{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Who 'll win and who will lose ? The following are the nominations for the 80th annual Academy Awards . Winners will be announced February 24 . For more details on the nominees in some of the major categories , check out our gallery of nominees . See the nominee gallery '' Best Picture `` Atonement '' `` Juno '' `` Michael Clayton '' `` No Country for Old Men '' `` There Will Be Blood '' Actor George Clooney , `` Michael Clayton '' Daniel Day-Lewis , `` There Will Be Blood '' Johnny Depp , `` Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street '' Tommy Lee Jones , `` In the Valley of Elah '' Viggo Mortensen , `` Eastern Promises '' Actress Cate Blanchett , `` Elizabeth : The Golden Age '' Julie Christie , `` Away From Her '' Marion Cotillard , `` La Vie en Rose '' Laura Linney , `` The Savages '' Ellen Page , `` Juno '' Supporting Actor Casey Affleck , `` The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford '' Javier Bardem , `` No Country for Old Men '' Hal Holbrook , `` Into the Wild '' Philip Seymour Hoffman , `` Charlie Wilson 's War '' Tom Wilkinson , `` Michael Clayton '' Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett , `` I 'm Not There '' Ruby Dee , `` American Gangster '' Saoirse Ronan , `` Atonement '' Amy Ryan , `` Gone Baby Gone '' Tilda Swinton , `` Michael Clayton '' Director Julian Schnabel , `` The Diving Bell and the Butterfly '' Jason Reitman , `` Juno '' Tony Gilroy , `` Michael Clayton '' Joel Coen and Ethan Coen , `` No Country for Old Men '' Paul Thomas Anderson , `` There Will Be Blood '' Foreign Film `` Beaufort , '' Israel `` The Counterfeiters , '' Austria `` Katyn , '' Poland `` Mongol , '' Kazakhstan `` 12 , '' Russia Adapted Screenplay Christopher Hampton , `` Atonement '' Sarah Polley , `` Away from Her '' Ronald Harwood , `` The Diving Bell and the Butterfly '' Joel Coen & Ethan Coen , `` No Country for Old Men '' Paul Thomas Anderson , `` There Will Be Blood '' Original Screenplay Diablo Cody , `` Juno '' Nancy Oliver , `` Lars and the Real Girl '' Tony Gilroy , `` Michael Clayton '' Brad Bird , Jan Pinkava and Jim Capobianco , `` Ratatouille '' Tamara Jenkins , `` The Savages . '' Animated Feature Film `` Persepolis '' `` Ratatouille '' `` Surf 's Up '' Art Direction `` American Gangster '' `` Atonement '' `` The Golden Compass '' `` Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street '' `` There Will Be Blood '' Cinematography `` The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford '' `` Atonement '' `` The Diving Bell and the Butterfly '' `` No Country for Old Men '' `` There Will Be Blood '' Sound Mixing `` The Bourne Ultimatum '' `` No Country for Old Men '' `` Ratatouille '' `` 3:10 to Yuma '' `` Transformers '' Sound Editing `` The Bourne Ultimatum '' `` No Country for Old Men '' `` Ratatouille '' `` There Will Be Blood '' `` Transformers '' Original Score `` Atonement , '' Dario Marianelli `` The Kite Runner , '' Alberto Iglesias `` Michael Clayton , '' James Newton Howard `` Ratatouille , '' Michael Giacchino `` 3:10 to Yuma , '' Marco Beltrami Original Song `` Falling Slowly '' from `` Once , '' Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova `` Happy Working Song '' from `` Enchanted , '' Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz `` Raise It Up '' from `` August Rush , '' Nominees to be determined `` So Close '' from `` Enchanted , '' Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz `` That 's How You Know '' from `` Enchanted , '' Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz Costume `` Across the Universe '' `` Atonement '' `` Elizabeth : The Golden Age '' `` La Vie en Rose '' `` Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street '' Documentary Feature `` No End in Sight '' `` Operation Homecoming : Writing the Wartime Experience '' `` Sicko '' `` Taxi to the Dark Side '' `` War\/Dance '' Documentary -LRB- short subject -RRB- `` Freeheld '' `` La Corona -LRB- The Crown -RRB- '' `` Salim Baba '' `` Sari 's Mother '' Film Editing `` The Bourne Ultimatum '' `` The Diving Bell and the Butterfly '' `` Into the Wild '' `` No Country for Old Men '' `` There Will Be Blood '' Makeup `` La Vie en Rose '' `` Norbit '' `` Pirates of the Caribbean : At World 's End '' Animated Short Film `` I Met the Walrus '' `` Madame Tutli-Putli '' `` Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis -LRB- Even Pigeons Go to Heaven -RRB- '' `` My Love -LRB- Moya Lyubov -RRB- '' `` Peter & the Wolf '' Live Action Short Film `` At Night '' `` Il Supplente -LRB- The Substitute -RRB- '' `` Le Mozart des Pickpockets -LRB- The Mozart of Pickpockets -RRB- '' `` Tanghi Argentini '' `` The Tonto Woman '' Visual Effects `` The Golden Compass '' `` Pirates of the Caribbean : At World 's End '' `` Transformers '' E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World No. 1 Serena Williams ' preparations for her Australian Open title defense suffered a late blip when she was beaten in the final of the Sydney International by Elena Dementieva on Friday . The American , who had struggled past unseeded Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in three sets in the semifinals when she appeared to injure her left leg , lost 6-3 6-2 to suffer her fifth defeat in her last eight clashes with the Russian . `` I was struggling a little bit , but she definitely deserves all the credit , '' Williams told reporters . `` It 's definitely not ligament problems . It 's just a little pain but the strapping usually helps the pain go away . '' Dementieva , who beat world No. 2 Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals , successfully defended her title in the final event before the first Grand Slam tournament of this decade starts on Monday . `` It 's great to play against the best players in the world , especially going into a Grand Slam . It was a great experience and it 'll help me next week at the Australian Open , '' she told the WTA Tour 's official Web site Dementieva went into the match against Williams having been handed a potential second-round clash with former world No. 1 Justine Henin , who pulled out of the Sydney event as a precaution after suffering a leg injury in her comeback tournament in Brisbane . Seven-time Grand Slam winner Henin , handed a wildcard after a 20-month retirement , will start against unseeded fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens on Monday while fifth seed Dementieva plays fellow Russian Vera Dushevina . Both have avoided the Williams sisters , who are in the top half of the draw with Serena opening against Poland 's Urszula Radwanska on Tuesday and sixth seed Venus taking on Czech Lucie Safarova . Four-time winner Serena could face seventh seed Victoria Azarenka in the last eight , with a possible semifinal against her older sibling looming . Last year 's losing finalist Safina opens against world No. 44 Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia , and could face fellow Russian Maria Sharapova in the fourth round . Sharapova , the 2008 champion but seeded 14th after struggling with shoulder problems last year , begins with a glamour clash against compatriot and fellow pin-up girl Maria Kirilenko . U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters could face fellow comeback queen Henin in the quarterfinals , having been seeded 15th and facing a qualifier first up . But to set up a rematch of the recent final in Brisbane , which she won , Clijsters is likely to have to overcome third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round . The Russian , who has never got past the last eight in Melbourne , takes on unseeded compatriot Anastasia Rodionova in her first match . Australian Open women 's singles draw -LRB- seeds in bold -RRB- : 1-Serena Williams -LRB- USA -RRB- v Urszula Radwanska -LRB- Pol -RRB- Petra Kvitova -LRB- Cze -RRB- v Jill Craybas -LRB- USA -RRB- Qualifier v Andrea Petkovic -LRB- Ger -RRB- Ayumi Morita -LRB- Jpn -RRB- v 32-Carla Suarez-Navarro -LRB- Spa -RRB- 21-Sabine Lisicki -LRB- Ger -RRB- v Petra Martic -LRB- Cro -RRB- Varvara Lepchenko -LRB- USA -RRB- v Alberta Brianti -LRB- Ita -RRB- Kristina Barrois -LRB- Ger -RRB- v Akgul Amanmuradova -LRB- Uzb -RRB- Qualifier v Samantha Stosur -LRB- Aus -RRB- -LRB- 13 -RRB- 9-Vera Zvonareva -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Kristina Kucova -LRB- Svk -RRB- Kai Chen Chang -LRB- Tpe -RRB- v Iveta Benesova -LRB- Cze -RRB- Qualifier v Gisela Dulko -LRB- Arg -RRB- Qualifier v 20-Ana Ivanovic -LRB- Ser -RRB- 28-Elena Vesnina -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Tathiana Garbin -LRB- Ita -RRB- Kimiko Date Krumm -LRB- Jpn -RRB- v Yaroslava Shvedova -LRB- Kaz -RRB- Stefanie Voegele -LRB- Swi -RRB- v Melinda Czink -LRB- Hun -RRB- Stephanie Cohen Aloro -LRB- Fra -RRB- v 7-Victoria Azarenka -LRB- Blr -RRB- 4-Caroline Wozniacki -LRB- Den -RRB- v Aleksandra Wozniak -LRB- Can -RRB- Tamira Paszek -LRB- Aut -RRB- v Julia Goerges -LRB- Ger -RRB- Galina Voskoboeva -LRB- Kaz -RRB- v Tsvetana Pironkova -LRB- Bul -RRB- Lucie Hradecka -LRB- Cze -RRB- v 29-Shahar Peer -LRB- Isr -RRB- 22-Daniela Hantuchova -LRB- Svk -RRB- v Viktoriya Kutuzova -LRB- Ukr -RRB- Jarmila Groth -LRB- Svk -RRB- v Qualifier Stephanie Dubois -LRB- Can -RRB- v Agnes Szavay -LRB- Hun -RRB- Marina Erakovic -LRB- Nzl -RRB- v 16-Na Li -LRB- Chn -RRB- 10-Agnieszka Radwanska -LRB- Pol -RRB- v Tatjana Malek -LRB- Ger -RRB- Melanie Oudin -LRB- USA -RRB- v Alla Kudryavtseva -LRB- Rus -RRB- Julie Coin -LRB- Fra -RRB- v Alicia Molik -LRB- Aus -RRB- Alize Cornet -LRB- Fra -RRB- v 17-Francesca Schiavone -LRB- Ita -RRB- 25-Anabel Medina Garrigues -LRB- Spa -RRB- v Karolina Sprem -LRB- Cro -RRB- Anastasiya Yakimova -LRB- Blr -RRB- v Casey Dellacqua -LRB- Aus -RRB- Arantxa Parra Santonja -LRB- Spa -RRB- v Sybille Bammer -LRB- Aut -RRB- Lucie Safarova -LRB- Cze -RRB- v 6-Venus Williams -LRB- USA -RRB- 5-Elena Dementieva -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Vera Dushevina -LRB- Rus -RRB- Kirsten Flipkens -LRB- Bel -RRB- v Justine Henin -LRB- Bel -RRB- Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea -LRB- Rom -RRB- v Olivia Rogowska -LRB- Aus -RRB- Jelena Dokic -LRB- Aus -RRB- v 27-Alisa Kleybanova -LRB- Rus -RRB- 18-Virginie Razzano -LRB- Fra -RRB- v Ekaterina Makarova -LRB- Rus -RRB- Klara Zakopalova -LRB- Cze -RRB- v Sara Errani -LRB- Ita -RRB- Qualifier v Alexandra Dulgheru -LRB- Rom -RRB- Anna Chakvetadze -LRB- Rus -RRB- v 12-Flavia Pennetta -LRB- Ita -RRB- 15-Kim Clijsters -LRB- Bel -RRB- v Qualifier Sesil Karatantcheva -LRB- Kaz -RRB- v Tamarine Tanasugarn -LRB- Tha -RRB- Yung-Jan Chan -LRB- Tpe -RRB- v Kaia Kanepi -LRB- Est -RRB- Edina Gallovits -LRB- Rom -RRB- v 19-Nadia Petrova -LRB- Rus -RRB- 26-Aravane Rezai -LRB- Fra -RRB- v Sania Mirza -LRB- Ind -RRB- Olga Govortsova -LRB- Blr -RRB- v Qualifier Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Anastasija Sevastova -LRB- Lat -RRB- Anastasia Rodionova -LRB- Rus -RRB- v 3-Svetlana Kuznetsova -LRB- Rus -RRB- 8-Jelena Jankovic -LRB- Ser -RRB- v Monica Niculescu -LRB- Rom -RRB- Patricia Mayr -LRB- Aut -RRB- v Katie O'Brien -LRB- GB -RRB- Qualifier v Polona Hercog -LRB- Slo -RRB- Qualifier v 31-Alona Bondarenko -LRB- Ukr -RRB- 24-Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez -LRB- Spa -RRB- v Evgeniya Rodina -LRB- Rus -RRB- Jie Zheng -LRB- Chn -RRB- v Shuai Peng -LRB- Chn -RRB- Coco Vandeweghe -LRB- USA -RRB- v Sandra Zahlavova -LRB- Cze -RRB- Rossana De los Rios -LRB- Par -RRB- v 11-Marion Bartoli -LRB- Fra -RRB- 14-Maria Sharapova -LRB- Rus -RRB- v Maria Kirilenko -LRB- Rus -RRB- Qualifier v Timea Bacsinszky -LRB- Swi -RRB- Anna-Lena Groenefeld -LRB- Ger -RRB- v Roberta Vinci -LRB- Ita -RRB- Vania King -LRB- USA -RRB- v 23-Dominika Cibulkova -LRB- Svk -RRB- 30-Kateryna Bondarenko -LRB- Ukr -RRB- v Ioana Raluca Olaru -LRB- Rom -RRB- Pauline Parmentier -LRB- Fra -RRB- v Elena Baltacha -LRB- GB -RRB- Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova -LRB- Cze -RRB- v Qualifier Magdalena Rybarikova -LRB- Svk -RRB- v Dinara Safina -LRB- Rus -RRB- -LRB- 2 -RRB-","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Friends and colleagues of Apple founder Steve Jobs sent their condolences Wednesday after his death at the age of 56 . On its homepage , Google carried a small notation , `` Steve Jobs , 1955-2011 . '' Clicking on Jobs ' name took users to the Apple website and its tribute to Jobs . U.S. House Leader Eric Cantor , R-Virginia : `` There is not a day that goes by , and often not an hour , that a Steve Jobs invention does not better my family 's life . Thank you Steve . '' U.S. Rep. John Boehner , R-Ohio : `` Steve Jobs changed the world for the better -LRB- with -RRB- his innovations & genius . R.I.P. '' San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee : `` Steve Jobs was a giant in the world of technology and established the Bay Area as a global center for innovation . He has inspired and changed the Bay Area and the world forever . Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco and his values were reflected in his generous support for results-driven education reform , 21st century philanthropy and bridging the digital divide for our diverse communities . Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene , his family and friends . '' New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg : `` Tonight , America lost a genius who will be remembered with Edison and Einstein , and whose ideas will shape the world for generations to come . Again and again over the last four decades , Steve Jobs saw the future and brought it to life long before most people could even see the horizon . And Steve 's passionate belief in the power of technology to transform the way we live brought us more than smart phones and iPads : it brought knowledge and power that is reshaping the face of civilization . In New York City 's government , everyone from street construction inspectors to NYPD detectives have harnessed Apple 's products to do their jobs more efficiently and intuitively . Tonight our city -- a city that has always had such respect and admiration for creative genius -- joins with people around the planet in remembering a great man and keeping Laurene and the rest of the Jobs family in our thoughts and prayers . '' California Attorney General Kamala Harris : `` California has lost a great leader with the passing of Steve Jobs . His character , intelligence , and creativity changed how the world works and how the world imagines itself . We are forever grateful and inspired by the gift he has given us . I send my thoughts and sympathies to Laurene and the entire Jobs family . '' Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney : `` Steve Jobs is an inspiration to American entrepreneurs . He will be missed . '' John Lasseter , chief creative officer , and Ed Catmull , president , Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios `` Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary , our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family . He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us , and beyond what anyone ever imagined . Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films ; the one thing he always said was to simply ` make it great . ' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength , integrity and love of life has made us all better people . He will forever be a part of Pixar 's DNA . Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time . '' Meg Whitman , president and chief executive of Hewlett-Packard : `` Steve Jobs was an iconic entrepreneur and businessman whose impact on technology was felt beyond Silicon Valley . He will be remembered for the innovation he brought to market and the inspiration he brought to the world . '' Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt : `` Today is very sad for all of us . Steve defined a generation of style and technology that 's unlikely to be matched again . Steve was so charismatically brilliant that he inspired people to do the impossible , and he will be remembered as the greatest computer innovator in history . '' Google co-founder Sergey Brin : `` From the earliest days of Google , whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership , we needed to look no farther than Cupertino . Steve , your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product -LRB- including the MacBook I am writing this on right now -RRB- . And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met . On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology , you will be missed very much . My condolences to family , friends , and colleagues at Apple . '' U.S. President Barack Obama : `` Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs . Steve was among the greatest of American innovators -- brave enough to think differently , bold enough to believe he could change the world , and talented enough to do it . By building one of the planet 's most successful companies from his garage , he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity . By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets , he made the information revolution not only accessible , but intuitive and fun . And by turning his talents to storytelling , he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike . Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last . Because he did , he transformed our lives , redefined entire industries , and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history : he changed the way each of us sees the world . The world has lost a visionary . And there may be no greater tribute to Steve 's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented . Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve 's wife Laurene , his family , and all those who loved him . '' YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen : `` It was an honor to have worked with Steve Jobs . He will forever remain an inspiration . He will be sorely missed , and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family . '' G.S. Choi , chief executive of Samsung Electronics : `` Samsung Electronics is saddened to hear of Chairman Steve Jobs ' passing and would like to extend our deepest condolences . Chairman Steve Jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur . His innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world . We would like to again express our sincerest condolences to Mr. Jobs ' family and his colleagues . '' Google co-founder Larry Page : `` I am very , very sad to hear the news about Steve . He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance . He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it . His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me . He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well . My thoughts and Google 's are with his family and the whole Apple family . '' Mark Zuckerberg , founder and chief executive , Facebook : `` Steve , thank you for being a mentor and a friend . Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world . I will miss you . '' U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi , D-California : `` Steve Jobs was a visionary who changed the way we live , an innovator whose products brought joy to millions , a risk-taker who was n't afraid to challenge the status quo , and an entrepreneur who led one of the most creative companies of our time . His sage advice was respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle . His courageous fight against cancer brought strength to many . I hope it is a comfort to those who loved him , especially his family , that so many grieve his loss and are praying for them at this sad time . '' Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates : `` I 'm truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs ' death . Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends , and to everyone Steve has touched through his work . Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago , and have been colleagues , competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives . The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had , the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come . For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him , it 's been an insanely great honor . I will miss Steve immensely . '' Robert Iger , president and chief executive , The Walt Disney Company : `` Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor . His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built . It will be the millions of people he inspired , the lives he changed , and the culture he defined . Steve was such an ` original , ' with a thoroughly creative , imaginative mind that defined an era . Despite all he accomplished , it feels like he was just getting started . With his passing the world has lost a rare original , Disney has lost a member of our family , and I have lost a great friend . Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time . '' California Governor Jerry Brown : `` Steve Jobs was a great California innovator who demonstrated what a totally independent and creative mind can accomplish . Few people have made such a powerful and elegant imprint on our lives . Anne and I wish to express our deepest sympathy to Steve 's wife , Laurene , and their entire family . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com . If you 've rewritten that r\u00e9sum\u00e9 several times and sent out dozens of applications but your job search still shows no promise , you might not be the problem . One frequently overlooked but critical factor in finding a new job is your state 's unemployment rate . You can have the experience and skills of an employer 's dream , but they wo n't do you any good if there just are n't enough jobs available . The unemployment rate is the percentage of job seekers in the work force who are still looking for work . The higher the percentage , the more difficult it is to find a job . The national unemployment rate is 5 percent , based on the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics -LRB- BLS -RRB- . If you 're looking for a job , you should see how your state compares to the rest of the country . Here are the 10 worst states to find work ranked by their unemployment rates . 1 . Michigan Unemployment rate : 7.6 percent Population : 10,071,822 Mean annual wage : $ 41,230 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 18.4 percent -RRB- *** 2 . Mississippi Unemployment rate : 6.8 percent Population : 2,918,785 Mean annual wage : $ 30,460 Top industry : Government -LRB- 21.2 percent -RRB- 3 . South Carolina Unemployment rate : 6.6 percent Population : 4,407,709 Mean annual wage : $ 33,400 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 19.4 percent -RRB- 4 . Alaska Unemployment rate : 6.5 percent Population : 683,478 Mean annual wage : $ 43,920 Top industry : Government -LRB- 25.9 percent -RRB- 5 . California Unemployment rate : 6.1 percent Population : 36,553,215 Mean annual wage : $ 44,180 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 18.9 percent -RRB- 6 . District of Columbia Unemployment rate : 6.1 percent Population : 588,292 Mean annual wage : $ 61,500 Top industry : Government -LRB- 33.3 percent -RRB- 7 . Ohio Unemployment rate : 6 percent Population : 11,466,917 Mean annual wage : $ 37,360 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 19.3 percent -RRB- 8 . Arkansas Unemployment rate : 5.9 percent Population : 2,834,797 Mean annual wage : $ 30,870 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 20.6 percent -RRB- 9 . Nevada Unemployment rate : 5.8 percent Population : 2,565,382 Mean annual wage : $ 36,000 Top industry : Leisure and hospitality -LRB- 26.5 percent -RRB- 10 . Kentucky Unemployment rate : 5.7 percent Population : 4,241,474 Mean annual wage : $ 33,490 Top industry : Trade , transportation and utilities -LRB- 20.4 percent -RRB- * Unemployment rates , mean annual wages and industry percentages obtained from BLS in January 2008 . Percentages based on nonfarm payrolls , seasonally adjusted . ** Population figures based on U.S. Census Bureau data . *** Top industries are those that employ the largest percentage of a state 's labor force . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- On November 11 , Americans pay tribute to everyone who has served in the U.S. military . But why was this particular date chosen , and how does this holiday differ from Memorial Day ? Origins of Veterans Day World War I , also known as `` The Great War , '' was fought from 1914 to 1918 . During this conflict , Great Britain , France , Russia , Belgium , Italy , Japan , the United States and other countries , which formed the `` Allies , '' defeated the so-called `` Central Powers , '' which included Germany , Austria-Hungary , Turkey -LRB- then the Ottoman Empire -RRB- and Bulgaria . On the `` eleventh hour , of the eleventh day , of the eleventh month '' of 1918 , German leaders signed an armistice , or a halt to hostilities , with the Allied powers . On that date , November 11 , celebrations were held in New York City , Paris , London and in other cities around the globe . The following year , President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 as `` Armistice Day , '' a day to observe the end of World War I. On June 4 , 1926 , the U.S. Congress passed a resolution asking President Calvin Coolidge to call upon officials to `` display the flag of the United States on all government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches , or other suitable places , with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples . '' Twelve years later , on May 13 , 1938 , Congress passed an Act making the 11th of November Armistice Day , a federal holiday . Initially , Armistice Day was supposed to honor veterans of World War I . But after the call to arms and human sacrifices during World War II and the Korean conflict , veterans ' groups urged Congress to consider a day to celebrate U.S. veterans of all wars . On June 1 , 1954 , President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day . Difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day Veterans Day in the United States is a day to honor all Americans who have served in the U.S. military , both during wartime and in peace . Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring Americans who have died serving the nation , especially those who died in battle or from wounds received during armed conflicts . On Veterans Day , Americans thank the living veterans for their service to the country and recognize all who have served the country . Veterans Day Proclamation The following is the text of President George W. Bush 's 2008 Veterans Day Proclamation : On Veterans Day , we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States . From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia , from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan , brave patriots have protected our Nation 's ideals , rescued millions from tyranny , and helped spread freedom around the globe . America 's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants , terrorists , and militaries the world has ever known . They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history . Members of the Army , Navy , Air Force , Marines , and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn . Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service . We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom 's defense . These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit . On Veterans Day , we remember these heroes for their valor , their loyalty , and their dedication . Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world . With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world , the Congress has provided -LRB- 5 U.S.C. 6103 -LRB- a -RRB- -RRB- that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America 's veterans . NOW , THEREFORE , I , GEORGE W. BUSH , President of the United States of America , do hereby proclaim November 11 , 2008 , as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15 , 2008 , as National Veterans Awareness Week . I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers . I call upon Federal , State , and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities . I invite civic and fraternal organizations , places of worship , schools , businesses , unions , and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs . IN WITNESS WHEREOF , I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October , in the year of our Lord two thousand eight , and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third . GEORGE W. BUSH Sources : U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs , Veterans Day , 2008 : A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America","question":""}
{"answer":"CABO SAN LUCAS , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After making landfall on Mexico 's Baja California peninsula , Category 1 Hurricane Jimena was weakening Wednesday night , forecasters said . After making landfall on Baja California , Hurricane Jimena started weakening Wednesday night . The storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon between Puerto San Andresito and San Juanico , Mexico , the National Hurricane Center said . As of 8 p.m. ET , the center of Jimena was located near San Buenaventura , Mexico , and about 40 miles -LRB- 64 kilometers -RRB- south of Santa Rosalia , Mexico . It was moving north at near 12 mph -LRB- 19 kph -RRB- , and was expected to turn northwest and slow Wednesday night before turning west on Thursday . `` On the forecast track , the center of Jimena will move over the central Baja California peninsula tonight and Thursday , then move into the Pacific west of Baja California late Thursday or Thursday night , '' the Hurricane Center said . See the storm 's projected path '' The storm 's maximum sustained winds had decreased slightly , to 80 mph -LRB- 129 kph -RRB- with higher gusts , the hurricane center said . Jimena is expected to weaken into a tropical storm Wednesday night , forecasters said . At its peak Tuesday , Jimena was a Category 4 storm , with winds of 145 mph -LRB- 233 kph -RRB- . A hurricane warning remained in effect for parts of the Baja peninsula , from Bahia Magdalena north to Punta Abreojos on the west coast , and from San Evaristo north to Mulege on the east coast , the Hurricane Center said . A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions , including winds of at least 74 mph -LRB- 119 kph -RRB- , are expected within 24 hours . A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were in effect for the Baja California peninsula north of Punta Abreojos to Punta Eugenia on the west coast , and north of Mulege to Bahia San Juan Bautista on the east coast . A tropical storm warning was in effect for the peninsula north of Punta Eugenia to San Jose de las Palomas on the west coast , and north of Bahia San Juan Bautista to Bahia de los Angeles on the east coast . A tropical storm warning also was issued for northwestern mainland Mexico , from Huatabampito to Bahia Kino , the Hurricane Center said . A tropical storm warning means conditions including winds of at least 39 mph -LRB- 63 kph -RRB- are expected within 24 hours . Jimena is expected to produce between 5 and 10 inches of rain over the southern half of the peninsula , with 15 inches possible on some areas . `` These rains could produce life-threatening floods and mudslides , '' the Hurricane Center said . In addition , `` a dangerous storm surge along with large and dangerous battering waves will produce significant coastal flooding along the Baja California peninsula , '' forecasters said . CNN 's Betty Nguyen , Matt Cherry and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spanish giants Real Madrid have retained their position as the richest football club in the world -- according to an annual survey issued by accountancy firm Deloitte . Spanish champions Real Madrid remain the richest football club in the world . English and European champions Manchester United and Spanish league leaders Barcelona remain in second and third places respectively in the latest `` Football Money League '' report on the world 's 20 biggest clubs ranked by revenue . Despite their lofty position in the list , United , along with the rest of the English Premier League clubs have been affected by sterling 's recent fall in the money markets . `` If the exchange rate value of the pound had not depreciated , there would have been nine , rather than seven English clubs in the top 20 and Manchester United would have topped the Money League ahead of Real Madrid , '' Dan Jones , partner in the Sports business group at Deloitte , told Reuters.com . The impact of the current economic downturn on club revenues was not measured in the report from the 2007-2008 football season . Fenerbahce became the first Turkish club to feature in the list , while German champions Bayern Munich climbed three places to fourth , reaching the top five for the first time in five years . Scottish champions Celtic , Spanish side Valencia and German club Werder Bremen all dropped out of the list which is comprised solely of clubs from Europe . World 's wealthiest football clubs by revenue : 1 . Real Madrid -LRB- Spain -RRB- 365.8 m euros 2 . Manchester United -LRB- England -RRB- 324.8 m 3 . Barcelona -LRB- Spain -RRB- 308.8 m 4 . Bayern Munich -LRB- Germany -RRB- 295.3 m 5 . Chelsea -LRB- England -RRB- 268.9 m 6 . Arsenal -LRB- England -RRB- 264.4 m 7 . Liverpool -LRB- England -RRB- 210.9 m 8 . AC Milan -LRB- Italy -RRB- 209.5 m 9 . Roma -LRB- Italy -RRB- 175.4 m 10 . Inter Milan -LRB- Italy -RRB- 172.9 m 11 . Juventus -LRB- Italy -RRB- 167.5 m 12 . Lyon -LRB- France -RRB- 155.7 m 13 . Schalke -LRB- Germany -RRB- 148.4 m 14 . Tottenham -LRB- England -RRB- 145m 15 . Hamburg -LRB- Germany -RRB- 127.9 m 16 . Marseille -LRB- France -RRB- 126.8 m 17 . Newcastle -LRB- England -RRB- 125.6 m 18 . Stuttgart -LRB- Germany -RRB- 111.5 m 19 . Fenerbahce -LRB- Turkey -RRB- 111.3 m 20 . Manchester City -LRB- England -RRB- 104m","question":""}
{"answer":"MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning Thursday for the Atlantic island of Bermuda as Category 3 Hurricane Bill neared . Hurricane Bill 's projected path shows it moving north toward New England and then Canada . The warning from the National Hurricane Center means tropical storm conditions , including winds of at least 39 mph -LRB- 63 kph -RRB- , are expected on the island within 24 hours . A hurricane watch was also in effect , meaning hurricane conditions , including winds of at least 74 mph -LRB- 119 kph -RRB- , are possible within 36 hours . As of 11 p.m. ET Thursday , Bill 's center was about 510 miles -LRB- 825 kilometers -RRB- south of Bermuda , and about 975 miles -LRB- 1,570 kilometers -RRB- southeast of Cape Hatteras , North Carolina , the hurricane center said . The storm was moving northwest at near 18 mph -LRB- 30 kph -RRB- , and is expected to continue that motion overnight , with a gradual turn to the north-northwest on Friday followed by a turn toward the north on Saturday . `` The core of the hurricane is expected to pass between Bermuda and the east coast of the United States on Saturday , '' forecasters said . See Bill 's projected path '' However , Bill is considered a large hurricane , with hurricane-force winds extending out 115 miles -LRB- 185 kilometers -RRB- from the center and tropical storm-force winds extending out 260 miles -LRB- 418 kilometers -RRB- , so Bermuda is likely to feel its effects as it brushes by . Bill 's maximum sustained winds had increased slightly to 125 mph -LRB- 205 kph -RRB- , with higher gusts , the hurricane center said . It was downgraded to a Category 3 storm from Category 4 status early Thursday , after its top sustained winds slipped below 131 mph -LRB- 211 kph -RRB- . Fluctuations in intensity are likely over the next 12 to 24 hours , however , and Bill could regain Category 4 strength Friday , forecasters said . Large swells generated by Bill were affecting the northern Leeward Islands on Thursday , along with Puerto Rico and the island of Hispaniola , shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic . The East Coast of the United States should start seeing large swells during the next few days , along with the Bahamas , Bermuda and the eastern coast of Canada , the hurricane center said . `` These swells will cause extremely dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents . '' Bill is forecast to diminish into a Category 1 hurricane by Sunday evening , when it could make landfall near Nova Scotia or Newfoundland , Canada .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Small cars continue to be hot sellers among buyers looking for fuel economy , style and all-around fun . See which cars are the winners in this list of best-selling small cars . The Honda Civic is popular for its fuel efficiency and affordability . 1 . Honda Civic * August 2008 Sales : 30,052 Change vs. Previous Year : 5.3 % MSRP : $ 15,205 - $ 20,755 Invoice : $ 14,021 - $ 19,111 Fuel Economy : 34 mpg Hwy\/26 mpg City The Honda Civic is one of the most reliable and popular economy compact sedans\/coupes in its class . For years it has set the quality and performance standard for the affordable , compact car market . * Includes Hybrid Model AOL Autos : Honda Civic 2 . Toyota Corolla * August 2008 Sales : 29,443 Change vs. Previous Year : -3.4 % MSRP : $ 15,350 - $ 18,860 Invoice : $ 14,198 - $ 17,067 Fuel Economy : 35 mpg Hwy\/26 mpg City The new Toyota Corolla is among the best of the compact sedans : reliable and economical yet refined and comfortable . * Includes Toyota Matrix AOL Autos : Toyota Corolla 3 . Ford Focus August 2008 Sales : 16,387 Change vs. Previous Year : 23.4 % MSRP : $ 14,995 - $ 17,970 Invoice : $ 14,091 - $ 16,648 Fuel Economy : 35 mpg Hwy\/24 mpg City Small , economical , and fun , the 2009 Ford Focus is a smart choice for those looking for a compact car . AOL Autos : Ford Focus 4 . Chevrolet Cobalt August 2008 Sales : 15,281 Change vs. Previous Year : -26.6 % MSRP : $ 15,010 - $ 22,775 Invoice : $ 14,184 - $ 21,522 Fuel Economy : 37 mpg Hwy\/25 mpg City The Chevy Cobalt is available as either a two-door coupe or a four-door sedan , each available in three trims : the LS , the LT and the SS Turbocharged . AOL Autos : Chevy Cobalt 5 . Mazda3 * August 2008 Sales : 10,970 Change vs. Previous Year : 4.4 % MSRP : $ 14,490 - $ 20,595 Invoice : $ 13,590 - $ 19,283 Fuel Economy : 32 mpg Hwy\/24 mpg City The Mazda3 is a premium compact car , exciting to drive and look at , and equipped with unexpected luxury features , all at a reasonable price . * Includes MazdaSpeed3 AOL Autos : Mazda3 6 . Hyundai Elantra August 2008 Sales : 10,031 Change vs. Previous Year : 13.8 % MSRP : $ 13,970 - $ 16,670 Invoice : $ 13,592 - $ 16,004 Fuel Economy : 33 mpg Hwy\/24 mpg City The Elantra is an economic compact car with handsome styling and nice lines . It 's renowned in two areas , interior space and standard safety equipment . 7 . Toyota Yaris August 2008 Sales : 9,474 Change vs. Previous Year : 20.5 % MSRP : $ 12,205 - $ 15,125 Invoice : $ 11,473 - $ 14,217 Fuel Economy : 36 mpg Hwy\/29 mpg City The Yaris manages to combine a well-tailored , roomy interior with agile performance and a fuel efficient engine in an entry-level car . 8 . Nissan Sentra August 2008 Sales : 9,207 Change vs. Previous Year : 1.4 % MSRP : $ 16,140 - $ 20,570 Invoice : $ 15,275 - $ 19,181 Fuel Economy : 33 mpg Hwy\/25 mpg City The Sentra front-wheel drive 4-door sedan is a practical , roomy and economical car with several trims available to suit a person 's needs . 9 . Nissan Versa August 2008 Sales : 8,015 Change vs. Previous Year : -5.2 % MSRP : $ 12,990 - $ 16,210 Invoice : $ 12,539 - $ 15,634 Fuel Economy : 31 mpg Hwy\/26 mpg City The Versa is Nissan 's entry-level car with the intention of attracting economy-minded buyers with its mileage , price and larger size than most other vehicles in its class . 10 . Hyundai Accent August 2008 Sales : 6,455 Change vs. Previous Year : 73 % MSRP : $ 11,070 - $ 15,070 Invoice : $ 10,822 - $ 14,642 Fuel Economy : 33 mpg Hwy\/27 mpg City The Hyundai Accent sedan and hatchback are exceptional economy cars that offer attractive looks and outstanding value in a price-sensitive market segment . Best-selling small cars is based on August national sales data","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- Baby boomers , those born between 1946 and 1964 , are nearing retirement age . The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 78.2 million boomers , and that every hour , 330 of them turn 60 . That means an entire generation of workers might leave the work force in the coming years . But they might not . Many baby boomers are choosing to postpone retirement and stay at their current jobs or find new ones . Some ca n't afford to retire , but many want to explore new avenues . After decades of working in jobs that paid the bills but did n't fulfill them , they 're moving to different industries . For their book `` 225 Best Jobs for Baby Boomers , '' authors Michael Farr and Laurence Shatkin decided to comb through data to discover what the best jobs are for baby boomers . They looked at salaries , projected job growth and the number of openings to calculate which jobs have the most promise . Farr and Shatkin break down their findings in more than 70 lists , ranging from the best-paying jobs to the best jobs for boomers age 45-54 . Whatever your criteria are , Farr and Shatkin have the job for you . Below you 'll find the list for the 25 overall best jobs for all baby boomers : 1 . Management analysts What they make * : $ 67,005 Projected annual openings ** : 78,000 2 . Teachers , post-secondary What they make : $ 68,456 Projected annual openings : 216,000 3 . Logisticians What they make : $ 44,563 Projected annual openings : 162,000 4 . General and operations managers What they make : $ 93,594 Projected annual openings : 260,000 5 . Registered nurses What they make : $ 66,427 Projected annual openings : 215,000 6 . Anesthesiologists What they make : $ 310,132 Projected annual openings : 38,000 7 . General internists What they make : $ 351,307 Projected annual openings : 38,000 8 . Obstetricians and gynecologists What they make : $ 285,254 Projected annual openings : 38,000 9 . Family and general practitioners What they make : $ 198,221 Projected annual openings : 38,000 10 . Psychiatrists What they make : $ 191,080 Project annual openings : 38,000 11 . Surgeons What they make : $ 322,281 Projected annual openings : 38,000 12 . General pediatricians What they make : $ 181,764 Projected annual openings : 38,000 13 . Medical and health services managers What they make : $ 94,269 Projected annual openings : 33,000 14 . Financial managers , branch or department What they make : $ 101,963 Projected annual openings : 71,000 15 . Treasurers , controllers and chief financial officers What they make : $ 172,946 - $ 240,588 Projected annual openings : 71,000 16 . Chief executives What they make : $ 382,705 Projected annual openings : 63,000 17 . Government service executives What they make : $ 167,766 Projected annual openings : 63,000 18 . Private sector executives What they make : $ 169,570 Projected annual openings : 63,000 19 . Pharmacists What they make : $ 108,499 Projected annual openings : 23,000 20 . Lawyers What they make : $ 116,810 Projected annual openings : 53,000 21 . Education administrators , elementary and secondary school What they make : $ 150,467 Projected annual openings : 31,000 22 . Administrative services managers What they make : $ 86,666 Projected annual openings : 40,000 23 . Sales representatives , agricultural What they make : $ 53,034 Projected annual openings : 44,000 24 . Sales representatives , chemical and pharmaceutical What they make : $ 88,049 Projected annual openings : 44,000 25 . Sales representatives , electrical\/electronics What they make : $ 51,105 Projected annual openings : 44,000 * Salary figures based on data from CBsalary.com , powered by SalaryExpert.com ** Projected annual openings figures based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics . & copy CareerBuilder.com 2009 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Apple co-founder Steve Jobs , who died Wednesday at 56 , made the world `` immeasurably better , '' the company 's board of directors said in a statement . The company also released an e-mail sent to Apple employees in which CEO Tim Cook announced Jobs ' death , saying , `` Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius , and the world has lost an amazing human being . Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor . Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built , and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple . '' Cook 's comments were repeated on the Apple website . Visitors were invited to share their `` thoughts , memories and condolences '' at rememberingsteve@apple.com . There was no immediate word on any funeral services . Cook said the company is planning a `` celebration of Steve 's extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon . '' Jobs ' family also released a statement through Apple , saying that Jobs `` died peacefully today surrounded by his family . '' `` In his public life , Steve was known as a visionary ; in his private life , he cherished his family . We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve 's illness . '' Jobs : Visionary in a black turtleneck The family said a website will be provided for those wishing to offer tributes and memories . `` We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve , '' the family statement said . `` We know many of you will mourn with us and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief . '' Printed copies of a picture of Jobs -- posted on Apple 's website announcing his passing -- appeared Wednesday night on a marble wall outside the Apple store on New York 's Fifth Avenue , with notes written on them . `` We love you , '' one said . `` RIP . '' Outside the original Apple store in Cupertino , California , a makeshift memorial was created Wednesday , with people leaving flowers and other items . A bagpiper played as onlookers visited the site , some wiping their eyes . Apple 's board of directors said Jobs ' `` brilliance , passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives . The world is immeasurably better because of Steve . '' World reacts to Jobs ' death Jobs ' greatest love was for his wife , Laurene , and his family , the statement said . `` Our hearts go out to them and all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts . '' `` No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve 's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him , '' Cook told Apple employees . `` We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much . '' CNN 's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States are aiming to win the Solheim Cup for a fourth successive occasion when they face Europe in the 12th edition of the women 's team golf tournament , which begins at the Killeen Castle Golf Resort in Ireland on Friday . The competition , an exact replica of the men 's Ryder Cup , begins on Friday morning with four foursomes , where the players alternate playing the same ball , before the afternoon 's four fourballs -- which sees each player playing their own ball . Saturday 's two sessions then follow exactly the same format , before Sunday 's 12 individual singles , which will determine the winners . With a total of 28 points up for grabs , the winning team is the first to reach 14 1\/2 points , with the Americans securing 16-12 triumphs in Illinois in 2009 and Sweden in 2007 . Alison Nicholas , who is captaining Europe for a second time following their 2009 defeat , has paired Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist in the opening foursomes match -- with the Swedish duo lining up against Michelle Wie and Cristie Kerr . The English duo of Karen Stupples and Melissa Reid face Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome in the second of the foursomes , while the third sees veteran Scot Catriona Matthew and Spanish rookie Azahara Munoz against Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford . And Friday 's morning session is completed by Suzann Pettersen of Norway and Sweden 's Sophie Gustafson facing Brittany Lang and Juli Inkster -- who becomes the oldest-ever Solheim Cup player at the age of 51 . The United States lead Europe 8-3 overall and both Nicholas and her American counterpart Rosie Jones are aware of the need to get a good start in the competition . Nicholas told the official Solheim Cup website : `` I think I have a good blend in my team and I am very happy with the way the draw has worked out . `` Catriona , for instance , is a great leader and gets on so well with everyone . She has lots of experience and I think she will make a great pairing with Azahara . They are both steady players . '' The United States come into the match as favorites to retain their title , with four of the world 's top 10 amongst their ranks . `` I 've put Michelle and Cristie out first because they are both good leaders , '' Jones told the official website . `` They have played a lot together and had success . I want them to get out there and put up a point . '' She continued : `` I 've got heavy hitters in every match . I have a master plan and I 'm going to stick to it as much as possible . But you have to wait and see how the matches go and maybe adjust . '' European team : -LRB- number of previous Solheim Cup appearances in brackets -RRB- Melissa Reid -LRB- Eng -RRB- -LRB- - -RRB- Laura Davies -LRB- Eng -RRB- -LRB- 11 -RRB- Karen Stupples -LRB- Eng -RRB- -LRB- 1 -RRB- Suzann Pettersen -LRB- Nor -RRB- -LRB- 5 -RRB- Sophie Gustafson -LRB- Swe -RRB- -LRB- 7 -RRB- Maria Hjorth -LRB- Swe -RRB- -LRB- 4 -RRB- Anna Nordqvist -LRB- Swe -RRB- -LRB- 1 -RRB- Caroline Hedwall -LRB- Swe -RRB- -LRB- - -RRB- Catriona Matthew -LRB- Sco -RRB- -LRB- 4 -RRB- Azahara Munoz -LRB- Sp -RRB- -LRB- - -RRB- Sandra Gal -LRB- Ger -RRB- -LRB- - -RRB- Christel Boeljon -LRB- Net -RRB- -LRB- - -RRB- United States team : Michelle Wie -LRB- 1 -RRB- Julie Inkster -LRB- 8 -RRB- Cristie Kerr -LRB- 5 -RRB- Paula Creamer -LRB- 3 -RRB- Angela Stanford -LRB- 3 -RRB- Brittany Lang -LRB- 1 -RRB- Brittany Lincicome -LRB- 2 -RRB- Morgan Pressel -LRB- 2 -RRB- Christina Kim -LRB- 2 -RRB- Vicky Hurst -LRB- - -RRB- Ryann O'Toole -LRB- - -RRB- Stacy Lewis -LRB- - -RRB-","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Porto striker Hulk has been called up to the Brazilian squad for friendly internationals next month against England and Oman . Hulk , whose full name is Givanildo Vieira de Souza , has starred for the Portuguese giants since joining them last year following three seasons in J-League football in Japan . He scored twice to give Porto a 2-1 Champions League win over APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus last week . Hulk will be battling for a starting place with established stars such as Kaka of Real Madrid and Sevilla 's in-form Luis Fabiano . Brazil coach Dunga is using the friendlies to try out fringe players ahead of next year 's World Cup finals in South Africa . He is also giving a chance to Liverpool 's Favio Aurelio , Lyon 's Michel Bastos and Carlos Eduardo of Bundesliga side Hoffenheim . Manchester City 's Robinho also returns to the 24-man squad after recovering from an ankle injury which caused him to miss the final round of South American Group qualifiers . But there is not place for AC Milan pair Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato while Dunga has not picked players from the domestic Brazilian league such as forner World Cup hero Ronaldo and ex-Inter Milan star Adriano . Brazil play their eagerly-awaited friendly against Fabio Capello 's England on November 14 in Doha and take on the more modest challenge of Oman in Muscat three days later . Brazil , who headed the South American qualifying group , will be going for their sixth World Cup triumph in South Africa . Brazilian squad : Goalkeepers : Julio Cesar -LRB- Inter Milan -RRB- , Doni -LRB- AS Roma -RRB- . Defenders : Maicon -LRB- Inter Milan -RRB- , Daniel Alves -LRB- Barcelona -RRB- , Michel Bastos -LRB- Lyon -RRB- , Fabio Aurelio -LRB- Liverpool -RRB- , Lucio -LRB- Inter Milan -RRB- , Juan -LRB- AS Roma -RRB- , Luisao -LRB- Benfica -RRB- , Naldo -LRB- Werder Bremen -RRB- . Midfielders : Elano -LRB- Galatasaray -RRB- , Kaka -LRB- Real Madrid -RRB- , Gilberto Silva -LRB- Panathinaikos -RRB- , Josue -LRB- Wolfsburg -RRB- , Lucas Leiva -LRB- Liverpool -RRB- , Ramires -LRB- Benfica -RRB- , Felipe Melo -LRB- Juventus -RRB- , Alex -LRB- Spartak Moscow -RRB- , Carlos Eduardo -LRB- Hoffenheim -RRB- , Julio Baptista -LRB- AS Roma -RRB- . Forwards : Luis Fabiano -LRB- Sevilla -RRB- , Hulk -LRB- FC Porto -RRB- , Nilmar -LRB- Villarreal -RRB- , Robinho -LRB- Manchester City -RRB- .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Korea , whose leader Kim Jong Il died over the weekend , is the least democratic nation on Earth , according to a newly released report by a British analysis and intelligence firm . The Democracy Index 2011 , compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit , listed Norway as the most democratic nation in the world . The top 10 spots in this year 's index were occupied mostly by European countries . Following Norway were : Iceland , Denmark , Sweden , New Zealand , Australia , Switzerland , Canada , Finland and the Netherlands . Read the full report The United States ranked 19th , down two spots from the 2010 listing . The United States ' 2011 ranking is below Canada -LRB- 8th -RRB- and the United Kingdom -LRB- 18th -RRB- . The United States also ranked below the Czech Republic -LRB- 16th -RRB- , a former Soviet communist satellite that did not become a democracy until 1989 , and the South American nation of Uruguay -LRB- 17th -RRB- , a former right-wing dictatorship that did not return to democracy until 1984 . The Economist Intelligence Unit analysis , released this month , concluded that democracy deteriorated in 48 countries , improved in 41 and stayed the same in 78 . In most regions , the report said , the level of democracy was lower in 2011 than the previous year . `` 2011 was an exceptionally turbulent year , characterized by sovereign debt crises and weak political leadership in the developed world , dramatic political change and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa and rising social unrest , '' said Laza Kekic , the report 's lead author . The Democracy Index is based on five categories : electoral process and pluralism , civil liberties , how government functions , political participation by the public , and political culture . The analysts measured the level of democracy in 165 nations and two territories , `` which account for almost the entire population of the world , '' the Economist Intelligence Unit said in a release . Using a scale of 0 to 10 , countries were placed in one of four categories : full democracies -LRB- 8-10 -RRB- , flawed democracies -LRB- 6 to 7.9 -RRB- , hybrid regimes -LRB- 4 to 5.9 -RRB- and authoritarian regimes -LRB- 0 to 3.9 -RRB- . Norway , the top-ranked nation , had a score of 9.8 . The Scandinavian nation also ranked No. 1 in 2010 with an identical score . North Korea , ranked No. 167 , had a score of 1.08 . The Asian nation also ranked last in 2010 , with the same score . The United States had a score of 8.11 , slightly lower than last year 's 8.18 . `` U.S. democracy has been adversely affected by a deepening of the polarization of the political scene and political brinkmanship and paralysis , '' the Economist Intelligence Unit concluded . The analysts noted that the United States and the United Kingdom lag behind many other full democracies for some of the same reasons . `` There has been a rise in protest movements , '' the report states . `` Problems in the functioning of government have become more prominent . '' Among other findings in the report : -- Slightly more than half the world 's population lives in some type of democracy , although only 11 % enjoy a `` full democracy . '' -- More than one-third of the globe 's population lives under authoritarian rule . -- Nearly half the nations on the planet are considered democracies : 25 `` full '' and 53 `` flawed . '' -- There were 37 `` hybrid regimes '' and 52 `` authoritarian regimes . '' -- Violence , drug trafficking and other crime in Latin America continue to hinder democracy . -- Eastern Europe continued to suffer a decline in democracy , with 12 nations worse than the previous year . -- Western Europe also had a decline in democracy , with seven nations deteriorating and none improving . Some of that deterioration was due to financial problems plaguing the eurozone . Five of the countries that lost points in the rankings belong to the eurozone : Greece , Italy , Portugal , Spain and Ireland . -- Eight countries had a listing change from one type of government to another in 2011 . Four were upgraded and four were downgraded . -- Countries that deteriorated were : Portugal -LRB- fell from full to flawed democracy -RRB- , Ukraine and Guatemala -LRB- flawed democracy to hybrid regime -RRB- and Russia -LRB- hybrid to authoritarian regime -RRB- . -- Zambia improved from a hybrid to a flawed democracy . Tunisia , Mauritania and Niger moved up from authoritarian to hybrid . In the Western Hemisphere , Costa Rica is ranked 20th , up five spots from last year . That nation 's score was 8.10 , nearly the same as the United States . Costa Rica is listed as a full democracy . Western Hemisphere flawed democracies are : Chile -LRB- 35th , 7.54 -RRB- ; Trinidad and Tobago -LRB- 43rd , 7.16 -RRB- ; Brazil -LRB- 45th ; 7.12 -RRB- ; Panama -LRB- 47th , 7.08 -RRB- ; Mexico -LRB- 50th , 6.93 -RRB- ; Argentina -LRB- 51st , 6.84 -RRB- ; Colombia -LRB- 55th , 6.63 -RRB- ; Peru -LRB- 56th , 6.59 -RRB- ; El Salvador -LRB- 61st , 6.47 -RRB- ; Paraguay -LRB- 62nd , 6.40 -RRB- ; Dominican Republic -LRB- 70th , 6.20 -RRB- and Guyana -LRB- 77th , 6.05 -RRB- . Western Hemisphere nations listed as hybrid regimes are : Guatemala -LRB- 82nd , 5.88 -RRB- ; Bolivia -LRB- 84th , 5.84 -RRB- ; Honduras -LRB- 84th , 5.84 -RRB- ; Ecuador -LRB- 89th , 5.72 -RRB- ; Nicaragua -LRB- 91st , 5.56 -RRB- ; Venezuela -LRB- 97th , 5.08 -RRB- and Haiti -LRB- 114th , 4.00 -RRB- . Cuba -LRB- 126th , 3.52 -RRB- is the only Western Hemisphere nation categorized as authoritarian . Full democracies worldwide include : Luxembourg , Ireland , Austria , Germany , Malta , Japan , South Korea , Belgium , Mauritius and Spain . Some nations categorized as flawed democracies include : South Africa , France , Italy , India , Indonesia and Philippines . Hybrid regimes include : Hong Kong , Singapore , Bangladesh , Turkey , Palestine , Cambodia , Pakistan and Iraq . Authoritarian nations include : Jordan , Kuwait , Libya , China , Vietnam , United Arab Emirates , Afghanistan and Laos . In addition to North Korea , the other nine least-democratic nations are : Chad , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , Myanmar , Equatorial Guinea , Saudi Arabia , Central African Republic , Iran and Syria . The Economist Intelligence Unit , which performed the analysis , is based in London and reports having offices in more than 40 cities worldwide . The company says it has about 650 country experts and analysts worldwide . The Democracy Index 2011 was released December 15 . The latest Democracy Index closely mirrors a Corruption Perceptions Index released by the German watchdog organization Transparency International in late November . In that analysis , New Zealand was perceived as the least corrupt nation on earth , and Somalia and North Korea were seen as the most corrupt . The United States ranked 24th least corrupt on a `` corruption perceptions index , '' the fourth-best in the Western Hemisphere . Canada ranked 10th , the Bahamas was 21st and Chile was 22nd . Overall , the top spots were occupied mostly by European countries , with the exception of New Zealand , Singapore at No. 5 and Australia , which was tied for eighth with Switzerland . Other nations with top rankings were Denmark , Finland , Sweden , Norway and the Netherlands . In addition to Somalia and North Korea , which were tied for last at No. 182 , the bottom of the list included Myanmar , Afghanistan , Uzbekistan , Turkmenistan , Sudan , Iraq , Haiti and Venezuela . The report was prepared by the independent , nonpartisan Transparency International organization , which said it drew its conclusions based `` on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions . '' The information used to compile the index included `` questions relating to the bribery of public officials , kickbacks in public procurement , embezzlement of public funds and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public-sector and anti-corruption efforts , '' Transparency International said . Perceptions are used , the organization said , because corruption is a hidden activity that is difficult to measure . `` Over time , '' the organization said in its report , `` perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption . '' The rankings for other Western Hemisphere countries were : Uruguay -LRB- 25 -RRB- , Puerto Rico -LRB- 39 -RRB- , Costa Rica -LRB- 50 -RRB- , Cuba -LRB- 61 -RRB- , Brazil -LRB- 73 -RRB- , Colombia , El Salvador and Peru -LRB- tied for 80 -RRB- , Panama -LRB- 86 -RRB- , Argentina and Mexico -LRB- tied for 100 -RRB- , Bolivia -LRB- 118 -RRB- , Ecuador and Guatemala -LRB- tied for 120 -RRB- , the Dominican Republic and Honduras -LRB- tied for 129 -RRB- , Nicaragua -LRB- 134 -RRB- , Paraguay -LRB- 154 -RRB- , Venezuela -LRB- 172 -RRB- and Haiti -LRB- 175 -RRB- . The index used a scale of 0-10 to measure perceived corruption , with zero representing highly corrupt and 10 being very clean . New Zealand , the highest-ranked nation , has a 9.5 score . Somalia and North Korea , the lowest-ranked , had 1.0 . The United States scored 7.1 , while Canada was 8.7 and Chile was 7.2 . Haiti , the lowest-ranked nation in the Western Hemisphere , scored 1.8 . Next-worst was Venezuela with 1.9 . Transparency International , headquartered in Berlin , reports having 90 chapters worldwide . The organization says it works with partners in government , business and civil society to develop and implement effective measures to combat corruption .","question":""}
{"answer":"BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Officials on Monday announced the death of a second child who consumed contaminated milk powder . More than 1,200 others have been sickened , according to China 's Health Ministry . Of that number , 340 infants are hospitalized and 53 are considered to be in serious condition . Government inspectors are testing baby formula around China and plan to release their results on Tuesday , said Li Changjiang , head of the State Administration of Quality Supervision , Inspection and Quarantine , according to the Xinhua news agency . The manufacturer , Sanlu Group , has recalled more than 8,200 tons of the tainted formula following reports of babies developing kidney stones , Xinhua said . Watch what Sanlu has done '' Sanlu , one of China 's leading dairy producers , has also sealed off more than 2,100 tons of contaminated product , and another 700 tons still need to be recalled , the news agency said . It is not the first time Sanlu has been connected to a scandal involving tainted milk powder , according to China Daily . In 2004 , at least 13 infants in the eastern Anhui province died of malnutrition after drinking milk powder that had little to no nutrition . The illegally manufactured milk was falsely labeled with the Sanlu brand , according to the paper . More than 170 other babies were hospitalized as a result of drinking the cheap milk powder . Chinese police have questioned 78 people -- including dairy farmers and milk dealers -- about the most recent contamination , a Chinese official told Xinhua Saturday . Sanlu would not say whether its employees are being investigated , Xinhua said . Testing by Sanlu found tripolycyanamide , also known as melamine , in 700 tons of its product , said Zhao Xinchao , the vice mayor of Shijiazhuang , the news agency reported . Zhao told the news agency that the suspects added water to the milk they sold to Sanlu to make more money , then added the chemical so the diluted milk could still meet standards . Inspectors found the chemical in Sanlu infant formula produced by one of the company 's partner producers in northwest Gansu Province , an official said Sunday . Two of 12 samples randomly selected from the Sanlu milk powder produced by the Haoniu Dairy Company in Jiuquan City tested positive for melamine , said Xian Hui , the vice-governor of Gansu . Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones , urinary tract ulcers , and eye and skin irritation . The chemical is commonly used in coatings and laminates , wood adhesives , fabric coatings , ceiling tiles and flame retardants . Hundreds of Wal-Mart and Carrefour stores in China are pulling the Sanlu milk powder from their shelves , Xinhua said . This episode marks the latest in a string of tainted products produced in China . The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled more than 150 brands of cat and dog food last year after finding that some pets became ill or died after eating food tainted with melamine , the same chemical found in the powdered milk . Two Chinese businesses , a U.S. company and top executives of each were indicted by a federal grand jury in February in connection with tainted pet food , which resulted in deaths and serious illnesses in up to thousands of U.S. pets , federal prosecutors said . In October 2007 , regulators and retailers in the United States recalled at least 69,000 Chinese-made toys over concerns of excessive amounts of lead paint , which can cause hazardous lead poisoning . In November , shipments of the popular toy Aqua Dots were found to have been contaminated with a toxic chemical that turned into a powerful `` date rape '' drug if swallowed , causing some children who ate the craft toys to vomit and lose consciousness . And in February , a Maryland candy distributor pulled Pokemon-brand Valentine lollipops from store shelves after bits of metal were found in the sealed treats , authorities said . Officials on Monday announced the death of a second child who consumed contaminated milk powder . Of the more than 1,200 others who have been sickened , 340 infants were hospitalized , and 53 considered to be in serious condition , according to China 's Health Ministry . Government inspectors were testing baby formula around China and plan to release their results on Tuesday , said Li Changjiang , head of the State Administration of Quality Supervision , Inspection and Quarantine , according to the Xinhua news agency . The manufacturer , Sanlu Group , has recalled more than 8,200 tons of the tainted formula following reports of babies developing kidney stones , Xinhua said . Sanlu , one of China 's leading dairy producers , also has sealed off more than 2,100 tons of contaminated product , and another 700 tons still need to be recalled , the news agency said . Chinese police have questioned 78 people , including dairy farmers and milk dealers , about the contamination , a Chinese official told Xinhua Saturday . Sanlu would not say whether its employees were being investigated , Xinhua said . Testing by Sanlu found tripolycyanamide , also known as melamine , in 700 tons of its product , said Zhao Xinchao , the vice mayor of Shijiazhuang , the news agency reported . Zhao told the news agency that the suspects added water to the milk they sold to Sanlu to make more money , then added the chemical so that the diluted milk could still meet standards . Inspectors found the chemical in Sanlu infant formula produced by one of the company 's partner producers in northwest Gansu Province , an official said Sunday . Two of 12 samples randomly selected from the Sanlu milk powder produced by the Haoniu Dairy Company in Jiuquan City tested positive for melamine , said Xian Hui , the vice-governor of Gansu . Ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones , urinary tract ulcers , and eye and skin irritation , health experts said . The chemical is commonly used in coatings and laminates , wood adhesives , fabric coatings , ceiling tiles and flame retardants . The chemical was also involved in the massive pet food recall last year . Hundreds of Wal-Mart and Carrefour stores in were pulling the Sanlu milk powder from their shelves , Xinhua said .","question":""}
{"answer":"Editor 's note : CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com . With money a bit tight these days , many people searching for jobs would like a salary of $ 80,000 a year . -LRB- CareerBuilder.com -RRB- -- Let 's be honest : Sometimes you do n't care about the job -- you just care about the salary . But it 's awfully hard to look for a job that fits both your salary requirements and your skill set . Not to mention that we always tell you that your work and career should be something you love . Ideally , money is just an added benefit . That being said , we 're also realists . We know that times are tough and at this point , some people just need to get paid . We went to the Bureau of Labor Statistics to look at the latest -LRB- May 2008 -RRB- salary information for the United States and found 30 occupations pay in the $ 80,000 range based on national averages . 1 . Administrative law judges , adjudicators and hearing officers Do this : Conduct hearings to rule on government-related claims ; determine penalties and liability ; and help to craft settlements . Get paid : $ 80,870 2 . Biomedical engineers Do this : Design and develop devices and procedures to help solve health-related problems . Projects might include information systems , artificial organs or artificial limbs . Get paid : $ 81,120 3 . Chiropractors Do this : Diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions of the spinal column to prevent disease and alleviate imbalance , pain and pressure believed to be caused by interference with nervous system . Get paid : $ 81,340 4 . Atmospheric , earth , marine and space sciences teachers , post-secondary Do this : Teach courses and research topics in the physical sciences , except chemistry and physics . Get paid : $ 81,470 5 . Agents and business managers of artists , performers and athletes Do this : Represent and promote their client 's business while handling business matters and contract negotiations . Get paid : $ 81,550 6 . Materials scientists Do this : Study the chemical composition of various materials and figure out ways to develop new materials and improve existing ones ; also determine ways to use materials in products . Get paid : $ 81,600 7 . Physician assistants Do this : Perform health-care services and provide treatment plans under a physician 's supervision . Get paid : $ 81,610 8 . Medical scientists , except epidemiologists Do this : Research and investigate human diseases and how to improve human health . Get paid : $ 81,870 9 . Physics teachers , post-secondary Do this : Teach courses and research topics pertaining to the laws of matter and energy . Get paid : $ 81,880 10 . Atmospheric and space scientists Do this : Study the effects the atmosphere has on the environment , most commonly through weather forecasting . Get paid : $ 82,080 11 . Management analysts Do this : Figure out best practices of management by conducting studies and procedures to help companies figure out how to operate more effectively . Get paid : $ 82,920 12 . Producers and directors Do this : Produce or direct , and make all creative decisions for stage , television , radio , video or motion picture productions . Get paid : $ 83,030 13 . Biological science teachers , post-secondary Do this : Teach courses and research topics in biological sciences . Get paid : $ 83,270 14 . Materials engineers Do this : Develop new uses for recognized materials , and develop new machinery and processes to make materials for use in specialized products . Get paid : $ 84,200 15 . Transportation , storage and distribution managers Do this : Oversee transportation , storage or distribution activities in accordance with governmental policies and regulations . Get paid : $ 84,520 16 . Financial analysts Do this : Assess the financial situations of an individual or organization . Get paid : $ 84,780 17 . Electrical engineers Do this : Design , develop and test the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment . Get paid : $ 85,350 18 . Education administrators , elementary and secondary school Do this : Oversee all activities of public or private elementary or secondary schools . Get paid : $ 86,060 19 . Industrial-organizational psychologists Do this : Work with companies to solve problems within the company . You may help with policy planning ; employee screening , training and development ; and organizational development and analysis . Get paid : $ 86,460 20 . Computer software engineers , applications Do this : Build computer applications software and code ; ensure that all software projects adhere to a company 's technology and business standards . Get paid : $ 87,900 21 . Economics teachers , post-secondary Do this : Teach courses and research topics in economics . Get paid : $ 88,330 22 . Biochemists and biophysicists Do this : Study the chemical composition and physical principles of living cells and organisms , their electrical and mechanical energy , and related phenomena . Get paid : $ 88,450 23 . Art directors Do this : Create design concepts and presentation in artwork , layout design and copywriting for visual communications media . Get paid : $ 88,510 24 . Electronics engineers , except computer Do this : Design , develop and test a wide range of electronic equipment , from CD players to global positioning systems . Get paid : $ 88,670 25 . Medical and health services managers Do this : Supervise medical and health services in hospitals , clinics and similar organizations . Get paid : $ 88,750 26 . Chemical engineers Do this : Design chemical plant equipment and create processes for manufacturing chemicals and products . Get paid : $ 88,760 27 . Geoscientists , except hydrologists and geographers Do this : Study the composition , structure and other physical aspects of the Earth . Get paid : $ 89,300 28 . Veterinarians Do this : Provide health care for family pets , livestock and zoo animals . Provide check-ups , treat diseases and advise caretakers on how to best raise their animals . Get paid : $ 89,450 29 . Construction managers Do this : Oversee all activities concerned with the construction and maintenance of structures , facilities and systems . Get paid : $ 89,770 30 . Sales engineers Do this : Sell business goods or services , the selling of which requires a technical background equivalent to a bachelor 's degree in engineering . Get paid : $ 89,770 Jobs by Salary , a new salary tool from CBSalary.com , allows you to search for jobs by salary based on where you live or work in the United States","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Food and Drug Administration approved a second vaccine intended to protect against cervical cancer . GlaxoSmithKline has manufactured a vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer . Cervarix , manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline , was approved Friday for prevention of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions caused by human papillomavirus -LRB- HPV -RRB- types 16 and 18 . The vaccine is approved for use in girls and women ages 10 to 25 years and is to be administered in three doses . After the initial shot , the second and third doses are to be given within six months . `` The licensure of Cervarix adds another option in the prevention of cervical cancer , '' said Dr. Karen Midthun , acting director of the FDA 's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research . `` It has the potential to save lives from cervical cancer as well as reduce the need for biopsies and invasive procedures associated with the necessary follow-up from abnormal Pap tests . '' According to GlaxoSmithKline , the vaccine is 70 percent effective against pre-cancerous lesions , regardless of HPV type . `` The vaccine contains two HPV types -LRB- 16 & 18 -RRB- responsible for the majority of cervical cancers in North America , '' said Sarah Alspach , a GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman . `` But approximately 25 percent of cervical cancers are caused by other cancer-causing HPV types . Cervarix has been shown to reduce the incidence of pre-cancers resulting from cancer-causing virus types beyond 16 and 18 . '' The vaccine will be available this year , according to GSK , which did not divulge the price . Cervarix will be competing with Merck & Company 's Gardasil , the first cervical cancer vaccine , which won FDA approval in June 2006 . Gardasil , for girls and women ages 9 to 26 , prevents against cervical , vulvar and vaginal cancers and protects against HPV types 11 , 16 and 18 . Gardasil 's approval has been broadened by the FDA to include an indication for boys and young men ages 9 through 26 for prevention of genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11 . `` This vaccine is the first preventive therapy against genital warts in boys and men ages 9 through 26 , and , as a result , fewer men will need to undergo treatment for genital warts . '' Midthun said . According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention , HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the nation . More than 40 types of HPV can infect genital areas , according to the disease agency . But because many of them are not visible to the naked eye , most people who become infected do n't know it .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Veteran goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt has received his first international call-up since 2003 as Germany coach Joachim Low named seven players from Bayern Munich in a preliminary 27-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa . The 35-year-old Butt will be competing for a starting place with Schalke 's Manuel Neuer and Werder Bremen 's Tim Wiese as Bayer Leverkusen 's Rene Adler has been ruled out with a rib injury . Captain Michael Ballack , who plays for English club Chelsea , is the only man selected who does not feature in the German Bundesliga . Stuttgart 's Brazil-born forward Cacau is included , but his former clubmate Thomas Hitzlsperger misses out despite the absence of injured Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes as he has not been playing regularly for his Italian club Lazio . `` This was a very difficult decision for me , '' Low told reporters on Thursday . `` Thomas has never disappointed us and made a key contribution in helping us qualify . `` He is a reliable player , but he barely played in the last few months before he left Stuttgart and has also played very little at Lazio . '' Low will reduce the squad to 23 by the June 1 deadline for submission ahead of the tournament 's kick-off 10 days later . Butt , who has won three caps , will not be able to feature in next Thursday 's friendly against Malta as he will be needed by Bayern in the German Cup final against Bremen in Berlin on May 15 . His clubmates Holger Badstuber , Mario Gomez , Miroslav Klose , Philipp Lahm , Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger will also sit out the Malta game in Aachen along with Bremen 's Wiese , Per Mertesacker , Marko Marin and Mesut Ozil . The 21-year-old Badstuber has yet to win a cap for Germany and made his senior debut for Bayern in the first game of this season , covering at left-back despite being a central defender . Attacking midfielder Muller , 20 , will seek to add to his sole cap after also impressing this season , scoring the first hat-trick of his career in the 3-1 win over Bochum last weekend which effectively gave Bayern the league title . Ballack will also be away playing for Chelsea in the FA Cup final on May 15 , before joining the squad in Sicily with the Werder quartet , while the Bayern players will not be in camp until after the Champions League final on May 22 . Bayern , who had eight players in the squad that finished third on home soil four years ago , can complete the first leg of a potential treble by clinching the Bundesliga title this weekend , when Louis Van Gaal 's side face bottom club Hertha Berlin . Germany will face Hungary in Budapest on May 29 and then Bosnia-Herzegovina in Frankfurt on June 3 before heading to South Africa . Germany squad : Goalkeepers : Manuel Neuer -LRB- Schalke 04 -RRB- , Tim Wiese -LRB- Werder Bremen -RRB- , Hans-Jorg Butt -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- . Defenders : Dennis Aogo -LRB- Hamburg -RRB- Jerome Boateng -LRB- Hamburg -RRB- , Arne Friedrich -LRB- Hertha Berlin -RRB- , Philipp Lahm -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- , Per Mertesacker -LRB- Werder Bremen -RRB- , Marcell Jansen -LRB- Hamburg -RRB- , Serdar Tasci -LRB- VfB Stuttgart -RRB- , Holger Badstuber -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- , Heiko Westermann -LRB- Schalke 04 -RRB- , Andreas Beck -LRB- Hoffenheim -RRB- . Midfielders : Michael Ballack -LRB- Chelsea -RRB- , Marko Marin , Mesut Ozil -LRB- both Werder Bremen -RRB- , Piotr Trochowski -LRB- Hamburg -RRB- , Sami Khedira , Christian Traesch -LRB- both VfB Stuttgart -RRB- , Toni Kroos -LRB- Bayer Leverkusen -RRB- , Bastian Schweinsteiger -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- . Forwards : Cacau -LRB- VfB Stuttgart -RRB- , Mario Gomez , Miroslav Klose , Thomas Mueller -LRB- all Bayern Munich -RRB- , Stefan Kiessling -LRB- Bayer Leverkusen -RRB- , Lukas Podolski -LRB- Cologne -RRB- .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- Students will investigate the contributions of Hispanic Americans to U.S. culture , and what it means to be an Hispanic in America today . Procedure Point out to students that Hispanic Heritage Month -LRB- September 15 - October 15 -RRB- celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain , Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America , South America and the Caribbean . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , `` September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries : Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras and Nicaragua . In addition , Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18 , respectively . '' In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month , send student groups on a multimedia scavenger hunt to investigate how Hispanic Americans have contributed to U.S. culture , and the opportunities and challenges that exist for Hispanics in America today . Pose the following questions to guide students ' research : 1 . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , what is the estimated Hispanic population of the United States ? What percent of the total U.S. population does this number represent ? 2 . What aspects of Hispanic culture can be found in the U.S ? 3 . Who are some Hispanic Americans who have had an impact in U.S. politics and government ? 4 . Who are some famous Hispanic-American musicians , artists , writers and actors ? How have they impacted U.S. culture ? 5 . What Hispanic businesses exist in your community and other parts of the U.S. ? How have these businesses contributed to the U.S. economy ? 6 . What issues have you seen or heard about in recent news that are of interest to the Hispanic community ? Have groups share and discuss their findings with the class . Extension Instruct each student to interview several Hispanic-American teens and adults to get their responses to the following question : What would you like other Americans to know about what it means to be Hispanic in America today ? Have students summarize the interviewees ' responses and share them with the class . Correlated Standards Social Studies I. Culture Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity . V. Individuals , Groups and Institutions Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals , groups , and institutions . The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies -LRB- http:\/\/www.socialstudies.org\/standards\/ are published by the National Council for Social Studies -LRB- http:\/\/www.socialstudies.org -RRB- .","question":""}
{"answer":"Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's the end of the R.E.M. as we know them and they feel fine , according to a statement from the group posted online Wednesday . `` To our Fans and Friends : As R.E.M. , and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators , we have decided to call it a day as a band , '' the message said . `` We walk away with a great sense of gratitude , of finality , and of astonishment at all we have accomplished . To anyone who ever felt touched by our music , our deepest thanks for listening . '' Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills and Bill Berry started playing alternative rock together in Athens , Georgia , in 1980 , but their first hit single came with `` The One I Love '' in 1987 . `` It 's the End of the World as We Know It -LRB- And I Feel Fine -RRB- '' followed from the same `` Document '' album , securing their mainstream radio appeal . Front man Michael Stipe declined to be interviewed by CNN Wednesday about the decision to disband , which comes six months after the release of `` Collapse into Now , '' their final album . Stipe , in a CNN interview in June , said the members `` surprised ourselves with this record . We 're all really thrilled with it . '' He and his fellow band members did offer comments on their website . `` During our last tour , and while making ` Collapse Into Now ' and putting together this greatest hits retrospective , we started asking ourselves , ` what next ' ? '' Stipe said . `` Working through our music and memories from over three decades was a hell of a journey . We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together . '' Michael Mills said it was not an easy decision . `` A wise man once said ` The skill in attending a party is knowing when it 's time to leave , ' Mills said . `` We built something extraordinary together . We did this thing . And now we 're going to walk away from it . '' Peter Buck said the band members `` walk away as great friends '' `` I know I will be seeing them in the future , just as I know I will be seeing everyone who has followed us and supported us through the years , '' Buck said . `` Even if it 's only in the vinyl aisle of your local record store , or standing at the back of the club : watching a group of 19 year olds trying to change the world . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -- France coach Raymond Domenech has again omitted striker David Trezeguet from his squad for this month 's friendly against Morocco and the Euro 2008 qualifier against the Ukraine . Happier times : David Trezeguet celebrates after scoring for Juventus against Torino . Trezeguet has scored scored 10 goals in 11 Serie A matches for Juventus this season -- including two hat-tricks -- but has failed to win his way back into the 24-man party . The 29-year-old , who last played for France in the 1-0 home defeat by Scotland in September , was furious after being dropped for the games against Lithuania and the Faroe Islands . He played no part as Domenech 's team overtook the Scots at the top of Group B with comfortable victories last month . The coach said : `` David is having a great start to the season with Juventus , but he 's in competition for a place . If we qualify , the Euro 2008 will be in eight months . A lot of things can happen in between . `` I hope David will help Juventus win the Italian league title and that he will be at the Euro 2008 with us , and that he will find his form again for France . '' Domenech has again included young Lyon forward Hatem Ben Arfa , who made his debut as a substitute against the Faroes and scored the final goal in a 6-0 victory . Ben Arfa is joined in the squad by club-mate Karim Benzema , while Bolton 's Nicholas Anelka is also among the forwards named despite still recovering from an injury . Captain Patrick Vieira is ruled out due to injury , but the Inter Milan midfielder will join up with the squad anyway . `` A player of Patrick 's dimension is going to be missed , but we just have to accept it and get on with it . Pat should be coming to see us because he 's a leader , and he 's the captain , '' Domenech added . France face the Moroccans on November 16 and then travel to the Ukraine on November 21 . Domenech 's team will qualify for the finals if Italy beat Scotland at Hampden on November 17 . If the Glasgow game ends in a draw , France will need at least a point in Kiev to book their ticket . France squad : Goalkeepers : M Landreau -LRB- Paris St Germain -RRB- , S Frey -LRB- Fiorentina -RRB- , U Rame -LRB- Bordeaux -RRB- . Defenders : E Abidal -LRB- Barcelona , P Evra -LRB- Manchester United -RRB- , W Gallas -LRB- Arsenal -RRB- , B Sagna -LRB- Arsenal -RRB- , L Thuram -LRB- Barcelona -RRB- , S Squillaci -LRB- Lyon -RRB- , F Clerc -LRB- Lyon -RRB- . Midfielders : A Diarra -LRB- Bordeaux -RRB- , L Diarra -LRB- Arsenal -RRB- , M Flamini -LRB- Arsenal -RRB- , C Makelele -LRB- Chelsea -RRB- , J Rothen -LRB- PSG -RRB- , J Toulalan -LRB- Lyon -RRB- , S Nasri -LRB- Marseille -RRB- . Strikers : N Anelka -LRB- Bolton -RRB- , H Ben Arfa -LRB- Lyon -RRB- , K Benzema -LRB- Lyon -RRB- , S Govou -LRB- Lyon -RRB- , T Henry -LRB- Barcelona -RRB- , F Malouda -LRB- Chelsea -RRB- , F Ribery -LRB- Bayern Munich -RRB- . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tropical Storm Arthur , the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic season , formed Saturday near the coast of Belize , the U.S. National Hurricane Center said . Tropical Storm Arthur could make its way across the Yucatan and re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico . The storm made its way over land and was expected to weaken , but the center said the storm could re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico and regain intensity Sunday . At 11 p.m. , the center of Arthur was over the southern Yucatan Peninsula , about 80 miles -LRB- 125 km -RRB- west of Chetumal , Mexico , and about 120 miles -LRB- 195 km -RRB- south-southeast of Campeche , Mexico . It was moving west at about 7 miles -LRB- 11 km -RRB- per hour . The storm 's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph -LRB- 65 km\/hr -RRB- , with higher gusts , mainly over water east of its center . Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 260 miles -LRB- 415 km -RRB- from the center of the storm , forecasters said . The government of Belize issued a tropical storm warning for the nation 's coast , and the government of Mexico issued a tropical storm warning from Cabo Catoche south to the border with Belize . A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area -- in this case , within the next six to 12 hours . The storm was forecast to dump up to 10 inches of rain over Belize , up to 15 inches in isolated areas , the hurricane center said . The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season begins Sunday . On Thursday , Tropical Storm Alma , the first one of the year in the eastern Pacific , formed near the west coast of Central America , according to the National Weather Service . The storm was downgraded to a tropical depression and dissipated over the high terrain of Central America . The federal government 's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted this month that the Atlantic season would be more active than normal , with up to 16 named storms and up to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or above . The noted Colorado State University hurricane forecasting team predicted this year that there would be 15 named storms , eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes . The team calculated a 69 percent chance that at least one major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. coast . A survey released this week found that 50 percent of 1,100 adults surveyed in Atlantic and U.S. Gulf Coast states did not have disaster plans or survival kits . `` Nearly one in three said they would not prepare their home until a storm is within 24 hours of landfall , '' Bill Read , director of the National Hurricane Center , said Thursday . `` Now is the time to buy all that stuff , '' he said upon the release of the survey by polling firm Mason-Dixon .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Barack Obama reached out to Iran on Friday -- the start of the Iranian New Year -- in a video message offering `` the promise of a new beginning '' that is `` grounded in mutual respect . '' Obama 's message to Iran echoes his inaugural speech , where he said `` we seek a new way forward . '' The message is a dramatic shift in tone from that of the Bush administration , which included Iran , along with North Korea and Iraq , in an `` axis of evil . '' It also echoes Obama 's inaugural speech , in which he said to the Muslim world , `` we seek a new way forward , based on mutual interest and mutual respect . '' In Friday 's video , Obama said : `` The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations . You have that right , but it comes with real responsibilities . And that place can not be reached through terror or arms , but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization . '' There was no immediate response from Tehran to Obama 's message , but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last month that his country would welcome talks with the United States `` in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect . '' The United States , several European nations and Israel suspect that Tehran has been trying to acquire the capacity to build nuclear weapons , but Iran says its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes . Last month , the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security released a report saying that Iran has reached `` nuclear weapons breakout capability '' -- it has enough uranium to make a nuclear bomb . The report was based on an analysis of data from the International Atomic Energy Agency . However , an IAEA official who asked not to be named cautioned against drawing such dramatic conclusions from the data , saying Iran 's stock of low-enriched uranium would have to be turned into highly enriched uranium to be weapons-grade material . That has n't been done , the official said . The United States has had tortuous relations with Tehran since the Islamic revolution in 1979 , but the Obama message speaks of `` new beginnings '' with the promise of a new year . `` We have serious differences that have grown over time . My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us , and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States , Iran and the international community , '' the president said . `` This process will not be advanced by threats . We seek , instead , engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- America 's first female four-star general has been nominated , the Pentagon announced Monday . Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody was nominated to be America 's first four-star female general . President Bush nominated Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to serve as head of the Army 's supply arm . By law women are excluded from combat jobs , the typical path to four-star rank in the military . `` This is an historic occasion for the Department of Defense and I am proud to nominate Lt. Gen. Ann Dunwoody for a fourth star , '' said Defense Secretary Robert Gates . `` Her 33 years of service , highlighted by extraordinary leadership and devotion to duty , make her exceptionally qualified for this senior position . '' The Senate must approve the nomination . Dunwoody , a native of New York , was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1975 after her graduation from the State University of New York in Cortland . She also holds graduate degrees in national resource strategy and logistics management . She became the Army 's top-ranking woman in 2005 when she received her third star and became deputy chief of staff for Army logistics . `` I am very honored but also very humbled today with this announcement , '' said Dunwoody . `` I grew up in a family that did n't know what glass ceilings were . This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career ... that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform . '' The Army Materiel Command handles all material readiness for the Army . During her career , Dunwoody has been assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division , 10th Mountain Division and the Defense Logistics Agency . She served with the 82nd Airborne in Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Persian Gulf War . She has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal , Defense Superior Service Medal , the Legion of Merit , the Meritorious Service Medal , the Army Commendation Medal , the Army Achievement Medal , Master Parachutist Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge . The first woman to become a general officer in the U.S. armed services was Brig. Gen. Anna Mae Hays , chief of the Army Nurse Corps , who achieved the rank in 1970 and retired the following year . Elizabeth Hoisington , the director of the Women 's Army Corps , was promoted to brigadier general immediately after Hays . She also retired the following year . Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm , the first director of Women in the Air Force , was the first woman to wear two stars , attaining the rank in 1973 and retiring two years later . In 1996 , Marine Lt. Gen. Carol A. Mutter became the first woman to wear three stars . Mutter retired in 1999 . Currently , there are 57 active-duty women serving as generals or admirals , five of whom are lieutenant generals or vice admirals , the Navy 's three-star rank , according to the Pentagon .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Good things come to those who wait . And that 's exactly what viewers will be doing when TV 's best midseason offering , `` Good Christian Belles , '' aka `` GCB , '' debuts March 4 on ABC . Reminiscent of `` Desperate Housewives '' in its less desperate heyday , `` GCB '' follows Amanda Vaughn -LRB- Leslie Bibb -RRB- , a woman who ruled in high school but has since been humbled by life when her marriage ends in scandal and she has to return home to Dallas . Unfortunately for Amanda , a mother of two , her former `` frenemies '' - turned-socialites and their husbands have n't quite evolved , and they do everything they can to make her life miserable . Emmy - and Tony-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth stars as one of Amanda 's rivals , and Annie Potts steals scenes as Amanda 's meddlesome mother . The show is based on a best-selling book from Kim Gatlin . While `` Good Christian Belles '' is the best , it 's not the only show to look forward to this winter . NBC 's `` 30 Rock '' is returning at 8 p.m. ET Thursday for a sixth season , TNT 's gritty cop drama `` Southland '' will be back at 10 p.m. ET January 17 for a fourth season , and the 11th season of `` American Idol '' resumes at 8 p.m. ET January 18 and 19 on Fox . There are also a slew of new offerings to sort through . For your channel-surfing pleasure , we 've selected the good , the bad and the forgettable : The good \u2022 `` The Firm '' -LRB- debuts 9 p.m. ET Sunday , NBC -RRB- : Based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham , this intense and sometimes cluttered courtroom drama , follows attorney Mitchell McDeere -LRB- this time played by Josh Lucas of `` The Lincoln Lawyer '' instead of Tom Cruise -RRB- a decade after he brought down a prestigious Memphis law firm . Every week , Mitch will fight for his clients but with a twist because the mob wants him dead as does a shadowy organization behind one of his controversial cases . Do n't worry . It sounds more complicated than it is , and Lucas is a treat to watch . \u2022 `` House of Lies '' -LRB- debuts 10 p.m. ET Sunday , Showtime -RRB- : Don Cheadle -LRB- `` Crash '' -RRB- and Kristen Bell -LRB- `` Veronica Mars '' -RRB- have undeniable chemistry in this testosterone heavy , raunchy comedy about a cutthroat business consultant -LRB- Cheadle -RRB- . \u2022 `` Alcatraz '' -LRB- debuts 8 p.m. ET January 16 , Fox -RRB- : America 's most infamous prison becomes a time-travel portal in this trippy but fun new sci-fi drama from none other than J.J. Abrams -LRB- `` Lost '' and `` Fringe '' -RRB- . `` Alcatraz '' stars Sam Neill -LRB- `` Jurassic Park '' -RRB- and Jorge Garcia of `` Lost '' fame . \u2022 `` Luck '' -LRB- debuts 9 p.m. ET January 29 , HBO -RRB- : The latest creation from David Milch -LRB- `` Deadwood '' -RRB- , `` Luck '' stars Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman -LRB- `` Rain Man , '' `` Kramer vs. Kramer '' -RRB- as a gangster of sorts . Hoffman leads a stellar cast that includes Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina in this methodical and fascinating drama about horse racing and the troubled people who inhabit that world . \u2022 `` Smash '' -LRB- debuts 10 p.m. ET February 6 , NBC -RRB- : Executive producer Steven Spielberg and NBC hope to steal the spotlight from `` Glee '' with this exciting new music-driven drama . `` Smash '' follows a Broadway musical from its planning stages to the big stage and stars Debra Messing and Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston -LRB- `` Prizzi 's Honor '' -RRB- . The bad \u2022 `` Work It '' -LRB- airs 8:30 p.m. ET Tuesdays , ABC -RRB- : Two unemployed men -LRB- Ben Koldyke and Amaury Nolasco -RRB- dress as women to get jobs in a sluggish economy . But `` Bosom Buddies '' was better when it debuted in 1980 . \u2022 `` Are You There , Chelsea ? '' -LRB- debuts 8:30 p.m. ET Wednesday , NBC -RRB- : Based on comedic actress Chelsea Handler 's best-selling and mostly autobiographical books , this mildly funny new comedy follows a 20-something -LRB- Laura Prepon of `` That '70s Show '' -RRB- who parties as hard as she drinks . What 's even less appealing is that Handler stars in the sitcom too but does n't play herself . Good luck with that . \u2022 `` Rob '' -LRB- debuts 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday , CBS -RRB- : This new sitcom is n't offensive because of its liberal use of stereotypes . It 's offensive because it is unfunny and unoriginal . `` Rob '' follows a man -LRB- Rob Schneider -RRB- who marries a Latina and fails to fit in with her family . \u2022 `` The River '' -LRB- debuts 9 p.m. ET February 7 , ABC -RRB- : Bruce Greenwood -LRB- `` Star Trek '' the movie -RRB- stars as an explorer and wildlife TV host who goes missing in the Amazon jungle . Leslie Hope -LRB- `` 24 '' -RRB- plays his wife , a woman determined to find him who heads to the Amazon with a reality TV crew and her son -LRB- Joe Anderson of `` The Crazies '' -RRB- . Instead , she finds lots of ghosts and questions . The forgettable \u2022 `` The Finder '' -LRB- debuts 9 p.m. ET Thursday , Fox -RRB- : Geoff Stults -LRB- `` Happy Town '' -RRB- and Michael Clarke Duncan -LRB- `` The Green Mile '' -RRB- star in this dull but well-intentioned spinoff of `` Bones . '' \u2022 `` Fashion Star '' -LRB- debuts 10 p.m. ET March 13 , NBC -RRB- : In a lopsided attempt to imitate `` Project Runway , '' former supermodel Elle Macpherson has created this reality competition series that features celebrity mentors Jessica Simpson and Nicole Richie . Yawn .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After a lifetime of playing characters past-their-prime , Clint Eastwood appears to still be enjoying his own . Clint Eastwood stars as inspector Harry Callahan in `` Dirty Harry '' -LRB- 1971 -RRB- . Just last week the 78-year-old actor , best-known for his portrayal of `` tough guys '' like `` Dirty Harry , '' was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the organizers of the Cannes Film Festival . The American film-maker accepted the Palme d'Or -LRB- only the second they 've ever given for lifetime achievement -RRB- , while he was in town promoting his new film `` Gran Torino . '' What is your favorite Clint Eastwood movie ? Tell us below in the SoundOff box . Eastwood both directs and co-stars in `` Gran Torino , '' as a prejudiced Korean war veteran who comes to the rescue of troubled Asian teens who live next door . For Eastwood the honor caps a 40 year career acting , directing , producing and composing . During this time , he has won five Academy Awards , five Golden Globes and received many more nominations . The Hollywood veteran earned perhaps most acclaim for two films : `` Unforgiven '' -LRB- 1992 -RRB- and `` Million Dollar Baby '' -LRB- 2004 -RRB- . For each of these films he was awarded both Best Director and Best Picture Oscars , as well as being nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role . Eastwood got his break in 1959 , landing the role of Rowdy Yates in the television series `` Rawhide . '' A successful seven-year run helped turn Eastwood into a household name and landed him several other roles in so-called Spaghetti Western films , including the hit `` A Fist Full of Dollars '' -LRB- 1964 -RRB- , directed by Sergio Leone . Leone then re-hired Eastwood for two more successful films : `` For a Few More Dollars '' -LRB- 1965 -RRB- and `` The Good , the Bad and the Ugly '' -LRB- 1966 -RRB- . The trilogy earned Eastwood greater fame and a reputation for playing tough-guy , gun-slinging cowboys . Eastwood found another friend in director Don Siegel who gave him perhaps his most iconic role , starring in `` Dirty Harry '' -LRB- 1971 -RRB- as no-nonsense , `` loose-cannon '' cop Harry Callahan . The film was such a hit that it four spin off sequels were made : `` Magnum Force '' -LRB- 1973 -RRB- , `` The Enforcer '' -LRB- 1976 -RRB- , `` Sudden Impact '' -LRB- 1983 -RRB- -LRB- the highest grossing film of the series -RRB- , and `` The Dead Pool '' -LRB- 1988 -RRB- . In the 1990s Eastwood returned to westerns -- this time as director as well as star -- earning critical acclaim and a monumental nine Oscar nominations for `` Unforgiven '' -LRB- 1992 -RRB- . Throughout the decade he also had considerable success helming blockbuster projects , like `` In the Line of Fire '' -LRB- 1993 -RRB- , `` Bridges of Madison County '' -LRB- 1995 -RRB- and `` True Crime '' -LRB- 1999 -RRB- . In 2000 Eastwood co-starred in the box-office hit `` Space Cowboys . '' In 2004 , he put employed his entire array of movie skills directing , producing , scoring and co-starring alongside Hillary Swank in boxing drama `` Million Dollar Baby . '' Until his most recent return to the screen in `` Gran Torino , '' Eastwood had been concentrating on directing , releasing two films about World War II in 2006 , `` Flags of our Fathers '' and `` Letters from Iwo Jima '' and directing Angelina Jolie to BAFTA , Golden Globe and Oscar nominations this year in `` Changeling . '' Swedish director Ingmar Bergman is the only other film-maker to have received the Palme d'Or for lifetime achievement from the Cannes Film Festival .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Mad Men '' and `` Damages '' found themselves on top when the nominations for the 60th Annual Primetime Emmys came out Thursday morning -- but , again , there was no love for HBO 's `` The Wire . '' Emmy nominee Jon Hamm stars as ad exec Don Draper in `` Mad Men , '' which earned 16 nominations . AMC 's `` Mad Men '' and FX 's `` Damages '' made Emmy history Thursday as the first basic-cable series to be nominated for best drama . The pair , which had made the 10-series Emmy shortlist , have been widely hailed by critics and have received good ratings for basic-cable series -- though `` Damages '' star Glenn Close said she hopes the Emmys help boost the show 's audience . `` We need all the help we can get , '' she told The Associated Press . On the other hand , HBO 's `` The Wire '' -- which concluded its fifth and final season this year -- once again came up empty in the best drama nominations . It did receive one nod , for writing . The series , though much praised and dissected by a hard-core group of fans , has received little recognition from the Emmys , with just one previous nomination -- also for writing -- in 2005 . Check out some of the top Emmy nods this year '' Indeed , HBO has struggled to find a drama to take the place of the much-lauded `` The Sopranos , '' which won best drama last year after a storied run . `` Mad Men , '' which has made AMC into a player , was allegedly turned down by the cable giant , and shows such as the quickly canceled `` John From Cincinnati '' and `` Rome '' have n't had the same impact . On the other hand , `` In Treatment '' received a nomination for Gabriel Byrne 's performance as a therapist , and the network 's comedies , particularly `` Entourage , '' have performed strongly . Moreover , the network 's short-form programming , such as the miniseries `` John Adams '' and the TV movie `` Recount , '' dominated their Emmy categories : `` John Adams '' led all nominees with 23 nominations , and `` Recount , '' about the 2000 presidential election battle , received 11 . `` The network has made up for -LSB- its lack of drama series success -RSB- in other forms , '' Variety TV editor Michael Schneider told CNN . `` It 's still the most nominated network and has the most nominated program . '' HBO led all networks with 85 nominations . Among broadcast networks , ABC led with 76 nominations . Among regularly scheduled TV series , `` 30 Rock '' earned 17 nominations and `` Mad Men '' received 16 . The 17 nominations for `` 30 Rock '' were a record number in a single year for a comedy series . Newcomer `` Pushing Daisies , '' the whimsical series on ABC , received 12 nominations . Given that the show only aired nine episodes -- and has n't been on the air in months due to the writers strike -- its recognition was a surprise , Schneider said . `` It was nice that voters still remembered it , '' he said . Along with `` Damages '' and `` Mad Men , '' nominees for best drama include `` Boston Legal , '' `` Dexter , '' `` House '' and `` Lost . '' Comedy series nominees are `` Curb Your Enthusiasm , '' `` Entourage , '' `` The Office , '' `` 30 Rock '' and `` Two and a Half Men . '' Cable series dominated the dramatic acting nominations , with four of the six actors and three of the five actresses appearing on basic or pay cable . Best actor in a drama nominees are Byrne -LRB- `` In Treatment '' -RRB- , Bryan Cranston -LRB- `` Breaking Bad '' -RRB- , Michael C. Hall -LRB- `` Dexter '' -RRB- , Jon Hamm -LRB- `` Mad Men '' -RRB- , Hugh Laurie -LRB- `` House '' -RRB- and James Spader -LRB- `` Boston Legal '' -RRB- . `` Dexter , '' which originated on Showtime , earned a short run on CBS following the writers strike . The nominees for best actress in a drama are Close -LRB- `` Damages '' -RRB- , Sally Field -LRB- `` Brothers and Sisters '' -RRB- , Mariska Hargitay -LRB- `` Law & Order : Special Victims Unit '' -RRB- , Holly Hunter -LRB- `` Saving Grace '' -RRB- and Kyra Sedgwick -LRB- `` The Closer '' -RRB- . A number of familiar names were included among nominees for comedies . The nominees for best actor in a comedy are Alec Baldwin -LRB- `` 30 Rock '' -RRB- , Steve Carell -LRB- `` The Office '' -RRB- , Lee Pace -LRB- `` Pushing Daisies '' -RRB- , Tony Shalhoub -LRB- `` Monk '' -RRB- and Charlie Sheen -LRB- `` Two and a Half Men '' -RRB- . Only Pace is a newcomer . The nominees for best actress in a comedy are Christina Applegate -LRB- `` Samantha Who ? '' -RRB- , America Ferrera -LRB- `` Ugly Betty '' -RRB- , Tina Fey -LRB- `` 30 Rock '' -RRB- , Julia Louis-Dreyfus -LRB- `` The New Adventures of Old Christine '' -RRB- and Mary-Louise Parker -LRB- `` Weeds '' -RRB- . Sarah Silverman earned three nominations , all for different programs : one for a guest shot on `` Monk , '' another for contributing to `` Jimmy Kimmel Live '' and a third for producing her own `` The Sarah Silverman Program . '' Kristin Chenoweth , Neil Patrick Harris and TV academy Chairman John Shaffner announced the nominations Thursday . Chenoweth was particularly bubbly , throwing in a non sequitur about once dating `` Survivor '' host Jeff Probst and declining to sing `` Happy Birthday '' because `` the Emmys ca n't afford me to sing that song '' due to licensing arrangements . Both Chenoweth -LRB- `` Pushing Daisies '' -RRB- and Harris -LRB- `` How I Met Your Mother '' -RRB- were nominated in supporting actor categories . Two highly rated shows , `` Grey 's Anatomy '' and `` Desperate Housewives , '' were snubbed . `` Grey 's , '' a regular nominee for best drama , was left off that list , though star Sandra Oh was nominated for best supporting actress . `` Housewives , '' which won six Emmys its debut season , was ignored in both best comedy series and best actress in a comedy series categories . Two guest stars did receive nominations . Stephen Colbert , nominated for individual performance in a variety or musical program , put everything in perspective . `` What an honor , unless I do n't win , '' he told the AP . The Emmy Awards ceremony will be held September 21 and broadcast on ABC .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of choking and restraining MTV reality show star Tila Tequila , police said . Shawne Merriman is accused of restraining reality TV star Tila Tequlia as she tried to leave his home , police say . However , Merriman 's attorney denied the allegations , saying more than a dozen other people were at Merriman 's house in suburban San Diego , California , at the time of the incident and `` witness after witness after witness will back up his story 100 percent . '' Authorities responded to a disturbance call about 3:45 a.m. Sunday from a woman who said she had been choked and restrained by a male , the sheriff 's department of San Diego County , California , said in a statement . When police arrived , `` the reporting party identified herself as Tila Nguyen , aka Tila Tequila , and her alleged assailant as Shawne Merriman , '' the statement said . `` Nguyen told deputies she had been choked and physically restrained by Merriman when she attempted to leave his residence , '' the statement said . Watch Merriman 's side of the story '' Nguyen signed a citizen 's arrest at the scene , and Merriman was taken into custody on suspicion of battery and false imprisonment , according to the statement . Deputies did n't see any physical injuries on Nguyen , but she asked to be transported to a local hospital , sheriff 's spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said . Nguyen 's condition was not immediately known . Merriman 's attorney , Todd Macaluso , told reporters that Nguyen was `` extremely intoxicated and inebriated '' and that the player tried to make arrangements for her to leave the house . `` At no time did Mr. Merriman assault her . At no time did Mr. Merriman keep her against her will , '' Macaluso said . `` His intentions were nothing but good . ... We 're very confident that this matter will be resolved without any charges being filed whatsoever . '' Caldwell said alcohol `` was involved '' on Nguyen 's part . Caldwell did n't elaborate . Merriman was released from jail late Sunday morning . Caldwell said she did n't know whether Merriman was released on bail or on his own recognizance . The district attorney 's office will determine whether criminal charges will be pursued , Caldwell said . As Tila Tequila , Nguyen starred on the MTV reality shows `` A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila '' in 2007 and `` A Shot at Love 2 With Tila Tequila '' in 2008 . On her Twitter account , Nguyen did not mention the incident but tweeted about going to meet Merriman on Saturday . In a statement posted on the Chargers ' Web site Sunday , team General Manager A.J. Smith said it is `` disappointing to hear about the issue involving Shawne Merriman . '' `` We 'll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course , '' Smith said . Merriman , a three-time Pro Bowl selection , is entering his fifth year with the Chargers and the NFL . He recorded at least 10 sacks in each of his first three seasons , but he was limited to one game last season because of a knee injury that required surgery . The Chargers begin their 2009 NFL regular-season campaign on September 14 in Oakland , California , for a game against the Raiders .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods announced that he is taking `` an indefinite break '' from professional golf , according to a statement posted on his Web site Friday . `` I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people , most of all my wife and children , '' the statement says . `` I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness . It may not be possible to repair the damage I 've done , but I want to do my best to try . '' The 33-year-old golfer , who tops the sport 's world rankings , has been mired in controversy since he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion late last month . The crash prompted authorities to cite him for careless driving and fine him $ 164 . Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck , and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions . In the week following the crash , Woods apologized for `` transgressions '' that let his family down , on the same day that gossip magazine US Weekly published a report alleging that Woods , who is married to Elin Nordegren , had an affair with a 24-year-old cocktail waitress named Jaimee Grubbs . US Weekly 's report followed a National Enquirer article before the crash that the athlete was having an affair with a New York nightclub hostess -- an assertion the hostess vigorously denied , according to The New York Post . See the statement on Woods ' Web site It was not immediately clear how Woods ' hiatus would affect his sponsorships , though Nike , his main sponsor , issued a statement saying Woods `` and his family have Nike 's full support . '' `` He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era , '' Nike spokeswoman Beth Gast said in the statement . `` We look forward to his return to golf . '' The statement did not elaborate on whether Woods ' announcement would impact his business relationship with the sports equipment and clothing company , which has worked with him for more than a decade . Woods ' other sponsors include Gillette , Gatorade and Electronic Arts . The Professional Golfers ' Association Tour said it supports Woods and looks forward to his return to the game . `` We fully support Tiger 's decision to step away from competitive golf to focus on his family . His priorities are where they need to be , and we will continue to respect and honor his family 's request for privacy , '' the PGA Tour said in a statement Friday . `` We look forward to Tiger 's return to the PGA Tour when he determines the time is right for him . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hydroxycut products , popular dietary supplements used for weight loss , have been linked to liver damage and are being recalled , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday . The FDA has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries , including a death , linked to Hydroxycut products . The FDA said it has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries linked to Hydroxycut products , which are also used as energy enhancers and as fat burners . The reports include the 2007 death of a 19-year-old man living in the Southwest , which was reported to the FDA in March . Other serious liver problems reported included liver damage that resulted in a transplant in 2002 , liver failure , jaundice , seizures and cardiovascular problems . The FDA is warning consumers to immediately stop using 14 Hydroxycut products manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences Inc. of Oakville , Ontario , and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell , New York . The company is voluntarily recalling the following products : Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets , Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets , Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets , Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets , Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets , Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets , Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets -LRB- Ignition Stix -RRB- , Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets , Hydroxycut Liquid Shots , Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs -LRB- Ready-to-Drink -RRB- , Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed , Hydroxycut 24 , Hydroxycut Carb Control and Hydroxycut Natural . Watch more on the FDA 's concern '' According to the FDA , last year , Iovate sold more than 9 million units of Hydroxycut products , which were distributed widely to grocery stores , health food stores and pharmacies . `` The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risks . Adverse events are rare , but exist . Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they experience symptoms possibly associated with these products , '' said Dr. Linda Katz , interim chief medical officer of the FDA 's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition . Liver damage is rare , but patients who experienced problems were taking doses recommended on the product label , the FDA said . Symptoms include brown urine , nausea , vomiting , fatigue , stomach pain , itching and light-colored stools . The FDA has not determined what specific ingredients are responsible for the problems , because the products contain a variety of overlapping ingredients and herbal extracts . Dietary supplements sold before October 1994 are not required to undergo any FDA review before going to market . The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 required manufacturers to ensure a supplement to be safe before marketing . But manufacturers still do n't need to register a product with the FDA or get approval before selling a supplement . The agency can take action against an unsafe supplement once it 's on the market . Since December 2007 , any serious adverse event reported to the manufacturer must now be reported to the FDA within 15 days . The Council for Responsible Nutrition , the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement industry , said that both the FDA and Iovate `` took appropriate action today . '' `` We commend FDA for warning consumers of a potential safety problem associated with these products , and were encouraged to see that the company -- Iovate Health Sciences -- agreed to recall the products from the market until further determinations can be made , '' said Steve Mister , the council 's president and CEO .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Latino voters strongly support President Barack Obama and his Democratic Party , despite dissatisfaction with the administration 's deportation policies , according to a survey released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center . The results are good news for Obama and Democrats for next year 's election , as Hispanics are the fastest-growing population group in the country and comprise a major voting bloc . According to the survey , Latino registered voters favor Obama over Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney or Texas Gov. Rick Perry by margin of more than 2-to-1 . The results are similar to the presidential election in 2008 , when Obama got 67 % of the Latino vote compared with 31 % for Republican candidate Sen. John McCain . Hispanic voters have traditionally identified with the Democratic Party , and the Pew survey 's results showed that connection continues . It said two-thirds of Hispanic registered voters identified with or leaned toward the Democratic Party , while 20 % felt that way about the Republican Party . `` It is interesting that among Latino voters , the voters who are registered , there is a lot of support for the Democrats , but also for Barack Obama , '' Mark Hugo Lopez , executive director of the Pew Hispanic Center , said in an interview with CNN . The survey of 1,200 Hispanic adults was conducted in English and Spanish from November 9 through December 7 , and has a margin of error of 3.6 % . While showing strong Latino support for Obama and Democrats , the survey also showed Hispanics dislike immigration policies of the Obama administration , which increased deportations to 395,000 in 2009 and 387,000 in 2010 . According to the Pew survey , 59 % of Latino respondents disapproved of the administration 's handling of deportations , while 27 % approved . At the same time , the survey found that less than half of the Hispanic respondents -- 41 % -- knew that more deportations were occurring under the Obama administration than the Bush administration that preceded it . A strong majority -- 77 % -- of Latino respondents who were aware of the increased deportations under Obama disapproved of his administration 's policy , while just over half of those unaware of the increase also expressed disapproval . Hispanics accounted for 97 % of deportees in 2010 , according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security . More than 90 % of Latino respondents in the survey support the DREAM Act , a Democratic measure pushed by Obama that provides a pathway to legal residency for children of illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military . Republicans have blocked passage of the measure in Congress . In the interview with CNN , the Pew Hispanic Center 's Lopez said that the most important issues for Hispanic registered voters were jobs , education and health care -- the same as in past years . CNN 's Catherine Shoichet contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tropical Storm Claudette was gaining strength Sunday as it churned in the Gulf of Mexico toward the Florida Panhandle , the National Hurricane Center said . A satellite image from 2 p.m. ET Sunday shows a tropical storm nearing the Florida Panhandle . At 2 p.m. ET , Claudette 's winds had picked up to near 50 mph , based on observations by an Air Force reconnaissance plane . The center of the storm was about 40 miles south of Apalachicola , Florida , and about 160 miles from Pensacola , the center said . It was moving at about 14 mph , putting it on course to hit land by Sunday evening . A tropical storm warning was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border east to the Suwannee River . A tropical storm warning means that weather conditions will likely deteriorate in the next 24 hours . The storm could bring 3 to 5 inches of rain , with isolated amounts up to 10 inches , and storm surges across portions of North Florida . Meanwhile , two other tropical storms were in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday . Tropical Storm Ana was moving west but losing strength , forecasters said , while Tropical Storm Bill was gaining strength as it followed behind Ana . Ana was about 240 miles -LRB- 385 kilometers -RRB- east of Dominica at 2 p.m. ET Sunday . It was expected to arrive at the Leeward Islands by late Sunday or early Monday , the center said . It was moving about 25 mph , and its maximum sustained winds were close to 40 mph , the center said . Tropical storm watches were in effect for Dominica , Puerto Rico , the U.S. Virgin Islands , the British Virgin Islands , Montserrat , Antigua , Barbuda , St. Kitts , Nevis , Anguilla , St. Maarten , Saba , St. Eustatius , Guadeloupe , St. Martin , and St. Barthelemey . Tropical Storm Bill -- which could become a hurricane on Monday -- should be watched closely as it heads west-northwest in the Atlantic , possibly toward Florida , CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf said . The storm was 1,555 miles east of the Lesser Antilles at 11 a.m. ET Sunday . Bill may reach Category 3 status as it bears down on the Leeward Islands Wednesday or Thursday , he said .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tropical Storm Claudette is expected to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle by early Monday , and the storm 's outer bands already were pounding the area with heavy rain Sunday evening . Tropical Storm Claudette is seen off the coast of Destin , Florida , on Sunday afternoon . Claudette appeared on track to hit somewhere between Destin , Florida , and Panama City Beach , Florida , late Sunday or early Monday before moving through the panhandle and into southern Alabama , CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said . Heavy rain from Claudette was hitting some of the Florida Panhandle counties Sunday , and some coastal areas there had the potential for localized flooding , said John Cherry , spokesman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management . `` What we 're just mainly asking is residents to stay off the roads tonight , and if you do approach a flooded area on a roadway , turn around , '' Cherry said . Shortly before 11 p.m. ET , the center of Claudette , with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph , was in the Gulf of Mexico about 25 miles west of Panama City , Florida , and about 70 miles east-southeast of Pensacola , the National Hurricane Center said . It was moving northwest at about 12 mph . A tropical storm warning was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border east to the Aucilla River . A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area in the next 24 hours . The storm could bring 3 to 6 inches of rain , with isolated amounts up to 10 inches , across portions of the Florida Panhandle , central and southern Alabama and extreme southwestern Georgia . Storm surges and isolated tornadoes also were possible across portions of North Florida . Authorities urged voluntary evacuations in the low-lying Alligator Point area of Florida 's Franklin County because of concerns about possible flooding , said Mike Stone , spokesman for the Florida Emergency Operations Center . He said he knew of no other evacuations in the state . Mariners in the Panhandle and Big Bend areas of Florida should stay at harbor , the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a statement . Meanwhile , two other severe storms were in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday . Tropical Depression Ana , which was downgraded from a tropical storm Sunday afternoon , was moving across the Leeward Islands late Sunday , while Tropical Storm Bill was gaining strength as it followed behind Ana . iReport.com : Are you in Claudette 's path ? Ana was about 25 miles -LRB- 40 kilometers -RRB- southeast of Guadeloupe shortly before 11 p.m. ET Sunday . It was expected to enter the northeastern Caribbean Sea and weaken as it approaches the Dominican Republic on Monday , the center said . It was moving east near 26 mph , and its maximum sustained winds were close to 35 mph , the center said . Tropical storm watches were in effect for Puerto Rico , the U.S. Virgin Islands , the British Virgin Islands , Montserrat , Antigua , Barbuda , St. Kitts , Nevis , Anguilla , St. Maarten , Saba , St. Eustatius , Guadeloupe , St. Martin , St. Barthelemey , and part of the Dominican Republic . Ana was expected to drop 2 to 4 inches of rain over the Leeward Islands , with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches possible over mountainous terrain , the hurricane center said . Tropical Storm Bill -- which is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday -- was in the Atlantic heading west-northwest with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph . The storm 's center was about 1,320 miles -LRB- 2,120 kilometers -RRB- east of the Lesser Antilles shortly before 11 p.m. ET Sunday .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dom DeLuise , who spiced up such movies as `` Blazing Saddles , '' `` Silent Movie '' and `` The Cannonball Run '' with his manic delivery and roly-poly persona , has died , his son 's publicist said . Dom DeLuise was best known for his roles in Mel Brooks films as well as films with his friend Burt Reynolds . Publicist Jay Schwartz did not disclose the cause of death , but DeLuise , 75 , had been battling cancer for more than a year . DeLuise was surrounded by family when he died in a Santa Monica , California , hospital Monday night , son Michael DeLuise told CNN affiliate KTLA . DeLuise was most famous for his supporting roles in a number of Mel Brooks films , including 1974 's `` Saddles '' -- in which he played a flamboyant musical director who led dancers in a number called `` The French Mistake '' -- and 1976 's `` Silent Movie , '' in which he played the assistant to Brooks ' director Mel Funn . He was also in the Brooks-directed `` The Twelve Chairs '' -LRB- 1970 -RRB- , `` Spaceballs '' -LRB- 1987 -RRB- and `` Robin Hood : Men in Tights '' -LRB- 1993 -RRB- . But he could also assay more serious roles , most notably in the 1980 dark comedy `` Fatso , '' in which he played an overweight man trying to wean himself from comfort food . The film was directed by Brooks ' wife , Anne Bancroft . Watch an impromptu performance by Dom DeLuise '' DeLuise , who struggled with his own weight , was also an author of cookbooks . In 1991 , he told CNN 's Larry King that after meeting Luciano Pavarotti while working on an opera , he realized he needed to try to shed some of his weight . `` I finally became powerless over food , '' he told King . `` You know , anybody who 's an alcoholic or cocaine or something , that 's what food was to me . '' Besides authoring cookbooks , DeLuise penned seven children 's books . DeLuise was also part of the supporting cast in the Burt Reynolds crash - 'em - up vehicles `` Smokey and the Bandit II '' -LRB- 1980 -RRB- , `` Cannonball Run '' -LRB- 1981 -RRB- and `` Cannonball Run II '' -LRB- 1984 -RRB- . Other DeLuise films include `` The End '' -LRB- 1978 -RRB- , `` The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas '' -LRB- 1982 -RRB- and `` Johnny Dangerously '' -LRB- 1984 -RRB- . His voice was featured in such films as `` An American Tail '' -LRB- 1986 -RRB- and its sequels , `` All Dogs Go to Heaven '' -LRB- 1989 -RRB- and its 1996 sequel , and `` Oliver & Company '' -LRB- 1988 -RRB- . Dominic DeLuise was born in Brooklyn , New York , on August 1 , 1933 . In the 1960s he had bit parts in a handful of movies , including `` Fail Safe '' -LRB- 1964 -RRB- , but became well known as a regular on `` The Entertainers '' and a Dean Martin variety show . He had his own summer replacement show in 1968 and was a regular on Glen Campbell 's `` Goodtime Hour '' in 1971-72 . Watch DeLuise talk about working on `` The Mike Douglas Show '' '' DeLuise had three sons -- Peter , Michael and David -- who all became actors . He told Larry King that it was the `` joy of my life '' to work with his oldest son , Peter , when he directed the film `` Second Nature . '' His wife of 40 years , actress Carol Arthur , appeared in several movies with him , including `` Blazing Saddles '' and `` Silent Movie , '' according to DeLuise 's Web site . DeLuise worked closely on several films with pal Gene Wilder , who in 2002 told Larry King that of all of his co-stars , DeLuise `` makes me laugh the most . '' A frequent collaborator with DeLuise , Burt Reynolds released a statement to `` Entertainment Tonight '' on his friend 's death . `` I was thinking the other day about this . As you get older you think about this more and more , I was dreading this moment . Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around . I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone . I will miss him very much , '' Reynolds says .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What do Copernicus and a Britney Spears look-a-like have in common ? Despite centuries separating the two , both have inspired greatness in Poland . Maxim named Joanna Crupa , a Polish\/American model and actress , 61st in its 2006 Hot 100 list . Here we look at some of Poland 's most famous nationals -- from years gone by to the present day . Many have influenced a world far beyond their country 's boundary . Nicolaus Copernicus -LRB- 1473-1543 -RRB- Copernicus was a mathematician , astronomer , physician , classical scholar , translator , Catholic cleric , jurist , governor , military leader , diplomat and economist . He is primarily known , however , for his theory that earth is not the center of the universe . His book , `` De revolutionibus orbium coelestium '' -LRB- On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres -RRB- , is often regarded as the starting point of modern astronomy and the defining moment that began the Scientific Revolution . Copernicus was born in 1473 in Thorn . Thorn was a city in Prussia , an autonomous region in the old Kingdom of Poland . Frederick Chopin -LRB- Fryderyk Chopin -RRB- -LRB- 1810-1849 -RRB- Born in the village of Zelazowa Wola in Warsaw , to a Polish mother and French father , he was regarded early on as a child-prodigy piano virtuoso . He is generally considered to be Poland 's greatest composer , and ranks as one of music 's greatest tone poets . Always in fragile health , he died in Paris in 1849 from chronic pulmonary tuberculosis . He was only 39 . Mari-Sklodowska -LRB- Marie Curie -RRB- -LRB- 1867-1934 -RRB- Marie Curie , a Polish physicist and chemist , is arguably the most famous female scientist . She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity , the only person honored with Nobel Prizes in two different sciences , and the first female professor at the University of Paris . Her French husband Pierre Curie and both her daughter Ir\u00c3 \u00a8 ne Joliot-Curie and son-in-law Frederic Joliot-Curie were awarded a Nobel prizes . Marie Curie was born in Warsaw . In 1891 she moved to Paris to further her studies and work on scientific projects . She found the theory of radioactivity and also found two new elements , radium and polonium -LRB- the latter being named after her native Poland . -RRB- Karol Wojtyla -LRB- Pope John Paul II -RRB- -LRB- 1920-2005 -RRB- Karol J\u00c3 \u00b3 zef Wojtyla was born on 18 May , 1920 in the Polish town of Wadowice . At only 58 years of age , he was the youngest pope elected since Pope Pius IX in 1846 . He reigned as the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005 . His reign of over 26 years was the second-longest after Pius IX 's 32-year reign . He has been the only Polish pope , and was the first non-Italian pope since the Dutch Adrian VI in the 1520s . The pope traveled extensively , visiting over 100 countries , more than any other pope and was fluent in numerous languages : Polish , Italian , French , German , English , Spanish , Croatian , Portuguese , Russian and Latin . He was the victim of several assassination attempts , but later said he forgave the perpetrators . He was chosen twice as person of the year by Time magazine . Andrzej Wajda -LRB- 1926 - -RRB- Wajda , born in Suwalki , Poland is an award-winning Polish film Director . He received an honorary Oscar in 2000 . After the fall of communism in 1989 , he was elected as a government senator while he continued his role as artistic director of Warsaw 's Teatr Powszechny . His films often raise social awareness and have dealt with a number of subjects including war , communism and murder -LRB- based on the murder of his own father by the Soviets in 1940 -RRB- . Wajda married four times . He has one daughter and is currently married to actress Krystyna Zachwatowicz . Roman Raymond Polanski -LRB- 1933 - -RRB- Polanski is an Academy Award-winning and four-time nominated Polish film director , writer , actor and producer . After beginning his career in Poland , Polanski became a celebrated filmmaker and director of such films as Rosemary 's Baby -LRB- 1968 -RRB- and Chinatown -LRB- 1974 -RRB- . Recently Polanski has made acclaimed films such as the Academy Award-winning and Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winning The Pianist -LRB- 2002 -RRB- , and Oliver Twist -LRB- 2005 -RRB- . Polanski has a tragic personal history . He lived in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War and was persecuted for being Jewish . He escaped death by hiding in a farmer 's cow shed , while his mother was murdered in the infamous Nazi death camp at Auschwitz . After surviving the Holocaust and moving to the United States , Polanski married American actress Sharon Tate . In 1969 , Tate , who was pregnant at the time , was murdered by serial killer Charles Manson 's sect . In 1978 , Polanski pleaded guilty in the United States to `` unlawful sexual intercourse '' with a 13-year-old girl . The director fled to France before sentencing . He now lives there and has French citizenship . He can not return to the United States because he is likely to be imprisoned . Lech Walesa -LRB- 1943 - -RRB- A former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate , Walesa is often credited with changing the Polish political system . He founded the organization `` Solidarity , '' the country 's first independent trade union , which was pivotal in bringing about the fall of the communist regime . He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his human rights activism . In 1989 , after the fall of the Soviet Union , he persuaded leaders from formerly communist parties to form the first non-communist coalition government . He was president of Poland from 1990 to 1995 . In 2000 , Walesa once again stood for the presidential election , but received very little support and subsequently announced his retirement . Joanna Krupa -LRB- 1979 - -RRB- Krupa is a Polish-American model and actress . Born in Warsaw , the daughter of hotelier Steven Krupa , she eventually moved with her family to the United States at the age of five . Krupa has appeared on various magazine covers including FHM , Personal , Inside Sport , Stuff , Steppin ' Out , Teeze and Maxim , in which she was named the Sexiest Swimsuit Model in the World . Maxim named her 61st in its 2006 Hot 100 list . She was also voted German Maxim 's Model of the Year 2004-2005 . She posed nude in the July 2005 issue of Playboy and also did a nude photoshoot for animal rights group PETA . The advertisements all have `` I would rather go naked than wear fur '' as a motto . Krupa has been quoted as saying , `` There is nothing sexy about wearing something that is so obviously tied to senseless pain and killing . '' Robert Kubica -LRB- 1984 - -RRB- Born in Krakow , Kubica is the first Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One . Since 2006 he has driven for the BMW Sauber F1 team , promoted from test driver to race driver during the 2006 season . In June 2008 , he achieved his maiden F1 victory at the Canadian Grand Prix , becoming the 99th F1 racer to win a Grand Prix . Dorota Rabczewska or `` Doda '' -LRB- 1984 - -RRB- Dorota Rabczewska , or Dorota Rabczewska-Majdan , is often nicknamed Doda or Doda Elektroda or `` the Polish Britney Spears . '' She was born in Ciechanow , and is one of the most famous and successful pop singers in Poland . Doda started her career at the age of 14 and became popular after her participation in a reality TV show `` Bar . '' In 2000 , at the age of 16 , Rabczewska became the vocalist of the Polish rock band Virgin . In December 2005 and October 2007 , she posed nude for the Polish edition of Playboy Magazine . She also posed for CKM Magazine several times . Doda received a Superjedynka award on National Festival of Polish Song in Opole in 2006 . In 2007 , she left her record company , Virgin , to begin a solo career . Her first solo album was released in 2007 and was certified as gold on the day before its official release . In 2008 , her album `` Diamond Bitch '' went double platinum after 60,000 copies of the album had been sold .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two Americans and an Israeli were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for painstakingly mapping out the thousands of atoms that make up the ribosome -- work that paves the way for new antibiotics . U.S. researcher Thomas Steitz is one of three scientists sharing the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry . Inside all animals , plants and bacteria are DNA molecules that contain the blueprint for life . Ribosomes are an organism 's protein factories . They use the information in the DNA to make the tens of thousands of proteins that enable the organism to function properly . These proteins include hormones , enzymes and hemoglobin , which transports oxygen . From a medicinal standpoint , the ribosome is important because it is what antibiotics target . In a bacterial strain , antibiotics bind to the ribosomes , preventing them from making the proteins the bacteria need to survive . Americans Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas Steitz and Israeli Ada Yonath shared the $ 1.4 million prize for mapping the position of the thousands and thousands of atoms that make up ribosomes . Their three-dimensional models showed how different antibiotics bind to the ribosome . `` These models are now used by scientists in order to develop new antibiotics , directly assisting the saving of lives and decreasing humanity 's suffering , '' said the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences , which awards the prize . Ramakrishnan , a U.S. citizen who was born in India , is a senior scientist and group leader at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge , England , according to the Nobel Prize Web site . Steitz is a professor at Yale University and an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Yale , the site said . Yonath is a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot , Israel , and director of the Helen & Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure & Assembly at the Weizmann Institute , the Nobel site said . The Nobel Prizes are being awarded this week and next . The medicine award was handed out on Monday and the one for physics on Tuesday . The prize for literature will be awarded Thursday ; the Nobel Peace Prize winner will be named on Friday , and the award in economics will be issued on Monday .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This year 's Nobel Peace Prize is divided between three women , Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen , the Nobel committee announced Friday . Since it was introduced at the beginning of the 20th century , the Peace Prize has become the preeminent award honoring individuals and organizations that work for peace , justice and financial and political stability , according to the Nobel Committee . Here are some facts , figures and history behind the award : The process ** Nominations come from lawmakers around the world , university professors , previous Nobel laureates and members of the Nobel committee . ** That committee -- made up of five distinguished Norwegians chosen by the country 's parliament -- picks the winner . ** This year , a record 241 candidates were nominated . The winner is announced Friday , but the names of the other nominees wo n't be revealed for another 50 years . The award ** The award consists of a medal , a personal diploma and a cash prize -LRB- 10 million Swedish kronor , or about U.S. $ 1.4 million -RRB- . ** The Peace medal has the inscription `` Pro pace et fraternitate gentium , '' which means `` For the peace and brotherhood of men . '' ** A person must be alive to be nominated . If they die during the consideration period , their name will be removed . Only if a person is announced as a winner and dies before the ceremony will a posthumous award be given . The history ** The Nobel Peace Prize was created by Alfred Nobel , a Swedish scientist , industrialist and inventor of dynamite . ** Ninety-one Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded since 1901 . It was not awarded 19 times , most notably during World War I and World War II . ** Sixty-two Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded to a single laureate ; 28 prizes have been shared by two laureates . One time , the prize was shared between three people : Yasser Arafat , Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin . Recent winners ** Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won last year but could not attend . The political activist and longtime critic of communist rule in China is serving an 11-year prison term for what the Chinese government calls `` inciting subversion of state power . '' ** In 2009 , U.S. President Barack Obama won for what the committee called `` his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples . '' ** Martti Ahtisaari of Finland was the 2008 winner . It was his `` important efforts , on several continents and over more than three decades to resolve international conflicts '' that got him the prize , according to the committee . ** The year before , Al Gore and the U.N. 's International Panel on Climate Change shared the prize for their `` efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change , '' according to the committee .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- From Woodstock and a man on the moon to the Manson murders and the Stonewall riots , the summer of 1969 was a tumultuous and eventful time . Listed below are a few of the historic and memorable moments from that summer . April 23 | Sirhan Sirhan sentenced Sirhan Sirhan , convicted of murdering New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy during the 1968 presidential campaign , is sentenced to death a week after being found guilty . Three years later , his sentence is commuted to life in prison after California abolishes the death penalty . May 18 | Apollo 10 The Apollo 10 mission is a dress rehearsal for the lunar landing module . This mission tested `` all aspects of the lunar landing mission exactly as it would be performed , except for the actual landing , '' according to NASA . It also transmitted the first color pictures of Earth from space . May 23 | The Who releases `` Tommy '' The Who , a key band of the 1960s British Invasion , releases the rock opera `` Tommy . '' The double album features songs like `` Pinball Wizard '' and `` Tommy , Can You Hear Me ? '' May 24 | Beatles ' `` Get Back '' is No. 1 `` Get Back '' by the Beatles becomes the top song on Billboard 's list and stays there for five weeks . Released as a single , the song later appeared on the `` Let it be '' album . `` Aquarius\/Let the Sunshine in '' by the Fifth Dimension was the second song on the list for that week . May 25 | `` Midnight Cowboy '' released John Schlesinger 's `` Midnight Cowboy , '' starring Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman , is released with an X rating , the first ever in wide release . The film received seven Academy Award nominations and won three , including best picture . Other notable movies released during that year include `` Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , '' `` Easy Rider '' and `` True Grit . '' June 3 | Last episode of ` Star Trek ' airs The last episode of the original `` Star Trek '' airs on NBC . During the episode , titled `` Turnabout Intruder , '' one of Captain Kirk 's former lovers steals his body . June 6 | Joe Namath briefly retires Joe Namath , the star New York Jets quarterback who famously guaranteed a Super Bowl victory , briefly retires from the National Football League over a conflict with league Commissioner Pete Rozelle . June 8 | Nixon and Vietnam President Nixon , after being elected on a campaign pledge to pull troops out of Southeast Asia , announces the withdrawal of 25,000 U.S. troops from Vietnam . June 9 \/ June 23 | Burger becomes chief justice Appointed by President Nixon , Warren Burger is confirmed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court on June 9 , succeeding Earl Warren . Two weeks later , he is sworn in . In 1973 , Burger votes with the majority in the landmark Roe v. Wade case , establishing a woman 's right to an abortion . June 28 | Stonewall riots A confrontation between gay rights activists and police outside the Stonewall Inn -- a gay bar in Greenwich Village , New York City -- escalates into a riot . Over the next four decades , the riots act as a symbolic force for the burgeoning gay rights movement . July 25 | Sen. Kennedy and Chappaquiddick Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy receives a two-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident . Mary Jo Kopechne , once a campaign worker for Sen. Robert Kennedy , drowned in the July 18 accident in Chappaquiddick , Massachusetts . July 20 | Moon landing Apollo 11 , carrying three U.S. astronauts , lands on the moon . Mission commander Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon ; crewmate Buzz Aldrin also walked on the moon . The third man on the mission was Michael Collins . Six lunar landings followed . July 24 | Muhammad Ali convicted Boxing champion Muhammad Ali is convicted of evading the draft after he refused to be inducted into the U.S. Army . Two years earlier , Ali applied for an exemption as a conscientious objector but was denied . He was stripped of his fighting license and title . He returned to the ring in 1970 , and his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971 . August 9-10 | The Manson murders During a two-night rampage , pregnant actress Sharon Tate and seven others are killed by Charles Manson and his `` Family . '' Manson and four others -- Susan Atkins , Patricia Krenwinkel , Charles `` Tex '' Watson and Leslie Van Houten -- were later convicted of murder and other charges . Their death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment in 1972 . August 14 | British troops sent to Northern Ireland More than 300 British troops are ordered into a Londonderry neighborhood in Northern Ireland after three nights of clashes between police and Catholic residents . The troops were supposed to stay for days , but the conflict lasted decades . The number of British troops stationed in Northern Ireland peaked at 30,000 in the early 1970s . August 14 | The Miracle Mets The New York Mets fall nine games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League race but , led by future Hall of Fame pitchers Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver , stage a comeback in the months that followed to capture the pennant . They went on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles for the Word Series title . August 15-18 | Woodstock Nearly 400,000 people show up at a farm in Bethel , New York , for a music festival that features legendary acts Jimi Hendrix , the Who , the Grateful Dead , Janis Joplin and Sly and the Family Stone . The event would help define an era . August 17 | Hurricane Camille More than 250 people are killed in Mississippi and Louisiana when Hurricane Camille strikes the United States mainland . At its peak , Camille was a Category 5 storm , packing winds stronger than 200 mph and leaving tides measuring higher than 20 feet in its wake . September 1 | Gadhafi assumes power Moammar Gadhafi , a military captain at the time , deposes King Idris and assumes control of Libya . He remains in power to this day . September 24 | The `` Chicago 8 '' trial begins A trial gets under way for eight people -- known as the `` Chicago 8 '' -- who were indicted on charges connected with protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago . After a long , raucous trial , two were acquitted , and the others were convicted on various charges . Eight police officers were also indicted in connection with the disorder in Chicago .","question":""}
{"answer":"ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that infants born as a result of assisted reproductive technology , or ART -- such as in vitro fertilization and the use of donor eggs -- are two to four times more likely to be born with certain types of birth defects than infants conceived naturally . But , the study 's lead author says , the overall risk is still relatively low . With any pregnancy , there is a 3 percent risk of having a baby with a birth defect . `` The most important findings were that for infants conceived using ART , we see an increased risk for certain birth defects , '' said Jennita Reefhuis , Ph.D. , an epidemiologist at the CDC 's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities . She says that children conceived using ART were found to have twice the risk of septal heart defects -LRB- a `` hole '' in the heart -RRB- , more than twice the risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate , and four times the risk of two gastrointestinal defects . As part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study , which gathers information on birth defects from 10 states , Reefhuis and her colleagues compared 281 births using ART with more than 14,000 naturally conceived births . The researchers looked at approximately 18 categories of birth defects , but only those four were found to be `` statistically significantly associated with ART . '' The study findings pertain only to single births ; the researchers did not find a link between ART and birth defects among multiple births . ART increases the chances of having a multiple birth , and infants born as part of a multiple birth are more likely to have birth defects regardless of the method of conception . `` It is important for parents to realize that the individual risk for these birth defects remain low , '' Reefhuis said . `` It sounds like a lot to say ' a two - to fourfold increased risk , ' but you have to keep in mind that the starting risk for these individual defects is actually pretty low . '' Still , says Reefhuis , in the interest of full disclosure and because the use of ART is on the rise , it is important to make these higher risks known . `` I think it 's important for people to be aware that there may be an increased risk for birth defects with ART , '' she said . `` But it is also really important for couples to realize that with any pregnancy , there is a 3 percent risk of a birth defect regardless of any exposures during pregnancy . '' Elizabeth Ginsburg , M.D. , president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies and the medical director of in vitro fertilization at Brigham and Women 's hospital in Boston , Massachusetts , says the study adds to a growing body of evidence . Ginsburg is not connected to the CDC study . `` I think the take-home message is that if you have infertility and you are going to get help to try to conceive , there is some evidence that you might be at increased risk of having a baby with problems , '' Ginsburg said . `` The big question it raises is , is there something biologically different about people with infertility , '' Ginsburg said . `` It would n't be shocking to find out that there may be some biological difference that makes it more difficult for them to conceive as well as putting them at risk of a higher chance of having babies with some sort of adverse outcome . '' ART , which has been used in the United States since 1981 , is defined as any procedure that involves surgically removing eggs from a woman 's ovaries , combining them with sperm in the laboratory , and returning them to the woman 's body or donating them to another woman . It does not include intrauterine -- or artificial -- insemination or egg-stimulating drugs such as Clomid . It is estimated that more than 1 percent of babies born in the United States are conceived using ART , and that number has been steadily rising , with the rate doubling between 1996 and 2004 . In 2005 , 134,000 ART procedures were performed , resulting in approximately 52,000 births . Almost 12 percent of women ages 15 to 44 report having used some kind of infertility treatment , according to a 2002 national survey .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World No. 2 Novak Djokovic stumbled at the opening hurdle at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami , but Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick cruised into the third round . Second seed Djokovic , who had a first-round bye , was surprisingly beaten 6-2 6-7 -LRB- 7-9 -RRB- 6-4 by Belgian Olivier Rochus on Friday . The world No. 59 could have won in straight sets after leveling at 6-6 in the tie-break , but held his nerve to break Djokovic in the final game of the decider to triumph . Serbian Djokovic , the 2007 champion , successfully defended his Dubai title last month but bowed out in the last-16 at Indian Wells two weeks ago . The reward for Rochus is a third-round clash with Brazilian 27th seed Tomaz Bellucci , who defeated American James Blake 3-6 6-1 6-2 . Nadal , the tournament 's last second seed to lose his opening match in 2006 , had no such problems this time as he beat another U.S. player , Taylor Dent , 6-4 6-3 . The Spanish fourth seed -- beaten in the semifinals at Indian Wells by Djokovic 's conqueror and eventual champion Ivan Ljubicic -- will next play Argentine wildcard David Nalbandian , who overcame Serbian 30th seed Viktor Troicki 6-3 4-6 6-4 . Sixth seed Roddick , last weekend 's losing finalist , gave home fans some cheer as he crushed Russia 's Igor Andreev 6-4 6-4 to set up a clash with Ukraine 's Sergiy Stakhovsky . Eight seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also progressed with a 6-4 6-3 win over Spain 's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez , and the Frenchman will next play German 28th seed Philip Kohlschreiber . World No. 1 Roger Federer begins his bid for a record-equaling 17th Masters 1000 tournament victory against Ecuador 's Nicolas Lapentti on Saturday , while third seed and defending champion Andy Murray takes on American Mardy Fish . In the women 's tournament , Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin made it a good day all-round for Belgium as the former world No. 1s progressed into the third round . Clijsters , the 14th seed but champion in Miami in 2005 , crushed 20-year-old Czech Petra Kvitova 6-1 6-1 to earn a third-round clash with Israel 's Shahar Peer . Henin , seeded 33rd after receiving a wildcard , beat Elena Dementieva for the second time in her comeback season , winning 6-3 6-2 against the Russian fifth seed . The Australian Open runner-up will next play Slovakian 26th seed Dominika Cibulkova . Second seed Caroline Wozniacki came from behind to defeat Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova 3-6 6-3 6-4 and set up a third-round tie with Russia 's Maria Kirilenko . The Dane had to come back from 3-1 down in the second set and 3-0 adrift in the decider . Fourth seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka also progressed with Indian Wells winner and No. 7 Jelena Jankovic , No. 9 Samantha Stosur and Russia 's No. 11 Vera Zvonareva .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pop singer Ricky Martin declared publicly this week what he avoided discussing for years : He is gay . `` I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man , '' Martin wrote on his official Web site . `` I am very blessed to be who I am . '' A decade ago , when ABC 's Barbara Walters pressed Martin to address rumors about his sexuality , he declined to confirm or deny them . `` I just do n't feel like it , '' Martin said . Now , Martin wrote , `` these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I did n't even know existed . '' The 39-year-old Puerto Rican native started off with the Latin boy band Menudo before launching his solo career in 1991 . His song `` Livin ' La Vida Loca '' rose to the top of the music charts in 1999 and propelled Martin to stardom . Martin said he decided years ago to not share `` my entire truth '' with the world because people he loved warned him that `` everything you 've built will collapse . '' `` Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage , '' he wrote . `` Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions . '' The decision to come out was initiated a few months ago , when he began writing his memoirs , he said . `` I got very close to my truth , '' he wrote . `` From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time , '' he wrote . `` Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside . '' Martin said that disclosing his secret is important because of his two sons , born via surrogate . `` To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids were born with , '' he wrote . `` Enough is enough . This has to change . This was not supposed to happen five or 10 years ago , it is supposed to happen now . Today is my day , this is my time , and this is my moment . '' Writing the seven paragraphs , he said , `` is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution . '' `` What will happen from now on ? It does n't matter . I can only focus on what 's happening to me in this moment . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty Thursday to a weapons charge stemming from a shooting incident at a nightclub last year , the Manhattan district attorney said . Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress will serve two years in prison after pleading guilty to weapons charges . Burress , 32 , pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon and will serve two years in prison , according to Alicia Maxey Greene , spokeswoman for district attorney Robert M. Morgenthau 's office . Two years of supervised release will follow his jail term , she said . Burress is free on bail and will be sentenced September 22 . A grand jury indicted the former New York Giants football player earlier this month on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and a single count of reckless endangerment in the second degree . He pleaded not guilty to those charges earlier this year . Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg November 29 , 2008 , with a .40 - caliber semi-automatic pistol he was carrying in the waistband of his jeans . The incident occurred in the VIP area of the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan . A teammate who was with Burress , linebacker Antonio Pierce , drove him to a hospital and arranged to have the pistol delivered to Burress ' New Jersey home , according to an August 3 statement from the district attorney 's office . The district attorney also sought charges against Pierce , but the grand jury did not indict him . Burress was not licensed to carry a pistol in either New York or New Jersey . No one , including employees of the New York Presbyterian Hospital and the NFL , called the police to report the gunshot wound , as required by law . One of the hospital workers was suspended after the incident . Burress became a hero to New York Giants fans in the 2008 Super Bowl when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning with 35 seconds remaining in the game . In the following year , however , Burress ' career with the Giants was marred by a series of incidents in addition to the shooting . He was suspended from the team in early October for missing a practice , and later that month the NFL fined him $ 45,000 after he argued with a referee and threw a football into the stands during a game . Burress was suspended from the Giants immediately after the shooting incident . The team released him in April . CNN 's Chloe Melas contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Only one-quarter of Americans think the federal stimulus plan has helped the middle class , while a majority say it has helped bankers and investors , according to a new national poll . A CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday morning indicates that 25 percent of the public thinks the stimulus has benefited the middle class . One-third of the people questioned think the stimulus has helped low-income Americans , with just over four in 10 saying the plan has benefited business executives . A majority , 54 percent , think the stimulus has helped bankers and investors . `` Opinions on the economic stimulus bill are colored by the perception that it has helped fat cats , but not ordinary Americans , '' said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland . `` It 's possible that the belief that the stimulus bill helped bankers and CEOs is due to the public confusing the stimulus bill with the various bailout bills that were passed at roughly the same time last year . '' The survey also indicates that one-quarter think the stimulus has helped people in their own community , with three in 10 saying it has hurt people in their community and 45 percent saying the plan has had no effect . According to a CNN poll released Sunday , 56 percent of the public opposes the stimulus , with 42 percent supportive of the plan . Last March , just weeks after President Obama signed the stimulus bill into law , a CNN survey indicated that 54 percent supported the program , with 44 percent opposed . The program , formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 , attempts to stimulate the country 's economy by increasing federal spending and cutting taxes , at a total cost to the government of $ 862 billion . No Republicans in the House of Representatives and only three in the Senate voted for the bill . The stimulus was initially thought to have a price tag of $ 787 billion , but the Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday increased its forecast for how much the stimulus will add to the nation 's deficit , raising its estimate by $ 75 billion . The CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted January 8-10 , with 1,021 adult Americans questioned by telephone . The survey 's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points . CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- What recession ? Christie 's , the famed auction house , this week sold a nearly 36-carat diamond for $ 24.3 million , which it said was the highest price for a diamond sold at auction . The 35.56-carat diamond dates back to the 17th century . The previous record was a mere $ 16.5 million for a 100-carat diamond in 1995 , Christie 's said . `` In the midst of these challenging times , we were thrilled to achieve an historic price for an historic diamond , '' said Francois Curiel , chairman of Christie 's Europe and auctioneer for Wednesday 's sale . The 35.56-carat Wittelsbach blue diamond , dating to the 17th century , was purchased by international jeweler Laurence Graff , the auction house said in a release . Graff was bidding against Aleks Paul of Essex Global Trading , a professional of Russian origin based in New York , Christie 's said . `` Known as ` Der Blaue Wittelsbacher ' since 1722 , it is one of very few diamonds which can claim 17th century heritage , incredible rarity and exceptional beauty . '' The diamond , mined in India nearly 400 years ago , has been privately owned since 1964 . Until 1723 , Christie 's said , all diamonds worn by European royalty came from India . The diamond has a royal lineage . Christie 's traces it thus : King Philip IV of Spain -LRB- 1605-1665 -RRB- selected the diamond in 1664 as part of a dowry for his daughter , the Infanta Margarita Teresa -LRB- 1651-1673 -RRB- . She had become engaged to Leopold I of Austria -LRB- 1640-1705 -RRB- , who later became Holy Roman Emperor . When she died in 1673 , her husband retained the diamond , which was passed on to his heirs . In 1722 , the diamond entered the Wittelsbach family when the Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria -LRB- 1701-1756 -RRB- married the Bavarian Crown Prince , Charles Albert -LRB- 1697-1745 -RRB- . It was worn by successive rulers until the abdication of King Ludwig III -LRB- 1845-1921 -RRB- in 1918 . The world 's largest deep blue diamond is the `` Hope Diamond , '' a 45.52-carat stone housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington , DC . Diamonds apparently are recession-proof . Christie 's reported jewelry sales of $ 226 million for the first half of 2008 , calling it `` the best jewelry season ever seen at auction . '' Sales for the first six months of this year marked a 32 percent increase over the same period in 2007 , Christie 's said . According to Christie 's , key diamonds the company sold in the first half of 2008 included a 13.39-carat fancy intense blue diamond that fetched $ 8.9 million in Geneva on May 14 and the pear-shaped potentially flawless 38-carat Onassis diamond , which sold for $ 7.1 million on June 11 in London .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- EW.com -RRB- -- Although it did n't set a franchise record , `` The Twilight Saga : Breaking Dawn -- Part 1 '' had one of the best openings in box-office history by debuting to $ 139.5 million , according to studio estimates . That 's the fifth-best opening weekend ever , behind `` Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 , '' `` The Dark Knight , '' `` Spider-Man 3 , '' and `` The Twilight Saga : New Moon , '' which held on to the franchise record . `` New Moon '' debuted to a slightly better $ 142.8 million on the same November weekend two years ago . What 's interesting is how closely `` Breaking Dawn '' followed `` New Moon 's '' trajectory . `` New Moon '' grossed $ 72.7 million its first day , and then dropped 42 percent on Saturday and 34 percent on Sunday . By comparison , `` Breaking Dawn '' earned $ 72 million on Friday -LRB- the third-best opening day ever -RRB- , and then fell 44 percent on Saturday and a projected 34 percent today . `` New Moon '' ultimately finished its domestic run with $ 296.6 million , and it 's too early to tell whether `` Breaking Dawn '' will wind up a bit short of that final figure . Even if it does , Summit Entertainment wo n't be complaining about grossing nearly $ 300 million from the fourth movie of its franchise . And , of course , the domestic box office is only a part of the equation here . `` Breaking Dawn '' took in $ 144 million from 54 foreign territories this week , pushing its worldwide debut to a staggering $ 283.5 million . Summit reports that `` Breaking Dawn '' attracted a crowd that was , unsurprisingly , 80 percent female . What is surprising is that the PG-13 movie 's audience was n't as young as you 'd think , with 60 percent over the age of 21 . According to CinemaScore , 30 percent of the film 's audience was under 18 , but an even larger 42 percent was between the ages of 18 and 34 . The popular conception is that The `` Twilight Saga '' is merely a teenage phenomenon , but these figures seem to prove otherwise . The $ 110 million movie received a good-but-not-great B + rating from CinemaScore graders . In second place was Warner Bros. ' 3-D animated sequel `` Happy Feet Two , '' which fell far short of expectations by dancing to only $ 22 million . The 2006 original , an Oscar winner for best animated feature , opened to $ 41.5 million -- and that was without the benefit of 3-D surcharges . `` Happy Feet Two '' was saddled with mediocre reviews , which might have discouraged some parents . Furthermore , five years could have been too long of a wait , especially for a sequel that appeared very similar to its predecessor . The original `` Happy Feet '' was released a year after March of the Penguins , when the Antarctic birds were having a moment in the cultural zeitgeist . That moment has clearly passed . The $ 135 million sequel earned a B + rating from CinemaScore moviegoers , and 3-D theaters accounted for 50 percent of its weekend tally . The rest of the top five consisted of holdovers . The 3-D action flick `` Immortals '' dropped a harsh 62 percent for $ 12.3 million -- a second-weekend decline that was larger than both `` 300 '' -LRB- 54 percent -RRB- and `` Clash of the Titans '' -LRB- 57 percent -RRB- . `` Jack and Jill '' witnessed a typical Adam Sandler fall of 52 percent for $ 12 million . And even though `` Happy Feet Two '' underperformed , `` Puss in Boots '' lost much of its family audience . The animated adventure dropped 57 percent for $ 10.7 million in its fourth weekend . In limited release , Alexander Payne 's `` The Descendants , '' starring George Clooney , debuted to $ 1.2 million from 29 theaters -- enough for a tenth-place finish . The Oscar hopeful raked in an impressive $ 42,150 per location . Only `` Midnight in Paris , '' `` The Tree of Life , '' and `` Jane Eyre '' opened to stronger per-theater averages this year , and those movies started out on far fewer screens than `` The Descendants . '' 1 . The Twilight Saga : Breaking Dawn -- Part 1 -- $ 139.5 mil 2 . Happy Feet Two -- $ 22.0 mil 3 . Immortals -- $ 12.3 mil 4 . Jack and Jill -- $ 12.0 mil 5 . Puss in Boots -- $ 10.7 mil See the full article at EW.com CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly \u00a9 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brett Ratner has resigned as a producer of this year 's Academy Awards show for an anti-gay remark he made over the weekend , the movie director said Tuesday in an open letter to his colleagues . `` Over the last few days , I 've gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I said in a number of recent media appearances , '' Ratner said in the letter , which was given to CNN by his representative , Allan Mayer . `` To them , and to everyone I 've hurt and offended , I 'd like to apologize publicly and unreservedly . '' Ratner met with the representatives of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation prior to announcing his resignation , GLAAD said in a news release Tuesday . When asked during a question-and-answer session about his newly released action comedy , `` Tower Heist , '' whether he rehearses with his actors before shooting a scene , Ratner replied , `` Rehearsing is for f * gs , '' GLAAD said in its release , citing New York Magazine 's Vulture blog . `` When we sat down with Brett today , he seemed very sincere in his desire to use this experience as a way to begin speaking out against anti-gay language in popular culture , '' said Herndon Graddick , senior director of programs and communications at GLAAD . `` We believe his resignation is just the first step and will be announcing a series of concrete actions with Brett in coming days and weeks . '' In his statement Tuesday , Ratner said `` it pains me deeply that I may have hurt '' his colleagues who `` are members of the LGBT community . '' `` Having love in your heart does n't count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted , '' Ratner said . `` With this in mind , and to all those who understandably feel that apologies are not enough , please know that I will be taking real action over the coming weeks and months in an effort to do everything I can both professionally and personally to help stamp out the kind of thoughtless bigotry I 've so foolishly perpetuated . '' Ratner said he had called Tom Sherak , president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , to resign as the producer of the Academy Awards show . `` Being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of my career , '' Ratner said . `` But as painful as this may be for me , it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents . '' `` Tower Heist , '' which stars Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy , made $ 24.2 million on its first weekend .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer Rihanna , through her lawyer , asked a judge Thursday not to prohibit her boyfriend , singer Chris Brown , from having contact with her while he faces felony charges of assaulting her . Chris Brown attends his arraignment in Los Angeles on Thursday . Attorney Mark Geragos is at right . The judge granted Rihanna 's request . Brown , 19 , allegedly attacked Rihanna , 21 , during an argument in February that began when she found a text message from another woman on his cell phone , according to a sworn police statement . Brown appeared before a judge Thursday on the two felony counts , but his arraignment was delayed until next month at the request of his lawyer . Authorities charged Brown on Thursday with felony counts of assault and making criminal threats , the Los Angeles County , California , District Attorney 's Office said . If he is convicted , the sentence could range from probation to four years and eight months in prison , the office said . While Los Angeles County Judge Kristi Lousteau warned Brown `` not to annoy , harass , molest , threaten or use force or violence against anyone , '' Lousteau did not issue a `` no contact '' order that would have kept Brown away from the woman he is accused of beating . Watch a discussion of the charges -- and Brown 's future '' Rihanna 's lawyer , Donald Etra , stood near Brown and his lawyer , Mark Geragos , during the brief hearing . Rihanna was not in the courtroom . Referring to the `` no contact '' order that could have been imposed , Etra told reporters after the hearing , `` Rihanna requested that no such order be issued . '' Etra said the less stringent protective order against harassment and threats signed by Lousteau was `` more than sufficient in this case . '' Etra did not respond when reporters asked if the singer was cooperating with prosecutors in the case against Brown . Brown , dressed in a suit and tie , said little during the hearing , except to answer `` yes '' when the judge asked him if he wished to waive his right to a speedy trial in exchange for a delay in arraignment . He then signed a waiver , which also allows Geragos to appear without him in court for hearings on routine issues . Lousteau ordered Brown to return to court on April 6 for formal arraignment . Court documents released Thursday revealed details about the case against Brown , including a police statement that the incident began when Rihanna , whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty , found a text message on Brown 's cell phone from `` a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with . '' Watch panelists discuss whether Rihanna will testify '' A search warrant used by police to obtain cell phone records related to the case included the sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews in which he detailed what allegedly happened in the early morning hours of February 8 . Read the affidavit -LRB- PDF -RRB- `` Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles . Robyn F. picked up Brown 's cellular phone and observed a three-page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with . `` A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street , reached over Robyn F. with his right hand , opened the car door and attempted to force her out . Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt . When he could not force her to exit , he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle , causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion . `` Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand . He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand . The assault caused Robyn F. 's mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle . `` Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated , ` I 'm going to beat the s -- t out of you when we get home ! You wait and see ! ' '' The detective said `` Robyn F. '' then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant Jennifer Rosales , who did not answer . `` Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated , ` I 'm on my way home . Make sure the police are there when I get there . ' `` After Robyn F. faked the call , Brown looked at her and stated , ` You just did the stupidest thing ever ! Now I 'm really going to kill you ! ' `` Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face . She then bent over at the waist , placing her elbows and face near her lap in -LSB- an -RSB- attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown . `` Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand , causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps -LRB- sic -RRB- that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand . `` Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant , Melissa Ford . Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street . `` Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap . She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand . `` Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear . She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away . He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car , removed the key from the ignition and sat on it . iReport.com : Chris Brown fans : Share your reaction `` Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms . He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm . Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F. 's left and right carotid arteries , causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness . `` She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself . Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her . While Brown continued to punch her , she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door . She brought her knees to her chest , placed her feet against Brown 's body and began pushing him away . Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet , causing several contusions . `` 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 . '' At the end of his statement , Andrews said Brown sent a text message nine days later apologizing . `` In the text message , Brown apologized for what he had done to Robyn F. and advised -LSB- Rihanna 's assistant -RSB- Ford that he was going to get help . '' Brown issued a public apology for the incident last month . `` Words can not begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired , '' he said in a statement released by his spokesman . `` I am seeking the counseling of my pastor , my mother and other loved ones and I am committed , with God 's help , to emerging a better person . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Motor Sport 's governing body , the FIA , have formally confirmed the entry list for the 2010 Formula One season -- with potential newcomers US F1 omitted from the grid . The financially-troubled team had asked the FIA if they could miss the first four races of the season in order to attract extra sponsorship , but have instead been told that they must re-apply if they are to be on the grid for the following season . The official entry list shows 12 teams and 24 drivers -- two teams more than last season . Three new teams are lining up -- Lotus , Virgin Racing and Hispania Racing -- with Toyota deciding to leave the sport . There are also two team name changes . Last year 's winning constructor 's Brawn GP have been taken over by Mercedes , while BMW Sauber have reverted back to being the Sauber team , although they have to retain the BMW title for this season due to legal obligations . Meanwhile , there is also no place on the grid for the proposed Serbian-backed Stefan GP team , who had been hoping to gain a late entry in place of US F1 . An official FIA statement read : `` The US F1 Team have indicated they will not be in a position to participate in the 2010 FIA Formula One world championship . `` Having considered the various options , the FIA confirms it is not possible for a replacement team to be entered for the championship at this late stage . `` In the coming days the FIA will announce details of a new selection process to identify candidates to fill any vacancies existing at the start of the 2011 season . '' US F1 have faced a race against time to have their car ready for the grid , after a number of sponsors opted to pull out the project . Production of the car had been stopped with the team struggling to pay wages , resulting in a number of staff choosing to leave . Team principal Ken Anderson is yet to comment on whether he will attempt to make the grid for the 2011 season . The decision leaves Argentinian Jose Maria Lopez , who had already been offered a drive with US F1 , without a team . Tuesday also saw the final driver appointment confirmed , with Karun Chandhok becoming the second Indian to compete in the sport having been named by Hispania Racing . The 26-year-old follows in the footsteps of Narain Karthikeyan , who had one season with Jordan in 2005 . There will be four world champions on the grid ; Jenson Button , Lewis Hamilton , Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso , while 11 of the 24 drivers have experienced winning a grand prix . Official 2010 Formula One grid : 1 . Jenson Button GB McLaren Mercedes 2 . Lewis Hamilton GB McLaren Mercedes 3 . Michael Schumacher Ger Mercedes GP 4 . Nico Rosberg Ger Mercedes GP 5 . Sebastian Vettel Ger Red Bull Racing 6 . Mark Webber Aus Red Bull Racing 7 . Felipe Massa , Brz Ferrari 8 . Fernando Alonso Sp Ferrari 9 . Rubens Barrichello Brz Williams 10 . Nico Hulkenberg Ger Williams 11 . Robert Kubica , Pol Renault 12 . Vitaly Petrov Rus Renault 13 . Adrian Sutil Ger Force India 14 . Vitantonio Liuzzi It Force India 15 . Sebastien Buemi Swi Toro Rosso 16 . Jaime Alguersuari Sp Toro Rosso 17 . Jarno Trulli It Lotus Racing 18 . Heikki Kovalainen Fin Lotus Racing 19 . Karun Chandhok Ind Hispanic Racing 20 . Bruno Senna Brz Hispanic Racing 21 . Pedro de la Rosa Sp BMW Sauber 22 . Kamui Kobayashi Jpn BMW Sauber 23 . Timo Glock Ger Virgin Racing 24 . Luca di Grassi Brz Virgin Racing","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A chronology of bombings and attempted bomb attacks in the mainland UK since the 1970s : Police close off streets around Haymarket , in London 's busy theater district . June 29 , 2007 : Police defuse a bomb consisting of 200 liters of fuel , gas cylinders and nails found in an abandoned car in Haymarket , central London . A second car packed with gas and nails was later found to have been parked just a few hundred yards from the first , before it was towed away by traffic wardens in the early hours of Friday for violating parking restrictions . Police say two vehicles clearly linked . July 21 , 2005 : Two weeks after the deadly 7\/7 bombings , four men are alleged to have attempted to carry out a second wave of attacks against London 's transport network at three London underground stations and aboard a bus . But their alleged rucksack bombs fail to explode . July 7 , 2005 : Four suicide bombers detonate themselves aboard three underground trains and a bus in a morning rush hour attack against London 's transport network , killing 52 people and injuring around 700 more . Al Qaeda claims responsibility in a video statement . August 2004 : Anti-terrorist police disrupt a plot by Islamic militants to blow up targets including the Ministry of Sound nightclub and the Bluewater shopping center in southeast England using explosives packed into limousines and large vehicles . Seven men are convicted in May 2007 and sentenced to up to 26 years in prison . March 2001 : A car bomb explodes outside the BBC 's London headquarters , wounding one man . Police blame the Real IRA , a republican splinter group opposed to the IRA 's cease fire . April 1999 : Three people die when a nail bomb explodes in the Admiral Duncan pub in London 's gay district -- the third in a spate of series of nail bomb attacks also targeting immigrant areas of the city that left dozens injured . A 23-year-old self-declared `` Nazi '' , David Copeland , is sentenced to six life terms . June 1996 : A massive IRA bomb explodes in a shopping center in central Manchester , injuring more than 200 people . February 1996 : Two people die as IRA terrorists detonate a bomb in London 's Docklands area , causing damage estimated at around $ 170m and ending the group 's 17-month cease fire . April 1993 : An IRA truck bomb devastates part of London 's financial district , killing one and wounding 44 . March 1993 : Two boys aged three and 12 are killed and dozens are injured by two bombs left in litter bins in Warrington , northern England . The IRA admits planting the bombs . April 1992 : A huge IRA car bomb in London 's financial district kills three people and wounds 91 . February 1991 : IRA terrorists launch a mortar attack at Prime Minister John Major 's Downing Street offices . No-one is injured . September 1989 : Eleven people die and 22 are wounded when an IRA bomb explodes at a Royal Marine music school in Deal , southern England . December 1988 : A Pan Am airliner explodes over the Scottish town of Lockerbie , killing 259 aboard and 11 people on the ground . Libyan agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi , convicted of the attack in 2001 , was this week granted the right to mount a fresh appeal . -LRB- Read about Lockerbie bomber -RRB- October 1984 : Five people die in an IRA bomb attack on a hotel in Brighton , southern England , where Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet are staying for the Conservative Party 's annual conference . December 1983 : An IRA bomb at London 's Harrods department store kills six people . July 1982 : Two IRA bomb attacks on soldiers in London 's parks kill 11 people and wound 50 . October-November 1974 : A wave of IRA bombs in British pubs in Birmingham and Guildford kill 28 people and wound more than 200 . February 1974 : A coach carrying soldiers and families in northern England is bombed by the IRA , killing 12 and wounding 14 . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Benjamin Button '' received more life , but Batman ended up in the dark . `` The Curious Case of Benjamin Button '' scored a best actor nomination for Brad Pitt , here with Cate Blanchett . The nominations for the 81st annual Academy Awards were announced Thursday morning , and to nobody 's surprise , `` The Curious Case of Benjamin Button '' did well , nabbing 13 nods to lead all films . The movie , about a man who ages in reverse , is a big film -LRB- almost three hours long -RRB- with big themes -LRB- death and love -RRB- and earned nominations for best picture , best director -LRB- David Fincher -RRB- , best actor -LRB- Brad Pitt -RRB- , best supporting actress -LRB- Taraji P. Henson -RRB- and best adapted screenplay along with eight nominations in other categories . `` This is a great honor for the movie , and I 'm especially happy for David Fincher , for without him there would be no Ben Button , '' said Pitt in a statement . The film , based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story , has been a project of Fincher 's for years . Gallery : The major Oscar nominees '' However , despite eight Oscar nominations , `` The Dark Knight '' -- 2008 's box-office king -- only picked up one in a major category , that for Heath Ledger 's performance as the villainous Joker . The late actor , who died exactly one year ago Thursday , is nominated for best supporting actor , the same award he won posthumously at the Golden Globes almost two weeks ago . Commentary : CNN.com film critic Tom Charity rates the Oscar nominations `` The Dark Knight '' had made the short lists for the producers ' , directors ' and writers ' guilds , but those honors were n't enough to qualify it for a best picture Oscar nomination . What do you think of the nominations ? Send us an iReport `` Slumdog Millionaire , '' the sleeper hit about a Mumbai orphan who seeks fame and love through the Indian version of `` Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ? '' , earned 10 nominations , including best picture , best director -LRB- Danny Boyle -RRB- and best adapted screenplay . The film , which struggled to find a U.S. theatrical distributor after its initial studio folded , has dominated the awards season thus far and is considered the front-runner for best picture . Watch star Anil Kapoor talk about the reaction the film has gotten '' `` I 'm ecstatic , '' Boyle said in a statement from Mumbai , where the film premiered Thursday . `` Thank you to the Academy from the cast and crew here in Mumbai where the film was made . ... It feels like you 've given us a billion nominations . '' In a mild surprise , `` The Reader , '' based on the best-selling novel about a postwar German boy who has an affair with an older woman with a Holocaust-related secret , took home nominations for best picture , best actress -LRB- Kate Winslet -RRB- and best director -LRB- Stephen Daldry -RRB- . `` The Reader '' comes from the Weinstein Co. -- the studio headed by producer and master Oscar player Harvey Weinstein . `` I 'm extremely happy to have been nominated . And very fortunate . Playing Hanna Schmitz will always remain one of the biggest challenges I 've ever been blessed with , '' Winslet said in a statement . The other best picture nominees are `` Frost\/Nixon '' and `` Milk . '' Watch a rundown of the major nominations '' The Oscar nominations included a handful of other surprises . `` Revolutionary Road , '' featuring the heavyweight trio of Winslet , Leonardo DiCaprio and director Sam Mendes -LRB- `` American Beauty '' -RRB- , picked up just one major nomination -- a best supporting actor nod for Michael Shannon 's portrayal of a troubled savant . Woody Allen , whose `` Vicky Cristina Barcelona '' was widely praised , did n't receive his usual original screenplay nomination . He can take solace in his previous 21 Oscar nominations , including three wins . One of `` Barcelona 's '' performers , Penelope Cruz , received a nomination for best supporting actress . iReport.com : Deliver your acceptance speech And Oscar favorite Clint Eastwood , who many believed would pick up an acting or directing nomination for his `` Gran Torino , '' received neither . However , Angelina Jolie , who starred in Eastwood 's `` Changeling , '' earned a best actress nomination . The nominations also highlighted some lesser-known talent . Character actor Richard Jenkins , best known for his role as the deceased patriarch on the TV series `` Six Feet Under , '' received a best actor nomination for `` The Visitor . '' Melissa Leo , an actress who has had roles in such TV series as `` Law & Order , '' `` CSI '' and `` The L Word '' -LRB- as well as a regular role on `` Homicide : Life on the Street '' -RRB- , earned a best actress nomination for her performance in `` Frozen River . '' `` Frozen River '' also earned a best original screenplay nomination . Two comeback stories received nominations : Robert Downey Jr. , who battled back from drug abuse and incarceration to star in two 2008 hits , `` Iron Man '' and `` Tropic Thunder , '' earned a best supporting actor nomination for the latter . And Mickey Rourke , who has received raves for his performance as a struggling fighter in `` The Wrestler , '' got a best actor nomination . iReport.com : Who do you think will win ? `` Milk , '' the biopic about pioneering gay politician Harvey Milk , earned nominations for star Sean Penn , director Gus Van Sant and its original screenplay as well as a best picture nod . `` Frost\/Nixon , '' about the 1977 interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon , also received best picture , actor -LRB- Frank Langella -RRB- and director -LRB- Ron Howard -RRB- nominations as well as a nod for its adapted screenplay . Josh Brolin , who was overlooked by Oscar for last year 's `` No Country for Old Men , '' received his first Oscar nomination . Brolin played Dan White , Milk 's assassin , in `` Milk . '' `` To me , to question how a decent guy could resort to such a monstrous act ... It 's just my fascination with that kind of behavior , '' Brolin told CNN.com Live of his reasons for taking the role . As for his competition , `` I could n't be happier to be in this group of people , '' he said . Watch Brolin discuss the complexity of the role '' Meryl Streep , nominated for `` Doubt , '' received her 15th nomination , a record for a performer . The other major performers in `` Doubt '' -- Amy Adams , Philip Seymour Hoffman and Viola Davis -- also were nominated in supporting categories . Israel 's controversial `` Waltz With Bashir , '' an animated film about a soldier 's memories of the 1982 war in Lebanon , received a nomination for best foreign-language film . The category 's other nominees are `` The Baader-Meinhof Complex '' -LRB- Germany -RRB- , `` The Class '' -LRB- France -RRB- , `` Departures '' -LRB- Japan -RRB- and `` Revanche '' -LRB- Austria -RRB- . The nominees for best animated feature are `` WALL-E , '' `` Kung Fu Panda '' and `` Bolt . '' `` WALL-E '' also earned a best song nomination for Peter Gabriel 's `` Down to Earth . '' It will compete against two songs from `` Slumdog Millionaire . '' Bruce Springsteen 's `` The Wrestler '' was left out of the category . The Oscars will be presented February 22 from Hollywood 's Kodak Theatre . The broadcast will air on ABC . Hugh Jackman is scheduled to host .","question":""}
{"answer":"CHICAGO , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President-elect Barack Obama told the nation Tuesday night that `` the dream of our founders is alive '' and that he 's ready to fulfill his campaign mantra of bringing change to America . `` Change has come to America , '' President-elect Barack Obama told the nation on Tuesday night . `` At this defining moment , change has come to America , '' Obama , who will be the nation 's first black president , told a crowd of about 125,000 people in Chicago 's Grant Park . Obama , born in Hawaii to a white mother and black father , said his victory proves that America is a place where all things are possible . Paying tribute to the legions of volunteers and voters who carried him to victory , Obama echoed the words of Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address , saying those legions proved `` a government of the people , by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth . '' `` This is your victory , '' he told his supporters , praising `` working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $ 5 and $ 10 and $ 20 to this cause . '' Watch Obama say all things are possible in U.S. \u00c2 '' Obama pledged to heal partisan wounds left after a bruising election battle , again using the words of Lincoln , the first Republican in White House . `` As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours , ` We are not enemies , but friends ... though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection . ' `` Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long , '' Obama said . Obama used the life of 106-year-old Ann Nixon Cooper of Atlanta , Georgia , to illustrate what the nation has overcome in her lifetime , including the Depression , world wars , the nation 's quest for civil rights , a man on the moon , the fall of the Berlin Wall and even a world connected by technology . `` Tonight , let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century ; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper , what change will they see ? What progress will we have made ? '' Obama said . `` This is our chance to answer that call . This is our moment , '' he said . Obama hinted he 's even looking beyond his first term , and through the first eight of those next hundred years . `` The road ahead will be long . Our climb will be steep . We may not get there in one year or even one term , but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there . I promise you -- we as a people will get there , '' he said . Obama congratulated his rival John McCain and praised McCain 's service to the country as a politician and Navy pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam . `` He fought long and hard in this campaign , and he 's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves , '' Obama said . `` I look forward to working with -LRB- him -RRB- to renew this nation 's promise in the months ahead . '' Watch Obama 's praise of John McCain \u00c2 '' He also thanked his wife , Michelle , and daughters , Sasha and Malia , for their patience through the long presidential campaign . `` You have earned the new puppy that 's coming with us to the White House , '' he told his daughters . Obama spent the first part of his historic Election Day voting , visiting campaign staffers and playing a little basketball . Following an Obama campaign tradition , he arrived Tuesday afternoon at a gym on Chicago 's west side , where a campaign spokeswoman said he met with friends for a game of round ball . The game was the latest stop in Obama 's busy day , which began early in the morning at a polling station in his Hyde Park neighborhood . Earlier , a smiling Obama and his wife cast ballots at the Shoesmith Elementary School . `` I hope this works , '' Obama said after placing his ballot into a scanning machine . `` I 'll be really embarrassed if it does n't . '' Watch Obama family at voting station \u00c2 '' Obama 's vice presidential running mate , Sen. Joe Biden , voted in Wilmington , Delaware , on Tuesday , casting ballots with his wife , Jill , and his 90-year-old mother . Watch Biden vote \u00c2 '' People at the polling station also cheered as Biden voted . Election Day came shortly after Obama learned his 86-year-old grandmother , Madelyn Dunham , had died following a bout with cancer . Read more about the death of Obama 's grandmother Obama has described his grandmother , who helped raise him in his native Hawaii , as an integral figure in his youth , saying she struggled to succeed in a business dominated by men . Watch more on Obama 's grandmother \u00c2 '' Obama traveled to Hawaii in late October to visit her . CNN 's Mike Roselli contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With a week to go before Election Day , most recent national polls show Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama with an advantage . But how much are they to be believed ? As Election Day gets closer , will the race tighten in the polls ? The most recent national CNN poll of polls showed Obama with an 8-point lead over Republican presidential nominee John McCain , 51 percent to 43 percent . The polls were conducted October 21 through October 26 . Most other national polls show Obama with a lead ranging between 5 points and double digits . A look at CNN polling during the same period before Election Day in 2000 and 2004 suggests that political observers and campaign supporters ought to be cautious in declaring the race over because of current polling numbers . See the latest state and national polls When a presidential race has a non-incumbent in the lead , like this year , the poll numbers tend to tighten as Election Day gets closer , CNN senior researcher Alan Silverleib said . `` Any time it looks like they are on the verge of voting somebody new into office , there is buyer 's remorse , '' he said . `` Based on that , and the fact that the country has been so polarized in recent elections , there 's pretty good reason to think that the polls might tighten up a little bit . '' Four years ago , a national CNN poll of polls released about a week before Election Day showed President Bush leading Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry by 3 points , 49 percent to 46 percent . The poll was released October 25 and reflected likely voters ' choice for president . Election Day was November 2 in 2004 . A national CNN poll of polls released November 1 showed Bush leading Kerry by 2 points , 48 percent to 46 percent . President Bush won by 3 percentage points , 51 percent to 48 percent . In 2000 , it was a bit of a different story . Election Day arrived November 7 that year . A CNN\/USA Today\/Gallup tracking poll conducted October 29 through October 31 showed Bush , then the Texas governor , leading Democratic Sen. Al Gore , 48 percent to 43 percent . The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points . A subsequent poll conducted November 2 through November 4 , released two days before the voters cast their ballots , showed the same results . Gore , however , ended up winning the popular vote by about 540,000 votes . When broken down by percentage , both candidates had about 48 percent of the popular vote . Bush won the Electoral College , and thereby the presidency , by 5 electoral votes . Two of the battleground states this year , as in many recent presidential elections , are Ohio and Florida . What did the polls say before Election Day in those states four years ago ? In Florida , a CNN\/USA Today\/Gallup poll conducted about a week before Election Day showed Bush leading Kerry 51 percent to 43 percent . The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points and was conducted October 21 through October 24 . Kerry caught up to Bush in the polls before Election Day and led by a single point , 48 percent to 47 percent , in a similar poll conducted October 28 through October 31 . The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points . Bush won Florida by 5 percentage points in 2004 . In Ohio four years ago , a CNN\/USA Today\/Gallup poll showed Kerry leading Bush by a point -- 49 percent to 48 percent -- about two weeks before Election Day . The poll was conducted October 17 through October 20 and had margin of error of plus or minus 4 points . A week before November 7 , Election Day , a similar poll showed Kerry leading Bush 50 percent to 46 percent . The poll was conducted October 28 through October 31 , and the margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points . Bush won Ohio by 2 points in 2004 , 51 percent to 49 percent . Obama leads McCain in recent CNN poll of polls conducted in both states . In Florida , he leads McCain 49 percent to 45 percent . The polls were conducted October 23 through October 26 . In Ohio , Obama has an 8-point lead over McCain , 50 percent to 42 percent . The polls were conducted October 22 through October 27 . ` Buyer 's remorse ' in recent history There have been a few examples of such `` buyer 's remorse '' in recent history , Silverleib said . `` We saw that with -LSB- Arkansas Gov. Bill -RSB- Clinton in 1992 , when the polls suddenly tightened up during the last week , '' he said . `` It was almost like people saying , ` Do we really want this guy ? ' '' They did . Clinton soundly defeated President George H.W. Bush , 43 percent to 37 percent . In another example , polls tightened during the 1968 presidential race between Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat Hubert Humphrey . Nixon led by double digits among registered voters in late September , according to a Gallup analysis published Monday . The lead dwindled to 8 points in a poll conducted October 17 through October 22 . By early November , Nixon was clinging to a 1-point lead . The poll was conducted October 29 through November 1 and surveyed likely voters , according to Gallup . Nixon won by less than 1 percentage point . `` Humphrey had all the momentum at the end , and there 's an open question there that had that election gone on for another week , Humphrey might very well had won , '' Silverleib said . There is then the oft-cited example of Thomas Dewey and Harry Truman in 1948 . Polls predicted that Dewey would win , but Truman pulled off the upset . Silverleib , however , is reluctant to cite that race as illustrative of the accuracy of contemporary polls . `` People talk about Dewey and Truman , but they stopped polling a couple of weeks before the election , '' he said , adding , `` polling then was n't nearly as refined a science as it is now . '' However , in what might be a bit of sobering news for the McCain campaign , since 1956 , front-runners in late October lost the popular vote only twice after being ahead in the Gallup poll a week before Election Day , according to that polling organization 's analysis . Obama held a lead in both of Gallup 's likely voter tracking polls released Tuesday .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- February marks the beginning of Black History Month , a federally recognized , nationwide celebration that provides the opportunity for all Americans to reflect on the significant roles that African-Americans have played in the shaping of U.S. history . But how did this celebration come to be , and why does it take place in February ? We should emphasize not Negro History , but the Negro in history . What we need is not a history of selected races or nations , but the history of the world void of national bias , race hate , and religious prejudice . - Dr. Carter G. Woodson -LRB- 1875-1950 -RRB- on founding Negro History Week , 1926 Dr. Carter G. Woodson , considered a pioneer in the study of African-American history , is given much of the credit for Black History Month , and has been called the `` Father of Black History . '' The son of former slaves , Woodson spent his childhood working in coalmines and quarries He received his education during the four-month term that was customary for black schools at the time . At 19 , having taught himself English fundamentals and arithmetic , Woodson entered high school , where he completed a four-year curriculum in two years . He went on to receive his Master 's degree in history from the University of Chicago , and he eventually earned a Ph.D from Harvard . Disturbed that history textbooks largely ignored America 's black population , Woodson took on the challenge of writing black Americans into the nation 's history . To do this , Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History . He also founded the group 's widely respected publication , the Journal of Negro History . In 1926 , he developed Negro History Week . Woodson believed that `` the achievements of the Negro properly set forth will crown him as a factor in early human progress and a maker of modern civilization . '' Woodson chose the second week of February for the celebration because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population : Frederick Douglass -LRB- February 14 -RRB- , an escaped slave who became one of the foremost black abolitionists and civil rights leaders in the nation , and President Abraham Lincoln -LRB- February 12 -RRB- , who signed the Emancipation Proclamation , which abolished slavery in America 's confederate states . In 1976 , Negro History Week expanded into Black History Month . The month is also sometimes referred to as African-American Heritage Month . -LRB- Source : http:\/\/blackhistorypages.net\/pages\/cgwoodson.php , http:\/\/www.chipublib.org\/002branches\/woodson\/woodsonbib.html -RRB-","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- Discussion Questions 1 . When did the U.S. government establish a holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ? When in January does this holiday typically take place ? 2 . Who was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ? What are some of his accomplishments ? What cause did he work for ? How did he approach this cause ? How did he think that people should bring about political and social change ? 3 . What is the title of Dr. King 's most well-known speech ? When and where was this speech given ? What do you think Dr. King was trying to say in this speech ? Why do you think that it has become so famous ? 4 . How does community service play a role in the MLK holiday ? What does `` A day on , not a day off '' mean ? What are some of the activities that people participate in to observe the holiday in Dr. King 's honor ? Activities 1 . Read or listen to Dr. King 's famous `` I have a dream '' speech . What were the points Dr. King was trying to make ? What views did he express on equality ? Why do you think that he chose to promote peaceful protest as a means to that end ? What are your reactions to this speech ? Share your thoughts with the class or write them in a journal . 2 . In the `` I have a dream '' speech , Dr. King says that he hopes that one day , his children `` will be judged not by the color of their skin , but by the content of their character . '' What does this mean ? Create artwork , song lyrics or an interactive presentation that captures what Dr. King meant when he spoke of the content of one 's character . Share your creation with the class . 3 . Many people volunteer for community service projects on MLK Day . If you have ever been part of a community service project , share your experience with the class and talk about how the community benefited from the project , and what you got out of helping others . If you have never been involved in community service , consider what you could do to help someone else . Do you have a talent or skill , however small , that might help someone else ? Elderly neighbors might appreciate your willingness to pick up their mail , for example . Another student might need help in a subject that you excel in . And if you are capable -LRB- and have your parents ' permission -RRB- , you might even consider being part of a bigger project , like landscaping around a school or painting a community center . Think about what you can do , not just on MLK Day , but on a regular basis to help your community be a better place , and then make a commitment to make it happen . Standards Social Studies V. Individuals , Groups and Institutions Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals , groups , and institutions . VI . Power , Authority and Governance Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power , authority , and governance . The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies -LRB- http:\/\/www.socialstudies.org\/standards\/strands\/ -RRB- are published by the National Council for Social Studies -LRB- http:\/\/www.socialstudies.org\/ -RRB- . Resources The Martin Luther King , Jr. . Research and Education Institute -LRB- http:\/\/mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu\/ -RRB- Constitution.net : The I Have a Dream Speech -LRB- http:\/\/www.usconstitution.net\/dream.html -RRB- Martin Luther King , Jr. . Day of Service -LRB- http:\/\/www.mlkday.gov\/ -RRB- The King Center -LRB- http:\/\/www.thekingcenter.org\/ -RRB-","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new national poll suggests a majority of Americans oppose legalizing same-sex marriages , but the survey indicates a vast generational divide on the issue . The recent poll shows that those who have a gay friend or relative are more likely to support gay marriage . Fifty-four percent of people questioned in a CNN\/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday say marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid , with 44 percent suggesting they should be considered legal . But among those 18 to 34 years old , 58 percent said same-sex marriages should be legal . That number drops to 42 percent among respondents aged 35 to 49 , and to 41 percent for those aged 50 to 64 . Only 24 percent of Americans 65 and older support recognizing same-sex marriages , according to the poll . While a majority of those polled oppose legalizing gay marriage , six of ten said states that do not recognize gay marriages should allow civil unions . When it comes to supporting civil unions , the poll indicates a similar generational shift . Three states -- Massachusetts , Connecticut and Iowa -- currently allow same-sex marriages . A law passed by Vermont legislators that makes gay and lesbian marriages legal takes affect in September . New Hampshire lawmakers are close to passing a similar bill . `` It 's not surprising that three Northeastern states are the first to take this step , '' says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland , referring to Massachusetts , Connecticut and Vermont . `` A majority of people who live in the Northeast say they approve of same-sex marriage . Solid majorities in the South , Midwest and West all oppose gay marriage . '' Forty-nine percent of those questioned say they have a family member or close friend who is gay . That 's up eight points from 1998 and 17 points from 1992 . Fifty-eight percent of those aged 18 to 34 say they have a family member or close friend who 's gay . That drops to just one in three of people 65 or older . `` People who say they have a gay friend or relative support same-sex marriage , '' Holland notes . `` Most of those who say they do n't know anyone who is gay , oppose gay marriage . '' The poll 's release comes just three days after Supreme Court Justice David Souter announced he would step down from the high court after this year 's session ends in late June . Any Supreme Court nomination battle between conservatives and progressives will most likely include hot-button social issues , like gay marriage . `` Republicans do n't have the votes to defeat President Obama 's choice for the Supreme Court . They have to get some Democrats to join them , possibly on a hot-button social issue , '' says Bill Schneider , CNN senior political analyst . The poll indicates that close to 40 percent of Democrats oppose legalizing gay marriage . But Schneider says there 's a risk for conservatives if they make same-sex marriage an issue in the fight over a Supreme Court nomination . `` Young voters strongly favor marriage equality . They 're the future of American politics , '' says Schneider . The CNN\/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted April 23-26 , with 2,019 adult Americans questioned by telephone . The survey 's sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday morning in Oslo , Norway . A record number of nominations -- 241 -- were received by the Nobel committee this year . Of those , 53 are organizations , including WikiLeaks -- the website founded by Julian Assange that facilitates the publication of classified information . It made headlines for leaking documents and videos related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and also released thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables . Among the individuals thought to be strong contenders are several involved in fomenting peaceful uprisings in the Arab world . They include Wael Ghonim , the former Google executive who used social media to jump-start social change in Egypt , Tunisian blogger Lina Ben Mhenni , who criticized the regime long before the uprisings began , dispersing information to the outside world , and Israa Abdel Fattah , who helped organize Egypt 's online April 6 Youth Movement in 2008 and played a role again in 2011 . Other favorites are Sima Samar , head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and a trailblazer for women 's rights in Afghanistan , German Chancellor Helmut Kohl , Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payas Sardinas and Ghazi bin Muhammad , a Jordanian advocate of interfaith dialogue . Another organization which could be in with a shot is Memorial , a Russian civil rights group known for its fight for to protect refugees and victims of political persecution and human rights violations in war zones . Apart from the winner , the names of the nominees can not be revealed by the Nobel committee for another 50 years . Last year , Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the prize but could not attend the award ceremony . The political activist and longtime critic of communist rule in China is serving an 11-year prison term for what the Chinese government calls `` inciting subversion of state power . '' U.S. President Barack Obama won for what the committee called `` his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples '' in 2009 . Nobel prizes in literature , chemistry , physics and physiology or medicine were awarded earlier this week . Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer won the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday . The Swedish academy said it gave the award to Transtromer `` because , through his condensed , translucent images , he gives us fresh access to reality . '' On Wednesday , the prize in chemistry was awarded to Israeli scientist Daniel Shechtman . Shechtman is a professor at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and is known for his discovery of quasicrystals . On Tuesday , the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences named Saul Perlmutter from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California , Berkeley ; Brian P. Schmidt of Australian National University and Adam G. Riess of Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute the winners of the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics . They made the discovery that our universe apparently is expanding at an accelerating rate some 14 billion years after the Big Bang . The Nobel committee on Monday named Ralph Steinman , a biologist with Rockefeller University , and scientists Bruce A. Beutler and Jules A. Hoffmann , the winners of the 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine . The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 91 times since 1901 . The youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate is Mairead Corrigan , who was 32 years old when she was awarded the Peace Prize in 1976 . The oldest winner is Joseph Rotblat , who was age 87 when he was awarded the Prize in 1995 . The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a committee of five people chosen by Norway 's parliament and is named for Alfred Nobel , a Swedish scientist and inventor of dynamite . Nominations come from lawmakers around the world , university professors , previous Nobel laureates and members of the Nobel committee .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova tumbled out of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Saturday , but two-time champion Kim Clijsters cruised into the third round . Kuznetsova , who lost in the 2007 and 2008 finals , became the first top-ranked player at the Californian tournament to lose their opening match since Clijsters in 2002 . The Russian , who had an opening-round bye , lost 6-4 4-6 6-1 to unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro as she paid for her 69 unforced errors and seven double-faults . `` It 's frustrating , because I know I have the game , '' the 24-year-old told the tournament 's official Web site . `` I feel great . I do practice , play unbelievable , and then get to the match and I do n't do much . `` So my thinking is I just need more matches because as soon as I have matches , I keep going . '' Suarez-Navarro will play Agnes Szavay in the third round , with the Hungarian 27th seed progressing after a 6-3 6-2 victory against Taiwan 's Chan Yung-Jan . U.S. Open champion Clijsters avoided suffering the same demise as fellow Belgian and former world No. 1 Justine Henin , who lost to Argentina 's Gisela Dulko on Friday . Clijsters , seeded 14th in her first appearance at the tournament since winning it for the second time in 2005 , thrashed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-2 6-1 . `` I felt good out there today , '' Clijsters told the WTA Tour Web site . `` Legs felt good , fresh . It 's important in a match like this , to get through without wasting too much time , but also getting a good rhythm . `` I want to get the game I had when I was playing at the U.S. Open , where I played really well . I want to keep raising the bar . '' Clijsters will next face Russian 23rd seed Alisa Kleybanova , who beat Bulgaria 's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-7 -LRB- 5-7 -RRB- 6-3 6-1 . Daniela Hantuchova , another two-time champion , was knocked out by Italy 's Roberta Vinci . The 21st seed was upset 6-3 7-5 despite battling back from 3-0 down in the second set , with Vinci earning a third-round clash with Belgian 13th seed Yanina Wickmayer . Third seed Victoria Azarenka progressed with a 6-1 7-5 win over Austria 's Sybille Bammer , and the Belarussian will next play Spanish 28th seed Maria Jose Martinez . Australian eighth seed Samantha Stosur defeated France 's Julie Coin 6-1 7-6 -LRB- 7-4 -RRB- to set up a clash with Russian 25th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova . Ninth seed Flavia Pennetta also went through with a 6-3 6-3 win over Czech Petra Kvitova , and the Italian will play Israel 's 17th seed Shahar Peer in the third round .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Just one in 10 Latino high school dropouts earns a high school equivalency degree , compared with two in 10 African-American dropouts and three in 10 white dropouts , the Pew Hispanic Center said Thursday . The equivalency degree , called the General Educational Development -LRB- GED -RRB- credential , `` is widely regarded as the best ` second chance ' pathway to college , vocational training and military service for adults who do not graduate from high school , '' the center said on its website . Latinos also have a much higher high school drop-out rate than blacks or whites . About 41 percent of Latinos 20 and older in the United States do not have a regular high school diploma , compared with 23 percent of black adults and 14 percent of white adults , Pew said . Among Latinos , Pew noted , significant differences exist between those who were born in another country and those born in the United States . About 52 percent of foreign-born Latino adults are high school dropouts , compared with 25 percent of the native born , Pew said . Among Latino dropouts , about 21 percent of those born in the United States have a GED , compared with 5 percent of those born abroad , the research center said . A greater percentage of U.S.-born Latinos obtain GEDs because they are more aware of the opportunities available to them , said Richard Fry , the Pew Hispanic Center researcher who compiled the report . `` For the foreign-born , it takes them a little bit of time to learn about the GED , '' Fry told CNN . `` It takes a little bit of time to figure things out . '' Fry said he obtained the information by performing an analysis of newly available educational attainment data from the U.S. Census Bureau 's 2008 American Community Survey . That Census Bureau survey was the first to differentiate between those who graduated from high school and those who obtained a GED , Fry said . Previous surveys had lumped both categories together . The Pew analysis also found that in 2008 , Latino adults with a GED had a higher unemployment rate than those with a high school diploma -- 9 percent versus 7 percent . However , the report said , Latino full-time , full-year workers with a GED had about the same mean annual earnings -LRB- $ 33,504 -RRB- as full-time , full-year Latino workers with a high school diploma -LRB- $ 32,972 -RRB- . The Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that does not take positions on policy issues . Release of the report comes amid heightened tensions over a recent Arizona law that requires immigrants to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals ' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance . Opponents have called for an Arizona tourism boycott and the measure has drawn criticism from Mexico and several Latin American nations . Fry said timing of the report 's release was coincidental . `` There 's nothing magical about it , '' he said . `` The report 's been done for about a week or so and it was time to get it out the door . '' CNN 's Arthur Brice contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rep. Paul Gillmor of Ohio was found dead in his townhouse in Arlington , Virginia , on Wednesday , leadership aides for both the Republican and Democratic parties said . Rep. Paul Gillmor was first elected to Congress in 1988 . Gillmor , a Republican , was 68 . The leadership aides did not say how Gillmor died . House Minority Leader John Boehner , R-Ohio , told fellow congressmen on the floor of the House that their colleague died `` suddenly overnight . '' `` He was a good friend to all of us , '' said a somber Boehner . `` He 's going to be missed by us all . '' A tribute to Gillmor will be held in the House later Wednesday afternoon , Boehner said . Watch Boehner tell colleagues of death '' Gillmor , the deputy minority whip , was in his 10th term in the House , representing the 5th Congressional District in the northwest part of the Buckeye state . He was a member of the House Committee on Financial Services , and the ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit . Gillmor also served on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets , Insurance and Government Sponsored-Enterprises and the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity . He was elected to Congress in 1988 , after serving in the Ohio State Senate for 22 years , where he was elected Republican leader five times . Gillmor was born Feb. 1 , 1939 , in Tiffin , Ohio . He received a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware , Ohio , and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School . In 2006 , Roll Call -- a Capitol Hill newspaper -- listed him as the 43rd richest member of Congress , with an estimated net worth of $ 6.16 million . He formerly ran a financial services company . Gillmor was also a U.S. Air Force veteran -- where he attained the rank of captain -- and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1986 . He served in the Vietnam War in 1965 and 1966 . He was married to Karen Gillmor , vice chairman of the State Employment Relations Board in Ohio and a former state senator . Their family includes two daughters , Linda and Julie , and three sons , Paul and twins Connor and Adam . E-mail to a friend","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Serbian police are conducting another search for war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic and another fugitive , the office of the war crimes prosecutor in Belgrade said Friday . Ratko Mladic , pictured in 1993 , is the highest-ranking war crimes suspect still at large . The search , launched at the request of Serbian war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic , is being conducted around the town of Arandjelovac , 45 miles -LRB- 75 kilometers -RRB- south of Belgrade , the prosecutor 's office said . Serbia is offering a reward of 1 million euros for information leading to the capture of Ratko Mladic , the Bosnian Serb general wanted by the United Nations ' International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia , ICTY , in the Hague . A reward of $ 250,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest of Serbia 's other fugitive , Goran Hadzic . Mladic is the highest-ranking figure from the conflict to remain at large following the July arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic . Mladic commanded the Bosnian Serb military during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina . The U.N. tribunal indicted Mladic in 1995 , along with 51 others , on charges involving war crimes and atrocities committed during four years of civil war . In July 1996 , an international arrest warrant was issued for Mladic after investigators collected evidence at the site of the Srebrenica massacre . Mladic stepped down as military commander in November 1996 and returned to Belgrade . But he disappeared after former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was arrested in 2001 . The 66-year-old faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity over the killing of some 7,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995 . He 's also wanted for his role in the 1992 shelling of Sarajevo . In 1992 , as hostilities broke out in Sarajevo , Mladic led the `` shelling and sniping to target civilian areas of the city and its civilian population and institutions , killing and wounding civilians , and thereby also inflicting terror upon the civilian population , '' the war crimes tribunal contends . The status of Mladic is one of the major stumbling block 's to Serbia 's admission to the European Union . In April Serbia 's government signed a preliminary agreement setting the country on the path to full EU membership . But ratification of the agreement was made conditional on Serbia sending Mladic to the Hague . CNN 's Ben Blake in London , England , contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some $ 700 million in economic stimulus money intended to upgrade baggage screening systems at airports will go further than originally expected , Department of Homeland Security officials said Wednesday . The new systems can process up to 500 bags an hour , compared to the 150 to 160 bags per hour on the older machines , the TSA said . The DHS said the money will now upgrade systems at 10 additional airports . Earlier this year the DHS announced funding for baggage screening at airports in 15 cities . The money will be used to speed up construction of in-line baggage screening systems , which take advantage of the airline 's existing conveyor belt systems to check bags , eliminating the need for minivan-size bomb detection systems now found in many airport lobbies . Government auditors have long complained about existing systems , which the Transportation Security Administration rushed into place to meet congressional deadlines after the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks . At airports with in-line systems , airline workers at the ticketing counters place the bags on conveyor belts , which pass through explosive detectors on their way to the aircraft . That is more efficient than stand-alone systems , which the TSA employees must staff . In addition , in-line systems can process up to 500 bags an hour , compared to the 150 to 160 bags per hour processed by stand-alone machines , the TSA said . Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement that DHS was able to `` stretch our resources '' by managing the recovery money and by negotiating with airports . In addition to the $ 700 million intended for checked baggage systems , $ 300 million is being allocated for checkpoint technology , such as new X-ray machines , `` whole body imaging '' technology and bottled liquid scanners . The new airports expected to get stimulus money for in-line explosive detection systems are : \u2022 Washington Dulles International Airport -LRB- Chantilly , Virginia -RRB- \u2022 Lambert-St . Louis International Airport -LRB- St. Louis , Missouri -RRB- \u2022 Yellowstone Regional Airport -LRB- Cody , Wyoming -RRB- \u2022 William P. Hobby Airport -LRB- Houston , Texas -RRB- \u2022 St. Petersburg\/Clearwater International Airport -LRB- St. Petersburg , Florida -RRB- \u2022 Gallatin Field Airport -LRB- Bozeman , Montana -RRB- \u2022 Little Rock National Airport -LRB- Little Rock , Arkansas -RRB- \u2022 Tulsa International Airport -LRB- Tulsa , Oklahoma -RRB- \u2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport -LRB- Charlotte , North Carolina -RRB- \u2022 Colorado Springs Airport -LRB- Colorado Springs , Colorado -RRB- Earlier this year , DHS announced funding for airports in the following cities : Atlanta , Georgia ; Columbus , Ohio ; Dayton , Ohio ; Honolulu , Hawaii ; Huntsville , Alabama ; Jackson , Wyoming ; Maui , Hawaii ; New Orleans , Louisiana ; Orange County , California ; Orlando , Florida ; Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ; Portland , Maine ; and Sacramento , San Francisco and San Jose , California . To learn more about the DHS Recovery Act projects , visit www.dhs.gov\/recovery .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Grammy Award winners Alicia Keys and John Legend will perform at `` CNN Heroes : An All-Star Tribute , '' airing on Thanksgiving on CNN . John Legend will sing `` If You 're Out There '' from his just-released album `` Evolver . '' Hosted by CNN 's Anderson Cooper , the program honors the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood , California . The show will be broadcast globally on CNN , CNN International and CNN en Espa\u00f1ol at 9 p.m. ET\/PT November 27 -LRB- 0200 GMT November 28 -RRB- . Each of this year 's top 10 CNN Heroes will be honored in a documentary tribute and introduced by a celebrity presenter . Actors Cameron Diaz , Salma Hayek , Forest Whitaker , Meg Ryan , Terrence Howard , Lucy Liu , Jessica Biel , Kate Beckinsale and Selena Gomez are among the stars participating in the event . See photos of the presenters '' In addition , actor Hugh Jackman will present People magazine 's 2008 Heroes Among Us award to six recipients honored by the magazine this year . People is partnering with CNN for this portion of the telecast . Keys will perform `` Superwoman '' from her hit album `` As I Am . '' Legend , backed by the Los Angeles-based Agape Choir , will sing `` If You 're Out There '' from his just-released album `` Evolver . '' The evening will culminate with the announcement of the CNN Hero of the Year , chosen through a six-week online poll that generated more than 1 million votes . Viewers were asked to select the CNN Hero who inspired them the most from among the top 10 CNN Heroes selected by a blue-ribbon panel . The Hero of the Year will be awarded $ 100,000 in addition to the $ 25,000 that each of the top 10 CNN Heroes receives . Voting for the CNN Hero of the Year has now closed . Watch a close-up look at the CNN Hero Award '' Award-winning producer-director Joel Gallen returns to executive produce this year 's program . Among his credits , Gallen produced telethon events supporting victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina , winning an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award for `` America : A Tribute to Heroes . '' Kodak Theatre is a 3,400-seat venue that opened in November 2001 and is best known as the first permanent home of the Academy Awards .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Conan O'Brien suggested in a statement Tuesday that he will not accept NBC 's proposal to move him and `` The Tonight Show , '' which he 's hosted for seven months , to 12:05 a.m. ET . NBC has proposed moving `` The Tonight Show '' from its traditional 11:35 p.m. slot so that the show 's former host , Jay Leno , could host a half-hour show then . `` My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of ` The Tonight Show . ' But I can not participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction , '' O'Brien said . `` Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot does n't matter . But with the Tonight Show , I believe nothing could matter more . `` There has been speculation about my going to another network but , to set the record straight , I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next . My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff , crew , and I can do a show we can be proud of , for a company that values our work . '' Read O'Brien 's full statement After Leno left `` The Tonight Show '' last year -- as part of an agreement reached six years ago giving it to O'Brien -- he began hosting `` The Jay Leno Show '' for NBC in the fall , airing at 10 p.m. ET . But ratings for the 10 p.m. show were low , and on Sunday , NBC announced that it was taking Leno out of the prime-time slot because the show `` did n't meet affiliates ' needs '' despite performing at acceptable levels for the network . The last show will air February 11 to make way for the 2010 Winter Olympics , which airs starting February 12 . Jeff Gaspin , chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment , said the plan was 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. and Jimmy Fallon 's `` Late Night '' show moving to 1 a.m. . As of Sunday , NBC was still negotiating with the three hosts over the proposed lineup . iReport : Share your view on the late-night shakeup O'Brien , in his statement Tuesday , said the plan was n't acceptable . `` For 60 years the ` Tonight Show ' has aired immediately following the late local news . I sincerely believe that delaying ` The Tonight Show ' into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting , '' O'Brien said . '' ` The Tonight Show ' at 12:05 simply is n't ` The Tonight Show . ' `` Also , if I accept this move I will be knocking the ` Late Night ' show , which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon , out of its long-held time slot . That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love , and it would be unfair to Jimmy . '' Fox 's president of entertainment , Kevin Reilly , told reporters on Monday that his network may be interested in O'Brien should he leave `` Tonight . '' `` I love him , '' Reilly said at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena , California . `` It 's a very compatible fit for our brand . He is one of the few guys in the planet who has demonstrated he can do one of these shows every night . '' In monologues on their respective shows on Monday , Leno and O'Brien had zingers about the looming shakeup . `` NBC said the show performed exactly as they expected it would and then canceled us . Do n't confuse this -LSB- with -RSB- when we were on at late night and performed better than expected and they canceled us . That was totally different , '' Leno quipped . O'Brien had the following to say on his show Monday : -- `` Good evening , I 'm Conan O'Brien , the new host of ` Last Call with Carson Daly . ' '' -- `` This weekend no one was seriously hurt , but a 6.5 earthquake hit California . The earthquake was so powerful that it knocked Jay Leno 's show from 10:00 to 11:35 . '' -- `` On the positive side , I have learned a valuable lesson from all this : Never sign a contract that ends with the word ` NOT . ' ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth was charged in Florida on Wednesday with killing a pedestrian while driving under the influence , a spokesman for the Miami-Dade County state attorney 's office said . Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth has been charged with DUI manslaughter Authorities charged Stallworth , 28 , with DUI manslaughter in the death of Mario Reyes , spokesman Ed Griffith said . Stallworth is expected to surrender in court Thursday , Griffith said . The charge is a bondable offense , and bail is expected to be set at $ 200,000 . If convicted , he could face up to 15 years in prison . According to Griffith , Stallworth 's blood-alcohol level after last month 's accident was measured at 0.126 percent , higher than the state 's legal limit of 0.08 percent . Stallworth was drinking at a Miami Beach , Florida , club early March 14 , court documents say . He later left the club and went to a Miami residence for about 45 minutes before leaving in his black Bentley GT at 7:07 a.m. . He was driving east on the MacArthur Causeway , which connects Miami to the South Beach area of Miami Beach , when he struck Reyes , prosecutors said . Reyes , a construction worker , was crossing the eastbound lanes of the causeway . CNN affiliate WSVN reported that he was heading to a bus stop after leaving work . Reyes , 59 , was struck by the right front and fender of the car and suffered critical head , chest and abdominal injuries , according to an affidavit . He died a short time later at a hospital . Read the affidavit -LRB- PDF -RRB- Stallworth told the arriving officer , `` I hit the man lying in the road , '' the affidavit said . He said he had time to honk his horn and flash his headlights to alert Reyes , according to the documents . Police smelled alcohol on his breath , the documents said , and Stallworth provided a blood sample at the scene . Stallworth released a statement four days after the incident saying he and his family were `` grief-stricken . '' `` My thoughts and prayers are with the Reyes family during this incredibly difficult time , '' he said . Among the expected conditions of Stallworth 's bail are that he consume no alcohol or drugs , submit to random drug and alcohol testing , abide by a curfew between midnight and 6 a.m. , surrender his passport and not drive , according to an agreement setting conditions of his release . He will be allowed to reside in Ohio and Florida as needed , but he must notify authorities 24 hours in advance when traveling . Stallworth and his attorney have been cooperating with authorities , Officer Deborah Doty , spokeswoman for Miami Beach police , said Wednesday . Stallworth , a former University of Tennessee player , has also played professionally for the New England Patriots , the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles . CNN 's Rich Phillips contributed to this report","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dr. George Tiller , whose Kansas women 's clinic frequently took center stage in the U.S. debate over abortion , was shot and killed while serving as an usher at his Wichita church Sunday morning , police said . Dr. George Tiller was one of the few U.S. physicians that performed late-term abortions . Wichita police said a 51-year-old man from the Kansas City , Kansas , area was in custody in connection with the slaying of Tiller , who was one of the few U.S. physicians who still performed late-term abortions . The killing , which came about 16 years after Tiller survived a shooting outside his Wichita clinic , took place shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday at Reformation Lutheran Church . Officers found the 67-year-old dead in the foyer , police said . Witnesses provided a description of the car and a license number of the killer 's getaway vehicle , Wichita police spokesman Gordon Bassham said . Police stopped a blue Ford Taurus matching the description about three hours later in Gardner , about 30 miles southwest of Kansas City , and took the driver into custody . No charges had been filed Sunday evening and no motive for the killing was immediately known , but Wichita police Detective Tom Stoltz told reporters : `` We think we have the right person arrested . '' `` We will investigate this suspect to the Nth degree -- his history , his family , his associates -- and we are just in the beginning stages of that , '' Stoltz said . See what people are saying about Dr. Tiller 's murder '' Tiller 's slaying drew condemnation from supporters , from some of those who tried to shut down his practice and from President Obama , who just two weeks ago urged Americans to seek `` common ground '' on the issue of abortion . `` However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion , they can not be resolved by heinous acts of violence , '' Obama said in a statement issued by the White House . The shooting prompted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to direct federal marshals to `` offer protection to other appropriate people and facilities around the nation , '' according to a statement from the Department of Justice . Tiller had been practicing medicine for nearly 40 years , said Peter Brownlie , president of the Kansas City-based regional Planned Parenthood office . His patients were `` almost always in circumstances where something had gone horribly wrong with a pregnancy , '' and where a woman 's health would be endangered if the pregnancy continued , Brownlie said . He and his staff had been picketed for years , with some activists distributing leaflets around his neighborhood , Brownlie said . His clinic suffered serious damage from a bomb in the mid-1990s , and he was shot through both arms in 1993 by an anti-abortion activist who is currently serving time in federal prison . `` He endured that kind of stuff on a very frequent basis , '' Brownlie said . `` As recently as early this month the clinic sustained serious vandalism that put them out of commission for a week or so . '' Watch Tiller describe the philosophy of his clinic in 1999 '' Tiller had armed security at his clinic and a `` pretty rigorous '' security procedure at home , Brownlie said . But he `` made an effort to live his life as normally as possible knowing he could be a target at any time , '' he said . In a statement issued through Tiller 's lawyers , his family -- a wife , four children and 10 grandchildren -- said their loss `` is also a loss for the City of Wichita and women across America . '' `` George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality health care despite frequent threats and violence , '' his family said in a written statement . `` We ask that he be remembered as a good husband , father and grandfather and a dedicated servant on behalf of the rights of women everywhere . '' In March , Tiller was acquitted of 19 counts of performing procedures unlawfully at his clinic . In 2008 , a probe initiated by abortion opponents who petitioned state authorities to convene a grand jury ended without charges . Leading anti-abortion groups condemned Sunday 's shooting , emphasizing they wanted to shut down Tiller 's practice by legal means . Operation Rescue , which has led numerous demonstrations at Tiller 's clinic , called the shooting as a `` cowardly act . '' And the National Right to Life Committee , the largest U.S. anti-abortion group , said it `` unequivocally condemns any such acts of violence regardless of motivation . '' `` The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life , '' it said . `` The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal . '' But Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry , who is no longer affiliated with the group , called Tiller `` a mass murderer . '' `` We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God , '' Terry said in a written statement . `` I am more concerned that the Obama administration will use Tiller 's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions . Abortion is still murder , and we still must call abortion by its proper name . '' The National Organization for Women , which supports abortion rights , called Tiller 's killing an act of `` domestic terrorism . '' And NARAL Pro-Choice America said Tiller had worked for years under `` intense harassment tinged with persistent threats of violence . '' If Tiller was killed because of his work , he would be the fourth U.S. physician killed over abortion since 1993 . See all abortion-related attacks since 1993 '' In 1998 , a sniper killed Dr. Barnett Slepian in his Amherst , New York , home . Anti-abortion activist James Kopp was later arrested in France and is serving life in prison . In 1994 , Dr. John Bayard Britton and one of his volunteer escorts were shot and killed outside an abortion clinic in Pensacola , Florida . Paul Hill , a former minister , was convicted of the killings and executed in 2003 . And in 1993 , another doctor , David Gunn , was shot to death outside another Pensacola clinic . His killer , Michael Griffin , is serving a life sentence . In addition , a nurse at a Birmingham , Alabama , clinic was maimed and an off-duty police officer was killed in a 1998 bombing by Eric Rudolph , who included abortion among his list of anti-government grievances . Rudolph admitted to that attack and three other bombings -- including the 1996 attack on the Olympic games in Atlanta , Georgia -- and is currently serving life in prison . CNN 's Matt Smith contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A South Carolina sheriff 's office is investigating whether Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps smoked marijuana on the University of South Carolina campus . Michael Phelps is facing a criminal investigation into whether he smoked marijuana on a college campus . Authorities will file criminal charges if the investigation determines that they are warranted , a spokesman said Tuesday . `` If someone breaks the law in Richland County , we have an obligation as law enforcement to investigate and to bring charges , '' Sheriff Leon Lott said in a statement . `` The Richland County Sheriff 's Department is making an effort to determine if Mr. Phelps broke the law . If he did , he will be charged in the same manner as anyone else . The sheriff has a responsibility to be fair , to enforce the law and to not turn a blind eye because someone is a celebrity . '' Phelps admitted `` regrettable behavior '' on Sunday after a British newspaper published a photograph of him smoking through a bong . The tabloid News of the World showed Phelps using the bong during what it said was a November party at the University of South Carolina , in Richland County . Both university police and Columbia , South Carolina , police have said they would not pursue charges , according to The State newspaper in Columbia . It was unclear where the party took place , the paper said , or whether it was on the USC campus . `` I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment , '' said Phelps , who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing , China , in a statement Sunday . See the photo on the cover of Star magazine '' `` I 'm 23 years old , and despite the successes I have had in the pool , I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way , not in a manner that people have come to expect from me , '' he said . `` For this , I am sorry . I promise my fans and the public -- it will not happen again . '' The U.S. Olympic Committee also issued a statement that said in part , `` Michael has acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for his actions . We are confident that , going forward , Michael will consistently set the kind of example we all expect from a great Olympic champion . '' In 2004 , Phelps was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Salisbury , Maryland . He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation . He also issued an apology after that incident . Phelps is one of 12 Olympic athletes who have signed on to `` My Victory , '' an initiative launched last year by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency aimed at keeping competitive sports clean .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Judge Sonia Sotomayor , who rose from the housing projects of the Bronx to the top of the legal profession , made history Thursday when the Senate confirmed her to become the nation 's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice . Sonia Sotomayor , 55 , will be the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court . Sotomayor was easily confirmed in a 68-31 vote . Nine Republicans joined a unanimous Democratic caucus in supporting her nomination . Sen. Ted Kennedy , D-Massachusetts , supported Sotomayor but was not present for the vote because of illness . Sotomayor , a 55-year-old federal appeals court judge , will be the 111th person to sit on the high court and the third female justice . She will be sworn in at the Supreme Court by Chief Justice John Roberts on Saturday . President Obama , who selected Sotomayor on May 26 , said he was `` deeply gratified '' by the Senate vote . `` This is a wonderful day for Judge Sotomayor and her family , but I also think it 's a wonderful day for America , '' Obama said at the White House . Watch Obama 's remarks '' Watching the final vote with friends and family at the federal courthouse in Manhattan , Sotomayor was confirmed after senators spent a final day of debate rehashing arguments for and against her . Democrats continued to praised Sotomayor as a fair and impartial jurist with an extraordinary life story . Many Republicans portrayed her as a judicial activist intent on reinterpreting the law to conform with her own liberal political beliefs . Among other things , Republican opponents emphasized concerns over her statements and rulings on hot-button issues such as gun control , affirmative action and property rights . See how Sotomayor measures up with her new colleagues '' They also raised questions about some of her most controversial speeches and statements , including her hope that a `` wise Latina woman , with the richness of her experiences '' would reach a better conclusion than a white man `` who has n't lived that life . '' Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy , chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , helped close the debate by stressing the historic nature of the nomination . `` It is distinctively American to continually refine our union , moving us closer to our ideals . Our union is not yet perfected , but with this confirmation , we will be making progress , '' Leahy said on the Senate floor . `` Years from now , we will remember this time , when we crossed paths with the quintessentially American journey of Sonia Sotomayor , and when our nation took another step forward through this historic confirmation process . '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , took aim at what he claimed was Sotomayor 's inability to refrain from bringing her personal political opinions to bear on her rulings . `` This is the most fundamental test for any judge and all the more so for those who would sit on our nation 's highest court , where a judge 's impulses and preferences are not subject to review . Because I 'm not convinced that Judge Sotomayor would keep this commitment , I can not support her nomination . '' Several Republicans , however , bucked party leadership by voting in favor of Sotomayor . Sen. George Voinovich , R-Ohio , announced Thursday morning that he had decided to back Sotomayor after weighing a range of factors , including her education , experience and temperament . `` Judge Sotomayor is not the nominee I would have selected if I were president , but making a nomination is not my role here today , '' Voinovich said . `` My role is to examine her qualifications to determine if she is fit to serve . ... Based on my review of her record , and using these factors , I have determined that Judge Sotomayor meets the criteria to become a justice on the Supreme Court . '' Voinovich was joined by Maine 's Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe , New Hampshire 's Judd Gregg , Indiana 's Richard Lugar , Missouri 's Kit Bond , Florida 's Mel Martinez , South Carolina 's Lindsey Graham and Tennessee 's Lamar Alexander . Watch the Senate vote '' In a telling political sign , none of the Republicans who voted for Sotomayor is seeking re-election in 2010 . Conservative activists , including the powerful National Rifle Association , mounted a concerted effort to rally GOP opposition to Sotomayor . The abortion issue also played a significant role in the nomination , with abortion-rights supporters backing Sotomayor and opponents urging her defeat . `` Today 's historic vote is a sign of progress for Americans who want a Supreme Court that values individual freedom and privacy , '' said Nancy Keenan , head of the group National Abortion Rights Action League Pro-Choice America . Charmaine Yoest , head of Americans United For Life , praised the 31 Republican senators who opposed Sotomayor for a `` stunning vote of ` no confidence ' in a nominee whose background of abortion advocacy and record of judicial interventionism raise serious questions about her fitness for the high court . '' Underlying the debate over Sotomayor was the larger political question of whether the Republican Party risked alienating Hispanic voters by opposing the first Latina nominee . The party 's share of the Hispanic vote dropped sharply in last year 's presidential election . `` If you meet all of the challenges that you are told you need to meet and still you can be told no , despite fidelity to Constitution , the law and precedent , then it sends a tough message to us as a community , '' said Sen. Robert Menendez , D-New Jersey . Sotomayor 's confirmation capped an extraordinary rise from humble beginnings . Her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during World War II . Her father worked in a factory and did n't speak English . She was born in the Bronx and grew up in a public housing project , not far from the stadium of her favorite team , the New York Yankees . Her father died when she was 9 , leaving her mother to raise her and her younger brother . Her mother , whom Sotomayor has described as her biggest inspiration , worked six days a week to care for her and her brother , and instilled in them the value of an education . Sotomayor later graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and went on to attend Yale Law School , where she was editor of the Yale Law Journal . She worked at nearly every level of the judicial system over a three-decade career before being chosen by President Obama to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court . Accepting the nomination , Sotomayor thanked Obama for `` the most humbling honor of my life . '' After the selection , Sotomayor was touted by her supporters as a justice with bipartisan favor and historic appeal . She has served as a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since 1998 . She was named a district judge by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 and was elevated to her current seat by President Clinton . Sotomayor presided over about 450 cases while on the district court . Before her judicial appointments , she was a partner at a private law firm and spent time as an assistant district attorney prosecuting violent crimes . CNN 's Lisa Desjardins , Kristi Keck and Bill Mears contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two people have died and 28 people have fallen ill with matching strains of E. coli after an outbreak in ground beef , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said . Sixteen of those people are in hospitals and three have developed kidney failure as a result of the contamination , the CDC said late Monday . The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that Fairbank Farms in Ashville , New York , was recalling more than half a million pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with a strain of E. coli , a potentially deadly species of bacteria . The products subject to recall were sent to retailers including Trader Joe 's , Price Chopper , Lancaster and Wild Harvest , Shaw 's , BJ 's , Ford Brothers , and Giant Food Stores . The exact products affected are listed on the USDA 's Web site . The recall was for distribution centers in eight states , but Fairbank Farms said some retailers may have sent the affected beef to other states . Each package is printed with `` EST. 492 '' inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label . They were packaged on September 15 and 16 and may have been labeled at the retail stores with a sell-by date from September 19 through 28 , the USDA said . Consumers should ask at their point of purchase if the products they have purchased are subject to recall , the USDA said . E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea , dehydration , and in the most severe cases , kidney failure . The very young , seniors and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness . The USDA 's Food Safety and Inspection Service advised consumers to safely prepare raw meat products , whether they are fresh or frozen , and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit . The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature , the FSIS said . Of the 28 people infected with E. coli from the outbreak , eight are in Massachusetts ; four each are in Connecticut and New Hampshire ; two each are in Maine , Pennsylvania and South Dakota ; and one each is in California , Maryland , Minnesota , New Jersey , New York and Vermont , according to the CDC .","question":""}
{"answer":"New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Emmy-winning `` Golden Girls '' actress Rue McClanahan died of a stroke in a New York hospital early Thursday , her manager said . She was 76 . McClanahan , who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage last Monday , was surrounded by family when she died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital , according to manager Barbara Lawrence . The actress ' career began on the New York stage in the 1950s , but her long television career was first boosted when producer Norman Lear cast McClanahan in his hit CBS series `` All in the Family '' in 1971 . She appeared in Lear 's `` Maude '' a year later . Her most memorable TV role was as Southern belle Blanche Devereaux on `` The Golden Girls , '' which ran from 1985 through 1992 . McClanahan won an Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy in 1987 . Betty White is the last surviving member of the four `` Golden Girls '' stars . `` Rue was a close and dear friend , '' White said Thursday . `` I treasured our relationship . It hurts more than I even thought it would , if that 's possible . '' Estelle Getty passed away in 2008 , and Bea Arthur died last year . McClanahan requested that no funeral be held for her , but memorial services will be announced for later this summer in New York and Los Angeles , California , Lawrence said . Fans can pay their respects online , a family statement said . `` Please join us in celebrating Rue 's amazing life '' by visiting a memorial page established for her on Facebook , the family said . McClanahan 's last comedic TV role was in an episode of Tyler Perry 's `` Meet the Browns , '' taped in 2009 . She carried the Devereaux character to three other TV series , including `` The Golden Palace , '' `` Empty Nest '' and `` Nurses . '' She was married six times and had one child . Her son , Mark Bish , was born in 1958 during a brief first marriage . Her present marriage to Morrow Wilson , starting in 1997 , was her longest . Her book `` My First Five Husbands ... And the Ones Who Got Away '' was published in 2007 . McClanahan was born in Healdton , Oklahoma , on February 21 , 1934 , to parents with Scottish and native American heritage . CNN 's Jack Hannah contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- African-Americans are extremely supportive of President Obama , but their enthusiasm appears to have dramatically dropped from earlier this year , according to a new national poll . The CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. survey , released Tuesday , also indicates that Obama 's presidency appears to have made blacks more optimistic about race relations , but less than one in five believe the new president has ushered in a new era of race relations in the country . More than nine in 10 blacks questioned in the poll approve of the job Obama 's doing in the White House , far higher than 42 percent of whites who approve of his performance as president . But when asked how they personally feel about Obama 's presidency , only 42 percent of black respondents say they 're thrilled , with nearly half of those questioned saying they are happy but not thrilled . The 42 percent who are thrilled is down from 61 percent in January , when Obama was inaugurated . `` African-Americans are still big fans of the first black president in U.S. history , but the thrill is gone , '' said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland . According to the poll , 51 percent of African-Americans say Obama 's presidency has brought some improvement in race relations in the U.S. , but only 18 percent feel it 's the start of a new era . Another 23 percent say they 've seen a real change in race relations over the past 11 months and 7 percent say things have gotten worse . The survey indicates that three-quarters of blacks believe race relations will improve eventually , which is up from 49 percent of blacks who felt that way a year before Obama was elected . `` Whites take a dimmer view of Obama 's effect on race relations , with a third believing that the new presidency has not changed race relations in the country and 15 percent of whites saying that Obama has made race relations worse , '' Holland added . `` Not surprisingly , whites are less supportive of Obama , although for a notable number of whites , their negative view of the president is due to the perception that he 's not been liberal enough . '' The CNN\/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted December 16-20 , with 1,160 adult Americans , including 259 African-Americans and 786 whites , questioned by telephone . The survey 's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points and plus or minus 6 percentage points for the African-Americans sample . CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this story","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World number two Rafael Nadal beat Milos Raonic in the second round of the Japan Open for the second successive year on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Tokyo tournament . Defending champion Nadal , top seed for the Ariake Coliseum event , completed a straight-sets 7-5 6-3 triumph without conceding a break of serve against his Canadian opponent . `` His serve was impressive , especially at the beginning of the match , '' Nadal told the ATP Tour 's official website of his 20-year-old opponent . `` It was an important victory for me and now I am in the quarterfinals . Physically I feel fine and I have the motivation to keep going and keep practising hard . '' Next up for Spain 's Nadal is Colombian Santiago Giraldo , who ended the challenge of Russia 's Dimitry Tursunov with a 6-4 7-6 -LRB- 7-4 -RRB- win . Second seed Andy Murray powered past American Alex Bogomolov Jr. , smashing 11 aces on his way to a 59-minute 6-1 6-2 success . `` It was good , '' said Britain 's Murray , who has won 18 of his last 19 matches . `` I wanted to get off to a good start , having played a long match against Marcos Baghdatis in the first round . `` It was good to get the first set in 20 minutes . It was a bit tougher in the second . Against Baghdatis I had a lot of long rallies and tough situations I had to get through , so I am pleased with today 's performance . '' World No. 4 Murray 's next opponent will be 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian after the Argentinean eliminated big-serving Croat Ivan Dodig with a 7-6 -LRB- 7-2 -RRB- 6-2 victory . Spaniard David Ferrer also booked his place in the last eight , the third seed coming back from one-set down against Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden to seal a 4-6 6-2 6-2 win . Meanwhile at the China Open in Beijing Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga moved into the quarterfinals by knocking out Chinese wildcard Ze Zhang . World No. 7 Tsonga , top seed for the tournament , continued his quest for a seventh career Tour title with a 6-3 6-4 success in 77 minutes . The 26-year-old 's win set up a clash with former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero after the Spaniard beat compatriot Marcel Granollers 6-4 6-4 . In the women 's draw , Romanian Monica Niculescu continued her unlikely challenge for a second WTA Tour title by inflicting a 4-6 6-1 6-2 loss on fellow-qualifier Virginie Razzano . Niculescu , who defeated French Open champion Li Na in the opening round , will come up against Maria Kirilenko next after the Russian eased to a 6-1 6-2 win over Austria 's Tamira Paszek . Second seed Victoria Azarenka was forced to withdraw from her match against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova , meaning world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is the only top 10 player left in the draw .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actress Natasha Richardson was hospitalized after she fell on a ski slope at a Quebec resort , a resort spokeswoman said in a statement Tuesday . Actress Natasha Richardson was transferred Tuesday to an undisclosed location in the United States . Richardson was taken to a hospital near Station Mont Tremblant before she was transferred to Hopital du Sacre-Coeur in Montreal following her fall on Monday , according to the statement . However , she was transferred Tuesday to an undisclosed location in the United States , according to Michelle Simard , spokeswoman for Hopital du Sacre-Coeur . Simard said she had no further details . Richardson fell on a beginners ' trail Monday during a ski lesson at Station Mont Tremblant , said the statement from the resort , located about 80 miles northwest of Montreal . She was not wearing a helmet , the resort said . At the time , Richardson was accompanied by a veteran female ski instructor , who called the ski patrol , the statement said . The ski patrol members examined her and found no visible sign of injury , according to the statement . `` As standard protocol , the ski patrol insisted that Ms. Richardson be transported to the base of the hill in a rescue toboggan , '' the resort statement said . Once at the base of the hill , staffers advised Richardson to seek additional medical attention , but she declined . Accompanied by the instructor , Richardson went to her hotel , where she was again advised to see a doctor , the resort said . As a precautionary measure , the instructor stayed with her , the statement said . The statement offered no details on Richardson 's condition or injuries , but said resort staffers and police were providing support to Richardson 's family and friends . Richardson , 45 , has appeared in many television , film and stage roles , including the movies `` Nell '' and `` The Parent Trap . '' She won a Tony award in 1998 for her performance as Sally Bowles in `` Cabaret . '' She is married to actor Liam Neeson and is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave . The Montreal Gazette reported that Richardson 's two sons with Neeson were skiing with her at the time of her fall , and that Neeson flew to Montreal from a Toronto film set to be with her at the hospital .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Texas grand jury indicted polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs on sexual assault charges , and five of his followers also face a variety of charges , state Attorney General Greg Abbott said . Members of the polygamous FLDS revere jailed leader Warren Jeffs as their prophet . Jeffs was charged in the Tuesday indictment with sexual assault of a child , a first-degree felony . A conviction on the charge could mean a maximum penalty of five to 99 years or life in prison and a fine of $ 10,000 , said Dirk Fillpot , a spokesman for the attorney general . Jeffs , 52 , is the so-called leader and `` prophet '' of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which broke off from mainstream Mormonism in the 1890s over the practice of polygamy . The FLDS openly practices polygamy at its Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado , Texas , and in two towns straddling the Utah-Arizona state line : Hildale , Utah , and Colorado City , Arizona . Jeffs is accused in the indictment of assaulting a child `` younger than 17 years of age and not legally married to the defendant '' in January 2005 . The alleged victim , whose name is redacted on the document , `` was a person who the defendant was prohibited from marrying or purporting to marry or with whom the defendant was prohibited from living under the appearance of being married '' under Texas law . The indictments , which were handed down by a grand jury in San Angelo , Texas , also charge four of Jeffs ' followers with single counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 17 . One of the four also faces a count of bigamy . A fifth follower is charged with three counts of failure to report child abuse . The Texas attorney general 's office was cooperating with other agencies to ensure the five others would be taken into custody , Fillpot said . Their names have not been made public , and only Jeffs ' indictment has been released . Jeffs has been in custody since August 2006 , when he was arrested during a routine traffic stop after spending several months on the FBI 's 10 most wanted fugitives list . Jeffs is serving two consecutive sentences of five years to life in prison on accomplice to rape charges in Utah for his role in the marriage of a sect member to his 14-year-old cousin . He is being held Arizona while he awaits trial on similar charges . It was not immediately clear when Jeffs would be brought to Texas . Authorities seized more than 400 children in April during a raid on the Texas ranch . The children were returned to their families after the Texas Supreme Court ruled the state had no right to remove the children and lacked evidence to show they faced imminent danger of abuse . In May , DNA samples were taken from Jeffs as part of a criminal investigation into allegations that he `` spiritually '' married four girls ranging in age from 12 to 15 , authorities said . A search warrant seeking the DNA samples said marital records -- known as bishop 's records -- from the ranch show that Jeffs married a 14-year-old girl on January 18 , 2004 , in Utah . The records showed that Jeffs `` married '' two 12-year-olds and a 14-year-old at the YFZ Ranch , according to the search warrant . One of the 12-year-olds , believed to have married Jeffs on July 27 , 2006 , was sexually assaulted by Jeffs later that day , the search warrant said . The warrant made reference to pictures of Jeffs with his alleged underage brides . In one photograph , the warrant states , he is kissing one of the 12-year-olds . In another , he is shown with a 15-year-old wife at the birth of their child in October 2004 . Authorities had said the DNA samples would determine whether he is the father of the children born to underage mothers . FLDS spokesman Rod Parker , who is vacationing in Colorado this week , had no immediate comment on the indictment Tuesday . `` As far as an indictment of Warren Jeffs , I 'd want to know a little more before I start talking about it , '' he said . On Thursday , the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is planning to hold a hearing on polygamy and the need for a `` coordinated state and federal response , '' according to an agenda . Carolyn Jessop , a former FLDS member who recently wrote a book about leaving her marriage and the sect , is scheduled to testify , along with federal prosecutors , Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , and the attorneys general of Texas and Arizona .","question":""}
{"answer":"LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rafael Nadal 's shock French Open exit at the hands of a player ranked outside the top 20 is already attracting suggestions that it may be the biggest upset in tennis history . Rafael Nadal faces media after his shock loss to Sweden 's Robin Soderling at the French Open on Sunday Nadal , the world number one had never lost a game at Roland Garros , winning the previous four titles in a row . However , Sweden 's Robin Soderling proved too good for the `` King of Clay , '' beating him 6-2 6-7 6-4 7-6 . The official French Open Web site called it `` one of the greatest upsets in Grand Slam history , '' while other news outlets have rushed to praise the Swede for the `` game of his life . '' The result leaves the men 's draw at the French Open tournament wide open -- with Roger Federer and Andy Murray now the highest-ranked players remaining . Undoubtedly a massive upset , Nadal 's loss also raises the question of what have been the biggest men 's Grand Slam upsets in tennis history . Is this is the biggest ? Below , in no particular order , are ten of the most shocking.What do you think the biggest upset in recent tennis history is ? Tell us in the Sound Off box below . 1 . Robin Soderling beats Rafael Nadal , French Open 2009 Spain 's clay master was unbeaten at Roland Garros and looking for his fifth title in a row when he was shocked by the 23rd seed Swedish player . Soderling was too good for Nadal , and deserved the win . 2 . Michael Chang beats Lendl and Edberg , French Open 1989 American Michael Chang etched his name in history by winning the 1989 French Open aged just 17 years and three months . He beat legends Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg -LRB- in an epic five set final -RRB- to win the event and he is still the youngest winner of a Grand Slam . 3 . George Bastl beats Pete Sampras , Wimbledon 2002 Swiss player Bastl was ranked 145 in the world when he took on the seven-time champion of Wimbledon , Pete Sampras . Bastl , who only got into the tournament as a lucky loser after failing to qualify , beat the American in five sets . 4 . Mark Edmondson wins the 1976 Australian Open The Australian only ever won one Grand Slam event , and he beat defending champion John Newcombe in the final to do it . The most remarkable point however , was that he was ranked 212th in the world when he did it . He remains the lowest-ranked player to win a Grand Slam title . 5 . Goran Ivanisevic wins 2001 Wimbledon Left-handed Ivanisevic had lost the Wimbledon final three times before he finally won it in 2001 . The eventual victory was a near-miracle , as he had only entered the tournament as a wild card . Ranked outside the top 100 at the time , he became the lowest-ranked player and only wild card to win Wimbledon . 6 . Mats Wilander wins the 1982 French Open The young Swede shocked the tennis world when at 17 years of age he beat the second , third , fourth and fifth seeds at Roland Garros to win the tournament . He was unseeded for the event . 7 . Richard Krajicek beats Pete Sampras , Wimbledon 1996 Krajicek surprised everyone when he became the first Dutchman to win Wimbledon in 1996 , but the biggest upset had come when he defeated Pete Sampras in the quarter-final . His win was Sampras ' only loss at the grass tournament between 1993 and 2001 . 8 . Gustavo Kuerten wins the 1997 French Open It 's no surprise that `` Guga '' was a Roland Garros favorite . When he won the 1997 tournament he was ranked 66th in the world and he beat three former champions along the way . He remains the third-lowest ranked Grand Slam champion . 9 . Lleyton Hewitt beats Andre Agassi while ranked # 550 The Australian went on to win his first ATP tour title after beating Agassi in the semi-final of the Adelaide International . The win over former world number one Agassi was remarkable given that he was ranked at 550th and only 16 years old . 10 . Vladimir Voltchkov makes 2000 Wimbledon semi-final The Belarussian was ranked 237 when he managed to make it through to the semi-finals of Wimbledon -- becoming the lowest-ranked player to ever make the last four at the London tournament .","question":""}
{"answer":"BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. military announced Wednesday that coalition forces recently killed al Qaeda in Iraq 's `` charismatic '' senior leader in northern Iraq . Abu Qaswarah was second only to Abu Ayyub al-Masri -LRB- pictured -RRB- in al Qaeda in Iraq leadership . Abu Qaswarah , also known as Abu Sara , was killed during an operation in Mosul on October 5 , the military said . The Moroccan native was second-in-command to al Qaeda in Iraq -LRB- AQI -RRB- leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri , according to the military . He had `` historic ties '' to al-Masri 's predecessor , Abu Musab al-Zarqawi , and senior al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan , the military said . Abu Qaswarah -- who became AQI 's senior leader in northern Iraq in June 2007 -- was the target of the military raid in Mosul earlier this month , the military said . Coalition forces tracked him down inside a building in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul , which `` served as a key command and control location for AQI , '' according to the military . `` Upon entering the building , forces were immediately fired upon , '' the military said . `` Coalition forces returned fire in self-defense , leading to the death of five terrorists . It was later determined that one of the five was positively identified as Abu Qaswarah . '' The U.S. military described Abu Qaswarah as a `` charismatic '' leader who rallied al Qaeda in Iraq 's northern network after `` major setbacks to the terrorist organization across Iraq . '' Groups comprised mainly of former Sunni insurgents -- known as Awakening Councils or `` Sons of Iraq '' -- have turned against al Qaeda in Iraq , helping to diminish its presence in several parts of the country . The U.S. military credits them with playing a key role in bringing about the nationwide drop in violence that coincided with the `` surge '' of U.S. forces . Abu Qaswarah -- who trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan -- helped bring foreign terrorists into northern Iraq , where they carried out a spate of suicide attacks , according to the military . He also organized and led AQI 's attacks in Mosul , including the `` failed attempt to destroy the Mosul Civic Center during the holy month of Ramadan , '' which took place in September , the military said . That attack , the military said , `` could have killed hundreds of innocent Iraqis . '' The military said Abu Qaswarah 's death `` will significantly degrade AQI operations in Mosul and northern Iraq , leaving the network without a leader to oversee and coordinate its operations in the region . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"KARBALA , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A female suicide bomber apparently targeting Shiite worshippers killed at least 40 people and wounded at least 65 in Karbala on Monday , according to an Interior Ministry official . Iraqi security forces gather around the site of a car bomb explosion in Baghdad on Monday . The incident occurred one-half mile from the Imam Hussein shrine of Karbala . Karbala is a Shiite holy city , and the Imam Hussein shrine is one of Shiite Islam 's holiest locations . The shrine marks the burial spot of Hussein bin Ali , the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed , who was killed in battle nearby in 680 . No more information was immediately available about the blast southwest of the capital city , Baghdad . Earlier Monday , in Baghdad , a roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi police patrol , killing one officer and wounding another , the Interior Ministry told CNN . A short time later , another roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi police patrol on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad , wounding four bystanders , a ministry official said . The first attack took place about 8:30 a.m. in the upscale Mansour neighborhood , where law enforcement officials have come under frequent attacks in recent weeks . Also Monday , two American soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad , officials said . The incident occurred about 12:20 p.m. as the soldiers were `` conducting a route-clearance combat operation north of Baghdad , '' according to a news release . The names of the soldiers were not immediately released . Meanwhile , U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in the Iraqi capital Monday on an unannounced visit . Cheney told reporters that the five years in Iraq since the war 's start has been `` well worth the effort . '' He said he met with top Iraqi officials . He appeared at a news conference with Gen. David Petraeus , the top U.S. commander in Iraq , and Ryan Crocker , the U.S. ambassador to the country . Cheney began a trip to the Middle East on Sunday with an official itinerary that listed stops in Oman , Saudi Arabia , Turkey , Israel and the West Bank , according to the White House . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A grand jury has indicted polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs on a second sexual assault charge in connection with a probe of his Texas compound , prosecutors said Wednesday . The charge against Warren Jeffs stems from a probe into his sect 's Yearning for Zion Ranch near Eldorado , Texas . The Schleicher County , Texas , grand jury charged Jeffs , who already could be sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of a different charge in Utah , with a first-degree felony count of aggravated sexual assault . The indictment is Jeffs ' second in Schleicher County . In July , he was charged with sexually assaulting a child under 17 . Grand jurors have also indicted three more members of Jeffs ' Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , prosecutors said Wednesday . One member faces a count of conducting the unlawful marriage of a minor , another faces three counts of bigamy and a third faces three counts of bigamy and one count of tampering with evidence . The Texas charges stem from a state and federal investigation into the sect 's Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado , about 190 miles northwest of San Antonio . In April , child welfare workers removed more than 400 children from the compound , citing allegations of physical and sexual abuse . After a court battle , the Texas Supreme Court ordered the children returned in June , saying the state had no right to remove them and there was no evidence to show the children faced imminent danger of abuse on the ranch . To date , 12 people associated with the compound have been indicted as part of the investigation , Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said . Jeffs , 52 , is the leader and `` prophet '' of the estimated 10,000-member FLDS , an offshoot of the mainstream Mormon church . The FLDS openly practices polygamy at the YFZ Ranch , as well as in two towns straddling the Utah-Arizona state line -- Hildale , Utah , and Colorado City , Arizona . In Utah , Jeffs was convicted on accomplice to rape charges for his role in the marriage of a sect member to a 14-year-old . He is awaiting trial in Arizona , where he faces similar charges . He faces a sentence of up to life in prison for the Utah conviction , and he also could face another life term if convicted of the Texas charges . His attorney in Arizona , Michael Piccarreta , has questioned the motives of Texas authorities , telling CNN in a July interview that the state 's investigation into Jeffs and his followers is an effort `` to cover themselves up on the botched attack on the ranch in Texas . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Natasha Richardson , a film star , Tony-winning stage actress and member of the famed Redgrave acting family , died Wednesday after suffering injuries in a ski accident , according to a family statement . She was 45 . Natasha Richardson fell on a beginners ' slope in Canada . Richardson , wife of actor Liam Neeson , was injured Monday in a fall on a ski slope at a Quebec resort about 80 miles northwest of Montreal . Richardson 's family released a statement saying , `` Liam Neeson , his sons , and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha . They are profoundly grateful for the support , love and prayers of everyone , and ask for privacy during this very difficult time . '' According to a statement from Mont Tremblant Ski Resort , Richardson fell during a lesson on a beginners ' trail . Watch a report on Richardson 's life '' `` She did not show any visible sign of injury , but the ski patrol followed strict procedures and brought her back to the bottom of the slope and insisted she should see a doctor , '' the statement said . Richardson , accompanied by her instructor , returned to her hotel , but about an hour after the fall was `` not feeling good , '' the statement said . An ambulance was called , and Richardson was taken to a local hospital before being transferred to Hopital du Sacre-Coeur in Montreal . From there she was transferred to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City . Friends and colleagues were saddened by her death . `` Natasha was brilliant , beautiful , funny , talented beyond measure , as emotionally raw as she was razor sharp , '' said Jodie Foster , who worked with Richardson in `` Nell , '' in a statement . `` Tasha loved fiercely and that love continues in all of us who knew her . May Liam , her beautiful boys and her loving family hold her close as they move through this tragic moment . '' `` Natasha combined the best of -LSB- her parents , Vanessa -RSB- Redgrave and -LSB- Tony -RSB- Richardson : the enormous depth and emotional force of a great actor on the one hand , and the intelligence and objectivity of a great director on the other . She was a one-of-a-kind , a magnificent actress , '' said director Sam Mendes in a statement . Mendes directed Richardson in her Tony-winning `` Cabaret '' performance . Richardson was practically born to perform . Her grandfather , Sir Michael Redgrave , was a famed British actor . Her mother , Vanessa Redgrave , is an Oscar-winning actress , and her father , the late director Tony Richardson , helmed such films as `` Look Back in Anger , '' `` The Entertainer '' and the Oscar-winning `` Tom Jones . '' Natasha Richardson 's uncle Corin Redgrave , aunt Lynn Redgrave , and sister Joely Richardson are also noted performers . But being part of a family of actors was n't always easy for Richardson . Her parents divorced when she was 4 and her mother , involved in controversial political causes , gave away a lot of money , putting the family in financial straits , according to the BBC . Then there was the family heritage , of which Richardson once said , `` Though my name opened doors it did n't get me work , and a lot of pressure comes from having a mother who is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation , '' the BBC reported . In 2007 , Richardson worked with her mother in the film `` Evening . '' Richardson said she made one point to director Lajos Koltai about the relatives working together . `` This is a unique opportunity , '' she said she told him . `` This is the one time my mother and I are going to play mother and daughter on screen , so you 've got to take advantage of it . '' Watch Richardson talk about working with her mom '' Richardson 's first film role was a bit part in her father 's `` The Charge of the Light Brigade '' -LRB- 1968 -RRB- , made when she was 4 . After a handful of roles through her teens and early 20s , she broke through as Mary Shelley in Ken Russell 's film `` Gothic , '' and followed that up as Patty Hearst in Paul Schrader 's 1988 film of the same name . iReport.com : Share memories of Richardson Richardson 's other notable films included `` The Handmaid 's Tale '' -LRB- 1990 -RRB- ; the TV movie `` Zelda '' -LRB- 1993 -RRB- ; `` Nell '' -LRB- 1994 -RRB- , alongside Neeson , whom she married in 1994 ; the 1998 remake of `` The Parent Trap '' ; and `` Wild Child '' -LRB- 2008 -RRB- . Watch Larry King and his panel talk about Richardson 's career and death '' But some of Richardson 's greatest successes were on the stage . At 22 , she played opposite her mother and Jonathan Pryce in a London production of Anton Chekhov 's `` The Seagull '' ; the performance earned her the London Drama Critics ' most promising newcomer award . She won a Tony for her performance as Sally Bowles in the 1998 revival of `` Cabaret '' and earned raves for her Blanche DuBois in a 2005 production of `` A Streetcar Named Desire . '' She was scheduled to perform in a revival of Stephen Sondheim 's `` A Little Night Music '' this year , following a January benefit performance of the show . She and Neeson have two children , Michael and Daniel . Richardson was married to Robert Fox from 1990 to 1994 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama told supporters that `` change has come to America '' as he claimed victory in a historic presidential election . Sen. Barack Obama addresses a crowd of 125,000 people in Chicago , Illinois . `` The road ahead will be long . Our climb will be steep . We may not get there in one year or even one term , but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there . I promise you -- we as a people will get there , '' Obama said in Chicago , Illinois , before an estimated crowd of up to 240,000 people . With Obama 's projected win , he will become the first African-American to win the White House . Obama had an overwhelming victory over Sen. John McCain , who pledged Tuesday night to help Obama lead . Watch Obama pay tribute to McCain \u00c2 '' `` Today , I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much , and tonight , I remain her servant , '' McCain said . McCain called Obama to congratulate him , and Obama told the Arizona senator he was eager to sit down and talk about how the two of them can work together . President Bush also called Obama to offer his congratulations . Bush told Obama he was about to begin one of the great journeys of his life , and invited him to visit the White House as soon as it could be arranged , according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino . Obama will be working with a heavily Democratic Congress . Democrats picked up Senate seats in New Hampshire , New Jersey , North Carolina and Virginia , among others . Read about the Senate races `` While the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight , we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress , '' Obama said . Watch more on the balance of power \u00c2 '' Flanked by American flags , Obama told the roaring crowd , `` This is your victory . '' `` To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn -- I may not have won your vote , but I hear your voices , I need your help , and I will be your president too , '' he said . Watch Obama tell voters ` all things are possible ' \u00c2 '' Supporters in Chicago cheering , `` Yes , we can '' were met with cries of `` Yes , we did . '' More than 1,000 people gathered outside of the White House , chanting `` Obama , Obama ! '' Sen. Hillary Clinton , Obama 's former rival for the Democratic nomination , said in a statement that `` we are celebrating an historic victory for the American people . '' iReport.com : Share your Election Day reaction with CNN `` This was a long and hard fought campaign but the result was well worth the wait . Together , under the leadership of President Barack Obama , Vice President Joe Biden and a Democratic Congress , we will chart a better course to build a new economy and rebuild our leadership in the world . '' Sen. Ted Kennedy said Americans `` spoke loud and clear '' in electing Obama . `` They understood his vision of a fairer and more just America and embraced it . They heard his call for a new generation of Americans to participate in government and were inspired . They believed that change is possible and voted to be part of America 's future , '' the Massachusetts senator said in a statement . As results came in Tuesday night , Obama picked up early wins in Pennsylvania and Ohio -- states considered must-wins for McCain . Obama also won Virginia , a state that has not voted for a Democratic president since 1964 . Going into the election , national polls showed Obama with an 8-point lead . Voters expressed excitement and pride in their country after casting their ballots in the historic election . Poll workers reported high turnout across many parts of the country , and some voters waited hours to cast their ballots . Read about election problems Tuesday marks the end of the longest presidential campaign season in U.S. history -- 21 months . Obama , 47 , will now begin his transition to the White House . He will be sworn in at the 44th president on January 20 , 2009 .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 'T is the season , for movies , that is ! This holiday season is introducing audiences to a whole new crop of flicks guaranteed to drive you to a theater , despite the $ 10 ticket . Check out the movies taking 2010 out with a bang . `` Burlesque '' Christina Aguilera stars as a small-town girl who goes to Los Angeles , California , to perform in a musical revue run by Cher , an Oscar-winning actress who has n't starred in a film in a decade . In real life , Cher has reportedly been helping Aguilera through her divorce . But things are looking up for Aguilera , who got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right before the movie 's premiere on November 15 . `` Burlesque '' will be released November 24 and also stars Stanley Tucci , Kristen Bell and Julianne Hough . `` Love and Other Drugs '' In this flick , which also opens November 24 , a pharmaceutical salesman -LRB- Jake Gyllenhaal -RRB- begins a relationship with a woman who has Parkinson 's disease -LRB- Anne Hathaway -RRB- . The movie is loosely adapted from Jamie Reidy 's book `` Hard Sell : The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman '' and features Gabriel Macht , Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt . `` The King 's Speech '' The plot of this movie follows an Australian speech therapist who tries to help King George VI of Britain overcome a speech impediment . Colin Firth is already getting Oscar nods for his role as King George VI . The buzz-worthy film opens November 26 and features Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter . `` Black Swan '' After dominating the film-festival circuit , `` Black Swan '' is coming to theaters December 3 . The sexy film tells the tale of the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer and her rival . Natalie Portman is expected to earn a best actress nomination for her performance as a mentally unstable ballerina and co-star Mila Kunis is getting Oscar buzz as well . Kunis reportedly lost 20 pounds for the role , as both stars underwent vigorous ballet training . `` The Chronicles of Narnia : The Voyage of the Dawn Treader '' Due in theaters December 10 , Lucy -LRB- Georgie Henley -RRB- and Edmund Pevensie -LRB- Skandar Keynes -RRB- are drawn back into Narnia with their cousin Eustace -LRB- Will Poulter -RRB- to help Caspian -LRB- Ben Barnes -RRB- find seven lords while aboard the Dawn Treader ship . This is the third film based on C. S. Lewis ' books , and reportedly Barnes ' favorite of the seven tales . The first Narnia film , `` The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe '' is the 35th highest grossing movie worldwide of all time . `` The Company Men '' Opening December 10 , Tommy Lee Jones , Ben Affleck and Chris Cooper star as three men trying to survive during a year in which their company undergoes corporate downsizing . The film might hit a bit too close to home for some people in the recession , but critics are giving it solid reviews . `` The Fighter '' Mark Wahlberg 's passion project hit theaters December 10 . The film takes a look at the true-life story of boxing hero '' Irish '' Micky Ward and his brother -LRB- played by Christian Bale -RRB- who helped train him before going pro in the mid-1980s . The movie also stars Oscar nominees Melissa Leo and Amy Adams , along with Conan O'Brien 's younger sister , Kate , who plays one of Ward 's seven sisters . `` The Tourist '' Opening December 10 , Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp star in this highly anticipated film in which an Interpol agent draws a tourist into a web of intrigue . We expect ladies and gentlemen to flock to theaters in hopes of seeing two of the world 's most beautiful people lock lips , even if it 's only rated PG-13 . `` How Do You Know '' How do you know when you 're in love ? In luck ? In trouble ? If you 're in the mood for a lighthearted chick flick , check out Oscar winners Jack Nicholson and Reese Witherspoon in this romantic comedy , hitting theaters December 17 . In the film , Witherspoon is caught in a love triangle involving a baseball player -LRB- Owen Wilson -RRB- and an old friend -LRB- Paul Rudd . -RRB- Our favorite line from the trailer ? `` I think I 'm in love with somebody when I wear a condom with the other girls . '' `` All Good Things '' It 's , as the tagline says , `` The perfect love story . Until it became the perfect crime . '' `` All Good Things '' is a love story and murder mystery based on the most notorious unsolved missing person 's case in New York history . It was inspired by the story of superwealthy Robert Durst , who was suspected , but never tried , in the death of his wife , Kathie , who disappeared in 1982 and was never found . The film stars Ryan Gosling , Kirsten Dunst , Kristen Wiig and Frank Langella and will first be released in New York on December 3 . Click here for a complete list of holiday movies","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- William Safire , a onetime speechwriter for President Nixon who became a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times , has died at age 79 , the newspaper announced Sunday . William Safire died in Maryland following a battle with pancreatic cancer , The New York Times reported . Safire joined the Times as a columnist in 1973 . In addition to his conservative news columns , which he wrote until 2005 , he wrote a language column for the paper 's Sunday magazine from 1979 until shortly before his death . He won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1978 . In 2006 , President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the highest U.S. civilian honor . Safire had suffered from pancreatic cancer and died Sunday at a hospice in Rockville , Maryland , the newspaper reported . Born in New York in 1929 , Safire began his career as a reporter for newspapers , television and radio stations after dropping out of Syracuse University . After becoming a public relations executive in the late 1950s , he was credited with putting together the 1959 `` kitchen debate '' between then-Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev at that year 's American National Exhibition in Moscow . Safire was the publicist for a builder at the time . `` What I was publicizing was the typical American house , '' he recounted during a conference at George Washington University in July . `` It was my kitchen . '' The next year , he went to work for Nixon 's first , unsuccessful presidential bid . He rejoined the Nixon team in 1968 , when the Republican eventually won the White House , and became one of the administration 's top speechwriters . Perhaps his best-known line in that job was Vice President Spiro Agnew 's denunciation of journalists as `` nattering nabobs of negativism . '' But Safire left the administration to join that nattering club in 1973 , when he left the Nixon administration to join the Times . His often-pugnacious voice -- he once denounced then-first lady Hillary Clinton as a `` congenital liar '' -- held down the right flank of the Times ' op-ed page for more than three decades . He won his Pulitzer in 1978 for columns on the travails surrounding Bert Lance , who as President Carter 's budget director in 1977 resigned amid allegations of bank fraud . Lance was acquitted by a federal jury in 1980 . And he was an outspoken advocate of the plight of Iraq 's Kurdish population . He sharply criticized U.S. support for Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein in the 1980s , when Hussein used poison gas to put down a Kurdish revolt , and he strongly supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 , writing that `` nobody came out of this war more nobly '' than the Kurds . Safire also wrote four novels , several collections of columns and a political dictionary that was first published in 1968 . A new edition came out in 2008 . He is survived by his wife , Helene , two children and one grandchild .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Health.com -RRB- -- Women run a lower risk of having babies with certain birth defects if they eat a diet rich in fruits , vegetables , and whole grains during their childbearing years , a new study suggests . Women who followed healthy Mediterranean-style diets in the year before pregnancy were up to one-half as likely as those who ate diets high in meat , fat , and sugar to have a baby with anencephaly , a neural-tube defect that blocks the development of the brain and tends to result in miscarriage . Compared with fat - and sugar-heavy diets , healthier diets -- which included plenty of folate , iron , and calcium -- were also associated with up to a one-third lower risk of cleft lip , a one-quarter lower risk of cleft palate , and a one-fifth lower risk of spina bifida , another neural-tube defect . `` Diet quality matters , and it was protective , '' says Suzan L. Carmichael , Ph.D. , the lead author of the study and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Stanford School of Medicine , in Palo Alto , California . Health.com : Feed the Belly : Recipes for a healthy pregnancy The defects covered in the study are very rare overall , occurring in less than 0.1 % of all births . They have become less common since the 1990s , when government health officials led a campaign to increase folic-acid intake among pregnant women through supplements and fortified grain products . Deficiencies in folic acid -- the synthetic form of folate , a B vitamin -- have been linked to both neural-tube defects and cleft lip and palate . Carmichael and her colleagues took into account whether the women in the study were taking folic acid , which suggests that a healthy diet provides protection against birth defects over and above that provided by folic acid . Women of childbearing age should , however , still take folic-acid supplements , says Gail Harrison , Ph.D. , a professor of community health services at the UCLA School of Public Health , in Los Angeles . `` Folic acid has made a difference , '' says Harrison , who was not involved in the study . `` In countries that have used fortification levels higher than the U.S. , it has made an even bigger impact . '' Health.com : How to soothe heartburn during pregnancy Most research on diet and birth defects has focused on single nutrients , such as vitamins A and B12 -LRB- in addition to folate -RRB- . Carmichael and her colleagues took a different approach by looking at overall diet quality -- a method that has become common in cancer and heart-disease research . The government-funded study , which appears this week in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine , compared the diets of 3,824 mothers whose children experienced birth defects with those of 6,807 mothers of healthy children . The researchers collected detailed questionnaires about the women 's diets in the year before they became pregnant , and used that data to score their diet quality on two indexes , one modeled on the U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines and another based on the Mediterranean diet . Both indexes considered fruits , vegetables , whole grains , and `` good '' fats to be healthy , and saturated fats and sweets to be unhealthy . Health.com : Good fats , bad fats : how to choose Across the board , women with the healthiest diets were far less likely to have had children with birth defects than the women with the poorest-quality diets . High scores on both indexes were associated with a reduced risk of defects , although the association was stronger for the USDA score . Seventy-eight percent of the women took supplements containing folic acid during early pregnancy , but higher-quality diets were protective regardless of whether the women took folic acid . The study authors and other experts strongly recommend that pregnant women continue taking folic-acid supplements . But the study does raise the general question of whether `` eating the right foods '' can provide health benefits that supplements do not , says David R. Jacobs Jr. , Ph.D. , a professor of public health at the University of Minnesota , in Minneapolis . Health.com : Diabetes ? 7 tips for a healthy pregnancy `` We have evolved to eat food . We have not evolved to eat supplements , '' says Jacobs , who cowrote an editorial accompanying the study . `` If you would like to be healthy , the better way to do that is by getting what you need from food rather than isolated compounds . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- EW.com -RRB- -- The 2012 box office got off to a fine start this weekend , as Paramount 's `` found footage '' -LRB- riiiight ... -RRB- horror movie `` The Devil Inside , '' which the studio acquired for just under $ 1 million , earned a tremendous $ 34.5 million in its first three days , becoming the first breakout box office star since `` The Lion King 3D . '' In fact , the strong debut marks the third-best January opening of all time behind `` Cloverfield '' -LRB- $ 40.1 million -RRB- and a re-release of `` Star Wars '' -LRB- $ 35.9 million -RRB- . Is this a sign of things to come in 2012 ? Perhaps . But it 's more likely a sign of the recent popularity of possession movies . Demonic tales have made a mini-comeback in the last few years -- starting with the success of 2005 \u2032 s `` The Exorcism of Emily Rose , '' which earned $ 75.1 million domestically . Since then , similar titles like 2009 \u2032 s `` The Haunting in Connecticut '' -LRB- $ 55.4 million -RRB- , 2010 \u2032 s `` The Last Exorcism '' -LRB- $ 41 million -RRB- , and 2011 \u2032 s `` Insidious '' -LRB- $ 54 million -RRB- have all proven lucrative thanks to their tiny budgets . `` Insidious , '' for example , cost just $ 1.5 million to make . Of course , the `` Paranormal Activity '' movies -LRB- the fourth of which was just announced this week -RRB- are the biggest success stories of this whole trend . A total of $ 8 million has been spent making the three `` found footage '' movies , yet they have earned $ 296.7 million domestically . Paramount marketed `` The Devil Inside '' in much the same way the studio markets the `` Paranormal '' films . Commercials included ample shots of audiences screaming at the screen , and viewers were encouraged to use social media to chat up the film with the `` Tweet Your Scream '' campaign . Indeed , all the promotional costs -- certainly a much higher number than the budget -- helped `` The Devil Inside '' achieve a stellar debut , but where does it go from here ? Well , it falls . Fast . Due to their overwhelmingly young audiences , who love to rush out to the theater on opening weekend , horror movies almost always open big and fall precipitously at the box office , but `` The Devil Inside , '' with its utterly terrible `` F '' CinemaScore grade -LRB- some issue has been raised as to whether the grade is actually an `` F '' or closer to the `` C '' range -RRB- , will likely plummet even more quickly . Not that it really matters , though -- the horror pic is already in the black , and it may finish with as much as $ 70 million . In second place , `` Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol , '' another Paramount film , continued its comeback performance with $ 20.5 million in its fourth weekend . The action blockbuster , which became the biggest hit of the holidays , has now earned $ 170.2 million , and it should finish well above $ 200 million . `` Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadows '' held onto third place with a $ 14.1 million weekend . The sequel , which initially appeared a major disappointment when compared to the original `` Sherlock Holmes , '' has redeemed itself handily in the last few weeks . After two weekends , `` Shadows '' was trailing `` Sherlock Holmes '' by $ 59.7 million , but over the past two weeks , the sequel has narrowed that gap to $ 22.7 million , and it now has a running total of $ 157.4 million -- still disappointing , but not nearly the disaster it first appeared . `` The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo '' finished the frame in fourth place with $ 11.3 million , dipping only 24 percent , the smallest drop in the Top 10 . Could the edgy adaptation finally be finding its adult audience now that the warm n ' fuzzy holiday season is over ? After 19 days , `` Dragon Tattoo '' has grossed $ 76.8 million , and if it maintains strong holds like this , it should pass $ 100 million . `` Alvin and the Chipmunks : Chipwrecked '' rounds out the Top 5 . The kiddie threequel , which has majorly underperformed compared to expectations , dropped 42 percent to $ 9.5 million . It has now grossed $ 111.6 million total . The next three spots were filled by holiday releases that never totally found their footing . Two of them , `` War Horse '' and `` We Bought A Zoo , '' are performing respectably , though . The films earned $ 8.6 and $ 8.5 million , respectively , this weekend , and they have nearly identical totals of $ 56.8 million and $ 56.6 million . Still , there seems to be a common understanding in the blogosphere that `` War Horse '' -LRB- which cost $ 66 million -RRB- is performing admirably , while `` We Bought A Zoo '' -LRB- which cost $ 50 million -RRB- kind of fizzled , to which I say : Huh ?! In eighth place is a movie which has actually fizzled -- at least domestically . `` The Adventures of Tintin , '' Steven Spielberg 's expensive motion-capture animation , dropped 42 percent this weekend to $ 6.6 million and $ 61.9 million total . In ninth place , Focus Features ' `` Tinker , Tailor , Soldier , Spy , '' which expanded into 809 theaters this weekend , performed admirably in its wider release . The well-reviewed spy drama maintained a robust $ 7,129 per theater average , giving the film a $ 5.8 million weekend and an early $ 10.4 million total after five weekends . `` New Year 's Eve '' held onto a spot in the Top 10 for one final weekend . The ensemble romantic comedy fell 48 percent to $ 3.3 million . The film has earned $ 52 million -LRB- less than half the gross of Valentine 's Day -RRB- , and it likely wo n't make it much further . 1 . The Devil Inside - $ 34.5 million 2 . Mission : Impossible -- Ghost Protocol - $ 20.5 million 3 . Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadows - $ 14 million 4 . The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - $ 11.3 million 5 . Alvin and the Chipmunks : Chipwrecked -- $ 9.5 million 6 . War Horse - $ 8.6 million 7 . We Bought A Zoo -- $ 8.5 million 8 . The Adventures of Tintin -- $ 6.6 million 9 . Tinker , Tailor , Soldier , Spy -- $ 5.8 million 10 . New Year 's Eve -- $ 3.3 million See the full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly \u00a9 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- Record the CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition : Notes from North Korea when it airs commercial-free on CNN . -LRB- A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program . -RRB- Program Overview CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour travels to North Korea as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra makes a historic visit to one of the world 's most closed societies . She examines the tense standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons and provides a rare look inside a notorious , top-secret nuclear facility . Grade Levels : 9 -- 12 , College Subject Areas : U.S. History , World History , Current Events , Political Science , Government Objectives The CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition : Notes from North Korea and its corresponding discussion questions and suggested activities challenge students to : Curriculum Connections Social Studies Standard VI . Power , Authority , and Governance : Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power , authority , and governance . The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies -LRB- http:\/\/www.socialstudies.org\/standards\/strands\/ -RRB- are published by the National Council for Social Studies -LRB- http:\/\/ncss.org\/ -RRB- . United States History Standard 27 . Understands how the Cold War and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam influenced domestic and international politics Level IV -LSB- Grade 9-12 -RSB- Benchmark 1 . Understands U.S. foreign policy from the Truman administration to the Johnson administration Standard 30 . Understands developments in foreign policy and domestic politics between the Nixon and Clinton presidencies Level IV -LSB- Grade 9-12 -RSB- Benchmark 5 . Understands the influence of U.S. foreign policy on international events from Nixon to Clinton Content Knowledge : A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education -LRB- Copyright 2000 McREL -RRB- is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning -LRB- McREL -RRB- -LRB- http:\/\/www.mcrel.org\/standards-benchmarks -RRB- , 2550 S. Parker Road , Suite 500 , Aurora , CO 80014 ; Telephone : 303\/337 -0990 . World History Standard 44 . Understands the search for community , stability , and peace in an interdependent world Level IV -LSB- Grade 9-12 -RSB- Benchmark 11 . Understands common arguments of opposition groups in various countries around the world , common solutions they offer , and the position of these ideas with regard to Western economic and strategic interests Content Knowledge : A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education -LRB- Copyright 2000 McREL -RRB- is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning -LRB- McREL -RRB- -LRB- http:\/\/www.mcrel.org\/standards-benchmarks -RRB- , 2550 S. Parker Road , Suite 500 , Aurora , CO 80014 ; Telephone : 303\/337 -0990 . Civics III . How Does The Government Established By The Constitution Embody The Purposes , Values , And Principles Of American Democracy ? 4 . Major responsibilities of the national government in domestic and foreign policy IV . What Is The Relationship Of The United States To Other Nations And To World Affairs ? 1 . Nation-states 2 . Interactions among nation-states 4 . The historical context of United States foreign policy 5 . Making and implementing United States foreign policy 6 . The ends and means of United States foreign policy 7 . Impact of the American concept of democracy and individual rights on the world The National Standards for Civics and Government -LRB- http:\/\/www.civiced.org\/index.php?page=stds -RRB- are published by the Center for Civic Education -LRB- http:\/\/www.civiced.org\/ -RRB- . Discussion Questions 1 . Who is the leader of North Korea ? According to the report , how do North Koreans regard this leader ? What aspects of his personality are revealed in the program ? 2 . According to the program , North Korea is a `` closed society . '' What does this mean ? 3 . How does the report describe the history of U.S.-North Korea relations ? According to the report : What tensions currently exist between these two nations ? What humanitarian and political concerns exist in North Korea ? 4 . Why do you think that North Korea invited the New York Philharmonic to play , and decided to open the Yongbyon nuclear facility to the media at this point in time ? Why are these events historically and politically significant ? 5 . Who is Madeline Albright ? When and where did she meet with Kim Jong-Il ? How does she describe her visit with Kim Jong-Il ? Why does Albright say that she is not surprised that Kim Jong-Il chose the New York Philharmonic for this `` cultural overture '' ? 6 . According to the report , why is the division of Korea an emotional issue for many Koreans ? Who are Kim Cho Wun and Ji Hae Nam ? To what countries did they defect , and why did they flee North Korea ? What risks and sacrifices do you think that they assumed when they chose to defect ? 7 . According to the report : Why did New York Philharmonic President Zarin Mehta accept North Korea 's invitation to play ? Why was this performance controversial ? What logistical hurdles did Mehta have to overcome to execute the trip ? 8 . What were some of the pieces of music that the New York Philharmonic played during its concert ? Which of these pieces , if any , do you think were politically significant ? Explain . If you were choosing the music for this performance , what pieces would you have selected , and why ? 9 . Following the concert , North Korea 's nuclear negotiator , Minister Kim Gye Gwan , was quoted as saying that the concert was `` a political breakthrough ; an act of courage by both nations . '' What do you think that he means ? Do you agree with the minister ? Why or why not ? 10 . What is `` cultural diplomacy '' ? How do you think that cultural diplomacy differs from other forms of diplomacy ? Give examples . According to U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill and former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry , why is `` people-to-people diplomacy '' important to the future of U.S.-North Korea relations ? 11 . According to Amanpour , to what extent did the New York Philharmonic 's concert impact U.S-North Korea relations ? In your view , what actions , if any , might these two nations take to build upon the goodwill that was generated by the concert ? 12 . What did CNN 's Christiane Amanpour observe during her visit to the Yongbyon nuclear facility ? What impact , if any , do you think that this visit will have on U.S.-North Korea relations ? 13 . In your opinion , should the U.S. fulfill its commitment to remove North Korea from its list of states that sponsor terrorism ? State your rationale . 14 . Prior to viewing this program , what preconceived notions , if any , did you have about North Korea ? To what extent did Amanpour 's report challenge or reinforce these perceptions ? Explain . Suggested Activity Point out to students that towards the end of World War II , Korea was divided by the Soviet Union and the United States at the 38th parallel , and that by 1948 , North and South Korea had become independent nations . Generate a class discussion about students ' knowledge of North Korea . Next , refer students to online resources to learn more about North Korea . Use the following questions to guide their research : After students present their findings , ask : Do you think that peace talks between North and South Korea could benefit the two nations , as well as the international community ? Explain . Given the cultural diplomacy represented by the New York Philharmonic 's trip to Pyongyang , what do you think should be the next step in relations between the U.S. and North Korea ? Challenge each student to write a brief for a North Korean , South Korean or an American diplomat that outlines a strategy for addressing the existing tensions among these parties . Have students present their documents to the class . Keywords North Korea , Pyongyang , Kim Jong Il , secret state , New York Philharmonic Orchestra , Yongbyon nuclear facility , defect , diplomacy , negotiations , United Nations","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite the bruising battle over their proposals to overhaul health care , congressional Democrats have maintained an advantage over their Republican counterparts on one key measure , according to a new national poll . A CNN\/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday indicates that a bare majority of Americans , 51 percent , believe that the Democrats ' policies are good for the country , with 46 percent saying that those policies would take the U.S. in the wrong direction . Fifty-three percent of people questioned in the poll said the GOP 's polices would move the nation in the wrong direction , with 42 percent saying Republican policies are good for the country . `` The numbers for both parties are virtually unchanged since late August , just before President Barack Obama 's health care speech to Congress opened the latest round of debate on this divisive issue , '' said Keating Holland , CNN 's polling director . Democrats will be defending their large majorities in Congress next year when all 435 House seats and more than a third of the Senate seats are up for grabs . `` This advantage on policy could be an important edge for the Democrats heading into the 2010 midterm elections , '' Holland added . `` But independents will be the key to the midterms , and the numbers among independents spell bad news for both parties among that important group . '' In an August survey , independent voters ' views of GOP policies were evenly divided . But a majority of independents now say Republicans would move the country in the wrong direction . Nonetheless , the number of independents who dislike Democratic policies , now at 57 percent , is higher than the 52 percent who hold a negative view of Republican policies . The survey suggests that Sen. Joe Lieberman is taking a hit in popularity due to his opposition to a major element in the health care bill . The Connecticut independent , who caucuses with the Democrats to give the party a 60-vote filibuster-proof majority in the Senate , threatened to undermine the bill unless compromises were made . Lieberman opposed the creation of a government-run public insurance option and the expansion of Medicare to individuals as young as 55 . Both of those proposals were dropped from the bill this month , enraging many liberals . According to the poll , Lieberman 's favorable rating has dropped 9 percentage points , from 40 percent to 31 percent , from early December . His unfavorable rating has risen 6 percentage points , from 28 percent to 34 percent . `` Lieberman 's biggest decline -- a 14-point drop -- came among independents , '' Holland said . `` Only Republicans continue to like Lieberman . '' The survey also indicates that just one in five Americans trust the federal government always or most of the time , down 4 percentage points from a year ago . The CNN\/Opinion Research poll was conducted December 16 through Sunday , with 1,160 adult Americans questioned by telephone . The survey 's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points . CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After about 30 hours of deliberation , a jury on Monday convicted music producer Phil Spector of second-degree murder in the death of actress Lana Clarkson more than six years ago . Phil Spector will not remain free on bail pending his May 29 sentencing . Wearing a black suit with a red tie and pocket square , Spector showed no reaction as the verdict was announced . Now 69 , he faces a sentence of 18 years to life in prison when he is sentenced May 29 . Asked if he agreed to the sentencing date , Spector quietly answered , `` Yes . '' Prosecutor Alan Jackson said he believed the jury reached the correct verdict , and he acknowledged the strength and backing of Clarkson 's family . But defense attorney Doron Weinberg said Spector 's defense team disagreed and planned to appeal . `` We do n't believe justice was done , '' Weinberg said . Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler declined to allow Spector to remain free on bail pending sentencing , citing Spector 's years-long `` pattern of violence '' involving firearms . Watch the lawyers give their views of the verdict '' `` This was not an isolated incident , '' Fidler said , noting Spector 's two previous firearm-related convictions from the 1970s . `` The taking of an innocent human life , it does n't get any more serious than that . '' Spector 's wife , Rachelle , was in the courtroom to hear the verdict Monday , as was Clarkson 's mother , Donna . Clarkson , 40 , was found dead , slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector 's Alhambra , California , mansion with a gunshot wound through the roof of her mouth in February 2003 . A mistrial was declared in Spector 's first trial in September 2007 . After deliberating 15 days , jurors told Fidler that they were unable to reach a verdict . Spector was also charged with second-degree murder in that trial . Jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of conviction . In closing arguments at the retrial , prosecutor Truc Do called Spector `` a very dangerous man '' who `` has a history of playing Russian roulette with women -- six women . Lana just happened to be the sixth . '' Weinberg argued that the prosecution 's case hinged on circumstantial evidence . He said the possibility that Clarkson committed suicide could not be ruled out . Do pointed out , however , to jurors that Clarkson bought new shoes on the day of her death -- something a suicidal woman would not have done , the prosecutor said . A female juror who declined to be identified told reporters the jurors considered all the evidence and testimony to reach their verdict . `` This entire jury took this so seriously , '' she said with tears in her eyes , before adding that `` it 's tough to be in a jury , '' because another person 's life is in the jury 's hands . Clarkson starred in the 1985 B-movie `` Barbarian Queen '' and appeared in many other films , including `` DeathStalker , '' `` Blind Date , '' `` Scarface , '' `` Fast Times at Ridgemont High '' and the spoof `` Amazon Women on the Moon . '' She was working as a VIP hostess at Hollywood 's House of Blues at the time of her death . In the 2007 trial , Spector 's attorneys argued that Clarkson was depressed over a recent breakup and grabbed a .38 - caliber pistol to kill herself while at Spector 's home . But prosecution witnesses painted Spector as a gun-toting menace . Five women took the stand and claimed he had threatened them with firearms . His driver testified that he heard a loud noise and saw the producer leave the home , pistol in hand , saying , `` I think I killed somebody . '' Spector 's retrial began in October . Fidler ruled that jurors could consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter against Spector . Spector 's professional trademark was the `` Wall of Sound , '' the layering of instrumental tracks and percussion that underpinned a string of hits on his Philles label -- named for Spector and his business partner , Lester Sill -- in the early 1960s . iReport.com : What do you think of this verdict ? The roaring arrangements were the heart of what he called `` little symphonies for the kids '' -- among them No. 1 hits like the Ronettes ' `` Be My Baby '' and the Righteous Brothers ' `` You 've Lost That Lovin ' Feelin ' . '' Spector co-produced the Beatles ' final album , `` Let It Be , '' and worked with ex-Beatles George Harrison and John Lennon on solo projects after the group broke up . His recording of Harrison 's 1971 benefit concert for war relief in Bangladesh won the 1972 Grammy award for album of the year . Spector has won two Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 , but he stayed out of the public eye for two decades before his 2003 arrest in Clarkson 's death .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- EW.com -RRB- -- A remake , a prequel , and one woefully misguided bird-watching comedy could n't take down Hugh Jackman and the robots of `` Real Steel '' at the box office this weekend . `` Steel '' punched up an estimated $ 16.3 million this weekend , marking a healthy 40 percent drop from its $ 27.3 million debut . As evidenced by the film 's impressive 64 percent boost on Saturday , it appears that `` Real Steel '' is playing as an outright family affair , and that sort of appeal will help it achieve small drops in the coming weeks . Still , the $ 110 million Dreamworks film , which is being distributed by Disney 's Touchstone Pictures , has a very long way to go before it 's in the black . So far , `` Real Steel '' has earned $ 51.7 million in ten days . Paramount 's $ 24 million remake `` Footloose '' managed to open in second place with $ 16.1 million , a rather lackluster result . Instead of playing like a hyped-up event movie , `` Footloose '' played much more like a typical dance flick . It attracted fewer dance fans than movies like `` Save the Last Dance '' -LRB- 2001 , $ 23.4 million opening -RRB- and `` Step Up '' -LRB- 2006 , $ 20.7 million opening -RRB- , but it performed on the same level as `` Step Up 3D '' -LRB- 2010 , $ 15.8 million opening -RRB- and `` You Got Served '' -LRB- 2004 , $ 16.1 million -RRB- . The film played best with women , who made up 75 percent of the audience , and older moviegoers , who composed 61 percent of the opening weekend crowd . `` Footloose '' earned a solid `` A '' CinemaScore grade , and strong word-of-mouth could help it dance its way out of financial trouble , but it will not be able to match the $ 80 million total that the original `` Footloose '' achieved back in 1984 . In third , Universal 's horror prequel `` The Thing '' did n't scare up many ticket sales this weekend , opening with $ 8.7 million . The film , which totes a reported $ 35 million budget , performed below Universal 's expectations , becoming the latest 2011 horror film to not connect with audiences . Movies like `` Scream 4 '' -LRB- $ 38.2 million total -RRB- , `` The Rite '' -LRB- $ 33 million -RRB- , and `` Priest '' -LRB- $ 29.1 million -RRB- have all struggled at the box office this year . Even `` Thing '' star Mary Elizabeth Winstead 's former franchise film , `` Final Destination 5 , '' performed unremarkably , earning only $ 42.1 million . The best comparison for `` The Thing '' is probably `` Do n't Be Afraid of the Dark , '' which opened with a similar $ 8.5 million and finished with $ 23.2 million . Considering `` The Thing '' earned a weak `` B - '' CinemaScore grade and a sad $ 2,990 per theater average , that total is about the best it can hope for . George Clooney 's political thriller `` The Ides of March '' held very well in its sophomore weekend , dipping only 28 percent to $ 7.5 million in fourth place . That decline is far less severe than Clooney 's other recent political flicks , `` The American '' and `` The Men Who Stare At Goats , '' which dropped by 57 and 54 percent in their second weekends , respectively . Perhaps Clooney has made a political movie that 's a bit more palatable for general audiences -- or perhaps it 's just the Ryan Gosling effect . Either way , after ten days , `` Ides , '' which cost Sony $ 12.5 million to produce , has earned $ 22.2 million . If it keeps up the soft declines , it could become a serious Oscar contender . `` Dolphin Tale '' spent one last weekend in the Top 5 , sliding 31 percent to $ 6.3 million . After four weekend 's Warner Brothers ' surprise 3-D hit has accrued a nice $ 58.7 million total . Along with `` Moneyball '' -LRB- $ 57.7 million after four weeks -RRB- and `` The Lion King 3D '' -LRB- $ 90.5 million after five -RRB- , `` Dolphin Tale '' is one of the few box office bright spots since `` The Help . '' The weekend 's other new wide release , `` The Big Year , '' debuted way back in ninth place with $ 3.3 million out of 2,150 theaters . Fox spent $ 41 million on the Jack Black , Steve Martin , Owen Wilson bird-watching collaboration that was n't quite a comedy , was n't quite a drama , was n't quite a competition film , and apparently was n't at all enticing for audiences , who gave the picture a `` B - '' CinemaScore grade . Between the financial failure of `` The Big Year , '' and 2006\u00e2 $ \u00b2 s `` Hoot , '' which opened to $ 3.4 million out of 3,018 theaters , maybe Hollywood should think twice about the appeal of birds at the box office . They do n't always soar . In limited release , Pedro Almodovar 's deeply creepy `` The Skin I Live In '' got off to a strong start , with $ 231,000 in six theaters , good for a robust $ 38,500 per theater average . Internationally , tastes were n't quite as refined , as `` The Smurfs '' finally passed $ 400 million overseas . 1 . Real Steel -- $ 16.3 mil 2 . Footloose -- $ 16.1 mil 3 . The Thing -- $ 8.7 mil 4 . The Ides of March -- $ 7.5 mil 5 . Dolphin Tale -- $ 6.3 mil 6 . Moneyball -- $ 5.5 mil 7 . 50\/50 -- $ 4.3 mil 8 . Courageous -- $ 3.4 mi 9 . The Big Year -- $ 3.3 mil 10 . The Lion King 3D -- $ 2.7 mil See the full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly \u00a9 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved .","question":""}
{"answer":"United Nations -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Delegates from the United States and other nations walked out of the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered a fiery speech that criticized Washington , capitalism and the world body itself . Though incendiary statements from Ahmadinejad are nothing new , tension in the hall grew as the Iranian leader recounted various conspiracy theories about the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks on New York and Washington . `` Some segments within the U.S. government orchestrated the attack , '' Ahmadinejad told the General Assembly . He followed with the claim that the attacks were aimed at reversing `` the declining American economy and its scripts on the Middle East in order to save the Zionist regime . The majority of the American people , as well as most nations and politicians around the world , agree with this view . '' That appeared to be the last straw for many of the diplomats . Representatives from the United States , Britain , Sweden , Australia , Belgium , Uruguay and Spain walked out while Ahmadinejad asserted that U.S. government was involved in the attacks or allowed them to happen as an excuse to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq . President Barack Obama already had delivered his address to the General Assembly and had left the grounds before Ahmadinejad spoke . White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president `` found the comments to be outrageous and offensive , given how close we are to ground zero , '' the New York site of the attacks . And Mark Kornblau , a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the U.N. , said in a statement , `` Rather than representing the aspirations and goodwill of the Iranian people , Mr. Ahmadinejad has yet again chosen to spout vile conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic slurs that are as abhorrent and delusional as they are predictable . '' A European Union diplomat said that all 27 member nations had agreed to walk out if Ahmadinejad made inflammatory statements during his address . The exits did not deter the Iranian leader from his line of attack , however . Ahmadinejad went on to compare the death toll in the September 11 attacks to the casualty count in the wars in Afghanistan in Iraq . `` It was said that some 3,000 people were killed on September 11th , for which we are all very saddened , '' he said . `` Yet , up until now in Afghanistan and Iraq , hundreds of thousands of people have been killed , millions wounded and displaced , and the conflict is still going on and expanding . '' Ahmadinejad also continued the attack on capitalism that he began during a Monday address at the Millennium Global Development Summit . He linked the U.S.-led conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan with wars for colonial expansion in Africa , Latin America and Asia . The Iranian president also touched on the recent controversy over a Florida pastor 's plans to burn copies of the Quran , the Muslim holy book , by waving copies of a Bible and a Quran as he declared his respect and reverence for both . And he concluded his address with a defense of Iran 's nuclear ambitions , discussing a recently submitted statement to the U.N. 's nuclear watchdog , the International Atomic Energy Agency . CNN 's Richard Roth and Joe Vaccarello contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man police say was driving drunk when he ran a red light and struck a car , killing a Major League Baseball pitcher and two others has been charged with murder . Fans gather around a memorial for Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart on Friday . Andrew Thomas Gallo , 22 , was charged with three counts of murder , driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crime , the Orange County district attorney 's office announced Friday . Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was among those killed in the crash in Fullerton , California , early Thursday morning . Adenhart was beginning his first full season in the majors and had pitched his fourth Major League game hours earlier . Gallo , whose blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit , according to police , faces up to life in prison if convicted on all charges . According to the DA 's office , Gallo was driving a minivan 65 mph in a 35 mph zone at about 12:35 a.m. Thursday . He was on probation and his license had been suspended after a previous drunk-driving charge . Watch Adenhart 's agent describe his friend '' Authorities say he ran a red light and hit the car Adenhart was in , killing the pitcher , 20-year-old California State University student Courtney Stewart and law student Henry Pearson , 25 . A fourth victim , 24-year-old John Wilhite , a former baseball player at California State , remained in critical condition Friday . A driver in a third car suffered minor injuries . Adenhart died at UC Irvine Medical Center , where he underwent surgery , according to spokesman John Murray . The Angels ' game Thursday night with the Oakland A 's was postponed at the direction of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig . `` Major League Baseball is in mourning today upon the news of this tragedy that has taken Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others , '' Selig said in a statement that accompanied the announcement . `` Nick was just 22 years of age , with a wonderful life and career ahead of him . '' After the wreck , Gallo fled the scene , according to the district attorney . He was captured about 30 minutes later . Adenhart pitched in a game against the Oakland A 's Wednesday night in Anaheim , California , making what was characterized as a `` brilliant effort '' despite the Angels ' 6-4 loss , according to Major League Baseball 's Web site , MLB.com . In his fourth major league start , Adenhart pitched a scoreless six innings , allowing seven hits , three walks and five strikeouts . `` The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today , '' Tony Reagins , the team 's general manager , said in a written statement . `` We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss . Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick 's family , friends , loved ones and fans . ''","question":""}
{"answer":"CABO SAN LUCAS , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Jimena weakened to a Category 3 storm Tuesday afternoon , but remained dangerous as it bore down on the Mexican peninsula of Baja California , with the resort town of Cabo San Lucas in its path . Jimena bears down Tuesday evening on Baja California , with the resort town of Cabo San Lucas in its path . Meanwhile , Tropical Storm Erika formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday , east of the northern Leeward Islands , the National Hurricane Center said . Jimena 's maximum wind speed dropped from 125 mph to 120 mph -LRB- 195 kph -RRB- , according to the U.S. National Weather Service 's 5 p.m. PT -LRB- 8 p.m. ET -RRB- update . `` A gradual weakening is forecast during the next 24 to 48 hours , '' the weather service said . `` However , Jimena could be near major hurricane strength when it makes landfall . '' The storm 's center is forecast to come ashore on Thursday morning , but the weather service warned that `` because it will be moving parallel to the coastline , any slight change in direction could have a huge impact in the location and timing of landfall . '' Mexico 's government extended a hurricane warning for most of the southern half of the Baja peninsula -- from Punta Abreojos on the peninsula 's west coast to Mulege on its east coast , according to the National Weather Service . See the storm 's projected path '' A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area in the next 24 hours and people should quickly prepare `` to protect life and property . '' `` A dangerous storm surge along with battering waves will produce significant coastal flooding along the Baja California Peninsula , '' NWS said . On its current track , Jimena 's center will approach the peninsula 's southern portion later on Tuesday and central Baja California peninsula by Thursday , the weather service said . In addition to damaging winds , the storm could bring as much as 15 inches of rain , forecasters said . Jimena -- the 10th named storm of the Pacific season -- was centered about 85 miles -LRB- 135 km -RRB- west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas , according to the weather service . It was traveling north-northwest near 12 mph -LRB- 19 kph -RRB- . On Tuesday , the skies in Cabo San Lucas were overcast and gusts of wind began to pick up . There were good waves for surfing , but popular beaches were devoid of tourists . Red flags warned people to stay out of the water , in case they needed any reminding . The day before , airlines offered extra flights to leave the area . Lionel Alvarez , who runs a resort hotel called `` Las Ventanas al Pariaso '' in the town of San Jose del Cabo , found a silver lining to the coming storm . `` The wind is refreshing a little bit because of the high temperatures we 've gone through in the past few days , '' he said . But Alvarez , like other locals , had work to do in preparation of Jimena . `` We protect the property by dismantling all that could be dangerous , fly or can be broken , '' he said . Authorities had asked about 10,000 people to evacuate the area , but many had decided to wait out the storm . Cuauhtemoc Morgan , a local resident of Los Cabos who sent videos to to CNN 's iReport , said residents had protected every home in his neighborhood , fortifying windows with masking tape . Lines at supermarkets were long with worried residents preparing for the storms , Morgan said . See iReport videos Authorities were setting up shelters in schools and trying to devise a plan to protect the homeless , he added . The Pacific is n't the only place seeing action . As of 8 p.m. ET Tuesday , tropical storm watches were issued for the Caribbean islands of St. Maarten , Antigua , Barbuda , St. Kitts , Nevis , Anguilla , St. Martin and St. Barthelemy by the governments of France , the Netherlands Antilles , and Antigua and Barbuda , according to the hurricane center . A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions , including winds of at least 39 mph , are possible within 36 hours . See Erika 's projected path '' Interests in the northern Leeward Islands , the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor Erika 's progress , forecasters advised . Erika 's center was about 390 miles -LRB- 625 km -RRB- east of the northern Leeward Islands , the hurricane center said . Its maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph -LRB- 80 kph -RRB- , with higher gusts . While Erika meandered Tuesday afternoon , it was expected to start moving west-northwest at about 9 mph during the night . `` Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days , '' forecasters said . Tropical-storm force winds extended outward up to 105 miles -LRB- 170 km -RRB- from Erika 's center . The storm was moving west-northwest at near 9 mph -LRB- 15 kph -RRB- , and was expected to continue doing so for the next couple of days , the hurricane center said . Tracking maps put the storm east of the Bahamas by Sunday . On the forecast track , Erika should remain northeast of the Leeward Islands , forecasters said . CNN 's Betty Nguyen and CNN Radio 's Matt Cherry and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- Budget Travel -RRB- -- When you have beach on the brain , who wants to bother with a layover ? Budget Travel has prepared the ultimate insider 's guide to seven resort towns south of the border that are just one quick flight away . The Pacific-coast resort of Puerto Vallarta has attracted artists in recent years with its natural beauty and well-preserved colonial architecture . MAZATL\u00c1N As resort towns go , Mazatl\u00e1n is one of Mexico 's prettiest , with an assortment of 19th-century neoclassical , republican , and French baroque buildings in pastel colors . The best place for wandering is Old Mazatl\u00e1n , particularly the tree-lined streets around Plazuela Machado , where guitarists and singers roam from one sidewalk caf\u00e9 to the next . Eat Sample traditional Sinaloan dishes at Pedro & Lola , a restaurant with seating on the square that 's known for its Mexican Molcajete , grilled beef served with cactus and onions -LRB- 011-52\/669 -982 -2589 , restaurantpedroylola.com , beef $ 14 -RRB- . Drink On nearby Belisario Dom\u00ednguez street , locals gather nightly for tequila and Pacifico beers at La Tertulia , a bullfighting-themed bar that 's owned and staffed by actual bullfighters and has posters , costumes , and pictures of the sport 's greats all over the walls -LRB- no phone , tequila from $ 2 -RRB- . BudgetTravel.com : Find a nonstop route to Mexico Stay Among the hotel options in the area , the 72-room Best Western Posada Freeman Express has the most character -- it 's in a renovated 1940s high-rise and has a rooftop pool with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean -LRB- 011-52\/669 -985 -6060 , book.bestwestern.com , from $ 80 -RRB- . Detour To lose the crowds , jump on one of Aqua Sport Center 's boats to tiny , uninhabited Deer Island just off the coast . It has a white-sand beach , trails for hiking , and clear waters that are perfect for snorkeling -LRB- 011-52\/669 -913 -3333 , $ 12 -RRB- . IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO The twin cities of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are separated by just three miles , but despite that proximity , they do n't have a lot in common . Zihuatanejo , which dates back to precolonial times , is a relaxed fishing town set on an enclosed bay with not a single high-rise hotel . Stay The 30 rooms at the Hotel Brisas del Mar are accented with Mexican tiles and have hammocks on the balconies -LRB- 011-52\/755 -554 -2142 , hotelbrisasdelmar.com , from $ 102 -RRB- . Ixtapa , in contrast , was built 36 years ago as part of a government effort to spur tourism development on the coast . Today , it has a gleaming strip of beachfront hotels , manicured lawns , and a wide range of restaurants , from local spots to large Mexican chains . Eat El Arbolito serves fresh seafood dishes , such as camaronillas -- shrimp and cheese in a fried tortilla -- and creative cocktails like the Black Banana , a mixture of Kahlua , coconut liqueur , and orange juice -LRB- 011-52\/755 -553 -3700 , entr\u00e9es from $ 8 -RRB- . Drink At Barcel\u00f3 Ixtapa Beach Hotel 's Sanca Bar , bands play salsa and Cuban music on weekend nights -LRB- 011-52\/755 -555 -2000 , barcelo.com , beer from $ 3 -RRB- . Do Ixtapa has no shortage of beaches , but if you 're in the mood for something more active , rent a bike at Xplora Adventours -LRB- 011-52\/755 -553 -3584 , $ 3 per half hour -RRB- and take a ride through Parque Ecol\u00f3gico Aztl\u00e1n , a forest teeming with native birds , turtles , and iguanas . BudgetTravel.com : Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo photos ACAPULCO Acapulco got its glamorous start in the 1950s and '60s , when celebrities like Frank Sinatra , Elizabeth Taylor , and Judy Garland turned the exclusive hotels on the rugged cliffs over the bay into their playground . Drink One of these spots , the 78-year-old Hotel el Mirador , is the place to go for a quintessential Acapulco experience : Watching cliff divers plunge 130 feet into the bay while having a watermelon daiquiri on the patio at the on-site La Perla bar -LRB- 011-52\/744 -483 -1155 , hotelelmiradoracapulco.com.mx , $ 24 drink minimum -RRB- . For another side of the city 's nightlife , find a dance partner and head to Ninas , a salsa and merengue club where bands play nightly -LRB- 011-52\/744 -484 -2400 , cover $ 24 , with open bar -RRB- . Stay Close to the city center , One Hotel Acapulco Costera has 126 rooms with simple , Scandinavian-style furniture -LRB- 800\/343 -7821 , onehotels.com , from $ 75 -RRB- . Eat The open-air restaurant El Zorrito offers a wide range of regional Guerrero dishes , such as posole , hominy stew with chicken -LRB- 011-52\/744 -485 -3735 , posole $ 6 -RRB- . Detour Eight miles south of downtown Acapulco is one of the most secluded beaches around : Playa Majahua . Swim in the bay and then try the ceviche at one of the tiny shacks set up near the sand . BudgetTravel.com : Acapulco photos PUERTO VALLARTA Puerto Vallarta 's art scene does n't yet rival that of San Miguel de Allende , but it 's well on its way : Painters , sculptors , and other artisans have moved to the Pacific-coast resort town in recent years , drawn by the natural beauty of the mountainous coast and the well-preserved colonial architecture in Old Vallarta . Shop The old town has a number of galleries and boutiques , such as Joyer\u00eda Yoler , which sells handcrafted silver jewelry -LRB- 011-52\/322 -222 -8713 -RRB- , and Peyote People , a purveyor of Huichol Indian art -LRB- 011-52\/322 -222 -2302 -RRB- . See Large bronze sculptures by Mexican artists adorn the city 's Malec\u00f3n , the oceanfront boardwalk lined with dozens of restaurants and shops . Stay One of the best hotel options in the area is the Buenaventura Grand Hotel & Spa , which has more than 200 newly renovated rooms -- some with beamed ceilings -- and a pool overlooking Playa Camarones -LRB- 011-52\/322 -226 -7000 , hotelbuenaventura.com.mx , from $ 120 -RRB- . Eat Dine on a patio overlooking the beach at nearby El Barracuda , which specializes in seafood dishes like the Dynamite : shrimp , octopus , and tilapia served over rice -LRB- 011-52\/322 -222 -4034 , entr\u00e9es from $ 13 -RRB- . LOS CABOS Wedged between granite peaks and the water on the tip of Baja California , Los Cabos has one of Mexico 's most dramatic settings . But a less-than-thrilling 20-mile-long tourist corridor connects the towns of San Jos\u00e9 del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas , making it all the more appealing to choose a town and stick with it . See In San Jos\u00e9 del Cabo 's downtown arts district , galleries like Old Town show works by Mexican artists -LRB- 011-52\/624 -142 -3662 , oldtowngallery.net -RRB- . Stay El Encanto Inn & Suites is decorated in Spanish-colonial style , with chandeliers in the entryway and a fountain in the courtyard -- plus , the 28 rooms all have balconies -LRB- 011-52\/624 -142 -0388 , elencantoinn.com , from $ 95 -RRB- . Eat Set in a hacienda in Cabo San Lucas , La Fonda serves dishes that chef Christopher Chong 's grandmother used to cook , like empanadas with a red chili sauce -LRB- 011-52\/624 -143 -6926 , empanadas $ 11 -RRB- . Do At Playa M\u00e9dano in Cabo San Lucas , Andromeda Divers y Mas offers water sports such as sea kayaking and parasailing -LRB- 011-52\/624 -143 -2765 , scubadivecabo.com -RRB- . Detour An hour 's drive north of Los Cabos , eclectic shops and galleries have opened in artist-friendly Todos Santos , including the bookstore El Tecolote Libros -LRB- 011-52\/612 -145 -0295 -RRB- and Galer\u00eda de Todos Santos -LRB- 011-52\/612 -145 -0500 , galeriadetodossantos.com -RRB- . BudgetTravel.com : Los Cabos photos CANC\u00daN Canc\u00fan may never shake its reputation as a rowdy college-party destination , but outside of spring-break season , the city is a surprisingly subdued place . The peninsula is where most of the major resorts are located , so if you 're looking for character , it 's best to head downtown on the mainland . Stay The boutique hotel Sol y Luna has 11 brightly painted rooms , mosaic-trimmed baths , and balconies overlooking Parque de las Palapas -LRB- 011-52\/998 -887 -5579 , solylunahotel.com , from $ 48 -RRB- . Eat The park is a popular gathering spot for musicians in the evenings ; it 's also where you 'll find one of the city 's best restaurants , Labn\u00e1 , which serves Yucatecan dishes such as pibil , achiote-flavored pork wrapped in a banana leaf -LRB- 011-52\/998 -892 -3056 , labna.com , pibil $ 9 -RRB- . Drink The aptly named Bling Resto Bar , on the resort peninsula , is just what it sounds like ; lounge on the patio with a grape mojito and watch the sun go down over the lagoon -LRB- 011-52\/998 -840 -6014 , blingcancun.com , drinks from $ 5 -RRB- . Detour Xcaret , a sprawling ecological and adventure theme park about 45 minutes south of Canc\u00fan , is an ideal spot for families . Activities here range from swimming through caves in an underground river to walking through a butterfly pavilion and watching monkeys , manatees , pumas , and jaguars in their natural environments -LRB- 011-52\/998 -883 -0470 , www.xcaret.com , from $ 69 -RRB- . BudgetTravel.com : Cancun photos COZUMEL Surrounded by vibrantly colored coral reefs , the island of Cozumel , 11 miles off the Yucat\u00e1n coast , has been attracting divers since Jacques Cousteau popularized it in the 1960s . The most central place to be situated for day trips around the island is the town of San Miguel , which has a number of reasonably priced guesthouses . Stay Las Anclas gets high marks not only for its seven bi-level suites and beautiful garden , but also for owners Pedro and Eyal , who are eager to offer up restaurant recommendations -LRB- 011-52\/987 -872 -5476 , lasanclas.com , from $ 95 -RRB- . Eat A local favorite is La Candela , which serves hearty dishes like chicken stuffed with ham and cheese , and jamaica , a cold tea made from hibiscus flowers -LRB- 011-52\/987 -878 -4471 , chicken $ 8 -RRB- . Do The tour operator Deep Blue arranges dive trips to some of the hardest-to-reach reefs around the island -LRB- 011-52\/987 -872 -5653 , deepbluecozumel.com , from $ 68 -RRB- . Or , you can take a boat ride through the mangroves in the Faro Celarain Eco Park for an adventure of a different sort : crocodile spotting -LRB- 011-52\/987 -872 -1680 , cozumelparks.com , $ 11 -RRB- . Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE ! Copyright \u00a9 2008 Newsweek Budget Travel , Inc. , all rights reserved . Note : This story was accurate when it was published . Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip .","question":""}
{"answer":"Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Prescription drug overdose is now the fastest-growing drug problem in the country , surpassing the number of people who overdosed during both the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and the black tar heroin epidemic of the 1970s combined , the Obama administration says . The problem is so severe , the administration is releasing a plan to combat what it calls a crisis of epidemic proportions . `` The toll our nation 's prescription drug abuse epidemic has taken in communities nationwide is devastating , '' said Gil Kerlikowske , White House director of national drug control policy . `` We share a responsibility to protect our communities from the damage done by prescription drug abuse . '' According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy , in 2007 about 28,000 people died from drug overdoses . Most were accidental and were related to prescription drugs . `` Today , we are making an unprecedented commitment to combat the growing problem of prescription drug abuse , '' said Vice President Joe Biden as he announced the administration 's plan Tuesday morning . `` The government , as well as parents , patients , health care providers , and manufacturers all play a role in preventing abuse . This plan will save lives , and it will substantially lessen the burden this epidemic takes on our families , communities , and workforce . '' The effort , called `` Epidemic : Responding to America 's Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis , '' is primarily aimed at cracking down on abuse of opioids , some of the most powerful pain relievers on the market . Opioids are a class of drugs used to treat chronic pain and include products like OxyContin , Vicodin , Darvon , Dilaudid and Demerol . When abused they can be highly addictive . Prescriptions for these painkillers have increased dramatically over the past 10 years . In 2000 pharmacies filed 174 million opioid prescriptions . By 2009 that number was 257 million . According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration , over the past five years , hospital emergency room visits linked to prescription drug abuse or misuse have doubled . `` Unintentional drug overdose is a growing epidemic in the U.S. and is now the leading cause of injury death in 17 states , '' said Dr. Thomas Frieden , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . `` There are effective and emerging strategies out there to address this problem . Support for this action plan will help us implement those strategies which will go a long way to save lives and reduce the tremendous burden this problem has on our health care system and our society . '' The plan seeks to reduce abuse and drug diversion , educate both parents and health care providers , find better ways to dispose of unused pills , and beef up enforcement efforts by clamping down on pill mills and doctor shopping . The Food and Drug Administration will provide support by requiring an opioids Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy to determine that a drug 's benefits outweigh its risks . Under this process , drug manufacturers must make educational materials on proper prescribing and disposal available to anyone writing prescriptions for long-acting and extended-release painkillers . The agency must approve all materials before they are released . `` Long-acting and extended-release opioid drugs have benefit when used properly and are a necessary component of pain management for certain patients , but we know that they pose serious risks when used improperly , with serious negative consequences for individuals , families and communities , '' said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg . `` The prescriber education component of this opioid -LRB- risk evaluation and mitigation strategy -RRB- balances the need for continued access to these medications with stronger measures to reduce their risks . '' Thirty-five states already have prescription drug monitoring programs in place that help track how prescriptions are prescribed and distributed by authorized healthcare providers and pharmacies . The program 's main goal is to prevent abuse and diversion at the retail level . Under the new plan , agencies will work to establish prescription drug monitoring programs in every state . The Drug Enforcement Agency will be heavily involved in enforcement , recovering prescription drugs , and focusing on doctors who illegally prescribe and dispense these drugs . They will also target `` doctor shoppers '' -- people who visit multiple doctors to secure multiple prescriptions and pill mills . `` When abused , prescription drugs are just as dangerous and just as addictive as drugs like methamphetamine or heroin , '' DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart said . `` The more we can do to stop the abuse of prescription drugs , the more effective we will be in reducing the death , destruction and despair that accompanies all drug abuse . '' A number of other federal agencies will also be involved in the effort , including the departments of Health and Human Services , Justice , Defense and Veterans Affairs .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Massachusetts sued the U.S. government on Wednesday , challenging the constitutionality of a federal law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman . The state of Massachusetts says the Defense of Marriage Act denies same-sex couples essential rights . `` We 're taking this action today because , first , we believe that -LSB- the Defense of Marriage Act -RSB- directly interferes with Massachusetts ' long-standing sovereign authority to define and regulate the marital status of its residents , '' Attorney General Martha Coakley said Wednesday afternoon . `` Massachusetts has a single category of married persons , and we view all married persons equally and identically , '' she said . `` DOMA divides that category into two distinct and unequal classes of marriage . '' The lawsuit argues that the act , which became law in 1996 , denies same-sex couples essential rights and protections , including federal income tax credits , employment and retirement benefits , health insurance coverage and Social Security payments . `` In enacting DOMA , Congress overstepped its authority , undermined states ' efforts to recognize marriages between same-sex couples , and codified an animus towards gay and lesbian people , '' the state wrote in the lawsuit , which was filed Wednesday in federal court . Massachusetts , the first state to legalize gay marriage , said that about 16,000 same-sex couples have been married there since 2004 , when it began issuing marriage licenses . Since that time , the lawsuit said , `` the security and stability of families has been strengthened in important ways throughout the state . '' The state is challenging Section 3 of the law , which defines marriage as `` a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife '' and a spouse as `` a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife . '' Before the act , the lawsuit argues , defining marital status was the prerogative of the states . The law `` eviscerated more than 200 years of federal government deference to the states with respect to defining marriage , '' it said . The lawsuit also argues that the law forces Massachusetts to treat same-sex married couples differently from heterosexual married couples , particularly through determining who qualifies for the state 's Medicaid program , known as MassHealth , and whether a same-sex spouse of a veteran can be buried in a veteran cemetery . `` But for DOMA , married individuals in same-sex relationships in the commonwealth would receive the same status , obligations , responsibilities , rights , and protections as married individuals in different-sex relationships under local , state , and federal laws , '' the lawsuit said . The defendants named in the lawsuit include the Department of Health and Human Services , Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius , the Department of Veterans Affairs , Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and the United States itself . Charles Miller , a spokesman for the Department of Justice , said the department will review the case but noted that President Obama supports the legislative repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act . In March , Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders -- the same Boston-based group that successfully argued in 2003 for same-sex marriage rights in Massachusetts -- also sued the federal government over Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act . Besides Massachusetts , three other states recognize same-sex marriages : Connecticut , Maine , and Iowa . Vermont and New Hampshire will join their company when same-sex marriages become legal later this year and early next year .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal health officials are expanding efforts to ensure no additional bacteria-tainted cantaloupes get to consumers in what has become the deadliest U.S. outbreak of a food-borne illness in more than a decade . The Food and Drug Administration said it has teamed up with state officials in the effort . `` FDA and its state partners are conducting checks at retail stores , wholesalers and distributors to make sure they have received notification about the Jensen Farms ' whole cantaloupe recall and that they have taken appropriate action to notify their customers and remove the recalled whole cantaloupes from the shelves , '' the agency said in a statement Wednesday . Thirteen people have died in what has become the deadliest U.S. outbreak of a food-borne illness since 1998 , according to records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The outbreak -- blamed on the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes -- was first reported September 12 . It was traced to consumption of Rocky Ford cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farms ' fields in Granada , Colorado . What you need to know about Listeria As of Monday , it had grown to 18 states , 72 illnesses and 13 deaths , according to the CDC 's latest statistics . `` Because some of the wholesalers and distributors may have further distributed the recalled cantaloupes to food processors , it is possible that additional products that contain cantaloupe from Jensen Farms could be recalled , '' the FDA said . `` There is no indication of foreign distribution at this time . '' In 1998 , 21 people died from consuming tainted hot dogs , according to a CDC database . Food poisoning 101 In the current outbreak , four people who ate contaminated cantaloupes died in New Mexico , two each in Colorado and Texas , and one each in Kansas , Maryland , Missouri , Nebraska , and Oklahoma . Public health officials also have reported illnesses in California , Florida , Illinois , Indiana , Montana , North Dakota , Virginia , West Virginia , Wisconsin and Wyoming . Listeria can grow even at low temperatures and can also can take three weeks or longer to make a person sick , so more cases may emerge in the coming weeks , officials said . Listeriosis causes fever , muscle aches , diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms . It is rarely a serious concern for healthy children and adults , according to the CDC , but it is particularly dangerous for older adults , people with weakened immune systems . In pregnant women , it can cause miscarriages , stillbirth and premature delivery . Pregnant women may experience only mild flu-like symptoms , said Dr. David Acheson , a former chief medical officer for the FDA who is now the managing director for food and import safety practice at Leavitt Partners , a firm which advises clients on health care and food safety . Listeria can be devastating to a fetus , he said , particularly in the second or third trimesters , so pregnant women who may have been exposed and have any flu-like symptoms should see a doctor . Symptoms can be more pronounced in the elderly or those with compromised immune systems , he said . About 1,600 people become seriously ill because of the bacteria each year , the CDC reports , and about 260 die . How to keep your food safe","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Didier Drogba came off the bench to rescue a point for Ivory Coast as they drew 1-1 with Malawi on Saturday to book their place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa . Didier Drogba scored for Ivory Coast as they drew 1-1 with Malawi to book their place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa . Ivory Coast needed only a point from their match with the bottom-placed team in African qualifying Group E but found themselves a goal down in the 64th minute when Jacob Ngwira put the hosts ahead at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre . Elephants coach Vahid Halilhodzic responded by throwing on Chelsea striker Drogba who was able to level the scores in the 67th minute . Malawi pushed for a winner as the second half wore on but were unable to add to the score and Ivory Coast secured the point they required for qualification . The result brought Ivory Coast 's 100 percent run in the group to an end but ensured they will feature in the World Cup Finals for a second time following their debut appearance in 2006 . Malawi also improved their chances of qualifying for the African Cup of Nations by moving third with four points , just behind Burkina Faso who have six and Guinea who are now last with three points . Elsewhere in the African qualifying zone Egypt recorded a 1-0 win over Zambia in their Group C clash in Konkola to potentially set up a deciding match with Algeria in Cairo next month . Egypt were on the back foot in the first half and were indebted to goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary who frustrated the Zambia fans with several fine saves as the visitors struggled to get to grips with the pitch at the Konkola Stadium . But the Pharaohs were a much-improved side after the half-time break and Hosny Abd-Rabou secured all three points with the only goal of the game in the 68th minute . Egypt defender Sayed Moawad laid off the ball for Abd-Rabou to fire a powerful right-footed shot past Zambia goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene and into the top corner of the net . The result means qualification will go right down to the wire even if Algeria take maximum points from their clash with bottom side Rwanda on Sunday and go three points clear of Egypt at the top of the group . Cameroon moved a step closer to qualification as they remained top of Group A with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Togo in Yaounde . The Indomitable Lions took the lead in the 32nd minute through Newcastle midfielder Geremi when he smashed home the rebound after Togo goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale had saved his initial shot from the penalty spot . Lyon 's Jean Makoun doubled the advantage two minutes after the interval after he tapped home following a mazy dribble by Samuel Eto'o and Achille Emana made the points safe in the 52nd minute with a low drive . Gabon remain a point behind Cameroon after they clinched a 3-1 win over Morocco in Libreville having taken the lead after Hicham Mahdoufi put through his own net moments before half-time . Eric Mouloungou and Daniel Cousin gave Gabon a three-goal lead before Adel Taarabt pulled one back for Morocco with a late consolation . Paul Le Guen 's Cameroon side , who had looked doubtful to qualify when he took over , are in pole position at the top of the group with 10 points ahead of Gabon on nine , Togo on five and Morocco with three .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World No. 2 Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat by sixth seed Mikhail Youzhny in the semifinals of the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam on Saturday . The Serbian , who had not played since Thursday after being handed a walkover in his quarterfinal , lost 7-6 -LRB- 7-5 -RRB- 7-6 -LRB- 8-6 -RRB- to the Russian despite saving two match-points . Youzhny , who won the Dutch indoor tournament in 2007 , will play second seed Robin Soderling in Sunday 's final after the world No. 8 edged out sixth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 -LRB- 7-3 -RRB- 6-4 . Youzhny will have the chance to avenge his compatriot 's defeat as he seeks to improve his 1-1 career record against Soderling . The signs are good for the world No. 20 , who also defeated Djokovic in the semifinals three years ago . The Muscovite will bid to win his sixth ATP Tour title , having won one in each of the past three seasons . Soderling has bounced back from a poor start to the season that saw the Swede lose in the first round of his first two tournaments in 2010 , including the Australian Open . `` This is a really tough tournament and it 's not easy to reach the final here , '' last year 's French Open finalist told the ATP Web site . `` I 'm playing better with every match , so I 'm very happy . I 've had a lot of tough matches with Nikolay in the past few years . He 's one of the best players in the world , so it means I am playing great tennis to beat him . My confidence is up and I 'm looking forward to the final . '' Meanwhile , second seed Fernando Verdasco reached the final of the SAP Open in San Jose in the United States after beating Uzbekistan 's Denis Istomin on Saturday . The Spaniard won 6-3 2-6 6-4 to set up a clash with the top seed Andy Roddick who overcame a first set loss and two tiebreakers to defeat fellow American Sam Querrey 2-6 , 7-6 -LRB- 5 -RRB- , 7-6 -LRB- 4 -RRB- . Top seed Elena Dementieva will play Lucie Safarova in Sunday 's Paris Indoor Open final on the women 's WTA Tour circuit . Russian world No. 7 Dementieva came from behind to beat young American Melanie Oudin 4-6 6-3 6-3 in the semifinals of the French hardcourt event , where she lost in the final last year to Amelie Mauresmo . Unseeded Czech Safarova upset Italy 's Flavia Pennetta , the second-ranked player in the field , as she also rallied from a set down to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 . World No. 46 Safarova lost to Nadia Petrova in the 2007 final . In Thailand , top seed Vera Zvonareva will seek home hope Tamarine Tanasugarn from winning her first Pattaya Open title on Sunday . The Russian is on course to defend her title following a 6-2 4-6 6-3 victory against fourth seed Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan , reaching her 21st career title . The 32-year-old Tanasugarn will have her 10th tilt at a WTA title after crushing Shvedova 's compatriot Sesil Karatantcheva , ranked 185th in the world , 6-2 6-0 in the other semifinal on Saturday .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gillette said Saturday it was `` limiting '' golfer Tiger Woods ' role in its marketing programs to give him the privacy he needs to work on family relationships after disclosures of his `` infidelity . '' In a statement , the Boston , Massachusetts-based body grooming company said it supports Woods ' decision to take `` an indefinite break '' from professional golf . On his Web site Friday , Woods admitted to infidelity and said he was taking a break from the sport to focus on his family . `` In the midst of a difficult and unfortunate situation , we respect the action Tiger is taking to restore the trust of his family , friends and fans , '' Gillette spokesman Mike Norton said in the statement . `` We fully support him stepping back from his professional career and taking the time he needs to do what matters most . We wish him and his family the best . `` As Tiger takes a break from the public eye , we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs , '' Norton said . Woods ' Friday posting said : `` After much soul searching , I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf . I need to focus my attention on being a better husband , father and person . '' `` I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people , most of all my wife and children , '' Woods ' statement said . `` I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness . It may not be possible to repair the damage I 've done , but I want to do my best to try . '' Woods , 33 , who tops the sport 's world rankings , crashed his car outside his Florida mansion late last month . Authorities issued a citation for careless driving , and he was given a $ 164 fine . Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions . In the week following the crash , Woods apologized for `` transgressions '' that let his family down . The same day , US Weekly published a report alleging that Woods had an affair with Jaimee Grubbs , a 24-year-old cocktail waitress . US Weekly 's report followed a National Enquirer article before the crash that the athlete was having an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel , an assertion she vigorously denied , according to The New York Post . It was not immediately clear how Woods ' hiatus would affect his other sponsorships , which include Nike , Gatorade and Electronic Arts . `` He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era , '' Nike spokeswoman Beth Gast said in a statement . `` We look forward to his return to golf . He and his family have Nike 's full support . '' The statement did not elaborate on whether Woods ' announcement would impact his business relationship with the sports company , which has worked with him for more than a decade . Woods has won three U.S. Open titles and the Masters tournament and the PGA tournament each four times . The PGA Tour said it supports Woods and looks forward to his return to the game . `` We fully support Tiger 's decision to step away from competitive golf to focus on his family . His priorities are where they need to be , and we will continue to respect and honor his family 's request for privacy , '' the PGA Tour said in a statement Friday . `` We look forward to Tiger 's return to the PGA Tour when he determines the time is right for him . '' EA Sports , the company that makes Woods ' video game , also said it is standing behind the golfer . `` We respect that this is a very difficult and private situation for Tiger and his family . At this time , the strategy for our Tiger Woods PGA TOUR business remains unchanged , '' said David Tinson , a company spokesman .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On his final full day in office , President Bush issued commutations for two former U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted in 2006 of shooting and wounding an unarmed illegal immigrant -- suspected of drug smuggling at the time -- and then covering it up . An artist 's sketch shows Ignacio Ramos , left , and Jose Compean . The prison sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean will now end March 20 . Ramos had received an 11-year prison sentence ; Compean had received a 12-year term . They began serving their sentences in January 2007 . The Office of the Pardon Attorney was still reviewing the clemency request when Bush made his decision , Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said . `` The president has reviewed the circumstances of this case as a whole and the conditions of confinement and believes the sentences they received are too harsh and that they , and their families , have suffered enough for their crimes , '' a senior administration official said . `` Commuting their sentences does not diminish the seriousness of their crimes . Ramos and Compean are convicted felons who violated their oaths to uphold the law and have been severely punished , '' the official stated . `` This commutation gives them an opportunity to return to their families and communities , but both men will have to carry the burden of being convicted felons and the shame of violating their oaths for the rest of their lives . '' The official noted that both Democratic and Republican members of Congress have supported a commutation , including President-elect Barack Obama 's incoming White House chief of staff , Rahm Emanuel , and Texas GOP Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn . The head of the labor union representing Border Patrol agents told CNN Radio he was `` grateful '' that Bush commuted the sentences but questioned why the prison terms wo n't end until March 20 . `` I would be quite curious to learn why they have to wait another two months for an unjust sentence , '' said Rich Pierce , president of the National Border Patrol Council . He said the union 's ultimate goal would be for the men to get their Border Patrol jobs back . The shooting happened February 17 , 2005 , on the border southeast of El Paso , Texas . During their trial , Ramos and Compean said the illegal immigrant , Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila , had brandished a gun while actively resisting arrest . Aldrete-Davila , however , said he was unarmed and was attempting to surrender when Compean attempted to beat him with a shotgun . Aldrete-Davila was shot while fleeing toward the Rio Grande . Ramos and Compean were ultimately convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon , lying about the incident and violating Aldrete-Davila 's Fourth Amendment right against illegal search and seizure . After receiving immunity to testify in the case against the two agents , Aldrete-Davila was arrested in 2007 on charges of bringing more than 750 pounds of marijuana into the United States . The case quickly became a political flash point , with advocates of tighter border controls defending the agents and civil liberties groups saying that the agents had used illegal and excessive force against Aldrete-Davila . Bush has granted 189 pardons and 11 commutations over his eight years in office , far fewer than Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan in their two-term administrations . During the final months of the Bush administration , speculation has swirled around the question of whether former vice presidential aide Lewis `` Scooter '' Libby would be granted the presidential favor . Libby was convicted in March of 2007 of four counts of lying and impeding a federal investigation into the leak of information that revealed that Valerie Plame was a covert CIA operative . Among the more notable people who have applied for -- but not received -- some form of clemency are : former Rep. Randall `` Duke '' Cunningham , R-California , who was convicted of receiving bribes ; publishing executive Conrad Black , who was found guilty of fraud ; former junk bold salesman Michael Milken , who pleaded guilty to securities fraud ; and former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers , convicted of accounting fraud . The parents of John Walker Lindh , who was given a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty to supporting terrorists in Afghanistan , held a news conference in December urging Bush to commute their son 's sentence . There is a long tradition of presidents issuing pardons and commutations during their final days in office . Clinton pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich during his last hours in office , setting off a firestorm of controversy . A commutation reduces a convict 's prison term , but the conviction remains on the person 's record . A pardon , however , wipes the slate clean by erasing the record of the conviction . A president has the sole authority to grant clemency to whomever he chooses , although a Justice Department office usually reviews applications and makes recommendations after considering such standards as a person 's degree of remorse and ability to lead a responsible and productive life after release . Those applying for a pardon through the Justice Department are required to wait at least five years after their conviction or release from confinement .","question":""}
{"answer":"WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that laboratory tests on popular smoking devices known as electronic cigarettes have found they contain carcinogens and other toxic chemicals dangerous to humans . E-cigarettes are battery-operated and contain cartridges filled with nicotine and other chemicals . Known as `` e-cigarettes , '' the devices are battery-operated and contain cartridges filled with nicotine and other chemicals , spiced with flavors such as chocolate , cola or bubble gum . While manufacturers tout e-cigarettes as a `` healthy way '' to smoke , federal health officials say the devices turn nicotine , which is highly addictive , and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user . `` The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public , '' said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg , commissioner of the FDA . CNN contacted Florida-based Smoking Everywhere , one of the largest manufacturers of e-cigarettes , after the FDA announcement , and a spokeswoman said the company had no comment . Because e-cigarettes have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval , the agency had no way of knowing the levels of nicotine or the amounts or kinds of other chemicals that the various brands of these products deliver to the user . That is why the FDA began to test them . The FDA 's Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of e-cigarettes . In releasing its information , the FDA did not identify the two companies , but said in one sample , diethylene glycol -- a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans -- was detected . Other samples detected carcinogens that are dangerous to those who smoke them , the FDA said . The FDA has been examining and seizing shipments of non-U.S.-made e-cigarettes at the U.S. border since summer 2008 . To date , 50 shipments have been stopped . The products examined thus far meet the definition of a combination drug-device product under the Federal Food , Drug , and Cosmetic Act . `` We know very little about these devices , said Dr. Jonathan Samet , director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California , `` but to say they are healthy -- that 's highly doubtful . '' Samet and other health experts attended the FDA announcement on its findings . Dr. Jonathan Winickoff , chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium , said parents need to be aware of e-cigarettes . `` It is very important that parents let their children know these are not safe and to make recommendations , or even enforce rules that they not be used , '' he said . `` Children who use these products may also be using other tobacco products , '' said Dr. Matthew McKenna , director of the Office of Smoking and Health , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . `` It 's a good idea to make sure the child is aware of the dangers of tobacco in products in general . '' The FDA has been challenged regarding its jurisdiction over certain e-cigarettes in a case pending in federal court . The FDA suggested health care professionals and consumers report serious side effects or product quality problems with the use of e-cigarettes to the FDA 's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program either online , by regular mail , fax or phone . CNN 's Valerie Willingham contributed to this report .","question":""}
{"answer":"-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Gulf of Mexico undersea gusher is the largest oil spill in United States history -- possibly already more than twice as big as the Exxon Valdez spill , government estimates suggested Thursday . Scientists observed 130,000 to 270,000 barrels of oil on the water 's surface on May 17 , and think a similar amount had already been burned , skimmed , dispersed or evaporated . That would mean 260,000 to 540,000 barrels had leaked as of 10 days ago . The Exxon Valdez leaked about 250,000 barrels into Alaska 's Prince William Sound in 1989 . The busted well is spewing oil at a rate of at least 12,000 to 19,000 barrels a day , U.S. Geological Survey chief Marcia McNutt told reporters Thursday . A barrel of oil has 42 gallons , so that 's 504,000 to 798,000 gallons a day . That 's more than twice as much as previous estimates , which put the rate at 5,000 barrels , or 210,000 gallons , per day . It 's also the more conservative estimate of two reached by two separate teams of government scientists who used two different methods , McNutt told reporters Thursday . One team looked at the oil on the surface and came up with the estimate of 12,000 to 19,000 barrels per day . A second team used a different method and came up with a range of 12,000 to 25,000 barrels per day , McNutt said . The official estimate uses the range where the estimates overlap . The lower end of the government estimate -- 12,000 barrels per day -- would mean that about 18.6 million gallons of oil has been spilled since the April 20 oil rig explosion that started the leak . The higher end -- 19,000 barrels per day -- would mean 29.5 million gallons has been spilled . The Exxon Valdez spilled about 11 million gallons of oil . Worldwide , there have been more than a dozen bigger oil spills than the Gulf spill . The worst was the destruction of Kuwaiti terminals and tankers by Saddam Hussein 's forces during the 1991 Gulf war , which spilled 240 million gallons , according to the Oil Spill Intelligence Report . The amount of oil spilled could have very specific financial ramifications for BP . If the government finds the company negligent or the leak avoidable , BP will owe royalties on the lost oil , Minerals Management Service spokesman Nicholas Pardi told CNN . `` Now we know the true scale of the monster we are fighting in the Gulf , '' said Jeremy Symons , senior vice president of the National Wildlife Federation . `` BP has unleashed an unstoppable force of appalling proportions . It 's as if two Exxon Valdez tankers have already run aground , and more are on the way if they do n't get this hole plugged . `` This independent government estimate shows what we expected all along -- BP can not be trusted , because every gallon of oil that is spilled means they will pay more in fines and liability , '' Symons said . The estimates are preliminary and based on new methodologies , McNutt said in a teleconference . The first team , which got the lower estimate , analyzed how much oil was on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico on a given date , using aerial imaging . They estimated that `` 130,000 to 270,000 barrels -LRB- were -RRB- on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico on May 17 , '' McNutt said . `` We estimate that , in addition , as of May 17 a similar volume of oil had already been burned , skimmed , dispersed or evaporated , '' she said . That led those scientists to the range of 12,000 to 19,000 barrels per day . The second group used video observations to arrive at the higher figure . The scientific teams were composed of federal scientists , independent experts and representatives from universities around the country , McNutt said . BP , which owns the well , was not involved except to provide raw data , she said . CNN 's Richard Allen Greene , David Mattingly and Courtney Yager , and CNN Radio 's Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report .","question":""}