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Washington (CNN) -- Two things motivate House Speaker John Boehner in his showdown with Democrats and President Barack Obama, sources close to him say -- one personal, one philosophical. The personal one is evident through how he deals with his caucus of 232 Republicans, especially the unruly tea party group. Boehner originally did not want to tie a contentious effort to defund Obamacare to spending legislation needed to avert a shutdown. He expressed that sentiment as far back as March. "Our goal here is to cut spending. It's not to shut down the government," Boehner said. "I believe that trying to put Obamacare on this vehicle risks shutting down the government. That's not what our goal is." But ultimately, there were enough House Republicans demanding the two issues be linked that Boehner changed his mind. Why? "He has been seen people rise and fall," a source close to him said. In fact, he was one of them. When Boehner was House Republican Conference chairman, he was part of a small group of House Republican leaders who met in 1997 to discuss ousting their fellow Republican speaker, Newt Gingrich. Opinion: No good options for Boehner . The coup failed and Boehner claimed he was only gathering information, not conspiring. But by the next year, his fellow Republicans had ousted him from leadership. Upon hearing the bad news, he told an aide, "We are going to smile, we are going to work hard, and earn our way back." And he did just that -- from exile through various top positions on committees to the leadership of House Republicans and then his election as speaker. "You could never have predicted in 1998 the recovery of John Boehner," said Gingrich, now a host of CNN's "Crossfire." "So I think first of all his discipline, his focus on getting the job done, being a very effective insider, raising resources, campaigning for members. "He managed to recover, which is historically not abnormal -- Speaker Longworth had the same kind of experience, so it happens occasionally. But it takes an unusual amount of willpower to be defeated by your colleagues, and make a comeback with the same colleagues," Gingrich said. The lesson learned? Listen to party members and try to adapt to what they want -- sometimes leading them, sometimes following, sometimes protecting them from themselves, and sometimes -- as with the government shutdown -- letting them learn the lesson that if you touch a pot on a hot stove, you will get burned. "When he was sworn in as speaker, he had 15 rebels vote against him on the House floor. He has this group of 30 to 40 hardcore conservatives who are more than willing to dump John Boehner any chance they can," said John Feehery, a consultant and former aide to Republican leaders. Congress still gets paid . "From Boehner's perspective, he's learned from what happened with Newt Gingrich. That's why he's more disciplined, listening more to his caucus, less likely to freelance than Newt was. Going through this process for him is more of a step-by-step process," Feehery said. Not enough House Republicans yet see that this path is likely one that will hurt them politically. When that changes, Boehner will pursue a path out. But he will not be exiled again. "Listen. We've got a lot of divergent opinions in the caucus and the key to any leadership job is to listen," Boehner said two weeks ago. "You know, I was here during the Gingrich era. He had a little plaque that was in his office. And it was a management model: 'Listen, learn, help, and leave.' We listened to our colleagues over the course of the last week. We have a plan that they're happy with." The philosophical part of this equation is Boehner's concern about the debt and his belief that Obama doesn't get it. "The president told me in the Oval Office back in December, 'We don't have a spending problem, we have a health care problem,' Boehner said in an interview in late March. "And as long as the president continues to cling to the fact that we don't have a spending problem, and clings to the fact that we're not taxing the American people enough, it's going to make it hard to get to an agreement." But it's not like the House Republicans' budget balances. "Our budget is a vision of how we would go," Boehner said. "And clearly we believe that Obamacare is bad for the country, it's going to drive up the cost of health insurance for the American people. It's going to hurt employers building to hire more people. It's not in the nation's interest." Democrats, Republicans and the insane leap into the abyss .

House Speaker John Boehner originally didn't want to tie spending bill to Obamacare . Boehner was involved in failed coup when Newt Gingrich was speaker after last shutdown . In the aftermath of failed ouster of Gingrich, Boehner lost his leadership post . Boehner has learned lessons from that experience, former House leadership aide says .

London (CNN) -- The family of the British soldier killed in broad daylight last week urged people angry over the slaying to remain calm and not seek revenge. Attackers killed Lee Rigby a couple of hundred yards away from the Royal Artillery Barracks in the southeast London district of Woolwich. "We would like to emphasize that Lee would not want people to use his name as an excuse to carry out attacks against others," the family said in a statement issued Friday by the Ministry of Defence. The killing has sparked an intense investigation by police. They announced two other arrests in the case Friday, of men seized on suspicion of supplying illegal firearms. Authorities also moved a man arrested on the suspicion of killing Rigby from a hospital to a police station. Rigby was run over by a car and then stabbed in a daylight attack on May 22. Since the killing, anti-Muslim actions and angry social media sentiment have emerged in Britain. But the family stressed that "it would not wish any other families to go through this harrowing experience and appeal to everyone to keep calm and show their respect in a peaceful manner." Rigby -- who had served as an infantryman in Afghanistan and Cyprus -- "loved life and he loved people," the family statement said. "He had many friends from different walks of life -- some with different religious beliefs and cultures. But this made no difference to Lee. He always treated others with the greatest of respect," the family said. The death has been "devastating," and the family is grateful for the public's "overwhelming support," in Britain and all over the world, the statement said. "We have been amazed by the messages of support we have received from all across the globe. We were deeply touched after visiting Woolwich on Sunday and would like to thank those who were in attendance for giving us the time and space to pay our own tributes to our beloved Lee." The statement came as Queen Elizabeth II on Friday visited the barracks that housed Rigby -- who worked as a military recruiter as well as a ceremonial drummer. A makeshift memorial of flowers and tributes has swelled on the street outside the barracks in the days since his death. The monarch met members of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery during the visit, which was scheduled before the killing. The troop's duties include firing gun salutes on state occasions and royal anniversaries. "The queen privately met those who coordinated the barracks response last week to the death of Drummer Lee Rigby," Buckingham Palace said in a written statement. An inquest into Rigby's death opened Friday at Southwark Coroner's Court and was quickly adjourned. Detective Chief Inspector Grant Mallon, the senior investigating officer into the death, detailed the circumstances of Rigby's killing: . After working a day at the Tower of London, Rigby was returning to his barracks in Woolwich when a vehicle swerved and struck him. Two men came out of the vehicle and attacked him with cleavers causing him "extensive and serious injuries." The two men moved his "apparently lifeless body" and remained on the scene until police arrived, when "both were incapacitated and detained." In all, 12 people have been arrested in connection with the killing. • Michael Adebowale, 22, has been charged with murder and with unlawful possession of a firearm. He was discharged from a hospital Tuesday and has been held in custody since at a police station. He made an initial court appearance Thursday. • A 28-year-old arrested on the suspicion of Rigby's murder is in custody at a south London police station. The man has been identified by family, friends and acquaintances as Michael Adebolajo. He was discharged from a hospital Friday and transferred to the police station. Police said he was "further arrested" at the station on the suspicion of the attempted murder of a police officer, but didn't provide detail on that charge. • Two men, ages 42 and 46, have been taken to a south London police station. One was arrested Friday in north London and the other in east London on suspicion of supplying illegal firearms. • Six others have been freed on bail -- the most recent a 50-year-old man arrested Monday night on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. • Two were released without charges. Separately, a man who was arrested after he spoke in an interview about Adebolajo on BBC's "Newsnight" has been charged with two counts of dissemination of terrorist publications and one count of encouragement of terrorism. He is Ibrahim Abdullah-Hassan, also known as Abu Nusaybah. The charges are not connected to the Rigby murder investigation, police said. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported from London. CNN's Joe Sterling wrote and reported from Atlanta. CNN's Jonathan Wald, Bharati Naik and Claudia Rebaza contributed to this report.

NEW: Two others are arrested in the Lee Rigby murder investigation . NEW: One of the suspects in Rigby's killing is moved to a police station . The family says Rigby had friends from "different walks of life" Queen Elizabeth visits the Woolwich barracks that housed Rigby .

(CNN) -- My every-other-month dinner-and-discussion group met the other night. After a plentiful potluck meal, we got down to the topic designated for the evening: "If you could solve any issue or problem in your lifetime, what would it be?" Less than two weeks after the election, most of the issues raised were political, ranging from redistricting reform to civility in the political process. When it was my turn, I offered up a different fare: ending childhood hunger in the United States. (In truth, I'd like to see peace in the Middle East, but thought I'd be reasonable.) The government estimates that as many as 17 million children face "food insecurity" (aka hunger). "Poverty does devastating things to children," said Andy Mullins Jr., co-director of the Mississippi Teacher Corps and associate professor of leadership and counselor education at the University of Mississippi. Teachers will tell you that children who come to school hungry have more difficulty learning. And if education is key to breaking out of poverty, these children are at a disadvantage. Around Thanksgiving -- amid advertising images of tables laden with food -- you can expect the news media to focus attention on those for whom feeding themselves or their families is difficult. In this economy -- one showing the barest hints of a recovery -- more and more people find themselves in this situation. Consider these examples from around the country: . The Community Food Pantry in Merrill, Wisconsin, has distributed 12 percent more food this year than last, according to Denis McCarthy, pantry manager. Mary Louise Verkest, executive assistant for the Hope pantry, said that as the group prepares for the winter it needs residents to come forward with food drives and donations. "We would not be able to provide the resources and support to the community without the community," she said. Texas food banks distributed nearly 43 million pounds of food in the second quarter of 2010, 14 percent more than in the same period last year. Nearly 11 percent more Texans lived in poverty last year than the year before, including more than one of every four under age 18. "If these numbers don't convey a sense of urgency, I don't know what will," said J.C. Dwyer, state policy director of the Texas Food Bank Network. In Libertyville, Illinois, there are people who go to the township pantry on Tuesdays and to the pantry at the St. Joseph's Church Formation Center on Mondays and Thursdays. "It's very practical, because whatever food we give them won't last more than a few days," said Jim King at First Presbyterian Church, which operates a monthly pantry. "I think people are stretched," social worker Linda Blatnik said. "Their unemployment is running out. More seniors aren't getting an increase in their Social Security." In Gila County, Arizona, "Just about everyone is out of money and out of food," said Su Hubenthal, with the Payson St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. Local food banks eked through last winter and an increase in poverty and families losing their health insurance has compounded the problems. Last year, demand at the food bank jumped by about 50 percent and it hasn't declined since, said Hubenthal. "It just hasn't gone down." One in six people in the Tampa Bay area of Florida received some form of emergency food assistance in 2009, up 27 percent from 2006. The 627 area nonprofits that provide food aid are feeling a strain. "It's been a real eye opener into how quickly we're losing ground," said Pat Rogers, director of Feeding America Tampa Bay, a food bank serving pantries and social service agencies. In a survey conducted for the Hormel Foods Corp. by Opinion Research Corp. (which also is CNN's polling partner) more than one-quarter of those responding said that in the past year they or someone they know had to choose between providing food for their family or paying their bills. One in 10 said they personally went to bed hungry at least once in the past year. "It is disheartening to see most Americans feel the hunger problem in the U.S. will not be solved in the next 20 years," Jean Kinsey, a professor emeritus of applied economics at the University of Minnesota and director emeritus of The Food Industry Center, said in a release accompanying the study. That's not an encouraging outlook. What can you do? Volunteer at a local food bank or pantry. Personal involvement will help you understand the magnitude of the problem and you'll feel like you're doing your part to help. Donate money or food items. Individual contributions are as important as those from big charities and grocery chains. And as you enjoy your Thanksgiving meal, remember that not everyone will sit down to a table laden with food and give thanks for their good fortune. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Schechter.

The government estimates 17 million U.S. children face hunger . Community food pantries need more donations to meet winter needs . Food relief programs are distributing more food this year than last year . Most Americans don't think the hunger problem will be solved in 20 years .

(CNN) -- It was cute for a while. We had some fun. And a few Americans even learned to locate South Korea on a map. (I think it's near Pittsburgh.) But now it's time for all of us to come together and stop the madness. Thus, let it be known that I hereby declare October 12, 2012, as the day "Gangnam Style" died. Sorry, folks. We're done. It's officially no longer a thing. Psy seems like a really good dude, and I hate to have done this to his song, but this morning I slowly walked "Gangnam Style" out into the backyard, thanked it for the good times and shot it. "Oppa is Old Yeller style!" K-Pop star PSY: My video's more popular than me! The last straw came for me when I was searching the Web for interesting writing topics and stumbled upon yet another trending video of a group dance using this song. Too many people thought this mattered, and I just couldn't take it. Right then and there, I experienced what some people in the medical community might describe as a mild freakout. So, let me just give a big thanks to the random stranger who pulled my shaking, half-naked body out of the storm gutter near my house. Actually, that was last week and totally unrelated. But, nevertheless, thanks. iReport: Gangnam style from Pittsburg State University . Now, before I go any further, I probably need to stop and explain "Gangnam Style" to my mom and dad, who, at this moment, are completely lost. "Honey, do you have any idea what Jarrett's talking about?" "Shhhh. Golf Channel." Basically, Mom and Dad, "Gangnam Style" is a fun, catchy pop song by South Korean artist Psy. The official music video debuted on YouTube on July 15, went crazy viral and has since earned more than 430 million views. That said, dear parents, "Gangnam Style" is more than just a song. It's also a dance (sort of) whose main signature move can best be described as riding a horse or, perhaps, fornicating with a kangaroo. So, you know, enjoy that little visual, and I'll see you at Thanksgiving. As for the title: It actually refers to a posh district in Seoul where people are considered trendy and lavish, and the video colorfully exaggerates this uber-affluent lifestyle. In other words, one might say Beverly Hills is Gangnam Style. T.J. Maxx is not. (Though there does appear to be a T.J. Maxx in Beverly Hills, Michigan. Discuss.) For historical comparison, at least in my lifetime, I suppose the closest thing we've ever had to "Gangnam Style" was "Macarena" by Los del Rio. While the song "Macarena" -- and its signature dance, THE Macarena -- didn't enjoy the luxury of YouTube, it did somehow manage to become an international sensation in the mid-'90s. If you were at a party or a sporting event or (seriously) even the Democratic National Convention, you were (by penalty of death) required to dance the Macarena. And to this day, I still know it by heart. North Korean video evokes 'Gangnam Style' to taunt South Korean candidate . Mind you, I can barely remember what I was doing 30 seconds ago, but even after more than 15 years, I absolutely, positively recall every last move of the Macarena. Just to be sure, I demonstrated it for our 23-year-old intern and then asked if she'd like me to teach it to her. Her wise response: "Do I have to?" So we've long since rid ourselves of "Macarena," and now we say goodbye to "Gangnam Style." They're not a perfect comparison, for as best as I can tell, "Gangnam Style" isn't necessarily a fully composed dance but more of a song that features several signature dance moves. I already described the main one, and the other biggie looks like some sort of crazed, hyper-animated version of the Axl Rose. Well, at least from back in the day when the Guns 'n Roses frontman didn't have to move around stage on a Rascal. The point is this: "Gangnam Style" is officially dead. True, the U.N. didn't grant me absolute authority to murder it in the backyard, but I assure you it's taken care of. So, no more group dancing. No more stadium JumboTrons. No more Internet parodies. It's done. Alas, I wish this old boy could've been put out to stud, but for the safety of future generations, "Gangnam Style" simply had to die. It won't see you at Thanksgiving.

I hereby declare October 12, 2012, as the day "Gangnam Style" died . The last straw was when I came upon yet another trending video of a group dance to this song . We've long since rid ourselves of "Macarena," so we say can goodbye to "Gangnam Style"?

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- Two Nigerian labor groups suspended their nationwide strike Monday over the elimination of the country's fuel subsidy and urged demonstrators to go home "in order to save lives and in the interest of national survival. The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress cited successes gained by demonstrators, including an announcement Monday by President Goodluck Jonathan slashing fuel prices, in its announcement suspending the strikes. "In the past eight days through strikes, mass rallies, shutdown, debates and street protests, Nigerians demonstrated clearly that they cannot be taken for granted and that sovereignty belongs to them," NLC President Abdulwahed Omar and Peter Esele, president of the Trade Union Congress, said in the statement. But a third organization, the Joint Action Front, issued a statement deploring the suspension and urging continued strikes and protests until the government agrees to restore gas prices to what they were before the government ended the subsidy. "Nigerians should not be discouraged by the abrupt and unwarranted suspension of strike by its Labour partner; neither should the militarization of the protest centers deter Nigerians in their resolve to rid the polity of this class of looters and profiteers that are responsible for mass poverty, unemployment, social insecurity and untold hardships of the majority of Nigerians," JAF Secretary Abiodun Aremu said in the statement. In an earlier statement on the group's blog, Aremu said the group and a related organization, the Labor and Civil Society Coalition, had decided Sunday that they would continue their strikes and mass protests after talks with the government failed. "However early this morning, our joint leadership advised Nigerians to continue the strike but (said they) should stay at home in view of the resolve by the Federal Government to unleash violence on Nigerians who want to exercise their right to protest and procession," Aremu said in the statement. The Joint Action Front is part of the National Labour Congress and has organized many of the protests and rallies against the government's decision to end the fuel subsidy. On Monday, the government deployed troops in Lagos, and military forces set up armed checkpoints at most key bridges and along major roads. Eyewitnesses told CNN that police and the army were not allowing protesters into demonstration zones, but there were no confirmed reports of violence. Scattered demonstrations began in Nigeria after Jonathan announced on January 1 that the government would end the popular fuel subsidy, which was widely seen by citizens as one of the few perks of living in the oil-rich but largely impoverished nation of more than 160 million people. The government has said the removal of subsidies would free up billions of dollars to boost the economy and improve the country's infrastructure. The removal caused the price of fuel and other goods to spike and became a rallying point for Nigerians angry over corruption and the alleged misuse of oil revenues in a country where most citizens battle grinding poverty. Fuel that had cost about 65 nairas (40 cents) before the subsidy was lifted rose to 141 nairas (86 cents). On Monday, after more than a week of protests, Jonathan announced in a speech that the government would reduce fuel prices to 97 nairas (60 cents) per liter. He cited "the hardships being suffered by Nigerians." Aremu rejected the Nigerian government's concession and said his group would only accept a return to prices before the government cut the fuel subsidy. "The people have every right to tell the presidency and this class of looters and profiteers that Nigeria belongs to Nigerians," Aremu said. It was unclear Monday whether the Nigeria Labour Congress or the Trade Union Congress would accept the fuel-price cut and call for a permanent end to the strikes and protests. Last week, a major oil union, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, had threatened to halt production in solidarity with protesters if the two sides didn't reach an agreement. A move to halt production would reverberate on the global market. Nigeria is the world's eighth-largest crude exporter. Charlie Robertson, a chief economist at the global investment firm Renaissance Capital, said earlier this month that a subsidy removal could help Nigeria in the future. "If they're prepared to try this petroleum subsidy removal then perhaps they can push through electricity reform, too. If they do that, Nigeria's growth can be, instead of 7%-8% a year, 10% or 11%," Robertson said. But there is a widespread lack of trust in the government to provide the infrastructure; Nigeria is regularly ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world. Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said Nigerians should not let the past determine the future. She said the goal now is to regain the citizens' trust and move forward. "They cannot say because of mistakes in the past the country should not move forward," she said. CNN's Brian Walker contributed to this report .

NEW: Nigerian Joint Action Front calls for continued strikes over fuel subsidy . The Nigeria Labor Congress suspends strikes and protests, citing progress . President Goodluck Jonathan announced a reduction in fuel prices on Monday . Nigeria has been wracked by protests for more than a week over the end of a fuel subsidy .

(CNN) -- Thirty years ago, on the basis of "Alien" and "Blade Runner," Ridley Scott looked as if he might become the most important sci-fi director of his time. No matter that Harrison Ford played Rick Deckard in "Blade Runner," the way Scott made that picture it was as if "Star Wars" never happened. Of course "Blade Runner" flopped on its initial theatrical release, and ever since Scott has restricted his time-travelling to the other direction: period epics like "Gladiator," "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Robin Hood." Until now that is, when the 74-year-old has decided to go back to the future, with a movie that's a prequel, sort of, to his first big hit "Alien." Ironically "Prometheus" starts in the far-distant past, and though the opening shots look like another world it turns out we're seeing a primordial Isle of Skye, a remote outcrop off the coast of Scotland. Flash forward several millennia, 77 years from today. Cave paintings discovered at this location convince an aging businessman to bankroll a wildly ambitious interstellar mission. It's said that "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry only ever had one story idea, the one where Kirk and crew met their maker. It's giving nothing away to say that Roddenberry would have liked "Prometheus." So too Erich von Daniken, whose "Chariots of the Gods" is an obvious influence. As in "Alien," a small crew wakes up from cryogenic sleep. The ship has been tended by a humanoid robot, David (Michael Fassbender), who's been boning up on ancient languages and rewatching "Lawrence of Arabia" during transit. If he models his forelock on Peter O'Toole, it seems like a good bet he's modulated his soft, impassive vocal pattern on HAL, the ship computer in "2001." You may not believe it, but next to nothing happens in the movie's first hour and more. And this is probably the most effective and impressive part of the ride. The slow, atmospheric ascent to the top of the roller coaster as scientist Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and colleagues (they include Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Idris Elba and Charlize Theron) explore the mysterious planet LV-223. Not many filmmakers have the nerve to make us wait these days, but Scott knows his audience is primed for exploding chests and toothy extraterrestrials, and he enjoys playing on our trepidation while showing off the stunning production design. Even so, before long the movie feels rushed. When things start to slide for Shaw and her partner (Logan Marshall-Green) it's like watching a drag racer spinning its wheels, kicking up dust to hit the checkered flag at 90 miles per hour. Screenwriters Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof have devised some ingeniously nasty set pieces, but after that deliberate build-up it's disappointing that it still feels like corners are being cut. There is nothing to match the shocking biological horror that erupted in "Alien," but you couldn't accuse them of giving up without a fight. Scott has assembled an engagingly rough and ready, workmanlike cast, but doesn't give them anything interesting to say for themselves. Theron's brittle executive officer is just too close to caricature, and she's not the only one either. Although she's likeable enough I can't see Noomi Rapace's Shaw proving as durable as Sigourney Weaver's Ripley either. The movie's stand out is clearly Fassbender. So it's too bad David's actions don't make a lot of sense, at least not to this perplexed viewer, who couldn't be sure if the robot was following orders or following his own agenda. The more you think about this movie, the less it stands up. Scott's philosophical grandstanding is just that; there's less here than meets the eye. Mind you, it is spectacular. Dariusz Wolski's visuals are lustrous to behold, the CGI is amazing, and Scott proves adept at handling 3D. This is one sci-fi movie with a palpable sense of space. And I'll say this: even if the movie's logic ultimately spirals down into a vortex of hysteria, horror and hokum, I enjoyed the bulldozer intensity of the climax, which barely keeps a lid on the crackpot cult movie that's wrestling for the soul of this multimillion dollar blockbuster. It may not be quite the "Alien" resurrection we were all hoping for -- Wait! They already used that one! -- but it's at least as good as the second and third sequels.

In "Prometheus" Elizabeth Shaw and colleagues explore the mysterious planet LV-223 . Ridley Scott knows his audience is primed for exploding chests and toothy extraterrestrials . There is nothing to match the shocking biological horror that erupted in "Alien"

(CNN)January 26, 2015 . I've been here 10 days now, and spent last weekend on call at ELWA Hospital, the 55-bed facility that SIM runs just outside Monrovia, Liberia's capital city. The news here is good -- the Ebola epidemic really seems to be coming to an end. But in the health care setting in particular, its effects will be felt for many months to come. Many outward changes have been made at ELWA due to the Ebola crisis. All patients, staff and visitors now enter the hospital compound through a single gate where people must wash their hands with bleach and have their temperatures checked before entry. Bleach is everywhere throughout the hospital. Staff members with sprayers wash down the floors multiple times per day. They are on hand after surgeries or other exposures to blood or body fluids to decontaminate staff before they take off their gowns and gloves. Temporary buildings have been erected to house our outpatient clinic, because our old clinic became part of the Ebola Treatment Unit, ELWA-2. But for the most part, ELWA Hospital is up and running, and most beds are full. For me personally, the first week was about confronting the reality of death. Many patients die in the hospital -- this should not be a surprise, right? But emotionally it is a challenge to face mortality so frequently. We counseled several patients about their metastatic cancer this week, presenting them with the hard information that the cancer had progressed beyond a stage where anything could be done from the medical point of view. We talk with these patients privately, off the busy ward; then, along with the hospital's chaplain, we pray for them if they wish. The comfort and compassion we offer, along with an honest explanation in plain language, are important hallmarks of the work we do. Friday, we had a 5-month-old infant arrive from Buchanan, about a three-hour drive down the coast, in very critical condition with pneumonia, sepsis and a distended abdomen. Very few hospitals have opened, so ELWA was the closest one the family could get to. Sadly, she died about 30 minutes after arriving. Although we doubted this child had Ebola, we wore protective gear as we tried to revive her and then performed an Ebola test to be sure, which turned out to be negative. Thinking about the possibility of Ebola is going to be with us for a long time, maybe forever. Later, we received a woman in her 40s who had been sick for about six months. She had lost weight and was so weak she was unable to walk. Examination revealed a mass that seemed most consistent with ovarian cancer. She died during the night. We might not have been able to help her if she had come to a hospital sooner, because of the type of cancer she had, but if she had known her condition, her end of life journey might have been different. We mourn with these families and others who are losing their loved ones not to Ebola virus, but certainly to the greater impact the epidemic has had on the health care system. The bright spot for the weekend was doing two cesarean sections on Sunday with Rebecca, a Canadian doctor in her first year out of residency. The first was a patient with a transverse lie (the baby lying sideways in the womb); the second a woman who had a big baby and not enough space to deliver. Both of these babies came out alive and responded to some basic resuscitation, with crying and healthy color. That was a relief, and was unlike August, when delays in getting to the hospital caused most of our deliveries and C-sections to be stillbirths. Finally, in the middle of the night I was called to go to the hospital to evaluate a woman who had delivered an hour and a half before. She had suddenly become dizzy and weak and then gone into shock. By the time I got there, despite IV fluids and oxygen, we had lost her. This was an unusual case -- one minute she was sitting up playing with her new baby and talking with the staff, and just a few minutes later she was gasping. She most likely had an amniotic fluid embolism, in which amniotic fluid entered her bloodstream and got into her lungs, a rare and catastrophic event which, even in the developed world, has an 85% mortality rate as patients quickly go into shock. All through Monday, my heart was heavy from the losses of the weekend. I think my co-workers felt the same way. But as we sang hymns and prayed during morning devotions on Tuesday, we experienced a sense of unity and a release of our sadness. During the song "I Surrender All," the person leading devotions encouraged us to take the challenges we faced and the feelings that overwhelmed us and surrender them to Jesus, who loves us and shares our grief as we do this work in His name. It was just a relief to lay it all down at the feet of Jesus, restoring my spirit to be ready to care for the next patient who needs our compassion and concern.

Dr. Rick Sacra survived Ebola and is back in Africa, caring for patients . He describes the triumphs and heartbreaks of his first days back . Effects of Ebola epidemic will be felt for many months to come, he writes .

(CNN) -- Nearly a year ago, a big-budget film crew found itself in a most unlikely setting for a movie shoot. Filming on location in Tunisia at the outbreak of the Arab Spring, the international cast of actors and crew wound up at the center of an uprising that would eventually sweep through the region, toppling governments in its wake. Almost 12 months on from those tumultuous events, Tunisia has had its elections, and the movie -- billed as an Arab epic -- is hitting cinema screens. "Black Gold" is an ambitious production that unites Hollywood and Bollywood stars with Arab talent. The story of two tribes fighting over a stretch of desert during the oil boom of the 1930s, it's being billed as the biggest Arab movie since "Lawrence of Arabia." Its producers no doubt hope that what's captured on film will live up to the off-screen drama surrounding its creation -- and appeal to Western audiences as well as those in the Middle East. Indian actress Freida Pinto, best known for her role in smash hit "Slumdog Millionaire," plays Princess Lallah. She say she decided to stay in Tunisia when the revolution broke out shortly after filming began, partly as a gesture of solidarity with Tunisians. "I just felt that if I can just give my support to my Tunisian friends, the ones who I had spent a lot of time with for almost a month, in any possible way, this would be it," said the 27-year-old. "Just stay back and support them and tell them that, you know, things are going to be fine eventually and they just have to fight it out. "So, I stayed back and it felt great." French-Algerian actor Tahar Rahim plays a prince at the center of a family battle, forced to choose between traditional values and the new world of opportunity offered by oil. Rahim says he could see a parallel between the film's theme -- the youth fighting against a repressive older order -- and the recent political upheaval. "This is destiny," he said. "We began the movie weeks before the revolution ... that's strange, the parallel between the movie and the news." Perhaps best known for his role in 2009's "A Prophet," Rahim rejects his billing as the first Arab actor to lead a Hollywood film, saying that honor belongs to "Lawrence of Arabia" star Omar Sharif, who appeared at the film's premiere. Sharif had been offered the role of the Emir Nassib, played in the film by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, when the idea for "Black Gold" was initially floated by Tunisian film-maker Tarek Ben Amar 35 years ago. Ben Amar, the man who persuaded Hollywood directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas to shoot "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" in his country, said key plot points in the film mirrored political events during the uprising. Former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled office on the same day the crew shot a scene in which Banderas' character, Nassib, "loses his empire to his son-in-law, who should be the future of that country," said the producer. "There was some interesting parallels." French director Jean-Jacques Annaud said he felt in a "cocoon" from the drama of the revolution during filming. "I remember being on the set in Hammamet and being interviewed by CNN and they said 'So, what about the revolution?' I said 'It's strange, I feel here I'm in the '30s, and outside I'm not really sure what's happening.'" Despite this, he said, the film-makers "knew that the story in the contemporary world was reflecting the problems we were talking about in the movie. "So it was very fascinating, and having all my crew, who were Tunisian, being so involved in what was happening in the cities around us, made our movie even more thoughtful and timeless." Annaud said he had wanted to make the film since he first visited the region 20 years ago and discovered a very different society from what he had been led to expect. "People didn't really understand this part of the world. They didn't understand the generosity, the hospitality," he said. "I felt very happy and I wanted to make a movie about this part of the world. And I was impatient to do it because I felt something was needed urgently." English actor Mark Strong said the role of Amar was the second or third Arab character he had played, and he hoped Arab actors would get the same opportunity to play characters from a different background. "Why shouldn't Arabs get the chance to play whoever they want, whether they are from Algeria, Qatar, whoever (wherever)?" he said. "Black Gold" premiered on the opening night of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. The film was also shot in Qatar, which provided funding for the production through the Doha Film Institute.

Drama "Black Gold" unites stars of Hollywood, Bollywood and Middle Eastern film cinema . The story follows two tribes fighting over a stretch of desert during the 1930s oil boom . On location, the cast found themselves filming in Tunisa at the start of the revolution .

(CNN) -- I am the granddaughter of an elementary school cook and a woman who cleaned other people's homes. Both my grandmothers worked hard and didn't earn much money, but they encouraged their children to get an education. Although starting from limited economic circumstances, my parents both earned a college education and were able to attain a middle-class lifestyle to raise me and my siblings. I, their daughter, went on to receive a Ph.D. Unfortunately, this type of upward mobility is much less likely for the children of maids and school cooks today. A decent job and a decent life should be a possibility for anyone who makes an effort. As a nation, this was more likely in our past than in the present. A college education should be affordable to anyone who is willing to do the work, but that is no longer our reality. As the likelihood of a college degree and economic security becomes less attainable for a significant portion of the population, the future of the United States will be in jeopardy. Late last month, Congress passed a bill that will keep student-loan interest rates from doubling, just days before the deadline. It's an important step in keeping college affordable, but student-loan interest rates are only one piece in a complex puzzle that shapes how income level and educational opportunity are linked -- and the effects begin years before a student might apply for loans. Even children with proven academic ability fall behind if they grow up in families that are poor. By the age of 3, one study showed, poor children already have half the vocabulary of higher-income children. Another study showed that children in high-risk social and economic environments can start in the top 25% academically at the age of 4 but fall to the bottom by the time they are in high school. In a similar example, only 29% of the highest-achieving eighth-graders complete college if they come from low-income families. In contrast, 30% of the lowest-achieving eighth-graders and 74% of the highest-achieving eighth-graders complete college if they come from high-income families. Until we get to a point where ability and effort predictably lead to greater educational attainment and improved outcomes, many kids will stop trying because the obstacles become too daunting. As a social work researcher, I've shown that race greatly influences economic standing, with children of color being the most likely to be poor and have no assets. Children start out very similarly up until about 2. Then economic circumstances start to influence outcomes, and children begin to diverge in achievement before they even enter school. These disparities continue even once formal education begins. My research also shows that children with limited economic resources are more likely to live in disadvantaged neighborhoods and face toxic stress that can lead to permanent lowered brain functioning, further limiting educational achievement. Even middle-class families are now concerned that their children will not be able to succeed. Until we provide a pathway of success for all children, regardless of economic standing, it will be hard to sustain a strong and vibrant society and economy. There are proven tools to increase opportunity for children if we have the political will to implement them, things such as universal high-quality preschool and child savings accounts that provide resources to reach long-term goals. Some might think that a child's educational future is the responsibility of that child's parents alone. Others believe that enough government money already goes to help poor people. Only 32% of entitlement benefits and 2.8% of tax expenditure benefits go to the lowest-income earners. And many programs, such as rental assistance and child care, don't reach everyone who is eligible. But regardless of what you think about the current mix of government programs, educational outcomes are too tightly linked to parents' economic status. Many children start out school eager to learn and wanting to achieve. But as it seems that no one cares about their efforts and their basic needs are not being met with each passing grade, they start to become less engaged in school and search for other ways to survive. This is tragic and unacceptable. Others predict that charter schools will reduce achievement gaps. While charter and independent schools do well for some low-income children, their record is still mixed. Consequently, it is nearly impossible to find a low-income area where all schools perform well, whether charter, public or private. Unless we want a "Waiting for Superman" society of lotteries and waiting lists for parents seeking a decent education for their child, the ultimate goal is to ensure all schools, no matter how they are organized, provide a quality education. My parents, even as poor black children, could pursue their dreams growing up in the 1960s, when opportunity was expanding for all. Times have changed. As we better understand the way economic circumstances dictate life options, perhaps we will get outraged and demand a nation that helps develop potential rather than allow it to go to waste. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Trina R. Shanks.

Upward mobility is much less likely today for working-class children, says Trina R. Shanks . Income level and educational opportunity are linked, and effects begin early, she says . Even children with proven academic ability fall behind if they are poor, says Shanks . Shanks: Our nation must help develop children's potential rather than let it go to waste .

(CNN) -- Q: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is releasing new guidelines on cervical cancer screenings. What's changed? A: In the 1930s, cervical cancer was the deadliest women's cancer in America. At that time, it killed more women each year than breast or lung cancer. But over the past 80 years, there has been a tremendous decline in the death rate from cervical cancer because of improvements in treatment and screening. Today, death from cervical cancer is relatively rare in the U.S. In 2009, about 4,000 American women died of cancer of the cervix. A review of the medical history of these women showed that the overwhelming majority had never had cervical cancer screening, and most who did were screened more than 10 years before diagnosis. This week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is announcing new recommendations for Pap tests to screen women for cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) have also teamed up to publish screening recommendations. Both the task force and the collaborative groups reviewed scientific literature and came to similar conclusions. Both sets of guidelines were published Wednesday. The USPSTF guidelines were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The ACS, ASCCP and ASCP guidelines were published jointly in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease and the American Journal of Clinical Pathology. It is hoped that these guidelines will lead to less confusion for health care providers and the public. The new guidelines advise women to reduce the number of tests they receive over their lifetime. This will ensure that women receive the benefits of testing while minimizing the risks. Most surprising of these recommendations is that women under age 21 should not be tested. But it makes sense -- many sexually active women under 21 will develop a human papillomavirus infection, or HPV, which can lead to pre-cancerous lesions. And when doctors see those lesions on a Pap test, they want to treat them. Yet nearly all of those lesions will disappear on their own without residual effects. And those that do not are easily treated years later. Treating them as soon as they're spotted can lead to cervical incompetence and miscarriage down the road. The task force has also recommended that women over 21 undergo a Pap test screening every three years, instead of annually. This, too, fits with what we know about this disease: HPV can take more than a decade to progress to cervical dysplasia or cancer. Now to the basics. The ACS-ASCCP-ASCP recommendations include these changes from the previous ACS guidelines: . • All women should start screening at age 21. No longer is screening recommended three years after starting vaginal intercourse. • Women aged 21 to 29 should get a Pap test (conventional or liquid-based) every three years. The statement specifically recommends against annual Pap testing. The former guideline called for a conventional Pap test every year, or a liquid-based Pap test every two years, for this age group. • For women 30 and over, Pap tests should be done every three years. The guidelines recommend against annual or more frequent Pap testing for this age group. The previous guidelines said women 30 and over who have had three normal Pap tests in a row may be tested less often -- every two to three years. • Combining the Pap test with HPV testing every three to five years is the preferred strategy for women aged 30 and older. • Screening is not recommended for women 65 or older who have had three or more normal Pap tests in a row and no abnormal Pap test results in the past 10 years, or who have had two or more negative HPV tests in the past 10 years. Additional recommendations are also included in the proposed guidelines: . • Women who have a normal Pap result and a positive HPV test result should repeat both tests or receive a gene test called genotyping that determines if they have HPV 16 and 18. These types of HPVs are known to cause 70% of cervical cancers. There is no immediate need for a colposcopy. (HPV 16 and 18 are the most common causes of cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer.) • Women with a mildly abnormal Pap result (called ASC-US) and a negative HPV test result should follow up with either HPV testing plus a Pap test, or HPV testing alone, at intervals of three years or longer. • Women who have been vaccinated against HPV should begin cervical cancer screening at the same age as unvaccinated women, i.e. at age 21. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of CNN or the American Cancer Society.

In 2009, about 4,000 U.S. women died of cervix cancer . New recommendations: Women under 21 should not be tested . Combining the Pap test and HPV testing every 3 to 5 years is preferred for ages 30 and older .

Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Three of the top four vote-getters in Sunday's parliamentary elections in Greece will meet Tuesday at the presidential palace to form a coalition government, an official with the socialist party Pasok told CNN. The official spoke not for attribution because the talks were at a critical juncture. "As wide as possible cooperation ... should happen at the latest tomorrow evening," said Evangelos Venizelos, head of the Pasok Party, which placed third. The center-right New Democracy Party took first place in the vote. Its candidate, Antonis Samaras, has three days to cobble together a government. "There should be government of national salvation with as many parties as possible," Samaras told reporters. Democratic Party of the Left's leader, Fotis Kouvelis, held talks Monday that the New Democracy leader described as "constructive." The party's platform has supported the bailouts while seeking to renegotiate the terms. With almost all ballots counted, New Democracy had won nearly 30% of the vote, the Interior Ministry said. That gives the party 129 seats in the country's 300-seat parliament, forcing it to seek other coalition members from the fragmented field to form a majority. Alexis Tsipras, the leader of the leftist Syriza party, which came in second, met with Samaras but said Monday he would not back a coalition. "History and the people will judge them by their results," Tsipras said of the parties backing the existing bailout deal with the creditors who are keeping Greece afloat. "Shortly we will be vindicated." What will Greek elections mean for the country's future? He said his party's nearly 27% showing had forced Greek leaders to realize the bailout is "nonviable," and said Syriza would press as a member of the opposition for the bailouts to be scrapped. An official with Syriza told CNN that no one from the party was planning to attend the meeting. Syriza, which campaigned against the terms of the bailout, got 71 seats. Pasok, which long dominated Greek politics, won 33. Four smaller parties took fewer than two dozen seats each. The vote was widely seen as a referendum on whether Greece should remain in the euro, the currency used by 325 million people across 17 countries in Europe. The possibility of a "no" vote roiled world markets, with some analysts warning that the collapse of the euro would cost $1 trillion. Asian markets reacted positively to the election results, while European and U.S. markets were mixed. Samaras said he would build a government of "parties that believe in the nation's European orientation, that believe in the euro." But he acknowledged that government budget cuts forced on the country by international lenders have caused suffering among Greeks. A wild election weekend for Greece, France and Egypt . The new government will have to make changes "in order for the Greek people to escape the torturous reality of unemployment and unbelievable difficulties that every Greek family faces today," Samaras said after meeting with the president. He faces a new round of coalition talks, six weeks after a previous election that failed to produce a government. International bailouts have kept Greece from defaulting in the face of an ongoing recession and low tax revenue, but lenders have demanded hugely unpopular government budget cuts in exchange. Eurozone finance ministers praised the election results, "which should allow for the formation of a government that will carry the support of the electorate to bring Greece back on a path of sustainable growth." Some observers had predicted that efforts to renegotiate the bailout could lead to a run on Greek banks and deeper misery. The future of Europe: 3 scenarios . "Don't underestimate the capacity of the Greek people to rise to the occasion," Petros Doukas, a former New Democracy lawmaker and deputy finance minister, told CNN. "What's very clear is the Greeks today voted, including those that voted for Syriza, in favor of the euro and the European Union," Doukas said. He predicted that Greece could negotiate better terms with its creditors, who understand "that you can only squeeze so much so fast out of a country and out of its people." Greeks have been suffering under painful austerity measures, high unemployment and a long-running recession. The country must identify additional budget cuts by the end of June to be considered compliant with the terms of its bailout. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe's powerful advocate for balancing budgets to build a strong basis for economic growth, had urged Greeks not to walk away from the international loan deals. "We will stick to the agreements. That is the basis on which Europe will prosper," she said Saturday. As economic crisis bites, Greece's children pay the price . CNN's Penny Manis, Christine Theodorou, Lonzo Cook, Richard Quest, Matthew Chance, Irene Chapple, John Defterios and Diana Magnay contributed to this report.

Three of the top four vote-getters are to meet in the presidential palace . Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras says he will not attend . Samaras, leader of center-right New Democracy, vows to put together a pro-euro coalition .

(CNN) -- There's no escaping the fact that the Human Brain Project, with its billion-dollar plan to recreate the human mind inside a supercomputer, sounds like a science fiction nightmare. But those involved hope their ambitious goal of simulating the tangle of neurons and synapses that power our thought processes could offer solutions to tackling conditions such as depression, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. The Human Brain venture is the next step in a long-running program that has already succeeded in using computers to create a virtual replica of part of a rat's neocortex -- a section of the brain believed to control higher functions such as conscious thought, movement and reasoning. Scientists at its forerunner, the Switzerland-based Blue Brain Project, have been working since 2005 to feed a computer with vast quantities of data and algorithms produced from studying tiny slivers of rodent gray matter. Last month they announced a significant advancement when they were able to use their simulator to accurately predict the location of synapses in the neocortex, effectively mapping out the complex electrical brain circuitry through which thoughts travel. Henry Markram, the South African-born neuroscientist who heads the project, said the breakthrough would have taken "decades, if not centuries" to chart using a real neocortex. He said it was proof their concept, dubbed "brain in a box" by Nature magazine, would work. Read: Mapping out a new era in brain research . Now the team are joining forces with other scientists to create the Human Brain Project. As its name suggests, they aim to scale up their model to recreate an entire human brain. It is a step that will need both a huge increase in funding and access to computers so advanced that they have yet to be built. If their current bid for €1 billion ($1.3 billion) of European Commission funding over the next 10 years is successful, Markram predicts that his computer neuroscientists are a decade away from producing a synthetic mind that could, in theory, talk and interact in the same way humans do. His bold claims have inevitably fueled comparisons to doom-laden popular fiction in which conscious machines turn on their creators and wreak havoc. The project's scientists have been referred to as "team Frankenstein" and their computer likened to "Skynet," the virtual intelligence that unleashes a robot war on humanity in the "Terminator" films. Sean Hill, a senior computational neuroscientist on the project, laughs at such comparisons. He says the computer will primarily become a repository for knowledge about the brain that will allow scientists to conduct experiments without the need to probe inside people's skulls. Read: $1 billion mission to reach the Earth's mantle . "This is a tool for research, not a giant simulated brain that is going to rule the world," he said. "Right now, we're in a crisis in neuroscience. There's a lot of wonderful data being gathered but we don't have a place where we can put those experimental results together and understand their implications. "The benefit of having this facility is you have a place to integrate the data into a model where you can test predictions and start to learn principles of how the brain operates." The computing power needed to build the model is phenomenal. Simply to replicate one of the 10,000 neuron brain cells involved in the rat experiment took the processing capacity usually found in a single laptop. To simulate a fully functioning human brain, it would take billions. Hill says that such computational power -- known as exascale -- will be available by the end of the decade. The Human Brain Project's scientists are hoping to work with supercomputer developers to ensure future machines match their requirements. But, even as the team touts its experiments as a possible solution to the brain diseases that affect about two billion people worldwide, they have attracted critics who say their work is far too broad in scope to achieve usable results. Professor Terry Sejnowski, head of the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, has been quoted as saying the Blue Brain project is "bound to fail." Read: How the search for aliens can help sustain life on Earth . He told CNN via email that "progress is being made but there is still a long way to go before we will understand the computational capabilities of cortical circuits." He added: "We are just beginning to appreciate how complex our brains are, far beyond any other device in the known universe." Sean Hill said the team hoped it was answering skeptics with its achievements so far. "It's just a matter of keeping on doing it. Let's keep improving these tools and open them up so that many scientists are engaged and collaborating and using it as common point to bring the data together," he said. "The only way to address the critics is to keep working, showing the positive results and do the best we can -- and that is starting to happen."

Human Brain Project will use supercomputers to mimic tangle of neurons and synapses that power our thoughts . Scientists say the simulator could offer new insight into the treatment of brain disease like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's . "Brain in a box" is unlikely to transform into sci-fi-style computer bent on world domination, scientists say .

(CNN) -- Forces loyal to self-declared Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo on Saturday attacked the hotel where Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized president of the country, is staying, a spokesman for the United Nations said. U.N. forces in Abidjan fired back, said Hamadoun Toure, spokesman for the U.N. mission in the Ivory Coast. "We stand ready to protect the Golf Hotel, as we have a mandate," he told CNN. Toure added that Gbagbo loyalists continue to control three main areas -- the presidential palace, Gbagbo's residence and the state television station, RTI. He said the French military and U.N. forces are in charge of the Abidjan port. Elsewhere on Saturday, French forces aborted a mission to evacuate diplomatic staff after drawing fire from forces loyal to Gbagbo, believed to have been all but defeated earlier in the week. The evacuation was deemed too risky for those involved, said French Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Thierry Burkhard, who declined to comment on the nationality or location of the diplomats. The French ambassador's residence came under fire Friday, according to Frederic Daguillon, commander of French forces in Ivory Coast. He reported rocket-propelled grenades and two mortar shells landing on the residence. He said the fire came from positions held by Gbagbo's men, who appeared to be regaining ground. "French helicopters opened fire in self-defense, they returned fire in self-defense and destroyed an armored vehicle," Daguillon said. Meanwhile, efforts were under way to restore some semblance of normalcy in Abidjan, Ivory Coast's largest city. Commercial flights resumed at the Abidjan airport Saturday and the port was reopened, Burkhard said. Crews were concentrating on restoring water and electricity to residents who have gone without for days after forces loyal to Ouattara entered the city last week. Violence erupted after Ivory Coast's disputed presidential election in November and escalated into all-out war when Ouattara's forces launched an offensive that brought them into Abidjan. Ouattara is the internationally recognized president of Ivory Coast. His rival, Gbagbo, has refused to cede power, the political stalemate plunging the West African nation into crisis. Gbagbo's forces used a lull in fighting this week as a "trick" to reinforce their positions around the Abidjan, according to Alain Le Roy, the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations. They said Tuesday they wanted a peaceful solution to the monthslong fighting but soon resumed shelling both the U.N. headquarters and the civilian population, Le Roy told reporters at the United Nations. Since then, they have regained control of two central areas of Abidjan and fighting is continuing, Le Roy said Friday, after briefing the U.N. Security Council on developments in the cocoa-producing nation. "They have clearly used the lull of Tuesday as a trick to reinforce their position," he said. Mark Toner, acting deputy spokesman for the U.S. State Department, released a statement Saturday echoing that idea. "It is clear that Gbagbo's attempts at negotiation this week were nothing more than a ruse to regroup and rearm. Gbagbo's continued attempt to force a result that he could not obtain at the ballot box reveals his callous disregard for the welfare of the Ivoirian people, who will again suffer amid renewed heavy fighting in Abidjan," he said. Most areas of the capital, however, are now under U.N. or French military control, journalist Seyi Rhodes reported from the French military base in Port Bouet. The French military has been working to reconnect the disrupted water and electricity supply in what is the country's main city. On Saturday, Rhodes -- who was on patrol with the French military -- said he visited Cocody, an upscale suburb of Abidjan, where Gbagbo lives. Major evacuations were conducted there, he said, describing residents running with multiple pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage in tow. Rhodes traveled with the French military through Abidjan on Friday and reported seeing civilians in the streets, including one woman selling food, which he took as a positive sign. Pro-Gbagbo forces have heavy weapons including tanks, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades and are using them "as we speak, against the civilian population" and U.N. headquarters, Le Roy said. "Those who are saying there are no more heavy weapons -- that Mr. Gbagbo has no more heavy weapons -- it's a lie," he said. An Abidjan resident told CNN that people were now out and about on the streets but there were no public buses or taxis running. The resident said people were walking to markets and were able to buy food -- mainly rice. CNN's Aliza Kassim contributed to this report.

Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo attack the Golf Hotel, a U.N. official says . The French mission was to evacuate diplomatic staff in Abidjan . French forces came under fire from Gbagbo loyalists . Some semblance of normalcy is returning in Abidjan .

(CNN) -- When the English Premier League season began, Liverpool wasn't thought to be one of the title contenders. The Reds might be changing the minds of a few after beating Manchester United, traditionally its fiercest rival, 1-0 at Anfield thanks to another goal from birthday boy Daniel Sturridge. Liverpool owns a perfect 3-0 record in the league -- its best start in nearly 20 years -- and has yet to concede. And this without still suspended forward Luis Suarez. "I think we've been working hard as a team since the start of the season," Sturridge, who turned 24, told Sky Sports. "In pre-season the manager emphasized that. "It's about the team, not about individuals, and it's showing on the field the dedication we've put in on the training ground." Sturridge reacted quickest to Daniel Agger's headed flick off a corner kick in the fourth minute Sunday and Liverpool was mostly comfortable thereafter. New keeper Simon Mignolet was indeed rarely tested despite United having most of the possession, with United striker Robin van Persie squandering his team's top chance in the dying minutes. "It is a great win for our belief," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was quoted as saying by the BBC. "Last season we drew too many of the big games and we lost both times to Manchester United." The visitors' cause wasn't helped beforehand when Wayne Rooney was ruled out after suffering a head injury in training. He is set to miss England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Sturridge could be the man to fill the void in the starting lineup, already netting five times in all competitions, although he continues to carry a slight thigh injury. While Liverpool has started the campaign strong, Manchester United fell to one win, one loss and one draw under new manager David Moyes. "I thought we played really well," Moyes was quoted as saying by the BBC. "We had long periods of the game but couldn't score." The slow start will likely increase Moyes' desire to land a new player or two ahead of Monday's transfer deadline in England. United has been quiet in the market in the off-season, thus far failing to lure midfielder Cesc Fabregas away from Barcelona. A bid for Everton pair Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini was also rejected. "We will keep working for what's left of the window but I've got to say I was really happy with the performance here," Moyes said. "Maybe in the next few hours we will get a chance to do something but we couldn't give you a heads-up on anything." There was a minute's applause for legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly on the eve of what would have been his 100th birthday and the atmosphere seemed to lift the home side. Agger beat United defender Rio Ferdinand to the ball on the corner and then Sturridge poked it into the net with his head. "I just anticipated the header from Dan," said Sturridge. Unable to create much going forward, United's frustration grew and van Persie exchanged angry words with Steven Gerrard. Mignolet was comfortable in keeping out Nani's drive in the 77th minute and then van Persie shot wide -- with his right foot -- from a tight angle off Javier Hernandez's through ball in the 87th. Another hot striker . Sturridge isn't the only hot striker in the Premier League. Olivier Giroud matched him by scoring for the third straight time in the league and Arsenal blanked a Tottenham without Gareth Bale 1-0 at the Gunners' Emirates Stadium. Giroud, bought last year to help fill the void created by van Persie's move to United, converted Theo Walcott's low cross in the 23rd minute. Both keepers had to be sharp in an open North London derby but especially Tottenham's Hugo Lloris, who denied Walcott and Giroud. Tottenham poured forward in a frantic finish, though couldn't find an equalizer. Spurs and Arsenal now have identical records in the league at two wins and a loss. While Tottenham has made seven signings this summer in anticipation of Bale's probable transfer to Real Madrid, Arsenal has merely brought in two free transfers even with ample funds available. Manager Arsene Wenger, however, hinted it could be a busy Monday. "Maybe we'll have a good surprise for you," he told Sky Sports. "We're working very hard." In the lone other game in the Premier League, Swansea recorded its first league win by downing still-winless West Bromwich Albion 2-0 away. French striker Nicolas Anelka returned for West Brom after taking time off due to the death of his agent.

Daniel Sturridge scores his fifth goal this season as Liverpool beats Manchester United . Liverpool is off to its best start in nearly 20 years and has yet to concede in the league . Manchester United played without striker Wayne Rooney, who was injured in training . Arsenal beat Tottenham 1-0 in the North London derby after a goal from Olivier Giroud .

Donetsk, Ukraine (CNN)Diplomats were left scrambling Tuesday as a truce between the government in Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists was falling apart. The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted, 15-0, to approve a resolution calling on all parties to abide by the ceasefire, which is proving to have more pull on paper than on the ground. Five more Ukrainian service members have been killed in the past 24 hours, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Tuesday, the same day as the U.N. vote. Council members issued a statement expressing "grave concern at the continued fighting in and around Debaltseve, Ukraine, which has resulted in numerous civilian casualties." The members asked for detainees to be treated "humanely." "We've gotten used to living in an upside down world with respect to Ukraine. Russia speaks of peace and then fuels conflict. Russia signs agreements and then does everything within its power to undermine them," Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told council members. "We are caught in a deadly feedback loop. International leaders engage in rigorous exhaustive negotiations to get Russia to commit to peace ... yet Russia's commitments have no bearing on the actions of its soldiers and the separatists they back on the ground," she said. For its part, Russia continues to urge dialogue on political and constitutional issues. "Since the very start of the crisis, Russia has actively called for a peaceful settlement," Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador, told council members. On Monday, Ukrainian Defense spokesman Andriy Lysenko reported five deaths from the previous day and at least 129 violations of the ceasefire since it went into effect at midnight Saturday. And there are more signs that the international efforts to stop the bloodshed are failing. Heavy clashes broke out Tuesday in Debaltseve, but both the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists say they are not backing down. Debaltseve is a crucial city because it a strategic railroad hub in eastern Ukraine. The separatists have taken over 80% of Debaltseve, said Eduard Basurin, self-declared deputy defense minister of the rebel Donetsk People's Republic. He also said the separatists now have 60 Ukrainian prisoners of war. CNN cannot independently verify those claims. Lysenko said Ukrainian troops are holding their positions in Debaltseve in response to the rebels' attacks. A planned meeting between Ukrainian officials, pro-Russian separatists and European officials about the shaky ceasefire was canceled after one of the parties failed to show up, a European diplomat familiar with the talks told CNN. It is not clear what other reasons may have led to the cancellation. Members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe were slated to participate in the meeting. On Tuesday, Russia and Ukraine reiterated their agreement to let OSCE monitors observe the ceasefire in Debaltseve. During a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko agreed to "concrete steps" that would provide OSCE monitors access, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said. Russia has denied widespread allegations it is supporting the pro-Russian separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine. Poroshenko has warned that if the separatists do not abide by the ceasefire, he will impose martial law throughout Ukraine's territory. In the beleaguered village of Shyrokyno, Ukrainian forces struggle to keep control of the territory. "Right now, only about a third of the village is under our control," a machine gunner named Yury told CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. Separatists shelled Ukrainian forces with mortars, and both sides skirmished when rebels assaulted government troops with small arms and armored vehicles, said Dmytro Chalov, a spokesman for Ukraine's army in the Mariupol sector. Two Ukrainian security forces were wounded, he said. Oleg Shiryayev, commander of Ukraine's East Corpus battalion, said the ceasefire "is a farce." "The fighting is continuing now the way it did before," Shiryayev told Pleitgen. "They continue to attack us, shell us; they use artillery, mortars." But it's impossible to tell which side is responsible for breaking the ceasefire in Shyrokyno. To some residents, it doesn't matter. "The fighting is very heavy. All the windows (of) our house are broken," one woman said. "It is very terrifying. We saved all our lives to buy our house, and now we have nothing." CNN's Holly Yan wrote and reported from Atlanta, and CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reported from Donetsk. CNN's Khushbu Shah, Claudia Rebaza, Richard Roth and Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

"We are caught in a deadly feedback loop," says the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations . Violence erupts in Debaltseve; separatists say they have 60 Ukrainian prisoners of war . Official: Five more Ukrainian service members have been killed in the past 24 hours .

London (CNN) -- To Iraqi artist Hanaa' Malallah her shoes are weapons of mass destruction that appear in many of her works. Her inspiration is an incident in 2008, when Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw his shoes at former president George W. Bush, five years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The invasion was aimed at rooting out Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, but U.S. inspectors eventually conceded that he did not have any. Malallah's exhibition, "Iraq -- How, Where, For Whom?" held jointly with the British duo kennardphillipps, opens in London on Friday April 20. Her shoes appear in a photograph labeled I.W.M.D (Iraq's Weapon's of Mass Destruction). They are also embroidered on an American flag, on an Iraqi flag, and the originals are in a glass display case. "They are my shoes," said Malallah. "I bought them after I arrived in Britain and I used them for three years." She added: "Shoes are our way of resistance. It's all we have. My resistance is through art." Malallah, formerly a university art lecturer in Baghdad, says she left Iraq in late 2006 after two of her colleagues were killed and she received threats from militias. She now lives in Britain. "They started to kill a lot of academics," she said. "I was a woman without a headscarf, teaching in the university and I received threats, so I had to leave. "Two months after I left, a group of militias entered my home and stole everything. My sister called to say my flat had gone. "I don't have anyone left there now and I think I would lose my life just like that if I went back. It's hard. There are no words to describe it, so I use my art to explain." Also on Inside the Middle East: Can Baghdad be beautiful again? Malallah said her art reflects three decades of living with war in Iraq, from the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s through the first Gulf War in 1991 and subsequent sanctions, to the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 and the chaos that followed. Much of her work uses what she describes as the "ruins technique," using burnt fabric to depict destruction, often on abstract canvases. She said she experienced the war by "tasting" it, as there was no electricity or media to provide information. Describing life in Baghdad since 1991, Malallah said: "Baghdad was heavily bombed in the First Gulf War. It was hell out of the world. I saw destruction every day and I lived with death every day. "There was a shortage of food, water and electricity, but you have to survive. Many managed to survive and a lot didn't. Three of my students were killed working in the artistic area. "I speak to my colleagues by phone and there are still big problems and people dying every day for lots of reasons." She added: "I hated Saddam Hussein, but we were better off than now. At least there was a government. If we want to remove a dictator, we have to do it by ourselves." Malallah's work is shown alongside that of the British duo kennardphillipps, Peter Kennard and Cat Phillipps, who started collaborating in late 2002 in opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq. "We were going on all the anti-war demos, but it was evident the invasion was going to happen anyway and we wanted to find another way to protest against it," said Phillipps. They create work from media images of the war, such as photo montages and collages from newspaper clippings. Their most famous work, a photomontage called "Photo Op," is a digitally altered image that shows a smiling Tony Blair, the British prime minister at the time of the invasion, in front of an explosion. Also on Inside the Middle East: Artists use email scams to scoop prize . Another, called "Presidential Seal," shows the American president's empty podium, with the microphones pointing to a backdrop of newspaper clippings and photos which have been smashed with a hammer, creating an impression of debris and chaos. Malallah hopes the exhibition will eventually be shown in Iraq. She said most professional artists had fled the country, leaving a dearth of new talent. "It's a very bad situation for artists in Iraq at the moment," said Malallah. "They have no contact with the outside world. "There are a lot of good artists who have left the country and it has really affected those who are left." "Iraq -- How, Where, For Whom?" opens at The Mosaic Rooms, in London, on Friday April 20 and runs until June 8, 2012.

Hanaa' Malallah says she left Iraq in 2006 after receiving threats from militias . Inspired by Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George W. Bush, she says shoes are her "resistance" She has joint exhibition with British duo kennardphillipps .

(CNN) -- The college students who showed up with bare midriffs and never contributed to discussions during Faye Rogaski's communication classes were surprised when they weren't picked for coveted internships and jobs. They would also e-mail the public relations executive without so much as a greeting but with demands such as "I need a reference," or "I need a letter of recommendation." No "please," no "thank you," no face-to-face handshakes, introductions or follow-ups after classes. These same students would "friend" Rogaski on Facebook -- it was a class about branding yourself, after all, so the social networking site genuinely came into play from an academic standpoint. But Rogaski would find her Facebook newsfeed filled up with updates from these young adults posting salacious statements and tagging one another in drunken and/or raunchy photos. Rogaski was taken back by their behavior and wondered whether the students realized she was a potential future boss or colleague. That's when it clicked for her: Teach basic social skills to children because if they want to get far in life, manners are a requirement, not an option. She started socialsklz:-) to help kids learn what they were not being taught at school. Socialsklz:-) logo includes a smiley face icon to convey its fun, interactive, hip relevance. Rogaski is quick to point out that these are not fancy manners and etiquette classes. "It's not pinkies-up and pearls at high tea," Rogaski told CNN. She likens it more akin to "Life Skills 101." During a class for children 4 to 7, they were taught about the importance of eye contact and a firm, but not too tight,handshake. They were also led through basic greetings as well as proper phone etiquette when calling friends. The children practiced with each other in interactive scenarios. After being taught the principles of writing letters, they wrote thank you notes to their parents to highlight the importance of being thoughtful in life. In the coming weeks, they will learn online and text messaging etiquette as well as table manners and much more. Rogaski politely corrected kids on some basic errors, such as when one little girl kept saying "ax" when she really meant "ask." The 'tween group of 8- to 12-year-olds was slowly but surely being taught to drop their penchant for saying "um," incorrect usage of the word "like" and uttering the dreaded phrase "ya know." The kids were issued cards called Frownies when they broke Rogaski's "like, um, ya know" rule and cards were counted up at the end of class. One little boy racked up 11 "um" Frownies. The 'tweens also went on a field trip to Dunkin' Donuts. On the way, one of the boys held the elevator for everyone while another held doors open. Each child ordered his or her own doughnut of choice and had to speak clearly and enunciate. Rogaski also encouraged them to have their selections ready so as not to hold up the line. The teen group, which meets for two hours a week, learns social graces as well as skills needed for college and job interviews. Penny Loretto, a career counselor at Skidmore College, warns the first few minutes of a job interview can mean the difference between getting a job or not. "Appropriate dress attire, a firm handshake, a relaxed smile and maintaining direct contact are all essential elements of a good interview before the actual process even begins," says Loretto who previously worked in Human Resources for a large institution. And don't go to an interview without doing something else important she warns. "The advice I usually give students and my adult clients is to be sure to practice, practice, practice," Loretto says. "Practicing is the only way to become better at interviewing, and it's something all job candidates must take the time to do." The socialsklz:-) teen students are also taught about e-mail etiquette and about the perils of posting something on a blog that they might regret later. They also learn the do's and don'ts of posting material on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Young job seekers have to transition from being a family member, friend or student to a professional in their online communications, warns Jill Ferrall, assistant dean for career development in the School of Business at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. She says don't be too casual and write things such as "Hi FirstName," "hey," "thx," "np." And don't send a recruiter a friend request on Facebook. But within 24 hours after an interview with a potential employer, Ferrall says, the job applicant should write a thank you note. Rogaski said the real reward is when parents approach her and tell her that they see their kids using their newly acquired social skills out in the real world. She is also proud when she sees first-hand the confidence that her classes instill in her students.

Social skills are important to form as children to be successful later in life . Teachers, career counselors and HR workers cringe at applicants' unsocial behavior . Faye Rogaski started socialsklz:-) to teach children better manners .

London (CNN) -- Elite athletes around the world are currently hard at work, cramming in a final few months of tough training ahead of the 2012 London Olympics. What drives them all is the hope that the blood, sweat and tears they've invested in their sporting careers over the years will mean that, come August, they are the first to run, swim or bike across that all-important finish line. I am not a natural sportswoman: I am hopelessly unfit and hate pretty much all forms of physical exercise, from the tyranny of team games, to the solitude of slogging around the park plugged into an iPod. But despite this, I beat all those awe-inspiring Olympians to it: I crossed that finish line before them, if only thanks to a quirk of timing, and the luck of the draw. I was one of 5,000 members of the British public whose names were pulled out of the hat to win a place in the National Lottery's Olympic Park Run, a five-mile race around the major Games venues in Stratford, East London. And so despite my status as a running refusenik, I found myself herded, among a crowd of far fitter, healthier, sportier types, into a pen behind the start line, part of a sea of red t-shirted runners beneath a threatening gray sky. Feeling faintly sick, I joined in as we stretched, bent, lunged and jogged on the spot, wondering why it was that I seemed to be the only one worn out by the warmup alone. And then, after some encouraging words from celebrities, and a bit of a singalong, the starting gun was fired and the frontrunners were off, leaving me and the rest of the back-of-the-pack bunch to watch in amazement as they raced away, haring around the course at improbable speeds that brought the fastest and fittest back into the Olympic Stadium and across the finish line before we had even begun. "The bad news," joked the compere, as he waited to wave us off, "is that you can't win." However, he assured us, this was bound to be an amazing experience, one we would not forget. At that point I would have been happy to forget the whole thing, and slink off home, but it wasn't to be: A rousing chorus of "Jerusalem" from opera singer Sean Ruane, and we too were pouring across the line. Determined to run at least a little of the course, I started as I knew I wouldn't be able to go on for long, jogging until the crowd thinned out and I could take up the brisk walking pace I hoped would get me back to the stadium before the street cleaners moved in to sweep the course. As we looped around the Velodrome at the one-mile mark, to the sounds of a samba band, the sun came out, glinting on the temporary fences, scaffolding and equipment still being used by the neon-jacketed workmen who waved and cheered on the runners -- and walkers. Thankfully, I soon discovered I wasn't the only competitor taking it slow and steady -- there were plenty of us, grinning encouragement at each other as we overtook and then were overtaken, chatting, pausing to take photos of the shiny new Olympic venues we passed along the way, excited to be given a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the park which will be the focus of the sporting world's attention in just a few months. The miles passed surprisingly quickly, and soon I was heading past the View Tube, waving to scores of visitors who had come to see the park-in-progress, and on down into the undercroft of the athletics venue itself, where yet another broad smile spread across my face at the "Chariots of FIre" soundtrack being relayed on speakers as we circled beneath the stadium. And then, buoyed up by the music, it was time for my very own snippet of Olympic glory -- entering the echoing bowl of the stadium, to the cheers of spectators. It's the moment every athlete trains their whole life for, and even an anti-sportswoman like me couldn't fail to be thrilled by the sight of thousands of supporters yelling as I jogged, hobbled, and, yes, for the last few hundred yards, RAN towards that finish line, grinning. Later, medal in hand, I watched, awestruck, from the stands as the winners were awarded their trophies and the final two competitors -- one using a walking frame, the other on crutches -- made it across the line to the roars of the crowd. Come August, this place will be all about who makes it across that line fastest. But for one day only, it was simply about making it across the line -- and I am proud to say that I was one of the (last to be) first to do just that. Usain Bolt, I beat you to it.

5,000 runners took part in a five-mile run around the Olympic Park in London . Course took competitors past some of the major venues for this summer's Games . Spice Girl Mel C, Princess Beatrice, former Olympians among celebrity participants .

Washington (CNN) -- In 1994, on the eve of his trip to North Korea to persuade Kim Il Sung to negotiate with the Clinton administration over its nuclear program, Jimmy Carter had a series of briefings at the State Department. After several hours, Carter looked around the room at the group of diplomats assembled and said, "None of you have told me what I need to know," according to a former State Department official involved in briefing the former president. "You haven't told me what Kim Il Sung wants," Carter told his briefers. "What he wants is my respect. And I am going to give it to him." Sources knowledgeable about Carter's trip to Pyongyang this week to free American Aijalon Mahli Gomes expect the former president to take the same approach he used with Kim Il Sung in dealing with his son, current leader Kim Jong Il. Carter, they say, will give the North Korean leader the respect he craves, giving him a face-saving way to release Gomes. As with last year's mission by former President Bill Clinton to free journalists Laura Ling and Euna Less, the deal with North Korea was already done before Carter boarded the plane. In fact, the North Koreans have been looking for a visit from Carter for some time. University of Georgia professor Han Park, who helped arrange Carter's 1994 trip and played a role in this one, said he brought up the possibility of high-level talks with the former American president during Park's trip to Pyongyang in July. Park said the release of Gomes was actually a secondary reason for Carter's visit, the first being restarting talks with the United States. "The release was not the North Korean purpose," said Park, who has visited the communist nation 52 times. "They wanted to have a much more substantive discussion when the official line is seemingly blocked." There was no shortage of envoys ready to travel to North Korea and negotiate Gomes release. Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has gone on previous missions to North Korea, including the negotiated release of a detained American. He continues to hold occasional talks with North Korean diplomats. Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was also closely involved in coordinating efforts with the White House and State Department to free Gomes, who is one of his constituents, said his spokesman, Fredrick Jones. It was Kerry, Jones said, who informed the State Department about Gomes' arrest and has been urging the department to do "whatever it takes" to secure Gomes' humanitarian release, including sending an envoy if appropriate. Although he offered to go himself if that was the best option, aides say Kerry assisted with the search to find a suitable envoy. In the end, the North Koreans are exacting the highest possible price they thought they could get for the release, securing what they see as the credibility a former leader of the free world can provide. Last year, the North Koreans rejected several lower-level envoys before settling on Clinton, who returned with the two American women after three hours of dining and photo-ops with Kim Jong Il. Carter's 1994 trip to Pyongyang was successful in defusing the first North Korean nuclear crisis, paving the way for the 1994 Agreed Framework in which North Korea pledged to give up its nuclear weapons in return for aid. But it was also controversial because Carter reached a deal with Kim Il Sung and announced it without checking with the Clinton administration. Obama administration officials don't expect a repeat performance but have kept mum about Carter's trip, saying only if such a mission took place it would be purely a "humanitarian effort." The United States wants to ensure the likely success of any effort to secure Gomes' release and doesn't want to tie the mission to America's tensions with North Korea over its nuclear program. Those tensions have escalated in recent months with the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, which the international community has blamed on Pyongyang. While the Obama administration recognizes the North Korean regime will likely use Carter's trip for propaganda purposes, officials say the most important thing is for Gomes, whose health is deteriorating, to be released. They caution against any expectation of a breakthrough between the two countries, insisting there is no change in U.S. policy toward North Korea. That policy has included tougher sanctions against Pyongyang and joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises off the Korean coast. But Han Park views Carter's trip as significant, as it comes at a time when negotiations between the United States and North Korea are at an impasse. Carter, he said, is not likely to succeed in obtaining North Korean concessions on defense issues, but nevertheless, his trip could help influence public perceptions of North Korea and eventually lead to direct dialog. "I think President Carter has a keen interest in reducing tensions on the [Korean] peninsula," Park said. CNN's Moni Basu contributed to this report .

Carter likely to repeat his 1994 tactic: Give the North Korean leader respect . A Carter trip to Pyongyang has been in the works for weeks, professor says . Restarting talks with the United States is North Korea's top goal, he says .

(CNN) -- What is usually a time of celebration was marked by gunfire and protests in Syria on Sunday as residents ushered in the first day of the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha. Twenty-three people were killed in the violence, activists said. At least 16 were killed in shelling and gunfire in the western city of Homs, a hotbed of anti-government sentiment and a government-led crackdown, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists. Three others were killed in Hama, two in Idlib and one person was killed in both Lattakia and Douma, the LCC said. Other people were reported wounded. In Aleppo, Syria's largest city and the country's economic center, residents took to the streets in anti-government protests after the morning Eid prayers, the LCC said. In the southern city of Daraa, where the unrest started in March, security forces fired in the air to disperse crowds and prevent them from demonstrating after prayers, the group said. CNN could not confirm the reports. Tough media restrictions in Syria have made it hard to verify events on the ground. Detainees at Syrian prisons have launched a hunger strike, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, protesting against what they claim were false promises by the Syrian authorities that they would be released. The coordination committees' network added that more than 1,300 detainees at the "central prison" in Homs alone were participating. In a statement issued Sunday, the Arab League criticized the Syrian government's failure to implement its proposal "to end the violence used against protesters," and said Arab League foreign ministers would meet Saturday to discuss the situation. The organization has warned that a regional crisis could ensue if the Syrian government does not comply with its pledge last week to follow the Arab League's plan. The government agreed to pull its army off the streets, release people jailed since the protests began in March and allow international journalists and Arab League observers to monitor the moves, Arab League ministers announced Wednesday. But opposition activists say that has not happened, and reports of violence in Syria have continued. On Sunday, Syria's ambassador to the League, Youssef Ahmad, knocked its leaders' comments, according to the government-run Syrian Arab News Agency. "The AL (Arab League) Secretariat is supposed to play its role in coordinating between the Syrian government and the ministerial committee, not proclaim itself a party against the Syrian government," the ambassador said, according to SANA. The news agency also said that Syria's foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, sent letters to his counterparts in various countries, accusing the United States of inciting violence. In a bid to end the unrest, officials have called on Syrians to lay down their weapons -- a request that was discouraged by the United States -- al-Moallem wrote, SANA said. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was asked last week about a reported amnesty offer that would give Syrians 72 hours to turn themselves in. "I wouldn't advise anybody to turn themselves in to regime authorities at the moment," she said. Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the Muslim prophet Ibraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah, is one of two major holidays in Islam. The other, Eid al-Fitr, marks the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. In ordinary times, the occasions are marked with joyous community prayers, acts of charity, visits from far-flung relatives, gift-giving and elaborate feasts. But Syria is in the midst of a nearly eight-month uprising that started with calls for elections and an end to abuses by security forces, but turned into widespread calls for the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. Despite a brutal government crackdown, the demonstrations continue. On Saturday, violence left at least 28 people dead, adding to a death toll that has climbed upward of 3,800, the LCC said. SANA placed Saturday's toll at 22, and said the "martyrs" had died at the hands of "armed terrorist groups" -- a phrase the state has used to describe the anti-government demonstrators. Al-Assad and other officials have blamed the violence on outside forces attempting to undermine the 40-year rule of the president's family. Syria has made previous pledges to withdraw armed forces from civilian areas, but in some of those cases, it withdrew only armored units and left infantry in place, or returned after a brief pullout. It also has made other moves aimed at defusing the protests, including plans to draft a new constitution, but they have failed to appease demonstrators. CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali and journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report.

NEW: Over 1,300 detainees in Homs among hunger strikers, an opposition group says . Syria accuses the United States of inciting violence, state media reports . The Arab League says its foreign ministers will meet to discuss the situation in Syria . Residents take to the streets in Aleppo after morning Eid prayers, activists say .

Tokyo (CNN) -- The detection of high levels of radioactivity in certain Japanese foods -- and the nation's subsequent clampdown on their sales -- signals the food safety situation is "more serious" than originally thought, a World Health Organization official said Monday. Peter Cordingley, the Manila-based spokesman for the WHO's regional office for the Western Pacific, said his organization believes people in Japan "have to be cautious" about what they eat and drink. Besides causing devastation throughout northeast Japan, the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11 seriously damaged several reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, leading to the release of an unspecified amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere. On Sunday, the sale of raw milk from Fukushima Prefecture and spinach from neighboring Ibaraki Prefecture were banned due to detected levels of radioactive iodine and cesium that surpassed government limits, Japan's health ministry reported. And officials in Fukushima halted the distribution of locally grown vegetables outside the prefecture. Cordingley noted that, whereas fears initially were for produce within 30 kilometers (18 miles) of the plant, cows (and the milk they produce) outside that radius and spinach from as far as 120 kilometers was being affected. "Quite clearly, it is not what we thought in the early stages. It is more serious," he said. "We have seen Japanese people in grocery stores paying close attention to where their produce is coming from, and we think this is a wise practice." Cordingley's assessment -- and the Japanese health ministry's move -- suggests that top world and national health agencies are definitely taking the issue seriously. And so are people in Japan. "It doesn't look like a short-term issue," said Phil Knall, who lives in Tokyo. "I'm definitely concerned about the food that is going to be shipped out from now. I'm definitely thinking about it." Japanese officials reported levels of radioactive iodine in milk from four locations in Fukushima that ranged from about 20% over the acceptable limit to more than 17 times that limit. Testing at one location also found levels of cesium about 5% over the acceptable limit, the health ministry reported Sunday. And in Ibaraki, a major center of vegetable production, tests at 10 locations found iodine levels in spinach that ranged from 5% over acceptable limits to more than 27 times that ceiling. At seven sites, levels of cesium grew from just above 4% to nearly four times the limit. Iodine and cesium isotopes are byproducts of nuclear reactors like the ones that were damaged in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northern Japanese island of Honshu. While Iodine-131 has a radioactive half-life of eight days, cesium-137's half-life is about 30 years. A few water samples taken in the area tested positive for iodine -- although far below levels of concern under Japanese law, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency website. The agency said it received reports from Japan's government that six out of 46 samples tested positive for the iodine-131 radioactive isotope. The decision to prohibit food produce sales is another potentially devastating blow to a part of northeast Japan hit by the earthquake, tsunami and other potential fall-out from the Fukushima plant. Fukushima, northeast of Tokyo, has Japan's fourth-largest amount of farmland and ranks among its top producer of fruits, vegetables and rice. Ibaraki, south of Fukushima, supplies Tokyo with a significant amount of fruits and vegetables and is Japan's third-largest pork producer. After the 1986 nuclear plant disaster in Chernobyl -- then a part of the Soviet Union -- tons of food had to be destroyed when radioactive debris fell on crops in large swaths of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Hygiene expert Satoshi Takaya, who helped Japanese scientists prevent contaminated food from entering the country at that time, said the current situation is no Chernobyl -- but he said the current crisis is sure to affect Japanese farmers. That means threatening the livelihood of people like Ukia Uchida, an 82-year-old woman whose family has farmed a plot in Shibayama for generations. "Up until now, I thought everything was fine here," said Uchida. "But to hear that some radiation has been found here is pretty upsetting." CNN's Jo Kent, Catherine E. Shoichet, Steven Jiang, Martin Savidge, Paul Ferguson, Thom Patterson and Matt Smith contributed to this report .

A WHO official calls the food safety situation "more serious" than first thought . "I'm definitely thinking about" possible radiation in food, a Tokyo says . High levels of radioactive iodine and cesium have been found in milk and spinach . The two prefectures affected include some of Japan's most productive farmland .

Stephenville, Texas (CNN)No one disputes that Eddie Ray Routh shot and killed Chris Kyle and another man. But his attorneys wanted to convince a jury he wasn't sane when he did so. It took Texas jurors less than three hours to deliver their verdict: They weren't buying it. The jury found Routh guilty of capital murder in the deaths of Kyle, the author of the best-seller "American Sniper," and Kyle's friend Chad Littlefield. Judge Jason Cashon immediately sentenced Routh to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the capital murder conviction. "We've waited two years for God to get justice for us on behalf of our son and, as always, God has proved to be faithful," said Judy Littlefield, the victim's mother. "We're so thrilled that we have the verdict that we have tonight." Jurors deliberating the case had three choices: guilty, not guilty or not guilty by reason of insanity. No one disputed that Routh shot and killed the men. But defense attorneys said Routh was insane. Prosecutors dismissed that assertion outright. "Ladies and gentleman, that is not insanity. That is just cold, calculated capital murder. He is guilty of capital murder. He is not in any way insane," said prosecutor Jane Starnes during closing arguments. Earlier versions of this report incorrectly described the military background of Chad Littlefield, who was killed with Chris Kyle. Littlefield was not a veteran. She said Routh knew the difference between right and wrong. Suspect's confession played at trial . Starnes urged jurors to "follow the law," allowing it to guide them "to the true and correct verdict." For its part, the defense pointed to Routh's long history of mental illness. "He killed those men because he had a delusion. He believed in his mind that they were going to kill him," attorney J. Warren St. John said. Lawyer: Kyle called Routh 'straight-up nuts' in text . Routh's trial comes in the wake of the release of the film about Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who claimed to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. history, with 160 confirmed kills in Iraq. "American Sniper," directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper, is already the highest-grossing war movie. Kyle's autobiography by the same name spent weeks on best-seller lists. He had already risen to fame through his book when he died and had been involved in charitable work to help former troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. On February 2, 2013, Kyle and his friend, Littlefield, took Routh to a firing range as a kind of therapy. The range is a small, remote part of the sprawling 11,000-acre Rough Creek Lodge, and the men were isolated. A hunting guide found Kyle, 38, and Littlefield, 35, motionless and called 911. The men were dead when officers arrived. What's never been clear is why Routh killed Kyle and Littlefield, but there have been a series of confusing and incoherent explanations for Routh's motives. Kyle apparently sensed tension as he and Littlefield drove the former U.S. Marine to the gun range. Kyle secretly texted Littlefield, sitting next to him in a pickup, to say Routh was "straight-up nuts." Yet Routh has never revealed a clear reason in the fatal shootings. Kyle was shot four times in the back and once in the face. Littlefield was shot five times in the back. Gene Cole worked as an officer in the Erath County Jail, where Routh has been held since his arrest in the killings. Cole testified he heard Routh talk about the shootings four months after they took place. "I heard Mr. Routh say, 'I shot them because they wouldn't talk to me. I was just riding in the back seat of the truck and nobody would talk to me. They were just taking me to the range so I shot them. I feel bad about it, but they wouldn't talk to me. I'm sure they've forgiven me,' " Cole said. In May 2013, Routh provided another explanation in a phone interview he did from jail with New Yorker magazine writer Nicholas Schmidle. Portions of the recorded conversation were played for the jury. Routh described being annoyed with Kyle and Littlefield as they made the 90-minute drive from his home to the countryside gun range. Routh didn't trust the Navy SEAL and his friend after their first meeting, he told Schmidle. But his rationale was perplexing. Routh complained about the smell of the air that day. "It smelled like sh--," Routh said. "It smelled like sweet cologne. I guess it was love and hate, you know. I was smelling love and hate. They were giving me some love and hate." CNN's Ed Lavandera and Jason Morris reported from Stephenville, Texas. Ed Payne and Dana Ford reported and wrote from Atlanta.

The jury reaches a verdict in capital murder case in a few hours . Eddie Ray Routh sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole .

(CNN) -- The words "Whitney Houston died" appeared on my BlackBerry screen. Like many of us living in the digital age, I learned that the pop diva passed away by way of text message. Sent by my 25-year-old daughter, the announcement shocked me but soon triggered fond memories of the days when she and her younger sister would belt out Houston's latest hit along with the radio. Their voices were unleashed in that gleeful, full-throated and uninhibited way that only pre-teen girls seemed to do. (Imagine "and I-eee-I-eee-I will always love you" at earsplitting, hilarious volume). A few of the high notes were clearly out of my girls' easy reach in their spontaneous renditions. But they reveled in emulating Houston nonetheless. I've heard plenty about Houston's troubles during the course of the week. Despite her battles with drugs and alcohol, many people have good memories of her and her songs. So what made "The Voice" so glorious in the transcendent musicianship that Houston displayed in her recordings and concerts? Houston possessed the perfect vibrato. This effect was facilitated by her deceivingly effortless diaphragmic support. Houston belted out chorus after chorus on hit after hit, demonstrating white-knuckled control over this parameter of her "singer's toolbox" with an aplomb that seemed unfair to lesser vocalists. And the sheer stamina it took to achieve this elusive aspect of a singer's art separates the wannabes from the real McCoy. Never noticed that, right? That's because she was so good at it. Houston was famous for having a very wide range. Some of her songs spanned quite a bit of vocal territory, from alto to the highest soprano. What was remarkable is that she hardly ever "bailed out" by flipping into a falsetto voice -- you know, that head-buzzing sound that men emit when they're doing bad imitations of female opera singers. Houston seemingly had no natural break between the high and low registers of her instrument. This unique quality was highlighted because when she did flip into the "head voice," it was employed as a subtle garnish, a precious design element in a phrase. Her impeccable intonation -- just one of the reasons her "Star-Spangled Banner" has become iconic -- instilled a "trust" in her listeners. When every note is perfectly in tune, as they were in a classic Houston performance, we relaxed and gave in to the sheer beauty of music. Beyond the gift of her instrument, Houston's musicianship comprised an uncanny way of handling the material she was given with such expertise and attention to detail that the songs became hers and hers alone. Her sense of musical balance allowed her "crowd" the cadences of a song's key passages with "just enough" sonic information before landing coyly in the next structural part of the song. Although her work grew more melismatic as her career progressed, she never overused this technique like some of her myriad imitators. She mostly executed them in clever twists at the ends of phrases or tossed them off with stunning ease between plainly rendered melodic statements. This allowed many of us to sing along with her at full voice, by ourselves, in the car. (Surely, we've all done this). And she made us feel it. Through musical economy and powerful execution, Houston could shape the emotional contour of a song whether in long concert-versions or on a four-minute record. Her exquisite beauty together with that "come hither/don't take another step closer or I'll call my cousin" camera presence intrigued us. What charisma she had. Certainly, this infectious package of beauty and talent was at least one of the reasons my youngest daughter, now a budding operatic coloratura soprano, is pursuing a life of long, beautiful gowns and very, very high notes. Miss Whitney's ubiquity in the media made that seem like a reasonable dream for many of the young women she mesmerized. Houston became a pop star the old fashioned way -- not through a virile YouTube video or as a contestant on "American Idol." She was discovered, given a record deal, provided material and the rest was lots of hard and endless work. Now that she's gone, we can do nothing but remember: Remember how she and "the voice" seemed like two separate entities. Remember how she performed that voice; how she allowed us to witness it, how she obviously enjoyed it herself. In the end, the voice just couldn't keep up with the extravagances and toils of her life in the spotlight. Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter . Join the conversation on Facebook . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr.

Guthrie Ramsey: Whitney Houston's voice was glorious in its transcendent musicianship . Houston had a very wide range, from alto to the highest soprano, Ramsey observes . Ramsey says her impeccable intonation instilled a "trust" in her listeners . Houston's talent and charisma couldn't outpace the toils of her life, Ramsey says .

(CNN) -- The legacy of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, who died on Tuesday, spreads far and wide, and across the ocean to now-independent Bangladesh. There, he is still revered for calling attention to what many deemed an unfolding genocide. Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, known as the "Lion of the Senate," died Tuesday at 77. It may have started as a politically prudent move by a Democratic senator eyeing the White House during a Republican regime. But Kennedy stood up to the Nixon administration in 1971 and alerted the world to the bloodshed that was engulfing then-East Pakistan. "In 1971, there were very few leaders from the so-called free world who were paying any attention to what was going on in Bangladesh. And for Ted Kennedy to come forward and to personally visit, the impact was huge," said Akku Chowdhury, founder and director of Bangladesh's Liberation War Museum. "And that's one thing Bangladeshis have always remembered." At the time, the U.S. policy -- directed by President Richard Nixon and his National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger -- was to resolutely support Pakistan, from which Bangladesh was trying to secede. The administration's reasons: The Soviet Union and India had just signed a treaty of friendship, and Nixon was concerned about the expansion of Soviet influence in the region. Thus, it made strategic sense for the United States to align itself with India's neighbor, Pakistan. The United States turned a blind eye to reports of atrocities committed by the Pakistani army to suppress the independence movement -- even as U.S. diplomats urged the administration to speak up. "Our government has failed to denounce the suppression of democracy. Our government has failed to denounce atrocities," Consul General Archer Blood wrote in one of many telegrams from Dhaka to the U.S. State Department questioning American policy. "But we have chosen not to intervene, even morally, on the grounds that the ... conflict, in which unfortunately the overworked term 'genocide' is applicable, is purely an internal matter of a sovereign state." The "Blood Telegram," as it came to be known, was reclassified as secret, and Blood transferred out of Dhaka. Soon after, Kennedy traveled to east India to gauge the plight of displaced Bangladeshis -- more than 10 million of whom had sought refuge there. On his return, he issued a scathing report to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Refugees. The report, "Crisis in South Asia," spoke of "one of the most appalling tides of human misery in modern times." "Nothing is more clear, or more easily documented, than the systematic campaign of terror -- and its genocidal consequences -- launched by the Pakistani army on the night of March 25th," he wrote. "All of this has been officially sanctioned, ordered and implemented under martial law from Islamabad. America's heavy support of Islamabad is nothing short of complicity in the human and political tragedy of East Bengal." The Nixon administration maintained its stance. But Kennedy's focus on the mass killings came as everyday Americans began to share in the outrage. For instance, Beatle George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh, the first benefit event of its kind, was staged to further highlight the plight of Bangladeshi refugees. Besieged, the U.S. Congress pushed through a bill to ban arms sales to Pakistan. On December 16, 1971, Bangladesh gained independence after a 10-month struggle, in which 1 million to 3 million Bengalis were killed. "When the fighting was over, there were vultures almost too fat to fly, and Bangladesh was a land with few of the sinews of nationhood left unsevered," the National Geographic said in a piece about the birth of the country. Two months later -- in February 1972 -- Kennedy flew to Bangladesh and delivered a speech at Dhaka University, where the killing rampage had begun a year earlier. About 8,000 jubilant students crowded into the university courtyard and jammed lecture hall balconies and roofs, greeting him with chants of "Joi Kennedy" -- a variation on the independence slogan of "Joi Bangla." In his speech, Kennedy drew parallels between the liberation of Bangladesh and the American Revolution. He said America had prospered despite predictions that it would collapse following independence, and so would Bangladesh. "Even though the United States government does not recognize you, the people of the world do recognize you," Kennedy told the crowd. On the university campus stood a banyan tree where Bengalis student leaders had planted the seeds for the independence movement -- and which the Pakistani army had destroyed as a symbolic gesture. During his visit, Kennedy planted a new tree there. It still stands today -- a testament to a country that overcame long odds to survive and one man who helped champion it.

Kennedy spoke out about Bangladesh when U.S. policy was supporting Pakistan . Kennedy visited east India, then wrote report on displaced Bangladeshis . In report, he accused Pakistani army of "systematic campaign of terror" Beatle George Harrison also highlighted refugees' plight with benefit concert .

LIMA, Peru (CNN) -- Tensions between Chile and Peru remained high Monday after last week's revelation that Peru's top army general said at a party that Chileans in Peru would be sent back in coffins or body bags. General Edwin Donayre, right, meets with Peruvian President Alan Garcia in Lima, Peru, last year. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet met Monday morning with her domestic advisers to discuss the matter after the Peruvian general appeared unrepentant over the weekend, the Chilean government reported on its Web site. Peruvian President Alan García had called Bachelet last week to say that the statements by Gen. Edwin Donayre are not the official policy of Peru. Bachelet said at the time she was satisfied with García's explanation and it was "up to the government of Peru to take measures." Donayre made the remarks in 2006 or 2007 at a party at a friend's house, said CNN affiliate station TVN in Santiago, Chile. The video was downloaded to YouTube in February and surfaced a week ago to wider attention. "We are not going to let Chileans pass by," Donayre says in the amateur-quality video as he offers a toast. "Chilean who enters will not leave. Or will leave in a coffin. And if there aren't sufficient coffins, there will be plastic bags." Tensions rose over the weekend when Donayre, who is scheduled to retire Friday, was widely quoted in Peru and Chile as saying that he will not be forced to resign early due to external pressure. "I was named commander general under a presidential mandate and I can only be relieved under such an order. Not by necessity nor under pressure from another government," Donayre said, acording to the Peruvian Andina news agency. Further heightening tensions, Donayre was quoted as saying that Peruvian citizens have a right to say whatever they want at private functions. "I want to express and specify that it was not a speech nor a public act," Andina quotes the general as saying. "The situation in which what happened at a private gathering was spread worries me." In the video, Donayre is surrounded by other uniformed army officials as well as people in civilian dress. It is not clear from the video in what context the general was making his comments. Nor was it clear in what forum Donayre made his comments over the weekend. After Bachelet's meeting with top aides Monday, government spokesman Francisco Vidal declined to say whether Chile's ambassador to Peru would be recalled in light of Donayre's weekend statements. "General Donayre's declarations in the past 24 to 48 hours only convince us that we are right and that our government's posture is reasonable," Vidal said on the Chilean government Web site. In Peru, meanwhile, a member of Congress, Gustavo Espinoza, is under investigation, suspected of sending Donayre's videotaped comment to Chilean press and politicians. A political opponent said Espinoza has an "unpatriotic attitude," the Andina news agency said. "I would not have expected this conduct from any Peruvian, much less a member of Congress," said Aurelio Pastor. Espinoza is already serving a 120-day suspension for leaking a private conversation with another member of Congress, Andina said. Peruvian Defense Minister Ántero Flores-Aráoz told reporters Saturday that relations between the two nations will be repaired, calling the Donayre incident "a bump in the road." Flores-Aráoz also said that Donayre's remarks about Chileans used "improper terms" that are not shared by the Peruvian people, Andina said. Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Antonio García Belaunde made similar assertions last week. Peru has not taken any measures against the general. His retirement Friday is required by law at the end of his two-year appointment as the army's top chief. Donayre has been the subject of an investigation in recent weeks concerning the use of 80,000 gallons of fuel under his control as commander of the southern military region in 2006. Chile and Peru have a long history of animosity, having fought in the War of the Pacific from 1879 to 1883. Hard feelings linger to this day. More recently, the two nations nearly came to war in 1975 when left-wing Peruvian leader Juan Velasco, who was backed by Cuba, wanted to invade Chile, which was led by right-wing Gen. Augusto Pinochet. The invasion was called off and Velasco was deposed in a coup a short while later. Tensions rose again when Peru discovered a Chilean spy mission, but war was averted. This year, the World Court agreed to look at an issue concerning Peruvian claims to a disputed maritime area.

Video surfaced on YouTube last week of Peruvian general's anti-Chile remarks . Gen. Edwin Donayre said Chileans in Peru would go home in coffins or body bags . Donayre made the remarks in a toast at a party in 2006 or 2007, CNN affiliate reports . Peru's president tells Chile the remarks do not reflect Peruvian policy .

(CNN) -- As a woman whose parents had cancer, I have quite a few things to say about dying with dignity. In 1984, my mother was diagnosed with stage four cancer of the ovaries, uterus, ureters, small intestine, bladder and kidney. I was 8. She was given six months to live. She refused to accept that and sought treatment in Tampa, Florida. Her condition improved until two years later, when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Her body was mangled from all the surgeries. She had to wear an ostomy bag, which I learned how to change because she was so weak. She had to give up her nursing career. She had to give up the fun things in life she enjoyed doing because her body couldn't take it. She no longer had the quality of life that she deserved. My father, no longer physically attracted to her, satisfied his physical needs with other women. She was too sick to give him what he physically wanted. In 1988, when she was well enough to be at home full time, my parents separated and filed for divorce. Cancer broke their foundation of love and trust. The pain didn't stop there. In 1992, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and lost her breasts. The only part she felt that still identified her as a woman was taken away. The same year my father was diagnosed with brain cancer. He died quickly, three weeks after his diagnosis. He simply collapsed and died. My right to death with dignity at 29 . For years, she suffered. It's hard watching your mother cry over the pain. It's hard watching your mother break down piece by piece. For years, she fought a pain pill addiction. She wanted to live so she could raise her children but in reality, she spent her time in the hospitals, operating rooms and doctor's offices. Her hopes took a horrible turn. She suffered greatly for 17 years until 2001 when doctors found cancer on her spine. She killed herself three days later. The person who died was not my mother. She was not the funny, intelligent, strong and fierce woman I knew. The person who died was sad and had lost all hope. My last memory of my mother is of this person. Lying on the bed with a bottle of pills next to her and her eyes half open. There is no justice in her lasting legacy. She deserved better. She deserved to go in a more dignified way. Dying with dignity is more than just for the person who is dying. It's for their loved ones. If it meant my mother leaving this world the way she was in 1984 and not in 2001, then I would have supported her decision to do so. My last memories of her should have been when she was still full of life on the outside, even though she was dying on the inside. She chose to take her life anyway, except it was without her loved ones surrounding her saying their final words and making peace. She died alone. My sister found her. Her death was treated like a crime scene because she killed herself at home. There were no final words. No goodbyes. Nothing but the unimaginable guilt I carry with me every day because maybe I could have done something better for her. The danger of assisted suicide laws . It's not fair to throw stones at someone because they are through fighting. No one person or disease is the same, so it's unfair to judge and compare. Just because a person decides they are done does not make them weak or selfish. Dying with dignity is a brave decision to make. It's a decision that involves everyone, and it's one of the greatest gifts of love that person can give to those left behind. When assisted suicide is not the answer . Some say she beat cancer. She was given six months to live but lived for 17 years. But what kind of life was it? Was it a life worth living? She had so much to live for, but at what cost? What kind of life was it for her children? I can tell you it was hard. I was robbed of a childhood. It was years of struggles and tears. I would never wish what I had lived through on anyone. No child should have to see their parents suffer so much. Today, I'm happily married and have a 4-year-old son. I would never want him to watch either one of his parents suffer. If a diagnosis is final and the options are there, I just may choose to die with dignity and end my life on my terms. If you have to explain death, how hard is it to include dying before the suffering becomes too great? Sure, the experiences built me up to be strong and be able to handle some serious stress, and in part made me the person I am today, but I would gladly trade it back if my mother could have done things her way, when she really should have. What's your reaction? Stanford answered some of your questions in the comments below. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Loren Stanford.

Loren Stanford responds to the stories about Brittany Maynard, who plans to "die with dignity" Stanford can understand, as her mother became very ill with cancer starting in 1984 . Stanford's mother committed suicide, and she wishes she could have died another way . Have a personal essay of your own to share? Submit at CNN iReport .

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Flashback to 1984: As a child, I am glued to my family's black-and-white television set for our daily dose of evening entertainment and news on India's national broadcaster. India holds its first rocket launch from a fishing village in southern India on November 21, 1963. But this is no ordinary newscast: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is speaking via videolink with astronaut Rakesh Sharma, who is aboard a space station. Indian pride soared as Squadron Leader Sharma, an Indian Air Force pilot, became the first in the nation to explore the celestial realm, part of a joint mission with what was then the Soviet Union. I don't remember what show it was, but it etched India's "astronomical feat" in the minds of those who watched it, including a 10-year-old like me. But the Indian connection to space was much older than that milestone. In the country's space calendar, November 21, 1963, is a key date: It marks the first rocket launch from a fishing village in southern India. Nike-Apache, a two-stage sounding rocket imported from the United States, took off that day from Thumba, a site that eventually became a favorite location for similar experiments by international scientists. So far, there have been some 2,200 sounding-rocket launches from that facility, according to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center. But the South Asian nation's space program has been far more expansive -- the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has more than 60 events that it lists as "milestones" since 1962-63, which includes the successful use of polar and geosynchronous satellite launch vehicles. See India's space odyssey in photos » . Fast forward to 2008: The country launches its first unmanned mission to the Moon in what is being seen as the 21st-Century, Asian version of the space race between the United States and the USSR -- but this time the two nations involved are India and China. In September of that same year, a Chinese astronaut took a spacewalk, his country's first. A month later, India sent Chandrayaan-1 -- Chandrayaan means "moon craft" in Sanskrit -- on a two-year mission to take high-resolution, three-dimensional images of the lunar surface, especially the permanently-shadowed polar regions. The craft, carrying payloads from the United States, the European Union and Bulgaria, will search for evidence of water or ice and attempt to identify the chemical composition of certain lunar rocks. Nonetheless, India maintains competition does not drive its space program. Vikram Sarabhai, seen as the father of India's space program, made this case for government funding of the program in the 1960s: . "We do not have the fantasy of competing with the economically-advanced nations in the exploration of the Moon or the planets or manned space-flight," Sarabhai said, according to ISRO's Website. "But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society," said Sarabhai, in what the agency described as a "vision" for India's space endeavors. Earlier this year, the Indian government increased the federal budget for space research to around $1 billion from some $700 million, ISRO spokesman S. Satish told CNN, as scientists propose to send astronauts into space by 2015 on solely Indian missions. ISRO was also studying the feasibility of sending a manned craft to the Moon by 2020, Satish said, adding that plans for unmanned Mars missions in the coming years have not been finalized. The space agency dropped a TV-sized probe on the Moon last November that it said sent sufficient signals to the mother craft before a crash landing. But the country's space ambitions are not limited to public research endeavors, Satish said. "We have just entered the commercial satellite launch market," he said, including what ISRO noted is now the world's largest constellation of remote-sensing satellites. These satellites, according to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, capture images of the Earth that are used in a range of applications -- agriculture, water resources, urban development, mineral prospecting, environment, forestry, drought and flood forecasting, ocean resources and disaster management. Another major system, or INSAT, is used for communication, television and meteorology. "We have mastered the space technology in these 40 years. We have already sent an unmanned mission to the Moon and now we look forward to sending a manned one there," Satish said.

India made its first rocket launch on November 21, 1963 . Indian space group list more than 60 events it considers "milestones" India launches its first unmanned mission to the moon in 2008 . The South Asian nation is seen as being in an Asian space race with China .

(CNN) -- On December 21, 2012, our calendar will align with the Maya date 13.0.0.0.0, completing a great Maya cycle of time. There's been a lot of hoopla that we are about to face a doomsday -- better known as the Maya apocalypse. There are television specials and panic buying of disaster supplies in Russia, a reminder of the stockpiling that took place for Y2K back in 1999. While the Maya date will coincide with the solstice, the shortest day of the year, will it also coincide with the end of the world? I'm no seer, but I am confident that December 22 will see the dawn. The ancient Maya of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras were close keepers of time. They charted every day, organizing them into 20- and 400-year periods. Using a base-20 counting system (ours is base 10) and zero, they easily calculated thousands of dates, some noting the existence of millions of years. Why we're fascinated with the apocalypse . During the height of their civilization in the 8th century, the Maya recorded dates and deeds at dozens of city-states, from births and battles to the triumphant wrenching of trophies from enemies. Artists inscribed their signatures on painted pots and stone sculptures. Stucco inscriptions adorned monumental pyramids that crested over the rainforest canopy. But to continue building ever grander structures, the Maya needed resources. Most of all, they needed timber to burn limestone in order to make cement. By the late 8th century, the rainforest was in retreat, fuel was scarce and recurrent drought led to desperation. Eventually, there was chronic warfare as well. And so one of the most extraordinary civilizations came to a crushing halt. Small groups of desperate dwellers in some cities held out behind hastily thrown-up palisades. Elsewhere, foes burned enemy cities to the ground and smashed monuments, leaving them scattered across the surface to be found in recent times. Scrub jungle overtook what had been sparkling white plazas. Compact ball courts that had seen raucous competition of a team sport played like soccer went silent. Wildlife scavenged lavish furnishings for their nests and dens. The reasons were many, and the outcome was shocking. The Maya civilization collapsed in most of its southern lowlands, leaving only abandoned pyramids in silent cities. This was the true face of apocalypse. Did they see it coming? Just a few years before the rot set in, Maya painters at the site of Bonampak, a small city in Chiapas, Mexico, covered the walls of a small three-room palace with extraordinary murals. They painted more individuals -- men, mainly, but women and children, too -- than had been rendered before, numbering more than 250. They deployed more fancy pigments than had been used before, more than would ever be used again in ancient Mexico, some 47 vibrant blues, reds and yellows. The paintings reveal the social layers of courtiers and lords, musicians and dwarves, victims and their blade-wielding sacrificers. Musicians, singers and performers lined up to perform on plazas and pyramids. None of these activities or materials was new, but what was new was the rapidly crumbling world around the Bonampak painters. No one could change -- the paintings seem to tell us. The Maya ignored the crisis in front of them, instead dancing with great panaches of precious quetzal feathers on pyramids, as if the present would forever hold. Now in the 21st century, perhaps we have also reached a precipice. Global warming is not just fearful thinking -- it's real. Weeks after Superstorm Sandy, scientists are now predicting the near-term and long-term effects of global warming as more dire that previously thought. Some, perhaps like our Maya predecessors, would rather not see the writing on the walls of our flooded cities. The crises pile up in front of us, one after another, and we ignore them at our peril. Acknowledging and doing something about the problems in front of us seems hard. Give us more feathers. Build more walls. Stockpile canned goods and buy a generator. As for December 21, rest easy. This day will pass as if it were nothing more than the Maya Y2K, the nonevent of the decade. We'll wake up on December 22, and the world will still be here. And so will our pressing environmental challenges. We need to make some hard decisions and resolve that we will confront our own brewing apocalypse before it's too late. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mary Miller.

There are doomsday fears of Mayan apocalypse on December 21 . Mary Miller: The world will not come to an end, but we have pressing challenges . She says the Maya ignored crisis, including depletion of natural resources . Miller: We have to confront our own problems, such as global warming .

Islamabad (CNN) -- On Tuesday, the United States votes to elect its next president. For Americans, the choice is about which candidate will improve the economy, healthcare, the employment rate and ensure better living standards. However, for Pakistani citizens living in the country's northwest, especially for the 800,000 people in the tribal region of Waziristan, the American election is a question of life and death. Malik Jalal Khan lives in Datta Khel, a small town in North Waziristan, and is an elder of the Mada Khel tribe. He told me that more than 200 people from his tribe have been killed through the CIA-run clandestine drone program in the last seven years. Thanks to Pakistani local channels which translated all three presidential debates into Urdu, Malik Jalal has paid close attention to every word uttered by President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. Just like these candidates, Malik Jalal is also responsible for the wellbeing of his people. He has to ensure that his tribe's young have stable jobs, children can go to school and sick people are treated in the best possible way. Malik Jalal listened very carefully when Obama said he would further strengthen health care, improve employment, raise taxes on the rich and improve public education. Such promises were doubled by Romney, who said that he would do even better if elected president. This was all good news for Americans voting in the elections. But when it came to matters concerning Malik Jalal and his tribe's people, there was no good news. Both Obama and Romney promised to continue with drone warfare that has targeted northwest Pakistan if elected. This means that Malik Jalal still has to live with the fear that any of his tribe's women, children or men like him are all potential targets, as reports suggest the CIA considers every male of able military age a potential terrorist in North Waziristan . It means his 9-year-old will still not go to school due to fear that his school might be targeted by a drone. It means people will still not attend funerals, have large weddings or conduct their fruit export or mining businesses openly. Drone strikes started under President George Bush but were escalated in real sense by President Obama since he took office in 2009. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, more than 3,300 people have been killed in more than 350 drone strikes during the last nine years. So far, according to our estimates, these strikes have only killed 41 of the Al Qaeda-linked individuals who were meant to be the real targets of the drone program. No names are known of all the others killed, and the CIA expects Americans to accept their word that everyone killed in a drone strike is a terrorist posing an imminent threat to the United States of America. In a recent conversation with an American diplomat in Islamabad, I was astonished when he said to me that civilian deaths number only in two digits, according to their records. I was further shocked when I asked him if he knows about independent sources that report on civilian deaths such as the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, or the recent report compiled by Stanford and New York universities. The diplomat looked completely lost. Why do American presidents love drone technology? The obvious answer lies in American politics. Any president at war cannot afford large numbers of American soldiers coming back in coffins. But the U.S. would like to keep its hegemony, and drone technology makes this dream a reality. Now the U.S. can wage war anywhere in world without putting American troops on ground, and the resulting loss of political capital. Drone warfare is also keeping the very strong American defense lobby happy and busy with new technology. But Malik Jalal tells me this does not work for him, his people and certainly not for peace in the region. Policies like drone attacks, extrajudicial murders committed by a state, and covert programs like rendition and secret prisons in timid allied states not only kill people -- they decimate any hope for peace. These killings help extremists recruit more discontented youth. A person in tribal society who has lost his family members in this manner is bound by the Pashtun honor code -- Pashtunwali -- to retaliate and opt for "badal" (revenge or justice). There is growing anti-American sentiment in regions affected by drone attacks and some people are tempted to resort to illegal means when the system does not deliver justice to them. This discontent is spreading among Muslims. Pakistani-born US citizen Faisal Shahzad is one example of this as he cited drones as one reason for his failed attempt to car bomb New York's Times Square. Malik Jalal worries when he listens to war-mongering presidential candidates and wonders if he ever will be successful in preaching peace to his kinsmen if the opponent has only contempt, and a message of death for his people. Malik Jalal wishes that Waziris were also able to vote in American elections.

Obama and Romney both say they will continue the CIA-run drone program . According to one report, the program has killed more than 3300 people in nine years . The attacks are breeding resentment against America, says Akbar .

(CNN) -- No sooner had Ruganzu Bruno and his troupe of fellow eco-artists arrived at Kampala's Kawempe area than their presence stirred up questions within the local community. "What are you doing?" the startled residents asked. "Why are you using all this plastic?" they continued, baffled by the piles of waste bottles that were gradually filling a dusty compound yard in the northwestern suburb of the Ugandan capital. What the group of artists was doing was creating "The Hand That Speaks," an enormous structure made of recycled materials to raise awareness about environmental degradation. "We were trying to bring out the message that the hand is the one which is throwing this trash into the environment and at the same time it could be used to collect [them] and save the environment," says Bruno. And once the nine artists started assembling their futuristic creation, using more than 20,000 bottles collected in the slums of Kampala, the local crowds also decided to lend a helping hand. "At first, the community were confused but then they really loved it," says Bruno. "They were always getting us bottles." Eco Art . That was about four years ago, when Bruno was still a student at the Kyambogo University fine art school. During that time, the talented painter and sculptor discovered that he wasn't interested in just crafting artworks that would only satisfy his creative needs. Instead, he wanted his art to have a positive impact on his community. "When we are trying to achieve things in life we are self-centered, and as artists we tend to make work for ourselves," explains Bruno, 30. "I kind of felt a change within myself to think about others," he adds. "From then on I could not only paint -- I decided to work on work that was beneficial to my community." Driven by a desire to influence his surroundings, Bruno then became involved in eco-art projects, devising innovative ways to deal with Kampala's acute waste management problem. In 2010 he founded Eco Art Uganda, a collective of artists promoting environmental awareness by transforming anything from discarded bottles and cast-aside metal to broken TVs and computers into contemporary and functional pieces of art. Read this: Specs 'give trash a second chance' "I was looking for materials that were not expensive and easily available," says the soft-spoken artist, who hails from southwest Uganda. "I really found that this trash and rubbish could actually become a really positive way of communicating to people," adds Bruno, who's won several accolades for his work, including the Ugandan Young Achievers award 2011. Amusement park . In April last year, Bruno also won the $10,000 City 2.0 Award at the TEDx summit in Doha, Qatar, for his idea to create an amusement playground for children living in Kampala's congested slums. Using an array of recycled materials, Bruno went on to transform a school yard in Kampala's Kireka community into a fun and safe place where children can play and learn. The eco-park, which was completed last September, is dotted with whimsical structures attracting dozens of children each day -- from a colorful helicopter and life-size board games made of bottles to recycled swings and climbing frames crafted from old tires. Bruno says the entire community, which lacked a recreation facility, embraced the project wholeheartedly. Read this: Boy's flashy invention scares off lions . "I talked to the head of the school, and together with the parents and the students, they are the ones who collected the bottles," says Bruno, who is also a lecturer in the department of Art & Design at Kyambogo University. "So we built the playground together as a team and they know how to repair it -- this is very important in terms of sustainability." But more importantly, Bruno, who was orphaned at a young age, says the project has had a positive impact on the children. "The attention of children in class has improved; the number of children who are dropping out [is falling] because now they have something to keep them busy there, " he adds. "There is a really good progress and it has also helped them to express themselves in class." Legacy . Bruno says his goal is to recreate "as many as 100" similar amusement parks in other parts of Uganda. He is also using the prize money to grow an eco-artist loan scheme he's developed, aimed at supporting the business endeavors of creative women in Kireka. It's all part of his continuous efforts to be an artist whose work will serve his community's needs. "I think a man will always be remembered by his work, "says Bruno. "I'm an advocate now of the environment; I'm an advocate for play for children; I'm an artist ...who wants his work to have an effect on the people.".

Ugandan Ruganzu Bruno raises environmental awareness through his art . He uses waste bottles and other recycled materials to create functional pieces of art . He won the City 2.0 Award last year for his idea to build a playground from trash . He has also developed a loan scheme that helps eco artists .

(CNN) -- A dramatic second half fightback from Italian side Udinese stunned English Premier League club Liverpool in the Europa League and inflicted their third straight defeat at Anfield. Brendan Rodgers' side had started brightly, taking the lead through Jonjo Shelvey's first half header, but Udinese roared out of the blocks in the second half. Veteran striker Antonio Di Natale equalized just after the interval and an own goal from Uruguayan defender Sebastián Coates handed Udinese a 2-1 lead on 69 minutes. Giovanni Pasquale quickly made it 3-1 and though Luis Suarez pulled a goal back with a spectacular free kick Liverpool couldn't find a leveler. It increased the pressure on Rodgers, with Liverpool languishing in 14th place in the Premier League with just one win from six games. "I thought the team worked very well but we can't have to score three, four or five goals to win games. That is the area we have to work on. We concede goals too easily," Rodgers told ITV. The other game in Group A saw Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o score twice, as Anzhi Makhachkala beat Young Boys, of Switzerland, 2-0 in Russia. Fellow Premier League side Newcastle fared better than Liverpool, easing past French outfit Bordeaux who came into the game on the back of a 17-match unbeaten run. Shola Ameobi put them in front with a tap in before an own goal from Henrique doubled their lead. Senegal striker Papiss Cisse made it 3-0 in the second half, and Newcastle now top Group D. Newcastle manager Alan Pardew told ESPN: "What pleased me most was that we played with verve and energy again, we looked more like ourselves from last year, and that is a good side trust me." Club Brugge -- Newcastle's next opponents -- beat Portuguese side Maritimo 2-0 in Belgium. The third English club in the Europa League, Tottenham, had to make do with a 1-1 draw in Greece with Panathinaikos in Group J as Jose Toche canceled out Michael Dawson's opener. The group's other game saw Italian side Lazio edge past Slovenians NK Maribor thanks to an Ederson goal. Inter Milan cruised to their second successive victory of the competition with a 3-1 win away at Neftchi of Azerbaijan thanks to goals from Phillippe Coutinho, Chukwuma Joel Obi and Marko Livaja. In the other Group H game, Russian side Rubin Kazan beat Partizan Belgrade 2-0. Holders Atletico Madrid edged past Czech team Viktoria Plzen but had to rely on an injury time goal from Cristian Rodriguez in their Group B clash while in the other game Salim Cisse's goal handed Académica de Coimbra a win over Hapoel Tel-Aviv. Two goals from Baroni Cristian helped Turkish outfit Fenerbahce win 4-2 at Borussia Monchengladbach in Group C. A brace from Loic Remy heped French club Marseille to a 5-1 win over Cypriots AEL. In Group E Norwegian side Molde beat Stuttgart, of Germany, 2-0 while in Romania Steaua Bucharest defeated FC Copenhagen of Denmark 1-0. Ukrainians Dnipro recorded a 3-2 victory at AIK Athens in Greece. The other Group F clash saw PSV Eindhoven thrash Italian side Napoli 3-0 in Holland. In Group G, Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon were humbled in Hungary, losing 3-0 to minnows Videoton FC Fehervar. FC Basel battled back from 2-0 down at home to Belgium's Racing Genk -- Marco Streller's double rescuing a point in Switzerland. There were goals galore in Group I as French outfit Lyon beat Hapoel Kiryat Shmona 4-3 in Israel, Gueida Fofana netting twice, while Sparta Prague defeated Spain's Atheltic Bilbao 3-1 in the Czech Republic. In Group K, Ukrainians Metalist Kharkiv beat Rapid Vienna of Austria 2-0, and Bayer Leverkusen beat Rosenborg 1-0 in Norway thanks to a goal from Stefan Kiessling. In Group L Hannover beat Levante 2-1 despite having a man less than the Spanish side for more than 80 minutes. Two goals from Nikola Djurdjic put Swedish side Helsingborg into the lead against Twente, but the Dutch outfit hit back to claim a 2-2 draw.

Italian side Udinese stun English Premier League club Liverpool 3-2 at Anfield . Goals from Antonio Di Natale and Giovanni Pasquale help Italians to victory . Newcastle beat Bordeaux, while Tottenham are held at Panathinaikos . Inter Milan defeat Neftchi, and holders Atletico Madrid win 1-0 against Viktoria Plzen .

(CNN)A few weeks ago, metro Atlanta residents gleefully noted that a Georgia groundhog, ahem, failed to see his shadow -- a sure sign of an early Southern spring. Looks like it won't be all that early. Forecasters are calling for a wintry mix of precipitation Wednesday into Thursday from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Carolinas and southern Virginia. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency, with ice, sleet, snow and freezing rain expected in various parts of the state. In North Carolina, Gov. Pat McCrory said he was prepared to declare a state of emergency, with back-to-back storms expected to bring measurable snowfall to most of the state by the weekend. One person was killed Tuesday when a car apparently slid off a slick road and struck a tree, McCrory's office said. More than 1,700 collisions were reported since Tuesday morning. Tennessee has reported 30 weather-related deaths in the past eight days, including car accidents, cases of carbon monoxide poisoning and hypothermia. As of Tuesday evening, there were 32,600 customers without power over six counties. Things will get interesting again by Wednesday afternoon. In Georgia, Gov. Nathan Deal ordered state government offices in 50 northern counties closed on Wednesday and declared a state of emergency for disaster preparedness, starting at 2 p.m. "With forecasts showing we could see accumulation by 4 p.m., I want to make sure we get as many commuters home before then as possible," Deal said. State and local officials were heavily criticized for their response to a January 2014 storm that left a traffic nightmare and motorists stranded. Officials stress they have been well-prepared for this season's weather. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning in north Georgia for Wednesday through Thursday, with snow, rain and subfreezing temperatures in some areas. In addition, a fresh blast of Arctic air will swirl into the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, cooling much of the eastern two-thirds of the country later this week. That means the Plains states will see temperatures more than 30 degrees below average Thursday and Friday. The Northeast will awake Thursday and Friday with temperatures 20 to 25 degrees below average. In case you've forgotten, Southerners aren't good with ice. And we're not talking just a little bit into the South, ice is possible nearly to the Gulf Coast. Officially, forecasters call it a wintry mix. That's code for snow, sleet, rain and freezing rain. Weather advisories are posted from east Texas to Virginia. Here's what the the nation is facing and how it's coping. An American Airlines plane skidded off a taxiway at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday night. The pilot was taxiing to the terminal when the plane got stuck. No one was hurt. Lake Charles, Louisiana, is only 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, yet freezing rain is in the forecast. The gators say this is a croc. Even though it's been on the chilly side for the last week -- virtually a lifetime for folks below the Mason-Dixon line -- Southerners still have a ways to go before perfecting their winter sports skills. Look for a scapegoat when all else (or is that all Elsa?) fails. Police officers in Hanahan, South Carolina, tried to put the impending storm on ice by arresting the Disney princess lookalike.Sure it was a noble cause, but at what cost? How many little girls will cry themselves to sleep thinking Elsa is behind bars? While the South struggles with winter, a Boston man has found a way to profit from it. For $89, he'll express ship 6 pounds of snow to anywhere in the United States. It's packed in a Styrofoam container so it shouldn't melt too much. Ship Snow, Yo sold out the first day and with 70 inches of the white stuff on the ground, the company should be able to fill orders for some time to come. You know winter has gone on too long when the New York Times writes an editorial about it. Trying to ease the Big Apple out of its cabin fever, the headline simply reads: "This Winter Has Gotten Old." Actually there's not much hope in the article, except that "New Yorkers are relieved not to live in Boston. Bostonians, snow-buried, may be grateful not to be on the ice planet Hoth, where it's Boston winter everywhere, all the time." And, if the snow and ice weren't bad enough, Floridians are acting all superior about their good fortunes. A week ago, parts of the Sunshine state were in the deep freeze. Now they're getting cocky. "A ridiculous 84 in Orlando today!" tweets meteorologist Tom Terry. "Soaking in the warm air as another ice/snow storm hammers the South." Is hate too strong a word? CNN's Ray Sanchez, Phil Gast and Dorrine Mendoza contributed to this report.

Georgia and Alabama declare state of emergency; N.C. considers it . Tennessee officials report 30 weather-related deaths in past week .

(CNN) -- When tens of thousands hit the streets to decry an authoritarian regime -- calling for its overthrow, trying to overrun police, setting fires -- one might expect the arrival of army tanks would be met with fear, consternation and violence. But not in Egypt. The warm embrace that demonstrators gave troops this week illustrated the military's respected and central role in Egyptian society. This fact makes the armed forces potentially a kingmaker in the current crisis, while also showcasing its challenge to somehow re-establish security without undermining its popularity. "How they behave on the streets is going to matter a whole lot," said Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank. "That's going to be the dilemma: Can they maintain the order without antagonizing the public that they need?" The ascendance began in 1952, when the military helped overthrow Egypt's ruling monarch. Its support for a constitutional democracy and its performance in various wars and battles earned it the admiration of many Egyptians. "There's a good reason that the Egyptian military is held in pretty high esteem," said Peter Bergen, a CNN national security analyst, author and fellow at New York University's Center on Law and Security. "The army has done relatively well." All males between ages 18 and 30 must serve one to three years, as the CIA World Factbook notes, meaning almost every family in Egypt has some personal connection to the military. Still, one of the military's biggest assets in the eyes of everyday Egyptians may be that it is not the widely reviled security force. The U.S. State Department has frequently blasted Egyptian police for torture and otherwise depriving citizens of their civil rights, including in its most recent 2009 Human Rights Report. "They're held in great disdain by their own population, for very good reason," Bergen said. "They know that security forces have tortured literally thousands of people ... for almost any reason." This animosity boiled over this week, when angry demonstrators burned and ransacked police stations. On Friday, there were reports of casualties after police fought back citizens' attempts to take the Interior Ministry in Cairo, the security forces' headquarters. Just blocks away, in Tahrir Square, it was a very different and far more festive scene: Joyous demonstrators gathered near troops and embraced them, sometimes literally. This showering of love on the military, which were deployed Friday to patrol the streets for the first time since the mid-1980s was repeated many times over throughout Egypt. Video footage from Cairo showed some protesters celebrating by scaling tanks, with no repercussions. Many of them smiled and shook hands with troops on patrol, with one soldier even cradling a baby and posing for a picture. In Alexandria, where at least 2,000 gathered in Raml Square on Saturday, protesters chanted, "The military and the people together will change the regime." That said, these same demonstrators were demanding the overthrow of President Mubarak -- a former hero in the Air Force and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He has largely surrounded himself politically with other veterans, including Saturday's appointment of Omar Suleiman (a former lieutenant general in the army) as vice president, the first time Mubarak has tapped someone for that role in his 30 years in power. Experts aren't surprised Mubarak has moved to align himself with the military even more so, recognizing the armed forces' place in Egypt. Still, by doing so, he also created a quandary for the military: Do they back Mubarak, whom they report to? Or do they support the people, having largely been among them not long ago and wanting to preserve their reputation? Andrew Pierre, a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said he expects top military officials to remain loyal to the president. But the rank and file are a different story, especially if they are called on to beat back civilians. "They're military people for two years or so, and I don't know that they will be willing to shoot their brothers and sisters and families on the streets," Pierre said, adding that midlevel officers may be most torn and ultimately determine what happens. Through the first five days of the crisis, the 450,000-strong armed forces appeared to trying to have it both ways: refraining from acting against demonstrators, but at the same time vowing to bring order. Still, even as it vowed to enforce a curfew from 4 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, there were no signs of the military doing anything to the hundreds who roamed the streets regardless. Telhami, though, thinks that ultimately the military may have to decide where it stands: behind Mubarak or the protesters. And their decision, many believe, will determine Egypt's future. "It's all going to depend ... on where the military will be," he said.

Protesters have embraced Egyptian troops since they were deployed on the streets . This is in sharp contrast toward how they've approached the much reviled national police . The military is well represented in Mubarak's government . An expert says the military must decide how to keep order without antagonizing the public .

(CNN) -- British Prime Minister David Cameron has given Sri Lanka a March 2014 deadline to hold an independent international inquiry into alleged war crimes during the country's 26-year civil war. Cameron held talks with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa while in the capital of Colombo for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Friday. The summit opened Friday amid concerns about the rights situation after Sri Lanka's war with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which ended in 2009. The prime ministers of Canada, Mauritius and India opted not to attend. On Saturday, Cameron acknowledged that Sri Lanka had suffered "almost three decades of bloody conflict" and that recovery and reconciliation took time. He said he made it clear to Rajapaksa that he had "a real opportunity, through magnanimity and reform, to build a successful, inclusive and prosperous future for his country." Among the steps needed to achieve this were "credible, transparent and independent investigations into alleged war crimes," Cameron said. "And let me be very clear. If that investigation is not completed by March, then I will use our position on the U.N. Human Rights Council to work with the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner and call for a full, credible and independent international inquiry." Cameron said his meeting with the president was "very frank" and "nothing was off the agenda." Read more: Cameron mobbed by protesters in Sri Lanka . A statement issued by Rajapaksa's office earlier Saturday, noted that Cameron had raised concerns "relating to displaced persons, land issues, military presence in the Province and devolving powers to the newly elected Council." "President Rajapaksa, in response, explained that an enormous amount of work has been done in terms of resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed during the conflict. In order to reach consensus on political matters a Parliamentary Special Committee (PSC) has been established for all parties concerned to air their views and reach a settlement," it said. Read more: Sri Lankan diplomat says rights criticism 'proxy propaganda war' The statement said Rajapaksa had observed that the PSC was the best forum for the purpose, stating: "As it is now only four years since the end of the conflict the country needs some more time to overcome all major challenges." In an interview that aired Thursday on CNN's "Amanpour," Sri Lanka's high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Chris Nonis, also denied that an independent international inquiry was needed. "We respect the independence and sovereignty of your country, and we expect you to respect ours. We don't need an international investigation when we have had a vibrant civilization for 2,500 years. We have perfectly educated people, and I think we're perfectly capable of carrying out our own domestic inquiry," he told CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. Nonis pointed to the 2011 "Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission" report, which Rajapaksa ordered. "It's a very holistic, very comprehensive, very impartial report. It had over 5,000 hearings, and it's set within the principle of international humanitarian law, incorporating the principle of distinction and the principle of proportionality." Independent judiciary? As many as 70,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka's war. In its final stage, which lasted from September 2008 to May 2009, the Sri Lankan army advanced into an area of the north where about 330,000 people were trapped by fighting. A U.N. report in 2011 said the government used "large-scale and widespread shelling" that left a large number of civilians dead. The number of civilian deaths and injuries are unknown to this day, and U.N. figures greatly differ from those in reports from Sri Lanka's government and various nongovernmental organizations. The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute on Friday questioned whether Sri Lanka's legal system was capable of responding to human rights violations, saying that required an independent judiciary. "Since the end of the armed conflict, the Sri Lankan government has been systematically dismantling checks and balances on independent justice institutions," co-chair Helena Kennedy said in a statement. "The IBAHRI considers that the lack of an independent judiciary will prevent the Sri Lankan legal system from providing an effective investigation into war crimes and human rights violations committed by government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at the end of the armed conflict in 2009." The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 nations that initially formed out of what had been the British Empire. Its charter focuses on developing "free and democratic societies and the promotion of peace and prosperity to improve the lives of all peoples of the Commonwealth." Heads of member governments meet every two years.

Sri Lanka has been hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting . Some attendees have been questioning Sri Lanka's human rights record . It follows a 26-year civil war with separatist Tamil rebels that ended in 2009 . David Cameron says an international inquiry should be held by March .

(CNN) -- Environmentalists are encouraged by President Barack Obama's focus this week on renewable energy and stricter emissions standards, although some economists are skeptical he can pull the country out of the recession while cleaning up the planet. President Barack Obama with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. Obama must strike a careful balance between stimulating the economy in the coming months and investing in the long-term future of the environment, said Raj Chetty, professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley. "If you spend money too quickly, you lose site of the long-term vision," Chetty told CNN. "If you focus too much on the long term, you may not act on spending money." Framing his remarks with an eye on the recession, the president on Monday announced a plan for "a new energy economy that will build millions of jobs." Obama proposes to put 460,000 Americans to work through clean energy investments, increasing fuel efficiency in vehicles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By 2025, the Obama administration hopes one-fourth of the nation's energy will come from renewable sources. Over the long term, the president hopes to create millions of new jobs by investing $150 billion in taxpayer money to help private companies develop new sources of clean energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal power. It's about time, say scientists who often clashed with former President George W. Bush on environmental policy. "By repowering our nation with clean energy, we will create millions of jobs that can't be sent overseas. By harnessing the energy of the sun and wind, we can refuel our nation and end our addiction to oil," said Wesley Warren, director of programs for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Environmental scholars, however, say the changes Obama seeks are not easy. "These technologies are not new. They have been around for 10 to 15 years," said Bill Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School of Environment at Duke University. "Government can push new policies, but it has to prove to be economically competitive or else it will not happen." "It is going to require massive investments," said Joseph Romm, former acting assistant secretary of energy under the Clinton administration and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. "The only question is, are we going to be the leader and export our technologies or a follower and continue importing our resources?" Some economists question whether spending government money on new energy technologies is the best way to stimulate the economy in the short term. Opponents of Obama's proposals say renewable energy would be expensive, take up large amounts of land, and might not even be able to generate sufficient energy given the aging infrastructure of the nation's electric grid. "If the private sector will not invest in these technologies, it will not be efficient," said Alan Reynolds, senior fellow at the Cato Institute. "Creating jobs by switching from one form of energy to another is a bad idea," he added. "You don't need subsidies for anything that is free. Getting a $7,000 rebate on a $100,000 plug-in electrical hybrid that gets its power from a coal plant doesn't make a lot of sense." Several events in Washington this week underscored the Obama administration's commitment to environmental issues. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday named a special envoy to pursue global agreements combating global warming. On Wednesday, former Vice President Al Gore urged Congress to approve Obama's stimulus package and said the United States needs to join international talks on a climate-change treaty. "For years our efforts to address the climate crisis have been undermined by the idea that we must chose between our planet and our way of life, between our moral duty and economic well-being these are false choices," Gore told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "In fact, the solutions to the climate crisis are the same solutions that will address our economic and national crisis as well." Obama may have science on his side. By overwhelming consensus, scientists agree that our warming planet poses a greater global threat with every passing day. The replacement of current technology with energy generated from natural resources, such as sunlight and wind, could help reduce CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. "Frankly the science is screaming at us," said Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at Wednesday's hearing. "Carbon dioxide emissions grew at a rate of four times faster in the Bush administration than they did in the 1990s." Even so, experts agree the faltering economy will complicate any discussion about investment in clean energy. "The country is running two deficits," said David Orr, a professor of environmental studies and politics at Oberlin College, "the economy in the short term, which will take one to five years to figure out [and] the environment in the long term, which if we don't do anything about it will see catastrophic effects."

Environmentalists are encouraged by President Obama's focus on renewable energy . Some economists are skeptical he can fix the economy and the planet at once . Scholar: Obama can push new policies, but they must be economically competitive . President announced a plan for "a new energy economy" that will build jobs .

(CNN) -- A young woman claims she was in a car with her fiancé when three police officers came by. She says two of them raped her while the third kept guard and later attempted to extort money from her fiancé. All parties involved were arrested -- the woman, her fiancé, and the three police officers. The 27-year-old woman was charged with public indecency. What has shocked the public about the incident is not only the preposterousness of the young lady's arrest, but the subsequent accusation by the judges that has effectively transformed a victim into an offender. News: Police say woman, husband were in "immoral position" International human rights organizations have historically held that rape by security forces amounts to torture. In Tunisia, rape is a serious crime that is severely punished. This single incident brings to the forefront how such transgressions are allowed to take place, and reveals serious flaws in the Tunisian criminal justice system and in Tunisian law as a whole. The incident also highlights the current government's lack of competence in addressing the issues that affect Tunisians most directly. A Ministry of Human Rights spokesman told CNN: "These kind of crimes and violations committed by the police rarely happen and do not represent the security system. The judicial system did its role and the three accused policemen are arrested." Throughout Ben Ali's era, police officers have had free reign in the country. They pillaged, raped, and repressed citizens all over the nation. They were, after all, the former dictator's trusted safe keepers. Today's police force constitutes the very same apparatus that kept the former president in power. The Ministry of Interior has not made a significant effort (if any at all) to reform the ministry -- which would include retraining the police, doing away with repressive security measures and, most importantly, removing the figures that have long represented oppression from the ministry's leadership roles. In fact, as of today, all that has been accomplished is the formation of a "task force" that aims to discuss possibilities of reform. The task force only held its first meeting on September 27 -- months after the current minister of the interior took office. On the legislative front, there have been no changes in citizen protection laws since the National Constituent Assembly was voted in. One of the assembly's latest encounters with women's rights dealt with a clause drafted by the constitutional Committee on Rights and Liberties. The clause relegated women to a "complementary" status with men, and would have been included in the final constitution had it not been struck down by the central coordination committee. It is important to remember that women's rights in Tunisia today do not depend on the actions of a few, and that while progress is slow, not all is lost. Women in Tunisia have long enjoyed a Personal Status Code that is advanced when compared to neighboring countries. There is a serious risk, however, that any progress brought forth by the code could be reversed. Whereas civil society has been vigilant in defending this young woman's rights and raising awareness about violence against women, the government has yet to act in a constructive manner. Many official figures, particularly those hailing from the ruling Islamist party Ennahda, have been defending the judiciary's decisions. For example, Amer Laarayedh, the head of Ennahda's political bureau and a member of the Constituent Assembly, insists that the protests taking place in support of the victim are attempts by the opposition to bring down the government. The Ministry of Justice denies that the victim was even accused. The Ministry of Interior retains that the couple was found in an "immoral position" when the police first stopped the car. The courts and Tunisian government had a historic opportunity to define Tunisian society and rebuke state impunity. But instead of standing up against the heinous crime of rape and affirming the need to respect human dignity, the Tunisian judiciary and Ministry of Interior have put human rights to shame. Following Tuesday's hearing, the victim's lawyers have expressed optimism that the charges brought forth against her would be dropped. The incident, however, calls for a serious review of Tunisian law -- including those codifying public morality or criminalizing indecency. * CNN put Hassine's points to the Tunisian government. In relation to the public indecency charge against the 27-year-old woman, a Ministry of Human Rights spokesman said: "Amnesty (International) said that the Tunisian authorities must drop the indecency charges but how can the government interfere in the judicial system? In all democracies, the judicial system is independent and makes its own decisions. It is up to the judge to decide whether she is guilty or not. In my personal opinion, I hope the charges will be dropped however, I should not let my opinion influence the decision of the judge." The opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of Wafa Ben Hassine.

Woman in Tunis allegedly raped by police, then charged with public indecency . Ben Hassine: Incident reveals serious flaws in Tunisia's criminal justice system . Ben Hassine: Tunisian police officers have had free reign in the country for years . Ben Hassine: Tunisian judiciary and Ministry of Interior put human rights to shame .

(CNN) -- With phone lines down and communication cut, Haitians living in America are "sick with worry" and scrambling for information about loved ones who experienced Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake on the island nation. "At this point it looks like it's worse than we all imagined and we still don't know specifics because of the down power lines," Gepsi Metellus said Wednesday. She is the executive director of the Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center in Miami, Florida, which provides services to Haitians in South Florida ranging from help with taxes to how to navigate the American school system. "We are assuming there are a lot more casualties than we might have initially thought," she said. Metellus said she still hasn't heard from her mother, who splits her time between Haiti -- she lives in Pétionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince -- and Miami. Her mother flew from Miami to Haiti on Friday. "She's in her 70s. I'm very concerned." Metellus is also trying to find out how the center can best help people in Haiti, but without information, that's difficult to ascertain at the moment. "There are people who want to drop off medicine and food and water at the center, but we don't even know if that's what's needed, much less if we will be able to get those supplies to the island." Are you looking for loved ones in Haiti? Haiti is the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere. Plagued with "political violence for most of its history," according to the CIA World Factbook, the Caribbean island nation has suffered from colonialism, coups and corruption since becoming the first black republic in 1804. Are you there? Submit an iReport . More than half of the country lives in "abject poverty." The nation imports more than four times the goods it exports and about two-thirds of the labor force lacks formal jobs, the CIA reports. There are 45,000 Americans living in Haiti, and the U.S. Embassy, as of Wednesday, has been able to reach only 40 of them, according to a release from the U.S. State Department. Metellus said the Haitian community in South Florida numbers from 250,000 to 500,000 people. "The basic infrastructure we're accustomed to here is nonexistent [in Haiti]. To assess the damage is going to be a momentous undertaking." Complete coverage of the earthquake . Disease is rampant in Haiti, and it's still common for children to die from drinking and washing in fecal contaminated water. UNICEF estimates that 70 percent of Haitians do not have access to "safe drinking water and adequate sanitation." Nyvrose Fleurent of Brooklyn, New York, works for the community outreach group Haitian American United Progress and said most Haitian immigrants in the United States have family still on the island. They often financially support family members who aren't able to leave, she said. Read about Haiti donations contributed through Twitter . Fleurent said this Tuesday while watching the news. Earlier in the morning she had hugged her brother goodbye before he flew to the Port-au-Prince airport in Haiti. Fleurent, 38, remains hopeful her family will be unharmed. Her brother and cousins reside in Cap-Haïtien, in the north, on the opposite side of the country from Port-au-Prince, the city closest to the earthquake's epicenter. Even so, she worried about the impact the quake will have on her struggling home country. "The people who live there can barely make it," Fleurent said. "They can't even eat and get money for their basic needs, so this is going to be a big blow for them. I don't know where Haiti is going to be in the future. It's already so bad." Harley Etienne, a Georgia Institute of Technology professor of public policy, fretted Wednesday about his uncle, cousins and his best friend's mother who live in a suburb of Port-au-Prince. "It's all making my family here [in the U.S.] very nervous and scared," he said. "My uncle lives on a hill so it's quite upsetting. He lives in the same house that my father and his six brothers and sisters grew up in." "All we can do is wait and hope," he said. The State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747 . CNN's Jessica Ravitz, Stephanie Chen, Ashley Fantz and John Blake contributed to this report.

NEW: State Department line for those seeking information about loved ones: 1-888-407-4747 . With phone lines down, Haitians in U.S. fret about loved ones on island . "It looks like it's worse than we all imagined," Haitian in Miami says . Haiti is most impoverished country in Western Hemisphere, plagued by violence .

(CNN) -- Now that Caylee Anthony's remains have been identified, the search for the Florida toddler turns into a prosecution of her mother. Casey Anthony, 22, is accused of killing her daughter. Investigators say her alibi didn't check out. Although Orange County, Florida, Medical Examiner Jan Garavaglia said Friday she could not determine how Caylee died, she concluded the death was a homicide. The child's mother, Casey Anthony, 22, faces charges including murder in the disappearance and death of Caylee, who was 2 when she vanished last summer. The remains were found last week in woods about a half-mile from Anthony's parents' house and identified through DNA testing. See where Caylee's skeleton was found » . On Saturday, investigators finished 10 days of sifting through the crime scene and served a warrant at the Anthony house for a third search for evidence, said Capt. Angelo Nieves of the Orange County sheriff's department. Cindy and George Anthony, the child's grandparents, were present for the search. The mother's defense team had claimed since her October indictment that the child might still be alive, even claiming witnesses spotted Caylee since her disappearance. The finding of the body "has really cut the legs out of the defense," Stacey Honowitz, an assistant Florida state's attorney, said Friday night on CNN's "Larry King Live." Watch experts size up the legal case » . The lack of a cause of death and the absence of any soft tissue on the toddler's skeletal remains poses a challenge for prosecutors, forensic expert Lawrence Kobilinsky, a defense consultant for Casey Anthony, told Larry King. "If you don't have a cause of death, isn't it possible that it might have been an accident?" Kobilinsky said. A murder conviction would require proof the victim was killed intentionally. Legal experts say duct tape reportedly found on the body could convince a judge or jury that Caylee's death was not an accident. Perhaps of greater significance, though, is Casey Anthony's behavior since -- and even before -- her child went missing. According to earlier reports, Caylee was the result of an unintended pregnancy, and Anthony made an attempt to give her up after birth. She referred to Caylee as "the little snot head" and continued to maintain an active social life. Follow a timeline of the case » . When Caylee went missing, Anthony did not tell her family for a month. It was the child's grandmother who called police. Anthony told conflicting stories at the beginning of the investigation, including a tale that Caylee was with a nanny. The name and address turned out to be bogus. As police searched for Caylee, they say Anthony's active social life continued -- including one memorable evening dancing at an Orlando bar that was hosting "Hot Body Contest." Investigators said they found the scent of decomposing flesh and a trace of chloroform, a powerful knockout agent, in the trunk of a car Anthony drove at the time. Anthony's family offered various explanations, including a rotting pizza and a dead squirrel. Watch a tribute to the little girl » . On the Anthonys' home computer, police found there had been searches for chloroform, missing children and "neck-breaking," although Garavaglia said Friday that she did not find evidence of trauma to the bones. "The prosecution is going to have a great deal of circumstantial evidence, and this is a physical evidence case," Kobilinsky said. "This is not a question about credibility, although obviously a jury looks at credibility and contradictions, but the physical evidence will either include her or exclude Casey. It's an uphill battle for the defense." Nevertheless, forensic expert Kathy Reichs, who also is working with Anthony's defense team, sees an opening. "Given that there's no evidence as to the cause of death, ... you could have an accidental death and a mother that panics," she told King. "There are alternative explanations." Perhaps not enough to save Anthony, said famed defense attorney Mark Geragos, who is not associated with the case. "The defense will try to focus, I'm sure, on all of the forensic evidence and whatever else they can do," he told King. "But they're always going to be up against it with the 'She didn't act right' evidence, and that's the hardest thing to combat in this case." Prosecutors don't need to show what killed Caylee, Geragos said. The defense needs to overcome Casey Anthony's statements and behavior. "Somebody is going to have to give an explanation at some point as to when she last saw the child, who she gave the child to," he said. "And until that is done, I don't care what they put together, it's not going to carry any weight."

Casey Anthony's defense team has big challenge, experts say . Lack of cause of death, physical evidence could hinder prosecution . Mother's partying, other behavior don't help her defense . Officials have identified remains of Florida toddler who vanished last summer .

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A young boy dressed in women's clothing, his face caked in make-up, dances the night away for a crowd of men. The bells on his feet chime away, mimicking the entertainment and sexual appeal of female dancers. But there is no mistaking his pubescent body and face as he concentrates, focusing on every step in order to please his master and his master's guests. This all played out in a video that CNN obtained from a person involved in the parties. The boy is but one youth among many throughout the country forced into an age-old underground tradition known as "bacha bazi," or "boy play," in which young boys are taken from their families, made to dance and used as sex slaves by powerful men. The number of boys involved is unknown -- the practice has been going on for centuries, in a country where such practices are overshadowed by conflict and war. "It's pretty much unappreciated by [the] society, unaccepted and illegal," said Mohammad Musa Mahmodi of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, one of the few organizations in the country working to end "bacha bazi." Islamic scholars have denounced "bacha bazi" as immoral but the practice continues in Afghanistan, where the government is in the throes of an increasingly bloody battle with insurgent Taliban militants and is also working to recover from decades of conflict. The abuse stays on the backburner of issues in Afghanistan. People are aware of it, but they don't really talk about it. Almost everyone in the country is coping with some level of injustice, and they are just trying to survive. It is widely known among the population that, most of the time it is commanders, high-ranking officials and their friends who partake in the abuse of the boys. "It continues because of the culture of impunity and lack of legal provision against this practice," Mahmodi explained. Farhad,19, and Jamel, 20, are two grown dancers who were forced into "bacha bazi" about five years ago. Farhad was 13 when his older neighbor tricked him into coming to his home. He was made to watch a sex tape and then raped. After the brutal assault, he was taken to another location where he was locked up and used as a sex slave for five months. "I got used to him," Farhad said, trying to explain why he stayed with his neighbor after the traumatizing experience. "He would sometimes take me to parties, and sometimes other places. I was with him all the time," he said. In Afghan society the victims of rape and assault --- both male and female --- are often persecuted and punished rather than the perpetrator. The shame forces boys like Farhad to continue in leading such lifestyles, even when they have the chance to break away. Jamel, Farhad's friend and dance partner, is now married but he was the "bacha bereesh" -- or "boy without a beard" -- of a powerful warlord who has since left the country. He said the only reason he continues to dance is to provide for his younger brothers and sisters. "I make them study, dress them, feed them. Any money I make I spend on my family. I don't want them to be like this, be like me," he said, brushing his shoulder length hair away from his eyes, framing his thin oval face. Farhad and Jamel say their families know what is going on now but are powerless to stop it -- in fact they need the money and income they make. Both Jamel and Farhad look and act more like women than men, a trait that can be deadly in Afghanistan's male-dominated society. Even the police can't be counted on for protection. Farhad said that he was taken from a party by four police officers one night and almost gang raped at the station Before their commander walked in and stopped the assault. But then, "He said if I wanted to be set free I should give him my money and my mobile," Farhad said. "I had no real choice, so I gave him my money and mobile." The boys said they are continuously threatened, beaten and raped by men who attend the parties they dance at; parties fueled by alcohol and drugs. "The nights we go out, we are scared," said, Jamel, who is the more talkative of the pair and the one who more resembles a woman. "We always think about how we will be able to get out without someone attacking us." Despite the dangers, they continue to dance, making $30 for the night -- a night that usually ends in assault -- because they say it is the only thing they know and their only way to make money. There are no opportunities in Afghanistan for people like them. And once branded as men who danced as women, there is no turning back. "We are not happy with this line of work," Jamel said. "We say that it would be better if God could just kill us rather than living like this."

Young boys in Afghanistan are used as sex slaves through "bacha bazi" or "boy play" Human rights group: Problem is not appreciated or accepted by society . Issue has very little profile in a country torn apart by war and conflict . One teen was 13 when his neighbor made him watch a sex tape, then raped him .

Tunis, Tunisia (CNN) -- Tunisian opposition leaders joined the current ruling party Monday in a new government to replace the country's ousted president, while U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a return to stability "as soon as possible." The government will be led by current Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, who took charge of the North African country when longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled last week. Ghannouchi's 19-member Cabinet will include three opposition leaders and 10 independents, he announced Monday. The new government will be tasked with leading Tunisia toward new elections, he said. Street clashes continued in Tunis on Monday, three days after Ben Ali's departure, with police firing tear gas into crowds of demonstrators in Tunis. Ban called on the new government to restore stability and the rule of law "as soon as possible." Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on Friday after ruling the country for 23 years. His ouster followed weeks of protest over what Tunisians said were poor living conditions, high unemployment, government corruption and repression. Fouad Mebazaa, a former parliament speaker, was named acting president Saturday. He promised to restore stability and respect the constitution of the North African country. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, Ban told reporters the new government should protect human rights and guarantee freedom of speech and association. But he said he remained "extremely concerned" about the ongoing clashes in the streets. "This is a moment for the Tunisian people to strengthen the country's longstanding culture of political moderation and its attachment to peace," he said. "I call on the government and all stakeholders to ensure a prompt restoration of the rule of law, and to respect and accommodate the aspirations of the people. Tunisia must regain its stability as soon as possible, to pursue the path of development and prosperity." The new government includes opposition leaders Mustafa Ben Jaafar, who will serve as health minister; Ahmad Ibrahim, education minister; and Ahmad Najib Al Shabi, minister of local development. Among the holdovers is Ahmad Friaa, the interior minister. Friaa, speaking later on state TV, said 78 people have died in the clashes across several weeks and 94 have been injured, among them many police officers. He urged people to stop riots and to work with police. He vowed that those who should be held responsible for mistakes of the past will be punished. And Friaa ended his speech saying, "Yes for democracy, yes freedom, no for chaos." Friaa also said the cost of the turmoil of recent weeks is 3 billion Tunisian dinars (about 1.6 billion euros, about $2 billion U.S.). The announcements came a day after the country's army clashed with armed gangs and remnants of Ben Ali's personal guard. Police have arrested looters and as many as two dozen of the ousted president's relatives since Friday. Public protests continued Monday, as about two thousand people packed into a major road in Tunis. As the demonstrators tried to work their way toward the headquarters of the ruling party, police opened fire with tear gas. Opposition officials told CNN there were other peaceful demonstrations in towns in central and southern Tunisia. Tunisia's unrest was triggered by the December suicide of an unemployed college graduate, who set himself ablaze after police confiscated the fruit cart that was his source of income. Recent diplomatic cables from the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia, disclosed by the WikiLeaks website, revealed growing discontent with what Tunisians believed was widespread corruption and nepotism within Ben Ali's government. Experts say the kinds of protests seen in Tunisia could inspire similar actions, particularly by unemployed young people, in other Arab nations. In the weekend's chaos, a group of Swedish hunters visiting Tunisia said Monday they were stopped on the streets near Kasserine and beaten. Some of the men's eyes were swollen and blood-filled. One man had apparently been beaten on the back. Another man had a head injury. "To be fair, when we look back, we can understand that our guns scared them," said one of the men, Ove Oberg, who met with CNN Monday morning. The men said by the time the army came and understood the hunters were tourists, they had been badly beaten. "If the army didn't find us, we would have been dead," Magnus Josefsson said. Mohamed Guiga, a witness to Sunday's clash between government troops and Ben Ali's loyalists, said most Tunisians have rallied to each other's aid since the uprising. "We are proud of those people -- simple people, young people, normal people -- who take care of each other," Guiga said. CNN's Rima Maktabi, Ben Wedeman, Per Nyberg, Matt Smith and Neil Curry contributed to this report.

NEW: U.N. secretary-general is "extremely concerned" about ongoing clashes . Police used tear gas on demonstrators Monday in Tunis . Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announces a unity government . Weeks of demonstrations have left 78 dead and has cost billions, the government says .

(CNN) -- He might be counting the days until his departure from Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez continues to quietly polish his curriculum vitae for future employers. The latest bullet point on a coaching CV -- now in its 20th year -- was Monday's 1-0 English FA Cup quarterfinal replay win over Chelsea's fierce rivals Manchester United, as Demba Ba's cleverly executed volley set up a semifinal against Manchester City at Wembley. Appointed Chelsea's "interim" manager following the dismissal of Roberto di Matteo in November with the club's European Champions League title defense in tatters, Benitez has had to work against a backdrop of toxic fan discontent and increasing speculation that Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will return to Stamford Bridge at the end of this season. Unhappy about club owner Roman Abramovich's decision to appoint the Spaniard, who has previously managed Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan, a number of fans have been extremely vocal in their dislike of Benitez. As well as abusive chanting, some fans have even come to Stamford Bridge brandishing homemade banners --"Rafael Benítez, we're just not in ter im" and "Rafa Benítez, not wanted, never wanted." Trophy chase . Out of work for two years after his dismissal by Inter, Benitez has ploughed on regardless as he rebuilds his career. The win over United ensures the 52-year-old will lead a club out at Wembley for the first time in his career. Benitez won the FA Cup with Liverpool in 2006, but the final was played in Cardiff while Wembley was being redeveloped. Chelsea's vctory on Monday ended United's hopes of winning the double -- securing both the English Premier League and the FA Cup, a trophy the Manchester side have won a record 11 times. Given Benitez's notoriously testy relationship with United manager Alex Ferguson, he could be forgiven for giving himself a quiet pat on the back for sending the FA Cup competition's most successful side packing from Stamford Bridge. In the original tie at United's Old Trafford ground, Chelsea had to come from two goals behind to secure a 2-2 draw. In the replay, Benitez's deployment of Ba, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata up front proved key -- as did Petr Cech's superb one-handed save to deny Javier Hernandez's header to keep Chelsea ahead in the game. "I am really pleased because the players were doing a great job," Benitez told UK match broadcaster ITV. "Manchester United are a very good team and we did really well. We have good balance between the defense and midfielders. Physically you could see one or two challenges we could not cope but with the ball we were much better. "It was a fantastic goal by Demba Ba but everyone's performance was really pleasing. Petr Cech made some good saves but at the end of the day we deserved to win." Inspiration from the heavens . The win ensured Benitez could still end up winning two trophies this season. The other is the second-tier Europa League, into which Chelsea dropped after becoming the first Champions League winner to be eliminated at the group stage the following season. The Blues now face Russian side Rubin Kazan in the first leg of their quarterfinal on Thursday as Benitez seeks to add to his 2004 success with Valencia when the competition was known as the UEFA Cup. "I won trophies in three different countries," Benitez told the Independent newspaper on Saturday as he defended his Chelsea managerial tenure. "They can't say 'Rafa doesn't know what he is doing.' Just see the CV. It's not just inspiration from the heavens." Ferguson was magnaminous enough to admit that Benitez's Chelsea had given his own team plenty to think about tactically -- specifically January signing Ba, Hazard and Mata, whose clever pass set up the winning goal. "We spoke about Demba Ba, with the players' experience of playing against him when he played for Newcastle," said Ferguson. "He scored that exact type of goal against us a while back (for Newcastle) and we were caught napping. "Their counter attack caused a few problems, especially with their players like Mata and Hazard. Fortunately we did not concede another goal but I couldn't really see us scoring ourselves." Ferguson and United are now left to concentrate on their pursuit of a 20th league title, which should be a shoo-in give their 15-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City with just eight games to play, ahead of their derby clash on April 8. Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League, two points head of Arsenal, in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in FA Cup quarterfinal replay . Demba Ba volley ends Manchester United's Double hopes . Chelsea still have chance to win two trophies - FA Cup and Europa League .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama broke his silence on the Colorado movie massacre Wednesday night and spoke out on the issue of gun control. "I believe the majority of gun owners would agree ... that we should check someone's criminal record before they can check out a gun seller; that a mentally unbalanced individual should not be able to get his hands on a gun so easily," said the president. "These steps shouldn't be controversial. They should be common sense," he added. Shouldn't be controversial? Common sense? The president knows full well that Democratic strategists -- including those who run his re-election effort -- see gun control as political dynamite. They have since Al Gore lost the presidency by failing to win conservative states, an outcome many Democrats blame in part on Gore's push for gun control. For Democrats, gun politics are bad politics . Still, Obama is the party's leader. So we wanted to know whether his Democratic colleagues in Congress agree. "I don't know how anyone could disagree with what the president said yesterday," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid agrees and he controls the Senate agenda. So he can do something about it. CNN's Ted Barrett asked the next logical question. Will Senate Democrats act? "With the schedule we have, we're not going to get into the debate on gun control," Reid responded. "But I'm very happy, I'm glad the president made the statement because it's something that needs to be done. But we're not going to address gun control." he said flatly. So action won't happen this year. What about next year? Barrett followed up: "If you hold onto the majority next year, would Democrats commit to making it part of your agenda?" he asked. Reid smirked in a way that made clear he could see the political minefield ahead, and he wasn't going anywhere near it. NRA sends Democrats a message over AG contempt vote . "Nice try. Nice try, OK?" he glared. In the House, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was prepped and ready for questions about the president's comments on gun control, telling reporters she viewed his remarks "a number of times." "I thought his comments were very thoughtful -- provided leadership when he said we need to build a national consensus to reduce violence in our country," she said. Unlike Reid, Pelosi does not control the House agenda, but she's never shy about using her microphone to make clear what Democrats want. She's also a seasoned politician who wants the House majority and her speaker's gavel back. That means retaking conservative districts where guns are popular. She danced delicately. "There are important voices on all sides of this issue. We really need, we all recognize the importance of the Second Amendment and the need to, and also the need to reduce violence in our communities," Pelosi said. We then took the president's remarks to the halls of Congress and asked rank and file Democrats what they thought. Hill Democrats look to 'silent majority' on gun control . Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley is from New York City, where being anti-gun isn't very dangerous politically. "It's harder to get cold medicine in Colorado or anywhere else than it is to get 6,000 bullets apparently over the Internet and I think that's, you know, a common sense conversation that needs to take place," Crowley said. But Arizona's Raul Grijalva is a Democrat from the kind of pro-gun congressional district his party is panicked about losing by pushing too hard on gun control. Still, he said he thought the presidents remarks were an "an important ice-breaker." "It's been a muted conversation for too long. You know, not just the tragedy that happened in Colorado. It's a continuing cycle, and we don't talk about it, and I think there is rational discussion that needs to occur," Grijalva said. Being from an Arizona border district full of voters who cherish their gun rights, Grijalva said he was sure he would be hearing about these remarks from some upset folks back home. "I think it's a tough thing, because the (National Rifle Association) carries with it a threat, a threat that if you speak against any point of gun control, you automatically face a political threat," Grijalva said. He is well-versed on the history of his party's retreat from the politics of gun control. "Since 1994, after the Crime Act, that we lost the House in those years because of that, and there's been a reluctance to address it, and like I said, the perceived threat of the NRA," Grijalva said. "I think the majority of the American people want us to have a rational discussion that protects their fundamental rights and the Second Amendment, but also protects the public safety. I don't that's a contradiction," he said. CNN's Ted Barrett and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .

Gun control steps shouldn't be controversial, Obama says . Reid: "With the schedule we have, we're not going to get into the debate on gun control." Pelosi: "There are important voices on all sides of this issue" Rep. Grijalva: Protecting Second Amendment rights and public safety not a contradiction .

(CNN) -- Award-winning entrepreneur Andrew Mupuya was just 16 years old when he decided to take on the world. That was back in 2008, when both of Mupuya's parents had lost their jobs and could only afford to cover his school fees. "I had to get to meet my basic needs by myself," remembers the Ugandan businessman. "I decided to face the world alone." Inadvertently, the government of Uganda came to Mupuya's aid. At the time, officials in the country announced that they were considering a ban on plastic bags to curb environmental damage. Mupuya, who was still in secondary school, immediately saw this as an opportunity to launch a paper bag production company. "I conducted a feasibility study, market research around retail shops, kiosks, supermarkets around Kampala and discovered there is need and potential market for paper bags." Read this: Sails into sales with bags of love . To start out his small operation, Mupuya figured out he needed a capital of 36,000 Ugandan shillings ($14). He raised the first $11 from selling 70 kilos of used plastic bottles he'd collected over one week. Mupuya then borrowed the remaining $3 from his school teacher and embarked on his entrepreneurial journey producing paper bags on a small scale. Since then, the business has grown extensively and today, at the age of 21, Mupuya is the owner of Youth Entrepreneurial Link Investments (YELI), the first registered Ugandan company to make paper bags. The young entrepreneur employs 16 people who produce up to 20,000 paper bags each week. His long list of clients includes restaurants, retail stores, supermarkets, medical centers, as well as multinational companies like Samsung -- YELI has made about 1,000 niche bags for the local stores of the electronics company.‎ . "Right now I have 72 clients," says Mupuya. "Ninety per cent of our clients always come back." Green impact . Mupuya's remarkable achievements and shrewd business skills have been recognized with a number of accolades in recent years. In 2012, Mupuya was the winner of the $30,000 Anzisha Prize, a major award given to young African entrepreneurial leaders who take the initiative to address critical needs in their communities. "The awards I have won give me courage to push on with my business," says the young entrepreneur. "It shows to me how I am doing the right thing and it helps me define the impact am creating." Read this: Playgrounds made from trash . Uganda has attempted to ban plastic bags in a bid to deal with its acute waste management problem and promote environmental conservation. Yet, they are still used in Kampala and often block drainage systems or collect in heaps on the side of the road. Mupuya, however, believes Ugandans will eventually choose paper over plastic and he even plans to build a recycling operation. "A paper bag is eco-friendly, it can easily decompose," he says. "But plastic bags take too long, so that is the difference." 'Just the start' For now, Mupuya sources his paper from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. His business is housed in Kasokoso, a slum just outside Kampala's bustling city center. Here, everything is done by hand and with precision. YELI employees turn out thousands of bags daily, cutting the paper manually and then folding it and gluing it appropriately. But this takes time, and as customer numbers grow, the team cannot keep up with the increasing orders. Mupuya says one of the biggest challenges for his startup right now is supply and demand. "It needs time to produce the right quality and quantity to all clients, because it's run manually," he says. "(It's) quite hard to catch up with some clients who are used to cheap plastic bags," adds Mupuya. "My next step is to get a machine because I am only able to supply 5% of the demands I have." Read this: Fishing craft to foosball tables, furniture to float your boat . Yet Mupuya says that this is a problem that most clients understand, pushing him to keep thinking big and press ahead with his plans to promote environmental conservation. "My vision is to have a cleaner Africa by eradicating use of plastic bags and emphasis on paper recycling," he says. "I dream of having a big plant where I am able to supply paper bags all over Africa," adds Mupuya, "putting emphasis on sensitizing about environmental conservation." "So I believe this is just the start." READ THIS: Pizza maker 'gets Nairobi naked' READ THIS: Street vendor builds toilet biz empire .

Andrew Mupuya founded YELI, Uganda's first registered paper bag production firm . He started at 16 after learning about the environmental hazards of plastic bags . Now at 21, he employes 16 staff that make about 20,000 paper bags a week . Mupuya is the recipient of several awards, including the Anzisha Prize .

New York (CNN) -- In a city celebrated for its "cawfeee" accent and doughnut-shaped rolls, the store that by many accounts is New York's bagel-lovers' paradise is set to shutter its doors. H&H Bagels -- a Manhattan landmark of sorts -- will sell its last homemade dozen and close on Sunday, according to Moshe Fintz, the company's business manager. The store's no-frills business model and doughy circles earned a cult-like following over its 39-year history on 80th Street and Broadway. Many loyal customers aren't taking the news of the closing lightly. "We have to preserve what's unique about New York," said James Besser, a pianist from Manhattan's Upper West Side. "And what's distinct about us here is the bagels." Besser started a fledgling grassroots movement to keep the shop running, lobbying City Council members and Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president. The store's owners have been battling financial woes for some time, said Fintz, who said they're being evicted after a tough year marred by tough economic times and a bankruptcy filing in March. He said skyrocketing food prices and increasing rent have made it impossible to keep the store open. But fear not bagel lovers: H&H has a second location on West 46th Street that will remain open. The famed bagel shop may be best known outside New York for its stint on the NBC sitcom "Seinfeld," when it served as the employer of the show's eccentric Cosmo Kramer, played by actor Michael Richards. Still, city dwellers and others often know H&H for its classic creations, baked fresh by the thousands behind a counter where they're sold. "There's an art form to it," Fintz said. "A lot of guys make bagels, but there's only one H&H." Not true. A rival shop with the store's name sits on the borough's east side, selling sandwiches and other treats that it's west side counterpart doesn't. But customers don't frequent the landmark store for fancy schmears or gourmet breakfast sandwiches. The bagels -- priced individually at $1.40 -- speak for themselves, regulars say. "They have the crunchy thing going on on the outside and are nice and soft on the inside," said Keely Mills, 28, who lives nearby and says she will mourn the loss of her poppy-seed bagel fix. "It's classic," said neighborhood resident Ana Akasheh. "Other bagels are very sticky." Long heralded as bagel royalty of The Big Apple, many New Yorkers insist the H&H brand is second to none. But bagel gurus elsewhere often beg to differ. Irwin Shlafman, the owner of Fairmount Bagel in Montreal, says the bagels of his third-generation shop speak for themselves. "Our bagel bakery is famous all around the world," he said, touting a boiling process with honey-infused water that sets his bagels apart and gives them that "Montreal-style." Back in the United States, Michael Wagner, a fifth-generation baker and owner of South Street Philly Bagels in Philadelphia, said it's the water that makes the difference. "The taste is different because the water tastes different everywhere." And yet a key ingredient to bagel folklore is simply neighborhood loyalty, he added. "It's the phenomenon known as 'where you grew up'." For many New Yorkers, H&H has been their neighborhood preference. The storefront's signature red and white awning has been taken down and a handful of employees are distributing fliers that notify customers of the impending closing. But in the midst of the shop's final days, employees say they have received supportive letters and phone calls from bagel-loving residents long accustomed to the famous store. "I had no idea how devoted people were," Fintz said. Ron BelBruno, 47, is one such devotee. He says he's been frequenting H&H since 1980, and despite no longer living in the neighborhood, he still stops in several times a week. "This is horrible," said the long-time customer, who added that the loss is the latest blow to a series of "mom-and-pop" stors across the city. "(H&H) is the epitome of New York," BelBruno added. "What's going to go here now? A Bank of America? A Duane Reade?" Regardless of what replaces the iconic store, the most perceptible change could be the loss of a familiar yeast scent on the 80th Street block of Broadway. "The thing I'm going to miss the most is the way it makes the neighborhood smell," said local resident Mills.

New York's famous H&H bagels will close on Sunday . Residents are saddened by its loss . The famed bagel shop may be best known for its stint on "Seinfeld" H&H has a second location on West 46th Street that will remain open .

(CNN) -- Mexico's military has notched an important success for President Felipe Calderon with the arrest of Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, the reputed boss of the powerful Gulf drug cartel. Costilla, nicknamed "El Coss," was captured without a fight in the coastal city of Tampico, in the border state of Tamaulipas, Navy spokesman Jose Luis Vergara said Thursday. Wednesday's arrest -- together with the seizure of weapons, vehicles and jewels -- is a much needed achievement for Calderon, whose offensive against drug cartels has done little to stem drug-related violence or the volume of drugs transported through Mexico. The mustachioed Costilla, handcuffed and wearing a checkered long-sleeve shirt under a bulletproof vest, was presented before reporters. Mexican marines chased a vehicle of armed men into a residence in Tampico, where they "surprised" Costilla and arrested him, Vergara said. Costilla is said to head a criminal group considered the third-most powerful in Mexico. "El Coss is an important actor," said George Grayson, professor of government at the College of William & Mary and expert of drug cartels. "His capture is a tremendous blow to the Gulf cartel." Five others were arrested with Costilla, and of five of his bodyguards were arrested after a shootout in a separate city, Vergara said. Some of them wore camouflage uniforms when they were presented next to Costilla. There are rewards in Mexico and the United States for Costilla's arrest. Costilla has been indicted in the United States, accused of drug trafficking and threatening U.S. law enforcement officials in November 1999. In that incident, according to the U.S. State Department, Costilla and other suspected Gulf Cartel leaders allegedly stopped federal agents and pointed AK-47 rifles at them. The agents were allowed to leave after a standoff. The State Department offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Costilla's arrest. In Mexico, where Costilla is on the government's list of the 37 most-wanted traffickers, officials offered more than $2 million for his capture. While not as powerful as it once was, the Gulf Cartel is one of Mexico's major drug trafficking organizations. Costilla assumed a top role after the arrest of former Gulf Cartel boss Osiel Cardenas Guillen and became the top leader after a rift with Cardenas' relatives in the organization, authorities have said. As Costilla rose in the cartel hierarchy, the group controlled smuggling routes in northeastern Mexico by using its enforcement arm, known as Los Zetas, authorities have said. But Los Zetas later split into its own violent cartel, and for several years has been fighting the Gulf Cartel for the lucrative turf. "El Coss survived internal divisions and directed violent confrontations in Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon against his former allies, Los Zetas," Vergara said. The arrest is the latest in a series of blows against the Gulf Cartel, based in the city of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. This month, Mario Cardenas Guillen, reputed leader of the Gulf faction loyal to the Cardenas family, was also arrested by the military. Costilla's arrest was the result of "intense intelligence" work by the Navy, and information gleaned from Mario Cardenas' arrest, Vergara said. The rival Zetas, who operate in the same northeastern part of the country, may seem poised to take advantage of their rival's vulnerability. But Grayson said internal divisions within the Zetas will prevent them from turning the heat up on the Gulf cartel, and that the Sinaloa cartel will be the trafficking group most likely to strengthen its position. In the past, surges in violence have been recorded after the killing or capture of cartel bosses. Internal rifts within the Gulf cartel and Zetas could lead to fights and alliances in a "kaleidoscope situation," Grayson said. The other big winner is the Mexican Navy and its marines, who again proved they are effective at going after high-profile targets, he said. In 2009, the marines were responsible for another of the Calderon administration's biggest gets when they killed kingpin Arturo Beltran Leyva in a shootout. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has provided intelligence to Mexican authorities during several operations, including the one that brought an end to Beltran Leyva. But the arrest of Costilla was a "Mexican operation," said the U.S. drug agency's spokesman, Rusty Payne. "Obviously when a major cartel leader is arrested and brought to justice, it is significant. DEA congratulates the government of Mexico and their brave military for their continued success in apprehending top drug traffickers," Payne said.

NEW: This was a Mexican operation, the DEA says . The Mexican Navy says it has arrested Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez . Costilla is said to be the leader of the Gulf Cartel . Multimillion-dollar rewards were offered for his capture in Mexico and the United States .

(CNN) -- The Daytona 500 ran as scheduled Sunday despite a jaw-dropping crash a day earlier that flung debris into the stands at the Daytona International Speedway. At least 28 fans were injured when more than a dozen cars piled up in the final curve of the Nationwide Series Drive4COPD 300 in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Saturday. Some of the debris went over a 22-foot-high fence that was built in 2010, and some of it went through holes as the fence shredded when a car slammed into it and bounced back onto the track. "At 8 a.m., we met with NASCAR, we reviewed all of the repairs that we made last evening," speedway president Joie Chitwood told reporters Sunday morning. "We worked late into the evening and are prepared to go racing today." Some of the fans who were sitting in that area returned for Sunday's race, which began just after 1 p.m. ET, Chitwood said. Jimmie Johnson won the race, edging out Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a host of others down the stretch. The wreck occurred when several closely packed cars were jostling for position at top speeds of about 175 mph. They got tangled up, setting off a dangerous chain reaction that ensnared several vehicles. Reigning Sprint Cup champ Brad Keselowski, who later told CNN on Saturday that he and others were simply "going for the win," was among those involved, while Tony Stewart somehow emerged unscathed and won the race. Driver Kyle Larson's vehicle ended up flying into a fence that separates the track from spectators. The car broke into pieces, including tires and a fiery engine. Larson walked away from the crash, even after the front part of his No. 32 car was gone. He and the other nine drivers involved told reporters that they were checked at a medical tent on the Daytona infield and released. Some pieces of the shredded debris flew into the barrier, while others got into the stands -- some of it reaching the second level. Chitwood said the fence had been replaced after a similar incident at Talladega in which a car hit the fence and seven fans were injured. A video posted on YouTube shows a cloud of debris flying into stands and one man gasping, "Oh, my God." A tire rests on one seat, as a man frantically waves and yells to get the attention of paramedics. Afterward, several spectators could be seen lying down after apparently suffering injuries. About 10 ambulances lined up on the track, with some first responders carrying stretchers. Fourteen fans were treated at an on-site medical facility, and 14 others were transported to area hospitals, Chitwood told reporters. "I'm just hoping everyone is OK," Keselowski said. "As drivers, we assume the risk. But fans do not." NASCAR president Mike Helton earlier told ESPN, which was broadcasting the race, that some people were taken to Halifax Health Medical Center. He said the protective fence did its job in preventing potentially more injuries and possibly deaths. Byron Cogdell, a spokesman for the hospital, told CNN that his facility had treated 12 patients. By early Sunday evening, seven patients -- each of whom is considered stable -- were still being treated at Halifax Health, the hospital said in a statement. Staff at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center treated four people, spokeswoman Lindsay Rew said Saturday evening. The injured include Eddie Huckaby, a 53-year-old Krum, Texas, resident who suffered a leg gash when a large piece of metal hit him as he was watching the race, his brother Terry Huckaby told CNN affiliate WKMG. He described part of the motor landing in the stands, as well as a wheel, "and everything flying over your head and debris everywhere." "He's doing fine," Terry Huckaby said of his brother, who had surgery at Halifax Health Medical Center. "The first thing he said, 'I don't want to miss that (Daytona 500) race, but I have to watch on TV.' " Accidents are nothing new to NASCAR, where cars often cruise at speeds near 200 mph, nor are they new to the Daytona track. One of the sport's most horrific, and well-known, wrecks happened in the 2001 Daytona 500, when seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed -- also on that race's final lap. Still, injuries and fatalities to spectators are much rarer. CNN's John Newsome and Joe Carter reported from Daytona Beach, and Greg Botelho wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Ben Brumfield, Phil Gast, Dan Moriarty, Scott Thompson and Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report.

NEW: Halifax Health is treating seven patients -- all of them stable -- the hospital says Sunday . A dramatic accident from a different race flung debris into the stands Saturday . Wreckage, including an engine, went airborne -- some reaching the stands' second level . At least 28 fans were reported injured, some treated at the track and others at hospitals .

Washington (CNN) -- TSA officers rescued a woman from two kidnappers as a group of travelers passed through a security checkpoint at Miami International Airport, the Transportation Security Administration said. In the July 5 incident, the two TSA behavior detection officers, trained to spot terrorists in passenger lines, noticed the 25-year-old woman trembling and trying to hide facial injuries at an airline ticket counter. The woman at first said she was fine, but later broke down crying and said she had been kidnapped, the TSA said. The officers separated the woman from her four travel partners, leading to her rescue and the arrest of two women in the group on kidnapping and other charges, the TSA said. "Our officers recognized that the woman was in danger and acted immediately to protect her," said Mark Hatfield, the TSA's federal security director for Miami International Airport. The incident was first reported Tuesday by Miami television station NBC 6, a day before a congressional hearing on TSA screener misconduct. Several TSA officials said the timing of the news release was coincidental. Nonetheless, TSA Deputy Administrator John Halinski mentioned the kidnapping case as an example of good work being done by agency employees. TSA to speed flight attendants through security . "We stopped a kidnapping basically though the quick thinking and the abilities of our BDO (behavior detection officers)," he told the committee. A North Miami Police Department report gave this account: . The incident began when the victim and four friends came to Miami from New Jersey to celebrate the Fourth of July. The following day -- July 5 -- the woman was alone at a Best Western hotel when her four friends returned from an outing, apparently intoxicated. While the victim was lying in bed, one woman accused her of having intimate relations with her boyfriend and "began to violently punch her numerous times in the face." When the woman stopped punching her, a second woman punched her in the face several times. The victim locked herself in a bathroom, but her two attackers struck her again when she left the bathroom. The two other friends "refused to get involved," the report says. The attackers took jewelry from her, took money from her purse and went to an ATM, where they withdrew money from the victim's account, it says. The group took a taxi to the Miami airport, and while they were at a ticket counter, a TSA behavior detection officer noticed the victim's injuries. The officer said that one woman "didn't seem comfortable with the people she was traveling with," the TSA said in a statement. The victim at first said she was fine, but a TSA officer "re-engaged the woman and she broke down crying and stated she was kidnapped," the statement said. "The victim was pulled away by TSA Agents before reaching the travel document check point and Airport Police were called," the TSA said. Police questioned the woman's four travel partners and arrested the two women. Police identified the women as Tori Beato, 19, of Secaucus, New Jersey, and Melissa Pineiro, 25, of North Bergen, New Jersey. Beato and Pineiro are charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and related charges. Both have been released on bond, police said, and efforts by CNN to reach them were unsuccessful. Beato's listed phone number was no longer in service, and Pineiro did not immediately return a call for comment. At Wednesday's hearing on screener misconduct, the TSA defended its workforce, saying that most screeners behave professionally and that the agency works aggressively to weed out unprofessional workers. Deputy Administrator Halinski said criticism of the agency comes chiefly from the media, bloggers and politicians. Of the 600 million passengers screened every year, about 750,000 initiate contact with the TSA, and less than 8% of them register complaints, he said. TSA: Eight Newark officers fired for violating procedures . "When you look at the large number of passengers that are going through, I think that statistic speaks for itself," Halinski said. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, chairman of the subcommittee, agreed that only a small subset of TSA workers are unprofessional, but he said the frequency of TSA misconduct "is a symptom of a larger problem." "In some cases, we've seen poor screener performance going uncorrected or, even worse, being encouraged or covered up or by TSA management," he said, noting a 2011 case in which TSA employees at a Honolulu airport were failing to check baggage for explosives. "TSA's own federal security director was in on it," Rogers said. "One of these cases is too many, but there have been others disturbing since then, including airports in southwest Florida, Philadelphia, JFK and Newark." Said Halinski: "I'm not saying we're different from any other group of Americans. I'm saying we're exactly like any group of Americans."

Agency says behavior detection officers noticed suspicious group at Miami airport . Officers separated nervous woman from her four travel partners, report says . Police report: Woman accused two other women in group of punching her, taking her money . Pair charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, other offenses .

(CNN) -- Since the death penalty was reinstated in Colorado more than 35 years ago, the state has executed just one person. Now comes the case of James Holmes, who faces 166 counts of murder and attempted murder for a shooting at an Aurora movie theater that left 12 people dead and 58 wounded. If there ever was a poster boy for capital punishment, legal analysts say, the 25-year-old Holmes would fit the bill. On Monday, Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler said he will seek the death penalty in the case despite a defense request to take capital punishment off the table if Holmes pleaded guilty. Deciding whether to pursue the death penalty was a delicate balancing act for the state, said CNN legal contributor Paul Callan. Any time someone is sentenced to death, the sentence isn't carried out right away. Usually the appeals process takes 10 years to wind its way through the courts, he said. In addition, more and more states are abolishing the death penalty. Currently, 33 states have the legal option of imposing the death penalty, while 17 plus the District of Columbia do not. "The prosecutor is walking a tight rope," Callan told CNN last week. Some people would be furious if Holmes received life in prison after such a brutal crime, Callan said. But even if Holmes is sentenced to death, there are no guarantees. "He is looking at ... the realistic view of the world," Callan said, "which is, even if I get the death penalty, it will probably never be imposed." Complicated decision for prosecution . The death penalty was reinstated in Colorado in 1976. In that time, the state carried out one execution -- in 1997. Right now, three people sit on Colorado's death row. Prosecutors had a lot to consider in determining whether Holmes, if convicted, should join them. "The voters enacted the death penalty in Colorado. This case is the poster boy for that," Callan said. Holmes' attorneys have said they intend to pursue an insanity defense. And that, said David Beller, a defense attorney not associated with the case, can make the prosecution's decision to seek the death penalty more complicated. "The Supreme Court, and really society, has been very clear: We don't kill, we don't execute people who are mentally ill. We just don't do it," he said. In deciding to seek the death penalty, prosecutors also had to weigh the impact on the families of the victims since the case could go on for a year, with a string of appeals likely. Prosecutors blast defense . Monday's hearing came less than a week after Holmes' defense team filed documents saying Holmes had offered to plead guilty and spend the rest of his life in jail. Colorado theater shooting suspect offers to plead guilty . Prosecutors took the defense to task for publicly offering it, saying they weren't given enough information to even consider such a deal. "Not only improper, but grossly improper," prosecutors said in a Thursday court filing. "For the intended purpose of generating predictable publicity" Attorneys on both sides are under a gag order, leaving case watchers to divine tactics from court documents. "Prior to arraignment, Mr. Holmes made an offer to the prosecution to resolve this case by pleading guilty and spending the rest of his life in prison, without any opportunity for parole," the documents filed by the defense team read. Last month, a judge entered a standard plea of not guilty for Holmes, who is accused in the July 20 shooting. In the documents filed Wednesday, his attorneys said they are still exploring a mental health defense, "and counsel will vigorously present and argue any and all appropriate defenses at a trial or sentencing proceeding, as necessary." Holmes' lawyers blast Colorado's insanity defense laws . The case against Holmes . Federal agents have said the former University of Colorado doctoral student planned the attack for months. He began buying guns last May, allegedly building an arsenal of two Glock handguns, an AR-15 rifle, a shotgun and 6,295 rounds of ammunition. Authorities say Holmes booby-trapped his apartment with explosives, then traveled to the movie theater armed with the weapons, tear gas and body armor planning to kill audience members during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises." Witnesses who spoke to CNN said the gunman roamed the theater, shooting randomly as people tried to scramble away or cowered between seats. "This is not a 'whodunit.' Everybody knows that James Holmes committed these horrible murders. The question is what punishment he will get," said CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. "If they (defense attorneys) can get life in prison, they will consider this a victory." Holmes' trial date has been set for February 3. 'Truth serum' won't reveal mind of James Holmes . CNN's Jim Spellman and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.

NEW: James Holmes' trial date has been set for February 3 . Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty in the case . Defense offered last week that James Holmes would plead guilty to avoid death penalty . Colorado has only executed one person since 1976 .

London, England (CNN) -- Whether in the form of personal history or political biography, Jung Chang has spent her writerly life telling the story of China's tumultuous recent past. The best-selling author of "Wild Swans," an account of three generations of women in her family, Chang gained a following for her frank portrait of life in China in the 20th century. More recently, she's made waves with "Mao: The Unknown Story" -- the scathing, 800-plus page biography of the Chinese leader that she wrote with her husband, historian Jon Halliday. Born in 1952 in Sichuan, a province in China's southwest, Chang came of age during the height of the Cultural Revolution. She served briefly as a Red Guard and worked a variety of odd jobs in the countryside before turning to studying English. She left China for Britain in 1978 to further her studies and earned a doctorate in linguistics. She rose to literary fame after "Wild Swans" was published in 1991. "Mao: The Unknown Story," which took a decade to research, was released in 2005. CNN caught up with Chang, who currently lives in London, and asked her about China and why it's so important to remember the past. CNN: Your memoir and biography of Mao use different means to tell a story about China's recent history. Why is it so important to tell this story? Jung Chang: Well, it's very important to me. "Wild Swans" is the story of my family -- my grandmother, my mother and myself. I started writing the book after my mother told me the stories of her life and my grandmother's life. So those things are written primarily for myself. And then with Mao, there is still a lot of myth about him perpetuated in China today. I feel the Chinese don't know about the real man and the world still knows relatively little about him. I, myself, when I started writing the book in the early 1990s felt I didn't know all that much. I wanted to find out more, then tell the story to the world. CNN: Your books are banned in China. How does that make you feel? JC: I feel frustrated and very unhappy of course. The Chinese should be allowed to remember. What happened under Mao affected so many people's lives, and that sort of agony and that terrifying past has not been properly processed in people's memories. I think that's not healthy. But my books are published in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is still largely separate from mainland China, which is wonderful from my point of view as a writer. It means many copies have gone into mainland China from Hong Kong. CNN: China is such a rapidly changing country. What changes stand out most to you? JC: I think particularly in the initial years what stuck me most was the dramatic diminishment of fear. When I was growing up, we lived in fear all the time. People aren't living like that any longer. People are under the impression that China is what it is today because Mao had laid the foundation. Far from it. Mao held the country back. The dramatic change that happened after Mao died was because he had died. The force and the terror that held the Chinese back, was suddenly removed. Of course now there is a dramatic improvement in people's lives, in all aspects, not only material but in terms of personal freedom, the freedom of travel and lots of other personal freedoms. Of course, having said all that, there are still many things that frustrate me. There is still no freedom of expression in the public arena. Books are banned, including my books, which is intensely frustrating. CNN: What future do you see for the country and what do you hope for? JC: If there isn't anything dramatic happening, I think the country will probably go on as it is for a very long time. People's lives will probably continue to improve slowly but there will still be repression in many ways. I hope, of course, for the obvious and the best -- I want people to enjoy the kind of freedom they do in Britain for example. From my point of view as a writer, I hope the country will find a way to talk about the past in an honest way -- to debate about the past without inhibition. CNN: What do you miss most about China? JC: I sometimes ask myself this question, but I realize I don't miss any particular thing. What I miss is something intangible. China -- as a culture, as a people -- is something that I care about. It is under my skin. But exactly what it is that makes me feel restless, I'm not sure. I guess I miss the whole place, the people who have been through so much and the country, which is so old and yet so young and energetic. It has experienced so much tragedy and yet remains so optimistic and upbeat. All these things make tears come to my eyes.

Jung Chang came to fame in 1991 for her account of life in Communist China . Her books "Wild Swans" and "Mao: The Unknown Story" are banned in mainland China . She says she feels frustrated by China's repression of expression . She hopes the country will find a way to debate the past without inhibition .

Phoenix (CNN) -- Attorneys gave opening statements Thursday in a civil trial accusing an Arizona sheriff -- who bills himself as "America's toughest" -- and his department of racial discrimination against Latinos. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and other attorneys are representing Hispanics in a class-action lawsuit accusing Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of civil rights and constitutional violations. The bench trial is being held in the U.S. District Court in Phoenix. In his opening remarks, Stanley Young, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told the judge that Arpaio and his department violated "the fundamental value of equal protection under the law" through a "policy of racial discrimination and mistreatment of Hispanics." Tim Casey, an attorney for the sheriff, told the court that "there is no evidence that race or ethnicity played a factor" in the detention of the five named plaintiffs. "Ethnic constituency of the neighborhood plays no role" in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department's selection of neighborhoods for saturation patrols, Casey said in court. Arpaio is expected to appear in court to testify early next week. Outside the federal courthouse, Arpaio critics demonstrated and carried placards stating, "No justice. No peace. No racist police." Get Real! Sheriff Arpaio renews birther debate . Among the first witnesses Thursday was Ralph Taylor, a Temple University professor of criminal justice. Taylor testified that he did a statistical analysis that shows Hispanics are more likely to be checked for immigration status during saturation patrols than non-Hispanics are. Arpaio is nationally known for his tough stances against illegal immigration, but critics have said for years that his approach has created a system of racial profiling. The U.S. Justice Department has also filed a civil rights lawsuit against him, but Thursday's trial is for a different lawsuit brought by Hispanics who say they were discriminated against. The class-action lawsuit, filed in 2007, claims that Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office "launched a series of massive so-called 'crime suppression sweeps' that show a law enforcement agency operating well beyond the bounds of the law." The plaintiffs are also being represented by the law firm Covington & Burling. "They're never easy cases, there's no smoking gun," ACLU of Arizona legal director Dan Pochoda said of the class-action suit. "We don't expect a memo in the file that says let's get these people solely because they're Hispanic. We believe the evidence will demonstrate that is indeed effectively what was done." Arpaio and his attorneys declined to comment before the trial. In a CNN interview last year, Arpaio said his department would continue to pursue illegal immigrants. Overheard on CNN.com: Are there winners, losers in immigration policy debate? "I know I'm doing the right thing. I'm not going to surrender by those little small groups, people that don't like what I'm doing. You think I'm going to surrender? It'll never happen," the sheriff said. The lawsuit charges that the sheriff's office "unlawfully instituted a pattern and practice of targeting Latino drivers and passengers in Maricopa County during traffic stops," the ACLU said in a statement. The sheriff's tactics violate the Equal Protection Act by discriminating by race and result in prolonged detentions that violate protections against unreasonable searches, the ACLU said. The office's "pattern and practice of racial profiling goes beyond these sweeps to include widespread, day-to-day targeting and mistreatment of persons who appear to be Latino," the lawsuit states. Among the plaintiffs is Manuel Ortega Melendres, a visitor to Arizona who possessed a valid visa. In September 2007, he was arrested after the car he was riding in was pulled over by Maricopa County deputies. The lawsuit alleges that Melendres showed the officers his identification but was nonetheless treated roughly and arrested. He sat in a cell for hours before a federal immigration agent confirmed that his documents were in order. As a result of his ordeal, Melendres was left "frightened to walk on the street or be seen in public in Maricopa County because he fears that the sheriff's officers will come and arrest him again because he is Latino and does not speak English," the lawsuit states. More from CNN Justice: . Feds raid City Hall of New Jersey capital . FBI dive team to search for missing Iowa girls . Arrest made in Philadelphia attempted abduction . Michael Jackson's siblings attack estate executors . CNN's Mariano Castillo, Natalie Brunell and Chuck Conder contributed to this report. Wian and Conder reported from Phoenix.

NEW: Plaintiffs' attorney says sheriff practices "policy of racial discrimination" against Latinos . NEW: Sheriff's attorney says there's "no evidence that race or ethnicity played a factor" in detentions . The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is accused of racial profiling . The lawsuit was filed in 2007 by Latinos who say they were discriminated against .

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- If Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin thought her decision to step down might end ethics accusations against her, she quickly found out she was wrong. One dismissed claim cited Gov. Sarah Palin's decision to wear an Arctic Cat logo during a snowmobile race as a conflict of interest. Just days after her bombshell resignation announcement, a new ethics complaint was filed with state authorities arguing that she should not be able to claim per diem funds when she stays at her Wasilla, Alaska, home instead of Anchorage or Juneau, where she has offices. The complaint says she was charging the state when she stayed in Wasilla and commuted to her offices. The governor's mansion is located in Juneau. Palin claims she is the target of the "politics of personal destruction," as she and some staff members face 19 filings regarding allegations of ethical violations. "It doesn't cost the critics anything to file frivolous lawsuits or ethics violation charges. It costs our state such a great deal -- thousands of staff hours, millions of dollars in public resources that aren't going to things that it should be going to," Palin told CNN. "We haven't violated the ethics code." The pressure and financial cost of such ethical investigations are a major reason cited by the governor in her decision not to finish her term. She said her family is facing more than $500,000 in legal fees and has set up a legal defense fund to help defray the costs. Many of the complaints have been dismissed. But Palin last month reimbursed the state more than $8,000 for travel expenses for nine trips, accompanied by her children, after the state paid for them. Another inquiry led to some new ethics training for a staff member. In all, state officials say they have spent $1,963,840 to answer records requests from the ethics filings and to respond in other ways to them. Records show that since January 1, 2008, the state has spent $296,043 on such investigations. Of these inquiries, the one that cost the most and drew the most attention was centered on whether Palin inappropriately fired the state's director of public safety. This complaint had been filed weeks before Palin's run for vice president. The public safety director claimed he was let go because of his refusal to fire a state trooper who was Palin's former brother-in-law and who was locked in a bitter divorce and custody battle with the governor's sister. Palin and her supporters argued it was because the director was insubordinate. An independent counsel found she had a right to fire him, but in doing so had violated a state ethics law. It found she had abused the powers of her office by pressuring employees to get the trooper fired. Although the governor and her supporters have criticized the investigations, Andree McLeod, who has filed four complaints against Palin, thinks they are entirely appropriate. "I don't really care what other people think. I am holding the governor accountable. Other people's ignorance is not going to stymie me," McLeod told CNN, surrounded by stacks of state documents she has collected from filing information requests and ethics complaints. "I am exercising my right to get these public records to discover what Sarah Palin is up to," McLeod said. McLeod, a registered Republican, has filed four complaints, including one alleging a friend of Palin's was given preferential treatment in getting a state job. That filing was dismissed by a state board which investigates the claims. McLeod has also filed two lawsuits, including one regarding whether it was appropriate for state business to be discussed using private e-mail addresses. When ethics complaints are filed against the governor or her staff, the state has to hire an independent counsel to investigate the claims to avoid conflict of interest. Among other claims against Palin cite her wearing an Arctic Cat logo on a piece of clothing during a snowmobile race as a conflict of interest and another contending an interview she did after the presidential election in her state office was inappropriate. Those were dismissed. James Muller, a political science professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, told CNN that, "Some of [the complaints against Palin] are clearly fanciful, farcical. "I think most of these ethical complaints are trivial. Almost all have been dismissed by the various levels of review that have taken them on," Muller said. Any filings already in process before she leaves office will be concluded. Palin had signed a law making it easier to file such complaints. "She'd been pushing for that even before she was governor. To have it used in this way, to have it abused in the manner that it was is shameful. It's much like the boy who cried 'wolf,' " Thomas Van Flein, Palin's attorney, told CNN.

Latest complaint: Palin charged the state when she stayed in Wasilla and commuted . Gov. Sarah Palin says she's the target of the "politics of personal destruction" Palin says pressure, cost of ethics investigations are part of why she's resigning . "I am holding the governor accountable," says one Republican who has filed .

TOYAKO, Japan (CNN) -- President Bush on Sunday defended his decision to attend next month's Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, saying that to boycott "would be an affront to the Chinese people." President Bush speaks with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda at a Sunday news conference in Toyako, Japan. Speaking to reporters ahead of this week's summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Japan, Bush said he did not need to skip the ceremony to show his position on religious freedom and human rights in China. He said if he failed to attend the Games it would "make it more difficult to be able to speak more frankly with the Chinese leadership." Bush said he would raise concerns when he meets Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Olympics, but he was also "looking forward to cheering the U.S. athletes." He said it was good for them "to see their president waving that flag." Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda also said he would attend the opening ceremony despite concerns about human rights in China that prompted some other European leaders to boycott the event. Bush and Fukuda took questions from reporters at the picturesque lakeside resort of Toyako on the northern island of Hokkaido, where the G-8 summit will begin Monday. Watch Bush, first lady arrive in Japan » . Bush said he and Fukuda discussed the United States' recent decision to lift some sanctions against North Korea and remove the communist nation from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terror. Bush assured Japan that the issue of North Korea's past kidnappings of Japanese citizens will not be ignored by the United States. He told Fukuda that he was "fully aware of the sensitivity of the issue in your country" and that "the United States will not abandon you on this issue." North Korea has admitted to abducting 11 Japanese citizens -- to teach its spies Japanese language and culture -- but had insisted the abduction issue was resolved. Holding a book about a young Japanese girl abducted by North Korea, Bush said as the father of two girls he "can't imagine what it would be like to have a daughter disappear." Bush said North Korea's recent destruction of a water-cooling tower at its now-defunct nuclear facility and its declaration outlining its plutonium program are positive steps, but there are "more to be taken." Lifting sanctions would not weaken the pressure on North Korea to be forthcoming on the abduction issue or in nuclear negotiations, the U.S. president said. Bush said North Korea remains the most sanctioned nation in the world and that "delisting did not get rid of their sanctions." Fukuda, who is chairing the G-8 meetings, said global warming would be high on the agenda but that he could not predict what might result from this week's talks. Fukuda said he believes the United States "has not lost its sense of direction" on the issue. "Our views are gradually converging," he said. Bush said the United States "will be constructive" in the global warming talks "but if China and India do not share that same aspiration, we're not going to solve the problem." Bush said the United States and Japan leads the world in research on clean technologies. He said Japan's advances in battery technology will some day mean that Americans "will use batteries in cars that look like cars, not golf carts." As world leaders began arriving for the summit, more than 1,000 people protested in northern Japan against the event. Demonstrators urged leaders to take urgent measures to stop global warming, grant indigenous people greater rights, combat world poverty and battle discrimination. Watch police tangle with protesters » . Soaring oil and food prices and possible steps against Zimbabwe were also likely to be high on the agenda at the summit. With fewer than 200 days left in his term, Bush says he will press other G-8 leaders to follow through on their commitments from earlier summits, but has warned there is nothing he or anyone else can do in the short term about oil prices. Bush's main economic goal at the summit may be defensive, said David Gergen, former adviser to presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. "What's essential in this summit for George W. Bush is to make sure the world economy does not spin downward," he said. Bush has downplayed what he and other G-8 leaders can accomplish on the economic front. "One thing we need to make clear when I'm with our partners is that we're not going to become protectionists, that we believe in free trade and open markets," Bush said Wednesday. A former administration official who served on the National Security Council under Bush says the G-8's purpose is not to come up with quick solutions. "This is not a meeting of heads of state that leads to a treaty. It's really kind of public opinion shaping and trying to get people to agree that issues are important," said Michael Green, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Bush defends decision to attend next month's Olympics opening ceremony . Bush spoke as G-8 leaders arrived in Japan ahead of summit starting Monday . Climate change expected to be focus of three-day summit . G-8 leaders also expected to discuss global economy, Zimbabwe .

(CNN) -- Harry Reems, the porn star best known for playing Dr. Young in the 1972 adult film classic "Deep Throat," died Tuesday, according to a spokeswoman at a Salt Lake City hospital. Reems, whose real name was Herbert Streicher, was 65. Reems, who appeared in numerous pornographic films in the 1970s and '80s, was a pioneer whose battle for First Amendment rights paved the way for the adult film industry to enter the mainstream, said fellow actor Ron Jeremy. Jill Atwood, spokeswoman for George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, would not disclose the cause of death for privacy reasons. Reems' big break came in 1972 on the set of "Deep Throat" when the actor cast to play the feisty Dr. Young failed to show up for filming. Reems was promoted from extra to co-star, which meant an unforgettable sex scene with leading lady Linda Lovelace. The film's budget of $25,000 included just a few hundred dollars for Reems, but the notoriety of the movie -- highlighted by well-publicized legal troubles -- made him one of the top porn stars in the United States in the 1970s. Reems, who grew up in the New York's Bronx, "was the original," Jeremy said. "It was Reems and John Holmes. They were the biggest names at the time." "Everyone who has ever seen a porn film knows who Harry Reems is," Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt told CNN through his representative. "He was an icon from the beginning of the erotic film industry." "Deep Throat" went on to make hundreds of millions of dollars after criminal investigations and the prosecution of Reems for obscenity and conspiracy brought it global attention. His obscenity conviction was overturned on appeal, but the legal battle became an important First Amendment fight for some in Hollywood. The battle over "Deep Throat" became a "cause celebre," said Paul Fishbein, founder of AVN (Adult Video News). "Because Harry Reems was famous for 'Deep Throat,' I think people forget he was sort of the face of '70s obscenity," said Fishbein, who is now president of X3Sixty Network, a cable network dedicated to programming about the adult industry. "When he got indicted for that movie, it was a big deal." Hollywood stars including Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty supported Reems' defense, Jeremy said. "It made him a pioneer," Jeremy said. Reems followed up in 1973 with "Devil in Miss Jones," another rare porn film remembered by many 40 years later. Reems' Internet Movie Database page lists 139 productions in which he acted between 1970 and 1986, when he left the industry. Although he aspired as a young man to be a mainstream actor, that goal evaded him in the wake of his porn reputation. He was initially cast to play Coach Calhoun in "Grease," the 1978 smash musical starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, but producers ultimately replaced him with Sid Caesar. Jeremy spoke fondly of his 1980s friendship with Reems, with memories of hanging out in Bernards, a bar off New York's Times Square that attracted both Broadway and porn actors. It was a hangout where the two men would pick up women and sometimes "go to the bathroom to do a little smoochie." "We were on a bunch of sets side by side," Jeremy said. "We did threesomes on set a couple of time." "We were both Jewish boys with a big mustaches," he said. "We both loved doing dialogue in movies, more than just an 'uuuuhh!'" Reems left the adult movie business in 1987 and moved to Utah, where "somehow he found Jesus and decided to go Mormon," Jeremy said. "He said he was glad to be far away from it," Jeremey said, referring to the porn industry. Reems' new career was real estate, which he initially sold using his birth name, Herbert Streicher. Eventually, though, he decided to use his famous name to sell real estate. "Maybe he wasn't selling enough," Jeremy said. "He used Harry Reems, and business was booming." Jeremy said Reems' death was not a shock because he had known his health was deteriorating. Reems' friends plan a memorial on Saturday after a performance of a stage play that tells his infamous story -- "Deep Throat Sex Scandal" -- at the Zephyr Theatre in West Hollywood, California, Jeremy said. People we've lost in 2013: The lives they lived . CNN's Abbey Goodman and Jim Kavanagh contributed to this report.

NEW: Larry Flynt: "He was an icon from the beginning of the erotic film industry" Reems was a pioneer in the fight for First Amendment rights for porn actors, Ron Jeremy says . His obscenity conviction for "Deep Throat" was overturned on appeal . He "found Jesus" and sold real estate in Utah after leaving the adult film industry .

(CNN) -- Why leave home when you can send out a sexy, stylish robot version of yourself to do anything you tell it? In "Surrogates," lifelike robots take the place of humans in day-to-day life. That's the world of "Surrogates," a film starring Bruce Willis that opens Friday. Willis plays an FBI agent who investigates the first murder to occur in years in a world where no one worries about crime or pain, because their robots self-heal with a quick reboot. Far-fetched science fiction? Sure. But scientists and the movie's makers say the technology might not be as far away as most people think. Armies use remote-controlled robots to attack enemies and destroy land mines. Emerging technology for the disabled allows users to operate robotic limbs and control computer cursors without touching a keyboard. And emerging "telepresence" technology is letting people see, hear and, increasingly, walk, talk and gesture using human-sized robots a world away. "There are a lot of real-world components to this," said robotics expert and author Daniel H. Wilson, whose books like "Where's My Jet Pack?" and "How to Survive a Robot Uprising" explore the intersections between science fiction and real science. "Clearly, there are not fully functional humanoid robots ... but there are a lot of components to telepresence that already exist." "Surrogates" director Jonathan Mostow, whose film credits include 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," said he was drawn to the concept of surrogate robots as an extension of current technology. And, he said, as he met with scientists, he became convinced that something approaching the concept could one day be a reality. "To me, it's not even a question of the technology. Technology always catches up," he said. "The question is, is some universal human urge being met by this invention? It seems to me we have a fundamental human desire to be lazy, to sort of not have to do things in person and to do it remotely. "That began with the telegraph and the telephone and has morphed into the Internet." The first steps down the road are being taken at Anybots, a Mountain View, California, company founded in 2001 by Trevor Blackwell. The company offers, for about $30,000, a 5-foot-tall, 35-pound robot that allows the user to remotely travel, see, hear and talk. It hopes to release its latest version of the robot at a more affordable price. The robot's vaguely humanoid curves, roughly adult height and ability to move around using technology similar to that of the Segway are important steps up from current teleconferencing technology, Blackwell said. Anybots in the development phase are being designed to run, jump and climb stairs, and they come equipped with fully articulated hands designed to perform increasingly human-like tasks. Blackwell said he's not sure the technology will ever advance to the level imagined in "Surrogates" -- but that may have as much to do with desire as ability. "I don't know if we'll ever get quite to that level, of being that realistic," he said. "Most of the time, you're not trying to fool people; you're just trying to make something human enough so people can relate to it." Wilson, who said he appreciates "Surrogates" because it avoids sci-fi's traditional "man vs. machine" dynamic, also imagines social reasons for not pursuing such technology. "Would humans stand in line at the grocery store behind a robot? Would I let my children play outside if I knew there were robots outside walking dogs?" he said. It's more realistic, Wilson said, that a humanoid robot could be created to remotely perform tasks that would be too dangerous for the machine's operator to do. although NASA employs robots in space, the highly technical work often required for space walks still requires a human touch -- at least for now. Plus, he said, making robots that look and act like us would help them function better, he said. "Another major reason to create humanoid robots is, they can use all of our tools," Wilson said. "Human beings have taken large chunks of the planet and completely transformed the environment to support our embodiment. Doorways are a certain width all over the world because human beings are about the same size. All our tools are similar because we've all got hands and thumbs." For Mostow, the movie also reflects technological advances that, for better or worse, exist as the world of online networking continues to grow. "You can do your shopping. You can get your news. You can let everyone know what you're up to," he said. "For those who telecommute, you don't even have to put your clothes on to go to work. "This idea basically just takes that to its logical conclusion."

In "Surrogates" sexy, stylish robots live life for their owners . Scientists say "telepresence" with robots is real, will improve . California company Anybots developing robot that can jump, climb stairs . Director: Androids are "logical conclusion" of technology that already exists .

(CNN) -- A judge on Tuesday refused to throw out a case filed by four cast members from the hit 1970s television show "Happy Days," who are suing to recover money from merchandise they claimed they have never received. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White denied a motion by CBS for a summary judgment, which would have ended the lawsuit. CBS owns the show. The key issue remaining in the case is whether the actors may be entitled to payments from the sale of "Happy Days" DVDs. White ruled that that "defendants have not met their initial burden of showing that plaintiffs are not entitled to merchandising royalties for the use of their likeness on DVD sets sold to consumers." "The Court emphasizes that it is not making a determination on the merits of (CBS') claim, which might be proven at trial, but only that defendants have not met their initial burden" for the purpose of ending the lawsuit, White wrote. The ruling means the case, unless it is settled, would go to trial on July 17. Four members of the cast, Marion Ross, Don Most, Anson Williams and Erin Moran, along with the widow of Tom Bosley, sued CBS in April 2011, claiming they have not been been paid what they're owed for the worldwide sale of "Happy Days" merchandise. The series was on the air from 1974 to 1984. Bosley died in 2010. Under their contracts, the actors were supposed to receive 5% of net proceeds, or 2.5% if their images were used in a group, the lawsuit states. "It's a certain sense of vindication that they ruled in our favor," Most told CNN in a phone interview. "We feel obviously very pleased and happy with that ruling. It's just confirmation of what we've been claiming all along." Asked if the cast would actually go to trial if necessary, Most said, "We didn't come this far to then all of a sudden stop. It was a big victory for us today, so we're prepared to go all the way." In interviews with CNN last year, the actors claimed they were cut out of the merchandising bonanza from the show. Those products include comic books, T-shirts, scrapbooks, trading cards, games, lunch boxes, dolls, toy cars, magnets, greeting cards and DVDs where their images appear on the box covers. The actors claim they never received revenue statements related to merchandising, and that CBS intentionally never intended to pay them anyway. A fraud claim had previously been dismissed by the court. In asking the court to dismiss the case, CBS said it had paid the actors everything they were owed for merchandise and that sale of the DVDs are covered under the Screen Actors Guild agreement. It said that agreement allows CBS to "reuse photography from 'Happy Days' to exploit the television series without making additional payments to the plaintiffs," CBS attorney Keri E. Campbell wrote in papers filed with the court. "It is undisputed that plaintiffs have received all of the residual payments for DVDs to which they are entitled." While the actors claimed they had not been paid for all merchandise related to the show, the proceeds from the DVDs is the only remaining major issue in the case. Revenue from "Happy Days" slot machines featuring images of the actors was not as high as originally believed, plaintiffs attorney Jon Pfeiffer said. It was the actors' discovery of those slot machines several years ago that led to the lawsuit. "The undisputed evidence shows, however, that CBS reported all revenue it received in connection with merchandise bearing the plaintiffs' name or likeness in the merchandising royalty statements provided to them and that there is no revenue that has not been reported to plaintiffs," Campbell wrote. In court papers, Pfeiffer wrote that, in fact, all merchandising revenues have not been accurately accounted for and that, over the years, the actors did not receive financial statements related to the sale of "Happy Days" items. Since the case was filed, Pfeiffer said CBS has sent the actors checks totaling about $10,000 each for owed merchandising payments. The checks are being held by Pfeiffer's law firm pending the outcome of the case. Last year, in other papers filed with the court, CBS claimed the actors "are attempting to generate a lucrative litigation windfall by riddling their complaint with unsupported and overreaching causes of action" for fraud and breach of good faith. The company said this was "all done in a transparent attempt to introduce the specter of punitive damages" in the case. CBS said the case was "a garden-variety breach of contract action, nothing more." The actors accused CBS of "despicable conduct," saying "although defendants routinely rebrand their corporate images, they should not be permitted to rebrand the truth."

A judge Tuesday denied a motion by CBS that would have ended the lawsuit . Four 'Happy Days' cast members are suing for money from merchandise . The lawsuit states the actors should have gotten between 2.5-5% of net proceeds . The case is scheduled to go to trial on July 17 .

(CNN) -- Amid a falling currency, slumping factory output, lackluster investment and weak orders, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looked desperately for at least some chinks of light in the economic gloom. Addressing parliament, Singh struck out for the one silver lining left to his battered economy -- the falling rupee will boost exports. "To some extent, depreciation can be good for the economy as this will help to increase our export competitiveness and discourage imports," Singh said last week in a long address to lawmakers on the crisis in the Indian economy. "Over the next few months, I expect the effects of this to be felt more strongly, both in exports and in the financial position of exporting sectors. This in itself would correct the current account deficit to some extent." Whether investors will share his confidence is the question economists are asking themselves as the axles come loose on India's economic juggernaut. Slowing growth . The Purchasing Managers Index grew just 4.4% in April-June, it's slowest pace for four and a half years . "The August reading was grim," HSBC chief economist for India Leif Eskesen said in a note. "Coupled with the July reading it seems clear that the economy is continuing to slow and that last week's April- June GDP number was not the bottom." He said the recovery in growth would prove to be a drawn-out affair and would be tainted by the lingering balance of payment challenges. "Politics may get in the way of meaningful progress on structural reform," he said. "Unfortunately, we think the slowdown has further to go, which presents greater challenges for policymakers as they try to stabilize the currency." The threat of a U.S. strike on Syria has put pressure on oil prices and on gold -- two of India's biggest dollar-indexed imports -- in the short-term, but analysts say that India's currency woes can only be stabilized by addressing long-term fundamentals. India, they say, could follow three scenarios, none very attractive. Let the rupee fall . It could allow the currency to fall further, boosting exports and helping close the current-account deficit, as Singh's speech suggested. Nevertheless, with a small manufacturing base mired in red tape, analysts say it does not have the critical mass to respond quickly. With balance of payments taking time to turn around, investors would likely panic in the meantime further depressing business. A weaker currency would also likely stoke inflation, increase the government subsidies on fuel and also its borrowing. Boost interest rates . Indonesia and Brazil last month took measures to protect their currencies by tweaking interest rates -- a response in large measure to improving prospects for the U.S. economy where the Federal Reserve looks likely to begin winding in the purchase of bonds. If India followed suit, Indian industry -- already in bad shape -- would suffer and increase the possibility of bad loans at banks too. Corporate earnings decline would slam equity investors who currently have about $200 billion invested in listed shares. A credit crunch, say analysts, would make things worse. Borrow less money . Government borrowing is running at about 7% of GDP, according government figures, fueling excess demand and widening the current account deficit. With its appetite for lavish and populist government programs, spending cuts are difficult. It's latest ambitious food program -- the $25 billion annually food security bill -- is likely to impact the economy heavily. But economists are saying that once all the provisions of the bill are priced in, it will cost much more. Sajjid Chinoy of JP Morgan told CNN the cost could easily go up a further half a percentage point of GDP. "If you look at an incremental cost of 0.5%, the total cost would then be 1.5% of GDP which is large by any standard," he said. Raise taxes . Like Pakistan, India may have to look at raising tax revenues. With just 3% of Indian paying income tax, analysts say that tax increases would have to fall on the formal economy which is already taking a big hit in the current economic climate. Rahul Chadha, co-chief investment officer at Mirae Asset Global Investments, told CNN the rupee's immediate fate, however, lies in the hands of the central bank . "I think this is the dilemma of the central bank," he said. "We've seen this half-hearted attempt to stabilize the currency -- they came at it from different levels. But because it was half-hearted and the currency depreciated after that we have seen panic reaction from corporates and institutional investors. "Clearly at a certain level the market has to get convinced that the central bank has enough power fire power to stabilize the currency. Once the market gets that kind of conviction, you will see the rupee again appreciating by 7% to 8% very quickly."

India looks for the upside to the rupee crisis - that it will boost exports . Analysts say its industrial base is too small and too bound up in red tape to respond quickly . India still relies heavily on populist, capital-intensive government programs . Government borrowing is fueling excess demand and widening the current account deficit.

(CNN) -- The nation's aviation security chief is sticking to his decision to permit small knives on planes, despite increasing pressure to reverse course. There was immediate opposition from some pilots and flight attendants to the decision last week by Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole. Those flight crew members are concerned the decision dangerously relaxes aviation security and sends the wrong message to a flying public eager for more simplicity and efficiency in passenger and bag screening. But the situation in Washington grew more intense on Monday. By afternoon, more than 20,000 people had signed a petition to whitehouse.gov calling on the TSA to keep knives off planes. Moreover, key lawmakers have sought a reversal of the decision, and the biggest airlines are now wondering if the mater was thought through carefully enough. "Additional discussion is warranted before items that have been banned for more than 11 years are allowed back on aircraft," said the industry's chief trade group, Airlines for America. One industry leader, Delta Air Lines chief executive Richard Anderson, said previously the decision will add little to aviation security efficiency while raising risks for passengers and crew members. But Pistole is resolute that the move is correct, that U.S. aviation security has improved since the 2001 al Qaeda hijack attacks on the United States to the point that the likelihood of a similar plot succeeding against a commercial airliner is remote. "Our intent is to implement the changes on April 25," TSA spokesman David Castelveter told CNN on Monday. Pistole is expected to defend the decision on Thursday at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing. Flight attendants: Decision doesn't make sense . Castelveter said the new rule is consistent with Pistole's embrace of Risk-Based Security. This emphasizes detection of liquid explosives and improvised bombs that experts say pose a far greater risk to airline security. Experts believe hardened cockpit doors and engaged passengers minimize chances that hijackers using small knives would be successful. Bombs, however, can be hard to detect and can get aboard planes in a number of ways, including cargo. The agency, created in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, banned small blades and other sharp objects in response. Over the past decade, it has added and subtracted items from its prohibited list, permitting small screwdrivers, small scissors, cigarette lighters and matches, and banning large quantities of liquids and gels. The TSA said the latest decision will bring the United States into basic compliance with international standards. These allow knives shorter than 6 centimeters, or 2.3 inches, aboard aircraft. Castelveter said Pistole twice considered internal proposals to alter the list without making changes. But in his third review, which included vetting by TSA leadership and security experts, Pistole opted to act. TSA screeners find 4-5 guns on a typical day . In response to concerns from Federal Air Marshal Service leadership, Pistole continued excluding small knives that most closely resemble weapons, specifically those with blades that lock in place or have molded hand grips. He also decided to keep box cutters and razor blades on the prohibited items list because there is "too much emotion associated" with their use in the 9/11 hijackings. Still, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, and Rep. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, both called upon Pistole over the weekend to reconsider his decision. And on Monday, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi said the decision appeared to have been made "in a vacuum" and will impact millions of passengers. Thompson is the senior Democrat on the panel that will hear Pistole's testimony later this week. Others opposing the change include the Flight Attendants Union Coalition, representing nearly 90,000 flight attendants, and the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), which represents 22,000 airline pilots. The journey of airport security booty . "We believe the threat is still real and the removal of any layer of security will put crew members and the flying public unnecessarily in harm's way," CAPA President Mike Karn said. In addition to the small knives, the TSA will allow passengers to carry two golf clubs, toy bats or other sports sticks -- such as ski poles, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and pool cues -- aboard in carry-on luggage. Pistole said in a three-month period last year, the TSA seized 47 small knives from passengers at Los Angeles International Airport alone. But the knives presented little threat to the plane, he said. "Our greatest concern, the greatest risk, is non-metalic IEDs, whether that's explosive, whether that's (an) electronic initiator or a chemical initiator, whatever that may be. That's what I want security officers to focus on," he said.

TSA rolled back prohibition on small knives aboard commercial flights . NEW: 20,000 signatures on White House website seeking reversal of decision . Small knives were banned after the 9/11 al Qaeda hijack attacks . NEW: Airlines now wonder whether decision was thought through carefully enough .

Cairo (CNN) -- The controversial Qatari TV network Al Jazeera has bought Current TV, gaining access to millions more U.S. viewers and taking a major step forward in cracking the longed-for U.S. market. The move is the network's crowning achievement in the U.S. after years struggling to be accepted in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, when Al Jazeera was vilified by the Bush administration for broadcasting the notorious Osama bin Laden videos and other anti-American material. Read more: Once called 'terror network,' Al Jazeera America dares to enter U.S. cable market . But following the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, U.S. relations with the channel improved. Recently Al Jazeera's English-language channel has won several prestigious industry awards, as well as plaudits from senior U.S. policy-makers such as Hillary Clinton. The New York Times reports that Al Jazeera paid $500 million for Current TV, a huge sum by TV industry standards and a big investment at a time when many rival news networks are cutting back on news bureaus and staff. But it's peanuts when one remembers that the man behind the network, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, is sitting on one of the world's fastest-growing economies and the world's third largest gas reserves. From his point of view, rehabilitating Al Jazeera's image in America was never going to come cheaply and at least now Al Jazeera can access more of the highly lucrative U.S. cable TV market. But this was never about the money. Qatar's priority is drumming up international support in case of another major crisis in the Gulf region that threatens its wealth and independence, like for example a war with Iran or an imploding Saudi Arabia. Having studied at Britain's Sandhurst Military College and spent years as Qatar's minister of defense the emir knows that military defense of his tiny country is impossible. The U.S. is Qatar's ultimate security guarantee and any chance to buy trust with the American people represents an excellent opportunity to secure his country's future further. Compared to the tens of billions his neighbors spend on U.S. arms, the influence afforded by Al Jazeera represents very good value for money. Another important aim behind developing Al Jazeera in the U.S. is to try and present a different, more positive image of Arabs and Islam generally to Americans than the one they are used to seeing. The emir is proudly Arab and Muslim, just like Al Jazeera, and the channel sends a clear message to the West that there is more to the Arab world than terrorism, religious extremism and oil-rich slobs. Whether the wider U.S. public will buy into this vision however or indeed watch the new channel at all remains to be seen. Al Jazeera sets its sights on America . Given the popularity of Al Jazeera English among Americans already, the channel evidently has many American fans besides Hillary Clinton. But as a rule the wider U.S. audience is not very interested in foreign affairs, even without the complication of associations with terrorism and the wrong kind of political Islam. Even closely related foreign broadcasters, like the BBC, have had trouble getting a toehold in the popular U.S. TV market, let alone Qatari ones. What makes Al Jazeera different and gives it its competitive edge in the U.S. is its perspective on foreign affairs, its freedom to operate, and its enormous financial resources. Al Jazeera's English output has a much freer rein than many other news channels, including many western ones. Even the flagship Al Jazeera Arabic TV service, which has a much stronger political impact in the region as it broadcasts in Arabic, has to temper its coverage of the Gulf region on occasions when there is a conflict with other Qatari interests. Lots of state-sponsored channels broadcast news channels around the world, mostly from the U.S. and Europe in the direction of the "Global South." But Al Jazeera English, and soon Al Jazeera America, broadcast in the opposite direction, will give quite a different perspective on events to U.S. news channels, especially when it comes to Arab affairs. In particular Al Jazeera's reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is both more in depth and in line with the rest of the world's thinking than that usually found on U.S. TV. Al Jazeera America will reportedly focus on U.S. current affairs, but as in Canada where Al Jazeera was effectively shut down by pro-Israeli groups, future controversy over this issue is to be expected and there will undoubtedly be many more hurdles for the network ahead. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Hugh Miles.

Qatari TV network Al Jazeera buys Current TV, gaining access to millions more U.S. viewers . Network has struggled to be accepted in wake of September 11 attacks, says Hugh Miles . Rehabilitating Al Jazeera's image in America was never going to come cheap, Miles adds . Miles: Qatar's priority is drumming up support in case of a war in the Gulf .

(CNN) -- We arrived in Mali's capital city, Bamako, on January 22, a four-person emergency assessment team rapidly deployed by International Medical Corps. With violence raging throughout the country as French and Malian forces fought to take back control of areas seized by Islamist rebels earlier this month, we had no time to waste. Fighting had already displaced more than 10,000 people by the time we arrived (an estimated 25,000 to date), adding to the more than 460,000 Malians who fled their homes because of violence in 2012. Even before January 10, more than 2 million Malians were at risk of food insecurity and an estimated 1.5 million at risk of epidemics, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In this dire humanitarian and volatile security context, we immediately began advancing north to reach areas affected by the latest conflict and assess the most urgent humanitarian needs on the ground. Mali, particularly the northern part of the country, poses enormous challenges for organizations seeking to help those who need it. Humanitarian access is extremely limited, making the presence of relief and aid agencies very sparse, despite vast need. We have faced tremendous challenges traveling through conflict-affected areas: strict military checkpoints, impassable roads and rivers, unpredictable security dynamics, and, worst of all, the ever-present possibility of scattered Islamist rebels along the route. But we're working together with local authorities, U.N. agencies and nongovernmental organization partners to gain access to previously unreachable areas and ensure that critical health and nutrition needs are being met. On January 28, local authorities granted our team access to the town of Konna to conduct the first humanitarian assessment there. We had only four hours to get in and out. Konna was the first town captured when armed Islamist rebels who control northern Mali began aggressively moving south on January 10, triggering French military intervention. Beginning with airstrikes on January 11, French and Malian military forces fought intensely against the Islamist rebels in Konna for more than a week, forcing many of the town's residents to flee their homes. French and Malian forces retook Konna from the rebels on January 18. Most of the town's residents had returned by the time we were allowed in to assess critical needs, and life was beginning to return to normal. But there were still many signs of the conflict. The road leading into the town was littered with burned-out pickup trucks and shrapnel. We even found an unexploded bomb in one home we visited, quickly warning the family of 17 to stay clear before reporting the bomb to the French military to be rendered safe. Similar threats of unexploded ordinances and remnants of Islamist rebels will persist throughout Mali, even as military operations begin to wind down. We met with community leaders to discuss Konna's most urgent needs, involving all sectors of the community, including the mayor, women's groups, local health associations and youth groups. We also visited homes to see firsthand the household-level impact of the conflict. Hunger and food insecurity are major concerns in Konna and throughout Mali. Konna's market was closed for a month because of instability in the region, cutting off access to food and compromising many people's livelihoods. The town's school remains closed, but health and nutrition services have started reopening with the support of local NGOs. We're now on our way to Timbuktu, which was just retaken by French and Malian troops. Timbuktu is one of the three northern regions controlled by Islamist rebel groups since an April 2012 coup that effectively split Mali into two. Thousands of displaced families are expected to be returning home in the coming days, likely overwhelming critical services that have been weakened since being cut off from the world 10 months ago. We've heard reports that the rebels looted health clinics, damaging and even destroying some. Many doctors and nurses have fled south or across the border to Mauritania, leaving limited support for the local population. As soon as we gain access to Timbuktu, we'll conduct rapid assessments of its health facilities to determine the most pressing needs before initiating emergency response activities to provide staff, equipment and medication. We'll also assess the town's nutrition and water needs, sharing our findings with U.N. agencies and NGO partners to facilitate a coordinated humanitarian response. After Timbuktu, we'll continue north, heading deep into formerly rebel-held territory—areas NGOs have been cut off from for months—to reach those most in need. To help us help the estimated 4.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Mali, donate to our emergency response fund. Stay updated on our Mali emergency assessments and responses by visiting our Mali page.

Violence has displaced hundreds of thousands Malians . Mat Jacob is a member of an International Medical Corps team providing aid to the region . Conflict in the region has made it difficult for relief groups reach those in need . Many doctors and nurses have fled Timbuktu leaving critical health services weakened .

Doha (CNN) -- After two weeks of climate negotiations in Doha, bleary-eyed ministers, negotiators, and advocates are headed back home to the various regions around the world. Few, if any, are leaving entirely satisfied. The pace of progress on climate change is still too slow and the political will for greater ambition remains elusive. That said, these talks did achieve the basic goal of extending the Kyoto Protocol and moving countries onto a single negotiating track toward a new climate agreement by 2015. This leaves the door for more progress ahead. This year's talks took place against the backdrop of two disturbing trends. On the one hand, there are multiple signs that climate change is here and its impacts are already being felt around the world. On the other hand, the world remains tied to the consumption of fossil fuels that drive more and more greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. With each passing day that we don't shift directions, we are increasingly locking ourselves into more unstable climate future. The real question is: Can the international talks have a real impact on climate change? But before we get to that question, let's look more closely at the two trends: . First, in recent years, we've seen a surge in climate and extreme weather events, along with analysis and other evidence that the world is on an unsustainable course. The most recent and tragic example was Super Typhoon Bopha that swept across the Philippines this week, killing at least 500 people and leaving tens of thousands displaced. Typhoons aren't unusual in the Philippines, but this one is the most southern on record and it arrived particularly late in the year. The storm, of course, comes on the heels of Hurricane Sandy, which swept through the Caribbean and up the East Coast of the United States, leaving hundreds dead, and thousands without power or property. These are the kind of extreme weather events that are becoming more common in a warming world. On top of these examples are a series of powerful new reports that reinforce the dangerous direction the world is headed. For instance, the World Bank just released a report, "Turning Down the Heat," which explores a world with four degrees Celsius of global temperature growth. The picture is not pretty. Four degrees would bring more intense wildfires, heat waves, and droughts. Ocean life would die off, while pests and disease would increase, the report says. Already we are seeing that polar ice is melting faster than expected and sea levels are rising beyond many projections. For instance, NOAA just released a study showing that sea levels could rise as much as 6.6 feet by the end of the century. Furthermore, temperature records continue to fall. The United States is on course to have it hottest year on record, as withering drought spreads across two-thirds of the country. That brings us to the second major trend, which is the world's ongoing dependence on fossil fuels. WRI recently released an analysis showing that there are nearly 1,200 new proposed coal plants worldwide. While not all of these will be developed, even a fraction of them would drive up global emissions. Oil, likewise, remains a dominant fuel source. And, despite the enormous profits, the International Energy Agency has reported that government subsidies for fossil fuels were six times those for renewable energy in 2011. This dependence on fossil fuels keeps pushing up the global emissions. (2011 also broke the record for greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.) That's why what happens in the global climate agreements is so crucial. The UN is the only venue that brings all countries together and gives each a chance to have a voice. It provides a common arena that enhances transparency and accountability among countries. But, the UN is only as effective as the political will of its members. Right now, when it comes to climate change, we are simply not seeing nearly enough commitment nor ambition from national leaders. Greater domestic action can instill confidence and help build momentum. With more national leadership, the UN can move faster and take a bigger bite out of global emissions. Of course, the international system cannot solve the problem on its own. We need business leaders, government officials, and the public to step up as well. We need more of their voices in the debate. Fortunately, public understanding of climate change is on the rise, as is support for action. Turning again to the Doha meeting, it's certainly clear that the meeting alone won't do enough to address this issue. But it does put countries on a track and provides them with the opportunity to raise their ambition. The time we have to cut emissions to avoid the worst consequences of climate change is running short. The stakes are high. It's time for world leaders, negotiators and the public to increase their intensity, to develop more specific strategies, and deliver more emission reductions. We need to build on Doha and get on a path to a strong, fair and ambitious climate agreement. Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jennifer Morgan.

Climate negotiations end in Doha, Qatar without a major agreement . The talks achieved the basic goal of extending the Kyoto Protocol . WRI's Jennifer Morgan says progress on climate change is still too slow . Morgan: World needs t o 'get on a path to a strong, fair and ambitious climate agreement'

(CNN) -- Consumer Reports, self-promoted as the largest independent consumer-testing organization in the world, recently subjected Tesla's all-electric vehicle to its standard gamut of automotive tests. The results were nothing short of extraordinary, as the model came just one point short of acing the 50-test evaluation regimen. Its final score of 99 out of 100 meant the Model S "performed better than any other car we've ever tested," said Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at the publication (Lexus owners will correctly argue that the 2007 Lexus LS 460L also earned a score of 99 in a Consumer Reports comparison years ago). When the Consumer Reports results were released with the expected publicity and hype, many looked at the near-perfect score and extrapolated that the car was the best car ever made. The Tesla Model S is an extraordinary clean-sheet effort from a small American automaker, but I'd stop several yards short of considering it — or any automobile, for that matter — the world's best car. Tesla : Consumer Reports' best car ever tested . Without question, Tesla's combustion-free five-door is innovative and awe-inspiring. I understand how the team at Consumer Reports became enamored with its effortless acceleration; cavernous, whisper-quiet interior; and glass panel technology. In fact, in my own first drive review published last fall, I called an early production model the "world's first practical, no-compromise, noncombustion automobile." Yes, it is pioneering. Yet before anyone slaps a blue ribbon and a hearty best accolade on its sleek windshield, it is time for a reality check — the Model S is hardly one point away from flawless. Even after overlooking all the Model S' objective blemishes (the team over at CR mentioned its lack of certain high-end features, stereo issues and parasitic battery energy losses when parked), electric vehicles lack a national infrastructure of charging points, accessible cross-country range and remain cost prohibitive for most consumers. These are major hurdles, preventing tens of millions from even considering vehicles like the Model S. Don't feel sorry for just the electric crowd, either. The same hindrances are lodged at other alternative-energy vehicles, such as those powered by hydrogen and natural gas. Tesla's high-scoring 85 kwh Model S, arguably at the top of its pure-electric segment, is limited to a range of about 265 miles. Even though it may be plugged into any common 110-volt electrical outlet for a slow charge, high-speed electric vehicle charging stations have only sprung up in major population centers or along busy highway corridors, meaning a lack of foresight before heading down a less-traveled road may initiate a tow truck encounter. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are more than 5,800 electric charging stations in the United States, but just two public charging stations in North Dakota, and zero in Wyoming (Tesla plans to have a nationwide network of its so-called Supercharger stations within a couple of years). I don't need to remind anyone that gasoline for combustion vehicles is as readily available as pasteurized milk, and still less expensive. And to revisit the cost, according to a recent study by TrueCar, the average transaction price for a new passenger car was $30,812 in January of this year. The flagship Tesla model tested by Consumer Reports wore an $89,650 window sticker, nearly three times the national average. Test drive: DC to Boston in a Tesla Model S . A true best car wouldn't just need a bladder-busting range, readily available fuel or a price that would make it attainable by all. It would need to be every bit as adept in a Syracuse winter as it would be comfortable in a Phoenix summer. It would have to be safe in crash testing, smooth on the highway, maneuverable around town and compact enough to fit into a crowded city garage. Some would even ask for off-road and towing capabilities. You see where I am going? No car currently manufactured deserves the coveted best car trophy, and that includes Consumer Reports' 99-point Tesla Model S. Personal transportation needs are uniquely individual, based on occupation, regional location, household size, income and, of course, taste. Giving a vehicle a near-perfect score is acceptable — and there will undoubtedly be others just as impressive — but assuming that one vehicle trumps others and satisfies all equally is misguided and presumptuous. To those who consider the Model S the world's best car, I throw out this question: What's the world's best shoe? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Harley.

Consumer Reports said Tesla Model S performed better than any car they've tested . Michael Harley: Without question, Tesla is an innovative and awe-inspiring electric car . Harley: But Tesla has issues too, such as its high cost and dearth of charging stations .

(CNN) -- The suspected killer of a 20-year-old pregnant Camp Lejeune Marine is in a North Carolina jail late Friday after being extradited from Mexico, law enforcement sources said. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, 22, was extradited Friday to the United States and held on a murder charge. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, 22, was arrested in Mexico in April 2008. He has been indicted on charges that include financial card transaction fraud, obtaining property by false pretenses and first-degree murder in the death of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. Laurean, who is being held without bond, was booked into the Onslow County Detention Center about 9 p.m. ET, according to a police statement obtained by CNN. An arraignment is scheduled for Monday, the statement read. Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in December 2007; her charred body and that of her fetus were found beneath a fire pit in Laurean's backyard near Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where both were stationed, in January 2008. Investigators accompanied Laurean, who fled to Mexico, back to the United States on Friday morning, two law enforcement sources said. Laurean will stand trial in Onslow County, North Carolina, for Lauterbach's killing. North Carolina prosecutors allege Laurean killed Lauterbach on December 14 and used her ATM card 10 days later before fleeing to Mexico. He was arrested in San Juan Vina in the Mexican state of Michoacan. Because he holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico, he could not be immediately deported and had to go through the extradition process, authorities have said. Before Laurean's extradition to the United States, Camp Lejeune spokesman Maj. Cliff Gilmore said the slaying suspect would go into the civilian jail in Onslow County and stand trial in a civilian court. He was listed as a deserter shortly after he disappeared following Lauterbach's death. He remains on deserter status, but is still considered an active-duty Marine, Gilmore said. "[Laurean] will be treated like any other inmate in our detention center, and he will be prosecuted by the district attorney's office," Rick Sutherland, inspector general of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office, said in a written statement. The FBI said in a news release Thursday the sheriff's office asked for help in finding Laurean after he disappeared January 12, 2008. If convicted, Laurean would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Mexico's extradition policy prohibits U.S. authorities from seeking the death penalty against fugitives it hands over. Asked by a Mexican reporter at the time of his arrest whether he killed Lauterbach, Laurean replied, "I loved her." Authorities found Lauterbach's body after Laurean's wife, Christina, produced a note her husband had written claiming the 20-year-old woman slit her own throat during an argument, according to officials. Although a gaping 4-inch wound was found on the left side of Lauterbach's neck, autopsy results indicated that the wound would not have been fatal and may have occurred after death. Lauterbach died from blunt-force trauma to the head, according to the autopsy. Prosecutors have said there was no evidence that Christina Laurean was involved in or aware of Lauterbach's slaying before she gave the note to authorities. As part of the effort to apprehend Laurean, authorities had seized a computer belonging to his sister-in-law that Christina Laurean was using to communicate with her husband, a law enforcement official had told CNN. Lauterbach had accused Laurean of raping her, and it is unclear whether he was the father of her unborn child. Her relatives have said they believe he was. Laurean had denied the rape allegation and said he had had no sexual contact with Lauterbach. Mary Lauterbach, the slain woman's mother, has said she's unconvinced that the Marine Corps took her daughter's rape allegation and other allegations of harassment seriously. Relatives said that Lauterbach's car was keyed and that an anonymous person had punched her in the face. "Those particular actions should have been taken much more seriously because the Marines were aware of them," she has said. In a statement issued after Lauterbach's death, the Marine Corps said Laurean's denial of the rape allegation "was believed to be significant evidence." CNN's Rich Phillips, Carol Cratty and Larry Shaughnessy contributed to this report.

NEW: Cpl. Cesar Laurean, 22, booked in North Carolina jail about 9 p.m. Camp Lejeune spokesman: Laurean to be tried in civilian court in North Carolina . Laurean accused of killing Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, 20, in 2007 .

San Diego (CNN) -- We start with the obvious question: Why do the media, political observers and presidential campaigns spend so much time talking about the Latino vote? Many Americans resent the implication that some votes are more important or have more impact than others. (No one is saying that's the case.) Still, why don't we talk with equal enthusiasm about voting by African-Americans or white evangelicals or left-handed senior citizens who live in Rhode Island? Here are four reasons: . 1. The number of Hispanic voters has been increasing steadily -- by 2 million since the last presidential election. An estimated 12 million Latinos are expected to cast ballots in November, up from 10 million in 2008. That could account for as much as 10% of the total number of ballots cast across all demographic groups. 2. Latino voters live in swing states that pick presidents. They are a major presence in four battlegrounds: Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico. While they are also a force in blue states such as California and New York and red states such as Texas and Arizona, their real influence is in the purple states. 3. Hispanics are up for grabs, more than African-Americans who vote overwhelmingly for Democrats and white conservative Christians who usually support Republicans. While the majority closely identify with the Democratic Party -- a December 2011 study by the Pew Hispanic Center said 67% call themselves Democrats and 20% Republicans -- Hispanics have in the past shown a willingness to support Republicans with moderate views on issues such as immigration. 4. The Hispanic population will become more important and politically powerful. According to the 2010 census, the number of Hispanics in this country grew 43% in the last decade. Only one group is growing faster: Asian Americans. By 2050, Hispanics are projected to number 132 million and represent 30% of the population. What questions would you like to ask the candidates? Share a short video question. It's a new world. Look no further than the 23rd Congressional District in Texas, where Republican Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco and Democratic challenger Pete Gallego recently faced off in a debate in San Antonio. The debate was entirely in Spanish, a show of respect in a district that is 66% Latino and where 53% of residents speak a language other than English at home. Unfortunately, there are still remnants of the old world. For that, we can thank both political parties who put their own interests ahead of everyday Americans -- with Latinos being no exception. In this nation of immigrants, the federal government and local law enforcement officers now work hand-in-glove to round up and deport the undocumented. And this isn't just happening in Republican-controlled Arizona. Thanks to a program called Secure Communities, which requires local police to submit to federal authorities the fingerprints of anyone they suspect might be in the country illegally (read: Hispanics), that kind of cooperation is now standard operating procedure from sea to shining sea. The program was started at the end of 2008, but it has been ramped up during the Obama Administration as a way of increasing deportation figures. Latinos, according to the Pew study, are nearly twice as likely as the general public to support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. In the presidential matchup between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, Latinos have a Hobson's choice between a Republican challenger who talks about getting tough on illegal immigrants and a Democratic incumbent who already has. Of course, there is always the chance that Latinos don't consider immigration a top priority. But we have already been assured that they do. By whom? Why, by Democrats who use the issue to attack Republicans, and Republicans who use it to attack Democrats. Back in the world of bad choices, if Latinos fall in line behind Obama, despite his record 1.5 million deportations and the dividing of hundreds of thousands of families, they will send the president a clear message: "Do with us what you will. We have no real influence and no power because we have no principles and no integrity. You can wipe your feet on our concerns, and we'll still support you." If they vote for Mitt Romney despite his harsh rhetoric in the primary, they'll be saying: "It's OK to propose simple solutions, to demagogue the immigration issue, to twist your opponents' positions and to caricature immigrants as takers and a burden on society. We'll still take a chance on you as a better alternative to what we have now." If Latino voters go down either path, there could soon come a day when we won't have to worry about discussing the power of the Latino vote -- because there may not be much power to discuss. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette.

Ruben Navarrette: Four reasons why so many are focused on the Latino vote this election . He says Latino voters rolls have swelled, and they are well-represented in swing states . He says they skew Democrat, but may be open to GOP; immigration an issue either way . Navarrette: Latinos face Hobson's choice in election .

(CNN) -- Long before company celebrators bench-pressed fax machines, partygoers performed competitive face-plants into ice water, or family members gathered around an aluminum pole to wield complaints at one another, the common people of ancient Rome began to act up. They were the unruly lot during official religious holidays, the ones who were "raising hell on the streets" while the "elite were putting on their robes," said journalist Allen Salkin. The adverb to describe their behavior, he said: Festivus, the Latin world for "festive." A few thousand years later, and thanks to a "Seinfeld" writer whose father had made Festivus a quirky household tradition, a 1997 episode of the famed sitcom popularized the peculiar day. To hear it from Frank Costanza, the character played by Jerry Stiller, the December 23 observance calls for little more than the erection of an aluminum pole, the airing of grievances and the demonstration of feats of strength -- which preferably culminate in wrestling down to the ground and pinning the head of the household. "People want something that's nothing," said Salkin, author of "Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us," a book that chronicles the birth and flourishing of this oddly sacred day. "All the traditional holidays exclude somebody," but with this one, "everyone's in on the joke." Show us how you celebrate Festivus . The Festivus faithful have gathered across the globe and have come together in places as various as seedy bars, campus squares and corporate boardrooms. Citizens, with varied degrees of success, have petitioned to raise Festivus poles beside public nativity scenes. Social networking sites and holiday-specific venues -- like festivusbook.com and festivusweb.com -- are go-to places for those who want to share the cheer, or jeers. For at least eight years, Julianne Donovan, 35, has been hosting Festivus parties in the Kansas City, Missouri, area. The graphic designer and illustrator said she was drawn to the holiday when her then-company department, which included people of various faiths, decided to trade in the traditional Christmas party for something more inclusive. "It went over well except for one person who thought it was blasphemous and tried to knock over our Festivus pole," she said. "He refused to come to the potluck, was forced to, came, ate all the food and left without saying thank you. Grievances were aired about him." At her parties, which happen when she feels like throwing them -- perfectly fine, according to Salkin, because "There's no pope of Festivus; you make up whatever rules you want" -- people jot down their grievances and stuff them in the pole. They complain about parking tickets, the economy and their spouses, she said. One of her favorites in recent years read like this: "What's up with the dude in the white shoes? It's way after Labor Day." People exchange gifts they've received and don't want. Dickies, random hair extensions and shoe-shining kits from the '70s are always appropriate, she said. And feats of strength generally involve thumb-wrestling (costumes for thumbs included) and timed competitions to see who can submerge their face in ice water the longest or hold 3-pound weights to the side for the greatest stretch of time. "As the hostess," Donovan made clear, "I cheat." Getting in on the fun in recent years is a stairway railing company called Wagner, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tony Leto, who heads sales and marketing, saw an article about Festivus that Salkin wrote in The New York Times in 2004, a precursor to his book, and thought cutting up pipes to make aluminum holiday poles would be an easy -- and fun -- side business. Thus was born festivuspoles.com, an outfit that's answered thousands of requests for the nonsectarian celebratory metal. Leto said he's received orders from troops in Afghanistan and people living in Australia, though he's advised across-the-globe customers who can to simply stroll into their local hardware stores and ask for pieces of pipe. When the company sent Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle a Festivus pole in 2005, he put it up in the executive residence. Today it appears in the state's historical museum. Festivus isn't the only wintertime holiday to be introduced to the masses by television. Fox's "The O.C." brought us "Chrismukkah" in 2003 and continued the holiday throughout the teen drama series' run. Chrismukkah was an answer to the winter holiday dilemma for interfaith families.

Festivus, popularized by "Seinfeld" episode, described unruly ancient Romans . Frank Costanza promoted aluminum poles, airing of grievances, feats of strength . Nonsectarian December 23 holiday invites everyone to be part of joke, author says . Today, Festivus observers gather across globe, in bars and boardrooms, on Web .

(CNN) -- Victoria Bol sits under the blazing sun in the soon-to-be world's newest capital of Juba, a city of red soil, winding dirt roads and scattered tin-roofed homes. She watches in delight as children frolic on the streets and women mill about with the new flag of South Sudan wrapped around their shoulders. A few feet away, boisterous neighbors spray the rare paved road with a hose, playing with the soapy suds as they hum the new anthem of a nation on the eve of its birth. "Oh my goodness, I cannot believe this day is finally here," says Bol, a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan. "It is very emotional. I'm excited, but I'm also thinking of all the people who died for this to happen." Bol is among scores who have returned home to witness the birth of South Sudan, as it officially splits from the government based in the north on Saturday. "The airport is packed and homes are filled with people coming in from all over the world," Bol says. "We lost almost everything -- our relatives, our homes, everything we own -- to get to this point. There was no way I was missing this." Bol says dozens of her relatives died in the violence. She fled Juba in 1991 as mortars rained from the sky, and has not set foot in her homeland since then. "We were at the airport trying to leave when the north started bombing nearby," she says. "Everything shook. We all started screaming and hiding." Sudan's Muslim north has been in conflict with the majority Christian south for decades. The civil war created a class of refugees who drifted in and out of neighboring countries -- many on foot -- to flee violence and famine that left about 2 million people dead. In January, South Sudan voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to split, which was part of a 2005 peace deal that helped end the war. Dallas resident Abuk Makuac escaped Juba in 1984. "I wish my many relatives who died in the civil war were here to witness the separation into a new country," she says. "From here on, I know that they did not die in vain." Scores who fled the long conflict are coming home to a region that has not changed much over the years. The infrastructure is still lacking -- with about 30 miles of paved roads in all of South Sudan, an area the size of Texas. "It is no Michigan," Bol says with a chuckle, "but it's home, and there is a feeling of solace you get at home that you will never get anywhere else." Water remains a luxury in most communities and security is still tense, especially in regions bordering the north where violence still rages days before independence. But patriotism trumps the challenges, say the returnees, who gathered this week in Juba to discuss how they will help move their new country forward. Gordon Ajak, who left Sudan in 1989, hopes to capitalize on the opportunities in his homeland after he decides what to invest in. The 46-year-old bought a one-way ticket from Canada, where he works as a counselor. "I left Sudan because ... we were not wanted by the government in the north," he says. "We have our own country now. It is time to come back to invest and help my people." Business analysts warn that the minimal infrastructure in South Sudan can lead to a difficult business climate. "Good business skills will come at a premium and there will be a ferocious demand for talent," says Robert Taiwo, director of Whitespace Advisory, a global firm that works with businesses looking to invest in Africa. The rewards, he says, can include unprecedented business opportunities. "Returning South Sudanese will get an opportunity to shape domestic business ethics and this will ultimately govern the commercial context in which everyone operates," he says. Ajak says he is not deterred by the flashes of violence that have flared in South Kordofan, a border area between the northern and southern regions that remains tense ahead of the independence. Other challenges such as the disputed region of Abyei remain, he says, but he is ready to sacrifice for his new homeland. "Back before I left, I was being attacked in a country that did not want me," he says. "The difference now is I'll be fighting for South Sudan. My own country. I'd rather die for my country than watch them suffer." James Aguek will not make it home for the festivities, but the Orlando resident is planning to move back permanently. He has already torn his Sudan passport in anticipation of a new one from South Sudan. "Having a new country gives me a reason to go back," the musician says. "There is no way I would have gone back to that country if we had not voted for the separation." For now, Aguek will focus on his upcoming album -- one that includes a song called "99%." It's a reference to the number that voted for the split.

"It is no Michigan," one expatriate says, "but it's home" Sudan's Muslim north has been in conflict with the majority Christian south for decades . The two sides officially split on Saturday, a bitter divorce that comes amid tension .

Washington (CNN) -- When Robert Byrd came to Congress from West Virginia, a postage stamp cost 3 cents and kids were clamoring for a new toy called Mr. Potato Head. On Wednesday, almost 57 years later, Byrd became the longest-serving member of Congress in history. Two days before he turns 92, the eloquent legislator known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Senate rules and history surpasses Carl T. Hayden, the Arizona Democrat who served a total of 20,773 days in the U.S. House and Senate. With his 20,774th day representing West Virginia -- six years in House and then nearly 51 years and counting in the Senate -- Byrd sets a record for longevity unlikely to be broken as the political climate turns toward term limits and growing public dissatisfaction with Congress. In a statement issued by his office, Byrd expressed his gratitude to "the people of the great State of West Virginia" for their long-standing confidence in him. His only regret, he said, was that his wife, Erma, who died in 2006, would not be with him. "I know that she is looking down from the heavens smiling at me and saying congratulations my dear Robert -- but don't let it go to your head," Byrd's statement said. In a career representing the West Virginia coal-mining country from which he emerged, Byrd has cast more Senate votes (18,000-plus) and held more leadership positions (including two stints as majority leader) than any other senator. He has never lost an election. He was raised by an aunt and uncle after his mother died when he was a year old, and he did not graduate college until he received a degree in 1994 from Marshall University. In a sign of his Appalachian roots, Byrd was an avid fiddle player and appeared twice on the television program "Hee Haw." He gave up playing in the 1980s because of a tremor in his hands. His early political years displayed some of the deeply rooted racism of the American South. Byrd was a member of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan in the early 1940s, and later called it "the most egregious mistake I've ever made." In 1964, he voted against the Civil Rights Act pushed by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson. But Byrd later followed a more traditional Democratic path. An ardent foe of President George W. Bush's policies in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Byrd opposed creating the Department of Homeland Security in 2002 and called Bush "dangerous, reckless and arrogant" in February 2003, six weeks before the Iraq war started. Three months later, he criticized Bush's landing a jet on the USS Abraham Lincoln to signal the end of the Iraq war as "flamboyant showmanship." On June 12, 2006, Byrd became the longest serving senator in history, and was re-elected to his ninth consecutive Senate term five months later. Things have changed since he arrived in Washington as a new congressman in 1953, along with the first Eisenhower administration. Gas cost 20 cents a gallon then, and the average annual salary was less than $4,000. Ten presidents later, Byrd is known for his devotion to his state and constituents. "His number one priority has always been the people of West Virginia," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, says in a statement on Byrd's Senate Web site. "It has been a great example for all of us to never lose sight of the fact that you are elected by the people from your state and the people in your state should have first priority." Byrd's statement marking Wednesday's achievement reflected that thinking. "Although we are marking a longevity milestone, it has been the quality and dedication of service that has guided me over the years," Byrd said in his statement. "I have strived to provide the people of West Virginia the best representation possible each of the 20,774 days which I have served in the Congress of the United States." He thanked his constituents for their support and for "putting their trust and faith in me." Slowed by illness in recent years, including a six-week hospital stay this year because of a staph infection, Byrd concluded his statement with typical bravado. "The only way for me to close on this historic day is to say that I look forward to serving you for the next 56 years and 320 days," he said. "Thank you and may God bless you."

Sen. Robert Byrd logs his 20,774th day -- almost 57 years -- in Congress . Byrd is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Senate rules and history . West Virginian says joining Ku Klux Klan in 1940s was his "most egregious mistake" When he arrived in D.C. in 1953, gasoline costs 20 cents a gallon, a stamp was 3 cents .

(CNN) -- The United Nations' refugee agency said Tuesday that more Africans have fled poverty and conflict on the continent during the first 10 months of this year than in all of 2007. A woman who has been displaced by the current fighting in the Congo. The bulk of the more than 96,000 African refugees headed to Yemen and Italy, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees office. The rest sought refuge in Malta, Greece, Spain and the Canary Islands, the agency said. Last weekend, at least 60 refugees died en route to Yemen, a frequent destination for Somali and Ethiopian refugees, according to Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF. UNHCR said most of those who died were forced overboard in deep water off Yemen's coast by smugglers who demanded more money than the $100 they paid for the journey. "Those who did not or could not pay extra were severely beaten by the smugglers," UNHCR said in a news release Tuesday. "Up to 40 -- mainly Ethiopians -- [were] thrown overboard despite their pleas for mercy." Andreas Koutepas, MSF's field coordinator in southern Yemen, said such a high number of refugee deaths in a short period of time "is not usual at all." "For the whole of September until now, we've had 27 dead and now suddenly we reach this number," Koutepas told CNN from MSF's base in Ahwar, Yemen. "We are quite shocked here." About 30,000 African refugees arrived on boats on Italy's shores during the first 10 months of this year compared with 19,900 refugees last year, according to UNHCR. In Malta, an estimated 2,600 boat people arrived in the first nine months of this year from North Africa, compared with 1,800 last year, UNHCR said.. The agency said that from January to October this year, 509 of those attempting to make the journey to Italy and Malta died, compared with last year's death toll of 471. More than 38,000 people have made the perilous journey across the Gulf of Aden from Somalia to Yemen during the first 10 months of this year, a "considerable increase from the 29,500 who made the same journey during the whole of last year," UNHCR said Tuesday. However, the death toll on that route has remained lower so far this year: more than 600 have died or disappeared en route to Yemen compared to 1,400 killed last year. In late September, at least 52 Somalis died when the boat smuggling them across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen broke down, and they were left adrift with no food or water for 18 days, according to the U.N. Many are fleeing the war in Somalia, but Koutepas of MSF told CNN on Monday that he has noticed a recent increase in the number of refugees from Ethiopia. "It used to be 10 percent of total arrival, and now it's around 50-50," he said. Yemen is a common destination for Somalis fleeing economic hardship and war because of its proximity. It is also an attractive location because Somalis receive automatic refugee status in the fellow Muslim country. New smuggling routes, including some based out of Djibouti -- which lies north of Somalia and is much closer to Yemen -- have also led to the increase in refugees, according to the UNHCR. But according to the Yemen Post, Yemen is just a stopping point for most of the refugees, who then travel on to the wealthier Persian Gulf states or Europe and the United States. Earlier this year, Yemen's coast guard stepped up patrols of its coastline in an attempt to deter the smugglers. Some of the smuggling boats seized by Yemen's coast guard are given to Somali fishermen who suffered losses in the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. As part of a $19 million operation, UNHCR operates shelters and reception centers for the refugees in Yemen and has increased its efforts to discourage people from making the illegal crossing to Yemen. It has also sponsored training programs for coast guard personnel and other officials. MSF said the plight of the refugees has been overshadowed by the dozens of pirate attacks off Somalia's coast that have grabbed international headlines in recent months. "A lot of attention has been paid lately to tackling the issue of piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa," said MSF Yemen mission leader Francis Coteur. "Unfortunately, little attention is paid to the drama of the refugees crossing the same waters in horrific conditions. Much more needs to be done to address this issue."

More Africans have already fled poverty and conflict so far this year than in 2007 . Bulk of the more than 96,000 African refugees headed to Yemen and Italy, U.N. says . Rest sought refuge in Malta, Greece, Spain and the Canary Islands .

(CNN) -- Headlines and pundits once again declare that we have a crisis on our hands in the wake of discovering that North Korea is building a new nuclear reactor and a uranium enrichment plant. More ominously, Tuesday brought news of direct artillery barrages between North and South Korea, heightening tensions and costing lives. But as provocative and serious as this is, neither is a crisis. Both fit a clear pattern of North Korean behavior -- a pattern that ultimately holds out the opportunity for progress. Unfortunately, so far the U.S. response also fits a pattern of rhetorical condemnation but little in the way of creative or effective engagement. Some key lessons need to be re-learned in light of these developments. First, the fundamental security situation with respect to North Korea has not changed. Pyongyang's estimated stockpile of plutonium bombs remains the same (four to eight bombs' worth). It does not have the capability to deliver these devices by aircraft or missile and its plutonium program remains frozen or perhaps even further eroded, as described in a report by Dr. Sig Hecker, who visited the North's nuclear facilities two weeks ago. Tuesday, in a briefing in Washington, Hecker, the former head of the Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory, said that his report had been "hyped" in the media. He detailed how the new facilities, while potentially capable of producing material for bombs, are hardly the quickest route for North Korea to do so. Here's why. Uranium weapons are bigger than plutonium weapons, thus more difficult to shrink to the size needed for a missile warhead. The facility Hecker visited could only produce one or two bombs' worth of material a year, it is not clear when it will be fully operational and it has been built to replace the plutonium production facilities, not add to them. The new, small light-water reactor under construction is actually not very good for producing weapons-grade plutonium. If North Korea wanted to expand its nuclear arsenal, it makes much more sense for it to restart the plutonium reactor it has, not replace it with this new one. Finally, the North Koreans said they would scrap their plutonium capabilities completely in exchange for improved relations with the United States. In short, it is conceivable that the facilities are what the North claims, its attempt at home-grown nuclear energy, a goal the North has had for decades. As Hecker said, the trip raised "as many questions as it answered." Second, as difficult as engagement is, it is preferable to the alternative, isolation and instability. Remember that North Korea succeeded in acquiring or building these new facilities during a time when sanctions were extreme and U.S. engagement was absent. In fact, we only know about the facilities because of an unofficial visit by Americans whom the North wanted to use to reveal them. Before that, the Bush administration's years-long policy of complete isolation allowed North Korea to produce plutonium, fashion it into bombs and test two of them. Only in the last two years of the Bush era did a change in U.S. approach bear some fruit in freezing North Korea's programs. "Strategic patience" has been the nickname for the U.S. approach to North Korea since the early weeks of the Obama administration, when Pyongyang rejected early overtures of dialogue. What the administration failed to grasp is that diplomacy with the North is pretty much the most difficult exercise one can do in international relations. But that does not mean you shouldn't continue to try, even when -- or maybe especially when -- the response is a poke in the eye. So where does this leave us? What can or should the United States do to respond to these latest developments? Here again, everything old is new again: Creative, thoughtful approaches to engaging North Korea have to be designed and tested -- persistently. Yes, U.S. overtures will annoy allies in the region, but not if done in concert with or through consultation with them. Yes, the administration will suffer reactionary criticism from the right for "dealing with evil" or similar screeds. But the stakes are too high to allow the long-term threats that North Korea poses to be hamstrung by near-term political scorekeeping. President Obama has to be bold. A number of ideas about how to proceed are offered in a recent piece by Lee Sigal of the Social Sciences Research Council. These suggestions, including economic incentives and diplomatic measures such as a trip by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to North Korea and the conclusion of a peace declaration involving both Koreas and China, are a good starting point. Sun-tzu, an ancient Chinese expert on the region, advised, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Good advice and as relevant as ever for the United States regarding North Korea. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul Carroll and Joe Cirincione.

North Korea's artillery barrage was serious, but this is not a crisis, say co-authors . They say the action fits pattern of North Korea's behavior and doesn't preclude progress . Revelation of a uranium enrichment plant doesn't signal escalation in its weapons capability, they say . U.S. needs to try economic and diplomatic measures to move ahead, they say .

(CNN) -- The Internet is one of the most powerful tools on the planet. Across the globe, millions of people connect every minute of every day to harness its wealth of information, exchange ideas in an open platform and foster the type of innovation and entrepreneurship that spurs economic growth. And today, it's never been more at risk in the United States. Earlier this year, a court decision unlocked the "pandora's box." There are now no enforceable rules to ensure small businesses, nonprofits and individuals can continue to access online content without fear of discriminatory practices or content blocking by Internet service providers who own the information pipelines. Indeed, without new rules, service providers could create fast lanes, impose new fees, and even block certain content and promote other content to bolster their bottom line. This would destroy the open Internet as we know it. This is not idle speculation. Executives at cable and phone companies have expressed a desire to engage in such activities, and in fact, have already tried to do so. If we permit blocking, discrimination, and tolls, we will undermine the Internet's low-cost level playing field that has transformed our society, created an economic boom, and provided opportunity to so many in the United States and around the world. In the last few decades, we have seen first-hand how the open Internet has led to a robust startup economy where Americans create content, solve problems and pioneer new technologies that improve the lives of people across the globe. Businesses like Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Google, Facebook and more have emerged because they were able to start on an even playing field, where consumers -- not Internet service providers -- determined their success. Degrading service or forcing businesses to pay-to-play would fundamentally undermine the openness and access on which the Internet has thrived. To allow the Internet to become a bastion of powerful incumbents and carriers would be a mistake of historic proportions. Instead, it must remain a place where all speakers, creators and innovators can harness its transformative power now and in the future. Fortunately, we do not need to create new laws or a complex regulatory structure to preserve the Internet as we know it. Instead, the Federal Communications Commission can pass rules that prevent toll booths, content blocking and discrimination by simply reclassifying broadband as a common carrier service under Title II of the Communications Act. All the FCC would be doing is applying the legal framework that Congress expected it to apply, and that both Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and President Barack Obama agree is the correct approach. In other words, the legal tools are there and ready to use. Some worry that this approach could be overly burdensome on Internet service providers, but the fact is, the FCC can easily apply only the necessary parts of Title II regulation through a process known as forbearance. This flexible approach would allow the FCC to adopt bright-line rules that provide certainty to the market, and would keep the Internet as a powerful, open platform that gives everyone -- not just the highest-bidder -- the opportunity to freely exchange goods and ideas. Any approach that stops short of reclassifying broadband under Title II will not allow the FCC to adopt the rules we need today to protect customers and businesses, and will result in high social and economic costs. All other approaches require case-by-case adjudication, leading to never-ending litigation (which, in itself, disproportionately harms small businesses and start-ups), market uncertainty, high costs of regulation and opportunities for regulatory overreach. Title II has already worked well to strengthen telecommunications in the United States. Under Title II regulation, telephone service has been robust and accessible. Mobile phone service, also a Title II service, continues to thrive and investment has remained steady and more and more individuals turn to mobile as their primary voice service. While many do not realize it, Title II also applies to the broadband services offered to the nation's large businesses, known as enterprise broadband, and to the many services offered to millions of our rural Americans. An open Internet is not only essential for the future of America's economic growth, but it is also a ladder for social and economic mobility, allowing families in rural or low-income areas to access educational and social services, participate in our democracy and contribute to the marketplace of ideas. This is why we have been working with our colleagues in Congress to encourage the FCC to protect the open Internet under Title II. Adopting these sensible rules would give the FCC the power to intervene if broadband providers attempt to abuse the principles of the open Internet while also creating market and regulatory certainty. We are proud to join more than 4 million Americans of all political beliefs, as well as companies in our home states and across the country, who have spoken out in favor of strong open Internet rules and against the creation of fast and slow lanes. We urge the FCC to act quickly to implement fair rules of the road that protect businesses and consumers and preserve the power of the open Internet. The future of our democracy and economy depend on it.

Cory Booker, Angus King: Internet is the most powerful tool in the world, but it's at risk . Booker, King: If the FCC makes the wrong decision, it would kill net neutrality . They say fast lanes would destroy the open Internet, increase discrimination and prices . Booker, King: An open Internet promotes economic growth, social and economic mobility .

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama is the first American leader in decades to visit Malaysia, the Asian nation grappling with the mystery of a vanished jetliner. Obama landed in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, seven weeks to the day Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 people aboard. He's remained largely quiet over the issue amid an international underwater search focusing on the southern Indian Ocean. At an elaborate dinner at Istana Negara palace, attended by some 600 guests, Paramount Ruler Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah offered a toast in English and personally thanked Obama for U.S. support in the aftermath of the plane's disappearance. A day before his arrival, he told a Malaysian newspaper, The Star, that the U.S. remains committed to the search. "The United States was one of the first countries to join in the search for the missing plane," he said. "U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and personnel remain on the scene, assisting in the search. Our FBI is working closely with Malaysia on the investigation into what caused the aircraft to disappear. And we'll continue to offer our support and assistance as the search and investigation continue." Obama will discuss the search for the missing plane with Malaysia's Prime Minister, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters, but it will not be the only item on the agenda. Malaysia is a growing partner of the United States, which seeks to deepen that relationship, Rhodes said. Topics of discussion between the two leaders will include trade, security and regional issues, he said. Narrowed search nears end . Because of inclement weather, the planned air and sea search for Sunday was suspended, the Joint Agency Coordination Center said. The Bluefin-21 search was expected to take place. Obama's visit comes as the initial search by the Bluefin-21 nears its end. The submersible, which is on contract to the U.S. Navy, is scouring the ocean floor for traces of the plane. Previously, another device, a "towed pinger locator" detected signals that officials believed were from its flight recorders, which determined the current search area for the Bluefin. The underwater sonar device plunged into the Indian Ocean on Saturday, kicking off its 14th mission. It has slowly scoured 95% of the ocean floor that searchers had narrowed down for it. So far, it has found no trace of the missing jetliner. If the Bluefin-21 searches 100% of the area with nothing to show for it, the underwater search may expand Australian officials said. On Saturday, the British ship HMS Echo returned to port in Perth for replenishment after assisting in the search. A U.S. Navy source told CNN on Friday that the current search area is expected to move slightly north if the Bluefin doesn't find any wreckage. Specifically, it might shift to encompass a 6-mile radius around where another "ping" was detected. The underwater search so far has focused on a circle with a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) radius around the location of a detected "ping," the Joint Agency Coordination Center said. "We are currently consulting very closely with our international partners on the best way to continue the search into the future," the Australian-based center coordinating the search said in a statement. The plane disappeared after leaving Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for Beijing. Preliminary report . Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has said a preliminary report on the plane's disappearance will be available to the public next week. He also asked an internal investigation team to look into what other information may be released publicly next week, his office said. The report has been sent to the International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. body for global aviation, but not yet made available to the public. The U.N. organization said among the safety recommendations in the report is a suggestion by Malaysia that the aviation world needs to look at real-time tracking of commercial aircraft. It's the same recommendation that was made after the Air France Flight 447 went down in the Atlantic Ocean in 2009. "Anytime there is a tragedy like this we ought to also reflect on what can be done going forward to prevent something similar from happening again," Obama said. "That discussion has begun in Malaysia and around the world, and we'll see what improvements might be recommended to continue improving aviation security. One thing is already clear, however, is that large international efforts like this search operation benefit from existing partnerships among nations." Obama, who will be in Malaysia until Sunday, is the first U.S. president to visit Kuala Lumpur in almost 50 years. He leaves for the Philippines on Sunday, where he will remain until his departure for the United States on Tuesday. CNN's Elizabeth Joseph, Mike Ahlers, Sumnima Udas, David Molko, Catherine E. Shoichet and John Berman contributed to this report.

NEW: Sunday air and sea search suspended because of weather . Obama has remained largely quiet amid an international underwater search . A day before his visit, he says the U.S. remains committed to the search . Malaysia says it will make its report on the missing plane public next week .

(CNN) -- Celebrated on November 11 every year, Veterans Day honors men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces. The date marks the anniversary of the end of World War I -- which ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918. Here are some more facts behind the holiday. By the numbers . 21.5 million: The number of military veterans in the United States in 2011. 1.6 million: The number of female veterans in 2011. 2.3 million: The number of black veterans in 2011. Additionally, 1.2 million veterans were Hispanic; 264,695 Asian; 153,223 American Indian or Alaska Native; 27,469 Native Hawaiian or Other PacificIslander; and 17.2 million non-Hispanic white. 9.2 million: The number of veterans 65 and older in 2011. At the other end of the age spectrum, 1.8 million were younger than 35. 7.5 million: Number of Vietnam-era veterans living in 2011: 5.1 million served during the Gulf War eras (representing service from August 2, 1990, to present); 1.8 million in World War II (1941-1945); 2.4 million in the Korean War (1950-1953); and 5.4 million in peacetime only. 51,079: Number of living veterans in 2011 who served during the Vietnam era and both Gulf War eras and no other period. Other living veterans in 2011 who served during three wars: . -- 43,942 served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam era. Living veterans in 2011 who served during two wars and no other period: . -- 876,663 served during both Gulf War eras. -- 205,205 served during both the Korean War and the Vietnam era. -- 129,972 served during both World War II and the Korean War. Tomb of the Unknowns . -- November 11, 1921: The first Unknown Soldier is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. -- 1958: Unknown Soldiers from World War II and the Korean War are buried next to the Unknown Soldier from World War I. -- The tomb has the words inscribed, "Here rests in honored glory An American Soldier Known but to God." -- Services are held at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on Veterans Day. A combined color guard representing all military branches executes Present Arms at the tomb. The president lays a wreath on the tomb and a bugler plays taps. -- 1984: An unknown soldier from Vietnam is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He is identified through DNA tests in 1998 as Michael Blassie, a 24-year-old pilot shot down in 1972 on the border of Cambodia. His remains are disinterred and reburied in his home state of Missouri. VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) -- The VFW is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit organization. -- It was founded in 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection start local organizations to advocate for rights and benefits for veterans. -- The VFW advocates rights and benefits for veterans and offers assistance to veterans, including assistance with funeral services. -- Posts offer members a place to socialize. Bingo, fish fries, dances and inexpensive drinks have been the hallmark of VFW posts. -- Membership is open to "all U.S. service members who have earned an overseas campaign or expeditionary medal and are currently on active duty, in the Reserves or who have been honorably discharged..." -- The first chapters started in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania. Timeline . -- 1919: President Woodrow Wilson proclaims November 11 as Armistice Day. -- 1938: Armistice Day becomes a federal holiday. -- June 1, 1954: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill renaming the holiday Veterans Day in order to honor all U.S. veterans. -- 1968: Congress changes the date of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. -- September 25, 1975: President Gerald Ford changes the date of Veterans Day back to November 11. The change takes effect in 1978. A daughter faces demons of father's war . Travel ideas for Veterans Day . On the front line of our communities .

Veterans Day is celebrated every November 11 . The date marks the anniversary of the end of World War I . In 2011, there were 21.5 million military veterans in the U.S.

San Diego (CNN) -- Here's a scary thought: There's a country where officials are suggesting that the visas of gay partners of U.S. diplomats be revoked and these individuals be put in jail -- not because the country recently outlawed same-sex relationships but to crack down on Americans. In that country, the government is also curtailing the privileges traditionally granted to U.S. consulate staff, taking down protective barricades in front of the U.S. consulate and snubbing U.S. diplomatic officers. Where do you suppose you'll find this anti-American backlash brewing? North Korea? Cuba? Iran? Surely, it must be a place where the citizens hate the United States. Perhaps it's a political adversary with which relations have never been particularly good. Nope. All this is happening in India, which has long been a good and dependable friend and ally to the United States, most recently during the war on terror. These are tense times in U.S.-India relations. And it's all because of how agents with the U.S. Marshals Service treated Devyani Khobragade when she was recently arrested and detained. The 39-year-old deputy counsel general of India was taken into custody in New York on December 12 after she dropped her daughter off at school, and she was charged with visa fraud for allegedly lying on the application that she filled out to get permission for her nanny to legally work in the United States. Court documents allege that she stated on the application that she was paying the nanny the minimum wage in New York -- $9.75 per hour, when she was really only paying her what worked out to be about $3.31 per hour. Even that part of the story is fuzzy. Imagine someone coming into your home and calculating what you're paying a housekeeper or nanny or gardener by the hour, when you're paying them a flat rate for the day. I know friends who have live-in nannies, and those baby sitters are essentially on-call around the clock. They're probably making less than minimum wage as well, but with room and board thrown in. Anyway, what happened next isn't being disputed by either side. Khobragade was put in a holding cell with other female detainees and strip-searched. She eventually posted bond, and she was released. She is now staying at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations. The U.S. Marshals Service claims that a strip-search is standard operating procedure and that none of its policies were violated in this case. A spokesman says that Khobragade was treated just like anyone else. That's the problem. Khobragade is not just like anyone else. She is a diplomatic officer with limited immunity. She's in the United States representing a proud country filled with reserved and modest people, many of whom consider a strip-search to be, as one Indian official said, "barbaric." This is a country that in recent years has had good relations with the United States and where we have foreign officers stationed who we expect to be treated fairly and humanely. Besides, she is not a violent criminal or a terror suspect, and she doesn't appear to be a threat to public safety. If there is a labor law violation here, it would a civil crime, not a criminal offense. And if the U.S. government is going to throw the book at people who mistreat workers, I could -- as someone who writes about the immigration issue -- provide dozens of names of U.S. citizens, from farmers to soccer moms, who belong in a lineup. Lying on a visa application is no small matter, but we're still not sure that is what happened given how wages are sometimes arrived at. Either way, it does seem that U.S. marshals might have overreacted in this case. Like other law enforcement officers, many federal agents already get what is referred to as cultural sensitivity training. But, it turns out, what they really need is a crash course in International Relations 101. The Indian government is incensed, and it has a right to be. There are questions about the procedure that agents followed in this case, and they need to be answered. Those policies need to be reviewed. Indian officials also want an apology, and they should get one. Secretary of State John Kerry should deliver it himself, going beyond what the State Department said in a statement is Kerry's "regret" over the incident. Questions of Khobragade's guilt or innocence can wait for another day. Yet, decency and common sense can be dealt with now. Those things tell us something went wrong in this case. It's up to the Obama administration to make it right before this diplomatic crisis gets any bigger. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette.

India is retaliating against the U.S. over treatment of consular official who was strip-searched . Ruben Navarrette: The official was not a threat to safety and the charges are murky . He says the Marshals Service may have overreacted and created a diplomatic furor . Navarrette: U.S. relationship with India is vital and shouldn't be lightly endangered .

(CNN) -- Air guitar players, bus stop drummers and office desk virtuosos, rejoice: being a slave to the rhythm has just become a lot more fun. Mogees is a new technology that turns any object into a musical instrument, by converting the vibrations you make when you touch it into sound. Here's how it works: you stick a small sensor to the surface you want to play with, be it a tree or a fruit bowl or your bathtub, and then connect it to your smartphone. An app running on it detects and analyzes the vibrations, transforming them into musical notes. The sound can then be amplified by hooking up the smartphone to headphones or speakers. "The sound you hear is really coming from the object, it's not a virtual reconstruction," says Bruno Zamborlin, the 30-year-old music technology researcher who invented the device. "It's a principle called physically inspired sound system. When you play a real instrument, like a guitar, the sound is created by the combination of an exciter and a resonator. The exciter is the plectrum in your hand that hits the strings, and the resonator is the combination of the strings and the body of the guitar. Mogees works in a similar way: everything that is picked up by the sensor -- your gestures, the object itself -- is the exciter, and the resonator is emulated through the software. We just modify the signal to respect musical rules. We augment it." The name of the device is a geeky reference to its functionality: it stands for "Modal Gestural Surface." Nothing is random: if you make the same gesture twice, you get the same sound. Through the app, you can select the musical notes and timbres that you want it to associate to your gestures. Sounds complicated? "Mogees is designed to be immediately pleasant and fun to play for anyone," Zamborlin told CNN, "but at the same time it leaves room for improvement and virtuosity." The default setting for the system is the "Free mode": you select a musical scale and the frequency of the vibrations that you create is mapped to one specific note on that scale. Alternatively, you can use "Song mode", which entails uploading a song in the form of a MIDI file onto your phone: each time you touch your designated object, you play a note from your song. Mogees had a successful Kickstarter earlier this year, and subsequently secured additional private funding to the tune of £1 million. The first units have already been delivered to backers. And Zamborlin has racked up some field tests with pre-production prototypes: . "In New Delhi I met a sword swallower who stuck it on top of his sword and proceeded to play it with the piercing on his tongue: it produced a really high frequency, eerie sound. A French researcher emailed me saying he was going to the Amazon forest for a month and wanted a couple of Mogees to show to the local tribes. Dancers play it with their feet. And I've seen people just attach it to a ping pong table to 'sonify' their game. I like being surprised." A musical enthusiast himself -- he pauses mid-sentence to marvel at the sound of a nearby Mogees playing a song by Kraftwerk, the German pioneers of electronic music -- Zamborlin has performed publicly several times with the device, most recently playing alongside British electronic duo Plaid at London's Roundhouse, a venue that has hosted the likes of The Doors and Jimi Hendrix. On stage, he had surrounded himself with items reminiscent of a playground: a slide, a tree, a metal fence, and some scaffolding arranged to spell the word "play". At one point he used a wooden chair, gently caressing it as if trying to convince it to produce the perfect note. "I'm trying to add some visual and performative aspect to electronic music. I want it to go back to the real world and be physically performed, with the advantages of digital technology coupled with the gestures of acoustic instruments. We're witnessing a spring of augmented reality and embedded technology, and this concept can be applied to music as well: I wish to inspire people to see objects in a novel way." Other musicians are using or plan to use the device. Among them, French electronic composer Jean Michel Jarre, the Mexican acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, and English songwriter Imogen Heap. But Zamborlin is also eager to see how regular users will employ it, and he plans to update the software accordingly, while keeping an open stance: . "This project is about not telling people what to do," he says, "There are no rules with this technology. I want people to just look around and find their own inspiration. All I'm going to do is try to make their experience better." Read more from Make, Create, Innovate: . Can levitating appliances take off? The Chairless Chair, an invisible chair that you can wear . Music 'hackers' unleash new generation of cool and bizarre instruments .

Mogees is a new technology that turns any object into a musical instrument . It works by picking up vibrations and transforming them into notes . It was funded through Kickstarter and the first production units have been delivered .

(CNN) -- We all know this election is going to be about the economy. President Barack Obama knows it, Mitt Romney knows it and so do the media -- even though at times pundits pretend it's about much smaller and sillier topics. The difference, as the president told the country last week, is that he is the only candidate in the race who truly understands that it's about a very specific part of our economy: the middle class. Obama's plan is to grow the economy from the middle out, using common-sense measures that help small businesses, invest in clean-energy technology and train a new generation of skilled workers. Romney's plan is to return to the same failed, trickle-down policies -- but made worse by the tea party politics of slash-and-burn against government -- that threaten hardworking middle-class families. Those are two very different visions. Where do they come from? Both candidates have looked at the same history but derive very different lessons. Obama studied how the middle class was built -- sending students and veterans to school, developing a strong manufacturing base and making sure our laboratories of innovation are built on American soil and grit. That foundation created a great American middle class that became the envy of the world. In the Clinton-Gore years, private-sector businesses created 23 million new jobs. The president is determined to rebuild the foundation that led to such historic success. Romney, on the other hand, has fixated on the failed ideas of the last decade. He endorsed eliminating the rules that protect our workers and keep corporations from gambling away our money. He was all for giving the wealthy a permanent break on taxes -- and wants to increase the nation's debt by having us pay for more tax havens for the rich. Romney wants to return to policies that funneled wealth upward and pushed the middle class down -- and almost out. Like the Obama campaign says about Romney's broken promises in Massachusetts: It didn't work then, and it won't work now. You don't have to take my word for it. Independent economists have said Romney's warmed-over ideas would pull us back toward recession at the very time we need to keep pushing toward a full recovery. Obama's correct reading of history is why he's made the decisions he has in his first term -- even when they were politically unpopular. When the auto industry started to collapse and factories began shutting their doors, Obama knew that, as a country, we needed to rescue it. Now American car companies and American manufacturers are surging, opening new factories and hiring new workers. Romney has been forthright: He would have let the companies go into bankruptcy in a process experts said would have shuttered the factories and led the workers to lose their jobs. Obama also found a housing market in which thousands of Americans were going into foreclosure. He fought to keep people in their homes despite being obstructed at every turn by Republicans in Congress who tried to make it impossible for struggling homeowners to refinance or renegotiate their mortgages. Romney, of course, has no plan to help underwater homeowners. We've got a long way to go, but the president's policies have stopped the bleeding of jobs. Since June 2009, when the stimulus took effect, the private sector has been adding jobs -- and if not for Republican obstruction of recovery efforts, there would have been a dramatically greater increase in employment. And despite all his talk of business expertise, Romney ranked 47th out of 50 in job creation when he was governor of Massachusetts. This is a choice between two courses of action, but it is also a choice between two different visions. Obama was buoyed up on a groundswell of small donors, young and old, rich and poor -- people who wished to see a country restored and an economy rebuilt. Romney was chosen by the same class of the Republican elite who met in the early days of January 2009 and vowed to block Obama at every turn. While the president promised to make his top priority the success of the middle class, Republicans declared the president's failure their No. 1 objective. Read Bobby Jindal's view: Obama's message of divide and blame . Obama has kept faith with the middle class and kept his focus on moving forward. He has pushed for a just budget and a fair tax code to relieve our deficit. He will encourage companies to bring their jobs and profits back to our shores, hire new workers, invest in research and technology, rebuild our roads and bridges, and invest in promising new sources of energy. His vision is based on action, while Romney's is based on inaction: "Let Detroit go bankrupt," let foreclosures "hit the bottom," and wait, wait, wait for wealth to trickle down -- which it has never done and will never do for the middle class. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile.

Donna Brazile: President Barack Obama truly understands how to build up the middle class . Brazile: Obama favors education, manufacturing, innovations to build middle class . Brazile: Mitt Romney wants tax breaks for the rich as middle class waits for trickling down . Brazile: Romney says let "Detroit go bankrupt," let foreclosures "hit bottom"

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. and Japanese authorities have ordered airlines to stop flying their Boeing 787s until they can show they've fixed a fire risk linked to battery failures aboard the closely watched Dreamliners. The moves by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Japanese government follow an emergency landing in Japan that prompted that country's two major airlines to ground their fleets of 787s, and a similar problem aboard a Dreamliner on the ground in Boston nine days earlier. "The battery failures resulted in release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke on two Model 787 airplanes," the FAA announced Wednesday evening. "The root cause of these failures is currently under investigation. These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment." The only U.S. carrier to operate the eagerly awaited, long-delayed jetliner is United Airlines, which said earlier Wednesday that it had inspected its fleet of six 787s and would continue flying them. United spokeswoman Christen David said Wednesday evening that the airline would comply with the order "and will work closely with the FAA and Boeing on the technical review." The FAA noted that its directive also signals international aviation authorities to take "parallel action" regarding their own airlines. The first commercial Dreamliner flight took off in October 2011, flying from Tokyo to Hong Kong, and the planes flew without major problems for more than a year. Since July, the growing list of reported troubles aboard the planes include a fuel leak, an oil leak, two cracked engines, a damaged cockpit window and a battery problem. The FAA announced a safety review of the aircraft last week. In the most serious incident so far, an All Nippon Airlines (ANA) 787 with 129 people aboard made an emergency landing after a battery alarm Wednesday morning. Those on board reported a burning smell in the cabin, and an alarm indicated smoke in a forward electrical compartment. Hours later, ANA and Japan Airlines announced that they were grounding their Dreamliners pending an investigation. And on Thursday, the Japanese government ordered that all 787s be kept out of service until battery safety could be assured. A maintenance worker discovered an electrical fire aboard an empty Japan Airlines 787 slated for departure from Logan International Airport in Boston on January 7. In a statement released Wednesday night, Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney said the company is confident that the planes are safe and is working with authorities to get them flying again. "Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist," the statement said. "We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service." McNerney's statement Wednesday did not mention specifics about the recent incidents, but said the company "deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers." Boeing has delivered 50 Dreamliners so far and has more than 800 additional orders for the aircraft from airlines around the world. On Wednesday night, Chile-based LAN Airlines said it was temporarily grounding its three Boeing 787 aircraft in compliance with the FAA's recommendation. Boeing's shares -- which had previously been resilient in the face of this month's negative publicity over the Dreamliner -- sank 2% in after-hours trading Wednesday, after falling 3.4% during the trading day. After last week's incident in Boston, Boeing chief engineer Mike Sinnett expressed confidence in the aircraft's battery system. "I am 100% convinced the airplane is safe to fly," he said. "I fly on it all the time." Asked last week whether he would consider grounding the jets, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said there was "nothing in the data" that suggested the Dreamliner was unsafe. Longtime commercial pilot and industry analyst Patrick Smith said the battery issue did not appear to be a major problem, but called the FAA order "a positive and pro-active step." "I don't think that it was dangerous for the plane to be flying, but it probably wasn't the best thing to be flying it on the heels of this latest emergency landing in Japan," Smith said. "All airplanes have their teething problems, and this was trending in a bad direction," he added. "Now the authorities have said, 'Stop,' and that's a good thing." CNN's Mike M. Ahlers and Thom Patterson and CNNMoney contributed to this report.

NEW: Japan orders that 787s remain out of service until battery safety is assured . Boeing says the company is confident that the planes are safe . FAA grounds Dreamliners for battery fix . The move follows an emergency landing in Japan and another incident in Boston .

(CNN) -- Comedian Joan Rivers died in a New York hospital Thursday afternoon, a week after suffering cardiac arrest during a medical procedure, her daughter said. "She passed peacefully at 1:17 p.m. surrounded by family and close friends," Melissa Rivers said in a written statement. The funeral for Rivers will be at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan on Sunday, according to temple spokeswoman Elizabeth Fezrine. Details, including the time and if the public will be allowed to attend, are not yet known, she said. Joan Rivers: A pointed, pioneering comedian . Rivers, 81, had been on life support at Manhattan's Mount Sinai hospital, where she was taken after she stopped breathing at the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic last Thursday. Rivers was undergoing an apparently minor elective procedure at the clinic when she suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest, according to the New York Fire Department. Paramedics took her by ambulance to Mount Sinai Hospital, about a mile from the clinic, where she was initially listed in critical condition. The outpatient clinic is now being investigated by the New York State Department of Health, spokesman James O'Hara said. Joan Rivers: In her own words . Her death also has triggered an investigation by the New York medical examiner's office, its spokeswoman, Julie Bolcer, told CNN. "The cause and manner of death will be announced at some point," she said. The Rivers family made very little information about her medical condition public, finally confirming Tuesday that she was on life support. "My son and I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of Mount Sinai Hospital for the amazing care they provided for my mother," her daughter said. "Cooper and I have found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received from around the world. They have been heard and appreciated.' Melissa Rivers and her son Cooper have spent the past week by Rivers' hospital bedside, rushing there last Thursday when they learned of her illness. 'My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh," Melissa Rivers said. "Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon." Share your memories . The clinic has not responded to repeated calls from CNN about the state's investigation. Yorkville Endoscopy's website says it is an "ambulatory surgical center" that has been "approved by the Department of Health." The description of its accreditations is blank. "Yorkville Endoscopy is a state of the art facility, staffed by highly experienced endoscopists whose mission is to provide safe and compassionate care to patients and their families," the website says. Tributes from Joan's friends . Tributes to Rivers and her long career included one from former first lady Nancy Reagan, whose close circle of friends included Rivers. "Joan Rivers was not only a dear friend, but one of the kindest and funniest people I ever knew," Reagan said. "I doubt there's anyone who hasn't laughed at her or with her until they cried. Today our tears are those of sadness. I know I join millions in saying, 'Thanks for the good times Joan, we will truly miss you.' My love and deepest sympathy go to Melissa and Cooper." Former CNN host Larry King knew Rivers for 45 years. "She knew no boundaries," King said. "Everything was funny to her. You couldn't really object because she took no prisoners." Hollywood mourns a friend . Donald Trump, who chose her as the winner on a season of "Celebrity Apprentice," said Rivers "was stronger at the end than she was at the beginning. She had unbelievable stamina." Ryan Seacrest, who worked with her on E! shows, called Rivers "a trailblazer in so many ways." Liza Minnelli said Rivers was "my dear friend." "I will miss her but I will always remember the laughter and friendship she brought into my life," Minnelli said. Opinion: Joan Rivers gave misfit girls permission to dream . E! and NBCUniversal, producers of Rivers' TV show "Fashion Police," sent condolences to her family on "this incredibly sad day." "For decades Joan has made people laugh, shattered glass ceilings and revolutionized comedy," the studio said. "She was unapologetic and fiercely dedicated to entertaining all of us and has left an indelible mark on the people that worked with her and on her legions of fans.  She's been a much beloved member of the E! family for over 20 years and the world is less funny without her in it.  Today our hearts are heavy knowing Joan will not be bounding through the doors." People we've lost in 2014 . See more about the people of comedy at CNN Comedy. CNN's Marisa Marcellino, Susan Candiotti and Joan Yeam contributed to this report.

New York medical examiner's office will investigate Rivers' death . Joan Rivers' funeral will be at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan on Sunday . She was undergoing a procedure at clinic, she suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest . Rivers, 81, had been on life support at Manhattan's Mount Sinai hospital .

(CNN) -- Historically, surveillance was difficult and expensive. Over the decades, as technology advanced, surveillance became easier and easier. Today, we find ourselves in a world of ubiquitous surveillance, where everything is collected, saved, searched, correlated and analyzed. But while technology allowed for an increase in both corporate and government surveillance, the private and public sectors took very different paths to get there. The former always collected information about everyone, but over time, collected more and more of it, while the latter always collected maximal information, but over time, collected it on more and more people. Corporate surveillance has been on a path from minimal to maximal information. Corporations always collected information on everyone they could, but in the past they didn't collect very much of it and only held it as long as necessary. When surveillance information was expensive to collect and store, companies made do with as little as possible. Telephone companies collected long-distance calling information because they needed it for billing purposes. Credit cards collected only the information about their customers' transactions that they needed for billing. Stores hardly ever collected information about their customers, maybe some personal preferences, or name-and-address for advertising purposes. Even Google, back in the beginning, collected far less information about its users than it does today. As technology improved, corporations were able to collect more. As the cost of data storage became cheaper, they were able to save more data and for a longer time. And as big data analysis tools became more powerful, it became profitable to save more. Today, almost everything is being saved by someone -- probably forever. Examples are everywhere. Internet companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple collect everything we do online at their sites. Third-party cookies allow those companies, and others, to collect data on us wherever we are on the Internet. Store affinity cards allow merchants to track our purchases. CCTV and aerial surveillance combined with automatic face recognition allow companies to track our movements; so does your cell phone. The Internet will facilitate even more surveillance, by more corporations for more purposes. On the government side, surveillance has been on a path from individually targeted to broadly collected. When surveillance was manual and expensive, it could only be justified in extreme cases. The warrant process limited police surveillance, and resource restraints and the risk of discovery limited national intelligence surveillance. Specific individuals were targeted for surveillance, and maximal information was collected on them alone. As technology improved, the government was able to implement ever-broadening surveillance. The National Security Agency could surveil groups -- the Soviet government, the Chinese diplomatic corps, etc. -- not just individuals. Eventually, they could spy on entire communications trunks. Now, instead of watching one person, the NSA can monitor "three hops" away from that person -- an ever widening network of people not directly connected to the person under surveillance. Using sophisticated tools, the NSA can surveil broad swaths of the Internet and phone network. Governments have always used their authority to piggyback on corporate surveillance. Why should they go through the trouble of developing their own surveillance programs when they could just ask corporations for the data? For example we just learned that the NSA collects e-mail, IM and social networking contact lists for millions of Internet users worldwide. But as corporations started collecting more information on populations, governments started demanding that data. Through National Security Letters, the FBI can surveil huge groups of people without obtaining a warrant. Through secret agreements, the NSA can monitor the entire Internet and telephone networks. This is a huge part of the public-private surveillance partnership. The result of all this is we're now living in a world where both corporations and governments have us all under pretty much constant surveillance. Data is a byproduct of the information society. Every interaction we have with a computer creates a transaction record, and we interact with computers hundreds of times a day. Even if we don't use a computer -- buying something in person with cash, say -- the merchant uses a computer, and the data flows into the same system. Everything we do leaves a data shadow, and that shadow is constantly under surveillance. Data is also a byproduct of information society socialization, whether it be e-mail, instant messages or conversations on Facebook. Conversations that used to be ephemeral are now recorded, and we are all leaving digital footprints wherever we go. Moore's law has made computing cheaper. All of us have made computing ubiquitous. And because computing produces data, and that data equals surveillance, we have created a world of ubiquitous surveillance. Now we need to figure out what to do about it. This is more than reining in the NSA or fining a corporation for the occasional data abuse. We need to decide whether our data is a shared societal resource, a part of us that is inherently ours by right, or a private good to be bought and sold. Writing in The Guardian, Chris Huhn said that "information is power, and the necessary corollary is that privacy is freedom." How this interplay between power and freedom play out in the information age is still to be determined. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bruce Schneier.

Bruce Schneier: Historically, surveillance was difficult; now it's become much easier . Schneier: Government and corporate surveillance used to be very different . He says today NSA can piggyback on corporate surveillance; they're like partners . Schneier: We need to decide whether data is a societal resource or a commodity .

(CNN) -- It was supposed to be a good week for the White House. President Obama would celebrate the passage of Wall Street reform, and Democrats would move toward the midterms with some wind at their backs. But on a day the president signed the landmark legislation, the narrative from the White House was more contrite than laudatory. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs apologized on behalf of the administration for what former Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod had been through this week and that, to his knowledge, no one from the White House ordered her ouster. Questions about Sherrod dominated the media briefings in a week the administration hoped would be focused on the most sweeping overhaul of the financial system since the New Deal. Sherrod was forced to resign because of a misleading video of a speech she delivered at an NAACP event. Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart posted a portion of an address she gave in which she spoke of not offering her full support to a white farmer. However, it was later determined that her speech, unedited, focused on how the incident changed her outlook and made her realize people should move beyond race. The NAACP retracted its original condemnation of Sherrod's remarks and issued a statement saying it was "snookered by Fox News" and Breitbart. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack apologized to Sherrod and offered her a new job. "This is a good woman. She has been put through hell," Vilsack said. "I want to renew the commitment of this department to a new era in civil rights. I want to close the chapter on a very difficult period in civil rights." Sam Fulwood III, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said he thinks the administration's initial reaction was spawned out of fear over how the right-wing media would cover the incident. He said administration officials "allowed themselves to be bullied into doing something without thinking about it." "The White House, the administration, the Agriculture Department, whomever ... allowed themselves to be bullied into doing something without thinking about it," said Fulwood. Instead of summoning Sherrod, reviewing the speech and asking what happened, the administration failed to knock down the lies and disseminate the truth, he said. "If they had done this in Ms. Sherrod's case, they would be looking pretty. They would have done great legislative work, and they would have scored a PR coup. As it turns out, the legislative works gets obscured," and they are taking a PR-hit, Fulwood said. Fulwood said that Obama's problems stem from opinions being traded as though they are facts. Throughout Obama's time in office, the administration has done a weak job of quashing rumors, such as claims Obama was born in Indonesia, studied at a madrasa and has a forged birth certificate, he said. "I think if he is able to articulate an honest reaction to these nonsensical stories, they'll be exposed for what they are -- nothing. And that's exactly what the case was with Shirley Sherrod," Fulwood added. Obama spoke to Sherrod by phone Thursday and expressed his regret about what transpired this week. He further said this misfortune "can present an opportunity for her to continue her hard work on behalf of those in need, and he hopes that she will do so," according to a White House statement. The call came exactly a year after Obama made a surprise appearance at a media briefing to discuss the controversial arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. The president, Gates and the arresting officer, Sgt. James Crowley, later met for a "beer summit" to discuss the event that sparked a nationwide debate about racial profiling. The Congressional Black Caucus this week said it's time for a national dialogue on race. Gibbs called the incident "one of those teachable moments" and said that while he was unaware of plans for a broader discussion, he wouldn't rule it out. John Quelch, professor of marketing at Harvard Business School, said that though the administration should have avoided this situation in the first place, the damage control has been rapid and effective. As for a national discussion on race, Quelch said it's not an issue the administration is interested in addressing in a high-profile manner right now. But, he said, the White House now must balance "the need to cope with emergency distractions versus the desire to stay on course with the longer-term agenda." "Obviously the objective is to remove this unscheduled story from media coverage in order to highlight the landmark financial reform legislation," he said. By Friday afternoon, Obama was trying to get back on message before the weekend. In an event added to the president's schedule Friday morning, he tried to remind Americans what had been overshadowed during the week. "So, taken together, we made enormous progress this week on Wall Street reform, on making sure that we're eliminating waste and abuse in government and in providing immediate assistance to people who are out there looking for work."

Discussion about Shirley Sherrod dominates White House news briefings this week . Celebration of Wall Street legislation reform lost in the mix for Democrats . White House allowed itself to be bullied by right-wing media, Fulwood says . Congressional Black Caucus says it's time for a national dialogue on race .

(CNN) -- Tensions between Israel and Turkey spilled into a second day Tuesday when Turkish officials summoned the Israeli ambassador to a meeting, Turkey's Anatolia news agency reported. Israel criticized Turkey Monday for a Turkish television series that it said depicted Israeli intelligence agents as baby-snatchers. When asked about Tuesday's meeting between Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy and Turkish officials, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said it was pre-planned. That session came one day after Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned the Turkish ambassador to complain about the television show that Israel found offensive, a spokesman for Ayalon said. Afterward, Ayalon tweeted that he had "Told Turk Amb that this is an intolerable situation which endangers the Jewish community, the Israel envoys and tourists coming to Turkey." Several senior Israeli Foreign Ministry sources, who didn't want to be named because it would jeopardize their jobs, criticized Ayalon's treatment of Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol at the start of their meeting Monday. At the session, Celikkol was seated below Ayalon. With cameras rolling, Ayalon turned to the television crews and said, "The main thing is that you see that he is seated low and that we are high ... that there is one flag on the table (the Israeli flag) and that we are not smiling." The sources told CNN they were "surprised by Ayalon's undiplomatic behavior." Ceylon Ozen, spokeswoman for the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv, told CNN that Celikkol felt his treatment was "unacceptable, shocking and primitive," and did not comply with standards for diplomacy. He has contacted the Israeli ambassador to Turkey and requested a formal apology from the Israelis, she said. There had been media speculation that Ayalon's summons was designed to sabotage a trip to Ankara Sunday by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. A spokesman for Ayalon said that was "completely wide of the mark." Barak's office said he had no plans to cancel his trip. Israeli politicians and media outlets roundly condemned an episode of the popular Turkish soap opera, "Valley of the Wolves: Ambush," that depicted the Israeli intelligence service Mossad spying inside Turkey and kidnapping Turkish babies. The program also showed Mossad attacking the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv and taking the ambassador and his family hostage. In a written statement, "Valley of the Wolves: Ambush" producer Pana Film said the show "will continue to tell the truth and expose the wrongs." Israel summoned the Turkish ambassador the same day that Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lambasted Israel for air strikes Sunday on Gaza, the Turkish state-run Anatolian News Agency reported. "Why is it doing this? Because it says 'I possess the power in this region,'" the news agency quoted Erdogan as saying of Israel. "It possesses unproportionate power and it is using this. It is not acting in accordance with U.N. resolutions, it is uncomfortable. It says 'I will do whatever I please.'" During a joint news conference, held with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Erdogan called for the international community "to warn Israel about its nuclear arsenal just like it did with Iran," ANA reported. Israel is widely believed to have a nuclear arsenal, but has never acknowledged that publicly. In a written statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the criticism. "Erdogan's remarks join the anti-Israel program broadcast on Turkish television and the harsh statements against Israel that have been said consistently and systematically for over a year," the statement said. "The state of Israel reserves the full right to protect its citizens from missile attacks and from the terror of the Hamas and Hezbollah. Turkey is the last that can preach morality to Israel and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)." "Valley of the Wolves: Ambush" is part of a popular franchise in Turkey. The series "Valley of the Wolves" first aired in 2003 on Turkish television, followed by a 2006 movie of the same name that stirred controversy with its portrayal of American soldiers in Iraq and what some described as thinly-veiled anti-Semitism. The movie, based on the series, featured American actors Gary Busey and Billy Zane. Another television version, "Valley of the Wolves: Terror," was canceled after one episode in February 2007. "Ambush" first aired in April 2007. Israel and Turkey have enjoyed close military and economic ties for more than a decade. But relations have grown testy at times in recent years over Israel's activities in the Palestinian territories and over its Gaza offensive in December and January. CNN's Kevin Flower and Shira Medding contributed to this report.

Israel summons Turkey's diplomatic envoy to complain about Turkish TV show . Episode of "Valley of the Wolves: Ambush" spurred Israeli diplomatic complaint . Show portrayed Israeli intelligence agents as being inside Turkey, kidnapping babies . Producer says show "will continue to tell the truth and expose the wrongs"

(CNN) -- The Iranian exile group Mujahedin-e-Khalq has been removed from a State Department terror list, officials said Friday. The group was put on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, which includes more than 50 groups like al Qaeda and Hezbollah, in 1997 because of the killing of six Americans in Iran in the 1970s and an attempted attack against the Iranian mission to the United Nations in 1992. However, since 2004 the United States has considered the group, which has lived for more than 25 years at a refugee camp in Iraq, "noncombatants" and "protected persons" under the Geneva Conventions. Mujahedin-e-Khalq's move from Camp Ashraf is nearing completion under the auspices of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. The members are relocating to a temporary site there before being resettled in third countries. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was under a court order to decide by October 1 whether to remove the group from the terror list. "With today's actions, the department does not overlook or forget the MEK's past acts of terrorism, including its involvement in the killing of U.S. citizens in Iran in the 1970s and an attack on U.S. soil in 1992," the State Department said in a statement. "The department also has serious concerns about the MEK as an organization, particularly with regard to allegations of abuse committed against its own members. "The Secretary's decision today took into account the MEK's public renunciation of violence, the absence of confirmed acts of terrorism by MEK for more than a decade, and their cooperation in the peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf, their historic paramilitary base," the statement said. Maryam Rajavi, head of Mujahedin-e-Khalq and president-elect of the National Council of Resistance, praised the decision Friday. "I understand that this decision was difficult and required political courage," Rajavi said in a statement. "This has been the correct decision, albeit long overdue, in order to remove a major obstacle in the path of the Iranian people's efforts for democracy. For more than a decade, the mullahs made every effort to prevent removal of this designation. "They do not conceal their anger and disappointment and are trying hysterically to counter Secretary Clinton's decision with their lobby groups in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. "The people of America and the U.S. Government will realize that, contrary to the campaign of demonization and misinformation orchestrated by the religious fascism ruling Iran, our movement is far removed from all the allegations and accusations churned out by the current Iranian regime, is merely striving for freedom and democracy in Iran, and is campaigning against fundamentalism and export of terrorism," Rajavi said. Being on the list carries a certain stigma and allows the United States to legally go after financing and take other steps against individuals associated with these groups. Officials acknowledge that the decision has been the subject of a contentious debate within the administration. Mujahedin-e-Khalq is considered by many in the administration to be a bizarre cult-like organization, prompting concerns about its behavior. Officials say these concerns factored heavily in the debate. The group denies that it supports terrorism, and supporters rally daily in front of the State Department to demand removal from the terrorism list. Many members of Congress have pressured Clinton to do the same. Moreover, Mujahedin-e-Khalq has paid well-known former U.S. politicians and former administration heavyweights to speak out on its behalf, including former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, former FBI Director Louis Freeh and former National Security Adviser James Jones. The last major convoy of 680 members of Mujahedin-e-Khalq arrived this month at the temporary relocation site at a former U.S. military base near Baghdad International Airport, the U.N. mission for Iraq said. The State Department said at the time that the arrival marked "a significant milestone in efforts to achieve a sustainable humanitarian solution to this issue." Mujahedin-e-Khalq leaders have been reluctant to complete the move from Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriya, formerly an American facility known as Camp Liberty. They complained about conditions at the new camp, calling it more a prison than a home after the first convoy arrived in February. Camp Ashraf was established in 1986 after former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invited members of Mujahedin-e-Khalq to relocate to Iraq in an effort to undermine the Iranian government, which was then at war with Iraq. Iran also considers the group to be a terrorist organization.

Mujahedin-e-Khalq was put on terror list in 1997 . But since 2004, the United States has considered the group "noncombatants" Decision "does not overlook or forget the MEK's past acts of terrorism," U.S. says . "This has been the correct decision, albeit long overdue," chief says .

New York (CNN) -- "Before my mother's ... experience, I never even looked at seniors on the street," said Irene Zola. "They were pretty much invisible to me." In 2008, Zola's mother, Faye, was admitted into a nursing home after suffering a stroke. "I knew from that very first night I would have to spend a lot of time there," she said. "I didn't want to leave my mother in a place where people were ignoring her." Four months later, Zola's mother passed away. "I was outraged that our culture doesn't have a place for very old people except in nursing homes," she said. "I decided that I wanted to do something about that." A New York native and 30-year resident of Morningside Heights -- a neighborhood on Manhattan's upper west side -- Zola researched the senior population and how their needs were being met and found a solution in her own backyard. "[A] friend said, 'What about having some people in our neighborhood taking care of the elders who live here?' " Borrowing on that idea, Zola started Morningside Village in 2009, an initiative that pairs the elderly in her neighborhood with local volunteers who assist them with their day-to-day needs. Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes . "Sometimes it'll be a stroll, or shopping or helping them pay their bills. We're their daughters and sons helping them to manage their home life," said Zola, 64. All the seniors and most of the volunteers live within a 24-block area. Volunteers range in age from 18 to 81 and include college and graduate students, doctors, lawyers and social workers. "I wanted to establish something to support the aging-in-place community and bring people across generations together," Zola said. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 40 million people older than 65 live alone. That number is expected to grow as baby boomers reach their twilight years. "Families are living far away from their older mother [or] father. So who's there to take care of old people?" Zola said. Older parents often don't tell their children about their needs because they fear being a burden or being put into a nursing home. "This is one way a community can help provide informal care that really makes a difference in the lives of the old people," she said. Morningside Village is just one initiative of Zola's nonprofit, S.O.S., Support Our Seniors. In addition to its efforts to improve the quality of elder care, the group hosts an annual awards event to honor older adults and is working with educators to create high school and college courses to increase the visibility of the elderly. All Morningside Village volunteers go through the group's application process and orientation. They are advised how to interact with seniors and given wheelchair and emergency training. Zola pairs a veteran volunteer with a novice and then teams them up with a senior with similar interests. In addition to companionship, volunteers provide a wide range of assistance tailored to the needs of the elders, including help with home management, grocery shopping and meal preparation as well as accompanying them to doctor's appointments. For 96-year-old Dolores Saborido, Zola's group not only helps her face the challenges of living independently, it also provides her with hope. In the past year, Saborido has fallen twice. The second fall left her bedridden and depressed until a friend introduced her to Zola. "When I first met Dolores she spent her days thinking about how her casket would look," Zola said. "We got her a whole team of doctors, and now she has six to seven visits from Support Our Seniors' volunteers every week. She doesn't talk about caskets anymore." About 50 volunteers are tending to the needs of 27 elders. Zola believes that by limiting its reach, the group can maximize the feeling of community. That's the case for 24-year-old volunteer Caroline Pavloff. "It's nice," Pavloff said. "It's made me feel more connected to my own neighbors and my own neighborhood." Still an active volunteer herself, Zola said her neighbors have turned into family. She said she hopes to see Morningside Villages pop up across the country and plans to help those who want to replicate the program. "Some people believe that old age is a time when people stop learning, but it's not. And so why not live life to the fullest to the end?" she said. "That's what I love to see." Want to get involved? Check out the Lifeforce in Later Years (LiLY) website at lifeforce-in-later-years.org and see how to help.

New York native was outraged at lack of options to nursing homes after mother's stroke . She started an initiative to pair elderly with neighborhood volunteers to help with daily needs . So far, about 50 volunteers are tending to the needs of 27 older adults . Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes .

(CNN) -- Cold weather has delayed spring in Washington, but we can detect a clear warming trend in our politics. To be sure, the distance between the Obama administration and congressional Republicans remains vast, executive and judicial nominations remain blocked by an unprecedented number of filibusters and major legislative accomplishments are still months away. But the ice of gridlock is starting to thaw. Evidence of a healthier, more normal politics is beginning to reappear, centered in the Senate, our political institution that has declined the longest and the furthest. Congress has been in session only a few weeks, but the Senate has already passed its first budget in four years, after finding compromises to avoid the fiscal cliff and the "nuclear option." Across the range of tough issues, serious legislative work is moving forward, usually on a bipartisan basis. Eight senators, led by Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republicans John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio, have made significant progress toward an agreement on immigration. The Judiciary Committee has reported the first major gun control legislation since 1994, though its fate is far from certain. Democrat Carl Levin, joined by McCain, released a devastating report on the abusive trading practices of JPMorgan Chase. Freshman Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown have expressed similar views as have Republicans Bob Corker and Chuck Grassley on the dangers of ''too big to fail" banks. Democrat Max Baucus, Senate Finance Committee chairman, and Republican Dave Camp, House Ways and Means chairman, have accelerated their effort, started two years ago, to enact the first major tax reform legislation since 1986. The atmosphere is palpably better. President Barack Obama's "charm offensive" on Capitol Hill won approval from many Republicans. Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, who after meeting with the president in 2010, called him "thin- skinned" and recommended that he "take valium," praised him generously this time around for the substantive meeting on the budget and related economic issues. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who famously declared that defeating Obama was his highest priority, has this year shown much more graciousness, respect and even occasional humor. Two factors are most responsible for the improvement. First, it turns out that elections do have consequences. Obama's decisive re-election, coupled with what amounted to a national landslide won by the Senate Democrats, has forced the Republicans into a period of reassessment and repositioning. Of course, some Republicans still believe that their party lost because its right wing views were did not come through clearly enough. But most Republicans recognize that the party's combination of extremism and obstruction proved to be a losing strategy. They know the Republican brand is in deep trouble. The election results seemed to have convinced at least some of the Senate Republicans that finding areas in which to cooperate with the president is necessary. But the second factor, less understood than the impact of election returns, is just as important. By the end of 2012, for many returning senators and those newly elected, dismay about the Senate has hardened into disgust and determination to change it. Across the political spectrum, senators are fed up with lurching from crisis to crisis, leaders dictating straight party votes, endless filibusters and constant failure to address the nation's problems. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, compared the Senate to "the Russian Duma ... an endless series of secret conclaves .., with meetings everywhere but in the committee room or the open air of the Senate floor." Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Maryland, took pride in the "zone of civility" created by the increasing number of women senators. Sen. Schumer, D-New York, longingly "looked forward to the good old days when we had major legislation go through committees." The shorthand for what the overwhelming number of senators want is "regular order" -- legislation that results from committee consideration, vigorous debate, the opportunity to offer amendments and hard bargaining to reach principled compromise -- and the Senate is changing as its leaders respond to the members' frustration and anger. Legislating in our diverse, contentious country, with our system of separation of powers, has never been, and will never be, easy. Former Sen. Gary Hart once described the great Senate of the 1970s as "a kind of controlled madhouse." The path to major legislative accomplishments is always treacherous and strewn with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Today, the partisan divide is much deeper and the political culture far more vitriolic than 20 or 30 years ago. Although senators cannot choose the era in which they serve, they can choose the way they approach their work and they can determine the way the Senate functions. It doesn't take much time, or that many people, to change the Senate. Hopefully, day by day, that change is starting to happen. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ira Shapiro.

Ira Shapiro: Washington is seeing a surprising change in political climate . After years of gridlock, two parties making progress on issues such as immigration . He says much of the change is coming from members of the Senate . Shapiro: Senators want a return to days when Congress actually functioned .

Madrid (CNN) -- Spanish Interior Minister Antonio Camacho warned Friday that although the Basque separatist group ETA has declared an end to violence, the most difficult task still lies ahead -- ensuring no Spaniards suffer the threat of terror attacks in the future. His remarks come a day after ETA announced a "definitive cessation of its armed activity" in a statement published on the website of Gara, a newspaper the group has used to convey messages in the past. ETA is blamed for hundreds of deaths in its decades-long fight for an independent Basque state that it wants carved out of sections of northern Spain and southwestern France. Speaking Friday on Spanish National Television, Camacho said: "We have completed a first part of our task, (but) there remains the more complex one, guaranteeing through the strict enforcement of our laws that never again will any generation of Spaniards have to suffer on their backs the weight of a barbarity that slows down our progress and compromises our future." He said ETA had been defeated "by the tireless and unstoppable work of the police and the civil guard" and that as a result it had been forced to declare an end to violence without achieving a single one of its aims. The security services had achieved that outcome "with tenacity, with work, with dedication, and above all, with a lot of suffering," he said. U.S. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said Friday that ETA's announcement "holds out the prospect of a historic step toward peace, although there is a long road ahead to realize this promise." He paid tribute to the victims of ETA violence, adding: "We recognize the courage of the Spanish government and the Spanish people in their enduring efforts to advance democracy and freedom in Spain and around the world." "The Spanish people have endured over 40 years of violence at the hands of ETA," said the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "The secretary-general shares in the hope that ETA is committed to bringing this tragic chapter for Spain to an end." European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso hailed the development as "a truly historic moment which ends years of terror and attacks on Spanish society." The news "marks the culmination of years of unceasing efforts in the fight against terrorism," he said, congratulating Spain on its efforts to combat ETA. Police have cracked down in recent years on ETA in Spain and France, leaving it operationally weak. There have been numerous statements from the Basque group calling for talks or a peace process of some sort, but all falling short of declaring a definitive end to violence. The Spanish government said that since ETA has broken cease-fires in the past; only an authoritative statement that it is putting down its arms for good will do. Thursday's announcement followed a recent push for the group to abandon violence permanently. That effort was led by international figures who include Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams of Northern Ireland and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In a nationally televised address hours after the announcement was posted, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero termed ETA's announcement as being of "transcendental importance" and a "victory for democracy." "Ours will be a democracy without terrorism, but not without memory," Zapatero said, referring to 829 people killed by ETA and their families. The prime minister praised Spanish police, Civil Guard personnel, the intelligence agency and judicial authorities "who have contributed to this end." Zapatero also singled out France -- which has traditionally been used as a rearguard base for ETA -- and its president, Nicolas Sarkozy, for their assistance. The prime minister said that it would be up to Spain's next government -- which will be formed after parliamentary elections on November 20 -- to lead the peace process. In remarks Thursday night at their respective political party headquarters in Madrid, the two main contenders to replace Zapatero -- Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, the candidate from Zapatero's Socialist Party, and Mariano Rajoy, leader of the opposition People's Party -- cheered the development but did not detail what they would do next if they were to become prime minister. In its statement Thursday, ETA -- which is listed as a terrorist organization by Spain, the United States and the European Union -- outlined why now was the right time to make such a declaration. "A new political time is emerging in the Basque Country," ETA said. "We have a historic opportunity to find a just and democratic solution for the centuries-old political conflict." The group then added that "dialogue and agreement" should predominate "over violence and repression." ETA urged the Spanish and French governments to conduct "direct dialogue" aimed at addressing outstanding issues while calling upon fellow Basques to commit to such a process. CNN's Al Goodman and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.

Spain's interior minister says there is still work to do to prevent future terrorism . ETA has announced a "definitive cessation of its armed activity" Listed as a terror group by the U.S. and European Union, it is blamed for hundreds of deaths . It has been fighting for an independent Basque state in parts of Spain and France .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Virginia hasn't backed a Democrat for president in 44 years, but economic concerns and changing demographics are giving Sen. Barack Obama a chance to steal the once reliably red state from Republicans. Sen. Barack Obama waves as rain falls on a rally in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in late September. Polls earlier this year showed Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, leading Obama, his Democratic rival, in Virginia by a healthy margin. A Virginia Commonwealth University poll taken May 12-18 had McCain leading 47 percent to 39 percent. But as the financial crisis has shaken voters' confidence in the economy, Obama has begun to open a lead in the state, as he has done in other battleground states. The latest CNN poll of polls has Obama leading McCain 49 percent to 45 percent. A CNN/TIME/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted September 28-30 shows Obama with an even bigger lead over McCain, 53 percent to 44 percent. The CNN poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. Polls show that voters have more confidence in Obama to handle the economic crisis than they do in McCain, and are more likely to blame Republicans for the recent turmoil than Democrats. Beside an advantage on the economy, Obama is also benefiting from a demographic shift that has reshaped Virginia politics. For the last 10 presidential elections, Republicans have been able to bank on Virginia delivering its 13 electoral votes to the GOP. President Bush won Virginia by 8 percentage points in both 2000 and 2004, and President Bill Clinton was never able to capture the state when he ran in 1992 and 1996. But the explosive growth of Northern Virginia in the last decade has changed the state's electorate. Drawn by government jobs in nearby Washington and high-tech jobs in the Dulles corridor, the growing population in Northern Virginia is more liberal than the mostly rural southern portion of the state, which has remained reliably Republican. In 2000, Bush carried Northern Virginia 49 percent to 47 percent, but in 2004, Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, carried the area 51 percent to 48 percent. Virginia "is not as red as people think," said Doc Thompson, a conservative talk show host for WRVA radio. "A third of the population in Northern Virginia is pretty liberal. A lot of people are buying into [Obama's] notion of change." Virginia Democrats have been able to exploit the changes in the electorate into statewide electoral success after years in which the Republicans had a virtual lock on the state. In fact, Virginia Republicans have not won a statewide race since Mark Warner, a former mobile phone company executive, captured the governorship for the Democrats in 2001 by emphasizing economic growth. Democrat Tim Kaine, who was Warner's lieutenant governor, succeeded Warner in 2005. And in what may have been the most surprising result of the 2006 election cycle, Democrat Jim Webb defeated the incumbent Republican George Allen in the race for one of Virginia's seats in the U.S. Senate. The trend favoring the Democrats is expected to continue this year, which is expected to help drive Virginia Democrats to the polls. The extremely popular Warner is almost certain to win this year's race against another former governor, Republican Jim Gilmore, to replace Virginia's long-standing Republican senator, John Warner, who is retiring. (The two Warners are not related, and John Warner was unopposed in 2002.) A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in late September found Warner leading Gilmore by 30 points, and Warner's victory would give Democrats control of both of Virginia's seats in the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1970. While conservatives may be demoralized by Gilmore's poor showing, McCain may also face eroding support from Virginia conservatives for his recent proposals for the government to become heavily involved in the U.S. economy, said Thompson, the radio talk show host. During Tuesday night's presidential debate, McCain suggested that the government directly buy up to $300 billion in home mortgages to help homeowners facing foreclosure. Thompson said that proposal, along with his support for a $700 billion bailout package to help Wall Street firms that McCain voted for last week, are two signs that McCain is breaking from the free-market principles that Virginia conservatives support and not stopping "the march toward socialism" that has begun since the economic crisis started. "They missed a real opportunity, certainly, in Virginia with my listeners who say they want someone who is fiscally conservative," said Thompson, who added that he's considering voting for a third-party candidate. "They could have come out and said, 'no more spending.' " CNN's Scott Anderson contributed to this report.

Poll of polls has Sen. Obama leading Sen. McCain 49 percent to 45 percent . Rapid growth of suburbs around Washington has made Virginia more liberal . Conservatives angered by McCain's support for bailout, mortgage buyouts .

Rome (CNN) -- The Sistine Chapel is ready. The new pope's clothes are laid out. Now it's up to the cardinals. The work to elect a successor to retired Pope Benedict XVI begins in earnest Tuesday, with a morning Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. The service -- open to the public -- will be the last public event featuring the 115 cardinals who will choose the new spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. Cardinals taking part in the process will then walk to the Sistine Chapel, chanting prayers as they go, to begin the secret election called the conclave. After that, the only clue the world will have of what is happening inside will be periodic puffs of smoke from a copper chimney installed over the weekend in the Sistine Chapel. Black smoke, no pope. White smoke, success. Rome was abuzz Monday with preparations for the conclave, from the 5,600 journalists the Vatican said had been accredited to cover the event to the red curtains unfurled from the central balcony at St. Peter's, the spot where the world will meet the new pope once he is elected. Tailors have also completed sets of clothes for the new pope to wear as soon as he is elected. Video released by the Vatican over the weekend showed the installation of a pair of stoves inside the chapel. One is used to burn the cardinals' ballots after they are cast and the other to send up the smoke signal -- the one that alerts the world that a vote has been taken and whether there's a new pope. Workers could be seen scaling the roof of the chapel Saturday to install the chimneys that will carry the smoke signals to the world. When we'll see the first smoke is anyone's guess. The cardinals will probably vote Tuesday, but they don't have to, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Monday. If they do, it's likely the first smoke might be seen around 8 p.m. (3 p.m. ET), he said. When cardinals elected Benedict in 2005, the white smoke signaling the decision came about six hours after an earlier, inconclusive vote, he said. It took another 50 minutes for Benedict to dress, pray and finally appear on the balcony of St. Peter's, he said. The longest conclave held since the turn of the 20th century lasted five days. On Monday, cardinals held the last of several days of meetings to discuss church affairs and get acquainted. Lombardi said 152 cardinals were on hand for the final meeting. Church rules prevent cardinals over the age of 80 from participating in the election of a pope but allow them to attend the "General Congregations" that precede the vote. On Friday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, one of about a dozen leading candidates to become pope, said the meetings have focused less on scandals facing the church and more on spiritual matters. "We cardinals sure are praying a lot," Dolan wrote. Contrary to media reports, he wrote in a blog post, the focus of the cardinals' meetings is much the same as it was two millenniums ago, namely: "How most effectively to present the Person, message, and invitation of Jesus to a world that, while searching for salvation and eternal truth, are also at times doubting, skeptical, too busy, or frustrated." He said, "Those are the 'big issues.' You may find that hard to believe, since the 'word on the street' is that all we talk about is corruption in the Vatican, sexual abuse, money. Do these topics come up? Yes! Do they dominate? No!" The scandals came up again Monday when the Vatican Press Office denied conclave accreditation to Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, who wrote a book about scandals within the Vatican. The book was based partly on documents leaked from Benedict's personal apartments. Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi told CNN the accreditation had been denied because Nuzzi applied as a documentary filmmaker, not as a journalist. Meanwhile, the Italian press is full of speculation about which cardinal may win enough support from his counterparts to be elected, and what regional alliances are being formed. The United States has 11 of the 115 votes, making it the second largest national bloc after Italy. Sixty of the cardinals are from Europe and 67 were appointed by Benedict, who stepped down at the end of last month, becoming the first pontiff to do so in six centuries. CNN's Dan Rivers and Richard Allen Greene reported from Rome, and Michael Pearson wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Ed Payne and Hada Messia and journalist Livia Borghese also contributed to this report.

Tuesday's pre-conclave Mass will be open to the public, the Vatican says . Cardinals do not have to vote Tuesday but probably will, a Vatican spokesman says . Preparations are largely complete for the secret vote . The longest conclave in the 20th century lasted five days .

PADANG, Indonesia (CNN) -- As many as 4,000 people could be buried under the rubble in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Indonesia, United Nations officials said Saturday. Indonesian soldiers crawl under the rubble of a collapsed building to search for victims. Local disaster management officials put the death toll from the quakes at 540. Earlier U.N. figures that put the death toll at 1,100 were just estimates, said El-Mostafa Benlamlih, a U.N. humanitarian coordinator. A 7.6-magnitude quake struck Sumatra on Wednesday and a 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit Thursday morning in the same region. Wednesday's quake reduced buildings to rubble in the city. People used hammers, chisels and bare hands to dig through debris for survivors and belongings. Watch CNN's Arwa Damon report on search-and-rescue efforts » . Staff at a local hospital treated the injured outside the semi-collapsed building as bodies of the dead lay in makeshift morgues. An area that now looks like a flattened mess of destruction was, just days ago, a group of three villages. Officials believe 90 percent of the residents -- as many as a few hundred people -- were buried, just one piece of the devastation from two large earthquakes that struck Indonesia in as many days. The stench of dead bodies fills the air. Indonesia's health ministry and ministry of social affairs said Friday they believe thousands remain buried beneath rubble. The West Sumatran capital, Padang, with about a million residents, is near the epicenter. CNN's Arwa Damon spoke with a few dozen survivors from these villages in the area, most of whom only made it through because they weren't home during the quake. They remained huddled together in a tent, in shock over what had happened. One older woman said eight of her family members were buried. She had been buried up to her chest and had to dig herself out. Another survivor, a 27-year-old man, told CNN four of his family members were killed. His home used to be on top of a cliff in the area. Now, there is only mud. Search and rescue teams are working with the military, but so far, only 25 bodies have been recovered. With each passing day, the scope of the devastation grows. Watch aftermath at house leveled by quake » . President Obama spoke with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday after trying several times to reach him, the White House said. Obama received an update on the situation on the ground from Yudhoyono in the five-minute call. The White House statement says Obama "offered, on behalf of the United States, to do everything we can to help alleviate the suffering and provide assistance to the relief operation." The U.N.'s Holmes told reporters Thursday that hundreds are believed to be injured. "These numbers, I fear, will rise as more information becomes available," he added. Telecommunications are difficult in the region, roads are cut off, and the hardest-hit area, including Padang, lacks power and other services, Holmes said. In addition, heavy rainfall has hindered search and rescue efforts. Some have suggested the damage may be worse than that of a 6.3-magnitude quake centered in the central Java city of Yogyakarta in May 2006, Holmes said. That temblor killed more than 5,000 people and triggered fears of an eruption from a nearby volcano. Many people wandered the streets of Padang stunned and dazed. Some searched the rubble for survivors. Staff at a local hospital treated the injured outside the semi-collapsed building as bodies of the dead lay in makeshift morgues. Several of the hospital's buildings were severely damaged. Damage in the town itself was spotty; some buildings remained intact near others in ruins. "Aftershocks can be just as devastating as the initial quake," said Adjie Fachrurrazi, emergency response coordinator in Indonesia for the CARE aid organization, in a statement. "After an earthquake of this size, we know the immediate needs are going to be getting safe water, food and emergency supplies to the survivors. The question now is: How bad is it? We're hoping for the best, but the information so far is not looking good." Amelia Merrick, the operations director for World Vision Indonesia, described the situation as "quite devastating." "Bridges have gone down, phone lines are in total disrepair," she said. "It's difficult for us to assess the situation." Earlier this month, an earthquake in West Java killed 57 people. CNN's Arwa Damon and Ben Adams near Padang, Indonesia; Andy Saputra in Jakarta, Indonesia; and Tricia Escobedo in Atlanta, Georgia, contributed to this report.

United Nations fears 4,000 buried beneath rubble, current death toll 540 . Rescue efforts hampered by heavy rain, power outages, impassable roads . People use hammers, chisels, bare hands to dig through rubble for survivors .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama said Wednesday night he will work with Congress and the military to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars gays and lesbians from openly serving in the armed forces. Obama made the remark in his first State of the Union speech during a short litany of civil rights issues, which included his successful hate crimes bill, a move to "crack down on equal-pay laws" and improvement of the immigration system. "We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it," he said. "We must continually renew this promise. My administration has a Civil Rights Division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination. We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate," he said. "This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are." Weigh in on the president's address . Former Navy pilot Sen. John McCain said "it would be a mistake" to repeal the 1993 law that bars gay men and lesbians from revealing their sexual orientation, and prevents the military from asking about it. "This successful policy has been in effect for over 15 years, and it is well understood and predominantly supported by our military at all levels," McCain said. "We have the best-trained, best-equipped, and most professional force in the history of our country, and the men and women in uniform are performing heroically in two wars. At a time when our Armed Forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy." But in a message to Pentagon leadership, Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it's time to repeal the law. "As a nation built on the principal of equality, we should recognize and welcome change that will build a stronger more cohesive military," said Shalikashvili. His letter was sent to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, who supports repealing the policy. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization that works with those affected by the "don't ask, don't tell" law, praised Obama's call for repeal. "We very much need a sense of urgency to get this done in 2010," the group said. "We call on the president to repeal the archaic 1993 law in his defense budget currently being drafted, that is probably the only and best moving bill where DADT can be killed this year. ... The American public, including conservatives, is overwhelmingly with the commander in chief on this one." House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, flatly disagreed with the idea of ending it. "When it comes to 'don't ask don't tell,' frankly, I think it's worked very well. And we just ought to leave it alone," he said to reporters Wednesday morning. The policy prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. armed forces. The policy bans military recruiters or authorities from asking about an individual's sexual orientation but also prohibits a service member from revealing that he or she is gay. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, supports ending the practice but wants to go about it carefully. Levin said he did not have any details about what the president would say. "If we do this in a way which isn't sensitive ... we could have exactly the opposite effect of what I hope will be the case -- which is to change the policy," he said Monday. Levin said the committee plans to hold hearings on the issue in early February, although the hearing may be with outside experts -- delaying a hearing with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen, that had originally been promised, CNN was told by a congressional source. Obama campaigned on the promise that he would repeal the law in his first year of office. Speaking to the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign, in October, Obama admitted that "our progress may be taking longer than we like," but he insisted his administration was still on track to overturn the policy. "Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach," he said. Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell deflected repeated questions about the policy at Wednesday's Pentagon briefing, directing reporters to take their questions to the White House. "We continue to work on this problem," said Morrell. "But I'm not going to get into it with more specificity than that." CNN's Ed Hornick and Laurie Ure contributed to this report.

NEW: The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network praises Obama's call for repeal . NEW: Sen. John McCain says policy is "understood and predominantly supported" by servicemembers . Military policy prohibits openly gays and lesbians from serving . Former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has called for the policy's repeal .

Fort Hood, Texas (CNN) -- Pvt. Joseph Foster was filling out routine paperwork for his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan on Thursday when he heard a shout quickly followed by a burst of gunfire from just a few feet away. "I was sitting in about the second row back when the assailant stood up and yelled 'Allahu akbar' in Arabic and he opened fire," Foster said Monday on CNN's "American Morning." Foster, 21, did not forget his basic training, which may have saved his life and the lives of others. "[I] got down on the floor, moved to cover. One soldier had peeked his head around the cubicle I was hiding in ... and I pulled him in," Foster said. Foster realized he had been shot in the hip but was too consumed by adrenaline to think about his injury. "Another soldier had come in as soon as the assailant had moved away from us," he said. "Those two got up and got out, and I got out shortly behind him." Once outside, Foster said, he hid behind a military shipping container "and started doing what I was trained to do." "[I] started helping get people into the next building and get them under cover," he said. Despite his injury, Foster, who has a wife and two young children, said he still plans to deploy to Afghanistan in January. "I'm still a soldier day in and day out," he said. "I'll do my job." Authorities are trying to figure out what prompted the gunman to begin shooting at Fort Hood Army Post, killing 13 people and wounding 42. Fifteen soldiers are still hospitalized, including eight patients in intensive care, Fort Hood commander Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said Monday. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old licensed Army psychiatrist who worked at a hospital on the post, is the suspected shooter. He was shot several times, ending the attack, and is now conscious and talking, a spokesman at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio said Monday. It is unclear if Army investigators have spoken to Hasan. The intense investigation into the mass shooting remains largely shrouded in silence. Army officials have voiced concern about jumping to any conclusions about the motive, warning about a possible backlash against Muslim soldiers. Several bystanders, like Foster, reported Hasan shouted "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great," which terrorists have used as a battle cry. The Army leadership at Fort Hood will "take a very hard look at ourselves and look at anything that might have been done to have prevented this," Cone said Monday. "Hasan was a soldier, and we have other soldiers ... that might have some of the same stress and indicators that he has," Cone said. "We have to look across our entire formation, not just in a medical community, but really look hard to our right and left. That's the responsibility for everybody, from the top to the bottom, to make sure we're taking care of our own." Cone said Monday that he has instructed commanders at Fort Hood to "immediately take a hard look and make sure if there's anybody out there struggling [that] we're going to address their issues." Sen. Joe Lieberman said he plans a Senate committee hearing into whether the shootings were a terrorist act and whether the Army should responded to reported signs of Islamic extremism by the suspected gunman. If Hasan was showing signs of being an Islamic extremist, the Army should have acted on that earlier, and "he should have been gone," said Lieberman, a Connecticut independent and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He spoke on "Fox News Sunday." The shooting, on the nation's largest military base, sparked outrage. In his Saturday radio address, President Obama said it was "an act of violence that would have been heartbreaking had it occurred any place in America." But, he said, "it's all the more heartbreaking and all the more despicable because of the place where it occurred and the patriots who were its victims." All but one of those who were killed were soldiers. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will attend a Tuesday memorial service for the victims. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will also participate in the memorial service, but he will not speak, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said. Gates on Monday night will go to Fort Hood, where he will meet with the victims' families as well as Fort Hood Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley, the civilian officer who confronted and disabled Hasan as they shot at each other. Gates will also meet with military officials at the Army base, including Fort Hood's commanding general, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, according to Morrell. CNN's David Mattingly and Victor Hernandez contributed to this report.

Pvt. Joseph Foster was doing paperwork when he heard a shout, then gunfire . Shooter "stood up and yelled 'Allahu akbar' in Arabic and he opened fire," he says . He says he was too consumed by adrenaline to think about being shot in the hip . Foster, who has a wife and two young children, said he still plans to deploy to Afghanistan .

Vatican City (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI delivered his final public prayer ceremony Sunday to a crowd of thousands at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, amid rumors of a sex scandal brewing as he prepares to step down. "Thank you for your affection," the pope told the crowd as he appeared at the window of his apartment overlooking the square. As is customary, he opened the weekly Angelus prayer with a short sermon. Benedict spoke on the Transfiguration of Christ, one of the key moments in Jesus' life on Earth, when, according to the church, he took three disciples to pray on a mountain. During his prayers, Jesus was miraculously changed and filled with light. Read the full text of Benedict's sermon . The crowd interrupted Benedict with rousing applause, as he told them that God wanted him to do the same. "The Lord is calling me to go on top of the hill, to dedicate myself once more to prayer and meditation," he said. "But this does not mean to abandon the church." Resignation and rumors . This month, Benedict shocked the world with the announcement that he would step down. Thursday is his last day as acting pope. The Italian media has been abuzz in recent days with allegations that gay clergy may have made themselves vulnerable to blackmail by male prostitutes, setting off speculation that a brewing scandal may have triggered Benedict's resignation. The Vatican vehemently denied the allegations Saturday. Interactive: Where does the pope live? Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone said it was "deplorable" that as the time for the Roman Catholic cardinals to elect a new pope approaches, a rash of "often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories" has appeared. As the first pontiff to step down in six centuries, Benedict said he is resigning "because of advanced age." He is 85. "Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," Benedict said when he announced his retirement this month. Shortly after the pope's announcement nearly two weeks ago, a different rumor began making its way through the Italian media: Allegations that the pontiff's decision was linked to a medical procedure to replace the battery in his pacemaker. A Vatican spokesman dismissed the idea at the time. CNN Senior Vatican Analyst John Allen has said that clergy members trying to cover up their sex lives may well be creating problems in the Catholic Church, as they have in the past. But he believes that the current unsourced speculation in the Italian media should be taken with a grain of salt. Several years ago, Benedict suggested he would be open to resigning should his health fail, Allen has said. Wrapping up a papacy . After the sermon, he chanted the Angelus, a common Catholic prayer, with the crowd. It begins with: "The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. And she conceived by the power of Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus." The throng of spectators extended beyond the borders of the piazza, some waving flags from nations around the world and holding up signs with words of thanks for the departing head of the Catholic Church. He ended his message with: "Let's always be close in prayer." Sunday's Angelus will not be Benedict's final public appearance, as he is scheduled to hold a general audience Wednesday, according to the Vatican. He will hold a "meet and greet" with cardinals late Thursday morning before stepping down the same evening, the Vatican website said. Benedict was dean of the College of Cardinals in 2005 when he became the sixth German to be picked as pope, albeit the first since the 11th century. At the time, the church was facing several pressing issues, including a growing crisis over the church's role in handling molestation accusations against priests around the world. The pontiff will leave office at 8 p.m. on February 28, two-and-a-half weeks after he shocked the Roman Catholic world by announcing his resignation. The Vatican has said a new pope will be in place for the church's Easter celebrations on March 31. Benedict will begin his retirement in the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo before he withdraws to a monastery being built for him in Vatican City, a Vatican spokesman has said. He will then lead a cloistered life, the spokesman said. CNN's Ben Wedeman reported from Vatican City, and Ben Brumfield reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.

The pope says his decision was the result of a calling from God . The Italian media has been abuzz with new clergy sex allegations . The Vatican vehemently denied the allegations . Benedict has said he is stepping down because of weakness caused by aging .

(CNN) -- The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria recently determined that the fighting in Syria is not an "armed conflict" (PDF) -- the legal term for war -- under international law because the opposition forces are not sufficiently organized. Yet surely the protesters, dissident fighters and terrified citizens caught up in the violence in Syria believe they are at war. States and other international legal experts are following the same overly technical approach and, as a result, not applying the law designed for just this situation: the law of war. The international community is left unable to use every available tool in its efforts to halt the violence and protect civilians from extraordinary suffering. Failing to call Syria's upheaval an armed conflict -- the legal term for war -- has real and immediate consequences. Contrary to what events in Syria suggest, war is not waged in a legal vacuum. International law regulates permissible conduct during war, even civil war. The law of war exists specifically to restrain brutality in war, protect innocent civilians from direct attack and minimize suffering. It prohibits deliberate attacks on civilians and using them as human shields, requires humane treatment of the wounded or detained personnel, obligates parties to respect and protect medical aid providers, mandates efforts to facilitate delivery of humanitarian relief, and imposes criminal responsibility on those who disregard these obligations. These basic and essential protections apply during any armed conflict. The only rule that President Bashar al-Assad and his forces follow, however, is the rule of unrestrained brute force. Indiscriminate shelling of towns; civilians forcibly used as human shields; and attacks on the wounded, ambulances and humanitarian workers are a daily staple in the mismatched struggle between al-Assad's heavily armed and morally corrupt forces and the regime's opponents: protesters, dissident army units and other fighters. Massive suffering from heavy-handed government responses to internal threats is nothing new; indeed, the images from Syria are unfortunately all too common. Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Sudan and now Syria are the latest in history's long line of notoriously brutal struggles between competing factions within a state. Historically, states did not recognize the law of war's application during internal conflict, arguing that internal matters were solely the concern of the state. The need to maximize protection of civilians in the face of the unprecedented brutality of internal conflicts -- especially the Spanish Civil War -- was the primary motivation for including fundamental law of war protections for such conflicts in the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Demanding that the Syrian government respect international human rights obligations is certainly appropriate. These obligations protect the same fundamental rights as the law of war. But armed conflict involves a level of force and violence that triggers the law of war's more specialized international legal regime, one better suited to address war's full range of challenges. Notably, however, there are no demands that the parties abide by the law of war. The United Nations Commission and other experts may fear that acknowledging an armed conflict in Syria will give both sides free rein to use military force. Such concern is naïve in the present circumstances. Al-Assad is already using maximum firepower. The primary concern must be whether we can use every available tool to regulate that use of force to protect innocent victims. Reality thus tragically demonstrates that the essential dividing line in Syria is not between peacetime and wartime but between the law of war and no law at all. Syria's crisis surpassed that demarcation line long ago, even if the opposition is not extensively organized. Levels of violence obviously exceeding what is normal during peacetime and, especially, a government unleashing its full military might to repress a dissident threat call for the application of the law of war. The international community's refusal to recognize an armed conflict in Syria can only be characterized as not seeing the forest for the trees. Widespread recognition that the situation has risen to the level of armed conflict is no talisman: It will not result in immediate intervention, nor is it likely the regime will immediately change its tactics. What it will do is arm those seeking an end to indiscriminate brutality with a clearly defined legal basis to demand restraint from the parties to the hostilities. Perhaps more important, it will place Syrian leaders on immediate notice that their actions will be judged against a standard of wartime conduct, and that they are accountable for the widespread suffering they have caused. It is time to call a spade a spade and demand compliance with this law. By doing so, an international community increasingly disgusted by events in Syria can send a clear message that the law's basic protections for persons in the conflict zone must be upheld and that every leader responsible for violating this law will be held to account. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Laurie Blank and Geoffrey Corn.

Writers: What is happening in Syria is a war, but international legal experts refuse to call it that . Legal experts say it's not a war because the opposition isn't well-organized . If it's determined to be war, then the law of war applies, they say, even to an internal conflict . Writers: The law sets standards to restrain brutality, protect civilians, minimize suffering .

(CNN) -- Walk into Naughty Auties, a virtual resource center for those with autism, and you'll find palm trees swaying against a striking ocean sunset. Were it not for the pixelated graphics on the computer screen in front of you, you would swear you were looking at a tropical hideaway. David Savill, who has named himself Dave Sparrow in Second Life, has Asperger's syndrome. David Savill, 22, lives in Gloucester, England, in real life and created this spot within the virtual world of Second Life. Residents of this digital realm can represent themselves with 3-D images called avatars and connect with each other over the Internet. Savill has Asperger's syndrome and said he wanted Naughty Auties to serve those with autism spectrum disorders and their friends and family. Savill, who represents himself in the virtual world using an avatar named Dave Sparrow, said one benefit is that visitors can practice social interaction and find information about the condition. The graphical representations of real people create a "comfort zone" that can coax users out of their shells and get them communicating with others, he said. "You're on your own computer, in your own room, your own space," Savill said. "So you're not going out into the real world meeting people, you're going meeting people online and in your own home, so you're perfectly relaxed. It's just a fantastic tool to use to bring people together." Take a video tour of Naughty Auties with Savill » . Autism, more precisely the autism spectrum, is a range of brain disorders that can cause difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavior. Asperger's syndrome is at the milder end of this spectrum. People with Asperger's are often high-achieving but can have difficulty in social situations. CNN learned about Savill's Second Life place from an iReporter in England who has named herself Janey Bracken in Second Life. Bracken, who prefers not to share her real name, submitted stories to iReport.com describing Savill's resource center and providing information about other places where those with the condition can turn. "[Savill] said that his life changed when his family decided to get the Internet," Bracken wrote. "He was able to use chat rooms and soon realized that people used symbols to express themselves: the smiley signs, the angry signs, hug signs, etc., to enhance the text. He went on to say that subconsciously his brain was learning about communication from these sessions of chat." Second Life has its own economy and social scene, and Bracken and Savill hope it could become a haven for those seeking help for autism. While many think such computer interactions could eventually be helpful in treating autism, scientists say more information is needed to truly assess their value. Dr. Fred Volkmar, a professor in Yale University's Child Study Center, said he would want more concrete studies done before he could be sure. "Although not much research is yet available, there is clearly considerable potential in use of new technologies for fostering social skills," Volkmar said. To answer this need, scientists are beginning to explore the possibilities in Second Life. One such researcher is Simon Bignell, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Derby in Derby, England, who is running a project that is evaluating teaching and research in Second Life. Bignell, known in-world as Milton Broome, said Second Life is an uncharted but promising area for new applied psychological research. Virtual reality can be used to simulate new environments for people on the autistic spectrum, he said. "For people with autism, we've found it's a very nice way of setting up situations they might come across in their everyday lives," Bignell said. "For people who have social, emotional, communicational problems ... we can get them familiar with an environment before they actually try it out in real life." Watch more on autism research in a virtual world » . He started the "Autism Research" discussion group within Second Life to serve as an information-sharing tool for interested parties. He also has an office within Second Life and can sometimes be found working in SL-Labs, the university's in-world psychology lab space. The lab areas contain meeting spots, informational kiosks and games. A portion of these areas contain information about autism and Asperger's. Savill said Second Life excels at minimizing geographical separations between people and bringing people from all over the world to meet together quickly and easily. He added that he wanted to emphasize that virtual worlds are an emerging and important tool not just for autistic people, but for the people who know them. "It's not just to help people with autism, it's to help people whose lives have been affected by autism, be they family or friends or employees of people who have autism," Savill said. "Naughty Auties is a fantastic meeting place for people." E-mail to a friend .

People with autism spectrum disorders could find a haven within Second Life . Second Life is a virtual world where people represent themselves with avatars . David Savill, 22, has Asperger's syndrome and founded a virtual gathering spot . iReport: See your Second Life stories and news of a virtual world .

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A "farce," "bitter", "ugly and chaotic," "sinister and slapstick and a "public relations nightmare;" the Olympic torch's journey of harmony and peace hit a large protester-sized road hump in London, the world's press commented Monday. British newspapers said the Olympic torch relay through London was a "public relations nightmare." The British and Chinese press were far from impressed with the chaotic scenes as the Olympic torch was carried through London by a mixture of celebrities, politicians and athletes on its way to Beijing. In the UK, The Times said the relay was "reduced to farce and ignominy" as 35 protesters were arrested after clashing with police over China's actions in Tibet. "Despite nearly a year of planning and the deployment of 2,000 officers, the Metropolitan Police were unable to stop protesters breaking through the security cordon at vulnerable points," the Times reported. "It was a public relations nightmare for London, with images of Tibetans pinned to the tarmac by police, and demonstrators waving placards outside Downing Street." Watch a gallery of the torch relay in London » . The Daily Telegraph said the relay was nearly abandoned because of the "ugly and chaotic" scenes. "Organizers, including Chinese officials, discussed "pulling out" of the day-long relay after just a few hours, as police fought running battles with wave after wave of anti-China protesters," the newspaper reported. The Daily Telegraph said police were surprised by the "relentless" attempts to disrupt the parade at "every corner" of the route. The Mail said the relay turned into a "sinister and slapstick" event "which did Britain no favor in the eyes of the world." "Terrified athletes and celebrities carrying the torch were forced to run for cover," it reported. Watch supporters, opponents of the Beijing Olympics show up at the London leg of the torch relay » . "Downing Street was privately furious as the embarrassing fiasco -- costing $2 million and likened to "Chinese police state tactics" in London -- was beamed around the world on TV." The Mail described the Chinese guards helping escort the flame as a "mysterious private army." "Wearing blue tracksuits, the hired 'thugs' barged protesters out the way and even shoved spectators in Downing Street, where the torch was greeted by [British Prime Minister] Gordon Brown." The Independent said "most spectators saw little more than a blur of fluorescent-yellow police jackets." "An enormous security cordon that had something of the pantomime about it turned the relay into a public relations embarrassment for both the Chinese and British authorities," it said. The Guardian said the relay was "a journey of harmony" but there was precious little unity on display" while the tabloid Sun described the scenes as "shocking." The New York Times said the relay descended into a "tumult of scuffles," and expressed concern about the torch's future path ahead of its arrival in San Francisco on Wednesday. Look at a map of the international torch relay route . "The tour could prove jarring for Beijing. What organizers had billed as an occasion to celebrate the Olympics' sporting ideals of peace and harmony turned into a daylong contest between China's supporters and demonstrators protesting China's crackdown in Tibet and its wider human rights record." The Chinese press said London residents were indignant about the protests and quoted angry officials. The China Daily said "tens of thousands of people lined the route of the relay to cheer the event; far outnumbering protesters." "Many spectators voiced disapproval of attempts to disrupt the torch relay by those who claimed they had done so for 'political causes,'" it reported. It quoted Nick, a British university student, who said that "sports should be separated from political things." A spokesman for the torch relay center of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee told the newspaper that the Olympic flame "belongs to the world and the act of violating the Olympic spirit will surely arouse the indignation of the peace-loving people and is bound to fail." Watch a report on the torch's journey, Jowell's comments » . The China People's Daily newspaper also carried comments from an organizing committee official criticizing the attempt by some "pro-Tibet independence" activists to sabotage the relay in an "obvious act of defying the Olympic spirit." Meanwhile the Xinhua news service made no mention of the protests, preferring to focus on the cold weather and crowd numbers. "The heavy snow in London exerted slim effect on people's passion of seeing Beijing Olympic flame as large crowds lined along the street to greet the relay of torch on Sunday in the host city of 2012 Games," it reported. The relay continues in Paris Monday, with an estimated 3,000 French police chaperoning the torch as it departs from the Eiffel Tower. E-mail to a friend .

The Times labels torch relay a 'public relations nightmare' for London . Daily Mail questions presence of 'mysterious private army' Olympic official says flame belongs to world's 'peace-loving people'

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Nearly 90 professors at Iran's oldest and largest university signed a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, criticizing the government's violent handling of student protesters. "The issue that has left a bitter taste in the mouths of the devout Muslim and patriots of this land is the violent and above the law [illegal] encounters, particularly with University students and faculty members of this land," says the letter, which was posted on the reformist Web site "Rahesabz," or "Green Path." "In fact, the nightly attacks on the dormitories and living quarters of innocent students and daily assaults on them ... are not testaments to the power of the system, just as the violent beatings and imprisonments are not testament to its faith and piety." The professors ask Khamenei to order revolutionary guards, government-sanctioned militiamen and others who have engaged in campus violence to vacate the university. The letter also calls for official apologies for beatings of university members and the unconditional release of detained students and faculty. There was no immediate government response to the letter. The 88 professors -- all of whom are considered employees of the Islamic republic -- who signed the letter are "risking their jobs and God knows what else," said Ali Alfoneh, a research fellow at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute who has researched the relationship between Iranian civilians and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. "Some of them may end up arrested," he added. The letter, posted on a reformist Web site Monday, is a rare and significant showing of discontent among Tehran University's academics. Student unrest has only increased since thousands of protesters turned out on the streets of Iran to oppose the country's disputed presidential election, in which hardline incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the overwhelming winner. "Unfortunately and sadly; all of this takes place under the veil of safeguarding Islam and the representation of the supreme leadership and, even more sadly, no institution or organization accepts responsibility for this savagery!" The anti-government demonstrations began following the disputed June 12 presidential vote, which re-elected hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over main opposition candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi. Last month marked the deadliest clashes since the initial protests broke out this summer. At least seven people were killed and hundreds arrested as they took to the streets on Ashura, a Shiite Muslim holy day. One university researcher told CNN he was one of many beaten by police, struck with a baton 11 times. Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa-Mohammad Najjar warned Saturday that the government will not show leniency to protesters in the future. "It doesn't surprise me that professors wrote this letter, because universities have been one of the first victims of increased government pressure," Alfoneh said. In the aftermath of the election, Tehran University and other institutions quickly became hotbeds of violence, with members of the government's Basij militia attacking young protesters on campus, including dormitories. In August, Khamenei addressed a group of university professors from all over, noting that academics would be held to a higher standard of accountability -- especially after the elections. "Naturally, the expectations that we have of the professors and faculty is much greater than what we expect from the students," Khamenei was quoted by Iranian media as saying on August 30. "The students are the young officers on the front lines of this war and the professors are the commanders [against] this 'soft war' -- the professors who can fulfill this role will be worthy of the Islamic republic." The Iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone and has blamed reformists for the violence. At times, video has shown protesters apparently turning on security forces. Still, the letter serves as another blow to Iran's Islamic leadership, which reformists say has lost credibility in its handling of the post-election unrest. Several critics, including cleric and former presidential candidate Mehdi Karrubi have compared the tactics of the current government to those of the Shah of Iran, who was overthrown by the same fervent followers of Islam more than 30 years ago. Alfoneh noted that numerous petitions were drafted and published in the days leading up to the overthrow of the Shah, who was also slammed with allegations of injustice and human rights violations under his watch. He said it's no surprise that academics today are taking a similar approach as it becomes increasingly harder to teach amid the violence. "The opposition and even ordinary citizen are trying to duplicate the events of 30 years ago -- they're trying to play to the memory of the public," Alfoneh said. CNN's Samira Simone contributed to this report.

Nearly 90 Tehran professors sign letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . Letter criticizes government's violent handling of student protesters . Letter seeks apologies for beatings of university members and release of students, faculty . Anti-government demonstrations began following the disputed June 12 presidential vote .

(CNN) -- Less than a month ago, gun control seemed destined for its day in Congress. In the wake of the shooting of 20 schoolchildren and seven adults in Newtown, Connecticut, a major revision to the nation's gun laws appeared, to many observers, inevitable -- a sure thing, even. "This awful massacre has changed where we go from here," longtime gun rights supporter Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, tweeted three days after the shooting. "I think," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, "we could be at a tipping point." Indeed, with bullet-riddled bodies of 6- and 7-year-olds being carried from a first-grade classroom, opposition to tighter gun laws could hardly seem to withstand the deluge of media attention and outrage from a horrified public. Yet congressional opposition has not wilted. And this week, as the grim one-month anniversary of Newtown approaches, Vice President Joe Biden signaled that the White House might be prepared to enact reforms through executive order rather than risk a fight for comprehensive legislation on Capitol Hill. To look at the polls, opposition in Congress seems puzzling. Although support for an assault weapons ban is not high, clear majorities of Americans support a variety of other measures proposed by gun control advocates. In a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll, 92% said they favored a law that would require background checks at gun shows. More than six in 10 Americans support a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips. Even many gun owners embrace reforms. The political influence of the National Rifle Association, which strongly opposes any new gun laws, helps explain why some members of Congress don't support measures that large majorities of Americans want. But the dynamics of media and public attention are also crucial to understand what's happening. The gun control debate illustrates what is known as the "issue-attention cycle." This occurs when a dramatic event -- in this case, the Newtown shooting -- causes the media and public to become intensely interested in a policy issue for a brief time, before moving on to other problems. Following high-profile mass killings in the United States, there often is a surge in news coverage about gun control. But within a few weeks, coverage reverts to where it was before the shooting. This was evident following the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech, the 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and last year's attack at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater. Newtown, for all its unique dreadfulness, has so far been little different. In the week beginning a day after the tragedy -- from December 15 through December 21 -- 2,472 stories in the nation's newspapers mentioned gun control. These data come from a search of more than 500 news outlets indexed in the LexisNexis "U.S. Newspapers and Wires" database. In the next week, the number of gun control stories fell by more than half, to 1,192. The week after -- from December 29 through January 4 -- it was down to 962. Meanwhile, journalists found a new object of attention. From December 29 through January 4, the LexisNexis database included 3,636 stories mentioning the fiscal cliff -- nearly four times as many as mentioned gun control in that same week. The economy didn't tumble over the cliff, but gun control did. These patterns have consequences for public opinion, which tends to take its cues from the media. Without sustained attention to gun control, Americans are not likely to view the issue as particularly salient. Even in a Gallup Poll fielded in the days after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, just 4% of Americans said guns were the country's most important problem. Most mentioned the economy, which has dominated the news for months. As a result, there is less pressure on gun control opponents, most of whom are Republican, in Congress to strike a deal with those seeking stronger gun controls, most of whom are Democrats. Opposing gun reforms that might be popular with Americans, but not important to them, may be less risky for many politicians than running afoul of a powerful interest group such as the NRA. This doesn't necessarily mean that gun legislation is moribund. Perhaps the efforts of the anti-gun violence organization founded by Giffords -- a decidedly compelling advocate for gun control -- may sustain the media's attention. That could make the issue more important to voters, which might create a greater incentive for Congress to act. But with the coming political fight over the debt ceiling, media attention to guns may remain in relatively short supply, especially as Sandy Hook recedes in the rearview mirror. The reality of the issue attention cycle suggests that gun control advocates' best hope may lie in executive action, not the legislative process. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Danny Hayes.

Danny Hayes: After Newtown shooting, it seemed time was ripe for new gun control laws . But congressional opposition has not wilted, Hayes says . He says after mass killings, media attention surges, public follows; both quickly drop . Hayes: Pattern same with Newton, and gun control opponents count on it .

(CNN) -- As we head into Father's Day, I wanted to reveal a little secret for all the fathers who are doing their best to be great dads and great men. I'm the single mother of a wonderful 9-year-old son. At 46, I've learned more about men from being his mother than I ever learned throughout decades of dating, marriage, divorce, engagement and a broken engagement. It's true. We talk about everything under the sun. The authenticity with which his boyhood exhibits itself constantly keeps me on my toes as often as he keeps me laughing. I thought I knew everything, but by watching my son's perspective on life -- he doesn't hide anything -- I learn more about the male species. In his innocence, he breaks it down better than 100 hours of Oprah can. For instance: . Mommy, why are your legs so hairy? Lesson No. 1: Men like it when women maintain their looks . Whenever I'm burning the candle at both ends, my son reminds me to take care of myself. The first time he noticed my hairy legs was the first time I realized I had let my personal grooming go a little too much. As a fashion expert, my image is usually rather polished and stylish -- in public. However, in private, when I get home the first thing I do is I take off my bra and change into cozy sweats and a T-shirt. If it's winter and my legs are hidden (and I'm not dating anyone), I confess that I often forget to shave. Only my son and I know that I let the hair on my legs grow a liiiiittle tooooo loooong when it's disguised under pants during the winter. When he notices, I know it's time to remind myself to maintain my self-esteem for myself ... and my man. Your legs are so pretty, why don't you wear more dresses? Lesson No. 2: Men love it when women wear dresses . Nothing humbles this fashionista more than when my son asks me to wear dresses more often. I only wear dresses if I'm attending special evening events, so his eyes light up whenever I step out in a dress. I've been blessed with my mother's and grandmother's pretty legs. I rarely used to show them off. Now I do -- because my son reminds me that I should. Sometimes boys do crazy things, Mom . Lesson No. 3: Sometimes men do crazy things . The other day I heard a thumping noise coming from my son's bathroom. He was using the toilet plunger to create what he called "cool sounds" on the wall. I had a fit. I was openly annoyed at him for spreading germs on the wall. He was tasked with wiping the wall down with antibacterial wipes. After he finished he said, "I'm sorry. I know it didn't make any sense. But it was fun! Sometimes boys do crazy things, Mom," to which I replied, "You're right!" I all could do was hug him and smile. When can I have a play date? Lesson No. 4: Men behave better when they're allowed to play . To all you smothering women out there. "Stop!" My son gets ants in his pants on rainy days. He pouts, he gets moody and irritable whenever he can't release his male energy. He thrives whenever he plays with other boys. I would rather be a golf widow than stress over my man's whereabouts. Cars, sports, bars, smartphones, computers, techy stuff and video games. These are just toys for big boys. If your man needs time to hang out with the boys, don't try to stop him. If you encourage him to go outside and play, he'll come home even faster when the streetlights come on. No matter how old they are, men will always be boys at heart. I'm a big boy now Mommy! Lesson No. 5: Men will always be boys, but they want a woman to treat them like a man . My son loves it when I treat him like a big boy, and I let him do big boy stuff with other boys. Even little boys want to be treated like big boys. If I had a dollar for every time I unknowingly emasculated a man (before I learned better from my son), I would be a gazillionaire. I grew up assuming I had to work as hard as a man if I wanted to lead a successful life. I thought that meant I also had to lead men in my personal life. If I had known better, I would have let my man wear the pants while I led him in a dress. Now I wear more dresses than ever ... and I shave my legs, too. Opinion: Son, this is how to be a man . Opinion: My dad gave me life - twice . When is 'Daddy' more than DNA? Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.

Stephany Greene laughs at the things she has learned about men from her young son . The lessons span generations -- from taking care of herself to allowing men time to play . And sometimes, her 9-year-old son tells her, "Boys do crazy things, Mom"

(CNN) -- Glynis Freeman stands on a tower balcony in nighttime London, peering down at the dizzying lights hundreds of feet below. The distant rumble of city traffic rises up from the streets. A gust of wind brushes her hair. Freeman smiles while swiveling her head in all directions to take in the view. "That was cool," she said a few minutes later. "I want to go back to London." That's because Freeman was never physically in London. The Marietta, Georgia, woman was 4,000 miles away in an Atlanta hotel lobby, wearing a headset and trying out a demonstration of new technology that can place people in exotic virtual settings almost anywhere on the planet. It's all part of a new experiment by Marriott, the global hotel chain, to let guests sample virtual destinations with the Oculus Rift, a headset whose high-definition, 3-D display immerses wearers in a lifelike interactive world. "We really want to appeal to the next generation of travelers," said Karen Olivares, director of global brand marketing for Marriott. Virtual travel is in its infancy and a long way from being mainstream. But the travel industry is intrigued by its potential, which goes far beyond Google Street View or online "virtual tours" of hotels and resorts. The idea is not that virtual travel will replace real-world travel, because nobody in the industry would go for that. Instead, the travel industry hopes that people who sample virtual snippets of alluring vacations -- say, rafting the Grand Canyon or hiking the Great Wall of China -- will be persuaded to splurge on the real thing. Behind the Oculus Rift . Driving this trend are next-generation systems such as the Oculus Rift and Sony's Project Morpheus, which promise a leap forward in virtual-reality technology. The much-hyped Oculus Rift headset looks like something a skier or scuba diver might wear and fits snugly over the wearer's face, paired with headphones. Its crisp 3D display immerses you in an interactive world -- a medieval village or a tropical jungle -- which you sometimes can navigate with the help of a game controller. The goggles come packed with a 100-degree field of view, extending beyond viewers' peripheral vision. They have an accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to track the position of your head and sync the visuals to the direction where you are looking -- allowing Oculus to improve on the sometimes jerky visuals of other virtual-reality systems. The Oculus Rift was designed to enhance video gaming. But Facebook paid $2 billion for its maker, Oculus VR, in March, seeing the device as a potential future communication platform. One developer for the Oculus Rift is excited about the technology's long-term potential to tranform travel. "I could go for a run in the morning in some exotic beach and in the evening stroll the streets of some city ... I could be a virtual storm chaser close to a tornado and even travel deep in the ocean," the developer wrote in an online forum. "In fact these experiences will be so real, without risk, and of course cheap that I might actually have second thoughts about traveling ... Antarctica without the cold ... Jungles without the heat and bugs ... And people who will provide (this) content will make millions." Virtual journeying . Consumer versions of the Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus -- which works in much the same way -- aren't expected on the market until 2015 at the earliest. But that hasn't stopped the travel industry from tinkering with prototypes. Thomas Cook, the international travel agency, announced a trial program in August that will allow customers at one of its stores in England to don Oculus Rifts and experience a flight on one of its airplanes or tour a Sentido resort. And Marriott has been touring U.S. cities this fall with its "Teleporter," a booth that invites visitors to climb inside, strap on an Oculus Rift and take a virtual tour of Wai'anapanapa Black Sand Beach in Maui and Tower 42 in London. Viewers watch a 90-second video produced by Framestore, the British creative studio that has done visual effects for "Gravity" and other movies. To make the experiences feel more lifelike, fans in the booths blow soft breezes while misters recreate the feel of ocean spray. Whether such virtual-reality glimpses inspire someone to take a real trip remains to be seen. But visitors to the booths on a recent weekday in Atlanta came away impressed. "That was truly amazing. It reminded me of something from 'Star Trek,' " said Lisa Lewis of Monroe, Louisiana. "London has always been a dream destination of mine. And just to get a feel for a place -- it was much more than I imagined."

The travel industry is letting customers "sample" potential trips through virtual reality . Guests wear headsets such as the Oculus Rift and are immersed in a virtual world . Marriott spokeswoman: "We really want to appeal to the next generation of travelers"

(CNN) -- A growing number of women in business are flocking to Twitter for real-time advice, support and networking. Twitter chats are allowing women in the world of work -- from young business owners to females in the C-suite to mompreneurs and more -- to gather together online and talk like never before. Here is Leading Women's guide to Twitter chats -- the benefits, the pitfalls, some contacts and how to get involved. What is a Twitter chat? When it comes to Twitter chats there are as many topics as groups, from customer service to tech enthusiasts to business start-ups, and although women are using them a lot, it's not gender specific. A chat happens when a group of Twitter users gathers together at a scheduled time, and send tweets to each other using an agreed hashtag that allows anyone who's interested to follow the conversation. They tend to happen regularly, for example monthly, and a community will of like-minded people often grows up around them. An organizer will tweet the date, time and topic of the chat to the community using the hashtag. The organizer will often use a social media dashboard like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to schedule questions that will be tweeted out at intervals during the chat to give the conversation structure. Tinu Abayomi-Paul, editor of of the #WgBiz (Women Grow Business) chat describes a successful chat as "a lively community around the chat's topic, consistent promotion, well-timed, scheduled chats, and discussion around a topic that the community cares about." Why are they popular? Twitter chats have become a practical communicative tool for a number of reasons, according to Abayomi-Paul. "First, there's the chance to receive expert or peer knowledge in a format that's more dynamic than a webinar," she said. "Second, there's an avenue for continuing to maintain contact with those participating via Twitter, without anyone exposing their private information before they're ready. "Third, being able to participate live, in real time, in such a (simple) format eliminates some of the barriers that keep us from attending teleconferences, webinars, video meeting or in-person events." Twitter chats are also a flexible way to communicate, according to Young Female Entrepeneur chat organizer Jennifer Donogh. "You can join in whenever you can, wherever you are, which is very important for young women especially those with varied responsibilities," she said. Some chats also provide the opportunity to meet and talk directly with industry experts. Avid chat participant Ify Ofulue uses chats to brainstorm with guest speakers and says it is an immeasurable source of knowledge. "The caliber of guests is a huge draw," she said. "I knew straight away I wouldn't have had the opportunity to connect with them as easily as through Twitter chat. So, I threw caution to the wind and dove in. It quickly became a monthly routine." Connecting with like-minded individuals within your industry has always been important in business. Viveka von Rosen is the founder of Linked Into Business. She highlights how tweet chats have created a new avenue for networking professionals. "The business and relationship development opportunities for participants are incredible," she said. "The fact that people get to hang out with influencers that the moderators bring on and for these major influencers to be able share their words with people so directly, I think that kind of access is unparalleled." What are the disadvantages? While chats are growing in popularity, von Rosen is quick to point out Twitter could be doing more to help. "It can be difficult to find tweet chats, it's like a secret club or something," she said. "There is an excel list that gets passed around (but) I think Twitter is missing out on an incredible opportunity when it comes to tweet chats." Another disadvantage, according to chat enthusiast and marketing professional Shannon Renee, is when people hijack an event to promote their own products and services and thus devaluing the conversation. How to get involved . Both moderators and participants describe Twitter chats as friendly and welcoming experiences. If you'd like to get involved, here are a few hints to help you on your way: . 1. Search your favorite blog or website and see what Twitter activity they have or if they use a certain hashtag to generate conversation between members. 2. Ask your followers and friends if they participate in any chats that may be of interest to you. 3. Once started Twitter chats gain momentum and it can be difficult to keep up with the conversation. Using a tool like Tweetdeck or Tweetchat to follow the hashtag can help. 4. There is nothing wrong with sitting on the sidelines and watching the discussion as it happens. 5. If you want to speak up, moderators suggest sending an introductory tweet to the group mentioning that it's your first chat.

Twitter chats have gained momentous popularity over the last few years . Participants join via a bespoke hashtag at a predesignated time on a particular topic . Chat's allow networking, support and access to experts otherwise impossible . CNN will co-host a chat on Sept 28 8p/11e on the subject of women at work .

(CNN) -- Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is giving people whiplash. In the last month, he has shifted, flip-flopped and pandered so strikingly on a range of positions and statements that it makes you wonder whether he has suddenly developed a deep disregard for his own convictions, or never had any to begin with. At the Urban League's National Convention in Cincinnati in July, Paul expressed support for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act and talked about the necessity of protecting the rights of minorities. Kudos to him for even showing up, not a usual move for Republicans. But we must hold him accountable for his past statements that private businesses had the right to deny service to anyone they wanted, something the Civil Rights Act specifically forbids. Last year when the Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, Paul seemed to suggest it wasn't necessary, since we had an "African-American president." Just a few days ago, in a flip-flop worthy of the International House of Pancakes, a straight faced Paul denied ever saying the United States should stop sending any military aid to Israel. Does he really think that little of American voters? Let's refresh the senator's memory. In 2011, Paul put forth a budget proposal that would have cut $500 billion from the federal budget and would have ended all foreign aid, including to Israel. He has since engaged in pretzel-like messaging maneuvers trying to rewrite history to fit reality -- one where a Republican candidate perceived as even the slightest bit anti-Israel can kiss any chance of the Republican presidential nomination good-bye. It gets better. Or at least more cringe-worthy. Paul has repeatedly said he is a huge proponent of immigration reform and understands how wrong his party has been on this issue. Frankly, this is one instance on which I have given Paul props for being on the right side of history, the American people and the long-term viability of his party with at least a glimmer of hope and an opening to start a conversation with Latino voters. That hope fizzled recently when first, Paul decided to go campaign for Rep. Steve King of Iowa, the most anti-immigrant/anti-immigration reform member of Congress. Then, in a grand gesture, a profile in courage, Paul could not have fled faster as Erika Andiola, an undocumented "Dreamer" confronted King at an event, with Paul sitting right next to him. According to his staff, Paul left so abruptly because he was late for a media interview. Maybe. Or maybe, he didn't have the guts to reconcile his hypocritical pro-immigration reform statements with his support of someone like King. At least King, who stayed and spoke with the young woman, had the courage of his convictions, twisted as they are. Maybe there is something in the water in Iowa. Or something in the voters. Oh, yes, they get to decide presidential nominees. That must explain why Paul, in another rewrite of his record, said he didn't think anyone there wanted to ban birth control. This is a tad bit different from reality. Paul's staff should remind him we can all do Internet searches for what our elected officials have said and done in the past. In 2013, Paul introduced the personhood amendment that would not only have banned abortions but also would have in effect banned many forms of birth control, including some forms of the pill. Paul also supported the Blunt Amendment, which would have given employers an excuse to deny contraceptive health care coverage based on their conscience. When this was defeated in the Senate and the issue made its way to the Supreme Court in the form of the Hobby Lobby case, Paul praised the decision that lets employers deny such coverage on religious grounds. Every one of these flips underscores how the GOP has flopped in gaining traction with key demographics it will need to be competitive in a 2016 general election. This last one underscores how nervous Republicans are that even in the midterms, the ever-growing gender gap might be big enough to deny the "Republican wave" the party is dreaming about--and that would include taking over the Senate. As a strategist, I understand Paul's (and his party's) frustration and the need to try to bamboozle the public into thinking he supports something he has denied in the past, and sometimes vice versa. It's very confusing. But as a woman and a Latina, a member of two key constituencies where Republicans desperately need to gain support if they are ever to see the inside of the Oval Office, I am offended. I can read. I can do research. This is not George Orwell's "1984." Paul does not get to rewrite history and pretend he is not doing so.

Maria Cardona: Rand Paul has been shifting positions so often, it could give you whiplash . She says he's talking now about minorities' rights, but previous statements will haunt him . She says he denies saying U.S. should stop aid to Israel. But he did. Voters can use Internet . His moves on reproductive rights, immigration will alienate groups he needs, she says .

(CNN) -- About halfway through The New York Times review of TV chef Guy Fieri's Manhattan restaurant, I realized that the author was wielding a meat cleaver. Maybe it was Pete Wells' description of the chicken tenders as containing a "shiny tissue of breading that exudes grease onto the plate." Or the "ghostly nubs of unblackened, unspiced white meat" in the Cajun Chicken Alfredo. Or the comparison of Fieri to the writer Calvin Trillin -- if Trillin "bleached his hair, drove a Camaro and drank Boozy Creamsicles." It was at once delicious and stomach-churning -- a perfect reflection of our rip-their-lungs-out culture. Let's face it: Media meanness sells. Why slice someone with a surgical precision when you can whack him upside the head with a 2-by-4? Watch: Why Matt Lauer Is getting a bum rap from mean folks on Twitter . We've all enjoyed the guilty pleasure of seeing some author, actor or filmmaker eviscerated for the sheer sport of it. Good reviews are fine, but what really stirs the water-cooler talk is when the critic draws blood. But has this trend gone too far in an age when anyone can instantaneously diss anyone else with a single mouse click? Does it amount to pandering to our collective mean gene? Some public figures revel in the insult wars. Donald Trump has called Rosie O'Donnell "a big fat pig," among other choice phrases, and she's said he keeps returning "like a raging herpes rash." It's a cheap way of getting attention. And the thing is, it works. Watch: Is it time for Chelsea Clinton, gay marriage activist, to leave NBC? The most popular pundits on television tend to be pugilists who draw cheers from their partisans for punching out the other guy's lights. When Bill O'Reilly denounces pinheads and loons, his fans eat it up. Rush Limbaugh caused a furor by calling Sandra Fluke a slut; he later apologized. Ed Schultz called Laura Ingraham a right-wing slut and did the same. Glenn Beck dubbed Barack Obama a racist and his ratings kept climbing. Nice guys don't necessarily finish first. The virus long ago spread to the political realm. Watch: Why Rupert Murdoch and other cranky CEOs tweet garbage . Republican Congressman Joe Wilson yelled "you lie!" during President Barack Obama's September 2009 speech to Congress on health care and then used the incident for fundraising. Another congressman, Democrat Alan Grayson, said the Republican health plan was to hope that sick people "die quickly"; he lost the next election but just won his seat back. Yet another congressman, Allen West, called his Florida colleague Debbie Wasserman Schultz "vile" and "not a lady"; he lost his seat during a recount. Watch: Sex and Sesame Street -- are the media exploiting the Elmo tragedy? The media, without question, reward incendiary soundbites and intemperate language. That's what keeps the bookers calling, and the resulting visibility can prompt donors to keep writing checks. Maybe Twitter has played a role in fostering succinct snarkiness. Everyone tries to break through the static and get retweeted. The new nastiness is evident in scandal coverage as well. While former CIA director David Petraeus has largely been portrayed as a flawed hero who made a tragic mistake, many in the media have cast Paula Broadwell as a harlot, using lust to achieve her ambition by bringing down a great man. Broadwell, a former senior Army captain, did some dumb things, such as sending harassing e-mails anonymously but doesn't it take two to tango? The same goes for Jill Kelley, the Tampa socialite who engaged in voluminous e-mail correspondence with Gen. John Allen. Kelley, who volunteered for military causes, is being dismissed in media accounts as a ditzy social climber and worse. Watch: Lasting leak -- Why Romney's 'gifts' comments diminish him . Meanness wouldn't sell unless there was a market for it. Maybe watching others get sliced and diced makes us feel better about ourselves. Maybe it's just today's version of bread and circuses. And it's a game anyone can play. Ever peruse the comments section on major websites? Readers often start ripping each other as morons and dupes within minutes after a story is posted. It would be nice if folks with access to the biggest megaphones didn't cater to the lowest common denominator. But that's not the world in which we live. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Howard Kurtz.

Howard Kurtz: NY Times' slash-and-burn review of restaurant fed appetite for meanness . He says media, politicians take advantage of public's interest in nasty attacks . Kurtz: Public figures from Donald Trump to members of Congress revel in nastiness . He says media players such as Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Ed Schultz take part .

(CNN) -- As the nation enters the weekend marking the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, law enforcement authorities are deploying additional security measures and urging all Americans to be vigilant for suspicious activity. Much of the beefed-up security has been in the planning well before Thursday's announcement of a potential al Qaeda vehicle bomb plot against New York City or Washington, officials said. And some of the toughened measures won't be visible to the public, officials said. At the U.S. Capitol, Americans can expect to see "visible strategic security enhancements" such as more uniformed and undercover officers and more police cruisers, as well as deployments of bomb squads, Hazmat and SWAT teams, and K9 units, said Sgt. Kim Schneider of U.S. Capitol Police. Federal law officials will be sharing information and coordinating operations, Schneider said. For example, Capitol Police special agents are embedded in the intelligence community and assigned to the FBI, Secret Service and Department of Defense, Schneider said. The efforts are designed "to present a visible deterrent to our adversaries and detect those who may present a threat" as well as "to respond to incidents in our jurisdiction or take protective measures in response to an incident occurring elsewhere in the National Capital region or anywhere around the nation," Schneider told CNN in an e-mail. "People on the Capitol Grounds or in the area of the U.S. Capitol may notice a more visible presence in addition to the multiple layers of security that are not visible to the public," Schneider said. Many additional security measures were stepped up Friday in the wake of U.S. intelligence gathering about an al Qaeda-organized vehicle bomb being detonated in New York City or Washington on the 10th anniversary, which falls Sunday, authorities said. In New York City, officers were stopping and searching trucks as they approached the George Washington Bridge, which links New Jersey with New York City, as well as the Queens Midtown Tunnel, the Holland Tunnel and the Verrazano Bridge, linking Staten Island and Brooklyn. Police also manned checkpoints throughout Manhattan where they examined vehicles, particularly vans and trucks, for possible bombs. In Washington, where increased police activity began after Labor Day, members of Congress, their staff and visitors were being urged Friday to continue their vigilance for anything suspicious, authorities said. "Remember, 'if you see something, say something!'" said Wilson Livingood, the U.S. House sergeant-at-arms. The al Qaeda threat has yet to be corroborated, White House press secretary Jay Carney said. National security officials have "been running a process for four months, anticipating the need to be extra vigilant, to take extra precautions around this anniversary, the 9/11 anniversary, because, as you would expect, al Qaeda, while it lost its leader when we brought justice to Osama bin Laden, remains a threat to Americans, remains interested in attacking the United States and Americans, and we have to be vigilant against that threat," Carney said. Vice President Joe Biden urged all Americans to be wary this weekend. "Continue your life as normal. Be vigilant. Be vigilant," Biden said on NBC's "Today" show Friday. "Report anything that looks suspicious to you. And you know, we went through this before in a different circumstance with the car bomb (attempt) in Times Square (in 2010). There are people who are likely to try over the next period of months and years, but the point is that we are using every single asset we can, including local law enforcement, to help thwart the possibility it could happen." Some intensified security measures will be out of the public eye, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. "Our security posture includes a number of measures both seen and unseen, and we will continue to respond appropriately to protect the American people from an evolving threat picture both in the coming days and beyond," she said in a statement. In Washington's subway system, police were conducting random baggage tests Friday as commuters came down the escalator -- measures that were previously planned and weren't a result of the potential al Qaeda threat, said Michael Taborn, the transit system's police chief. Dog teams patrolled platforms, and an officer with a flashlight examined tracks after trains passed. Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray said Friday the city is "redoubling" its security efforts in the wake of the unconfirmed al Qaeda threats, with officers working 12-hour shifts and operating under a restricted-leave policy. "We take these threats seriously -- as we do all threats to our city -- and citizens should know we are taking all the appropriate steps to ensure their safety," Gray said in a statement. CNN's Mike Ahlers, Ted Barrett, Sarah Chaffin, Paul Courson and Jay McMichael contributed to this report.

All Americans need to be vigilant to suspicious activity, officials say . SWAT teams, bomb squads and K9 units are deployed in Washington . Some toughened security will be out of the public eye, officials say . "Continue your life as normal. Be vigilant," U.S. vice president says .