturday.
Three of the teens have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Griffen Kramer, son of former pro quarterback Erik Kramer, who played for several NFL teams including the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, officials said.
Griffen Kramer played quarterback at Thousand Oaks High School, which lists him as a 6-foot 210-pound senior.
Kramer was found dead October 30 in a friend's bedroom in Agoura Hills, the sheriff's office said in a statement.
That friend, David Nemberg, 19, of Agoura Hills, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance, authorities said.
After investigating several of Kramer's acquaintances who were involved in narcotics-related activities, police also charged Corey Baumann, 19, also of Agoura Hills, with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance for sales, the sheriff's office said.
Baumann and Nemberg were each released in lieu of a $125,000 bail, authorities said.
The two other accused teenagers are minors, whose names weren't released, the sheriff's office said.
A 17-year-old boy from Oak Park, California, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance, the sheriff's office said. He is being held at Sylmar Juvenile Hall without bail, authorities said.
Investigators found "deplorable" living conditions during the search of the boy's home and took five children from the residence into protective custody, said authorities.
The fourth teen, also a 17-year-old boy, of Agoura Hills, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, the sheriff's office said. He was released to his parents' custody, according to police.
Police allege Griffen, Nemberg and a juvenile met at Sumac Park in Agoura Hills on October 29 and drove to a nearby cul-de-sac, where Griffen injected narcotics, causing him to instantly become ill and unconscious, authorities said.
Nemberg allegedly dragged the unconscious Griffen into his car and then drove him around the area, police said.
Nemberg called acquaintances and asked them if he could drive to their residences, but they told him no because their parents were home, police said.
Nemberg allegedly took a still unconscious Griffen to Nemberg's home, authorities said.
He didn't seek medical attention for Griffen until the next morning, when Nemberg woke up and saw Griffen was still unconscious, authorities alleged.
"He woke up the following morning and called 911 because Griffen was unresponsive," Sheriff's Sgt. Barry Hall said in a statement.
Griffen was believed to have been dead for several hours before Nemberg made the call, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
Investigators believe Griffen had likely died from an overdose, but "we're still waiting for a toxicology results to determine the ultimate cause of death," Hall said.
CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report. | [
"What did police say?",
"For how long was Kramer dead?",
"whats One allegedly keeps an unconscious Kramer overnight before calling police?",
"What is Griffen Kramer's age?"
] | [
[
"Nemberg allegedly dragged the unconscious Griffen into his car and then drove him around the area,"
],
[
"several hours"
],
[
"David Nemberg,"
],
[
"18-year-old"
]
] | Griffen Kramer, 18, son of a retired NFL quarterback, dies of apparent overdose .
Two 19-year-old boys and two 17-year-old boys face various charges .
One allegedly keeps an unconscious Kramer overnight before calling police .
Kramer was dead for hours before the call was made, police say . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was murdered as she was driving through Beverly Hills, California, in a random "robbery gone bad," by a man who killed himself last week, according to preliminary findings in the Beverly Hills police investigation.
Speculation that Chasen was targeted by a professional hit was shot down Wednesday by investigators who said much of what has been reported by the media since her killing three weeks was untrue.
Harold Martin Smith, 43, was apparently riding his bicycle when he shot Chasen several times as she was on her way home from a Hollywood movie premiere party, police said.
Smith later committed suicide with the same gun that was used in the Chasen killing, Beverly Hills Police Chief David Snowden said Wednesday. Smith shot himself in the head last week as police approached him for questioning as "a person of interest" while he was at his Hollywood apartment building.
A preliminary ballistics test showed that Smith's gun was used in the slaying of Chasen, 64, said Beverly Hills Detective Sgt. Mike Publicker.
"With Mr. Smith's background, we believe most likely it was a robbery gone bad," Publicker said. "We believe it was a random act."
Publicker said it appeared no connection existed between Chasen and Smith prior to slaying.
"The detectives were able to do numerous interviews and through the information obtained in the interviews, it appears that he did act alone," Publicker said. "We believe his mode of transportation was by bicycle."
Authorities said the investigation, which is 60% to 70% complete, remains ongoing.
"There are additional interviews to be conducted, but this is our belief at this time," Publicker said.
"Carjackings are not unusual in Los Angeles, but "in our city it's more than exceedingly rare," said Chief Snowden of Beverly Hills. "It's non-existent."
"We don't believe it was a professional hit, and this is an open and ongoing investigation," Snowden said.
Smith, an ex-convict, pulled a handgun and shot himself as Beverly Hills detectives approached him at Hollywood's Harvey Apartments last Wednesday.
The television show "America's Most Wanted" put police in touch with a tipster who will likely received a $125,000 reward, Publicker said. | [
"who is harold martin smith",
"What do preliminary tests show?",
"Where was Chasen driving her car?",
"Who did Smith try to rob?",
"Who was the suicide victim?",
"What did preliminary tests show?",
"where is beverly hills"
] | [
[
"an ex-convict,"
],
[
"Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was murdered as she was driving through Beverly"
],
[
"Hills, California,"
],
[
"Ronni Chasen"
],
[
"Harold Martin Smith,"
],
[
"\"robbery gone bad,\""
],
[
"California,"
]
] | Police: preliminary tests show a suicide victim used the same gun that killed a publicist .
Police say the suicide victim, Harold Martin Smith, had tried to rob publicist Ronni Chasen .
Chasen was driving her car through Beverly Hills while Smith was on his bicycle, police say . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan must start serving a 30-day jail term next week after admitting that she violated her probation on a necklace theft conviction, a Los Angeles County judge ordered Wednesday.
"It's possible she could be booked in and booked out" the same day, Los Angeles County Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said Wednesday afternoon.
"It depends on the fluctuations of the day, what's going on in the jail," Whitmore said.
After that, the actress must work at least 12 days a month at the county morgue until she completes the 53 remaining days on her court-ordered community service and she must attend 18 psychotherapy sessions, Judge Stephanie Sautner told her.
If Lohan misses any of those goals, she will be returned to jail for another 270 days, the judge ruled.
"This is what we really call putting the keys to the jail in the defendant's hands," Sautner told Lohan.
The actress, who admitted violating her probation during a hearing Wednesday, must report to the Los Angeles County jail by November 9, the judge said.
"You are not to get house arrest or early release, except for that required by the law," Sautner said.
Whitmore said that the early release program is part of the law, meaning Lohan would likely get out quickly due to overcrowding.
When Sautner sentenced Lohan to 120 days in jail last May, she ended up serving 35 days of home confinement instead, due to jail overcrowding and state rules that give prisoners credit for good behavior.
It was not immediately clear how many days Lohan will actually serve this month, if she ends up getting credit for good behavior.
Prosecutors said Lohan missed 12 of 20 scheduled workdays at a downtown Los Angeles women's center, part of the court-ordered community service imposed in May when she pleaded guilty to stealing a necklace from a Venice, California, jewelry store.
Lohan, 25, was already on probation for two drunken driving convictions from 2007.
She also canceled 14 of 19 scheduled appointments for court-ordered psychotherapy, they said.
"From what I see of you, you need a structure," Sautner told Lohan Wednesday, instructing her to return to court each month, starting December 14, to show she is complying with the schedule.
If the actress stays on track, her probation would be eased on March 29, 2012, Sautner said. If she doesn't keep up with the requirements, she will serve the additional 270 days behind bars, the judge said.
The full sentence imposed Wednesday was 150 days for the necklace theft probation violation and 150 days for violating probation on the 2007 drunk driving conviction in Beverly Hills.
While the original sentence included 360 hours of community service at a downtown Los Angeles women's center, the judge said she did not want to put the Skid Row charity through the pain of Lohan again.
When the judge called The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women, the charity refused to take Lohan on as a worker "saying you were a bad example," Sautner said.
But Lohan seemed to find a good fit with her work at the Los Angeles County morgue, where Deputy Chief Coroner Ed Winter said she worked four days in the past two weeks cleaning up.
Lohan reports for morgue duty
"So, the morgue is willing to keep you," the judge said.
All of her community service work has been transferred there, she said.
Two weeks ago, the actress' father, Michael Lohan, told HLN's "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" program that his daughter shouldn't be in jail, but in rehab.
Last week, Michael Lohan was arrested twice in two days for violating a court order to stay away from his former girlfriend. CNN learned Wednesday that he is now in an "administrative confinement" cell in the infirmary section of Orient Road jail in Tampa, Florida, where he's awaiting trial.
Michael Lohan arrested
Lindsay Lohan's legal woes, which began four years ago with two drunk driving arrests, | [
"Who could be booked in and out the same day?",
"When will she be booked?",
"What timeframe will she be booked?",
"What did the judge tell her?",
"Who would keep her?",
"Who said she cannot be released on home confinement?",
"How long will she serve if she voilates again?",
"What might she serve?"
] | [
[
"Lindsay Lohan"
],
[
"the same day,"
],
[
"the same day,"
],
[
"the actress must work at least 12 days a month at the county morgue until she completes the 53 remaining days on"
],
[
"the morgue"
],
[
"Whitmore"
],
[
"270 days,"
],
[
"30-day jail term"
]
] | NEW: Lohan could be booked in and out the same day, sheriff's spokesman says .
If she violates probation again, she must serve another 270 days in jail .
The judge said she cannot be released on home confinement .
"The morgue is willing to keep you," the judge says . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan's judge apparently is so pleased with how well the actress is complying with her probation requirements in the past six weeks that she's giving her more freedom to travel.
"Ms. Lohan, you've actually done well and done it not only on time but early," Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner said during a five-minute-long hearing Wednesday.
Lohan worked 12 days at the county morgue and took part in five psychotherapy sessions over the past month as ordered, Sautner said.
"The morgue seems to be pleased, as pleased as a morgue can be," Sautner said.
The judge offered an incentive for Lohan to finish her monthly community service work early: She can travel freely around the United States after she completes her required 12 morgue shifts between court dates.
If Lohan keeps up her compliance and completes 41 more days at the morgue -- 12 shifts each month -- and four sessions with a psychologist per month, the actress will have her supervised probation eased at the end of March.
If she fails, she will serve an additional 270 days behind bars, the judge warned her last month.
"This is what we really call putting the keys to the jail in the defendant's hands," Sautner told Lohan.
Lohan was found in violation of her probation last month when she admitted that she failed to comply with Sautner's earlier order that she work at a women's shelter. Her punishment -- a 30-day jail sentence -- translated into just a few hours behind bars because of measures to reduce overcrowding in Los Angeles County jails.
The atmosphere at Wednesday's status hearing was much lighter than in any previous appearances before Sautner.
When Lohan's attorney, Shawn Holley, asked the judge if Lohan was required to be in court January 17 for the next status hearing, Sautner said, "If I say no, she won't complete everything. I'm just saying."
The judge's next comment made Lohan lower her face into her hands, laughing.
"I think she likes to come here and see me," Sautner said. "I think that's a motivation for her."
The judge said Lohan's trip to Hawaii over the past week was approved by her probation officer because of "some confusion" about her travel restrictions.
She is permitted to travel outside California only for holidays and work, she said.
"She thought your sister's birthday was a holiday and said she could go to Hawaii," Sautner said. "I don't have a problem with it."
Lohan missed her flight back home from her Hawaiian vacation Monday, causing her to miss Tuesday's taping of an appearance on "Ellen." The chat with talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres was the only planned interview to promote Lohan's nude photo spread published this week in Playboy magazine.
The court-ordered community service is part of Lohan's sentence imposed in May when she pleaded guilty to stealing a necklace from a Venice, California, jewelry store.
Lohan was already on probation for two drunken driving convictions from 2007.
"From what I see of you, you need a structure," Sautner told Lohan last month, instructing her to return to court each month to show she is complying with the schedule.
Lohan's legal woes, which began four years ago with two drunken driving arrests, have been compounded by her failure to attend counseling classes and alcohol and drug test failures.
Her probation is scheduled to end within a year unless Lohan breaks any laws before then. It has been extended several times because of violations, including the failed alcohol and drug tests.
CNN's Jack Hannah contributed to this report. | [
"who is Lindsay Lohan?",
"Who has done well on probation?",
"What is pleased with Lohan?",
"What does Lohan do 12 shifts at?",
"What did the judge do?",
"When will Lohan be eased?"
] | [
[
"actress"
],
[
"Lindsay Lohan's"
],
[
"judge"
],
[
"county morgue"
],
[
"offered an incentive for Lohan"
],
[
"end of March."
]
] | NEW: Lindsay Lohan has "done well" on probation the past month, the judge says .
NEW: The judge eased Lohan's travel limit once she does 12 shifts at the morgue each month .
NEW: Judge: "The morgue seems to be pleased, as pleased as a morgue can be"
If she stays on track, Lohan's probation will be eased in March, judge says . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan's need for a better toothpaste should not outshine more important issues "such as homelessness, lack of funding for public education and relations between America and its allies," the actress's rep said Friday.
Steve Honig was responding to online buzz about a close up photo of Lohan's teeth that appear to show stains that bloggers blame on her love of red wine and cigarettes.
"Lindsay is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful women on the planet, and is regularly sought-after by some of the top photographers in the world to appear on covers of magazines around the globe," Honig said in a statement to CNN.
Not to mention the many paparazzi that hound Lohan through the streets of Los Angeles.
"There are so many more important issues the media should be focusing on, such as homelessness, lack of funding for public education and relations between America and its allies," Honig said.
Stained teeth, however, is not Lohan's biggest concern now. She is due back in court Wednesday morning for a status hearing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Saunter.
Judge Saunter will check on her progress in meeting the community service and psychological counseling requirements she imposed last summer when she sentenced Lohan to probation for stealing a necklace from a Venice, California, jewelry store.
As with Lohan's smile, there are online reports that her record of probation compliance is stained and that Lohan again faces jail time.
But Frank Mateljan, spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney, said that while he has seen the reports the matter "not risen to the level of having our office involved yet."
The probation office and the court have not contacted the prosecutor on the case about it, Mateljan said.
Lohan lawyer Shawn Holley would not comment on the reports. | [
"What did the tabloid photo show?",
"What did Lohan's rep say?",
"What did the rep say?",
"what did lohan's rep say about her",
"When does she return to court?",
"What did the photo show?",
"when will she return to court"
] | [
[
"Lohan's teeth"
],
[
"\"There are so many more important issues the media should be focusing on, such as homelessness, lack of funding for public education and relations between America and its allies,\""
],
[
"Lindsay Lohan's need for a better toothpaste should not outshine more important"
],
[
"Lindsay"
],
[
"Wednesday morning"
],
[
"Lohan's teeth"
],
[
"Wednesday morning"
]
] | Tabloid photo shows Lohan stained teeth .
Lohan rep: Lindsay's "one of the most beautiful women on the planet"
Lohan prosecutor is unaware of any probation problems .
The actress returns to court Wednesday to report on probation . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan's nude photo spread for Playboy is helping the men's magazine break sales records, according to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.
CNN calls to a dozen newsstands in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Atlanta Sunday found just one that is sold out of the issue, and that store expected more to arrive Monday.
Lohan, 25, was reportedly paid close to $1 million to pose for the photos taken in a style reminiscent of the nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe that graced the debut issue of Playboy in 1953.
Unlike Lohan, Monroe was reportedly paid just $50 for the 1949 photo shoot that produced the image that was bought by Hefner after she became a star.
"The Lindsay Lohan January-February Double Issue is breaking sales records," Hefner said in a message posted on his Twitter account Sunday.
A Playboy spokesman would not give sales numbers, but the official did say it was selling "very well."
The Playboy gig was a rare moneymaking opportunity for Lohan, whose acting career has been hampered in the past two years by frequent trips to court, probation restrictions, extended drug rehab stints and several visits to jail.
Her legal woes stem from two drunken-driving convictions in 2007, a necklace theft conviction in 2011 and several probation violations.
CNN's JD Cargill and David Daniel contributed to this report. | [
"how much does lohan earn?",
"How many newsstands?",
"How much did she earn?",
"what keeps the actress off the big screen?",
"What keeps her off the big screen?",
"What did the Playboy official say?"
] | [
[
"$1 million"
],
[
"dozen"
],
[
"close to $1 million"
],
[
"frequent trips to court, probation restrictions, extended drug rehab stints and several visits to jail."
],
[
"frequent trips to court, probation restrictions, extended drug rehab stints and several visits to jail."
],
[
"it was selling \"very well.\""
]
] | Just 1 of 12 newsstands in 4 U.S. cities surveyed report selling out of the issue .
A Playboy official tells CNN sales are going "very well"
Lohan earns nearly $1 million for posing nude for Playboy .
Legal troubles keep the actress off the big screen . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's fear that promoters would "pull the plug" on his comeback concerts if he missed more rehearsals was unfounded, the head of the promotion company testified Tuesday in Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial.
"No one on our end was ever contemplating pulling the plug," said Randy Phillips, the head of AEG Live.
Murray's defense lawyers contend Jackson self-administered the overdose of drugs that killed him in a "desperate desire to get to sleep," because he feared without rest he would miss his next rehearsal and trigger the cancellation of his "This Is It" tour.
Jackson's mother, Katherine, sisters Janet and La Toya, and brother Randy Jackson were in court to watch Tuesday's testimony.
Earlier Tuesday, a nurse who tried to treat Jackson's insomnia with natural remedies testified that Jackson told her that doctors assured him using the surgical anesthetic propofol at home to induce sleep was safe as long as he was monitored.
Jackson died two months after that conversation with nurse Cherilyn Lee, from what the coroner ruled was an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol, combined with sedatives.
Prosecutors contend Dr. Murray's use of propofol to treat Jackson's insomnia in his home was reckless, in part because he did not have proper equipment to monitor his patient and he abandoned him to make phone calls.
Phillips was the eighth witness called by the defense since the prosecution rested its case against Murray Monday morning.
If the tour was canceled, Jackson would have to pay for all of the production and rehearsal costs, Phillips said, although the judge would not let him tell jurors how much that might have been.
Defense lawyer Ed Chernoff estimated the cost to be about $40 million, leaving him "a very, very poor man," but it was not while the jury was present.
Concert director Kenny Ortega sent Phillips an e-mail five days before Jackson's death referring to Jackson's fear the company would "pull the plug" on the tour. The e-mail triggered a meeting with Jackson and Dr. Murray to address Ortega's concerns about Jackson's "lack of focus" and missed rehearsals, with the debut of his London shows just three weeks away.
He and Ortega were satisfied when Jackson told them "You build the house and I will put on the door and paint it," suggesting he would be ready, Phillips testified.
Also at the meeting, Phillips told Dr. Murray that he wanted to make sure he knew about Jackson's visits to another doctor, dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein. "Because he's his principal physician, I thought he should know," he said.
Phillips said he was concerned because Jackson "seemed a little distracted and not focused" in a meeting after a visit to Klein's Beverly Hills clinic.
The defense contends Jackson became addicted to the painkiller Demerol in his frequent visits to Klein in the three months before his death. His withdrawal from the Demerol, which Murray was unaware of, would explain why Jackson could not sleep the day he died, the defense contends.
Testimony from nurse Cherilyn Lee's was interrupted for 25 minutes Tuesday as she was overcome with emotion. "I'm feeling really, really dizzy," Lee said. "This is just very sensitive to me."
Lee and a Los Angeles doctor, both called as defense witnesses, testified that Jackson asked them for drugs to help him sleep in April 2009. This was after Dr. Murray had already agreed to work as his personal physician and placed his first orders for propofol.
Lee, who used IV drips loaded with vitamins, "sophisticated" vitamin smoothies and bedtime teas, to treat Jackson's insomnia, said Jackson became frustrated with her natural remedies.
"He said 'I'm telling you the only thing that's going to help me sleep right away is the Diprivan and can you find someone to help me to sleep?'" Lee said. Diprivan is a brand name for propofol.
After some quick research, the nurse warned Jackson that it was dangerous to use | [
"What are the names of Jackson's sisters?",
"Which item did the doctors say was safe in the home?",
"what did jackson tell the nurse",
"Who attended court?",
"what would jackson have had to pay",
"What costs would Jackson have incurred if the tour was cancelled?",
"who attended court on tuesday",
"Who assured Jackson that propofol was safe?"
] | [
[
"Janet and La Toya,"
],
[
"the surgical anesthetic propofol"
],
[
"doctors assured him using the surgical anesthetic propofol at home to induce sleep was safe as long as he was monitored."
],
[
"Jackson's mother, Katherine, sisters Janet and La Toya, and brother Randy Jackson"
],
[
"all of the production and rehearsal costs,"
],
[
"production and rehearsal"
],
[
"Jackson's mother, Katherine, sisters Janet"
],
[
"doctors"
]
] | NEW: Jackson would've had to pay production, rehearsal costs if tour was canceled, promoter says .
Jackson told nurse that doctors assured him propofol in the home was safe, witness says .
"I only need someone to monitor me with the equipment while I sleep" Jackson told nurse .
Jackson mom Katherine, sisters Janet and La Toya, and brother Randy Jackson attend court Tuesday . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's mother says she's hoping Dr. Conrad Murray will get the harshest sentence possible, four years in a state prison, in the death of her son.
"I don't believe that he intended for Michael to die," Katherine Jackson told CNN Monday. "He was just taking a chance."
A jury found Murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter three weeks ago, and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor set Tuesday for his sentencing.
Pastor, who sent Murray directly to jail after he was convicted this month, has a choice ranging between probation and up to four years in a state prison. But measures to relieve California prison and jail crowding could significantly shorten his time locked up.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Murray's reckless use of the surgical anesthetic propofol to help Jackson sleep, without proper monitoring equipment, led to the pop icon's death.
Testimony during his trial revealed that Murray gave propofol nearly every night in the two months before the singer's death on June 25, 2009, as Jackson prepared for his comeback concerts set for London the next month.
Katherine Jackson and several of her children will be in court for the sentencing Tuesday, but her grandchildren Prince, Paris and Blanket will not. They'll be at school, she said.
She was uncertain whether anyone from the family would speak in court, but she was interviewed by a probation officer who will include her thoughts in the report to the judge, Jackson said.
Murray's elderly mother, Milta Rush, wrote a letter to the judge asking for mercy, saying "his compassion and his soft heartedness for others led to this dilemma."
Prosecutors are asking for the maximum four years behind bars, and they want Murray to pay Jackson's children more than $100 million in restitution. Defense lawyers want probation, not prison time.
Each side will have a chance to present oral arguments Tuesday, but their positions were detailed in sentencing memos filed with the judge last week.
Murray has "displayed a complete lack of remorse" about Jackson's death, and is, "even worse, failing to accept even the slightest level of responsibility," deputy district attorneys David Walgren and Deborah Brazil wrote.
The prosecutors cited Murray's decision not to testify in his own defense, even while he was giving interviews for a documentary that aired days after the verdict.
"In each of these interviews, the defendant has very clearly stated that he bears no responsibility for Michael Jackson's death," the prosecutors said. "Moreover, the defendant has continued to express concern only for his individual plight and portrays himself, not the decedent, as the victim."
"I don't feel guilty because I did not do anything wrong," Murray said in the documentary quoted by the prosecution.
"Finally, the defendant consistently blames the victim for his own death, even going so far as to characterize himself as being 'entrapped' by the victim and as someone who suffered a 'betrayal' at the hands of the victim," the prosecutors said.
Jackson's death came as he was preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London, which the defense argued pressured the singer to seek sleep or risk having the concerts canceled.
The prosecutors contend in their sentencing memo that Murray should be ordered to pay Jackson's three children restitution for the subsequent "wage and profits lost," as provided under California's "victim's bill of rights" law.
The singer's "estate estimates Michael Jackson's projected earnings for the 50-show O2 concert series to be $100,000,000," the prosecutors said.
With nearly $2 million in funeral expenses and 10% interest added each year, the prosecution is asking Pastor to order Murray to pay Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson more than $120 million in restitution.
While it is doubtful that Murray, who is unlikely to ever practice medicine again, could pay much of that sum, it could prevent him from reaping financial benefits from any books, interviews or film projects in the future.
Defense lawyers, | [
"What is in a report prepared for the judge?",
"What sentence could Murray get?",
"What term in prison could he get?",
"What did Murray's mother say?"
] | [
[
"her thoughts"
],
[
"possible, four years in a state prison,"
],
[
"up to four years"
],
[
"\"his compassion and his soft heartedness for others led to this dilemma.\""
]
] | Katherine Jackson's thoughts on Dr. Conrad Murray are in a report prepared for the judge .
Murray's "compassion and his soft heartedness" led to his troubles, the doctor's mother says .
Murray could get anything from probation to four years in prison Tuesday . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's three children will use their father's shoes and sequined glove to make handprint and footprint impressions in the concrete in front of Hollywood's renowned Grauman's Chinese Theatre this month, Jackson's estate announced Thursday.
The January 26 ceremony is part of the promotion for the Los Angeles debut of Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour."
Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson have been more public in recent months, a contrast to their lives before their father's 2009 death when they were shielded from public view.
The children attended the premiere of the traveling Cirque du Soleil show with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson, in October.
The "Immortal" show is touring the United States and Canada through this year before taking up residency in Las Vegas.
Show biz legends who left their handprints and footprints in Grauman's concrete courtyard on Hollywood Boulevard include Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Sidney Poitier, Clark Gable and Mary Pickford. The tradition started in 1928, just a year after the historic theater opened.
Michael Jackson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star is on the sidewalk in front of the theater. | [
"What was the January 26 ceremony?",
"Where is Michael Jackson's Walk of Fame star?",
"Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland also immortalized where?",
"Where is Michael Jackson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star?",
"Whose is THE IMMORTAL World Tour?",
"Who was immortalized at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre?",
"Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson to take part in the ceremony on what date?"
] | [
[
"part of the promotion for the Los Angeles debut of Cirque du Soleil's \"Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour.\""
],
[
"on the sidewalk in front of the theater."
],
[
"Grauman's concrete courtyard on Hollywood Boulevard"
],
[
"in front of"
],
[
"Cirque du Soleil's"
],
[
"Michael Jackson's"
],
[
"January 26"
]
] | Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson to take part in January 26 ceremony .
It promotes Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour"
Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland also immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre .
Michael Jackson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star is in front of Grauman's . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Nick Cannon checked out of a Los Angeles hospital over the weekend after being treated for "mild kidney failure" suffered in Aspen, Colorado, over the holidays, his rep said.
"He is resting and recovering at home and would like to thank everyone who has expressed concern, well wishes and prayers," Tracy Nguyen said Monday.
Cannon will be back on the air with his New York morning radio show next week, Nguyen said.
The 31-year-old actor and "America's Got Talent" host tweeted last Wednesday that he was leaving an Aspen hospital for one in Los Angeles.
"Thank you all for all your love, prayers and concern. You know me ... I will be a'ight," Cannon said in his tweet.
Cannon and Mariah Carey were vacationing in Aspen with their twins, Monroe and Moroccan, when he fell ill last month.
CNN's Anisa Husain contributed to this report. | [
"What did the rep say",
"What was interrupted",
"who would be returning to his New York radio show next week",
"where will he return next week",
"When does he return",
"what interrupted Cannon's Colorado holiday",
"who is resting at home"
] | [
[
"\"He is resting and recovering at home and would like to thank everyone who has expressed concern, well wishes and prayers,\""
],
[
"vacationing in Aspen"
],
[
"Nick Cannon"
],
[
"back on the air with his New York morning radio show"
],
[
"next week,"
],
[
"\"mild kidney failure\""
],
[
"Nick Cannon"
]
] | Cannon's "resting and recovering at home" after a "mild kidney failure," his rep says .
The actor returns to his New York radio show next week .
The illness interrupts Cannon's Colorado holiday . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a 41-year-old Southern California man charged Friday with murder in this week's mass shooting at a hair salon, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said.
Scott Evans Dekraai of Huntington Beach, California, allegedly shot his ex-wife and seven other people to death at the Salon Meritage in the small coastal community of Seal Beach, Rackauckas said Friday. A ninth person was wounded.
Prosecutors formally filed eight counts of first-degree murder and a felony count of attempted murder against Dekraai on Friday. The first-degree murder charges carry the special circumstance of multiple murder, the prosecutor said.
Dekraai and his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, 48, were in a custody battle over their 8-year-old son, and the dispute was the motive in the shooting, Rackauckas said. The prosecutor called Dekraai "a methodical and merciless killer."
On Friday afternoon, Dekraai appeared before Orange County Judge Erick L. Larsh, who, at the request of attorneys, rescheduled Dekraai's arraignment to November 29.
Dekraai is not taking his antipsychotic medication, and his attorney asked the court to make the drugs available to Dekraai while he is being held in jail without bail.
The judge said he would order a medical team to evaluate Dekraai and, in a response to another defense request, would see if Dekraai's current wife could deliver his spinal cord implant stimulator, which is needed because of a 2007 accident Dekraai experienced.
Balding and with a salt-and-pepper goatee, Dekraai appeared calm inside the courtroom's detainee cage. One person in the gallery shouted "You coward!" Then, as he exited the courtroom, a sobbing woman uttered "I hate you! I hate you!"
Dekraai's attorney, Robert Curtis of Long Beach, told the court that he's considering a change of venue.
Earlier Friday, authorities held a press conference and recounted how Dekraai's ex-wife, a hair stylist at the salon, was working near the entrance and was among the first two people shot.
On the morning of the shooting, which occurred Wednesday, Dekraai and Fournier got into an argument about child custody, authorities said.
"We're sort of guessing. We believe that the custody battle wasn't going well for him. We don't know the contents of their conversation or anything," Rackauckas said.
Hours later, the gunfire rampage at the salon, just blocks from the ocean, unfolded around 1:20 p.m., authorities said.
"He also considered the people who were friends and who worked with his ex-wife were enablers, and he didn't have much use for them either," Rackauckas said.
He was armed with three guns -- a 9 mm Springfield, a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, and a Heckler & Koch .45 -- and was wearing body armor during the shooting rampage, Rackauckas said. He used at least two of those guns, the prosecutor said.
Rackauckas summarized the mass shooting, saying Dekraai "walked through the salon shooting anyone close enough to hit. He stopped to reload during this spree, and he continued gunning people down. He was not satisfied with murdering his intended target, his ex-wife. For almost two minutes, Dekraai shot victim after victim, executing people by shooting them in the head and chest.
"He shot eight people inside the salon. But he was not done. He then walked out of the salon and shot a ninth victim, a male, who was sitting nearby in a parked Range Rover. The reason for this rampage: revenge," he said.
"We believe that the defendant committed this unimaginable act of violence because he wanted to kill his ex-wife over a custody dispute concerning their 8-year-old son. He was willing to end any life in his path, and he did. Clearly this two-minute murder spree could not have been about loving his son," the prosecutor said.
While Dekraai allegedly carried out the mass murder, his son was sitting alone in the principal's | [
"What does Dekraai's attorney consider?",
"Who was killed?",
"How many first-degree murder charges were filed?",
"How many first-degree murders were filed?",
"What does Scott Dekraai's attorney say he is considering?",
"What charges did prosecutors file?",
"What is Scott Dekraai's attorney considering?"
] | [
[
"a change of venue."
],
[
"ex-wife and seven other people"
],
[
"eight"
],
[
"eight"
],
[
"a change of venue."
],
[
"eight counts of first-degree murder and a felony count of attempted murder"
],
[
"change of venue."
]
] | Scott Dekraai's attorney says he is considering a change of venue request .
Prosecutors file eight first-degree murder charges and one attempted murder count .
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Dekraai, of Huntington Beach .
Authorities say Dekraai and his ex-wife, among the killed, were fighting over custody of a son . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Rapper Heavy D collapsed in his Beverly Hills home Tuesday morning and died a short time later at a Los Angeles hospital, according to police and the coroner. He was 44.
Heavy D, whose real name is Dwight Arrington Myers, was found conscious with difficulty breathing at his home after police were called there at 11:25 a.m., the Beverly Hills police said in a news release.
He was pronounced dead in the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon, according to Los Angeles County coroner's operations chief Craig Harvey. The cause of death has not been determined, Harvey said.
His hip-hop recording career began in 1987 with his group Heavy D & the Boyz and on his first album he released the hit single "The Overweight Lover's in the House." Another one of his breakthrough hits came in 1991 with a remake of the O'Jays' "Now That We Found Love."
Heavy D's rapping was featured on Janet Jackson's 1990 hit "Alright."
He rapped on Michael Jackson's 1991 hit "Jam," which he performed at last month's Michael Jackson tribute show in Cardiff, Wales.
He also composed and performed the theme songs several television shows, including "In Living Color," "MADtv" and "The Tracy Morgan Show."
His last CD, "Love Opus," was released this year.
Heavy D also pursued an acting career, which included mostly roles on TV shows and movies.
He played a courthouse guard in the Eddie Murphy film "Tower Heist," released last weekend.
iReporter: "Rest in peace to Heavy D"
He used his Twitter account Monday night to express sadness about the death of boxer Joe Frazier:
"SMOKIN JOE FRAZIER..RIP.. truly one of the best heavyweight champs that ever lived.. GODS SPEED,MR FRAZIER!"
Heavy D's last Twitter message, posted late Monday, was: "BE INSPIRED!"
CNN's Jack Hannah contributed to this report. | [
"When were police called to his home?",
"When did Heavy D die?",
"What was the rapper's real name?",
"Who found him?",
"What was his real name?",
"What did he die from?",
"What age was he?",
"Where did Heavy D die?",
"Who died in the ER at Cedars-Sinai?"
] | [
[
"Tuesday morning"
],
[
"Tuesday afternoon,"
],
[
"Dwight Arrington Myers,"
],
[
"police"
],
[
"Dwight Arrington Myers,"
],
[
"The cause of death has not been determined,"
],
[
"44."
],
[
"Los Angeles hospital,"
],
[
"Rapper Heavy D"
]
] | Heavy D died in the ER at Cedars-Sinai, the coroner's office says .
Beverly Hills police were called to his home at 11:25 a.m. Tuesday, police say .
He performed last month at the Michael Jackson tribute in Wales .
The rapper's real name was Dwight Arrington Myers . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Tears flowed from Dr. Conrad Murray's eyes Wednesday as he listened to an elderly patient tell jurors that Murray had opened a clinic in the Acres Homes community of Houston in honor of his father, who had practiced there.
After 17 days of hearing about how pop star Michael Jackson died under Murray's care, jurors began hearing Wednesday from people who say the doctor saved lives.
Ruby Mosley was one of five character witnesses called by Murray's defense lawyers Wednesday morning as his involuntary manslaughter trial nears an end.
"If this man had been greedy, he never would have come to an area, a community of Acres Homes, 75% of them poor, on welfare and Social Security," Mosley said.
Murray continued to dab tears from his eyes even after Mosley left the stand.
"He's the best doctor I've ever been to," said Gerry Causey, a 68-year-old former patient of the man accused of causing Jackson's death."And I just don't think he did what he's being accused of," Causey added, under cross-examination by the prosecution.
Much of the prosecution's case has been spent trying to demonstrate that Murray gave reckless and incompetent medical treatment as Jackson's personal doctor in the last months of his life.
Causey met Murray 11 years ago when he was rushed to a Las Vegas hospital with a heart attack, but they became friends since then, he testified.
"It's because of Dr. Murray, the way he cares for you, the way he makes you feel," Causey said.
Prosecutors contend that Murray abandoned his patients in Las Vegas and Houston for the $150,000 a month Jackson had promised him.
"There's no way, he's not greedy," Causey said. "He doesn't charge me my deductable, never has."
Las Vegas heart patient Andrew Guest, who followed Causey on the witness stand Wednesday, said Murray "makes sure you're ok during the procedure."
"That man sitting there is the best doctor I've ever seen," Guest testified.
Murray treated Dennis Hix by putting 14 stints into arteries around his heart 11 years ago, Hix testified.
"I'm 66, I've gone to a lot of doctors, a lot of doctors and I've never had one that gave me the care that he did," Hix said.
Murray never charged Hix beyond what his insurance would pay, he said. "I had a type of insurance that don't hardly pay for nothing," he said. "So he did it for me free."
Two medical experts for the defense, including anesthesiologist Dr. Paul White, are expected to follow Thursday and possibly Friday. This would set the stage for closing arguments and jury deliberations early next week, although it's possible that could come Friday.
Jackson's sisters Janet and La Toya, as well as his brother Randy, were in court for Wednesday's testimony.
The promoter of Jackson's ill-fated "This Is It" tour testified Tuesday that Jackson's fear that producers would "pull the plug" on the shows if the singer missed more rehearsals was unfounded.
"No one on our end was ever contemplating pulling the plug," said Randy Phillips, the head of AEG Live.
Murray's lawyers contend Jackson self-administered the overdose of drugs that killed him in a "desperate desire to get to sleep," because he feared without rest he would miss his next rehearsal and trigger the cancellation of his comeback concerts.
If the tour was canceled, Jackson would have to pay for all of the production and rehearsal costs, Phillips said, although the judge would not let him tell jurors how much that might have been. Defense lawyer Ed Chernoff estimated the cost to be about $40 million, leaving him "a very, very poor man," but it was not while the jury was present.
Concert director Kenny Ortega sent Phillips an e-mail five days before Jackson's death, referring to Jackson's fear the | [
"What kind of doctor is Dr. Murray?",
"Who testified for the defense?",
"What do people think about Dr. Murray?",
"Who testified?",
"How many experts will the defense call?",
"Who is the best doctor?",
"When will defense rest?"
] | [
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] | NEW: Dr. Murray sheds tears as heart patient testifies .
Murray "is the best doctor I've ever seen," a former heart patient says .
Character witnesses testify for Dr. Murray's defense Wednesday .
The defense will call two medical experts before resting Thursday or Friday . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- The defense anesthesiology expert in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor was found in contempt of court Wednesday for referring to his private talks with Dr. Conrad Murray during his testimony.
Dr. Murray did not testify in his own defense in his involuntary manslaughter trial and the judge refused to allow Dr. Paul White to base any of his testimony on anything other than what Murray told police.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor gave Dr. White 30 days to pay a $250 fine, but he also dropped a second contempt citation for derogatory comments he allegedly made about a rival witness.
Wednesday's contempt hearing was part of the aftermath of Dr. Murray's involuntary manslaughter that ended with a guilty verdict last week.
Another contempt hearing is set for November 29, the day Murray is set to be sentenced, for one of the defense lawyers who allegedly violated the judge's gag order by speaking to NBC's "Today Show" during the trial.
Murray defense lawyer Michael Flanagan, who was in court to defend Dr. White Wednesday, said after the hearing that he believed Murray should be eligible for early release if he is given prison time.
A California law that took effect last month provides for non-violent state inmates to be assigned to county jails to relieve state prison overcrowding. The Los Angeles County jail has a court-ordered early release program to relieve overcrowding, which allows non-violent offenders to serve much of their sentences at home with electronic monitoring.
Flanagan said Murray is not a safety threat to the public and should be included in the early release program.
Dr. White told reporters after the hearing that he still believed Jackson gave himself the overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol and a sedative the coroner ruled killed the pop icon.
"I was aware that Michael Jackson had self-administered drugs in the past, propofol specifically, and so what's to say that he wouldn't do it again," White said. "He was desperate. Murray was withholding from him the drug that he desperately desired."
White, while under cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney David Walgren, referred several times to his private discussions with Dr. Murray about what happened the day Jackson died. Judge Pastor repeatedly warned him not to do so.
Finally, the judge cited White for contempt and set Wednesday's hearing to decide if he would be fined.
"There wasn't any intentional deception here or violation of the court order," defense lawyer Michael Flanagan told Pastor Wednesday. "He was explaining to Mr. Walgren 'Hey, I can't answer that.'"
Prosecutor Walgren, who has grown a beard since the televised trial ended, told the judge that this was one of "multiple instances" where Dr. White was "trying to sabotage the trial."
"It was intentional and deliberate," Walgren said. "It was an attempt to deny the people a fair trial."
White told the judge he "did my best as I was admonished by you to answer question truthfully and as completely as I could."
"I apologize profusely if I disrespected you," White said. "I learned a lot from this experience."
Pastor ruled that White was guilty of violating his order by giving "a non-responsive answer" that dealt with "no-go territory."
While he could have fined him $1,000, he only imposed a $250 fine. Judge Pastor also dropped the other contempt charge which stemmed from an online report that quoted White allegedly calling prosecution anesthesiology expert Dr. Steven Shafer "a scumbag." | [
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"what did the prosecutor argue",
"what is the number of days he has",
"What did the prosecutor argue that the expert tried to do?",
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"How much was the contempt fine?",
"How many days does paul white have to pay the fine?"
] | [
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"he believed Murray should be eligible for early release if he is given prison time."
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] | NEW: Defense lawyer: Dr. Murray should get early release if sentenced to prison .
Dr. Paul White has 30 days to pay a $250 contempt fine .
The prosecutor argues the defense anesthesiology expert tried to 'sabotage' the trial .
A contempt charge relating to White calling another witness a "scumbag" is dropped . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- The man accused of shooting and paralyzing a U.S. Army soldier at a homecoming party in the soldier's honor faces one count of attempted murder, the spokesman for the San Bernardino, California, district attorney said Tuesday.
District Attorney Michael Ramos filed the charge Tuesday against 19-year-old Ruben Jurado, spokesman Christopher Lee said. He also filed "four special allegations involving premeditation and the use and discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury," the DA's office said in a statement.
Jurado was being held at the West Valley Detention Center and was expected to be arraigned Wednesday or Thursday.
Jurado is accused of shooting Army Spc. Christopher Sullivan on Friday night at a homecoming party in Sullivan's native San Bernardino. Sullivan was there celebrating his recent return to California from Kentucky, where he was stationed while recovering from wounds sustained in a suicide bombing a year ago in Afghanistan.
Sullivan narrowly survived the attack, which killed five members of his unit and left him with a cracked collar bone and brain damage, according to the San Bernardino County Sun. Sullivan was awarded the Purple Heart after the incident.
He was shot at the party after an "argument and physical confrontation" with Jurado, San Bernardino Police Department Sgt. Pete Higgins told CNN.
Accompanied by an attorney, Jurado turned himself in to authorities in Chino Hills early Monday afternoon, said Lt. Gwendolyn Waters.
The fight at the party broke out after Jurado and Sullivan's younger brother began arguing about football, the brothers' mother, Suzanne Sullivan, told CNN.
Jurado "pulled out a gun and shot him twice," she said.
Higgins said Jurado fled the scene after the shooting.
Sullivan was rushed to a hospital, where he was being treated, officials said.
"Right now, my son is hanging in physically," Suzanne Sullivan told CNN. "He's on 100% life support. He can move his head and he responds through nodding and blinking to us. His eyes aren't always open, but we try to encourage him to do so as often as possible."
She said her son tried to ask what happened to him at the hospital and when they told him he wanted to know, "Why?"
"We told him what it was about and he just closed his eyes," Suzanne Sullivan told CNN.
She said she was told that the suspect and her son might have gone to school and played football together. She also said she couldn't believe what had happened to her son, who she said joined the Army to try and help her out.
"He's a wonderful son. ... the best person you could meet on this Earth," she said. "He's a giver, not a taker, and just wants to be there for and help people. He was so happy when he joined the Army, because he really wanted to defend his country."
The mother and her family have been at her son's hospital bedside. A fellow soldier from Christopher Sullivan's 101st Airborne Division brought the infantry's flag to the hospital, Suzanne Sullivan told CNN.
"He loved his platoon. He loved his fellow soldiers," she said as she began to sob. "He was so proud to serve our country."
Tears rolled down Christopher Sullivan's face when he saw the flag of the Screaming Eagles, the nickname for the division, his mother said.
"I asked Chris if he wanted to me to hang it on the wall or cover him in it," Suzanne Sullivan said. "He nodded that he wanted me to cover him with it. Once I did that he started to cry, which made me start to cry. It's been really hard on all of us."
She said she was distraught over the news that her son, who was already recovering from injuries sustained during his tour abroad, had returned to the United States only to be paralyzed during a party.
"He once told me that if defending this country takes his life, so | [
"What is he accused of doing?",
"What did the DA file?",
"What is Ruben accused of doing?",
"When is Ruben Jurado expected to be arraigned?",
"What age is Ruben Jurado?",
"who will be arraigned?",
"What are they accused of?",
"The DA also filed special allegations including what?",
"Who filed special allegations?"
] | [
[
"shooting and paralyzing a U.S. Army soldier"
],
[
"the charge Tuesday against 19-year-old Ruben Jurado,"
],
[
"of shooting and paralyzing a U.S. Army soldier"
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[
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[
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[
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[
"shooting and paralyzing a U.S. Army soldier"
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[
"involving premeditation and the use and discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury,\""
],
[
"Michael Ramos"
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] | NEW: The DA also filed special allegations including premeditation .
19-year-old Ruben Jurado is expected to be arraigned Wednesday or Thursday .
He is accused of shooting an Army soldier at his homecoming .
The soldier was already recovering from wounds suffered in Afghanistan . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- The mother of a German national suspected of one of the worst arson sprees in Los Angeles history appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge Tuesday in the German government's effort to extradite her on fraud charges.
Harry Burkhart, 24, may have been motivated to set the fires by his mother's arrest, according to officials and CNN affiliates.
His mother, 53-year-old Dorothee Burkhart, was arrested by Los Angeles police during a traffic stop on December 28, a day before the first of 52 fires, mostly in parked cars, that investigators suspect were part of a series of arsons.
The son, who was arrested Monday, was charged with one count of arson of an inhabited dwelling. He is likely to face additional charges as the investigation moves forward, said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Harry Burkhart remains jailed without bail and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.
"What did you do to my son," Dorothee Burkhart, yelled at the judge during her hearing Tuesday. "My son is disappeared since yesterday. Perhaps the German Nazis know of our address."
It did not appear that she knew her son had been arrested a day earlier on the arson charge.
She turned down an offer of a court-appointed lawyer and was given until her next hearing Friday to hire a defense attorney.
A federal extradition complaint said she is wanted in Germany on 19 counts of fraud, including an allegation that she defrauded the doctor who performed breast augmentation surgery on her in 2004. The other fraud charges center on rent and security deposits for apartments in Frankfurt, Germany, the complaint said.
A website advertising "sensual tantra massage" and offering "full body hot oil body to body sliding massage" is registered to Dorothee Burkhart using a Hollywood address, according to a domain registry database. She lived with her son in a Hollywood apartment, according to the complaint.
Investigators seized press clippings of arson attacks in Germany from the apartment, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Dorothee Burkhart last entered the United States lawfully in January 2007 and left the country four months later, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She currently has no lawful immigration status and ICE has lodged an immigration detainer against her, it said.
A court document released earlier on Tuesday incorrectly stated that Dorothee Burkhart had most recently entered the United States in October, according to ICE.
Harry Burkhart was in the United States lawfully at the time of his arrest on a non-immigrant visa, which expires on January 18, ICE said. The agency has similarly lodged an immigration detainer against him.
Arson investigators counted 52 fires, most starting in parked cars, since Friday morning, but none since the suspect was detained at 3 a.m. Monday, according to officials.
No one was hurt in the fires, but property damage is likely to reach $3 million, said Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday that after Los Angeles police released a surveillance video of a man seen near the scene of one fire, agents in the department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security field office recognized Burkhart.
Multiple CNN affiliates reported the alleged arson spree could have stemmed from a deportation battle between the suspect and immigration officials involving Burkhart's mother.
After his arrest, Burkhart told investigators, "I hate America," according to CNN affiliate KABC.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said officials believe -- and hope -- the fires were set by one person. But they will proceed as though others may be involved until they know for sure, Beck said.
"I feel very good that we've got the right guy. (The suspect) had the right stuff in his van, and we are confident in the arrest," Beck said.
Neighbor Galina Larimoda told KABC-TV through a Russian translator that Harry Burkhart knocked on her door Sunday and seemed angry and not "completely normal."
Los Angeles County Reserve Sheriff's Deputy Shervin Lalezary, who draws a salary of $1 a year | [
"who arrests her during a traffic stop?",
"who is wanted in Germany on 19 fraud counts?",
"how many fires cause $3 million damage?",
"What has ICE said?",
"Who is wanted in Germany?",
"What has caused $3 million damage?"
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"Los Angeles police"
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[
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] | NEW: Harry Burkhart's mother has no lawful immigration status, ICE says .
Dorothee Burkhart is wanted in Germany on 19 fraud counts .
LAPD arrests her during a traffic stop on an extradition warrant a day before the first Hollywood fires .
52 fires cause $3 million damage in the Los Angeles area . |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- They came seeking justice as the sun rose Tuesday over a courthouse in the heart of downtown Los Angeles made famous by its celebrity trials -- O.J. Simpson, Snoop Dogg, Phil Spector.
But there were almost as many definitions of justice as there were justice seekers. Some shouted "Murderer!" as the defendant, Conrad Murray, arrived at the Clara Foltz Justice Center for the start of his involuntary manslaughter trial in the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson.
"Dr. Murray," corrected Beatrice Fakhrian, a supporter of the defendant. "He has earned that title."
So began the long-anticipated trial of the personal physician accused of causing the death of one of the most famous people in the world. More than 100 people from France, Spain and Australia, as well as the far-flung suburbs of Los Angeles, crowded into the dingy courthouse plaza, jockeying for a chance at one of just six courtroom seats, or to say their piece in front of television cameras.
Some read psalms, some handed out sunflowers, some chanted "Justice for Michael," and many of them carried signs, transforming a wall outside the courthouse into an international billboard.
"Bulgaria Loves MJ," one sign said. So do the Netherlands, Romania and Malaysia, according to the signed posters taped to the wall.
A doctor in a while coat preached about safe ways to administer anesthesia.
A Michael Jackson impersonator preened for the cameras.
"Even in death, Michael Jackson can draw a crowd," said Najee Ali, a Los Angeles civil rights activist who grew up in Jackson's hometown, Gary, Indiana. Ali was the force behind the "Caravan of Love" to support Jackson when he was acquitted in Santa Barbara of child molestation charges in 2005.
Julie Jenkins, 31, came from Australia and was rewarded by winning the lottery for one of the courtroom seats available to the public. She has been a Michael Jackson fan since she was 7 and wore black jeans, a red shirt, a black armband and aviator sunglasses in honor of her idol.
"For me, it represents the first time I saw him in person," she said, explaining her get-up, which was vaguely reminiscent of Jackson¹s look during his "History" tour. "It also represents blood, because we think he was murdered."
She pounded a closed fist over her chest.
That sentiment is shared by many of Jackson's fans, although Murray is charged with the less serious offense of involuntary manslaughter. He is accused of giving Jackson a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep as the pop star prepared for his comeback "This is It" concerts in June 2009.
Defense: Michael Jackson caused his own death
Murder also is a major theme for the group "Justice4MJ," which was out in force on Tuesday, leading the crowd in chants of "Justice for Michael" as Jackson's family walked into the courthouse.
Erin Jacobs, one of the group's outspoken leaders, also won a seat for the trial's first day. She has attended every pretrial hearing, and was tossed out of court last week during jury selection after getting into a staring contest with Murray.
She said she hadn't slept. Like her idol, "I experienced insomnia last night," she said. "I have been a fan my whole life. This is my passion, to work for Michael."
Court officials warned Jacobs she would have to cover up her T-shirt in court. If she flashed her "Justice4MJ" logo, she'd lose her seat and be banned for the rest of the trial.
Karlene Taylor, 49, wanted a seat so badly she couldn't sleep. She has been a Jackson fan since she was 8. "I remember 'ABC' Michael," she said. Alas, the lottery gods did not smile on her Tuesday.
Robyn Starkand and Betty Byrnes of the fan group "Call for Love" handed out sunflowers, hoping to lead a respectful | [
"What is the name of the doctor?",
"What did the fans chant?",
"Conrar Murray was charged of what?",
"What charges brought upon Conrad Murray?",
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"Where attended fans came from?"
] | [
[
"Conrad Murray,"
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"France, Spain and Australia, as well as the far-flung suburbs of Los Angeles,"
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] | Fans throng courthouse for trial of Michael Jackson's doctor .
Conrad Murray charged with manslaughter, not murder, in death of pop star .
People from France, Spain and Australia vie for precious few seats inside .
Some dress in MJ's honor, read psalms and chant "Justice for Michael" |
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Tipsters are coming forward with additional information regarding actress Natalie Wood's 1981 drowning death, after authorities announced two months ago they were reopening the case, a Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman said Wednesday.
"After the presser, we got a number of calls, and those calls were intriguing, and we're chasing those down now," said spokesman Steve Whitmore.
Meanwhile, investigators have yet to re-interview a key witness -- Dennis Davern, the captain of yacht owned by Wood and her then-husband, actor Robert Wagner. Davern offered a new account in November about how Wood's death was reported, saying that Wagner waited hours to call the Coast Guard after Wood went missing off Catalina Island, near the California coast, following an argument the couple had.
Whitmore declined to reveal whether detectives plan to talk with Davern, saying he would "not get into the specifics" of the investigation.
Investigators haven't re-interviewed Wagner either. Authorities have no plans to question the actor at this time, but "who knows where things may go from here tomorrow," Whitmore said.
"The investigation is not closed. It's possible we could yield new information that changes this case," the sheriff's spokesman said. "There are leads we're following up on and have to close them out before we say anything definitive. Sure, there is possible new information that could come out that really changes everything."
In November, homicide investigators decided to take a new look at one of Hollywood's most enduring mysteries after they were contacted by people who claimed they had additional information about the actress' drowning, the sheriff's department said.
"This new information is substantial enough to make us want to take a new look at the case," Lt. John Corina said at the time.
Corina declined to comment directly on statements made by Davern to some media outlets.
When asked if the captain could face charges for possibly lying to authorities during the 1981 investigation, Corina responded: "That, I can't say. We'll probably end up talking to the captain sooner or later, and we'll assess what he has to say then and now."
Authorities haven't gone into specifics about who they've interviewed, but did say when they reopened the case that Wagner wasn't a suspect.
Wood drowned in the Pacific Ocean on November 29, 1981, off the isthmus of Catalina Island. She once said in a televised interview that her greatest fear was of dark seawater.
Her body was found floating in the water about a mile away from the yacht, wearing a long nightgown, socks, and a down jacket, according to police reports.
The autopsy report showed the actress had two dozen bruises on her body, including a facial abrasion on her left cheek and bruises on her arms.
"My sister was not a swimmer and did not know how to swim, and she would never go to another boat or to shore dressed in a nightgown and socks," said Lana Wood, refering to theories that the actress voluntarily jumped from the boat.
Although the county coroner's office ruled that Wood's death was an accident, others say the case hasn't made sense.
In 2010, Lana Wood told CNN she believes a highly charged argument between her sister and Wagner on the yacht's back deck preceded Wood's drowning. She told CNN last year she does not suspect foul play.
"I just want the truth to come out, the real story," she said.
Davern, the former captain of the yacht Splendour, broke his long silence with a detailed account of that day in "Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour," a book he wrote with his friend Marti Rulli. It was published in September 2009.
Davern has said he believes Wood's death was a direct result of a fight with Wagner.
In a lengthy interview with CNN in 2010, Davern said he now believes the investigation of Wood's death was incompetent and suggested there was a cover-up. He said | [
"when did Wagner waited 4 hours to call the Coast Guard?",
"What happened to Natalie Wood?",
"Who has not yet been interviewed by police?",
"Who drowned off Catalina Island in 1981?",
"What did police receive?",
"Whom have detectives yet to interview?",
"What do police receive after a recent press conference?"
] | [
[
"1981"
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"drowned in the Pacific Ocean"
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[
"Natalie"
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[
"additional information"
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[
"Dennis Davern,"
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[
"a number of calls,"
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] | NEW: Police receive "intriguing" information after recent press conference .
NEW: Detectives have yet to interview the yacht captain .
Wagner waited 4 hours to call the Coast Guard, yacht captain says .
Natalie Wood drowned off Catalina Island near Los Angeles in 1981 . |
Los Angeles Film Festival (June 18 -- 28) Since the Oscars are a closed shop to the general public, turning up in L.A. for the biggest night in the movie calendar -- unless you happen to be on the guest list -- is pretty much a non-starter.
Don't miss the Mr and Mrs Muscle Beach competition on Venice Beach
If you're a film buff much better instead to hit town for the annual film festival, where you can delight at over 100 features, as well as star-studded premieres, seminars with industry bigwigs and outdoor screenings.
Mr and Mrs Muscle Beach Competition (July 4) It may not seem the obvious way to celebrate America's emancipation from British colonial rule, but the annual Independence Day competition on Venice Beach is definitely a spectacle, and a unique slice of Americana to boot. Now in its 75th year, the event features bikini-clad women contestants as well as a plethora of Arnie Schwarzenegger wannabes all hoping to be crowned the golden couple of muscle.
The Long Beach Jazz Festival (August 7 -- 9) What nicer way to enjoy a warm summer evening in the city than with the crash of the Pacific sounding on one side and melodious jazz on the other. The only jazz festival in Southern California, the Long Beach event is beautifully located on a grassy knoll overlooking a long sweep of lagoon. The festival begins at 5pm on the Friday and runs all weekend and features some of the top jazz artists of the year.
New Year's Eve Partying If it's a New Year burnout you're after, they don't come any bigger than Giant Maximus, which claims to be the biggest end of year party in the world aimed at over-21s (the age limit for drinking alcohol in the U.S., obviously). Spread over a seven-acre site in the downtown, the event includes top DJs, acrobats, a psychedelic circus and a giant ferris wheel. In all 10,000 revelers gather under three air-conditioned big tops to usher in the next year surrounded by skyscrapers. | [
"What can you check out at the Muscle Beach competition?",
"Where can you see lots of buffed bodies?",
"The L.A. film festival offers what?"
] | [
[
"bikini-clad women contestants as well as a plethora of Arnie Schwarzenegger wannabes all hoping to be crowned the golden couple of"
],
[
"Venice Beach"
],
[
"delight at over 100 features, as well as star-studded premieres, seminars with industry bigwigs and outdoor screenings."
]
] | The L.A. film festival offers a chance to enjoy cinema in its spiritual home .
Check out the ridiculously buffs bodies at the Muscle Beach competition .
Join thousands of party people for New Year's Eve at Giant Maximus . |
Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA (CNN) -- Whitney Houston swept into the room in full diva mode -- hair, makeup and entourage. She looked the part. Whitney Houston has credited mentor Clive Davis, right, for her comeback after a seven-year absence. She smiled and cooed over mentor Clive Davis, calling him "Big Papa" and "Daddy" while the music mogul patted her arm like a proud parent. The pair was in a side room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel just before the Los Angeles, California, listening session for "I Look to You," Houston's first album in seven years, scheduled to be released Sept. 1. "I just took a break, which sometimes you have to," said Houston, 45, looking elegant in diamonds and a black Prada dress. "You have to know when to slow that train down and kind of just sit back and relax for a minute." Watch an interview with Whitney Houston » This was definitely the old Whitney -- pre-troubled marriage to Bobby Brown and pre-comment to Diane Sawyer that "crack is wack." Next door, several hundred industry folks, journalists and friends gathered in a ballroom surrounded by large screens emblazoned with the words, "The Wait is Over." Jane Fonda, Halle Berry, Magic Johnson, Penny Marshall and Jackie Collins sat in the front while Barry Manilow, Brian McKnight and producer David Foster found seats in the back of the room. Davis, who has steered Houston's career for more than 25 years, introduced each of the album tracks, mostly slick, upbeat, radio-friendly tunes penned by proven hit makers such as R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Akon and Johnta Austin. Heads bobbed while the songs thumped over the loudspeakers, with applause and cheers erupting after each cut. To the amusement of those seated in the audience, even Davis shook his shoulders behind his podium and pumped his fist to the beat from time-to-time. A ballad on the new disc, "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," alludes to Houston's personal troubles in recent years. The song, written especially for Houston by Diane Warren, includes the lyrics: I didn't know my own strength And I crashed down and I tumbled But I did not crumble. Houston deftly steered the focus away from herself, saying she identified with the lyrics because everyone has been through ups and downs in life. At the end of the session, Houston stepped from the wings to a standing ovation. "I'm humbled," she said, her hand on her heart. "There's so much love in the room." Then she joked, "Jane Fonda's at my listening party? How cool am I?" AEG chairman and CEO Randy Phillips also was hanging around, no doubt ready to pounce on a chance to promote her next tour. "I think it's the biggest hit she's had," Barry Manilow said. "It was really, really good," Stevie Wonder said. "God takes care of his children." | [
"After how many years Whitney Houston held listening party?",
"Who where in audience at Houston party?",
"waht said steve wonder?",
"Who attended the party?",
"Who was writing the songs for her new album?",
"What did Stevie Wonder say?"
] | [
[
"seven-year"
],
[
"David Foster"
],
[
"\"God takes care of his children.\""
],
[
"Whitney Houston"
],
[
"proven hit makers such as R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Akon and Johnta Austin."
],
[
"\"God takes care of his children.\""
]
] | Whitney Houston held L.A. listening party for first album in seven years .
Jane Fonda, Barry Manilow and Halle Berry were among the stars in attendance .
The nine-track album contains songs written by R. Kelly, Alicia Keys and Akon .
Stevie Wonder said the album was "really, really good." |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The sudden end to a legal battle between dethroned Miss California USA Carrie Prejean and pageant officials was prompted by the revelation of a "sex tape," according to a source familiar with the lawsuits' settlement. Prejean was fired in June after lingerie-modeling photos of her emerged that pageant officials said were a breach of her contract. Prejean sued the pageant in August, arguing her firing was religious discrimination because of her opposition to same-sex marriage. Pageant officials countersued last month, demanding their former beauty queen repay $5,200 in pageant money spent for her breast implants and give them all proceeds from a book she's written. A settlement of both lawsuits was signed in New York Tuesday, but no details were made public. Lawyers and parties for each side were bound by a confidentiality pledge, according to the source. The veil of secrecy was partially lifted Wednesday after celebrity gossip Web site TMZ reported the deal was sealed after pageant lawyers presented an "extremely graphic" home video involving Prejean. TMZ Managing Editor Harvey Levin said during a webcast Wednesday that he obtained the Prejean video during the summer, but found it "too racy" to post on his site. He indicated Prejean was alone in the video. The source with knowledge of the settlement talks told CNN those details were accurate. Prejean's lawyer, Charles LiMandri, responded with a short statement issued through an employee at his law office. "It's a confidential settlement, and he can't discuss it," the statement said. Several calls and e-mail to Prejean's publicist were not returned Wednesday. Prejean's tell-all book hits bookstores next week, and she is scheduled for media interviews to promote it. Pageant spokesman Kenn Henman said Tuesday the settlement means all lawsuit demands are dropped. The pageant had claimed that the contract she signed when she entered their competition last year gave the pageant the rights to anything she wrote. The settlement ended that claim. Pageant officials also dropped their attempt to be repaid for her breast enhancement, which was done before she represented California in the Miss USA competition, according to Henman. Prejean, in exchange, withdrew her suit accusing the pageant of violating her privacy by confirming to reporters that her breasts were enhanced, Henman said. "We are moving forward from the past and looking towards the crowning of two winners and the new look of the upcoming Miss California USA pageant, telecast live on November 22," pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis said Tuesday. "We're back in the business of beauty," he told CNN. There was nothing pretty about the public fight that began in April when Prejean, 22, stepped into controversy by declaring her opposition to same-sex marriage while answering a judge's question at the Miss USA pageant. Prejean finished as first runner-up. While state and national pageant officials publicly supported her initially, their opinions eventually changed after she continued to make public statements about same-sex marriage. She held onto her crown through May, despite a series of questionable photos that emerged on gossip Web sites. Those images showed a topless Prejean, photographed from behind. She was dethroned in June by Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump amid growing complaints by state officials that she was uncooperative and not meeting her contractual obligations. Prejean filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August, claiming that her firing was religious discrimination because of her stand against same-sex marriage. The pageant's countercomplaint said what it called Prejean's belligerent behavior, lack of cooperation and contract breaches caused her firing, not her opposition to same-sex marriage. | [
"What position was Carrie Prejean dethroned from",
"What state did she represent?",
"What did TMZ receive during the summer",
"Who was dethroned?",
"Who sued the pageant?",
"What kind of video was it?",
"Who was detrhoned?",
"Who says he got the video?",
"What did TMZ editor say about video"
] | [
[
"USA"
],
[
"California"
],
[
"the Prejean video"
],
[
"Miss California"
],
[
"Prejean"
],
[
"\"sex tape,\""
],
[
"Miss California"
],
[
"TMZ Managing Editor Harvey Levin"
],
[
"found it \"too racy\" to post on his site."
]
] | Carrie Prejean was dethroned as Miss California USA and sued pageant .
Source: "Extremely graphic" home video involving Prejean spurred suit settlement .
TMZ managing editor says he got video during summer but was "too racy" to post . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Roy Edward Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney, died Wednesday after a yearlong battle with stomach cancer, according to a Walt Disney Co. spokesman.
Disney "played a key role in the revitalization of the Walt Disney Co. and Disney's animation legacy," the company said.
He died in a Newport Beach, California, hospital at the age of 79.
His father -- Roy O. Disney -- co-founded the Disney entertainment business with Walt Disney in 1923.
Roy E. Disney's 56-year association with the company culminated in 2003 when he stepped down as vice chairman of Disney's board and chairman of the Disney Studio's Animation Department. He kept the title director emeritus and consultant in recent years, the company said.
"As head of Disney Animation, Disney helped to guide the studio to a new golden age of animation with an unprecedented string of artistic and box office successes that included 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Aladdin' and 'The Lion King,' " the company said.
A private funeral service and cremation are planned, the company said. His ashes will be scattered at sea, it said.
He was born in in Los Angeles seven years after his father and uncle began building the Disney empire.
His entertainment career began in 1952 -- after he attended Harvard University and Pomona College -- with a job as an assistant film editor on the "Dragnet" TV series.
He joined the family business a year later as an assistant film editor at the Walt Disney Studios.
He received two Oscar nominations. One was as a writer and production associate on the 1959 short subject film "Mysteries of the Deep," and the second was for his work in 2003 as executive producer of "Destino," a film based on storyboards and original art by the iconic artist Salvador Dali.
Disney founded Shamrock Holdings, an investment company owned by the Disney family, in 1978.
He also was an avid competitive sailor, the company said. He held several elapsed-time records for offshore races in the Pacific Ocean, including multiple wins in the 2,225-mile Transpac race between Hawaii and California, it said.
CNN's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report. | [
"what cancer type did he have",
"What age was Roy Disney",
"what was his age",
"which films were successful",
"What was among successes of Roy E. Disney?",
"What did his father co-founded?",
"how many Oscar nominations did he recieve?",
"What age did Disney die at?",
"how long was is career?"
] | [
[
"stomach"
],
[
"79."
],
[
"79."
],
[
"and 'The Lion King,'"
],
[
"included 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Aladdin'"
],
[
"the Disney entertainment business"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"79."
],
[
"56-year"
]
] | Roy Edward Disney dies at 79 after battle with stomach cancer .
His dad co-founded Disney entertainment business with his uncle Walt Disney in 1920s .
"Little Mermaid," "Lion King" among successes when Roy E. Disney headed animation .
Roy E. Disney received two Oscar nominations in 50-plus year career . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Singer Chris Brown earned a glowing probation report six months after he was sentenced to "labor-oriented service" for assaulting his pop star girlfriend, Rihanna, the judge said Thursday. Brown, 20, sat silently in court Thursday afternoon as Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg reviewed his probation report. "It looks like you're doing really, really well," Schnegg said. The police chief in Richmond, Virginia -- where Brown is being allowed to complete his sentence -- reported that he had worked 32 days of hard labor, she said. Schnegg said when she sentenced Brown that she wanted to see him do "actual physical labor, as opposed to some type of community service." The report on his court-ordered domestic violence counseling said he had completed 17 out of 52 groups sessions, she said. The agency running the sessions reported "you are participating and doing a very good job," the judge said. The judge rewarded Brown by signing an order allowing him to again travel outside the United States for concerts. When Brown returns to court on May 11, 2010, for his next probation progress report, he will be "way over halfway there" to completing his sentence, she said. Brown was sentenced in August to serve five years probation and to spend more than 1,400 hours in "labor-oriented service" for the assault conviction. Schnegg also put a restraining order in place, requiring Brown to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna, 10 yards if the two are at the same industry event. The judge issued a strict warning to Brown not to violate the order, which remains in place until 2014. Brown was arrested after an early morning argument inside a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street on February 8, 2009. According to Brown's probation report, the February argument began over an incident at a Beverly Hills party. An earlier, sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews said the incident began when Rihanna found a text message on his cell phone from "a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with." The pair argued while in the car driven by Brown, the police statement said. It went on to describe the assault in great detail, saying Brown punched Rihanna -- identified in the statement by her real first name, Robyn, and the first initial of her last name, Fenty -- numerous times and put her in a headlock, restricting her breathing and causing her to start to lose consciousness. He threatened to beat her and kill her, according to the statement, and he bit her ear and her fingers. Eventually, the statement said, "Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a domestic violence emergency protective order." The detective said Brown sent a text message nine days later, apologizing. Rihanna's injuries included cuts and bruises inflicted by a large ring on Brown's right hand, which he used to punch her, the probation report said. "Officers at the scene observed numerous contusions and abrasions to the victim's face and forehead, as well as bruising to her left arm near the bicep," it said. "They also saw abrasions to her arms near both wrists and on her upper chest near her collarbone and around her neck. There were abrasions on her left leg and on the inside of her upper lips." Rihanna declined to speak to the probation investigator, so the probation report's details were gathered from police detectives who interviewed her soon after the attack. "He beat me up," Rihanna told the police, the report said. Brown made a public apology in July in a video statement posted on his personal Web site. "I have told Rihanna countless times, and I'm telling you today, that I'm truly, truly sorry in that I wasn't able to handle the situation | [
"Did Chris Brown beat up Rihanna?",
"how many months did he do",
"what did the judge read",
"The judge reported that Brown was doing well on what",
"Brown was in jail for what reason"
] | [
[
"told the police,"
],
[
"six"
],
[
"probation report."
],
[
"probation report."
],
[
"assaulting his pop star girlfriend, Rihanna,"
]
] | Brown has done 6 months of sentence for beating girlfriend Rihanna .
Judge reads reports that he is doing well on "labor-oriented service"
Brown also "participating and doing a very good job" in domestic violence counseling . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The high school honor student and the NFL's highest-paid defensive back stroll down the destitute streets of Skid Row. "I can sell you something right quick," a drug dealer hisses. Another shouts, "Gonna whoop your ass!" More expletives are hurled. Seventeen-year-old Kenneth Chancey is giving a tour to Nnamdi Asomugha, showing the NFL star the streets that he and his sister used to walk to get to school while living in a Skid Row homeless shelter. Prostitutes, addicts and drug dealers scatter. "Camera! Camera!" they shout. The two make it safely past the park, one of the roughest areas of Los Angeles. An orange soda whizzes through the air, nearly hitting the teen and the Oakland Raiders' All-Pro cornerback worth $45 million. "Wow," the teen says. "I'm sure they watch you every Sunday, and they don't even recognize who you are." It is Kenneth's inner strength and his love for education that have brought together this high school class president and NFL star. "The thing I took away is how fearless he is," Asomugha said later. "The things he's been through are so big and so severe -- they were threatening our lives and throwing things at us on Skid Row. But it doesn't bother him. "His potential meter is at 1,000 right now." Escaping through education Even while Kenneth lived on Skid Row, he dreamed of attending Harvard to become a neurosurgeon. When Asomugha saw Kenneth's story on CNN, he wanted to help. He runs a foundation, the Asomugha College Tour for Scholars, that takes talented inner-city kids on tours of college campuses they otherwise would never be able to see. He's helped get 25 teens into college over the last four years. On this day, he's come to tell Kenneth that he will be among the 16 students traveling in the spring to visit schools in Washington, D.C. "I'm thankful to be able to give back," Asomugha said. Hours before the Skid Row tour, Asomugha traveled to Hollywood's Helen Bernstein High School, where Kenneth is a starting running back in his senior year. They met at the school's football stadium, where Asomugha told Kenneth in person. "This smile on my face," Kenneth said, "is a freaking good thing. This is awesome!" Asomugha leaned closer. "You know who we're working on now?" "Obama?" Kenneth asked nervously. "We have to," the NFL star replied. Kenneth's fever-pitched excitement reached a crescendo, "Oh my gosh!" His father, Gordon Costello, joined in and handed a folded paper to Asomugha. The proud dad didn't show off football awards or his son's athletic achievements. Instead, it's Kenneth's latest report card, straight A's. "He might overqualify for the tour," Asomugha said as he studied the report card. "This shows someone with a lot of drive and ambition. These are some great grades." "I'm at a loss for words," the teen said. "Stuff like this doesn't happen every day." Asomugha came from a family where education was stressed from day one. He remembers asking his mom as a boy, "Can I have some ice cream?" "No," she responded. "You haven't finished your homework." "I'd say, 'but I'm 3!' " Asomugha's sister is a pediatrician, his mother holds a doctorate. Two other siblings have secondary degrees. "I am the least educated in my family," Asomugha said. "I catch a lot of heat from my family." The football star, who is the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, has a degree in finance from the University of California-Berkeley. Kenneth is energized | [
"What does the star help?",
"Where will Chancey and 19 other kids go?",
"What NFL star decided to help a homeless teen?",
"What is the age of Kenneth Chancey?",
"What grades did Kenneth Chancey make?",
"How many kids will Asomugha take on a college tour this spring?",
"How many other inner-city kids will Asomugha be taking?"
] | [
[
"talented inner-city kids"
],
[
"tours of college campuses"
],
[
"Asomugha"
],
[
"Seventeen-year-old"
],
[
"straight A's."
],
[
"16"
],
[
"16"
]
] | NFL star Nnamdi Asomugha decides to help homeless teen after CNN report .
Kenneth Chancey, 17, lived in homeless shelter, yet made all A's and is class president .
Asomugha will take Chancey and 19 other inner-city kids on college tour in spring . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Turn up the music, crack the window -- falling gas prices have flipped on the road-trip ignition switch. The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle is 104 feet long and 95 feet wide at the alcove. I decided to celebrate the unofficial return of reasonable driving vacations with a venture to the ultimate temple of excess -- Hearst Castle. From Los Angeles, my family and I retraced the journey of Hollywood luminaries who headed north to hang out with publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Gregory Peck, Carol Lombard and Hearst's mistress Marion Davies all made the trek to what Hearst called "La Cuesta Encantada," or the Enchanted Hill. Winston Churchill and President Calvin Coolidge also rested here amid art and antiquities from around the world. Hearst Castle looks down over golden fields, the glistening Pacific and the town of San Simeon, California, home to less than 500 people. We took a tour bus from the visitors center to the mansion, a long gull's dive from the ocean, 1,610 feet above sea level. Hearst hired San Francisco architect Julia Morgan in 1919 and by 1947 the 165-room estate stretched over 127 acres. It's crystal clear Hearst was a demanding mastermind of his kingdom on the hill, putting Morgan through what must have been agonizing brain twisters. Visitors see that when Hearst wanted European choir chairs wedged into his assembly room, Morgan made it work. When he wanted elaborate ceilings salvaged from Europe, Morgan expanded their reach to fit into the estate's rooms. A massive 95 x 104-foot outdoor swimming pool, made of concrete and Vermont marble, is one of the central jewels of the property. Our guide recounted Hearst house rules. In an effort to control his guests' alcohol consumption, Hearst banned them from bringing their own liquor. The Hollywood types reportedly snuck it in anyway, like frat boys at a football game. Guests stayed in opulent guest houses adorned with religious icons, art and other worldly treasures. Hearst mandated unmarried guests sleep apart, while violating his own edict by sleeping with his beloved actress friend Marion Davies. Though Hearst remained married to Millicent Hearst, with whom he had five children, Davies' ghost is everywhere at Hearst Castle. Images of the actress, along with Charlie Chaplin and others stars, flicker about in a short film shown in the mansion's 50-seat movie theater. Museum-worthy pieces fill the property, including intricate Flemish tapestries in an east-facing sitting room called the Morning Room. Owing to my Belgian roots, I looked at the tapestries and cracked to my kids, "No wonder my 83-year-old mother can still sew a tiny patch onto a Girl Scout vest." The castle's grandeur was enough to hold the childrens' attention. We saw them as young as 4 years old, eyes popping while taking in ancient Egyptian statues or towering Christmas trees. "This guy was rich!" my friend's 7-year-old-son, Nicolas, exclaimed. Perhaps a headline from Hearst's San Francisco Examiner in another era could best describe our trip: "The road to fun is back and affordable!" | [
"acres overlooking the Pacific",
"Where is the estate?",
"What did Hearst fill the rooms with?",
"Where is the estate located?",
"Who entertained Hollywood stars at his estate?",
"How many rooms does it have?",
"What did he fill the rooms with?"
] | [
[
"127"
],
[
"San Simeon, California,"
],
[
"Museum-worthy pieces"
],
[
"San Simeon, California,"
],
[
"William Randolph Hearst."
],
[
"165-room"
],
[
"Museum-worthy pieces"
]
] | William Randolph Hearst entertained Hollywood stars at his estate near San Simeon .
The 165-room estate stretches over 127 acres overlooking the Pacific .
Hearst filled the rooms with art and antiquities from around the world . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The beating of 12-year-old boy by a group of classmates at a Southern California middle school may be linked to a Facebook posting encouraging kids to target redheads, authorities say.
The redheaded boy was beaten up by a group of seventh and eighth graders at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas in two separate incidents Friday, according to a statement released Sunday by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
A Facebook page stating that Friday was "Kick a Ginger Day," referring to redheads and possibly inspired by an episode of the "South Park" series, may have sparked the injuries at the middle school, authorities said.
The boy's injuries were not serious, and no one has been arrested, authorities said Sunday. | [
"What age was the boy beaten by classmates?",
"What hair color is the target of the attacks?",
"Attacks may be linked to postings where?",
"Boy is at middle school where?",
"How many incidents occured on Friday?",
"Who beat the 12 year old boy on Friday?"
] | [
[
"12-year-old"
],
[
"redheads,"
],
[
"Facebook"
],
[
"California"
],
[
"two separate"
],
[
"group of classmates"
]
] | 12-year-old boy beaten by classmates in two separate incidents on Friday .
Attacks may be linked to Facebook posting encouraging kids to target redheads .
Boy at middle school in Calabasas, California, was not injured seriously . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A California doctor has been accused of negligence in the case of a woman who gave birth to octuplets in January 2009, according to a complaint filed by the state medical board.
Michael Kamrava, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Beverly Hills, is accused of gross negligence and repeated negligent acts in the treatment of a patient named in the complaint only by her initials, N.S.
Octuplet mom Nadya Suleman has identified Kamrava as her doctor in interviews. Suleman has six children in addition to the octuplets -- all conceived through in-vitro fertilization.
In filing the complaint in December, the medical board's executive director, Barbara Johnston, says Kamrava, while his patient was undergoing in-vitro, transferred a number of embryos that was "far in excess of [American Society for Reproductive Medicine] recommendations and beyond the reasonable judgment of any treating physician."
The society recommends no more than two embryos for women under 35 years old and no more than five for women over 40, for whom it is harder to get pregnant, according to guidelines published on its Web site. Suleman was 33 when she gave birth to the octuplets. The reproductive society expelled Kamrava from the group in September.
Additionally, the complaint says Kamrava should have referred his patient to a mental health physician after she repeatedly returned to him for additional in-vitro treatments shortly after each of her pregnancies.
"[Kamrava] failed to exercise appropriate judgment and question whether there would be harm to her living children and any future offspring should she continue to conceive," the complaint says.
Efforts to reach Kamrava on Monday were unsuccessful.
No hearing date has been set in the case. | [
"who was the complaint against",
"which medical board complained",
"When did Suleman have octuplets?",
"What work did Kamrava?",
"Who is the complaint against?",
"what is kamrava's speciality",
"What happened with Suleman?",
"Who received in-vitro fertilization?"
] | [
[
"Michael Kamrava,"
],
[
"California"
],
[
"January 2009,"
],
[
"obstetrician/gynecologist"
],
[
"Michael Kamrava,"
],
[
"obstetrician/gynecologist"
],
[
"gave birth to the octuplets."
],
[
"Nadya Suleman"
]
] | California medical board files complaint against Dr. Michael Kamrava .
Kamrava is obstetrician/gynecologist who provided in-vitro fertilization to Nadya Suleman .
Suleman had octuplets in 2009; she had already had six children via in-vitro . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A German man is facing federal charges in the United States on suspicion of trying to extort money from supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband, using a photograph of the couple's then-7-year-old daughter, court documents said. Edis Kayalar is charged with one count of extortion in a criminal complaint filed Thursday, according to Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. The photo, apparently taken as a prank by their former nanny, shows the couple's daughter bound to a chair, court documents said. Kayalar was deported to Germany from the United States in September after he had repeated contacts with Crawford and her husband, business mogul Rande Gerber. However, the complaint against him alleges, he continued to demand money from them. Federal prosecutors are in contact with German authorities on the matter, Mrozek told CNN, but as of Thursday night Kayalar was not in custody. If convicted, Kayalar faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. Kayalar first contacted Crawford and Gerber in July, according to the criminal complaint. He told Crawford, who answered the phone, that he had a photograph of their daughter and wanted to help them out because he is a "good person," the documents said. Crawford then handed the telephone to her husband. Identifying himself as "Brian," Kayalar told Gerber he had a photograph of their daughter in "revealing clothing, bound to a chair and gagged," according to the complaint. He said he had stolen the photograph from the former nanny and that he wanted to return it because it "bothered" him and he felt it "just wasn't right," the complaint said. He told Gerber he wanted to give up the photograph so it would not end up in the tabloids, according to the documents. Kayalar told Gerber he had met the former nanny at a bar about three months before, when the woman still worked for the couple, and that he had been at her apartment and gotten Crawford's number from the nanny's cellular phone while the nanny was sleeping, the complaint said. The couple notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. In the affidavit, an FBI agent states that she reviewed the photograph, which depicts the girl, who has since turned 8, bound and gagged in a chair and wearing shorts and a T-shirt. The girl told her parents -- who did not know it had been taken -- that the former nanny took it as part of a "cops and robbers" game. Kayalar called again, arranging to meet Gerber at a bar in Venice, California, to return the photograph, the court documents said. He did not ask directly for money, but hinted that he was "broke" and would like a monetary reward for the return, according to the complaint. Gerber brought a sheriff's deputy to the meeting. During the meeting, Kayalar told Gerber he did not have the original image with him, saying he had left it with friends for "security purposes," but showed him a copy he had saved on his cellular phone, according to the complaint. He told Gerber stole the photograph from the nanny's apartment along with a handwritten note saying, "The baby sitter went crazy and tied everyone up and they need your help! Please." Gerber and the deputy then got Kayalar to call and arrange to meet the former nanny with them. When the former nanny -- who was not identified in court documents -- saw Gerber with Kayalar, she "became extremely upset and began to cry," the court documents said. She apologized to Gerber and told him the photograph had been taken as a prank, and that she initially had planned to put the photograph and the note on the front door of the couple's home "in order to pull a prank on Crawford" but had not done so. On the way back to the bar, Kayalar repeatedly asked Gerber for money, the complaint said, saying that "he could get a lot of money from the tabloids for the | [
"What did Edis Kayalar use in the extortion attempt?",
"What is Edis Kayalar charged with in the U.S.?",
"Where is Edis Kayalar from?",
"What was in the court documents?",
"What was Edis Kayalar charged with?",
"What did the man claim to steal?"
] | [
[
"using a photograph of the couple's then-7-year-old daughter,"
],
[
"one count of extortion"
],
[
"Germany"
],
[
"The photo, apparently taken as a prank by their former nanny, shows the couple's daughter bound to a chair,"
],
[
"extortion"
],
[
"photograph"
]
] | Edis Kayalar, of Germany, charged in U.S. with extortion .
Man used photo of Crawford's daughter in extortion attempt, authorities allege .
Court documents: Photo, showing girl bound to a chair, apparently taken by nanny for prank .
Man claimed he stole photo from nanny, court documents say . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A Mexican judge has issued an arrest warrant for reality TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman in the death of his wife at a Cancun resort in April, his lawyer said Monday.
"We have been advised that Mexican authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of Bruce Beresford-Redman in connection with the murder of his wife, Monica," defense lawyer Richard Hirsch said Monday. "This news, if true, is extremely disturbing since it appears that this case is being handled in a manner outside the normal procedures in Mexico."
The prosecutor in Mexico had said earlier Monday he had developed a "very concrete, very specific" case that was sent to a judge Friday for consideration of charges.
Quintana Roo Attorney General Francisco Alor said through a spokesman that the investigation file, with recommended charges, was sent to the judge on Friday.
"It is our understanding that the issuance of an arrest warrant normally entails a detailed judicial review that takes anywhere from several weeks to several months," Hirsch said. "It appears that the way this matter is being handled constitutes a rush to judgment."
Bruce Beresford-Redman was briefly detained after Monica Beresford-Redman's body was found in a sewer at the Moon Palace Resort on April 8. His passport was taken by investigators and he was told not to leave Mexico until the probe was concluded.
The former producer on TV's "Survivor" recently returned to his Los Angeles, California, home, to take care of family business and see his two young children, his lawyer said.
His lawyer issued a statement from Beresford-Redman Monday after learning of the arrest warrant.
"I am devastated at her loss," Beresford-Redman said in the statement, "and I am incensed at the suggestion that I could have had anything to do with her death. I am innocent. My children have had one parent taken from them by a senseless act of violence. I implore the Mexican authorities not to take their remaining parent by a miscarriage of justice and to do what is right, not just what is expedient."
Hirsch said Friday that there should not be "a rush to judgment," adding that there have been other unsolved deaths and an attack at the resort.
He cited the death of an elderly Scottish woman, who was found in a swamp weeks after leaving a pool for a walk, and a Canadian man who allegedly fell from a hotel balcony.
Jeff Toews, a Canadian, was found dead in May 2007. Investigators decided he died from a drunken fall from a balcony, but his family did not accept that explanation.
Julia Howard, a 77-year-old woman from Scotland, was found dead in a dense swamp six weeks after disappearing from a pool area last summer. Her family also rejected the police conclusion that her death was an accident.
A woman reported an attempted rape in her hotel room "several days after Mrs. Beresford-Redman's body was discovered," Hirsch said.
"We have brought this to the attention of the authorities and, in particular, to the attorney general in Cancun and asked them to pursue all leads before making a decision whether of not to charge our client," Hirsch said. "We feel that this case should not be a rush to judgment."
"There are strange things going on -- I think that need to be pursued," he said.
A spokeswoman for the resort directed CNN to a Mexican news report that quoted the prosecutor saying there was no connection between other deaths and the Beresford-Redman case.
The initial investigation suggested Monica Beresford-Redman "died of strangulation, because of the bruising," Mexican regional police spokesman Adrian Cardena said.
A source close to the wife has told CNN that she cleaned out the family bank account and took her two children to Hawaii because she was upset about her husband's extramarital affair. The couple later traveled to Cancun in an effort to repair their marriage, the source said.
A Los Angeles judge decided Friday that the children, | [
"what \"Very concrete\" case was sent to judge Friday?",
"What sent the judge on Friday?",
"When was the case sent to the judge?",
"what awyer for Beresford-Redman complains case being handled?",
"What does a MExican judge issue?",
"What says the producer himself?"
] | [
[
"Bruce Beresford-Redman in the death of his wife"
],
[
"an arrest warrant for reality TV producer"
],
[
"Friday"
],
[
"Richard Hirsch"
],
[
"an arrest warrant for reality TV producer"
],
[
"is right, not just"
]
] | Mexican judge issues arrest warrant for TV producer in wife's death .
"Very concrete" case was sent to judge Friday, prosecutor says .
Lawyer for Beresford-Redman complains case being handled "outside normal procedures"
Reality TV producer says "I am innocent" |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A man accused of taping ESPN sports reporter Erin Andrews in the nude through hotel peepholes and posting the videos online will plead guilty to a federal stalking charge, according to a court document filed Thursday.
Michael David Barrett, 48, will enter a plea on December 15, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in the Central District of California.
A criminal complaint filed in October accused Barrett of taping Andrews then making seven videos that he posted on the Internet.
Barrett's lawyer, David Willingham, issued a statement saying his client apologized to Andrews.
"Mr. Barrett accepts full responsibility for his conduct. He apologizes to Ms. Andrews, and expresses his deep regret for his conduct that caused her so much pain. It is his sincere hope that these events can now become an opportunity to make positive changes in his life," the statement said.
Barrett was arrested in Illinois but will appear in Los Angeles federal court, Mrozek said. Barrett is charged with interstate stalking, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
An Illinois judge released Barrett on bail in October.
Andrews, 31, is a sideline reporter for ESPN, traveling around the country covering college football games. According to the October criminal complaint, Andrews said that she became aware of the videos in July and that their posting has caused her distress, anxiety and trouble sleeping.
Her lawyer, Marshall Grossman, told CNN that Andrews is still shaken.
"She is a very strong young woman. Time is a good healer," Grossman said. "However, she continues to feel and experience the ramifications of what occurred every time she steps foot into a hotel room, and in her business, she lives in hotel rooms."
Andrews is now accompanied by additional security, Grossman said.
Grossman said he and Andrews are in the process of reviewing the evidence against Barrett and the plea agreement, and Andrews will speak before the court at the hearing next week.
He said Andrews wants "severe punishment" for Barrett.
The plea agreement filed Thursday alleges that Barrett recorded videos of Andrews while she stayed at hotels in Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Nashville, Tennessee.
The filing alleges Barrett made reservations at the hotels and altered the peepholes to shoot video of Andrews.
Barrett allegedly attempted to sell the videos to celebrity gossip site TMZ in January 2009. TMZ did not purchase the images, but employees of the Web site assisted in the investigation by providing information to Andrews' attorneys, authorities said.
Barrett posted the videos to other Web sites, Thursday's filing said.
CNN's Khadijah Rentas and Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report. | [
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"who apologizes to Erin Andrews?",
"What is the age of the suspect?",
"Who did the client apologize to?",
"what was Michael David Barrett accused of?",
"when will he make his plea?",
"in whta way did he film Andrews ?"
] | [
[
"taping ESPN sports reporter Erin Andrews in the nude"
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[
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[
"Andrews."
],
[
"taping ESPN sports reporter Erin Andrews in the nude"
],
[
"December 15,"
],
[
"through hotel peepholes"
]
] | Suspect's lawyer: Client apologizes to Erin Andrews .
Man accused of surreptitiously taping ESPN reporter nude, posting videos online .
Michael David Barrett, 48, expected to make plea on December 15 .
Authorities say Andrews was filmed through peephole in hotel rooms . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A public memorial service for heavy metal rocker Ronnie James Dio is planned for Sunday, with members of the Westboro Baptist Church saying they will picket the ceremony.
The church in Topeka, Kansas, is known for its intolerance of gays and its picketing of soldiers' funerals.
A picketing schedule on the church's website said protesters will be at the Dio memorial at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, accusing the 67-year-old rocker of worshipping Satan.
Dio died on May 16 after a battle with stomach cancer.
Charges of devil-worshipping have often been leveled against heavy metal music. Dio, in particular, was a favorite target.
He popularized the "devil's horn" gesture, where the index and the little fingers are upright and the thumb is clasped against the two middle fingers.
He has said he was taught by the sign by his superstitious Italian grandmother as a way to ward off the "evil eye."
But many fundamentalist Christians have taken issue with the gesture, alleging that it is a tribute to the devil.
"Ronnie hates prejudice and violence. We need to turn the other cheek on these people that only know how to hate someone they didn't know," said Dio's wife, Wendy, about the planned protest.
Wendy Dio said the memorial will host a donation center for her husband's "Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund," named after one his songs.
Dio most recently was touring with Heaven and Hell, a version of Black Sabbath renamed for legal reasons. All shows were canceled last March because of his illness.
His last public appearance was in April at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, when he accepted a vocalist of the year award for his work on last year's Heaven and Hell album. Dio appeared frail, but he spoke while accepting his award.
Born Ronald James Padavona in 1942, Dio's professional music career began as a high school student in the late 1950s.
His 1960s rock group The Electric Elves evolved into Elf by the early 1970s, when the group played heavy blues rock.
Dio's rock became darker with his band Rainbow, which he left in 1979 to join Black Sabbath.
Black Sabbath released three albums with Dio, including "Heaven and Hell" in 1980, "Mob Rules" in 1981 and "Live Evil" in 1982.
Dio left that band in 1982, but he had a brief reunion with the group a decade later.
He formed the group Dio in 1982 and later Heaven and Hell. | [
"what does the church say?",
"Who is picketing the memorial service?",
"When did the rocker die?"
] | [
[
"they will picket the ceremony."
],
[
"members of the Westboro Baptist Church"
],
[
"May 16"
]
] | Church says it will picket singer Dio's memorial service .
Public service will host donation center to raise money for cancer fund .
Rocker died on May 16 after battle with stomach cancer .
Dio fronted Rainbow and Black Sabbath . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A trendy California sushi restaurant charged by federal authorities with serving whale meat offered an apology Monday, saying it "ignored its responsibilities" to endangered species.
Prosecutors charged Typhoon Restaurant Inc., the parent company of Santa Monica's The Hump, and chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, with the illegal sale of a marine mammal product for an unauthorized purpose.
Although it is considered a delicacy in Japan and some other countries, meat from whales -- an endangered species -- cannot be sold legally in the United States.
"We write to address the misdemeanor charge recently filed by the U.S. attorney," the restaurant said in a statement posted on its Web site.
"The charge against the restaurant is true: The Hump served whale meat to customers looking to eat what in Japan is widely served as a delicacy," the statement continued. "In serving this meat, The Hump ignored its responsibilities to help save endangered whales from extinction and failed to support the world community in its uphill fight to protect all endangered species."
The restaurant pledged to set up procedures to ensure that it complies with laws and "becomes a good corporate citizen."
"We sincerely apologize. We pledge to work hard to re-earn the trust of the public and respect of our customers."
The misdemeanor charge carries a federal prison sentence of up to a year and a fine of up to $200,000 for the company, said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.
The law firm for the restaurant and its parent company deferred questions to The Hump's Web site. However, Typhoon attorney Gary Lincenberg has said the restaurant accepts responsibility for serving whale and will agree to pay a fine, CNN affiliate KTLA reported.
The investigation into the restaurant began in October, when two members of the team that made the documentary "The Cove" visited The Hump, officials said.
"The Cove," which exposes the annual killing of dolphins at a Japanese fishing village, won the Academy Award for best documentary this month.
The restaurant, located at the Santa Monica Airport, is known for its exotic fare. Its Web site asks diners to surrender themselves to its chefs for "a culinary adventure ... unlike any that you have previously experienced."
Crowd marches outside restaurant
Armed with a hidden camera, the two women captured the waitress serving them whale and horse meat and identifying them as such, a federal criminal complaint said. A receipt from the restaurant at the end of the meal identified their selection as "whale" and "horse" with the cost -- $85 -- written next to them.
The women snuck pieces of the meat into a napkin and later sent them for examination to a researcher at Oregon State University. He identified the whale sample to be that of sei whale, prosecutors said.
The sei is found throughout the world's oceans. Whalers began to hunt them after the populations of right, humpback, blue and fin whales declined due to overfishing. It is now considered an endangered species.
In February and March, the activists returned and again asked for -- and were served -- whale meat, the criminal complaint said.
A DNA test of the meat smuggled out after the February visit confirmed it to be meat from the sei whale, Mrozek said.
During a final visit in March, officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observed the activists asking for "kujira," or whale meat.
One of the officers then saw the sushi chef leave the restaurant and return with a wrapped package that he seemed to have retrieved from a parked Mercedes, the complaint said.
The chef told a customer it was whale meat, the document said. Next, officials raided the restaurant, and chef Yamamoto admitted that he had served whale meat, the complaint said.
"Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species," U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. said.
Conservation agencies are engaged in an | [
"where is the hump?",
"What type of meat is considered a delicacy in Japan?",
"What did the chef do illegally?",
"what is considered a delicacy in japan?",
"what did the chef illegally sell?",
"What did Hump sushi do?",
"What is considered as a delicacy in Japan?"
] | [
[
"Santa Monica's"
],
[
"whale"
],
[
"sale of a marine mammal product for an unauthorized purpose."
],
[
"meat from whales"
],
[
"whale meat"
],
[
"\"ignored its responsibilities\" to endangered species."
],
[
"whale meat"
]
] | The Hump sushi restaurant apologizes in statement posted on Web site .
Feds alleged restaurant, chef illegally sold meat of endangered whales .
Whale meat is considered a delicacy in Japan, other countries . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Actor Corey Haim was the "poster child" for the problem of addicts "doctor shopping" for dangerous drugs, California's top law enforcement official said Tuesday.
Investigators found that the former child actor was supplied with prescriptions for five controlled substances by seven doctors in the last 10 weeks of his life, Attorney General Jerry Brown said.
"Corey Haim actually obtained 553 dangerous drugs in just this year, as late as five days before he died," Brown told reporters at a news conference in Los Angeles.
The drugs included Vicodin, Valium, Soma, Oxycontin and Xanax, Brown said.
The coroner has not yet ruled on what killed Haim, 38, who died last month after collapsing at the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother.
Toxicology lab results are expected to be available this month for Haim, who battled drug addiction for decades.
Haim visited several emergency rooms and urgent care clinics with complaints of an injured shoulder or depression issues, according to Sara Simpson, head of the state task force investigating doctor shopping.
Los Angeles County Deputy Coroner Ed Winter revealed last month that Haim obtained drugs using prescriptions written under the names of 20 Los Angeles doctors in the past year. The coroner subpoenaed medical records from those doctors.
Haim also obtained at least one prescription of Oxycontin through the use of an illegally obtained prescription pad, Brown said.
State agents arrested one person last month in connection with what Brown said was a massive drug ring that obtained and sold the counterfeit doctor's pads.
Although Haim battled drug addiction for decades, his manager said his death came when Haim "was making major progress" with a program to wean him from pills.
Still, Haim sometimes threatened to find other doctors to prescribe him drugs when his primary physician wouldn't give him what he wanted, manager Mark Heaslip said Monday.
"I would be the only one who could talk him out of it," Heaslip said Monday night.
His doctor was providing pills only in one-day supplies in an effort to wean him, Heaslip said.
Haim's primary care doctor would constantly follow up with urgent care centers that he believed were writing prescriptions for Haim, Heaslip said. The doctor later gave the information to investigators, he said.
Simpson confirmed to CNN that Haim's doctor was helping investigators.
Haim had a prescription for the muscle relaxer Soma and the narcotic pain reliever Norco filled at a pharmacy February 26, a source with knowledge of the transaction told CNN. Two days after Haim picked up the drugs, his primary care doctor called the San Fernando Valley pharmacy to ask about the prescriptions, the source said.
An autopsy revealed that Haim suffered from pneumonia, an enlarged heart and water in his lungs when he collapsed March 10, Winter said.
Heaslip said he and Haim's family are convinced his death was not from a drug overdose, but was perhaps a bad reaction to a single pill he took in the hours before his death.
The pills, prescribed by an addiction specialist, came with a warning that they should not be taken by someone with a heart condition or flulike symptoms, both of which Haim had, Heaslip said.
"This kid was making major progress," Heaslip said.
His manager said that if Haim was cheating on his addiction program, he would probably not have admitted it to him since he would have dropped Haim as a client.
Haim began his acting career in 1982, with his first television appearance on the Canadian series "The Edison Twins." His first film role was in the 1984 American movie "First Born."
Haim also won rave reviews for his title role in the 1986 film "Lucas." Film critic Roger Ebert said of him at the time, "If he continues to act this well, he will never become a half-forgotten child star, but will continue to grow into an important actor."
His most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which Haim played a fresh-faced teenager whose | [
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"What age was Haim when he died?",
"Who called Haim the poster child?",
"How many drugs did Corey Haim get?",
"What is Haim fighting?",
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"What did Corry Haim get?",
"What did Attorney General call Haim?",
"Haim is the poster child for what?"
] | [
[
"553"
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],
[
"prescriptions for five controlled substances"
],
[
"\"poster child\" for the problem of addicts"
],
[
"dangerous drugs,"
]
] | Corey Haim obtained 553 drugs in last year of his life, AG says .
Attorney General Jerry Brown calls Haim the 'poster child' for doctor-shopping .
Coroner has not yet ruled on what killed Haim, 38, who died last month .
Former child actor battled drug addiction for decades . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Actor and filmmaker Dennis Hopper has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his manager Sam Maydew said Friday. Hopper is being treated in a special program at the University of Southern California, according to CNN news affiliate KTLA. He was expected to appear at an exhibition of his photography at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne but has cancelled in order to focus on treatment. "We're hoping for the best," Maydew said. No other details were immediately available. On September 30, Hopper was hospitalized in New York for flu-like symptoms and stomach pains. He was released the next day feeling "much better," according to KTLA. The 73-year-old Academy Award winner is known for his roles in "Rebel Without a Cause," "Hoosiers," "Apocalypse Now" and "Easy Rider" -- the latter of which he also directed -- among scores of other films. Hopper recently finished shooting the second season of the Starz drama "Crash," based on the 2006 Oscar-winning film. | [
"when was he hospitalized",
"Where is Dennis Hopper being treated?",
"What was he hospitalized in September for?",
"What did Hopper just finish shooting?",
"what has he just finished shooting"
] | [
[
"September 30,"
],
[
"University of Southern California,"
],
[
"prostate"
],
[
"the second season of the Starz drama \"Crash,\""
],
[
"second season of the Starz drama \"Crash,\""
]
] | Actor Dennis Hopper is being treated at the University of Southern California .
The actor has cancelled upcoming travel to focus on his treatment .
He was hospitalized in late September with flu-like symptoms and stomach pain .
Hopper just finished shooting the second season of the Starz drama "Crash" |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Actress and animal rights activist Eva Mendes hopes you'll shun fur as you shop for the holidays. "Even if you buy a fur glove with the little trim, and you think 'Oh, my God, it's just a little trim,' that animal got clubbed," Mendes said. Mendes took her clothes off two years ago for the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign, but now she wants you to see something less pleasant. She's narrated a video of PETA's latest undercover footage of animals being killed for their fur. "These animals are beaten to death, they're skinned alive, their throats are slashed while they're still alive," she said. "They're anally electrocuted, just so the fur won't become tainted." It's unlikely you'll see the 3-minute video on television because of its gruesome nature. But it shouldn't be hard to find it spreading virally online. "It's not something you want to see," she said. "But it's something you have to see." Mendes says she's confident that anyone who watches it will eventually ditch furs as fashion. "Even if you don't do something today, it'll stay in your consciousness and you'll think about it," she said. "That's why these strong images are so necessary for people to see, because they'll stay in your mind, and maybe in your subconscious. They'll stay there and that will really help you make a more evolved decision in the future." Mendes said her dog, Hugo, "changed her world" and convinced her to campaign against fur. "I've become so much of a more just sensitive, empathetic person towards animals because of him," she said. "Because he's just so precious and I can't imagine wearing him or eating him, and what's really the difference between him or some little raccoon or some bunny or seal?" Mendes stopped eating beef, chicken and pork two years ago, but she still consumes animal products such as cheese and milk. But there is a great substitute for animal fur, she said. "Go faux, go fake." | [
"What did Mendes say of the video?",
"What campaign was Mendes a part of",
"What did Mendes say",
"Who narrated the Peta video",
"Who narrates the PETA video of animals being killed for fur?",
"What did Mendes do two years ago for the groups campaign?",
"Who is Eva Mendes?",
"Who narrates the PETA video?"
] | [
[
"\"These animals are beaten to death, they're skinned alive, their throats are slashed while they're still alive,\""
],
[
"animal rights"
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[
"\"These animals are beaten to death, they're skinned alive, their throats are slashed while they're still alive,\""
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[
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],
[
"Eva Mendes"
],
[
"took her clothes off"
],
[
"Actress and animal rights activist"
],
[
"Eva Mendes"
]
] | Eva Mendes narrates PETA video of undercover footage of animals being killed for fur .
"It's not something you want to see," Mendes says of gruesome 3-minute video .
Two years ago, Mendes took off clothes for group's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- An evacuation order was lifted Wednesday morning for more than 500 California homes on hillsides vulnerable to mudslides, authorities said.
With the sun shining over much of Los Angeles, officials told people who live in the foothill areas of La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge and Acton that they could return to their homes at 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET).
Officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for those residents Tuesday morning as a precaution when heavy rains were predicted.
The dangerous mudslides did not develop, but this area was especially hit hard after a downpour Saturday unleashed a river of mud that damaged dozens of homes.
Several of the homes were declared uninhabitable.
A massive wildfire in the Angeles National Forest last summer burned hillsides where these homes are located. | [
"What has damaged dozens of Southern California houses?",
"What were people made to do because of the heavy rain?",
"what was issued as a precaution?",
"How many homes can people return to in foothill?",
"When was the Mandatory evacuation issued?",
"where can the people return to?",
"How many homes can be returned to?",
"What has damaged dozens of homes?",
"what has damaged southern california houses?"
] | [
[
"a river of mud"
],
[
"mandatory evacuation"
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[
"a mandatory evacuation"
],
[
"500"
],
[
"Tuesday morning"
],
[
"their homes"
],
[
"500"
],
[
"mudslides,"
],
[
"a river of mud"
]
] | NEW: People in 500 homes in Los Angeles foothill areas can return .
Mandatory evacuation issued as a precaution when heavy rains were predicted .
Mudslides have damaged dozens of Southern California houses . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Art Linkletter, the easygoing, smooth-voiced emcee famed for his long-running hosting gigs of the radio and television shows "House Party" and "People Are Funny," and author of "Kids Say the Darndest Things," has died, according to his spokeswoman.
Linkletter "died peacefully at home with his family on Wednesday," a statement from the family said. He was 97.
"Just one month earlier, while being honored at an event, he was asked what he considered his greatest life accomplishment," the statement said. "He responded 'Family.'"
Linkletter rose to fame as a radio announcer in San Diego, later becoming a program director. In 1944, he launched "Art Linkletter's House Party," a daytime CBS radio show that moved to television in 1952 and ran until 1969.
"Kids say the darndest things," was Linkletter's often-repeated phrase because of his humorous interviews with children. It became the title of his best-selling book, a country music hit and was reprised by Bill Cosby as a 1998 TV show.
The phrase began as a segment on "House Party." Linkletter would ask several children their thoughts on various topics; their responses were often hilariously absurd.
"I was Oprah before there was Oprah," he once told The Wall Street Journal.
Flowers were placed on Linkletter's star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame Wednesday afternoon.
His nighttime show, "People Are Funny," started on radio in 1942 and ran on NBC television from 1954 to 1961. According to Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh's "The Complete Directory to Primetime Network and Cable Shows, 1946-Present," the show featured everyday guests who would be interviewed by Linkletter and then asked to do a stunt. The result for those who failed at the stunt was often a pie in the face or being splashed by water.
Linkletter also hosted a short-lived quiz show, "The Art Linkletter Show," in 1963.
At its height, Linkletter's fame was notable enough to make him part of Milton Bradley's "Game of Life," which featured Linkletter's endorsement and his photo on the game's $100,000 bill. His 1960 biography was called "Confessions of a Happy Man."
But the host's own life was touched by a famous tragedy. In 1969, his daughter Diane -- just 20 at the time -- jumped to her death from a sixth-floor apartment in Hollywood. Linkletter blamed the death on LSD, though the drug use was never confirmed. Linkletter became an ardent anti-drug crusader, releasing a hit record, "We Love You, Call Collect," which won a Grammy Award.
Of his five children, two others also predeceased Linkletter: son Robert died in a 1980 auto accident, and another son, Jack, died of lymphoma in 2007.
Linkletter is survived by his wife of 75 years, Lois, and two daughters, Dawn Griffin and Sharon Linkletter.
Linkletter was born Gordon Arthur Kelly in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on July 17, 1912. Orphaned as an infant, he was adopted by traveling evangelist John Linkletter and his wife, Mary.
After a short stint on Wall Street -- he was a typist at an investment bank at the time of the 1929 Crash, he told the WSJ -- he eventually moved to San Diego and attended college at San Diego State University. While in college, he took a job as a staff announcer at CBS affiliate KGB-AM.
Linkletter was an astute businessman. The owner of Linkletter Enterprises, he owned millions of acres in Australia and was a sheep and cattle rancher. He also owned oil wells and was a spokesman for several products.
CNN's Todd Leopold and Jack Hannah contributed to this report. | [
"What did Art Linkletter host?",
"What was Art Linkletter's catchphrase?",
"What was his biography called?",
"When was his biography published?",
"What was his catchphrase?",
"What shows did Art Linkletter host?"
] | [
[
"gigs of the radio and television shows \"House Party\" and \"People Are Funny,\""
],
[
"\"Kids Say the Darndest Things,\""
],
[
"\"Confessions of a Happy Man.\""
],
[
"1960"
],
[
"\"Kids say the darndest things,\""
],
[
"\"House Party\" and \"People Are Funny,\""
]
] | Art Linkletter hosted "House Party" and "People Are Funny"
"Kids say the darndest things" was his catchphrase .
"I was Oprah before there was Oprah," he once said .
His 1960 biography was called "Confessions of a Happy Man" |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- As many of you already know -- because Tweets travel faster than airplanes -- Kevin Smith, the portly film director of the movie "Clerks" and the upcoming film "Cop Out," was "politely" asked to disembark from his Southwest flight from Oakland to Burbank because he was too large to fit in the seat.
Okay, let's be frank: He was kicked off the flight. The reason he was given was that his size infringed upon the space of the person sitting next to him and it could cause a safety risk in case of an emergency.
Does it surprise you that an airline that has charged a customer several hundred dollars for the service of transporting him from one place to another would subject said paying customer to the indignity of being told he's too fat to fly? I don't think it does.
Because this is what flying has become: barely one rung above bus travel. Southwest may have apologized to Smith, but what about the rest of us?
Scratch the surface of any frequent flier and you will find a raging cauldron of resentment (or endless angry tweets, like Smiths), a bottomless pit of despair and rage with no hope of satisfaction because, after all, fliers have no choice but to accept every humiliation if they want to fly. Most of us don't have our own planes -- or fly business class.
Myself, I'm old enough to remember when flying used to be fun -- but not quite old enough to remember when people used to "dress" to fly. But they did. It was an event to go on an airplane. Like going to a Broadway show. Pretty ladies with hats and smiling men in uniforms would bring you snacks, blankets and pillows. Beverages in real glasses. But at some point, the airlines started to lose money, started charging more and giving you less in return.
The tragedy of 9/11 hastened the end of any kind of special treatment. Boarding became a cattle call -- complete with prodding with a stick -- where you had to basically undress before you could get on the plane, take off shoes, coats, sweaters, get "wanded," step out of the line for frisking, and other debasements too horrible to mention. Soon they will be swabbing your hands for explosives. Really! I know one woman whose underwire bra had security stumped. (I have to check a bag just for the hair products for my frizzy hair; they don't come in less than three ounces.)
By the time you get on the plane, you are like a refugee -- the tired, the poor, the huddled masses in middle seats. Flight attendants can't dote on you any more, they are too busy scanning the group for potential terrorists. No more meals -- bad as they were -- no more cutlery. If you're lucky, something called a "snack mix" in a bag is thrown at you, making you beg for more water.
And less and less room. If you drop something on the floor, you can't reach it without putting your face in the lap of the person sitting next to you.
It makes you long for the fat days (you'll pardon the expression) of People Express, that 1980's no-frills airline that operated out of Newark. It seemed pretty terrible back then, but really it was just a preview -- every man for himself. Basically anything you got during the flight, you paid extra for.
When they did the safety announcement at the beginning, I would wait for the day they'd say, "In case of an emergency, please pay two dollars and fifty cents to have an oxygen mask drop above your seat." (Ha ha ha, right? Don't give them any ideas.)
But you flew with them, because they were so cheap. Now I'm wondering if that's a good enough reason anymore. How much can a body take, even a skinny one like mine?
Kevin Smith, I feel your pain!
I cringe | [
"where did this happen"
] | [
[
"Oakland"
]
] | Cathy Ladman laments Kevin Smith's getting bumped from a flight because of his size .
She says such treatment is routine for fliers now, unlike the days when flying was fun .
Indignities -- security measures, no food -- begin early and last till you've landed, she says .
Ladman: It's only a matter of time till Smith's treatment becomes routine even off the plane . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Casey Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, died of natural causes related to diabetes, the Los Angeles County coroner said Thursday.
The 30-year-old socialite was found dead at a friend's home January 4, authorities said.
Johnson was one of the great-great-granddaughters of Robert Wood Johnson, a co-founder of the pharmaceutical giant, and was the daughter of Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets professional football team.
She died of diabetic ketoacidosis, the coroner found. The Mayo Clinic describes the condition as a serious complication of untreated diabetes.
Johnson was in the news recently because of her relationship with Internet and reality television star Tila Tequila.
Several messages on Tequila's official Twitter page mentioned Johnson in the wake of her death.
"I can't stop these haunting visions of her and I. We made such a lovely couple, only beginning to spend the rest of our lives together," a posting said the day after Johnson died.
"Everyone please pray 4 my Wifey Casey Johnson," Tequila wrote the day of Johnson's death. "She has passed away. Thank u for all ur love and support but I will be offline to be w family."
Johnson's family also expressed sadness.
"The Johnson family is mourning their tragic loss and asks for privacy during this very difficult time," a family representative said in a statement on the Jets' Web site.
"The entire New York Jets organization is saddened at the news that Casey Johnson ... has passed away."
CNN's Tim Langmaid and Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report. | [
"what says Coroner?",
"What caused death of Casey Johnson?",
"What disease had been untreated?",
"Who had a relationship with Tequila?",
"What kill Coroner?",
"What does the coroner say?",
"Who had a relationship with Tila Tequila?",
"What caused Johnson's death?"
] | [
[
"She died of diabetic ketoacidosis,"
],
[
"natural causes"
],
[
"diabetes."
],
[
"Johnson"
],
[
"natural causes related to diabetes,"
],
[
"She died of diabetic ketoacidosis,"
],
[
"Casey Johnson,"
],
[
"natural causes related to diabetes,"
]
] | Coroner says natural causes related to diabetes caused death of Casey Johnson .
Coroner: Socialite died of a serious complication of untreated diabetes .
The 30-year-old had a high-profile relationship with reality TV star Tila Tequila . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Comedian Betty White -- currently enjoying a career resurgence at age 88 -- said Wednesday that she credits her longevity in the entertainment industry to "sheer blind luck."
"I'm the luckiest old broad that ever drew a breath," White told CNN's "Larry King Live."
After a cameo on a popular Super Bowl commercial in January and a series of comedic sketches on Craig Ferguson's "Late, Late Show," White's fans campaigned successfully via Facebook for her to host NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
White admitted to King that she was nervous about the May 8 show and said she finds herself questioning, "What are they doing with me?"
She said she had been approached to host "SNL" three times "many, many years ago," but declined because she associated the show with New York, and as a California girl, "I'm so not New York."
White got her start in show business in 1949 on a local television show. She went on to star in two hit sitcoms, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Golden Girls."
"I think the reason for the longevity is that ... several generations have gotten to know me over the years so I've become ... sort of part of the family," she said.
Most recently, she appeared in the blockbuster "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. And to add to her current hot streak, White recently signed on to be a series regular on a new TV Land cable channel sitcom titled "Hot in Cleveland" opposite Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Valerie Bertinelli.
"I'm not hot again, but I'm surprised to still be working," White said. "I just am amazed and I'm thrilled and I'm going along with it and enjoying it."
White has also continued her work for animal health and well-being, including a 46-year partnership with the Los Angeles Zoo, calling it one of her two loves in life -- alongside show business of course.
"It's such fun," she said. "Why should you stop something you enjoy so much?" | [
"How many sitcoms did the comediad have?",
"What are White's two hit sitcoms?",
"Who will host Saturday Night Live in May?",
"How many comedian shows had hit sitcoms?",
"Which day white will host NCB'S?",
"When will White host Saturday Night Live?"
] | [
[
"two"
],
[
"\"Golden Girls.\""
],
[
"Betty White"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"May 8"
],
[
"May 8"
]
] | White will host NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on May 8 .
Comedian had wo hit sitcoms, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Golden Girls"
Star's popularity surged after a popular Super Bowl commercial in January . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Corey Haim's death is linked to an "illegal and massive prescription-drug ring," California Attorney General Jerry Brown said Friday. Brown's office is investigating "an unauthorized prescription under the former child star's name that was found during an ongoing investigation of fraudulent prescription-drug pads ordered from a vendor in San Diego." "These prescriptions are very recent, and it involves Oxycontin and we're not talking just 40 pills, more than that," Brown said in an interview Friday with CNN Radio. The announcement comes before the coroner has ruled on what killed Haim, the 1980s teen movie actor who struggled for decades with drug addiction. Haim, 38, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. "Corey Haim's death is yet another tragedy linked to the growing problem of prescription-drug abuse," Brown said. "This problem is increasingly linked to criminal organizations, like the illegal and massive prescription-drug ring under investigation." Brown said the ring uses stolen doctor's identities to order prescription-drug pads that are used to write counterfeit prescriptions. "The doctor whose name is printed on the form is usually unaware that his or her identity has been stolen for this purpose," Brown said. Haim got two powerful drugs from a pharmacy 11 days before his death, according to a source with knowledge of the transaction. His primary-care doctor did not know about the prescriptions and called the pharmacy two days later to find out what Haim had been given, the source said. Brown's announcement did not specify whether any of the prescription drugs found in Haim's apartment after his death were illegally obtained. Several prescription-drug bottles were taken from Haim's apartment, Los Angeles County Deputy Coroner Ed Winter said Friday. Although the bottles indicated the drugs included Vicodin, Valium and Soma, no tests have been done to confirm what they are, he said. Haim had a prescription for the muscle relaxer Soma and the narcotic pain reliever Norco filled at a pharmacy on February 26, a source with knowledge of the transaction said. Two days after Haim personally picked up the drugs, his primary-care doctor called the San Fernando Valley pharmacy to ask about the prescriptions, the source said. The doctor said that "Haim was not feeling well" and he needed to know what drugs had been prescribed for the actor, the source said. The source, who worked at the pharmacy, asked not to be identified because his employer had not authorized him to talk. Haim's manager, Mark Heaslip, and close friend Corey Feldman both said Haim began seeing an addiction specialist two weeks before his death. Tiffany Shepis, who was engaged to be married to Haim last May, said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" that he was taking large amounts of Valium and Vicodin during their yearlong relationship. "You're talking about a person that, at the time when I knew him, you know, was ingesting 40 some-odd pills a day," Shepis said. Although the autopsy showed Haim's heart was enlarged and he had fluid in his lungs, the coroner's chief investigator said a drug overdose has not been ruled out as the cause of the actor's death. "You can have somebody with an enlarged heart and some other medical conditions, but you don't know if the actual cause of death is from illegal substances, medication or heart failure," Los Angeles County Deputy Coroner Ed Winter said Friday. Heaslip said the enlarged heart was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Winter disputed that. "There were some preliminary findings and we agreed to let the mother know what those were," Winter said. "It was explained to her that even though this is some preliminary findings that the doctor observed, there wouldn't be a final cause of death until the final toxicology tests are back." The cause of death may not | [
"What was found in Haim's name during the investigation?",
"What they found in Haim`s during the investigation?",
"Which name is found?",
"The coroner says what is not ruled out?",
"What is the cause?",
"Which preseciptions?"
] | [
[
"unauthorized prescription"
],
[
"prescription drugs"
],
[
"Corey Haim's"
],
[
"a drug overdose"
],
[
"illegal substances, medication or heart failure,\""
],
[
"Oxycontin"
]
] | Unauthorized prescriptions found in Haim's name during investigation, official says .
Name came up in ongoing probe of fraudulent prescription-drug pads .
No ruling on cause of death but coroner's office says drug overdose not ruled out . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Demonstrators entered their third day of a building takeover at UC Santa Cruz on Saturday in protest of a tuition increase, an undertaking that a school spokesman called futile. The occupation of Kerr Hall is just one of several demonstrations across University of California campuses this week after the regent's board approved a 32 percent increase in tuition Thursday. University officials said the $505 million to be raised by the tuition increases is needed to prevent even deeper cuts than those already made due to California's persistent financial crisis. Protesting students said the increase will hurt working and middle-class students who benefit from state-funded education. On the Santa Cruz campus, where building occupations began last week with a library sit-in, about 100 students staged a sit-in in the second-floor lobby of Kerr Hall soon after hearing that the tuition increase had been approved, according to UC Santa Cruz Provost David Kliger. The students made a list of 20 "demands" detailing how they want the administration to increase funding, spokesman Barry Shiller said. But the school has no plans to negotiate the demands with the student body, he said. The school just doesn't have the money, he added. School officials hope the students realize that their demonstration is "not accomplishing anything" and is "just a disruption" to administrative duties on campus, he said. The administration will continue to wait out the takeover, but Shiller said he is unsure of how long it will last. The school hopes the students will leave voluntarily, he said. Are you there? Share your story, video Meanwhile, uprisings on other campuses have quieted since earlier mass demonstrations. At UC Berkeley on Friday night, 41 protesters occupying a building were arrested. Authorities decided to cite them for trespassing and release them rather than take them to jail, per an agreement with student leaders, school spokeswoman Claire Holmes said. Three students were arrested there Friday morning. Fifty-two students were arrested at UC Davis late Thursday after they refused to vacate the school's administration building. And UCLA's Campbell Hall was occupied for several hours Thursday evening. The angry students are condemning a nearly $2,000 tuition increase. The first change, which takes effect in January, will raise undergraduate tuition to $8,373. The second increase kicks in next fall, raising tuition to $10,302, university spokeswoman Leslie Sepuka said. Students who live on campus could pay an estimated $17,200 in additional fees that include the annual cost of books and housing, according to the system's July 2008 finance guide. The January increase of about 15 percent is more than double the average public university tuition increase last year. On average, tuition and fees at four-year public universities nationwide increased 6.5 percent, or to $7,020, since the previous school year, according to data from College Board. Students eligible for financial aid and whose families make less than $70,000 will have their tuition covered, the university said. | [
"Students are protesting what?",
"How much money does the University officials think they need to raise to avoid further cut?",
"University officials say they need to raise how much money?",
"How many students occupy US-Santa Cruz hall?",
"Students continue to occupy what hall?",
"What are students occupying?",
"Who is the University official saying there will be no negotiation?",
"How much do they need to raise?"
] | [
[
"tuition increase,"
],
[
"$505 million"
],
[
"$505 million"
],
[
"about 100"
],
[
"Kerr"
],
[
"second-floor lobby of Kerr Hall"
],
[
"Barry Shiller"
],
[
"$505 million"
]
] | Students continue to occupy UC-Santa Cruz hall in protest of fee increases .
University officials say they need to raise $505 million to avoid further cuts .
Students issue demands to administration; official says there will be no negotiations . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Dr. Conrad Murray, personal physician to Michael Jackson, was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the pop star's death last summer.
A criminal complaint filed earlier in the day alleged that Murray "did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson."
Murray turned himself in shortly before 4 p.m. at a branch courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport. He pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing before Judge Keith L. Schwartz.
The judge set bail at $75,000, despite arguments from prosecutor David Walgren that Murray is a flight risk.
The judge refused to suspend Murray's medical license as a term of his bond, but he did order him not to use any anesthesia on patients.
"I don't want you sedating people," Schwartz told Murray.
Read the criminal complaint
The involuntary manslaughter charge means that Murray caused Jackson's death by acting "without due caution and circumspection."
If convicted, Murray would face a maximum four-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors.
More on involuntary manslaughter
Members of Michael Jackson's family -- including his parents Joe and Katherine Jackson, sister La Toya Jackson, and brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Randy and Tito Jackson -- attended the hearing.
"Not enough," Jermaine Jackson said when asked what he thought of the charge.
"I don't like what happened," Joe Jackson said as he left the courthouse.
La Toya Jackson later issued a statement through a publicist.
"Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan," her statement said. "There are other individuals involved and I will not rest and I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served."
Her statement did not elaborate on what she meant in her reference to "a much larger plan."
Murray traveled to Los Angeles at the end of January from his home in Houston, Texas, in expectation of possible charges, his lawyer said.
He used part of his time last week to visit the pop star's resting place in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Murray, a cardiologist, was hired as Jackson's personal physician last spring as the singer prepared for comeback concerts in London, England.
The doctor told Los Angeles police that he was with Jackson at his $100,000-a-month rented Holmby Hills mansion through the early morning hours of June 25, 2009, in an effort to help the pop star fall asleep, according to a police affidavit.
He administered sleep aids, and after Jackson finally began sleeping in the late morning hours, Murray said, he left the bedroom for "about two minutes maximum," the affidavit says.
"Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing," it says.
The doctor stayed with Jackson as an ambulance rushed him to UCLA Medical Center.
Efforts at CPR proved fruitless, and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide, resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol and lorazepam.
The coroner's statement said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," but there were "other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect." Lorazepam and two other drugs Murray said he used are benzodiazepines.
The doctor told investigators he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, a police affidavit said.
Murray had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer's death. The doctor told investigators he gave Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip.
The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and tried to wean him off it.
During the two nights before Jackson's death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in | [
"What was the cause of Jackson's death?",
"What did Jermaine Jackson say?",
"What year did the singer pass away?"
] | [
[
"homicide, resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol and lorazepam."
],
[
"\"Not enough,\""
],
[
"2009,"
]
] | NEW: Charge "not enough," says Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine .
DA's office in L.A. files complaint alleging single count of involuntary manslaughter .
Dr. Conrad Murray was Jackson's physician when the singer died on June 25 .
Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, will discuss the case tonight at 9 ET on "Larry King Live" |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Felony fraud charges against actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, were dropped Wednesday after she accepted a deal on a misdemeanor offense, a California prosecutor said.
The Quaids were facing felony charges of defrauding an innkeeper and skipping out on a $10,000 hotel bill in Santa Barbara, California, in September 2009.
The couple have paid the bill in full, according to Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Arnie Tolks.
After Evi Quaid entered a plea of no contest to one misdemeanor count of defrauding an innkeeper, she was sentenced to three years probation and 240 hours of community service, Tolks said.
The Quaids were first arrested in Texas in September on a warrant issued by a Santa Barbara judge. They missed several court dates since then, prompting the judge to order them to jail on Monday unless they posted $100,000 bail each, which they did.
After the couple showed up for a court hearing on Monday, their lawyer negotiated a plea deal.
While investigators had circumstantial evidence against Randy Quaid, they could not prove his direct involvement in dealing with the hotel or the credit card transaction, Tolks said.
Evidence showed it was Evi Quaid who handled the business with the hotel, he said.
Quaid, 56, is known for his roles in several films, including the "National Lampoon's Vacation" movies, "Kingpin" and "Brokeback Mountain." His younger brother is actor Dennis Quaid.
CNN's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report. | [
"What charges did it drop against them?",
"were they accused of skipping out on $10,000 hotel bill?",
"what were they accused of",
"what was dropped",
"how much was the bill"
] | [
[
"Felony fraud"
],
[
"facing felony charges"
],
[
"felony charges of defrauding an innkeeper and skipping out on a $10,000 hotel bill"
],
[
"Felony fraud charges"
],
[
"$10,000"
]
] | Felony charges dropped against actor and his wife .
They were accused of skipping out on $10,000 hotel bill .
Evi Quaid agrees to misdemeanor charge, probation and community service . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Former teen idol Leif Garrett posted a $10,000 bond Wednesday after spending two days in a jail on a drug charge, a Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman said. Garrett, 48, was arrested Monday at a downtown Los Angeles train station after police found heroin in his shoe, spokesman Steve Whitmore said. He was 16 when he scored his first pop chart hit, "Surfin' USA," in 1977. It was followed by a four-year run of songs that kept young girls swooning and teens dancing. When deputies approached Garrett Monday morning at the Metrolink station, he was "acting in a pronounced way, shaking and sweating," Whitmore said. Garrett told them he was "nervous around law enforcement because of other meetings with them in the past," he said. The singer did jail time four years ago after he was arrested with heroin while he stood on a subway platform at another Los Angeles transit station. This time, Garrett told the officers that he had no drugs and he agreed to let them search him, Whitmore said. As they searched, Garrett told them he did have a little heroin in his shoe. "That was found and it was black tar heroin," Whitmore said. Garrett was taken to the East Los Angeles sheriff's station, where he was booked and held on bond. His court date is February 24, Whitmore said. CNN's Michelle Wright and Alan Duke contributed to this report. | [
"who posted bail afher 2 days in prison?",
"What is Garrett's first pop chart hit?",
"When was \"Surfing USA\" a pop chart hit?",
"what was garrett found with?",
"What age was Garrett when he scored his first pop chart hit?",
"what age was garrett when he scored his first hit?"
] | [
[
"Leif Garrett"
],
[
"\"Surfin' USA,\""
],
[
"1977."
],
[
"heroin in his shoe,"
],
[
"16"
],
[
"16"
]
] | L.A. County authorities: Leif Garrett posts $10,000 bond after two days in a jail .
Garrett was found with heroin and arrested Monday, sheriff's spokesman says .
The former teen idol was arrested four years ago for possession of heroin .
Garrett was 16 when he scored his first pop chart hit, "Surfin' USA," in 1977 . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- If you stared at empty seats around your Thanksgiving dinner table, Robert DeNiro's newest film could help. Parents who want their kids home for Christmas may do well by persuading them to see "Everybody's Fine," which opens next Friday in U.S. theaters. "I'm hoping it might catch the moment, and it might catch the Christmas spirit and the Thanksgiving spirit," director-writer Kirk Jones told CNN over coffee in Hollywood. The movie is targeted at people with parents, brothers, sisters or children, Jones said. "Pretty much everyone," Jones said. "It's about family." The story centers around a cross-country journey by DeNiro's character struggling to bring together his grown children for Christmas, several months after their mother's death. DeNiro reveals a sensitive, aging father who imagines that "everybody's fine" -- a solace for his lonely suffering. Each stop reveals how his wife had sheltered him from bad news about his kids -- played by Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell -- and how they did not know how to communicate honestly with him. His children were not living the lives he had fantasized for them. "It's easier not to face up to the truth," Jones said. Audiences emerged from preview screenings thinking about their own parents or children, Jones said. "People are coming out of the movie, almost without exception, saying 'I've got to ring my mom, I've got to ring my dad,'" Jones said. The strongest reactions have come from people between 24 and 35, many of whom told Jones he's "scratched a nerve," he said. "They were saying 'That's me. That's my dad. Those are my parents.'" "Most people have got regrets," he said. "When they leave their parents, everyone looks back and thinks, 'I should have invited them on holiday with us that time or I should have made it that weekend or I should have just called them more often.'" It's a remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's 1990 Italian film "Stanno Tutti Bene" -- English translation: Everybody's Fine. But Jones, a British director best known as the writer-director of the 1998 surprise hit "Waking Ned Devine," made this into an American story. Jones took his own trip for inspiration before writing the screenplay, traveling by train and bus across the United States. He realized the telephone wires he saw, stretching from pole to pole for hundreds of miles along the tracks and highways, serve as a metaphor for his story. "It's like a wave, a musical rhythm," Jones said. Frank -- DeNiro's character -- spent his life manufacturing the protective coating for the telephone lines. "He protected the line of communication," Jones said. But decades of exposure to the chemicals made him ill, as did his years of insulation from honest communications with his family. "The irony is, when he's traveling, the children are talking about him through his wires," Jones said. A personal irony for the director is that, for the 14 months Jones was making this movie about family togetherness in the United States, he was away from his own family in England. | [
"Who traveled the US for inspiration?",
"What did Kirk Jones tell CNN?",
"what does the story center on?",
"What does each stop reveal?",
"What is \"everybody's fine\" targeted at?",
"What is the story about?",
"Who wrote the screenplay?"
] | [
[
"Jones"
],
[
"\"I'm hoping it might catch the moment, and it might catch the Christmas spirit and the Thanksgiving spirit,\""
],
[
"around a cross-country journey by DeNiro's character"
],
[
"how his wife had sheltered him from bad news about his kids"
],
[
"\"Pretty much everyone,\""
],
[
"a cross-country journey by DeNiro's character struggling to bring together his grown children for Christmas, several months after their mother's death."
],
[
"Jones"
]
] | "Everybody's Fine" is targeted at "pretty much everyone," director Kirk Jones told CNN .
Story centers on a father's journey as he seeks to reunite his kids for the holidays .
Each stop reveals how his wife had sheltered him from bad news about his kids .
Jones, who also wrote the screenplay, traveled the U.S. for inspiration . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Lee DeWyze, a paint salesman from Chicago, Illinois, was announced the winner of Fox's "American Idol" on Wednesday night, edging out fellow 24-year-old Crystal Bowersox, a mother from Elliston, Ohio, affectionately known as "MamaSox" to her fans.a
After host Ryan Seacrest revealed him as the winner, an emotional DeWyze performed his rendition of U2's "Beautiful Day" while sparklers and confetti rained down from the rafters at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.
The finale also marked the end of Simon Cowell's nine-season run on the show as the often-critical and sometimes foul-tempered head judge many contestants both feared and respected.
Former "Idol" judge Paula Abdul returned to the show to participate in the tribute to Cowell, along with many former winners, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino.
The night also featured performances from Janet Jackson, Alanis Morrisette, Joe Cocker and Christina Aguilera.
Cowell will be bringing his popular U.K. talent show, "The X Factor," to the United States in fall 2011, according to Fox. | [
"who did Dewyze beat?",
"Who joins to tribute Cowell?",
"what did dewyze beat",
"what is cowell doing",
"who is performing",
"Who beats Crystal Bowersox in the season finale?"
] | [
[
"Crystal Bowersox,"
],
[
"Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard"
],
[
"Crystal Bowersox,"
],
[
"bringing his popular U.K. talent show, \"The X Factor,\" to the United States"
],
[
"Janet Jackson, Alanis Morrisette, Joe Cocker"
],
[
"Lee DeWyze,"
]
] | DeWyze beats Crystal Bowersox in season finale .
The show also is the last for judge Simon Cowell .
Former "Idol" judge Paula Abdul joins tribute to Cowell .
Janet Jackson, Alanis Morrisette among performers on finale . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's father suspects his son was murdered and that Dr. Conrad Murray is "just a fall guy" in a conspiracy.
Joe Jackson appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday night, just hours after sitting in a courtroom to hear Murray plead not guilty to a single charge of involuntary manslaughter in his son's death last summer.
A Los Angeles judge set bail at $75,000, despite arguments from the prosecutor that Murray is a flight risk and needs a higher bail. Murray posted the bond and was released several hours later.
Michael Jackson's family, including his parents, four of his brothers and one sister, filled the first two rows of the small courtroom.
"I was looking for justice, and justice, to me, would be a murder charge," Joe Jackson told King.
Prosecutors charged Murray, who was Jackson's personal physician, with causing the pop star's death "without malice" by acting "without due caution and circumspection."
Murray was with the pop star when he died on June 25, 2009.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide, resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol -- a powerful anesthesia -- and lorazepam.
Joe Jackson suggested it was more than a doctor making a fatal judgment.
"To me, he's just a fall guy," Jackson said. "There's other people, I think, involved with this whole thing. But I think that he's interrogated -- he would come clean and tell everything he knows."
He said Michael Jackson told his mother, as he was preparing for his comeback concerts in London, England, last year, that he thought he would be killed.
"He was afraid to even do all of these shows, because he was afraid that he wouldn't get a chance to finish all of the show," Joe Jackson said. "He couldn't do all those shows back-to-back. Even his kids say that he had told them that he would be murdered."
Murray turned himself in shortly before 4 p.m. at a branch courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport. He pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing before Judge Keith L. Schwartz.
The judge refused to suspend Murray's medical license as a term of his bond, but he did order him not to use any anesthesia on patients.
"I don't want you sedating people," Schwartz told Murray.
Read the criminal complaint
The involuntary manslaughter charge means that Murray caused Jackson's death by acting "without due caution and circumspection."
If convicted, Murray would face a maximum four-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors.
More on involuntary manslaughter
Jackson family members later reacted to what they saw in the courtroom:
"Not enough," Jermaine Jackson said when asked what he thought of the charge.
"I don't like what happened," Joe Jackson said as he left the courthouse.
La Toya Jackson later issued a statement through a publicist.
"Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan," her statement said. "There are other individuals involved and I will not rest and I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served."
Her statement did not elaborate on what she meant in her reference to "a much larger plan."
Murray traveled to Los Angeles at the end of January from his home in Houston, Texas, in expectation of possible charges, his lawyer said.
He used part of his time last week to visit the pop star's resting place in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Murray, a cardiologist, was hired as Jackson's personal physician last spring as the singer prepared for comeback concerts in London, England.
The doctor told Los Angeles police that he was with Jackson at his $100,000-a-month rented Holmby Hills mansion through | [
"What was bail set for?",
"what does Dr. conrad murray plead?",
"Joe Jackson says he believes Michael was what?",
"what was bail set at?",
"who believes mICHAEL WAS MURDERED?",
"Who said Michael Jackson was murdered?",
"How long till Murray was out of jail after bond was posted?",
"Judge sets bail at how mauch?",
"What did Dr. Murray plead?"
] | [
[
"$75,000,"
],
[
"not guilty"
],
[
"murdered"
],
[
"$75,000,"
],
[
"Jackson's father"
],
[
"Joe"
],
[
"several hours"
],
[
"$75,000,"
],
[
"not guilty"
]
] | On "Larry King Live," Joe Jackson says he believes Michael was murdered .
Father says MJ had expressed fears that he would be murdered before London shows .
Dr. Conrad Murray pleads not guilty to a single charge of involuntary manslaughter .
Judge sets bail at $75,000; Murray posts bond and out of jail several hours later . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- NBC host Jay Leno is going back to late nights after a low-rated experiment in prime time, the network announced Sunday.
Leno's prime-time talk show, which debuted in September, "didn't meet affiliates' needs," said Jeff Gaspin, chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment.
The program will go off the air February 12, when the 2010 Winter Olympics begin.
The network is now negotiating with Leno and its current late-night hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon, to decide who ends up with which time slot, Gaspin said.
O'Brien took over NBC's flagship "Tonight Show" when Leno moved to the 10 p.m. slot in September. Fallon took over O'Brien's former show, "Late Night."
Gaspin said the plan now is for Leno to host a new, half-hour show at 11:35 p.m. ET, followed by "Tonight" with O'Brien at 12:05 a.m. Fallon's show would move to the 1 a.m. hour, he said.
Do you think NBC did the right thing?
The goal is to keep all three hosts, but nothing was a done deal as of Sunday, he said.
Reports of the shakeup first emerged last week. Leno dismissed them on his show on Thursday night, telling his audience, "It's always been my experience NBC only cancels you when you're in first place."
Leno's move to prime time was a risk for NBC, because it put a talk show up against scripted prime-time shows and ran it five days a week. Network spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said last week that Leno performed "exactly as we anticipated on the network."
But for NBC's affiliates, Leno's low ratings were taking viewers -- and the resulting ad dollars -- away from their late local newscasts.
"The 11 o'clock news hours were bleeding ratings," said Stuart Levine, an analyst for the entertainment trade paper Variety. While NBC appeared to be fine with Leno's numbers, the affiliates "kind of revolted and said we have to have better ratings," Levine said.
Michael Fiorile, the chairman of NBC's affiliate board, called the decision announced Sunday "a great move for the affiliates, the network and, most importantly, the viewers."
"We admire their willingness to innovate, and their willingness to change course when it didn't work for us," Fiorile said in a written statement.
For NBC, which had promised to give Leno a full year in the 10 p.m. time slot, "It's certainly a little bit of egg on the face," Levine said.
Mediaweek analyst Marc Berman called the network's gamble on Leno "the biggest fiasco in the history of television."
"What they didn't realize was that the people who watched Leno in late night were not necessarily the same people who watched in prime time, so there was no reason to believe that his audience would follow him to prime time," Berman said.
Meanwhile, the O'Brien-helmed "Tonight" lost about half its audience "and actually really hurt late night, which is a big profit center for NBC," Berman said.
Moving "Tonight" -- which has held its current slot for decades -- back a half-hour is likely to hurt the show, and Berman predicted that NBC will be unable to keep all three hosts.
"My guess is down the road, they will give back Leno the 'Tonight Show,' leave it on at 11:35 p.m., and Conan will move to Fox," he said. "But if I was either one of those gentlemen, I would be looking elsewhere right now."
CNN's Doug Hyde contributed to this report. | [
"When will Leno's show go off the air?",
"what is mediaweek predicting?",
"At what time will Leno's new half-hour show start?",
"What month did the host move to the 10 pm slot?",
"When will Len's 10 p.m. show go off the air?"
] | [
[
"February 12,"
],
[
"they will give back Leno the 'Tonight Show,' leave it on at 11:35 p.m., and Conan will move to Fox,\""
],
[
"11:35 p.m. ET,"
],
[
"September."
],
[
"February 12,"
]
] | NEW: Mediaweek analyst predicts at least one among Leno, O'Brien and Fallon will leave .
NEW: Leno to host half-hour show starting at 11:35 p.m. ET; O'Brien moving to 12:05 a.m.
Leno's 10 p.m. show to go off the air next month when Winter Olympics start .
TV host moved to 10 p.m. slot in September; ratings have been low . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Rain pounded water-logged Los Angeles on Thursday, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said more than 300 city residents were ordered to evacuate because of the threat of mudslides.
"We continue to urge the public who live in these areas to evacuate, to heed the warnings of our police officers and firefighters, our first responders, who are there to protect your public safety," the mayor said.
Just over 500 Los Angeles County residents who were advised to flee their homes earlier had done so by Thursday morning, said Capt. Sam Padilla of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The latest storm is part of a series that began Monday, drenching communities up and down the coast. Some areas have received more than 12 inches of rain this week, the National Weather Service reported. Flash flood watches were in effect Thursday night for Southern California, as well as central Arizona and southern Utah.
"While the worst of the last few storms is behind us, there still is a significant threat from thundershowers that are forming off the coast," Villaraigosa said at a news conference Thursday night, warning of the potential for lightning, hail and water spouts.
Los Angeles had four swift-water rescue and two urban search-and-rescue teams on standby to deal with potential flooding, according to the mayor, who said more were available if needed. There were three swift-water rescues Wednesday, according to Padilla.
No relief from the wet weather is expected until the weekend, increasing the threat of mudslides in communities nestled below hills that were stripped of trees and vegetation during 2009 wildfires.
Villaraigosa said the brunt of the storm was supposed to hit by 6 p.m. Rainfall totals of 1 to 4 inches are expected across coastal sections of California with isolated additional rainfall amounts of 7 inches possible, forecasters said.
Are you affected by the storms? Send your images and video
The rains are the result of El Niño, a warm ocean current from the South Pacific, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.
In coastal Pacifica, south of San Francisco, a huge mudslide left an apartment building teetering on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, CNN's Dan Simon reported. He said the four apartments in the building were evacuated, and quoted an engineer saying the building could topple into the water at any time. TV crews could be near the structure only briefly.
One man complained about being told to leave his Southern California home.
"You're talking about blocking us out of here for five days, evacuating until next week," he said to CNN affiliate KABC-TV in Los Angeles. "You know what, that's too many days, that's a huge inconvenience. I understand they're looking out for our safety ... but I'm not out driving around. I'm staying put."
See KABC's coverage of the storms
Villaraigosa said Thursday that U.S. geologists, sanitation workers and street maintenance workers will head into threatened regions Friday morning to determine whether it is safe for residents to return to their homes.
In the mountains of Southern California, the storms brought heavy snow, closing Interstate 15 at Cajon Pass and the Grapevine section of Interstate 5 for a time, the California Highway Patrol reported Thursday.
Heavy snowfall remains in the forecast for the higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada, southeastern Utah, southwestern Colorado and southeastern Arizona. More than 73 inches of snow has fallen in Chagoopa Plateau, California, since Sunday and more than 35 inches in parts of Arizona.
CNN's Sean Morris contributed to this report. | [
"what is a serious threat",
"what were the number of evacuees",
"From what county were the people evacuated?",
"what closes the roads",
"What types of weather incidents are occurring?",
"How many Los Angeles County residents were evacuated?",
"What is the reason they need to leave?"
] | [
[
"mudslides."
],
[
"300 city residents"
],
[
"Los Angeles"
],
[
"mudslides."
],
[
"Flash flood"
],
[
"500"
],
[
"threat of mudslides."
]
] | Just over 500 Los Angeles County residents also were evacuated .
Mudslides a serious threat to areas near hills stripped of vegetation by wildfires .
Snow closes roads in mountain areas of Southern California . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died, Haim's manager said. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said. Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim's death was not caused by a drug overdose, but Brian Elias with the coroner's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim. The 1980s teen movie actor, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother, authorities said. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim. Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, early Wednesday, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), said Ed Winter, Los Angeles County deputy coroner. Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother, Judy Haim, when he "became a little dizzy, he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom," Winter said. "His mom assisted him in the bed. He became unresponsive." His mother called paramedics to the apartment, which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank, he said. Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days, the deputy coroner said. "We found no illicit drugs. However, we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location," Winter said, adding he does not know what those drugs were. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said on HLN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell" on Wednesday. The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday. Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose. He said that until the autopsy report is issued, "nobody knows and nobody's going to know." Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend's death on "Larry King Live" "I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things," Feldman said. "This could have been a kidney failure. This could have been a heart failure." Heaslip that said Haim's mother, Judy, told him "there were no signs of him overdosing." His death came as his career was picking up, with Haim booking "movie after movie," Heaslip said. His latest film is set for release soon, he said. Haim "really became a man" in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer, Feldman said. "He's been there for her, taking care of her, being responsible," he said. Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry. He was broke, without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother, he said. "We build people up as children, we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore, we walk away from them," he said. Haim's most famous role was in the 1987 movie "The Lost Boys," in which he appeared with Feldman. Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire. In later years, the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways. They reunited for a reality show, "The Two Coreys," in 2007, but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year. In | [
"Which actor died?",
"What type of test is the coroners office waiting on",
"What did Mark Heaslip say?",
"What did the autopsy show?",
"What did Haim struggle with for decades",
"When did Corey Haim die?",
"Haim struggled with what for decades?",
"What did he suffer from?"
] | [
[
"Corey Haim"
],
[
"toxicology"
],
[
"The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion,"
],
[
"lungs were filled with water"
],
[
"drug addiction,"
],
[
"early Wednesday"
],
[
"drug addiction,"
],
[
"pulmonary congestion,"
]
] | Corey Haim's manager: Autopsy showed actor's heart was enlarged when he died .
Coroner told Haim's mother that he suffered from pulmonary congestion, Mark Heaslip said .
Coroner's official said they are awaiting toxicology tests before ruling on cause of death .
Haim, who struggled for decades with drug addiction, died early Wednesday . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The children of a Los Angeles woman found dead at a Mexican resort last month will not be allowed to attend a memorial service for their mother Sunday, a judge ruled Friday.
A therapist hired by their father, a former "Survivor" producer named a "person of interest" in the investigation of his wife's death, said the service could be emotionally harmful to the young children.
Mexican authorities detained the father, Bruce Beresford-Redman, as a suspect the day his wife's body's was found. He was released a day later.
Sunday's memorial service is planned by Monica Beresford-Redman's sisters, who are also fighting for custody of the children.
"We respect the decision of the court, but we are very disappointed the fact that the children were denied to participate in the celebration of their mother's life," Jeane Burgos said.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff delayed any decision on changing the current custody arrangement. Beresford-Redman's parents were given temporary custody last month after he was told by Mexican police to remain in the country while they investigated. He recently returned to Los Angeles and filed papers for custody to be returned to him.
The maternal sisters have also petitioned for permanent custody of the children, ages 3 and 5.
Beresford-Redman was not in court Friday because of the swarm of reporters at the Los Angeles County courthouse, his criminal defense lawyer said.
Defense Attorney Richard Hirsch used the gathering of journalists to ask that there not be "a rush to judgment" about Beresford-Redman. He said there have been other unsolved deaths and an attack at the Moon Palace resort, where Monica Beresford-Redman's body was found in a sewer.
Hirsch cited the death of an elderly Scottish woman, who was found in a swamp weeks after leaving a pool for a walk, and a Canadian man who allegedly fell from a hotel balcony.
Jeff Toews, a Canadian, was found dead in May 2007. Investigators decided he died from a drunken fall from a balcony, but his family did not accept that explanation.
Julia Howard, a 77-year-old woman from Scotland, was found dead in a dense swamp six weeks after disappearing from a pool area last summer. Her family also rejected the police conclusion that her death was an accident.
A woman reported an attempted rape in her hotel room "several days after Mrs. Beresford-Redman's body was discovered," Hirsch said.
"We have brought this to the attention of the authorities and, in particular, to the attorney general in Cancun and asked them to pursue all leads before making a decision whether of not to charge our client," Hirsch said. "We feel that this case should not be a rush to judgment."
"There are strange things going on, I think, that need to be pursued," he said.
A spokeswoman for the resort has not responded to a CNN request for comment.
The initial investigation suggested Monica Beresford-Redman "died of strangulation because of the bruising," Mexican regional police spokesman Adrian Cardena said.
A source close to the wife has told CNN that she cleaned out the family bank account and took her two children to Hawaii because she was upset about her husband's extramarital affair. The couple later traveled to Cancun in an effort to repair their marriage, the source said.
Bruce Beresford-Redman built his career as a Hollywood reality television show producer. He worked for several seasons on the popular CBS show "Survivor," in which contestants compete against each other in a variety of extreme outdoor scenarios. He was nominated for three Emmy Awards as a producer on the show and was last credited as a producer in 2004.
He also worked on NBC's "The Contender" and "The Restaurant," as well as MTV's "Pimp My Ride," according to entertainment media company IMG.
Monica Beresford-Redman, a native of Brazil, owned a restaurant in Los Angeles. | [
"Who has been named a person of interest?",
"Who was the person of interest?",
"What would harm young children?",
"Where was the mother found?"
] | [
[
"Bruce Beresford-Redman,"
],
[
"Bruce Beresford-Redman,"
],
[
"memorial service for their mother"
],
[
"a Mexican resort"
]
] | Mother was found dead at a Mexican resort last month .
Father named "person of interest" in investigation of his wife's death .
Therapist said emotional service could harm young children .
Father's lawyer says resort had other unsolved deaths . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The most memorable moment of the 52nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday may be the onstage appearance of Michael Jackson's two eldest children to accept their father's lifetime achievement award.
"To all his songs, his message was simple, love," 12-year-old Prince Michael said. "We will continue to spread his message and help the world."
With a voice that sounded more mature than his age, he then thanked "God for watching over us these last seven months and our grandma and grandpa for their love and support."
Paris, 11, then spoke: "Daddy was supposed to be here. Daddy was going to perform last year. Thank you. We love you Daddy."
Prince Michael and Paris, along with several cousins, wore black suits with red stripes on their pants, and red armbands.
The children appeared after a rousing performance of Michael Jackson's "Earth Song," with a recording of Jackson accompanied by live performances from Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Smokey Robinson and Jennifer Hudson.
Grammy producers used the head-to-head competition between Beyonce and Taylor Swift to lure viewers to stay tuned through the three-and-a-half hour telecast.
List: Major Grammy winners
Swift got the biggest Grammy of the night, album of the year, for "Fearless."
"I just hope that you know how much this means to me," she said in her acceptance speech. "Our families are freaking out in their living rooms."
Swift also won best country album. She won four Grammys overall.
Beyonce won a pair of Grammys over Swift, including for best female pop vocal performance.
Beyonce carried home six Grammys, including one in the major category of song of the year. That honor, a songwriters' award, was given to Beyonce for co-writing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)."
For the best female pop honor, won for "Halo," the nervous singer thanked her family, "including my husband -- I love you." Beyonce is married to hip-hop star Jay-Z.
Gallery: Red-carpet arrivals
Alternative rock band Kings of Leon upset favorites Beyonce and Swift to win the record of the year Grammy for "Use Somebody."
The win gave the Kings of Leon three Grammys out of four nominations this year, all thanks to last year's "Only by the Night" album. The same album gave them three nominations last year, one of which they won.
"Use Somebody" lost out earlier in the show to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" for song of the year.
"The best thing about winning Grammys is really it's the first time our family gets to see the success we're having," Kings lead singer Caleb Followill said backstage. "We're getting my mom wasted."
What do you think about the Grammys?
Other triple Grammy winners were The Black Eyed Peas and Jay-Z.
Winners also included Stephen Colbert, the Zac Brown Band and Green Day.
The Zac Brown Band won best new artist. Lady Gaga, considered by many to be this year's biggest breakout act, was ruled ineligible because she had a song released and nominated last year.
Behind-the-scenes: Our Marquee blog
Stephen Colbert won best comedy album for "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!" Rap/sung collaboration went to Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West.
Green Day won best rock album.
"Now I'm going to do shots with Kings of Leon," Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong said.
Lady Gaga, whose performance opened the show, won two Grammys presented in the pre-telecast. Her single "Poker Face" beat out songs by the Black Eyed Peas, Madonna and Britney Spears in the best dance recording category. Her CD "The Fame" also won a Grammy for best electronic/dance.
CNN's KJ Matthews and David Daniels | [
"Who won album of the year?",
"Who accepted Michael Jackson's award?",
"Who accepted the lifetime achievement award?",
"How many Grammys did Beyonce win?"
] | [
[
"Swift"
],
[
"two eldest children"
],
[
"Michael Jackson's two eldest children"
],
[
"six"
]
] | Taylor Swift wins album of the year, four Grammys total .
Beyonce wins six Grammys, including song of the year .
Jackson children Prince Michael and Paris accept lifetime achievement award .
Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" wins record of the year . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The parents of a California girl who was allegedly raped and killed by a registered sex offender are calling for tougher standards against repeat offenders. "How many times do our daughters need to be raped before we put these monsters behind bars forever?" said Kelly King, mother of 17-year-old Chelsea King, in an interview Thursday with CNN's "Larry King Live." "I just don't -- I don't get it. Change has to be made," she continued, "and I know that there are people out there that are trying to, you know, get this change in place." She said she and her husband, Brent King, "are committed for the rest of our lives to be a part of that." On Wednesday, John Albert Gardner III, 30, a registered sex offender, was charged in the rape and murder of Chelsea, who lived in the San Diego area. Gardner, who is being represented by a public defender, was also charged Wednesday with assault with intent to commit rape in an attack on a jogger in December 2009. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Gardner, of Lake Elsinore, California, will not be allowed to post bail. If convicted, the charges against Gardner make him eligible for the death penalty, the San Diego County district attorney's office said Wednesday. The prosecutor's office said it has not determined whether it will seek capital punishment. For the Kings, there's no question. "I think the death penalty is a very appropriate punishment for this case," Kelly King. Brent King said he had "100 percent agreement" with his wife. Searchers found a body on Tuesday they believe to be that of Chelsea King. Police arrested Gardner on Sunday. King had been missing since February 25. Investigators said she was last seen at her school in Poway, about 15 miles north of San Diego. Her car, with her cell phone inside, was found at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Searchers found remains in a shallow grave at that park; they were found along the shoreline of a tributary south of a lake, authorities said. The body was found in a heavily wooded area not visible from nearby homes. A shoe had been found earlier in the same area, the sheriff said. King's parents, noting she was a great student and avid runner, said she had gone for a run at the park before she disappeared. "It's a lovely area, very peaceful, very picturesque -- exactly what Chelsea ... loved to be in," Kelly King said. She said the couple's son, 13-year-old Tyler, was extremely close to his sister. "He's struggling through it just like us," Brent King added. Gardner's next court appearance, a status hearing, is scheduled for Tuesday. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 18. | [
"Whose parents make an appearance on \"Larry King Live\"?",
"What did Chelsea's mother say is very appropriate punishment?",
"Which program did Chelsea King's parents make an appearance?",
"What do they call for against repeat sex offenders?",
"Who pleaded not guilty for raping and murdering Chelsea King?",
"Who is the registered sex offender?"
] | [
[
"Chelsea"
],
[
"death penalty,"
],
[
"Live.\""
],
[
"tougher standards"
],
[
"John Albert Gardner III,"
],
[
"John Albert Gardner III,"
]
] | Parents of Chelsea King make appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live"
They call for tougher standards against repeat sex offenders .
Registered sex offender John Gardner has pleaded not guilt to raping and murdering Chelsea .
Mother says death penalty is "a very appropriate punishment for this case" |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The venerable Smithsonian Institution, often dubbed "America's Attic," said no Tuesday to adding a piece of 1990s history to its collections.
A day earlier, a California judge approved an agreement to donate the brownish-green suit O.J. Simpson wore the day in 1995 that he was acquitted of murder -- if museum officials wanted it. But they didn't.
"The curators feel that it doesn't fit with the collections here at the National Museum of American History," Valeska Hilbig, spokeswoman for the museum, told CNN Radio Tuesday.
The museum houses iconic memorabilia, such as a pair of Judy Garland's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz," the hat Abraham Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated and a piece of a lunch counter from a Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina, that was the site of a civil rights sit-in.
The museum on the National Mall in Washington is also home of the original "Star Spangled Banner," which inspired poet Francis Scott Key to pen the lyrics to what would become the national anthem.
The agreement to donate the suit ended a years-long battled between Fred Goldman, the father of the man the ex-National Football League star was accused of killing, and Simpson's former sports agent, Mike Gilbert, who has possession of the suit.
But no one checked with the Smithsonian before making the announcement. Hilbig said there was no official offer to donate the suit and that officials learned of the potential deal on the Internet.
With the Smithsonian's rejection, the parties will look for another museum to take the suit, per the Los Angeles County Superior Court order on Monday.
"I suggested to go back to USC (the University of Southern California, where Simpson starred in college football), even though they've distanced themselves, or maybe the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum," said Simpson's attorney, Ronald Slates, who said he was disappointed in the Smithsonian's decision.
"We had worked six hours on Monday to reach the settlement, and to find the finest museum in America turning down what is truly a piece of highly controversial litigation in the United States -- it was very disappointing," he said.
"Of all the museums in the United States, this would be the one most open because it is our national museum," he said. "It deals with the ups and downs of America. You don't see the Smithsonian walking away from days of the Depression -- which were certainly horrible days in our history -- because it was so horrible. So, I thought this would be the museum to house this, even as controversial as it is."
Simpson stood trial on charges of stabbing to death his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Fred Goldman's son, Ronald, outside her luxury townhouse in Brentwood on June 12, 1994.
The trial lasted more than nine months and ended on October 3, 1995, with a jury finding Simpson not guilty.
Later, the families of Brown and Goldman took Simpson to civil court to seek damages for wrongful death.
That jury found Simpson liable for the deaths and awarded $8.5 million in compensatory damages to the Goldman family and to Ron Goldman's biological mother.
Since then, Fred Goldman has been trying to collect the money. Simpson has consistently said he did not kill the two and should not have to pay.
In 2008, Gilbert appeared on the "Dr. Phil" television show, claiming he had the suit and pants Simpson wore on the day of the acquittal. He also said the "acquittal suit" -- as it came to be known -- was worth $50,000.
Monday's decision, said Goldman, "takes any option out of the killer's hands or Gilbert's hands to sell it and make money on it."
Meanwhile, Simpson, 62, is serving a nine-year sentence in Nevada after his conviction on robbery and kidnapping charges in an unrelated case.
The case involved a botched attempt in September | [
"who had the suit",
"what was simpson acquitted of",
"what did smithsonian say",
"Who he was acquitted of murder?",
"What was it approved by the judge?",
"What did Smithsonian comment?"
] | [
[
"Simpson's former sports agent, Mike Gilbert,"
],
[
"murder"
],
[
"\"The curators feel that it doesn't fit with the collections here at the National Museum of American History,\""
],
[
"O.J. Simpson"
],
[
"an agreement to donate the brownish-green suit O.J. Simpson wore the day in 1995 that he"
],
[
"\"The curators feel that it doesn't fit with the collections here at the National Museum of American History,\""
]
] | Judge had approved an agreement allowing the donation of the suit .
Smithsonian says it had never been contacted about whether it wanted O.J. Simpson's suit .
Simpson's former sports agent, Mike Gilbert, has possession of the suit .
O.J. Simpson was acquitted in slayings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- There's an innocence to Jessica Biel, she says. The actress, who has starred in "The Illusionist" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," wanted to tap into her childlike side for "Planet 51," a new animated film about an Earth astronaut who lands on a faraway planet that has much in common with 1950s America -- except for the aliens. "I love that kind of throwback to a more of innocent time and a simpler time and more conservative," she told CNN. "There's something just kind of attractive about that, those kinds of qualities to me, and I just thought it would be fun." "Planet 51," which also features the voice work of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Justin Long and Gary Oldman, opens Friday. Biel sat down with CNN to talk about the film, the challenges of voice work and the difficulty of finding good roles for actresses. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Why did you choose to do something animated? Jessica Biel: I think I chose this part because I'm kind of a kid at heart and I really thought the story was so sweet and fun. ... I wasn't doing anything. I was able to work in town, at home in L.A., which is so rare. CNN: You could probably wear your pajamas to work. Biel: Pretty much. Roll in, no hair and makeup. I just always wanted to be a voice in some great movie where some little girl loves my character. CNN: Did you get to meet [your co-stars] when you were doing the voices? Biel: I never saw them, never met them. I mean, I know Dwayne, I've known Dwayne for a long time. I met Justin before, but I never saw them once. It was such an interesting experience to be there by yourself kind of going through it. But ... it goes fast. You're there, it's fast, it's fun. CNN: Who's your character? Biel: I play Neera, who is this lovely 16-year-old girl. ... She's insecure about boys but also has a sense of confidence for herself, very independent, and is not listening to what the government is saying about this alien [the Earthling] who's landed on her planet. She is standing up on her own two feet, thinking for herself. ... So she's, you know, she's trying to find out who she is as a woman. CNN: You do have a strong female character and it's such a good role model for young girls. Is it hard to find that in films today? Biel: It is. It's very hard. I mean, honestly, it's just rare to find a story about a woman's experience, about a young girl's experience. For some reason nobody wants to make those movies. And it's really hard because there are so many talented women and there are not enough projects for everybody to really blossom and explore. So it's quite competitive because there's a small amount of material. CNN: Is it hard for Hollywood to write those kinds of roles? Biel: I don't know what it is. I'm still trying to decipher that. | [
"What film is Biel voicing?",
"What did she want to reflect?",
"What says Biel?"
] | [
[
"\"Planet 51,\""
],
[
"childlike side"
],
[
"\"I love that kind of throwback to a more of innocent time and a simpler time and more conservative,\""
]
] | Jessica Biel lends her voice to animated film "Planet 51"
Actress wanted something that reflected her childlike side .
Biel says it's hard to find roles for women that reflect strength and character . |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Tiger Woods has canceled plans to attend his own golf tournament in southern California because of injuries he suffered near his Florida home early Friday, the pro golfer said in a statement Monday.
"I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods said of the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California. "I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there."
He also canceled a Tuesday news conference for the start of the tournament, which helps raise money for Tiger Woods Foundation programs.
Woods suffered minor injuries in a vehicle accident early Friday in his luxury neighborhood near Orlando, Florida, according to a police accident report.
State police in Florida said Monday an investigation of the single-vehicle crash "is ongoing and charges are pending."
The incident has ended Woods' golf appearances until next season, according to a statement posted on his Web site.
"Woods will not participate in any other tournaments in 2009 and will return to action next year," the statement said.
The PGA Tour has ended for the year, but the first tournament of the 2010 season is just five weeks away. At least one other charity event is scheduled, but it is not clear if Woods had planned to attend.
The Chevron World Challenge will go on despite the absence of its host, said Greg McLaughlin, president of Woods' foundation.
"We support Tiger's decision and are confident the strong field and excellent course will provide an exciting week of competition at the Chevron World Challenge," McLaughlin said.
In a statement issued Sunday afternoon on his Web site, Woods offered no details of his wreck except to say he had cuts and bruises and was "pretty sore."
"This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me," he said. "I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again."
According to a police report, Woods pulled out of his driveway about 2:25 a.m. Friday in a 2009 Cadillac SUV and struck a fire hydrant, then a tree.
Authorities have said they don't have details on why Woods was driving away from his home at such an early hour, but a police report said the wreck was not alcohol-related.
State troopers have unsuccessfully asked three times to question him about the wreck, police said. Woods canceled the third scheduled interview on Sunday, Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes told CNN.
"We have been informed by the Florida Highway Patrol that further discussion with them is both voluntary and optional," said Woods' agent Mark Steinberg, in a written statement. "Although Tiger realizes that there is a great deal of public curiosity, it has been conveyed to FHP that he simply has nothing more to add and wishes to protect the privacy of his family."
Under Florida law, Woods must show his license, registration and proof of insurance to police, but is not obligated to give a statement on the crash. His attorney Mark NeJame handed over the required documents to the troopers Sunday at Woods' home, Montes said.
Opinion: Tiger Woods is only human
NeJame told CNN he stood by Woods' statement and had no further comment.
"If we're unable to meet with him, we'll move on with our investigation," Montes said. But she called the delays "very unusual, because it's such a minor accident."
Profile: Tiger Woods
Last week, a story in the National Enquirer alleged that Woods has been seeing a New York nightclub hostess. The Associated Press contacted the woman and reported she denied having an affair with Woods.
The 33-year-old golf phenomenon has won the Masters tournament and the PGA tournament each four times, as well as three U.S. Open Championships.
Investigators had sought possible surveillance tapes of the wreck from neighbors, but none were found, she said.
Toobin: Why Tiger Woods | [
"Who had minor injuries?",
"that day was the car accident that took Woods",
"What will go on without Woods?",
"What did Wood have?",
"Who will continue investigating after Woods delays?",
"What will the police do?"
] | [
[
"Tiger Woods"
],
[
"early Friday"
],
[
"Chevron World Challenge"
],
[
"injuries"
],
[
"Montes"
],
[
"we'll move on with our investigation,\""
]
] | NEW: Tournament will go on without Woods, president of golfer's foundation says .
Woods had minor injuries in the one-car crash near his home early Friday .
Police will continue investigating after Woods delays giving statement for third time .
Woods on Web site: "The only person responsible for the accident is me" |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Two men circle warily in the center of a colorful gym mat. Each holds a three-foot long wicker stick in one hand and a blunted aluminum knife in the other.
A sudden rush and surge of adrenalin. Both are engaged in a swirl of weapons. The air rings to the sound of sticks striking each other and the duller whomp of sticks striking legs, arms and torsos.
The battle is engaged at full speed and full power. Punches aren't pulled. When the grueling two-minute bout is over, both combatants display an angry array of bumps, bruises and welts. The fighters embrace and depart the battlefield. Neither has been declared the winner or the loser. The idea of winning or losing is not what the Dog Brothers are about.
"We don't keep score," says Marc "Crafty Dog" Denny, one of the Dog Brothers' founders. "No judges, no referees, no trophies. That would be contrary to the way we do things."
In 1988, Denny and 10 other martial arts enthusiasts formed the loose tribe they called the Dog Brothers. They were all drawn to an obscure form of the combat arts that originated during times of tribal warfare in the Philippines. This form of combat is primarily hand to hand using weapons that were available in the forests and jungles of the Philippines. It is a fighting discipline known in different parts of the world as Arnis, Escrima or Kali.
"In the past it had been a very, very secretive art," Denny said, "a weaponry art that originated in tribal warfare in the jungles."
Dog Brothers gatherings feature bouts of stick fighting, knife fighting, fighting staffs, even the occasional use of chains and other weapons. Punching, kicking and wrestling also come into play. Combatants wear a fencing mask to protect the eyes and gloves to protect hands, but there is no other padding. Their motto is, "Higher consciousness through harder contact."
"There was definitely a part of me that said, these guys are way out there," Roan Kalani "Poi Dog" Grimm said with a laugh.
At the same time, Grimm found the Dog Brothers' form of extreme martial arts exciting.
"They were applying it in real time and real speed and real power, " Grimm said. "A part of myself said, I really want to do this. I want to test myself at this level."
There are perhaps 200 full-fledged members of the Dog Brothers pack. Members receive a "Dog" nickname after they are voted into the pack. The nickname is meant to describe each member's fighting style or personality. However, to become a full member, other members must reach a consensus that the individual has developed his skills and represents his true potential as a martial artist. There are many who have more than a passing interest in the extreme form of martial arts the group represents.
That is what attracted Tobias Gibson to a recent Dog Brothers gathering in Los Angeles. Gibson is a 39-year-old political science professor from Missouri's Westminster College. He is a studious looking guy with a scraggly goatee and more than a few extra pounds. Although he had trained for eight years in martial arts, Gibson had never engaged in this kind of all-out combat.
"It's really scary," Gibson confessed before his bout, "I was trying to untie my shoes and I couldn't. My hands were shaking."
Gibson's bout lasted two minutes. He had been paired with a much more experienced fighter who took care to look after the newcomer's safety. Even so, the professor emerged with a series of welts on his arm and back, a bleeding knot on his forehead and at least one broken finger. The injuries did not dampen his spirits.
"Once you get into the ring it's all good, " Gibson said. "I'm in the moment. I was in the moment."
To Marc "Crafty Dog" Denny, the idea | [
"Where did the combat style originate?",
"Where are the Dog Brothers from?",
"How many members are in the Dog Brothers pack?",
"Who are the Dog Brothers?",
"This form of combat arts originated where?",
"What do Dog Brothers fights feature?"
] | [
[
"in the Philippines."
],
[
"Philippines."
],
[
"200"
],
[
"Denny and 10 other martial arts enthusiasts"
],
[
"Philippines."
],
[
"bouts of stick fighting, knife fighting, fighting staffs, even the occasional use of chains and other weapons."
]
] | Dog Brothers fights feature stick fighting, knife fighting and using other weapons .
There are about 200 members of the Dog Brothers pack .
This form of combat arts originated in the Philippines . |
MACAU, China -- Pete Sampras rolled back the years to upset current world number one Roger Federer in an exhibition match in Macau on Saturday. Sampras enjoyed the spoils of victory in Macau after two previous defeats to Federer. Federer had one the two previous clashes in an Asian series in straight sets but was handed a 7-6 6-4 defeat in the finale. American ace Sampras downplayed his victory, noting Federer was coming off a long season and that he was helped by his big serve and the fast indoor carpet surface. He had only aimed to win one set during the three-match series. "Let's not get carried away," he said at a news conference. Sampras ruled out a comeback from retirement, telling the audience after the match, "I had my time in the 90s." Federer tried to put on a positive spin on the loss, saying he wasn't embarrassed to lose to his idol, but still showed some disappointment. "It's been tough beating my idol the last two times. I'm happy that he got me at least once," he said, but adding, "I hope we can do it again in the future. I'd like to get him back." The two players have won a combined 26 Grand Slam titles, but Sampras, 36, retired five years ago after winning the U.S. Open in 2002. Federer is coming off another outstanding season in which he won three grand slams and last week's Masters Cup in Shanghai. "I'm sort of surprised. This guy can play tennis, you know," the Swiss player said after his loss Saturday. Federer beat Sampras 6-4 6-3 in Seoul on Tuesday and edged the American 7-6 7-6 in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. In Macau, Federer was never able able to force a break point on the powerful Sampras serve, but had set points at 6-5 and 8-7 in the tiebreak. But Sampras saved both and a run of three points, capped by a forehand winner, gave him the opener. The ninth game of the second second proved vital as a forehand error by Federer gave Sampras a break point which he gratefully took with another fine forehand. Sampras closed out the match as a Federer backhand return sailed long. Federer said he thought Sampras could still beat the world's top five players on a fast surface. Sampras then predicted that Federer could beat his record of most grand slam wins (14) "if not next year, pretty soon." "He's a great, great player. He's got things in his game that I couldn't do," he said. E-mail to a friend | [
"Who won their previous matches?",
"Where was the match played?",
"Who did Pete Sampras beat?",
"Where was the exhibition?",
"Who ruled out a comeback?",
"What did Federer win?",
"Who rules out comeback?",
"Who rules out comeback to ATP tour?"
] | [
[
"Pete Sampras"
],
[
"Macau"
],
[
"Roger Federer"
],
[
"Macau"
],
[
"Sampras"
],
[
"three grand slams and last week's Masters Cup"
],
[
"Sampras"
],
[
"Sampras"
]
] | Pete Sampras beats world nunber one Roger Federer in exhibition in Macau .
Sampras wins 7-6 6-4 but rules out comeback to main ATP tour .
Federer had won their two previous exhibition matches on Asian tour . |
MADISON COUNTY, Virginia (CNN) -- Amidst the tranquility of a fishing trip at the Rose River Farm in Madison County, a wounded warrior says he almost feels "semi-normal again."
Retired Navy Capt. Ed Nicholson's Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing helps rehabilitate wounded servicemembers.
The amputee is one of about 1,000 servicemen and veterans who have reaped the benefits of the therapeutic art of fly-fishing, with the help of retired Navy Capt. Ed Nicholson.
"The demons of war, you just don't set them aside," says Nicholson, 67. "But once you get out on the river, the serenity is incredibly healing."
While recovering from cancer surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2004, Nicholson witnessed wounded and disabled men and women -- many of them amputees -- struggling with their injuries.
"Other than being in Vietnam and seeing people in the process of getting hurt, I never really had a full appreciation for the recovery part and what happened after they came home. My recovery was nothing compared to what they were facing. It planted the seed that maybe there's something I could do," Nicholson says.
The solution was obvious to Nicholson, who says being an outdoorsman is in his blood: Get them out of the hospital and into nature.
Through free classes and outings, Nicholson's organization, Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, helps rehabilitate injured and disabled servicemembers and veterans.
"We would run these classes that would better prepare them to be fishermen when the weather got nice and we could move outside, start casting lessons and go fishing," he says.
Nicholson and ty flying instructor John Colburn saw that the discipline of tying flies, which requires patience and training, benefited veterans recovering from injuries. And it helped them relax.
"You have a guy who lost a leg and we get him out there wading in a stream -- he gets a boost. Or a guy who lost an arm, we start him casting. He has a chance to use his new arm and actually do something that's enjoyable," says Nicholson. Do you know someone who should be a CNN Hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes
"Ed [is] showing us that if you have the will, they will find a way," says Army Staff Sgt. Brian Mancini, who lost his right eye after being hit by an explosive device in Iraq in July 2007. "It shows you that life's not over, it's only beginning." Watch Mancini describe how Nicholson's program helped his healing process »
One soldier with a brain injury says tying flies, building fly rods and casting have helped him with his motor skills. Others on the catch-and-release outing describe feeling normal for the first time in a long time. Watch wounded servicemen discuss the role of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing in their recovery »
"Between the pain, the medication, the realization that their life has been changed, they're doing something that gives them a great deal of pleasure and that they can look forward to," Nicholson says. Watch Nicholson as he helps wounded soldiers through fly-fishing »
First Lt. Ferris Butler, an active participant in Project Healing Waters, agrees.
"If you compound losing body parts with losing friends, just getting in the water is a release," he says, adding that fishing gave him enhanced dexterity because it helped him learn to walk on prosthetics in the water.
Since 2005, Nicholson's program has grown to more than 50 locations nationwide with "more to come," he says. With support from The Federation of Fly Fishers and Trout Unlimited, the group is establishing long-term relationships with hospital and military staff, participants and volunteers. Participants across the country can attend outings during the spring, summer and fall.
An indoor component focuses on classroom activities.
Nicholson, who rises early and spends the better part of his day running operations for his organization, once thought he'd spend his golden years enjoying his favorite pastimes: fishing | [
"Has Nicholson's program since 2005?",
"Since when his project has grown?",
"Is there way to nominate a hero?",
"What is the name of Ed Nicholson project?",
"What did Retired Navy Captain Ed Nicholson do?",
"Where does Healing Waters operate?",
"How many servicemembers use Healing Waters Fly Fishing?"
] | [
[
"grown to more than 50 locations nationwide"
],
[
"2005,"
],
[
"Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes"
],
[
"Healing Waters Fly Fishing"
],
[
"he helps wounded soldiers through fly-fishing"
],
[
"Nicholson's program has grown to more than 50 locations nationwide"
],
[
"1,000"
]
] | Retired Navy Capt. Ed Nicholson helps wounded servicemembers through fly-fishing .
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing aids the physical, emotional healing processes .
Since 2005, Nicholson's program has grown to more than 50 locations nationwide .
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A Spaniard has died from the human form of mad cow disease, the fifth such death in Spain since 2005, the Ministry of Health said in a statement late Friday.
The victim died in January in the northern city of Santander, according to the statement, which did not provide further details.
The victim was a woman who was hospitalized last fall, according to Juan Jose Badiola, director of Spain's national research center for mad cow disease.
The ministry reiterated that there is no danger from eating meat in Spain.
"The appearance of these sporadic cases is within the predictions that were made at the European level more than nine years ago," the ministry statement said.
Ten years can pass between eating contaminated tissue and the appearance of the human form of the disease also called variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, health officials say.
The steps to avoid the disease, taken after the first cases of mad cow disease appeared in the United Kingdom, include isolating infected animals and prohibiting cattle feed of animal origin or with animal proteins, the ministry said.
Three of Spain's five deaths from the disease were in the northern province of Leon. The city of Santander is in the nearby Cantabria province.
Last September, officials reported the death of a woman from the human form of mad cow disease. Officials also said her son had died earlier from the same disease.
It was believed to have been the first case in the world where two members of the same family have died from the disease, Badiola told CNN at the time.
The mother, in her early 60s, died in August 2008. Her son, 41, died in February 2008, Badiola said.
Badiola said it was the mother and son likely contracted the disease before stricter controls against mad cow disease began in Spain in 2001.
The mother and son had similar eating habits, Badiola said, which included eating animal organs, such as kidneys and livers, and they may also have eaten animal brains.
The mother and son were from a village in Leon province. The third fatality in that province was a woman, 50, a local government worker, who died in December 2007.
The first confirmed death from mad cow disease in Spain was in 2005, when a young woman died near Madrid. | [
"How many cases have their been since 2005",
"What did Spain's ministry of health report?",
"What is the disease mentioned?",
"The Ministry of Health reported what?",
"What does ministry say?",
"When was disease first reported?",
"How many have died since 2005?"
] | [
[
"fifth"
],
[
"Spaniard has died from the human form of mad cow disease, the fifth such death"
],
[
"mad cow"
],
[
"A Spaniard has died from the human form of mad cow disease,"
],
[
"no danger from eating meat in Spain."
],
[
"2001."
],
[
"fifth"
]
] | Spain's Ministry of Health reports fifth death from mad cow disease .
Woman's death in January is Spain's fifth case since 2005 .
Ministry says there's no danger from eating meat in Spain . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A bomb inside a van exploded in northeastern Madrid Monday, after a warning call by the Basque separatist group ETA. The blast caused damage but there were no immediate reports of injury. Policemen inspect the area after a van loaded with a bomb exploded in northeast Madrid. The Red Cross received a call at 7:37 a.m. (1:37 a.m. ET), in the name of ETA, warning of the bomb. The Red Cross immediately contacted police, who cordoned off the area, a Red Cross spokeswoman told CNN. The blast occurred shortly after 9 a.m. (3 a.m. ET) outside the building of a construction company, CNN partner network CNN+ reported. The company, Ferrovial Agroman, is involved in building a high-speed train line in the Basque region, which ETA opposes. The attack came just hours after Spain's Supreme Court declined to allow two new leftist Basque parties to compete in the March 1 Basque regional elections in northern Spain. Authorities allege the new parties are simply new names for other leftist Basque parties already outlawed for their links to ETA. "What ETA did this morning ratifies the Supreme Court decision last night," Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba told reporters, at the scene of the explosion. At least 30 vehicles parked in the street were damaged, as well as the construction company offices, the Spanish police said in a statement. The bomb, it added, was placed in a van stolen last night in the Madrid area. Exactly four years ago, on Feb. 9, 2005, ETA placed a bomb in the same Madrid neighborhood that was hit on Monday. That attack caused dozens of injuries, and damaged a different glass-façade office building. ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths in its long fight for Basque independence. It is listed as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States. | [
"Where did the bomb explode?",
"Where did a bomb explode?",
"What was damaged in the blast?",
"What was the bomb inside?",
"Who was barred?",
"What was damaged?",
"Was the previous bombing in the same neighborhood?",
"Who was warned about the bomb?"
] | [
[
"inside a van exploded in northeastern Madrid"
],
[
"northeastern Madrid"
],
[
"At least 30 vehicles"
],
[
"a van"
],
[
"two new leftist Basque parties"
],
[
"At least 30 vehicles parked in the street"
],
[
"Madrid"
],
[
"The Red Cross"
]
] | Bomb inside van explodes in northeastern Madrid after ETA warning .
Blast occurs outside HQ of company building high-speed Basque rail link .
30 vehicles damaged; attack comes 4 years after blast in same neighborhood .
Earlier, court bars new leftist Basque parties from competing in regional elections . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A car bomb exploded Friday morning in Spain's northern Basque region, killing a police officer inside the vehicle, officials said. Police investigate the vehicle destroyed by a car bomb in Spain's Basque region. Spain's Prime Minister blamed the attack on the Basque separatist group ETA, although there was no warning call before the explosion, as often happens in ETA attacks. The car exploded at 9:05 a.m. (3:05 a.m. ET) in an open-air parking lot in the Basque town of Arrigorriaga and damaged five other cars. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, and police moved in to investigate. The Spanish national police officer killed was Eduardo Puelles, said the new Basque regional president, Patxi Lopez. "ETA showed us the road to pain," Lopez said on national TV. "We will show them the road to prison." The officer was a senior figure in the fight against ETA and the explosion was caused by a limpet bomb placed underneath the car, officials told CNN partner station CNN+. A limpet bomb is one that is stuck to the underside of vehicle. Arrigorriaga is about 30 miles south of the largest Basque city of Bilbao. ETA's last fatal victim was a businessman who was shot dead in the same region last December. "My stance to stop ETA is unbreakable, so that people in the Basque country and Spain can live in peace, to halt this barbarity," said Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, after the attack. ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths in its more than four decades of fighting for Basque independence. The European Union and the United States list it as a terrorist group. ETA has threatened Lopez, who is a socialist and the first non-nationalist Basque president in 30 years. He has also vowed to stop the group. There are about 600 ETA members or suspected members in Spanish jails and 150 others in French jails, authorities in both countries have told CNN. | [
"Where did the bomb go off?",
"What caused the explosion?",
"What type of bomb was it?",
"Who was the victim?",
"Where did the car bomb explode?",
"what did the official say"
] | [
[
"Spain's northern Basque region,"
],
[
"A car bomb"
],
[
"A car"
],
[
"a police officer inside the vehicle,"
],
[
"Basque town of Arrigorriaga"
],
[
"A car bomb exploded Friday morning in Spain's northern Basque region, killing"
]
] | Car bomb explodes in northern Spanish city of Arrigorriaga .
Basque president: Victim a national police officer named Eduardo Puelles .
Official: Explosion was caused by a limpet bomb placed underneath the car .
Arrogorriaga in Basque region at heart of long-running separatist campaign . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- More than 1,000 people rallied Sunday in support of Israel in front of the Israeli Embassy in the Spanish capital. Spaniards protest Sunday in support of Israel's military action in Gaza. The rally came a week after a demonstration across town in support of Palestinians in Gaza and sharply critical of Israel's attacks. Sunday's pro-Israeli demonstration featured the sounding of air raid sirens -- like those heard in southern Israel to warn of incoming Hamas rockets from Gaza -- and a speech by a Madrid official from the ruling Socialist Party, observers said. Last week's pro-Gaza, anti-Israeli demonstration included two national leaders of the Socialists, prompting a rare statement from the Israeli Embassy criticizing their participation. But the Socialist government and the Israeli Embassy appeared to have mended fences during the week, issuing conciliatory statements. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos visited the Mideast last week, with stops in Syria, Egypt and Israel, where he was received by top officials. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was in Egypt Sunday, attending the meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh organized by Egypt and France. The pro-Israeli demonstration on Sunday cut traffic on a broad boulevard in front of the Israeli Embassy. Israeli and Spanish flags were waved and one protest banner charged that "Hamas equals terror." Spain has earmarked 6.5 million euros ($8.5 million) in humanitarian aid to Gaza. | [
"In what city did the pro-Israel crowd rally?",
"Where is the humanitarian aid going?",
"Who rallied in from of the Israeli Embassy?",
"What amount of money did Spain earmark for Gaza?",
"what country is getting aid?",
"What embassy had a rally?",
"Where was the Israeli Embassy?"
] | [
[
"the Spanish capital."
],
[
"Gaza."
],
[
"Spaniards"
],
[
"6.5 million euros"
],
[
"Gaza."
],
[
"Israeli"
],
[
"Spanish capital."
]
] | Pro-Israel crowd rallies in front of Israeli Embassy in Madrid .
Demo follows pro-Palestian gathering last weekend attended by ruling lawmakers .
Spain has earmarked euros 6.5M ($8.5M) in humanitarian aid to Gaza . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The suspected leader of the Basque separatist group, ETA, and two alleged accomplices were arrested over the weekend in France. Jurdan Martitegui Lizaso is the fifth ETA suspect arrested in France in the past two weeks. Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso, 28, was arrested Saturday in a French-Spanish operation near Perpignan in southeast France, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Sunday in a nationally televised news conference here. Hours later, in northern Spain's Basque region, six other ETA suspects -- ages 25-31 -- were arrested, Rubalcaba said. Police suspect Martitegi replaced the suspected ETA military chief who was arrested last December and who, in turn, had replaced the alleged ETA military chief who was arrested last November, Rubalcaba said. Those arrests occurred in France, from where ETA has launched a number of attacks into Spain. ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths in its more than four decades of fighting for Basque independence and is listed as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States. Rubalcaba said police had also dismantled two ETA commando cells before they could strike, one of them last October in northern Spain's Navarra province, and the other late Saturday, when the six suspects were arrested. Martitegi's arrest came after police trailed an alleged ETA local leader from Spain to a meeting in France with Martitegi for a two-hour training session on the use of explosives and weapons, Rubalcaba said. Police made the arrests in France right after the meeting, before the alleged local leader could return to Spain to share those details with his alleged commando cells, Rubalcaba said. Police seized three pistols, two vehicles, and a small quantity of explosives from Martitegi and the two others arrested in France, Rubalcaba said. "I think it's very good news and shows the constant police coordination and the cooperation between the police and the courts," Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon, who was involved in the latest investigation, told reporters. Martitegi is the fifth ETA suspect arrested in France in the past two weeks. Given the heavy police crackdown, Rubalcaba said investigators have noted some internal discussion among ETA members about whether they should continue their armed fight or try for a negotiated end to the violence. But he said the government, which held failed peace talks with ETA under three prime ministers since the 1980s, was no longer willing to negotiate. "The process of dialogue is the past, and the past never returns," Rubalcaba said, adding that ETA would have to decide to end the violence itself, or the state would force the group to end it. Over the past two years, police in Spain and France have arrested 365 ETA suspects, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said in December. But top Spanish officials have repeatedly warned that ETA, while weakened, is not finished. There are about 600 ETA convicts or suspects in Spanish jails and 150 others in French jails, authorities in both countries have told CNN. | [
"How many deaths is ETA blamed for in the fight for Basque independence?",
"Who is Jurdan Martitegui Lizaso?",
"Who was wanted for attacks in spain?",
"How many are reported dead?"
] | [
[
"more than 800"
],
[
"the fifth ETA suspect arrested in France in the past two weeks."
],
[
"Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso,"
],
[
"more than 800"
]
] | Jurdan Martitegui Lizaso wanted for various ETA attacks in Spain .
State security forces say Martitegui was ETA's "No.1"
ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths in fight for Basque independence . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Unemployment in Spain has reached 20 percent, meaning 4.6 million people are out of work, the Spanish government announced Friday.
The figure, from the first quarter, is up from 19 percent and 4.3 million people in the previous quarter. It represents the second-highest unemployment rate in the European Union, after Latvia, according to figures Friday from Eurostat, the EU's statistics service.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told Parliament on Wednesday he believes the jobless rate has peaked and will now start to decline.
The first quarter of the year is traditionally poor for Spain because of a drop in labor-intensive activity like construction, agriculture and tourism.
This week, Standard & Poor's downgraded Spain's long-term credit rating and said the outlook is negative.
"We now believe that the Spanish economy's shift away from credit-fuelled economic growth is likely to result in a more protracted period of sluggish activity than we previously assumed," Standard & Poor's credit analyst Marko Mrsnik said.
Gross domestic product growth in Spain is expected to average 0.7 percent annually through 2016, compared with previous expectations of 1 percent annually, he said.
Spain's economic problems are closely tied to the housing bust there, according to The Economist magazine. Many of the newly unemployed worked in construction, it said.
The recession revealed how dependent public finances were on housing-related tax revenues, it said.
Another problem in Spain is that wages are set centrally and most jobs are protected, making it hard to shift skilled workers from one industry to another, the magazine said.
Average unemployment for the 27-member European Union stayed stable in March at 9.6 percent, Eurostat said Friday. That percentage represents 23 million people, it said.
The lowest national unemployment rates were in the Netherlands and Austria, which had 4.1 and 4.9 percent respectively, Eurostat said.
-- CNN's Al Goodman contributed to this report. | [
"What country's unemployment rate is highest in Europe?",
"By what percentage has Spanish unemployment grown over the previous quarter?",
"What country has the highest unemployment rate in Europe?",
"How many people are out of work in Spain?"
] | [
[
"Latvia,"
],
[
"19 percent"
],
[
"Latvia,"
],
[
"4.6 million"
]
] | Government says 4.6 million people are out of work in Spain .
Figure is up from 19 percent and 4.3 million people in the previous quarter .
Spain's unemployment rate is second highest in Europe after Latvia . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A 92-year-old woman with cocaine strapped to her body flew all the way from Brazil to Spain before police arrested her, in a wheelchair, at Madrid's airport.
A Civil Guard spokeswoman says the 92-year old was apprehended at Madrid's Barajas Airport.
They found 4.3 kilos, or nearly 9.5 pounds, of cocaine packets strapped to her legs and torso, and also arrested a 44-year-old female companion, who tried to escape on another plane, a Civil Guard spokeswoman told CNN Tuesday.
The two women, both from Uruguay, were arrested Friday after arriving in Madrid on a flight from Sao Paolo, Brazil. But officials did not release details about the case until this week, after a judge had arraigned the two on drug trafficking charges. The judge ordered the younger woman to prison but sent the 92-year-old to a senior citizens' home in Madrid.
Due to her advanced age, "it's practically impossible" that she would be tried or face jail time, said the Civil Guard spokeswoman, who by custom is not identified. Police did not identify the two women.
Civil Guards became suspicious when the younger woman repeatedly told the older woman -- who had asked for an airport wheelchair in Madrid to traverse the terminal -- that if they rushed, they would make their connecting flight to Spain's Canary Islands.
The Civil Guards, who run customs controls at the airport, stopped the woman in the wheelchair.
The younger woman immediately fled, first trying to make the connecting flight, which by then had closed its doors, and then attempting to leave the airport terminal for the street.
But she was stuck in the "satellite," or second building, of Terminal 4, which is connected to the main building and the street by an underground train. Police caught up with her before she left the satellite terminal.
The two would-be smugglers probably expected a cash payment and return flight tickets to Brazil from their drug trafficking contacts, the Civil Guard spokeswoman said. | [
"Where were the women from?",
"What did the spokeswoman say?",
"what were the women arraigned on?",
"What did the judge find the woman guilty of?",
"will the wheelchair user be tried?",
"What are the odds the wheelchair user will be tried?",
"what did the 92 year old woman use?",
"Where were the women going from Brazil?",
"Where are the two women from?"
] | [
[
"Uruguay,"
],
[
"the 92-year old was apprehended at Madrid's Barajas Airport."
],
[
"drug trafficking charges."
],
[
"drug trafficking charges."
],
[
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],
[
"\"it's practically impossible\""
],
[
"a wheelchair,"
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[
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[
"Uruguay,"
]
] | Two women, both from Uruguay, arrested after arriving in Madrid on flight from Brazil .
Judge arraigns two women, one a 92-year old wheelchair user, on drug charges .
Spokeswoman: "It's practically impossible" wheelchair user would be tried . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A 92-year-old woman with cocaine strapped to her body flew all the way from Brazil to Spain before police arrested her, in a wheelchair, at Madrid's airport. A Civil Guard spokeswoman says the 92-year old was apprehended at Madrid's Barajas Airport. They found 4.3 kilos, or nearly 9.5 pounds, of cocaine packets strapped to her legs and torso, and also arrested a 44-year-old female companion, who tried to escape on another plane, a Civil Guard spokeswoman told CNN Tuesday. The two women, both from Uruguay, were arrested Friday after arriving in Madrid on a flight from Sao Paolo, Brazil. But officials did not release details about the case until this week, after a judge had arraigned the two on drug trafficking charges. The judge ordered the younger woman to prison but sent the 92-year-old to a senior citizens' home in Madrid. Due to her advanced age, "it's practically impossible" that she would be tried or face jail time, said the Civil Guard spokeswoman, who by custom is not identified. Police did not identify the two women. Civil Guards became suspicious when the younger woman repeatedly told the older woman -- who had asked for an airport wheelchair in Madrid to traverse the terminal -- that if they rushed, they would make their connecting flight to Spain's Canary Islands. The Civil Guards, who run customs controls at the airport, stopped the woman in the wheelchair. The younger woman immediately fled, first trying to make the connecting flight, which by then had closed its doors, and then attempting to leave the airport terminal for the street. But she was stuck in the "satellite," or second building, of Terminal 4, which is connected to the main building and the street by an underground train. Police caught up with her before she left the satellite terminal. The two would-be smugglers probably expected a cash payment and return flight tickets to Brazil from their drug trafficking contacts, the Civil Guard spokeswoman said. | [
"What does spokeswoman say about trial?",
"How many women were arrested?",
"What are two women charged for?",
"What is the number of women arrested after arriving in Madrid?",
"Where were the women from?",
"what was the age of the oldest woman?",
"Who was arrested in Madrid?",
"What charges were placed on the women?",
"What did the spokeswoman say about the case?"
] | [
[
"Due to her advanced age, \"it's practically impossible\" that she would be tried or face jail time,"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"drug trafficking charges."
],
[
"two"
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[
"Uruguay,"
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[
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],
[
"A 92-year-old woman"
],
[
"drug trafficking"
],
[
"They found 4.3 kilos, or nearly 9.5 pounds, of cocaine packets strapped to her legs and torso, and also arrested a 44-year-old female companion, who tried to escape on another plane,"
]
] | Two women, both from Uruguay, arrested after arriving in Madrid on flight from Brazil .
Judge arraigns two women, one a 92-year old wheelchair user, on drug charges .
Spokeswoman: "It's practically impossible" wheelchair user would be tried . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A Moroccan man wanted for links to the Madrid train bombings in 2004 was brought to Spain from France on Wednesday, a Spanish police statement said. A photograph showing Moroccan-born suspect Said Rehou. The suspect, Said Rehou, 27, born in Casablanca, Morocco, allegedly held indoctrination sessions for Islamic militants at his former Madrid home, the statement said. "Various individuals who participated in those meetings later were implicated directly or indirectly in the Casablanca attacks of 2003 and the March 11, 2004, attacks in Madrid," the statement said. The Madrid train bombings -- coordinated attacks on four morning-rush commuter trains -- killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800. Spanish courts have convicted 14 Islamic militants for their roles in the Madrid bombings, along with four Spaniards, the latter for trafficking in explosives used in the attacks. Seven other prime Islamic suspects killed themselves in an explosion as police closed in on their hideout in a Madrid suburb three weeks after the bombings. The Casablanca bombings in May 2003 killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers. Rehou is wanted in Spain for belonging to a terrorist group, and is thought to have formed part of a cell created in Spain in 2002, with the aim of recruiting fighters to carry out attacks in Morocco, Spain and other countries, the police statement said. The meetings at his home lasted six to eight hours, with the screening of videos that included sermons and scenes promoting holy war, the statement said. | [
"where were the bombing?",
"who was the suspect?",
"Madrid bombings killed how many people?",
"when was the bombing?",
"Casablanca bombing killed how many suicide bombers?",
"Casablanca bombing killed how many bystanders?",
"How many did the bombings kill in March 2004?",
"How many did the Casablanca bombings kill?",
"what is the suspect alleged to have done",
"how many were killed",
"What have the Madrid bombings done?",
"What has Rehou's allegedly held?"
] | [
[
"Madrid"
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[
"Said Rehou."
],
[
"191"
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[
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[
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[
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[
"191 people"
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[
"191"
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[
"held indoctrination sessions for Islamic militants at his former Madrid home,"
],
[
"191"
],
[
"killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800."
],
[
"indoctrination sessions for Islamic militants at his former Madrid home,"
]
] | Suspect Said Rehou allegedly held indoctrination sessions .
Madrid bombings killed 191 people in March 2004 .
Casablanca bombings in 2003 killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A Spanair MD-82 airliner was not on fire as it took off from Madrid's airport but lifted off slightly into the air, fell back to the ground and caught fire only after skidding off the side of the runway, a source familiar said Friday. The plane crash victims' bodies laid out at a makeshift morgue in Madrid. A total of 153 people were killed. Initially, there were indications that an engine might have caught fire as the plane was taking off, but the source said airport video shows the plane lifting off, veering sharply right and then dragging or skidding down the right side of the runway. There was a cloud of dust, the source said, followed by a fireball. Canary Islands regional President Paulino Rivero said after meeting with Spain's prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, that the latter had seen the video and described it as showing the plane using up all the runway as it tried to take off but then never reaching adequate altitude, The Associated Press reported. Eighty of the bodies recovered from the wreckage of Wednesday's fiery plane crash have been identified, Spanish authorities said Friday. Watch as Spain deals with tragedy » Many of the bodies are so badly burned that fingerprint identification is impossible, and investigators will have to rely on DNA, officials said. Nineteen survivors remained hospitalized Friday. The plane was all but destroyed in the crash, a rescue worker said. When emergency crews arrived on the scene, "you couldn't distinguish that there was an aircraft there, apart from the remains of the tail," Ergivio Corral said. "If you didn't know it, you wouldn't have been able to say there was a plane." Watch moment of silence » Authorities have handed over the remains of 35 victims to their families, officials said. Families of the victims are being housed in a hotel near the airport, and the government planned to brief them on the crash investigation Friday. The cause of the accident is still unknown, but Spanair spokesman Javier Mendoza said flight data recorders had been recovered. iReport.com: Share your photos, videos from the scene "One of them seems to be... a little bit damaged, but [investigators] are confident they could use the information," Mendoza said. "But we have to wait for the downloading and the analysis" before any conclusions can be drawn, he said. Witnesses reported that the plane banked violently to the right as it attempted to take off before slamming back to the ground and coming to a rest in a gully just off the runway at Madrid's Bajaras airport. Watch as the wounded arrive at a hospital » The plane's departure had been delayed for nearly two hours due to a technical problem with the aircraft, Mendoza said, but it was not clear whether that fault was related to the crash. "The heating problem was treated and corrected by Spanair maintenance personnel," he said. "We have reviewed the details on this faulty situation with the inspectors of our civil aviation authority," he said, "and we all come to the conclusion that was nothing abnormal in this resolution of that problem." Madrid observed five minutes of silence Thursday to honor the victims, and the country began three days of mourning. See a map of the airport » The McDonnell Douglas MD-82 carried 162 passengers, four non-working crew members and six working crew members, Spanair said. The aircraft was also carrying seven passengers from Lufthansa Flight 2554 on a flight scheduled to take more than two hours, airline spokeswoman Henriette Ellekrog said. Spanair, a low-cost airline that has a flight-sharing agreement with Lufthansa, is owned by SAS Scandinavian Airlines. Twenty-two of the passengers were children, two of them infants, Spanair said. After contacting families, the airline published the names of those aboard on its Web site. It was the first fatal accident at the airport since December 1983, when 93 people were killed as two Spanish airliners collided while taxiing for takeoff. The | [
"What kind of plane was it?",
"What will be used to identify the victims?",
"What does the video show?",
"When did the machine crash?",
"What is in the video?",
"What caused the plane to crash?",
"Who owns the plane?",
"What happened to the plane after the runway skid?",
"How many people died?",
"Where did the plane crash?",
"What was the death toll of the Spanair crash?",
"What did the video show?",
"How will the victims be identified?",
"What will be used for victim identification?",
"What will DNA tests be used for?",
"What plane crashed in Madrid?",
"What did the video show about Spanair?",
"What will be used to identify the victims?"
] | [
[
"Spanair MD-82 airliner"
],
[
"DNA,"
],
[
"the plane lifting off, veering sharply right and then dragging or skidding down the right side of the runway."
],
[
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[
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[
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[
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[
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[
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[
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[
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[
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],
[
"the plane lifting off, veering sharply right and then dragging or skidding down the right side of the runway. There was a cloud of dust,"
],
[
"DNA,"
]
] | Video of Spanair MD-82 which crashed in Madrid shows plane got off the ground .
Video shows plane bursting into flames after runway skid, source says .
DNA tests will be used to identify victims from Madrid air crash .
153 people died when Spanair flight crashed Wednesday during takeoff . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A Spanish judge has indicted three suspected former Nazi concentration camp guards Thursday on charges of genocide and ordered their arrests. Visitors mark 60th anniversary of liberation Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 2005. Two of the suspects, Johann Leprich and Anton Tittjung, each 84, are thought to live in the United States, while the third, Josias Kumpf, also 84, is believed to live in Austria, according to a copy of the court order viewed by CNN. They are accused of serving in the Nazi SS. Leprich and Tittjung were armed guards at the Mauthausen concentration camp and Gross Raming subcamp, while Kumpf served at the Sachsenhausen camp, the court order said. In addition to Jews and other types of prisoners, the Spanish judge said there more than 7,000 Spaniards held prisoner at Mauthausen, of whom 4,300 died. Some Spaniards arrived at the Sachsenhausen camp, in convoys from France, the document said. The order, including international arrest warrants, was issued by Judge Ismael Moreno of Spain's National Court, which investigates genocide and crimes against humanity involving Spaniards. The 18-page document cited prior judicial investigative work from other countries regarding the backgrounds of the three alleged ex-Nazi guards and their suspected roles in the notorious Nazi death camps during World War II. | [
"What position did the people hold at the camps?",
"Which country is the judge from?",
"What did the Spanish judge do?",
"What are the suspects accused of?",
"How many suspects were indicted?",
"Where are the suspects believed to be living?",
"What type of warrant was issued?"
] | [
[
"guards"
],
[
"Spain's"
],
[
"indicted three suspected former Nazi concentration camp guards"
],
[
"serving in the Nazi SS."
],
[
"three"
],
[
"Austria,"
],
[
"international arrest"
]
] | Spanish judge indicts three suspected former Nazi concentration camp guards .
Two suspects thought to live in U.S.; third believed to live in Austria .
Order includes international arrest warrants . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A car bomb exploded Thursday in a parking lot at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, sparking a massive fire, but "luckily," no one was nearby and there were no deaths, Spain's interior minister said.
"There could have been an enormous tragedy today at the University of Navarra," Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said hours after the attack in a televised address.
Hospital officials told CNN that 27 people suffered minor injuries, including one American woman and five other non-Spaniards. The Basque separatist group ETA is suspected to be behind the attack.
The car, packed with an unknown quantity of explosives, was parked in a lot near the university's library and detonated shortly after 11 a.m. local time (6 a.m. ET), Rubalcaba said. Watch witness describe the blast »
Campus authorities shut down the entire campus shortly after the blast to search for a possible second explosive device near the science building, about a half kilometer (.3 mile) from the car bombing, according to CNN's partner station in Spain, CNN+. Watch report on Pamplona car bomb »
No device was found and the search was called off Thursday afternoon, according to a university spokesman and a representative for the national government's main office in Navarra. Most of the campus was reopened; only the area surrounding the bomb blast remained cordoned off, they said.
Classes are expected to resume as scheduled on Friday, the university spokesman said.
The car bomb sparked a massive fire in the campus' Central Building, where about 400 students and staff were located at the time, university spokesman Jesus Diaz told CNN+. Video from the scene showed fire engulfing part of the building and thick clouds of black smoke billowing over the campus.
Authorities in Spain's Basque province of Alava received a warning call at 9:50 a.m. in the name of ETA. Watch aftermath of the blast »
The warning call to the DYA emergency services in Alava said the car bomb would strike a university campus in the city of Vitoria about an hour after the phone call, prompting emergency officials to search that campus and determine that the call was merely a false alarm, Rubalcaba said.
"So whoever planted the bomb either gave an intentionally misleading warning call or they made a mistake," he said in his televised address.
According to CNN+, the University of Navarra has been targeted by ETA six times in the past 30 years, and one faculty member said it is unclear why.
"It is not a political university," Professor Maria Teresa La Porte told CNN. "We don't understand."
"If they are looking for innocent victims, the place to find them is here," she said. "There is no way to stop them."
She said it is an open campus with students from various backgrounds -- including Basque -- where people "can come here completely freely."
The blast could be heard across the campus of the private school, which has 12,000 students -- including more than 1,000 scholars from countries outside Spain. It is also home to Spain's top-rated journalism school, which is located not too far from the blast site.
A spokeswoman for Clinica Universitaria de Navarra -- located across the street from the university -- said that 24 patients were treated for injuries ranging from glass cuts to hearing problems. Most have been released and only two are expected to remain overnight, she said.
Two other patients are being treated at Hospital Virgen del Camino, also in Pamplona, but their nationalities were not clear.
Those being treated at Clinica Universitaria de Navarra included 18 Spaniards and six others with the following nationalities: American woman from California, age 20; Italian woman, age 28; Portuguese woman, age 23; Chilean woman, age 25; Peruvian man, age 28 and Philippines man, age 34.
Thursday's explosion came just days after Spanish police arrested four suspected ETA members early Tuesday. Authorities accused them of forming a terrorist cell that was ready to attack, the Spanish Interior Ministry said in | [
"Where was the car bomb blast?",
"How many people were injured?",
"How many were seriously hurt?",
"Where was the car bomb blast on Thursday?",
"What institution was the site of the blast?",
"What injured 27 people?",
"How many members of the group were arrested?",
"What kind of weapon was used in this incident?",
"How many suspected members of the group were arrested?"
] | [
[
"Pamplona, Spain,"
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[
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[
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[
"University of Navarra in"
],
[
"car bomb"
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[
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[
"A car bomb"
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[
"four"
]
] | Car bomb blast at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain Thursday .
NEW: 27 people injured, none seriously, hospital tells CNN .
Blast days after arrests of four suspected members of separatist group ETA .
Authorities accused them of forming a terrorist cell that was ready to attack . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A heavy snowstorm caused chaos Friday at Madrid's Barajas Airport, where flights were suspended for hours before Europe's fourth-busiest airport reopened in the late afternoon. A woman enjoys the snow in Madrid, where the airport suspended flights because of the weather. Planes were flying again at 4:40 p.m. (10:40 am ET). "It's a huge snowstorm. You don't see this in Madrid often," an airport spokeswoman said. The airport has 1,205 daily inbound and outbound flights. But for the first time, the airport halted operations due to a weather problem, the spokeswoman said. The temporary shutdown began about noon (6 a.m. ET). Visibility was low, and the storm was so intense that the airport's snow clearing and de-icing equipment couldn't keep up, said the spokeswoman, who by custom is not identified. The first plane to depart when the airport reopened was a Finnair flight bound for Helsinki, a second spokeswoman said. The delays from the storm affected hundreds of travelers at the airport. Many others could not even reach the airport because of poor road conditions. Madrid is one of the highest capitals in Europe, at an elevation of 646 meters or 2,120 feet, but it does not often snow in the city itself, especially with the ferocity seen Friday. Watch snowy scenes from Madrid » As children and even some adults gleefully tossed snowballs, city officials urged motorists to stay off the roads and use public transportation. Large traffic jams formed on the major highways leading from Madrid to Barcelona and other cities, and numerous vehicles ran off the roads and got stuck in the snow. iReport: Are you snowed in in Spain? Send us your photos, videos Bus service was suspended in many areas, although subways and commuter trains were operating, with delays in some cases. Weather forecasters said the snow was expected to continue through Saturday morning, although diminishing in intensity. | [
"What degree of snowfall occurred?",
"What kind of snowfall was seen Friday?",
"What is Madrids elevation?",
"What reopens after suspending flights for hours Friday?",
"At what elevation is Madrid?",
"What elevation is Madrid?",
"For what reason was the airport closed?",
"What day did Madrid have heavy snowfall?",
"What day did Airport suspend flights?"
] | [
[
"heavy snowstorm"
],
[
"A heavy snowstorm caused chaos"
],
[
"646 meters or 2,120 feet,"
],
[
"Madrid's Barajas Airport,"
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[
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],
[
"646 meters or 2,120 feet,"
],
[
"A heavy snowstorm"
],
[
"Friday"
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[
"Friday"
]
] | Airport reopens after suspending flights for hours Friday .
Madrid is one of the highest capitals in Europe, at an elevation of 646 meters .
However, it rarely has heavy snowfall of the kind seen Friday . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A man died after being gored in the neck during the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, the Navarra regional government said Friday on its Web site. Runners take part in the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain on July 9. The death would be the first in the running of the bulls since a 22-year-old American was gored to death in 1995. The latest victim was a Spanish man, Daniel Jimeno Romero, age 27, from the Madrid area who was vacationing in Pamplona with his family, CNN partner station CNN+ reported from the hospital, where authorities identified him. He was rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest and underwent surgery but died soon after, said the statement from the regional government, whose capital is Pamplona. Watch man try to scramble away from bull » Amateur video footage showed the victim falling to the ground toward the end of race, just before the entrance to the bullring, and apparently being gored in the neck. Three other runners were gored and suffered less serious injuries on Friday, and six others went to the hospital with bruises or other injuries, the Navarra government said. Emergency workers and ambulances line the route to quickly attend those who fall. Do you think this tradition should be banned? The run in Pamplona started 400 years ago and became popular worldwide after author Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in the 1920s in his book "The Sun Also Rises," also published under the title "Fiesta." The event is held July 7-14. Six bulls and a pack of tame steers run from the corrals, through Pamplona's old town, to the bullring -- where the bulls will die later in the day in a bullfight. Including the recent death, 14 people have been killed in the runs since 1924, when record-keeping began. | [
"It has been the first death since how long?",
"When was the last person gored to death?",
"When did the tragedy happen?",
"When did the tragedy occur?",
"What happened to this man",
"Who was the victim?"
] | [
[
"1995."
],
[
"1995."
],
[
"July 9."
],
[
"July 9."
],
[
"died after being gored in the neck during the annual running of the bulls"
],
[
"Daniel Jimeno Romero,"
]
] | Victim was a 27-year-old Spanish man from the Madrid area .
Tragedy happened during annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain .
Death the first since 22-year-old American was gored to death in 1995 . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A restaurateur has gone to great lengths to tackle the spread of the H1N1 virus in his eatery, including taking staff's temperatures before they start work and preventing them from touching plates directly. Kitchen staff at Silk and Soya restaurant in Spain wear face masks and gloves while preparing food. Silk and Soya, a Thai-themed restaurant in Madrid, Spain, implemented the measures to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, in the upscale locale. "We implemented these measures so that our employees would serve only food, not a virus," restaurant owner Cipri Quintas told CNN. As well as employees having their temperatures taken before starting their shifts, windows are opened to aerate the restaurant before meals. Each table is set at least one meter -- 3.2 feet -- from any other table. Any member of the kitchen staff involved in food preparation must wear a mask and gloves, and waiters are required to hold napkins when carrying plates to avoid touching them directly with their hands. Upon entering the elevators leading to the top-floor restaurant, customers find an automatic disinfectant gel dispenser. At each table, diners find a packet of gel next to their silverware. The restaurant's restroom doors are propped open, the lights turn on automatically and the faucets are hands-free -- measures intended to keep customers from having to touch surfaces after they've washed their hands. Similar initiatives are under way around the world. Last spring, during the peak of the scare in Mexico City, restaurants were closed for 12 days. When the restaurants reopened, the government ordered owners to put extra space between the tables and not to allow more than half of seats to be filled at any given time; cooks and waiters were mandated to wear surgical masks. The World Health Organization's Web site states that hand-washing is one of the best ways to prevent infection and provides instructions with drawings that can be printed and posted in public places, such as restaurants. Silk and Soya's Quintas started his anti-H1N1 measures in August and has already proved popular with some customers. Simona Savin, who was having lunch, told CNN, "These are measures you don't see everywhere. Here you have everything. They are great because there's a need for hygiene." Another diner, swimming coach Fernando Barea, said, "We came to the restaurant because we heard good things about it and I wanted to see these measures against the H1N1 flu. These measures should be used by other restaurants." Quintas predicted they soon will be. "People from other businesses like hotels and theaters have called us asking, 'What have you done? Can we come see your setup?' There's been a big response," said Quintas. He insisted that his goal is not solely to garner publicity, but to protect his customers and staff -- a responsibility, he said, that the business community at large should undertake. One expert on the disease applauded the efforts and recommended they be broadened. "They should implement them every winter against all respiratory diseases," said Dr. Tom Jefferson, a medical epidemiologist with the Cochrane Collaboration. The international organization reviews health care interventions and "promotes the search for evidence in the form of clinical trials and other studies of interventions," according to its Web site. As of September 13, the WHO had tallied more than 296,000 cases worldwide, 3,486 of them fatal. | [
"Who implemented anti H1N1 flu measures?",
"who has their temperatures taken?",
"Have they taken steps",
"what does Thai-themed restaurant in Madrid implement?",
"what does Restaurant owner say?",
"What did the restaurant owner say?"
] | [
[
"Silk and Soya, a Thai-themed restaurant in Madrid, Spain,"
],
[
"Kitchen staff at Silk and Soya restaurant in Spain"
],
[
"A restaurateur has gone to great lengths to tackle the spread of the H1N1 virus"
],
[
"implemented the measures to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus,"
],
[
"\"We implemented these measures so that our employees would serve only food, not a virus,\""
],
[
"\"We implemented these measures so that our employees would serve only food, not a virus,\""
]
] | Thai-themed restaurant in Madrid implements anti H1N1 flu measures .
Employees have their temperatures taken, windows are opened, gel provided .
Restaurant owner says there is "a big response" from other owners . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A woman who survived last week's Spanair airline crash in Madrid left the hospital Tuesday, saying she was "born again" by the disaster. Beatriz Reyes has been released from hospital after surviving the plane crash which killed 154 people. Beatriz Reyes, 41, has been credited with saving two of the three children who survived the crash which killed 154 people. She is the second survivor to be sent home, while 16 others remained hospitalized Tuesday. The first to leave the hospital was a 6-year-old boy, apparently one of the children Reyes helped in the moments after the Spanair MD-82 airliner crashed on takeoff from Madrid's Bajaras airport Wednesday. "I saw some kids and I got them out," Reyes said. "I think anyone would have done it." All 18 who survived were seated in the front section of the plane, the only part not to catch fire. Reyes was in seat 5-D. She said she remained conscious throughout the crash. "I felt a strong blow and then my stomach went up and down," she said. "That's when I knew there was an accident." She said it was ironic that she was treated in the maternity ward at Hospital Infanta Sofia in the Madrid suburb of San Sebastian de los Reyes. "On the 20th of August, I have been born again," she said. She was returning home from a vacation in Germany when she boarded the flight to the city of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Reyes said she will continue to fly, a necessity for her job as a bank executive in the Canary Islands. Going home to the Canary Islands, she said, will be hard since the bodies of many of the dead will be arriving there with her. Initially, there were indications an engine might have caught fire as the plane was taking off, but a source familiar with the investigation said that an airport video showed the plane lifting off, veering sharply right, and then dragging or skidding down the right side of the runway. There is a cloud of dust, the source said, followed by a fireball. The crash remains under investigation. CNN's Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman contributed to this report. | [
"What was the death toll?",
"Who survived the crash?",
"Who did Reyes save?",
"where was the Spanair crash?",
"how many people were killed?",
"who saved the children?"
] | [
[
"154 people."
],
[
"Beatriz Reyes"
],
[
"two of the three children"
],
[
"Madrid"
],
[
"154"
],
[
"Beatriz Reyes,"
]
] | Woman who survived Spanair crash in Madrid says she has been "born again"
Beatriz Reyes, 41, saved two of the three children who survived the crash .
Reyes remained conscious throughout the crash which killed 154 people . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- An underemployed Spanish matador is breaking tradition and carrying advertising on his capes in the bullring -- promoting a soft drink aimed at gays. Matador Joselito Ortega in an exhibition fight on Sept. 23 in the southern Spanish city of Malaga. While fighting bulls, matador Joselito Ortega will use capes embroidered with the words "Gay Up," the name of the energy drink. The move has many in the macho-steeped world of bullfighting seeing red. But Ortega, 29, told CNN, "I'm glad to be the first person (in bullfighting) whom the gay community will take as an icon." "People think the bullfighter is very tough, very rude and they only like women," Ortega added. "But we are in 2009. Everything must change." Industry experts said it would be the first time advertising will appear on bullfighter's capes -- the large one used when the bull rushes into the ring, and a smaller one used later as the matador moves in for the kill. In the 1980s, matador Luis Reina had a contract showing the brand name of Japanese electronics giant Akai on parts of his shiny "suit of lights," while fighting. "But that lasted just one or two fights," recalls Curro Vazquez, a former bullfighter who now manages one of Spain's top-tier matadors, Cayetano Rivero Ordonez. Rivero Ordonez has declined offers to carry publicity on his bullfighter's suit and capes while in the ring, Vazquez said, out of respect for "the ritual of bullfighting." "The cape is a sacred thing," said Vazquez, adding that it's fine for premier bullfighters -- who are treated like rock stars -- to have lucrative endorsement deals for products, but only outside of the ring. This is the first endorsement deal of any kind for Ortega. He became a full matador in 2006, facing the biggest bulls, but said he's fought only six or seven fights since then. Yet a bullfighter in demand can have dozens of fights in just a single season. "Ortega is a new bullfighter and he might see this as a way to get known," Vazquez said. If so, it appears to be working. Ortega and his drinks company have been flooded with media queries since they made the announcement this week. Pedro Suarez, the CEO at Grupo Banus Pi, the firm that makes Gay Up and took over management of Ortega's career just two weeks ago, said they plan to organize an exhibition fight for Ortega soon, and sell the TV rights exclusively. Gay Up is a non-alcoholic energy drink made in Spain, drawn from a formula originally from Colombia. Suarez said the company tried to sponsor a Spanish football (soccer) team but was turned down because of the Gay Up brand. Then they found Ortega, who says he's not gay. He's been gored six or seven times in his career, which started 13 years ago as a junior bullfighter. "All sports teams have advertising on their uniforms," Ortega said, insisting he'd continue to fight bulls the same way, even with ads on his capes. Bull breeder Juan Pedro Domecq Morenes welcomed the change, saying it might help revive Spain's billion-dollar bullfighting industry, which he said in recent years has seen a 45 percent decline in the number of fights, especially in smaller village bullrings. "Only God is sacred," said Domecq, who also publishes a bullfighting Web site. "The rest of the traditions have to advance, modernize." | [
"WHAT WILL BE EMBROIDERED ON JOSELITO ORTEGA'S CAPES",
"what was that ortega said?",
"who will use capes embroidered with the words 'gay up\"?",
"what is \"gay up\" the name of?",
"how many times has ortega been gored?",
"WHAT WILL APPEAR ON BULLFIGHTER'S CAPES",
"what does joselito wear?",
"whats the meaning of gay up?",
"How many times has Ortega been gored by a bull?",
"Who will use capes embroidered with the worlds \"Gay Up\"",
"What will Ortega's capes be embroidered with?",
"Has Ortega been gored by a bull?",
"Gay up is the name of what?",
"What is embroidered on Joselito Ortega's capes?",
"what is \"Gay Up\" the name of in Spain?",
"What is Joselito Ortega's profession?",
"What is the name of a non-alcoholic energy drink in Spain?"
] | [
[
"\"Gay Up,\""
],
[
"\"I'm glad to be the first person (in bullfighting) whom the gay community will take as an icon.\""
],
[
"Matador Joselito Ortega"
],
[
"energy drink."
],
[
"six or seven"
],
[
"the words \"Gay Up,\""
],
[
"capes embroidered with the words \"Gay Up,\""
],
[
"name of the energy drink."
],
[
"six or seven"
],
[
"matador Joselito Ortega"
],
[
"the words \"Gay Up,\""
],
[
"six or seven times"
],
[
"energy drink."
],
[
"the words \"Gay Up,\""
],
[
"energy drink."
],
[
"Matador"
],
[
"\"Gay Up,\""
]
] | Matador Joselito Ortega will use capes embroidered with the words "Gay Up"
"Gay Up" is the name of a non-alcoholic energy drink in Spain .
Industry experts: First time advertising will appear on bullfighter's capes .
Ortega, who says he's not gay, has been gored six or seven times . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Barack Obama sometimes gets ribbed for his outsized ideas, like the massive stage built in Denver, Colorado, to accept the Democratic presidential nomination. But an artist in Barcelona, Spain, may be about to outdo the candidate himself. Large-format sketches have long been a focus of artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada's work. The artist plans to create a gigantic face of Obama sculpted from gravel and sand, which will cover nearly 2.5 acres (1 hectare) of Barcelona beachfront before the U.S. elections. "The size of the piece is intrinsic to its value," the artist, Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, said Saturday. He hopes it will be big enough to be seen on Google Earth. "Obama's personality -- his youth, personal history and message of a new politics -- has fused with the historical moment to create someone larger than life," says the artist's dossier about the work, titled "Expectation." The huge size also alludes "to the global impact of this election," the dossier adds. iReport.com: What do you want to ask Sen. Obama? Rodriguez-Gerada, 42, is a Cuban-born American who grew up in North Plainfield, New Jersey, near New York, and now lives in Barcelona. The artist, who has long focused on large-format sketches and other designs, said he had been planning to put an anonymous face on Barcelona's Mediterranean beachfront but shelved the idea. Then, six weeks ago, he decided it should be Obama's face. "Everybody's doing work about Obama," he said. "I was talking to my wife about the importance of this election internationally. It all came together." The idea, that is. The execution of the project is still a work in progress, but with a lot of help pouring in. The artist has created what he calls a "vectored image" from different photos of Obama, showing the candidate's face looking left over his shoulder. He will use 500 tons of material -- mainly gravel but also sand and possibly some soil in black, brown and white tones -- to create the image on a flat piece of land slightly raised and overlooking the Mediterranean, near downtown Barcelona. The artist and a Barcelona newspaper say the city has temporarily ceded use of the land for the project. The portrait of Obama's face will be 445 feet long by 264 feet wide (139.28 by 82.67 meters) and the artist hopes to have it done by late next week or no later than November 3, the day before the U.S. elections. The materials have been donated, along with bulldozers and their drivers. The crews will initially spread the materials along white lines, and other markers that will be laid out according to the sketch. Then, the artist's technical team will direct volunteers with garden rakes to put the final touches on the materials, making sure the various colors are spread properly on the ground in order to depict Obama's eyes, hair, cheeks and collar, according to the plans. Rodriguez-Gerada said he'll need to raise about $18,700 (15,000 euros) for other costs, such as rakes and gloves for volunteers, documentation, even portable toilets for the crew. He said it's his "biggest work ever, in scale and complexity." He's a self-described political independent until recently, when he joined Democrats Abroad in Spain. But he added that the art project is his alone, without help from any political organization or campaign, and he won't be paid for it. Rodriguez-Gerada said this project also aims to address the issue of "trying to find heroes with empathy for the problems of the world. We really need empathy from Barack Obama. There's a need to do positive things for the future." Obama's giant face would be environmentally friendly, with all natural colors, so the materials could be recycled, the artist said. Rodriguez-Gerada's not sure how long the face would remain in place | [
"When does the artist plan to finish the work?",
"How many tons of material will be used?",
"Who is larger than life?",
"What is the project aiming to address?",
"500 tons of material will cover how many acres?",
"What does the project aim to address?",
"Who is the Cuban-American artist?",
"What issue does the project also address?",
"What else does the project aim to address?",
"What democratic candidate is \"larger than life\"?"
] | [
[
"late next week or no later than November 3,"
],
[
"500"
],
[
"\"Obama's personality"
],
[
"find heroes with empathy for the problems of the world."
],
[
"nearly 2.5"
],
[
"find heroes with empathy for the problems of the world."
],
[
"Rodriguez-Gerada,"
],
[
"\"trying to find heroes with empathy for the problems of the world."
],
[
"find heroes with empathy for the problems of the world."
],
[
"Barack Obama"
]
] | Cuban-American artist plans to finish work before U.S. elections .
500 tons of material will cover 2.5 acres of beachfront .
Democratic presidential candidate is "larger than life," artist says .
Project also aims to address issue of "trying to find heroes" |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Chess legends Garry Kasparov and Anatoli Karpov faced off again in Spain on Tuesday, 25 years after their epic first world championship battle in Moscow, in what organizers are calling a "historic revenge match." Garry Kasparov, right, and Anatoli Karpov play chess at the Arts Palau in Valencia, on Tuesday. Revenge or not, the past chess champs will receive undisclosed sums for playing the three-day, 12-game match in the eastern port city of Valencia. There will be no additional cash prize for the winner of the exhibition event, which the regional Valencia government is organizing under the title "Valencia, cradle of modern chess," event spokesman Rafa Carretero told CNN. But bragging rights, yes, and perhaps with more on the line for Kasparov, who dominated the chess world for 20 years. Kasparov carried on that legacy on Tuesday, winning the first two games in this rematch, Spain's state new agency EFE reported. Karpov was world champion when they began their initial five-month match in 1984 in Moscow. That match was controversially stopped by chess authorities, citing concerns about the health of the contestants after 48 grueling games. But the next year in Moscow, Kasparov beat Karpov in a rematch and went on to hold the number-one world chess ranking almost without interruption until his retirement in 2005. The two last met, in their fifth match, in 1990, with games played in New York and Lyon, France. Kasparov won. In a total of five world championship matches, Kasparov has the edge with 21 wins, 19 losses and 104 ties in a total of 144 games. Karpov, now 58, and Kasparov, 46, told Spanish newspaper El Pais they hoped the rematch in Valencia would put chess in the spotlight again. Karpov came from Russia to Valencia more than a week ago, with a team of elite trainers, organizers said. Kasparov arrived last Sunday from his home in Croatia, where he had been training. The match, at Valencia's Palace of Arts, has attracted interest from ticket buyers on five continents, organizers said. One of the highest-profile fans on hand is Sulaiman Al-Fahim, president of the chess federation of the United Arab Emirates and owner of England's Portsmouth football team. Dutchman Geurt Gijssen, who was referee for the last two matches between Karpov and Kasparov, will referee this match as well, the organizers said. Kasparov is now an opposition politician in Russia, running unsuccessfully against then-President Vladimir Putin in 2007. During their first match, in 1984, Kasparov was just 21 and Karpov was 33. | [
"Garry Kasparov faces off against which other player?",
"Where does their match take place?",
"who is anatoli karpov",
"who is garry kasparov",
"How many years after the last battle is this one?",
"How many games has Kasparov won?"
] | [
[
"Anatoli Karpov"
],
[
"eastern port city of Valencia."
],
[
"Chess legends"
],
[
"Chess legends"
],
[
"25"
],
[
"the edge with 21 wins,"
]
] | Garry Kasparov and Anatoli Karpov face off again, in Valencia, Spain .
Match comes 25 years after their epic first world championship battle in Moscow .
Kasparov wins first two games in the 12-game rematch .
Their 48-game Moscow match was controversially stopped citing health concerns . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Court hearings began Friday for 11 people, including two Spanish professional football players and a Serb-French football agent, who were arrested this week on charges of cocaine smuggling, a police source told CNN. Spanish police allege the group smuggled the drugs in from Argentina. The 11 are accused of taking advantage of their football contacts in Latin America, and their trips to the region, to organize the drug trafficking. Spanish police made the arrests on Thursday, mainly in Madrid, and seized 600 kilos (1,320 pounds) of cocaine they alleged had been shipped from Argentina to Spain earlier this month. The suspected leader of the group was identified as Zoran Matijevic, a Serb-born football agent, the international football federation, who now holds French citizenship, according to a police statement and the police source. His aides in the alleged scheme included Pedrag Stankovic, a former player on the second-division Hercules team from Alicante in southeast Spain; Carlos de la Vega Diaz, a current player for the second-division Rayo Vallecano team in Madrid, and Pablo Acosta, a football agent, according to the statement and the police source. The investigation began in the middle of 2008 after police began to notice a group running drugs from South America to Spain. A container with 45 packages of cocaine -- linked to the suspects -- was hidden in wind farm machinery. It left an Argentine port in February, stopped in Tangiers, Morocco and then crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, docking in the southern Spanish port of Algeciras. The cocaine container was finally driven by truck to Madrid, but before the suspects could get the cocaine and distribute it, the police moved in, arresting seven suspects in Madrid, three in the southeast port of Valencia and another in Alicante. The suspects include a Peruvian national, the police statement said. Authorities say Spain --- with its extensive coastline on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean -- is a major point of entry for drugs, for use in Spain or to be shipped elsewhere in the European Union. | [
"Who is accusing the group?",
"What is the name of the group leader?",
"Who was the suspected leader of the group?",
"Who is the suspected leader?",
"Who is Zoran Matijevic?",
"What is the originating country of the drugs?",
"What is the number of accused?",
"Who is accused of drug smugglng?"
] | [
[
"Spanish police"
],
[
"Zoran Matijevic,"
],
[
"Zoran Matijevic,"
],
[
"Zoran Matijevic,"
],
[
"a Serb-born football agent,"
],
[
"Argentina."
],
[
"11"
],
[
"11 people, including two Spanish professional"
]
] | Two professional footballers and agent among 11 accused of drug smuggling .
Spanish police accuse group of bringing in cocaine from Argentina .
Suspected leader of group was identified as Zoran Matijevic, a football agent . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Letters containing white powder were mailed to 16 U.S. embassies across Europe, according to the State Department on Wednesday. Emergency services surround U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain. The substance has proved to be harmless in 15 locations with results still pending for the final embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood said. He said the list of U.S. embassies where the powder was received includes Berlin, Germany; Bern, Switzerland; Brussels, Belgium; Bucharest, Romania; Copenhagen, Denmark; Dublin, Ireland; Luxembourg; Madrid, Spain; Oslo, Norway; Paris, France; Reykjavik, Iceland; Riga, Latvia; Rome, Italy; Stockholm, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; and The Hague. An envelope, containing what testing revealed to be white flour, prompted the U.S. Embassy in Madrid to close the staff entrance on Wednesday, a U.S. embassy official told CNN. Mail at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid is received near the front entrance and was closed amid security concerns, he said, though most employees remained at work. "We know where the package is coming from," the official said, but declined to elaborate. The official spoke on coindition on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. He described the incident as "very serious" but went on to say there is probably "more commotion" outside the embassy, where local media reported police and ambulances had gathered. A similar letter was mailed to the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on Tuesday, embassy spokeswoman Melissa Ford said Wednesday. She said the contents of that envelope "still aren't in," contrary to Wood's statement. "It usually takes more than 24 hours (for the cultures), so perhaps we'll know later today or early tomorrow," Ford told CNN. CNN's Elise Labott and Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman contributed to this report. | [
"How many received the white powder?",
"What did US embassies in Europe receive?",
"What did the US embassy official say?",
"What did tests show?",
"What was in the mail?",
"What was the powder/",
"Who said \"We know where the package is coming from\"?",
"How many U.S. embassies in Europe receive mail containing white powder?",
"How many U.S. embassies in Europe receieve mail containing white powder?",
"Who said that they knew where the package is coming from?",
"What substance was found in the mail?",
"What were the results on the white powder?"
] | [
[
"16 U.S. embassies"
],
[
"Letters containing white powder"
],
[
"\"We know where the package is coming from,\""
],
[
"revealed to be white flour,"
],
[
"Letters containing white powder"
],
[
"white flour,"
],
[
"the official"
],
[
"16"
],
[
"16"
],
[
"the official"
],
[
"white powder"
],
[
"flour,"
]
] | Sixteen U.S. embassies in Europe receive mail containing white powder .
Tests show powder harmless in 15 cases; results pending in 16th case .
U.S. embassy official in Madrid: "We know where the package is coming from" |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- One man was gored in the abdomen and another suffered facial injuries on the third day of the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, a hospital doctor told Spanish state television Wednesday. A fighting bull leaps over a fallen runner at the Mercaderes curve during the running of the bulls. A 22-year-old Californian, who was gored, was taken to a hospital and was "stable and conscious," said the doctor, Ignacio Yurss, medical director of Hospital de Navarra. The patient's name was not released. The man who suffered facial injuries comes from Greece and was injured in the nose, Yurss added. The latest injuries bring to 20 the number of runners who have been hurt in the first three days of the running. Watch the running of the bulls in Pamplona » Two of those were due to bull gorings -- the Californian gored Wednesday and a Spaniard gored Tuesday. The other 18 injuries resulted from falls or collisions, the regional government of Navarra reported. Ten of the injured are Spanish. The other 10 include three Americans and one each from England, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, South Africa, South Korea, and Romania, the Navarra government said. Many of the 20 have already been released from the hospital. The running of the bulls in Pamplona started 400 years ago and became popular worldwide after Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in the 1920s. The running is held for eight consecutive days, July 7 to 14, as six bulls and a pack of tame steers run from the corrals through Pamplona's old town to the bull ring, where the bulls will die later in the day in a bullfight. A total of 13 people have been killed in the runs since 1924, when record-keeping began. The last was a 22-year-old American gored to death in 1995. The runs begin off at 8 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) each day, with a few thousand runners participating daily, although crowds swell at the weekend. | [
"How many people were injured?",
"How many people were injured so far this year?",
"When did the last fatality occur?",
"where was the bull run/",
"Approximately how many years has the Pamplona bull run happened??",
"Where was one man gored?"
] | [
[
"20"
],
[
"20"
],
[
"1995."
],
[
"Pamplona, Spain,"
],
[
"400"
],
[
"in the abdomen"
]
] | One man gored in the abdomen, another facially injured at Pamplona bull run .
Californian and Greek hospitalized following event, now more than 400 years old .
Latest injuries happened on the third of eight scheduled runs in the Spanish city .
NEW: Twenty people injured so far this year; last fatality was an American in 1995 . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Passengers said they saw flames and then heard an explosion moments before a Spanair jet crashed on takeoff Wednesday at Madrid's Barajas Airport, killing 153 people, according to local media. Medical personnel tend to an injured passenger at Madrid's Barajas airport. The Spanair Flight JK5022 was carrying 172 people. There were 19 survivors, including two infants, Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez said. The 19 were being treated at a hospital, Alvaraez said. The severity of the injuries varies, but many of the injured have been treated for burns, Spanish Red Cross spokeswoman Olivia Acosa said. Watch as the wounded arrive at a hospital » The flight was bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, two hours away. Local officials said one of the engines caught fire. The aircraft, an MD-82, has two jet engines, both at the rear. The burning plane came to rest in a gully about 2:45 p.m. (8:45 a.m. ET). The crash sent up a plume of smoke visible from several kilometers away. At the time of the crash, weather conditions were hot and clear. Watch smoke rising from airport » A survivor told Spain's ABC newspaper that she and other passengers heard an explosion as the plane was taking off. iReport: Send us your pictures, video, information. "She said they could see the fire, ... and then it was not even a minute or so they heard [something] blow up," reporter Carlota Fomina told CNN. "They were about 200 meters [660 feet] in the air, and then they were landing but not crashing. They were landing, like, little by little; it was not like they [fell] down suddenly." The MD-82 was carrying 162 passengers, four non-working crew members and six working crew members, Spanair said. After contacting families, the airline published the names of those aboard on its Web site. Watch as relatives of survivors start arriving at the airport » Some of the survivors have serious injuries, while others have non-life-threatening injuries. Many of the injured were treated for burns, she said. The aircraft was carrying seven passengers from Lufthansa Flight 2554, according to the airline. Spanair, a low-cost airline that has a flight-sharing agreement with Lufthansa, is owned by SAS Scandinavian Airlines. Barajas Airport closed after the crash but reopened more than two hours later, allowing a limited number of takeoffs and landings, an airport official said. See a map of the airport » Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero arrived at the airport Wednesday evening after cutting short a vacation. "The government will do all it can to support the families in this difficult situation," he said. "The whole government, logically, is affected, very affected, as are all Spanish citizens, by this tragedy." The fatal crash was the first at the airport since December 1983, when 93 people were killed as two Spanish airliners collided. The airport, eight miles (13 km) northeast of central Madrid, is Spain's busiest, handling more than 40 million passengers a year. The United States National Transportation Safety Board is sending an investigation team to Madrid because the aircraft is American-made, NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said. Spanair has set up a local emergency number for family members and friends phoning from Spain: +34 800-400-200. CNN's Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman, Brian Todd and Kathleen Koch contributed to this report | [
"What crashed white taking off?",
"What number of infants lived?",
"who were among the survivors?",
"who says jet caught fire?",
"What caught fire?"
] | [
[
"Spanair jet"
],
[
"two"
],
[
"two infants,"
],
[
"Local officials"
],
[
"Spanair jet"
]
] | NEW: Local officials say one of jet's two engines caught fire .
NEW: Two infants among 19 survivors, Spanish official says .
NEW: Passenger list posted on Spanair Web site .
MD-82 crashed while taking off from Madrid's main airport . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Relatives of a woman killed in a Spanish airline crash were erroneously given the remains of another victim, and then were asked by authorities to return them, CNN partner network CNN+ reported Thursday. The victims of the crash were first laid out at a Madria convention center. A Madrid judge has opened an investigation into the error, and judicial sources say the initial indication is that the mixup occurred not in the proper identification of the victim, but in delivering the wrong remains to the family in question, CNN+ reported. The family Wednesday received an urn numbered 104, and were told it contained the ashes of their loved one, Pilar Gonzalez Ferreira, who died in the crash. But as the family was preparing to leave Madrid, officials called to tell them about the error and asked for the return of urn 104, CNN+ reported. Instead of urn 104, the family was supposed to have received urn 134, which actually contains the remains of Pilar Gonzalez, CNN+ reported, citing judicial sources and another family which also lost a relative in the crash. The Spanair MD82 jet crashed last week at Madrid's airport as the plane was trying to take off, killing 154 people. The aircraft, bound for Spain's Canary Islands, managed to rise only slightly before coming down quickly to the right of the runway, its tail section hitting the ground first, just off the asphalt. Then the out-of-control plane skidded and bounced at least three times as it careered 1,200 meters (3,840 feet) across uneven terrain and exploded, coming to rest in a gully, a top official of the investigative commission told a news conference in Madrid on Tuesday. Many of the bodies were badly charred from the fire, and authorities have used DNA samples to carry out numerous identifications. By Thursday, 126 victims had been identified, CNN+ reported. Just a few dozen families are still waiting to receive the remains their loved ones. Most are gathered at a Madrid hotel near the airport. Nineteen people initially survived the crash, but one died in hospital last weekend. Fourteen survivors remain hospitalized in Madrid; one had returned to her native Sweden for further hospitalization there, and another was in a hospital in the Canary Islands. Two other survivors, including a six-year-old boy, were released from hospital earlier this week. | [
"Did the survivors eventually recover fully?",
"When did Spanair flight crash?",
"What were the casualties of the crash?",
"What caused the plan crash?",
"What was the family given?"
] | [
[
"Fourteen"
],
[
"last week"
],
[
"154 people."
],
[
"trying to take off,"
],
[
"the remains of another victim,"
]
] | Relatives of Spanair crash victim given the wrong remains, CNN+ reports .
Initial probe finds family given the wrong urn, not the body was wrongly identified .
Spanair flight crashed during take off last week from Madrid airport .
154 died, 18 survivors still in hospitals, two injured released from hospital . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Spanish police Tuesday arrested two Moroccan men suspected of having links to Islamic terrorism, Spain's Ministry of Interior said, including one man wanted in connection with attacks in Casablanca in 2003. Mohamed El Bay is thought to have been trying to buy weapons and explosives. The arrests were made in Melilla, a Spanish enclave of about 68,000 people on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, with Spanish Civil Guards acting on international arrests warrants issued by Morocco, the ministry said in a written statement. Moroccan authorities have linked one of the suspects, Ali Aarass, to the Casablanca bombings in May 2003 that killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers. He is suspected of Islamic extremist activities during the past 16 years, the Spanish statement said. The other man, Mohamed El Bay, is wanted for alleged involvement with a terrorist network that Moroccan police broke up last February, when they arrested 30 people suspected of plotting attacks against Moroccan government targets, it said. Moroccan police seized numerous weapons in the February raids and later contacted European police for help in locating other suspects in the group. Morocco authorities believe El Bay may have been in charge of contacting Central European arms smugglers to get weapons and explosives for the alleged plot in Morocco, the Spanish statement said. Spanish police searched the homes of both suspects in Melilla and seized documentation, it said. Spain has arrested more than 300 suspected Islamic extremists since the Madrid train bombings of 2004 that killed 191 people, although not all of the suspects remain in jail. E-mail to a friend | [
"Where was the bombing that killed 33 people?",
"What was one accused of?",
"When did Morocco break up the terror network?",
"Where are two men arrested?",
"What was the other believed to have been trying to do?",
"when morocco broke up terror?",
"what amount of people were killed in casablaca?",
"where melilla is located?"
] | [
[
"Casablanca"
],
[
"Casablanca bombings in May 2003"
],
[
"last February,"
],
[
"Melilla,"
],
[
"buy weapons and explosives."
],
[
"last February,"
],
[
"33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers."
],
[
"Morocco's Mediterranean coast,"
]
] | Two men arrested in Spanish enclave of Melilla, near Morocco .
One accused of involvement in bombing that killed 33 in Casablanca .
The other is believed to have been trying to buy arms .
Arrest warrants were issued after Morocco broke up terror network last February . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The mother of a Spanish man who died from the human form of mad cow disease has also died from the illness, Spain's Ministry of Health said Wednesday.
Spain has taken steps to avoid mad cow disease, and there is no danger from eating meat, officials said.
It is believed to be the first case in the world where two members of the same family have died from mad cow disease, said Juan Jose Badiola, director of Spain's national research center for mad cow disease.
"It's noteworthy that there's a double case in the same family," Badiola said.
Until now, Badiola added, clinical evidence that he's seen from the United Kingdom and France -- which have had the most deaths due to the human form of mad cow disease -- have not recorded two cases in a single family.
The mother, in her early 60s, died last month. The government confirmed Wednesday that it was because of mad cow disease but did not, by custom, make her name public.
Her son, 41, died in February from the same disease, Badiola said.
The latest confirmed case makes a total of four deaths in Spain from mad cow disease since 2005.
Three of these cases in Spain were in the same northern province, Leon, which is another unusual aspect that will be studied, Badiola said.
Ten years can pass between eating contaminated tissue and the appearance of the human form of the disease, called variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, health officials say.
The health ministry said there is no danger from eating meat in Spain, because of existing controls.
The steps to avoid the disease, taken after the first cases of mad cow disease appeared in the United Kingdom, included isolating infected animals and prohibiting cattle feed of animal origin or with animal proteins, the ministry said.
"The appearance of these sporadic cases is within the predictions that were made at the European level more than eight years ago," the ministry statement said.
Badiola said that it's likely the mother and son contracted the disease before stricter controls against mad cow disease began in 2001 in Spain.
The pair had similar eating habits, Badiola said, which included eating animal organs, such as kidneys and livers, and they may also have eaten animal brains.
Researchers will try to determine whether the mother and son shared a genetic structure that might have been more prone to contracting the illness, Badiola said.
The family's home was in a village near the provincial capital of Leon, 333 kilometers (206 miles) northwest of Madrid.
The other case in that province was of a woman, 50, who was a local government worker in the provincial capital. She died in December from mad cow disease.
The first confirmed death from mad cow disease in Spain was in 2005, when a young woman died near Madrid.
In addition to the cases in Spain, as of June the following numbers of cases of human mad cow disease had been reported: 167 in the United Kingdom; 23 in France; four in Ireland; three in the United States; two each in Netherlands and Portugal; and one each in Canada, Italy, Japan and Saudi Arabia
Two of the three U.S. cases, two of the four cases in Ireland and the single cases in Canada and Japan were people probably exposed to the mad cow agent while residing in the United Kingdom, officials have said. One of the 23 French cases may also have been infected in the United Kingdom. | [
"How many deaths from mad cow disease?",
"Who died in Spain from mad cow disease?",
"What did the mother and son have?",
"What did the mother and son do similar?",
"How many deaths in Spain?",
"What did they die from?",
"What may the mother and son have eaten?"
] | [
[
"four"
],
[
"mother of a Spanish man"
],
[
"human form of mad cow disease"
],
[
"eating habits,"
],
[
"four"
],
[
"the human form of mad cow disease"
],
[
"animal brains."
]
] | Expert: First case where two members of same family died from mad cow disease .
The mother and son had similar eating habits and may have eaten animal brains .
There have been four deaths in Spain from mad cow disease since 2005 . |
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The search is back on for words to the Spanish national anthem. Spain's basketball team: Able to hum the national anthem, but not sing words. The lack of lyrics in Spain's anthem has long created awkward moments for winning Spanish athletes at the Olympics. They stand on the podium silently or hum along while winning athletes from other nations sing when their anthem is played during their moment of triumph. With the summer Olympic Games fast-approaching, the Spanish Olympic Committee stirred the lyric-writing impulses of Spaniards by sponsoring a competition to provide words for the anthem. The contest drew 7,000 entries, and an expert panel selected a winner. The committee announced plans for renowned Spanish tenor Placido Domingo to sing the lyrics on Monday. Then, suddenly, the committee discarded the winning lyrics. "Once Spaniards heard these lyrics, they sparked a lot of controversy, even rejection," Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, told a packed news conference this week. The now-discarded winning lyrics had begun with, "Viva Espana," or "long-live Spain," and critics complained that phrase harkened back to the right-wing dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who led a military uprising in 1936 against the elected government and won a Civil War, ruling Spain until his death in 1975. "You have to consider that many Spaniards don't consider the national anthem as their own. It was played a lot under Franco," said Margarita Saenz-Diez, a journalist. Spain is now a democracy, but many still bristle at the military march that's served for more than two centuries as the national anthem. Spain is made up of many different peoples, and five languages are spoken across the country. The Catalans in the northeast and the Basques in the north already have their own national songs with lyrics. Getting agreement on any lyrics to the national anthem is no easy task and would ultimately have to be approved by Parliament. The president of the Spanish Olympic Committee conceded he doesn't know when there will be lyrics for the anthem, and many here say there isn't enough time to get lyrics approved before the Aug. 8 start of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. Yet the search goes on. "We will continue with the idea of an anthem with lyrics," Blanco said. E-mail to a friend CNN's Al Goodman contributed to this report | [
"What is rejected by the panel because of controversial lyrics?",
"What are the controversial lyrics?",
"Where are the Olympc games being held?",
"What game is approaching?"
] | [
[
"anthem."
],
[
"\"Viva Espana,\""
],
[
"Beijing."
],
[
"summer Olympic"
]
] | Approaching Olympic Games creates impetus to find words for Spain's anthem .
Panel rejects winning song because of controversial lyrics .
7,000 Spaniards competed to find words for anthem . |
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