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(CNN) -- When Pedro Matos arrived in conflict-ridden Darfur in 2009 to work as a humanitarian worker, the last thing he expected to encounter was dapper dressing and sartorial splendor. "I was blown away by what I saw," says Matos, a former urban planning engineer who went to Western Sudan to work for a United Nations agency supporting internally displaced people (IDP) in a region rocked by violence for a decade now. "As I got more and more exposed to the camps and to the IDPs, I was taken aback and surprised with what people wore and how different they were from what I was expecting," says the Portuguese aid worker. Struck by the eye-catching color combinations and the rich variety of patterns adorning women's clothing, Matos reached for his camera and started taking pictures of Darfur's local fashion. This gave birth to The Darfur Sartorialist, a project aiming to show to the world a different reality of this remote part in Sudan, beyond the usual narrative of suffering and violence. "The news we usually get about Darfur -- the war, the oppression, the camps -- exists but that is not the only story," says Matos. "I hope the project can make people question the reality we see." CNN's Inside Africa spoke to Matos, who is now based in Kenya, about fashion in Darfur and his project's goals. CNN: How you'd describe the way these women are dressed in a few words? PM: Colorful -- amidst these deserted landscapes, people dress in incredible colors; unique -- it's extremely difficult to find two women with the same clothes; proud -- there is a pride in the dressing which goes a bit against to what I was expecting to be a conservative way of dressing; fashionable -- a lot of the clothing is traditionally Sudanese but some is also influenced by the Middle East. The traditional Sudanese clothing is the toub -- many meters of cloth that's wrapped around the body and head. Because it often falls off, they have to wear something underneath so that the skin doesn't get exposed. Those combinations are often unique; their undergarment would often be a patterned shirt and trousers, and with the toub, combinations are extremely varied. But on top of that, you have all the influence that comes from the Sudanese diaspora, the soap operas and all the films from the Middle East where women often dress a bit more Westernized; they have dresses, trousers, denim jackets and skirts, so you have a combination of all these things and it's extremely difficult to find two women dressed the same. The variety is something that surprised me; in the West we often have these fashionable dark colors and because there are all these franchise stores, you get to see people dressed pretty much in the same way. But in Sudan, they're so varied. Read this: Congo's designer dandies . CNN: How easy was it taking pictures? Were there any security concerns? PM: Sudan has been in the spotlight for human rights issues for a long time, so they're extremely suspicious of foreigners going around taking photos. But after working side by side for so long with the security services, they eventually ended up trusting me and I was allowed to take pictures. CNN: Did women want to be photographed? PM: That is quite interesting, because Sudan is a society where women are expected to behave conservatively and refuse photographs. So, when I'd take their pictures, they would often refuse if they don't know me. But if I'm taking [pictures] of children, then the women would say, "OK, you can take photographs of us too." My colleagues and the IDPs didn't have a problem because they knew me; actually, they were quite happy and honored and flattered that a foreigner would be so interested in their clothing. Read this: Africa's fashion bible . CNN: What has been the feedback you've received? PM: Most people in the West are extremely surprised and most people in Sudan are quite happy that someone is covering Sudan in such way, with many smiles, and proud, fashionable people. But what I'm mostly interested about is to have people in the West -- those who know very little about Darfur, other than the stories of war and kidnapping -- understand that beyond the society we see in the news, it feels perfectly normal and conceivable that alongside war and oppression there are people who live their own lives and have aspirations which are not that different from ours.

Pedro Matos is the creator of the Darfur Sartorialist project . The project showcases the colorful and fashionable way of dressing of people in Darfur . Matos says his goal is to show this side of Darfur story to the world .

(CNN) -- It is in our DNA to explore the unknown. But pushing boundaries and exploring space is far from easy. This week, the commercial space industry received a punch in the gut and the world experienced a jarring reminder of just how dangerous space travel can be. On its 55th test flight, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo suffered "an anomaly" just two minutes after it separated from its mother ship, WhiteKnightTwo, while 45,000 feet over the Mojave Desert. One pilot was able to parachute out and is being treated for serious injuries, but tragically, the other perished. The catastrophe comes on the heels of an explosion that happened earlier in the week when an unmanned rocket built by Orbital Sciences carrying a spacecraft loaded with more than 5,000 pounds of cargo exploded into a fireball just seconds after launch at NASA's Wallops flight Facility in Virginia. Aerospace insiders routinely compare the emerging commercial space industry to the genesis of the aviation industry -- high risk, high reward. Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson said in a blog post following Friday's incident: "We've always known that the road to space is extremely difficult - and that every new transportation system has to deal with bad days early in their history." A new private space race has emerged in recent years, with private companies like Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace competing to become the world's first commercial space line. Then you have companies like SpaceX, Orbital Sciences, and Boeing that are vying for NASA contracts worth billions. This week's events put the spotlight on the private sector's ability to shoulder the responsibility of space travel. What will the long-term impacts of disasters have on the burgeoning commercial space industry? It should be noted, that in terms of the larger government contracts, this relationship between the public and the private is not really all that new. Since the inception of the space agency, NASA has turned to the private sector to accomplish its space faring goals. Boeing is the lead contractor on the International Space Station. It is not a relationship we will see change anytime soon, even in the face of the Orbital Sciences accident. That is because the U.S. no longer has a home-grown way to get to the International Space Station. NASA is relying on the private sector to get there -- making commercial companies essential to the space agency's operations thus shielding them from the impact of public perception. The space tourism industry is different. The service it is providing is a luxury experience. The companies are at the mercy of public perception of their capabilities to safely transport paying passengers on these suborbital flights. Yes, Virgin has partnered with NASA to run research missions in zero-gravity, but beyond that, Virgin Galactic relies on selling tickets to space enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies for the bulk of its development cost. And they aren't cheap. It costs $250,000 a seat. Passengers want to know they are going to be safe. Friday's accident will surely instil fear in the more than 700 people who have signed up to make the journey. So what is the value of space tourism? And why risk human lives to make it a reality? As George Whitesides told CNN earlier this year: "At heart, what inspires me the most is the idea that space changes you, that space has this profound impact on the people that can experience it." What Whitesides is referring to is the overview effect, a phenomenon that space travelers are said to experience when they see the curvature of the Earth -- changing the way people see the world, thereby influencing the way in which they live. Both Whitesides and Branson have spoken openly about the fact that suborbital flights are not the ultimate end goal for Virgin Galactic. Point-to-point intercontinental travel would be the next application of this technology, meaning that one day passengers could travel around the world in about two hours. While such plans have been put on hold since the accident, Virgin Galactic is intent on taking off. In his blog post following the crash, Branson said: "Space is hard -- but worth it. We will persevere and move forward together." The question is, will people still be willing to pay $250,000 to go to space? Inside Virgin Galactic's spaceship . Perils of aviation pioneers .

The SpaceShipTwo catastrophe comes after an Orbital Sciences rocket blew up . Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson: "We've always known that the road to space is extremely difficult" Accidents have put spotlight on private sector's ability to shoulder responsibility of space travel . Virgin has spoken openly about its ambitions beyond suborbital flights .

(CNN) -- Nisreen lies listless curled under a blanket, an armed rebel guard at her door. She looks vulnerable, and younger than her age - 19. She has soft features, a heart-shaped face, large brown eyes and full lips. She speaks haltingly, often falling into a tortured silence, unable to verbalize her thoughts and emotions as haunting images of what she did play out like a curse in her mind. "One of them had facial hair, like this." She gestures in the shape of a goatee around her mouth, recalling the face of one of the young men she shot dead. Nisreen became an executioner for Moammar Gadhafi's forces. She admits she murdered 11 rebels, all prisoners of the Gadhafi regime. (CNN is not identifying Nisreen with her full name because of her experiences in Gadhafi's all-female brigade.) "They brought one person in at a time and they said shoot him," she tells us, her voice quiet, her words chilling. "There was someone on either side of me and one behind and they said if you don't shoot we will shoot you." She pauses, sliding back into that horrific moment. "I would turn my head away and shoot. I saw the blood dripping, it just kept flowing." She says she was told the rebels wanted to rape women and pillage the capital. Nisreen was a member of the female unit of Gadhafi's popular militia. She says she was forcibly taken from her mother - who is battling cancer - by the head of the unit, a family friend. She says the two argued, about what she doesn't know. That was around a year ago. She was trained to handle weapons and then kept by her commander at the headquarters of the 77th Brigade, right next to Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound. She and the hundreds of other women who made up her unit were kept isolated, cut off from their families. Some of the women with her were ardent supporters of the regime. She says she wasn't, but she couldn't leave. "My brother came and tried to get me out," she says, but he was threatened and told to leave. When the uprising began in February, she says her female leader summoned her to see the 77th Brigade commander. He raped her. "I screamed," she tells us. It made no difference. She was summoned twice again and raped by two other commanders. Her leader told her she had to bear it. She says all the women in her unit were raped, but they were forbidden to speak about it. As the rebels closed in on Tripoli, she and two other young women were assigned to the Bousalim neighborhood, where some of the heaviest fighting was taking place. It was there that she was forced to be an executioner. "They were all so young," she says of her victims before sliding into yet another heavy, burdened silence. She escaped by jumping out of a second-story window as a firefight erupted behind her. She was captured by rebel fighters and brought to the hospital. Although the rebels plan to put her on trial, many of them seem to pity her, as do the hospital staff. One of her doctors, Nadia Benyounis, says she was speechless when she first heard about her case. "When I saw her, I thought that she looked like a kid. Her face is so young, innocent, totally innocent," she says. "She lost her life." "She was manipulated by Gadhafi forces, unfortunately. Gadhafi manipulated us all." Benyounis says Nisreen was robbed of everything -- her dignity, her self-worth, her family -- and turned into a killer. "She is silent all the time." Benyounis tells us. "I watch her closely, she tries to sleep all the time to escape from this reality." But there is no escape. Nisreen's mother is in Tunisia getting cancer treatment. Nisreen says they spoke on the phone and she told her everthing. "My mother was very upset," she says. Her father doesn't know. The family fears he is too ill to bear the news. Her eyes well with tears. "All I want is to go home," she says. "I want my mother."

19-year-old says she was told to kill rebels or be killed by Gadhafi's men . She says she was taken from home and forced to join an all-female brigade . She and other women in the brigade were raped repeatedly, she says . She says she killed 11 rebels before jumping out a window to escape .

(CNN) -- The United States denounced the early morning twin bombings at an Egyptian security forces building that killed 16 people and wounded more than 100 in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura. In its statement on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department expressed hopes for a quick recovery for those injured in the two blasts, which occurred in quick succession about 1 a.m. local time Tuesday. State news agency MENA confirmed the casualty toll. "The United States stands firmly with the Egyptian people as they work to put their country on the path towards democracy, stability, and economic prosperity, in an atmosphere free from violence," the State Department message said. Interim Prime Minister Hazem al Beblawi called the attack a terrorist incident and said the perpetrators will not go unpunished. Ansar Jerusalem, a jihadist group responsible for attacks in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, claimed responsibility for the act. But al Beblawi singled out the Muslim Brotherhood, without directly blaming the organization for the attack, and called it a terrorist group in a statement to the nation, the state news agency MENA reported. Among the people injured is the head of the security directorate of Dakahlia governorate, MENA said, citing Health Ministry officials. Part of the building collapsed after the explosion, the news agency said. One blast occurred on one of the top floors of the building and was quickly followed by a car bomb, MENA reported. Brotherhood labeled a terror group . Egypt's Cabinet declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group and a terrorist organization, Hossam Issa, deputy prime minister and minister of higher education, announced in a statement on Egypt's state TV on Wednesday. Issa blamed the Brotherhood for the bombing, saying that "all of Egypt was horrified by the ugly crime." Egypt's Cabinet also decided to place penalties on those who joined the group or remained a member. A 'strong' condemnation from Brotherhood . The Muslim Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party "strongly condemned" the bombing, the group said on its website. It expressed surprise at al Beblawi's contentions. "Coup authorities realized that fraud will not work (in the coming referendum on a new constitution). So, they resorted to this heinous bombing," Hamza Zawbaa, FJP media spokesman, said. "All violence is reprehensible. God, as well as the whole world, bear witness that the Brotherhood is innocent of all that." Witness: Heavy damage at the site . Ahmed El Shabrawy was at his home when he heard a loud blast. He told CNN it took him five minutes to run to the building, where he saw a man pulled from the rubble by bystanders. He estimated that dozens of cars were damaged, and there was a large area around one of the blast sites where there was "heavy material damage." At least 10 ambulances had responded to the scene, he said. So many people rushed to a blood donation center that workers had to turn people away, he added. CNN first learned of the blasts from Twitter. Upcoming vote on proposed constitution . The blasts come in the lead-up to Egypt's referendum on a new constitution, which will be held January 14-15. The draft constitution would ban religious parties and put more power in the hands of the military. A military coup in July unseated President Mohamed Morsy, who was democratically elected. Since then there have been almost daily protests, some of which have ended in violence and other bombings, such as one on December 12 when 20 police recruits were injured in a car bomb attack. On Sunday, Ansar Jerusalem issued an online statement calling on army and police members to quit. "With your staying in these institutions from evening to morning, you are incurring the anger of Allah," the statement said. Morsy, an Islamist leader, has endured a series of legal troubles. He and 132 others will face trial for escaping from prison in 2011, state media reported Saturday. Morsy will be tried along with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Palestinian Hamas, the al Ahram state newspaper reported. He is also charged with raiding other prisons, and killing soldiers and officers in Rafah, it said. He has been in custody since his ouster. CNN's Saad Abedine contributed to this report.

Cabinet declares Muslim Brotherhood a terror group . Jihadist group issues claim of responsibility for bombings . Blasts come as nation prepares for a referendum on a new constitution . U.S. says it stands by Egypt as it works its way toward stability .

(CNN) -- One of the most infamous defendants in U.S. trials of recent years took two big steps Friday toward clearing her name, and she vowed to "keep fighting." Florida's 5th District Court of Appeal threw out two of Casey Anthony's four convictions of lying to authorities as they investigated the disappearance of Anthony's 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. The appeals judges agreed with Anthony's argument that the multiple convictions amounted to double jeopardy. But the judges upheld the other two convictions. In an internationally publicized and emotionally charged case, Anthony was tried in 2011 and acquitted of murder charges in the death of Caylee. The child was last seen June 16, 2008, but was not reported missing until July 15, 2008, when Casey Anthony's mother tracked her daughter down and demanded answers regarding Caylee's whereabouts. Investigators searched for the child for five months, eventually finding Caylee's skeletal remains in woods less than a mile from her grandparents' Orlando home. While she was acquitted in the death of her young daughter, Anthony was convicted of the four counts of lying to authorities. Those charges arose from statements Anthony made on July 16, 2008, to Orange County Detective Yuri Melich, who was investigating the disappearance of Caylee. According to Friday's court filing, the appeals judges rejected Anthony's claim that statements she made before being read her Miranda rights should not have been allowed in the trial. And they rejected her argument that the state statute she was convicted of violating is unconstitutionally vague. Anthony's lawyer, Cheney Mason, said when he called his client to share the ruling that two of the four convictions had been overturned, she said, "We keep fighting." Anthony could appeal the remaining two convictions to the Florida Supreme Court next. Read how Anthony's prosecutor has no regrets . When questioned early in the investigation, Casey Anthony admitted to police that she hadn't seen Caylee for more than 30 days, and on July 16, 2008, she was arrested on suspicion of child neglect, filing false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. At that time, she made the statements to Melich, which led to her convictions. After nearly three years of legal maneuvers, Anthony's capital murder trial began on May 24, 2011. Prosecutors alleged that she killed Caylee by using chloroform and covering her nose and mouth with duct tape, and that she put her body in the trunk of her car before dumping it in the woods. Defense attorney Jose Baez argued that Caylee drowned in the Anthony family pool on June 16, 2008, and that Casey Anthony and her father, George, covered up the death. Watch: A year after trial, where's Anthony? On July 5, 2011, a jury found Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child, while convicting her on the four "false information" counts. Anthony was sentenced to four years in jail, to be served consecutively. But with her time in jail as she awaited trial counting against the jail terms, she was released 10 days after her sentencing, on July 17. Even though she exited shortly after midnight, about 1,000 people jeered her as police guards and Baez escorted her to a waiting SUV and drove away quickly. Anthony still faces a defamation lawsuit from Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, of nearby Kissimmee, Florida. During Anthony's disputed July 16, 2008, statements to Melich, she said the last time she had seen her daughter was when she dropped Caylee off at Gonzalez's apartment. Gonzalez filed suit in September 2008, claiming that Anthony ruined her reputation. Last April, a judge ruled that the suit needed to go to trial by jury and denied Gonzalez's request for a summary judgment. In Session correspondent Jean Casarez reported for this story, and Mark Morgenstein wrote it in Atlanta.

An appeals court invalidates two of Casey Anthony's convictions, upholds two others . She was convicted of four counts of lying to authorities during an investigation . The investigation was into the disappearance of Anthony's 2-year-old daughter, Caylee . Anthony's attorney said his client wants to "keep fighting" after hearing about ruling .

(CNN) -- Everyone was blogging about Tuesday's inauguration -- even the people who were putting it on. President Obama, pictured, giving his inaugural speech. Fittingly for an election campaign that was won partly by galvanizing millions of young people to get out and vote via the Internet, Obama's inauguration ushered in a new digital age for the U.S. presidency. As the clock struck 12.01 in Washington Obama's administration took control of the White House Web site, with the simple words "Change has come to America." The first blog post by director of new media for the White House, Macon Phillips, said: "Millions of Americans have powered President Obama's journey to the White House, many taking advantage of the Internet to play a role in shaping our country's future." It was an unprecedented move in the history of presidential inaugurations and it reflected the mood of the blogosphere, which came alive with comments as excitable bloggers mulled on topics ranging from what Michelle Obama would wear to their thoughts on Obama's speech. Watch President Obama's full speech » . The New Yorker's George Packer wrote in his blog that "President Obama uttered no words today that will be quoted in a hundred years." "He delivered something better than rhetorical excitement -- he spoke the truth, which makes its own history and carries its own poetry," Packer added. But it was not just traditional bloggers who were giving their two cents worth. Social network sites were also buzzing with the excitement of the occasion. CNN.com provided a live video streaming platform for Facebook users to interact with the inauguration ceremony by updating their status as they watched proceedings. Online viewers could choose between their friends or "everyone watching," seeing live thoughts such as "I've actually got shivers!" to "Barack H.? What a copout!" Many were captivated by Aretha Franklin's eye-catching hat, with comments ranging from: "Now that's a hat," to "Aretha is wearing the hell outtta that hat." There was also no escaping the ubiquitous "Tweeple" (Twitter people) posting 'tweets' on everything from their opinion of the inaugural speech to their celebrity spots. One 'tweeter' even blogged about using the VIP toilets at the inauguration site in Washington, saying: "Just used the VIP porta potty. Contrary to what they might tell you, fancy people's **** does indeed stink." More than 40,000 photos of the events on Capitol Hill tagged with the word "inauguration" were also posted to the photo-sharing site, Flickr. No aspect of the inauguration was left undissected, but Pastor Rick Warren's invocation prayer proved a hot topic amongst bloggers, who by turns criticized him for being too inclusive and not inclusive enough. Warren attracted some criticism for using words from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy texts as well as including the name of Jesus -- in several languages including Hebrew. However Dan Gilgoff, the "God & Country" blogger for U.S. News & World Report, acknowledged the difficult position Warren faced when he wrote: . "For me, the two most salient features of the Rev. Rick Warren's inauguration invocation were its emphasis on the values of unity and mutual respect, which seemed partly a reaction to the controversy his selection as invocation speaker sparked, and its bold invocation of Jesus in the form of the Lord's Prayer. "For some, those two themes would seem incongruous. It was trademark Warren, who -- like Barack Obama -- has been accused of trying to be all things to all people." For some, it was about looking ahead to how long the adulation for President Obama would last. Conservative blogger Dr. Melissa Clouthier, who was liveblogging the inauguration, debated that the "Obasm" would last 4 years. "His voters voted for him not for his ideas," she wrote. "He didn't really articulate specific plans. He just gave vague promises. Voters were so enamored with the idea of him and he'll be around for four years, so the love will continue. "The Press and the voters, too, imbued Obama with so much wonderfulness that to turn on him is to turn on their own perfect judgment. Since the vote was essentially narcissistic and people don't hate themselves, Obama will be loved for a good long time." It remains to be seen whether her prediction will come true.

Inauguration set blogosphere alive with comments . From Facebook to Twitter, everyone wanted to have their say online . Obama's speech, Michelle's outfit and Rick Warren's prayer proved popular themes .

New York (CNN) -- Can liberals ever be happy? I keep asking myself this question as I hear an increasing number complaining about President Obama. There seems to be a Greek chorus of liberal whining: "I'm disappointed by him." "I expected more." "I thought he would be different." Earlier this week, singer Jackson Browne, a vocal 2008 Obama supporter, lamented that President Obama is "...just as beholden to the people who put him in office as any of the Republicans would be." Matt Damon, who had very publicly supported Obama in 2008, has now very publicly attacked President Obama. Damon even went so far as to heap praise on former President Bush, saying: "I would kiss George W. Bush on the mouth" in appreciation for his work fighting AIDS in Africa. Although Damon did note his kiss of Bush would be limited to: "Three seconds, no tongue." Others turning on Obama include John Cusack, comedian/actor Jon Lovitz, and even the distinguished professor Cornel West, who called Obama: "A black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats." A new Gallup Poll released this week found that President Obama's support among liberals was at its lowest point in seven months, although it's still a solid majority of 70%. What's clear is that the liberals speaking out don't want a president, they want a king. Albeit a liberal king -- but still a king, who would be unrestrained by Congress as well as the checks and balances enshrined in our Constitution. These disenchanted liberals apparently wanted Obama -- upon taking office -- to have instantly transformed every campaign promise into law by the simple wave of a pen. Or maybe they would have preferred Obama to have walked out onto a White House balcony where, in a scene reminiscent of the musical "Evita," he would be greeted by adoring throngs waiting below, and on the spot, declare that all his ideas were now the law of the land. But here's the problem. Barack Obama is not a king, he's the president of the United States. For those who may have forgotten the "Schoolhouse Rock" cartoon of "How a bill becomes a law," Congress needs to first pass the bill before it has any chance of becoming a law. Our Founding Fathers set up a governmental structure that requires the president to engage in give and take with the legislative branch. Of course, if the Founding Fathers could see the current state of our dysfunctional Congress, they may have instead chosen a dictatorship. But they didn't, instead drafting a system to guard us against tyranny. Consequently, President Obama is required to navigate through myriad vested interests that exercise influence on the 535 members of Congress. Keep in mind most of Congress was in office before President Obama was elected and most will be there when he leaves. Powerful members of Congress are like summer camp counselors and Obama is like the camper. He will only be there a relatively short amount of time, but they will remain to run the camp. And they know it. Thus, as opposed to a king, a president has to engage in activity that some on the left view as a dirty word. That wicked word is: compromise. In fairness, there are many on the far right who also disdain compromise. Who can forget tea party darling Herman Cain's statement: "...people are sick and tired of this word in Washington: compromise. This is why nothing ever gets done." (This is amazing logic, because you would normally think it was the lack of compromise that prevents things from getting done in Washington.) To me, the liberals who are so very disappointed with President Obama either had unrealistic expectations for him, viewing him as a messianic figure who would magically solve all of our nation's woes, or simply refuse to grasp the reality of our American political system. In either case, the answer is: The problem is not Obama, it's you. Being president requires some degree of compromise due to the very nature of our government. That is the way it has been for more than 200 years. While President Obama may be far from perfect -- and, I, too, have been disappointed with some of his decisions -- I certainly prefer him to a king. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah.

Dean Obeidallah: A growing number of prominent liberals criticize President Obama . Jackson Browne, Matt Damon, John Cusack are among the critics . Obeidallah says they gloss over the fact that Obama needs Congress to get things done . He says critics seem to want a president with dictatorial power to impose his will .

(CNN) -- Lately it's hard to tell the difference between a presidential debate and "The Jerry Springer Show." Yeah, I know. Some of you have been saying this for months. But my comment isn't a criticism of the candidates, but the live audience. I was hoping this audience "whoop" factor would go away over the long debate season, but it has only grown worse. Are they serving alcohol at the debates? It seems like it. In last night's Republican presidential debate, held in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in South Carolina, the chaotic audience once again played an awkward role in the questions and answers. Why does this matter? On these presidential debates, the vocal live audiences have shown themselves to be more disruptive than productive. And I've seen debate judges (people who should know better) in intercollegiate tournaments have their decisions influenced by a noisy audience — even judges trained to be impartial and objective. In this case, the judges are you, the audience. I know everyone believes they can't be swayed like this, but it still happens (even to me, which is one of the reasons I watch the presidential debates alone. I don't want anyone influencing my analysis). There is even a name for it in the literature. Emotional contagion. And it was apparent Monday night -- fanboys (and fangirls) who were every bit as rabid as a football crowd. The only people missing were face-paint girl and shirtless guy. (Of course, it's hard to tell on television how much of the crowd participated in the cheering and booing.) It was especially annoying because the live audience was booing their disapproval at inappropriate times. Two examples. Juan Williams, one of the moderators, was asking Mitt Romney about his immigration policies when he was interrupted in mid-question. Williams had begun the question by stating that Mitt Romney's father was born in Mexico. "Boo!" came the shouts from the audience. What? What in the world were they booing? I still have no idea. It could have been Juan Williams, the question, Romney's father, or Romney's position on immigration. It made no sense. Then the live audience ganged up on Ron Paul. Remember, Paul has some of the more unconventional foreign policy positions for a conservative Republican audience. And Paul was not at his best last night (I've heard him defend his argument much more effectively) when explaining his position on the military operation that killed Osama bin Laden. But the audience mistimed its reaction and used most of its vitriol immediately after Paul said the American people wouldn't like it if the United States were treated the same way it treated other countries. Paul reiterated his stance that we should use the golden rule -- do unto others as you would have them do unto you -- when the boos rang out. I couldn't believe it. I was indeed hearing this correctly. The crazed audience at the presidential debate actually booed the golden-freaking-rule. What's next? Helping old women cross the street? "Boo! ... Villain!" Puppies? "Hiss ... Shame!" And the audience was equally annoying when applauding. Remember: Cheering should prove nothing to you in a debate except that some candidates are better than others at stacking the live audience with supporters. I'm also beginning to wonder if there is an "applause" sign that lights up so some of the slower audience operatives will remember when to react. For their part, the candidates handled the live audience pretty well. After all, politicians are used to verbal feedback in public speeches and town hall meetings. My advice today is for the general viewing public at home. Simply keep in mind that the opinions of the live audience are not necessarily reflective of anything, including logic. And try to resist being influenced by overzealous fools watching the debate from the cheap seats. If this continues, we're in danger of letting the loud few influence the silent many watching at home. I certainly hope we can reverse this trend. Because I'd hate to see the next step: Measuring presidential debates by audience noise-meters with a needle that moves up and down. After all, higher decibel levels must indicate better policies. Join CNN Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on Twitter . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Todd Graham.

Todd Graham: GOP presidential debate audiences have gotten more and more raucous . He says this matters because the boos and cheers can sway viewers' opinions . Boos came for Mitt Romney's father being born in Mexico and for the golden rule . Graham: If this keeps up we risk letting the loud few influence the silent many watching at home .

Montgomery, Alabama (CNN) -- Alabama's attorney general questioned Wednesday whether the federal government has the legal right to ask for data from school districts in the state, which has recently passed controversial legislation intended to reduce illegal immigration. In a letter sent Wednesday, Attorney General Luther Strange said he was "perplexed and troubled" about a request from the Justice Department for information about Alabama's schools. The Justice Department issued the letter Tuesday to Alabama school districts to ensure they are complying with federal law, which declares that a child may not be denied equal access to schools based on his or her immigration status. Strange's letter noted that the law was still being litigated. Strange set a Friday noon deadline for Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for DOJ's civil rights division, to provide the legal authority for his request. Last spring, the Alabama legislature passed the law known as HB 56 relating to illegal immigration and a federal judge allowed most of its provisions to go into effect, including a mandate for public schools to ask about the immigration status of students enrolling in the system. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit granted the Justice Department's request for an emergency injunction for that section of the law but allowed other controversial parts to continue being enforced. Justice urges Alabama schools' compliance on immigrant laws . The Alabama Department of Education sent a memorandum to school districts recommending they wait for resolution of the issue between the state attorney and Justice Department before responding to the DOJ request. In the days following the implementation of HB 56, the number of Latino students skipping class spiked. Malissa Valdes, communication manager for the Alabama Department of Education, said the number of Latino absentees has since leveled off but remains several hundred higher than normal. The Department of Education also released enrollment numbers for the current school year showing an overall decrease in the student population but a 2.8 percent increase in Latino students, who represent some 35,000 of the state's 740,000 students. Valdes said the state tried to inform the districts of possible changes related to HB 56 while stressing that no student should be denied enrollment regardless of legal status. "If everyone sticks exactly to what the law asks from them and they don't go beyond, then there should not be any danger to the education of all students that are welcomed, no matter what," Valdes said. Allison Neal, the American Civil Liberties Union's legal director in Alabama, said she is happy the Justice Department is asking state educators to do what they can to prevent Latino students from becoming discouraged about attending school. "We want to make sure students have the right to their education," Neal said. Valdes said the state sent letters to the schools and to students' parents before and after the law was enacted to prevent confusion. The ACLU declined to comment on Strange's response to the DOJ request. Officials at Birmingham City Schools have tried to encourage parents to keep their children in our schools and have told them their children would not be affected by the immigration law, said Michaelle Chapman, the schools' director of communications, in a statement. "On the heels of the court decision allowing the law to go into effect, we sent an automated call to all parents explaining that no information would be collected regarding children who already were enrolled. The call went out in Spanish to our Latino families." The Montgomery School District sent Spanish-speaking teachers to areas with large numbers of Latinos to encourage the families to continue to send their kids to school. At Evergreen Estates, a mobile home park on the outskirts of Montgomery, parents awaiting the return of their kids from school said they were not aware that some parents were keeping their children home out of fear of the law. A Guatemalan woman in the United States without legal papers said she had left from Georgia with her eighth-grade son when the state started talking about a similar law and was considering leaving Alabama, too. "I hear they are looking for farm workers in Florida," she said. But, she added, she had never considered taking her child out of school. Valdes said the number of students withdrawn from state schools will not be known for months because the schools have not received official notification from the families about permanently removing their kids. She said the department will continue to work to ensure all children in Alabama continue to be educated. "We are here to educate the children but have to follow every law that is passed and active," Valdes said. CNN's Terry Frieden and Joe Sutton contributed to this story .

Attorney General Luther Strange says he is "perplexed and troubled" over DOJ request . Feds want to make sure that Alabama schools are not denying children equal access to schools . Move comes after Alabama passes a controversial immigration law .

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama said "a very affectionate thanks" to the people of Illinois in a letter published Sunday in the Chicago Sun-Times and other newspapers across his home state. Obama announced on Thursday that his resignation from the U.S. Senate is official as of Sunday. "Today, I am ending one journey to begin another," Obama's letter said. "After serving the people of Illinois in the United States Senate -- one of the highest honors and privileges of my life -- I am stepping down as senator to prepare for the responsibilities I will assume as our nation's next president." Obama wrote about moving to Illinois two decades ago "as a young man eager to do my part in building a better America." "On the South Side of Chicago, I worked with families who had lost jobs and lost hope when the local steel plant closed. It wasn't easy, but we slowly rebuilt those neighborhoods one block at a time, and in the process I received the best education I ever had," he wrote. Obama followed his years as a community organizer and lawyer with a successful bid for the Illinois state Senate. "It was in Springfield, in the heartland of America, where I saw all that is America converge -- farmers and teachers, businessmen and laborers, all of them with a story to tell, all of them seeking a seat at the table, all of them clamoring to be heard. It was there that I learned to disagree without being disagreeable; to seek compromise while holding fast to those principles that can never be compromised, and to always assume the best in people instead of the worst," his letter said. His letter recalled people he met in his travels around the state during his run for the U.S. Senate four years ago. "I still remember the young woman in East St. Louis who had the grades, the drive and the will but not the money to go to college. I remember the young men and women I met at VFW halls across the state who serve our nation bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I will never forget the workers in Galesburg who faced the closing of a plant they had given their lives to, who wondered how they would provide health care to their sick children with no job and little savings," he wrote. Obama said his memories of the people of Illinois "will stay with me when I go to the White House in January." "The challenges we face as a nation are now more numerous and difficult than when I first arrived in Chicago, but I have no doubt that we can meet them. For throughout my years in Illinois, I have heard hope as often as I have heard heartache. Where I have seen struggle, I have seen great strength. And in a state as broad and diverse in background and belief as any in our nation, I have found a spirit of unity and purpose that can steer us through the most troubled waters," he wrote. Obama then quoted Abraham Lincoln -- "another son of Illinois" who left for Washington. "To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything," he quoted Lincoln as writing about Illinois. "Today, I feel the same, and like Lincoln, I ask for your support, your prayers, and for us to 'confidently hope that all will yet be well,'" Obama wrote. His letter concluded: . "With your help, along with the service and sacrifice of Americans across the nation who are hungry for change and ready to bring it about, I have faith that all will in fact be well. And it is with that faith, and the high hopes I have for the enduring power of the American idea, that I offer the people of my beloved home a very affectionate thanks." Obama's Senate office will close sometime within two months. His Senate staff will spend that time coordinating with his replacement, advising constituents with open requests, and archiving documents for Obama's presidential library. Several Illinois Democrats, including Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, a former congressional candidate who now serves in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration, have been mentioned as possible Senate replacements for Obama. Blagojevich, a Democrat who will appoint Obama's successor, announced last week that he was assembling a panel to look over likely candidates. Obama's replacement would be up for re-election in 2010. Vice president-elect Joe Biden, who was also re-elected in Delaware to his Senate seat on November 4, told an interviewer several weeks ago that he would resign when he's sworn in as vice president in January.

President-elect Barack Obama thanks Illinois residents as he resigns from Senate . In letter, Obama recalled moving to Illinois, people he met during his U.S. Senate run . Jesse Jackson Jr., Tammy Duckworth among names mentioned to fill vacant seat .

(CNN) -- On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit killed a regulation that is key to making Obamacare work. Its decision in Halbig v. Burwell, if it were the last word on the matter, would have significant -- and damaging -- consequences for millions of Americans who purchase health insurance on exchanges established and run by the federal government. Fortunately, it won't be the last word on the matter. And the decision issued later Tuesday by another federal appellate court -- the 4th Circuit -- in King v. Burwell makes clear why: The D.C. Circuit's decision got basically everything wrong. It misunderstood the text, structure and purpose of the Affordable Care Act. The Justice Department has already indicated that it will ask the entire D.C. Circuit to review the Halbig v. Burwell decision, and when it does, it will no doubt reverse it. These two cases are both part of what Judge Harry Edwards, the dissenting judge in Halbig, termed a "not-so-veiled attempt to gut" the Affordable Care Act. As the members of Congress who led the enactment of the law made clear in a "friend of the court" brief they submitted to both courts this year, the fundamental purpose of the statute was to achieve universal health care coverage, and the Internal Revenue Service providing tax credits that act as subsidies so low- and middle-income Americans can pay for health care is central to doing so. The plaintiffs in these challenges argue that these tax credits should not be available to people who buy insurance in the 36 states with exchanges operated by the federal government -- that is, who got their subsidized health coverage through HealthCare.gov, not a state-run exchange. It's a position that's not only completely without legal merit -- "tortured" and "nonsensical," according to one of the 4th Circuit judges -- it's also one that would critically undermine how Obamacare works. What the Obamacare court decisions mean for you . But rather than looking at the law as a whole and considering what it was attempting to accomplish, the D.C. Circuit judges focused on one small provision of what is a long and complicated statute. Edwards called the plaintiffs' argument "illogical when cast in the context of the statute as a whole." Indeed, the plaintiffs themselves appeared to recognize how flawed their argument, based on the statute's language, was and thus manufactured an explanation for why Congress would have written the statute to eliminate the tax credits on federally facilitated exchanges. According to the plaintiffs, Congress wanted to encourage the states to set up their own exchanges. The only problem, as Edwards noted, is that the "claim is nonsense, made up out of whole cloth." The legal reasoning in the majority's opinion is so weak it is difficult to understand it as anything but a political decision. And that is what makes particularly galling the judges' professed "reluctance" to reach their conclusion. These judges assert that their hands were tied by the "limited" role of judges in our democratic system. In other words, they imply, their decision -- which could have massive consequences for millions of Americans -- was actually an exercise of judicial restraint. Appeals courts differ on Obamacare . There's nothing restrained about misreading a law's text, disregarding its structure and ignoring its purpose. In fact, it was the 4th Circuit judges who exercised true judicial restraint. Two of those judges concluded that the statute was unclear and that they should therefore defer to the agencies charged with implementing the law -- in this case, the IRS, which would provide the tax credit subsidies. (The other judge concluded that the statute is unambiguous, but in the other direction, and requires that tax credits be available on federally facilitated exchanges.) As those judges recognized, where a law is unclear, the proper role of a judge is generally to defer to a reasonable construction offered by the executive branch agencies charged with implementing the statute. The judges in Halbig seemed so determined to undermine the Affordable Care Act that they ignored this bedrock legal principle. Fortunately, they won't have the last word on the subject.

Brianne Gorod: D.C. Circuit panel got it wrong by dealing blow to how Obamacare works . She says 4th Circuit ruling was right and that both challenges part of right's attempt to gut law . D.C. Circuit ruled against federal subsidies for millions signed up, ignoring law's intent, she says . Gorod: Review of decision by entire D.C. Circuit Court will likely reverse flawed decision .

(CNN) -- It's taken less than a year for Jose Mourinho to go from being the "Happy One" to the "Unhappy One" --- and the Chelsea manager has pinned the blame squarely on the shoulders of the media for his mood swing. A favorite with British journalists due to his pithy comments, Mourinho is less pleased with Canal Football Club after the French football show broadcast an interview in which he appeared to criticize his club's strikers. Former Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o, $80 million signing Fernando Torres and Senegal international Demba Ba have struggled for goals in the English Premier League this season, netting just 11 times between them. Mourinho is unhappy because he didn't know he was being filmed at the time he made the comments. "I really think it was a disgrace that somebody is recording a private conversation when obviously we don't know," a scowling Mourinho said ahead of Wednesday's Champions League tie against Galatasaray. However Canal Football Club's chief editor and anchor Herve Mathoux was unrepentant. "We are fully comfortable with this interview," Mathoux told CNN. "We are very surprised by Jose Mourinho's comments, claiming it was off the record. The camera was located 50 centimeters, maybe one meter away from him. It was a tight close up. "The discussion was informal, but it was held in the middle of a large group of people, including our cameraman. So there is no way Mourinho could ignore he was filmed." On Monday, Canal Plus published a video on its website, in which Mourinho commented: "The problem with Chelsea is we lack a scorer. I have one (Eto'o) but he's 32. Maybe 35, who knows?" The video has since reportedly been deleted by the French television channel, though Mathoux told CNN he wasn't aware of its removal. "These videos come and go all the time. By definition they have quite a short lifespan," he said. However, British media analyst, journalist and broadcaster Steve Hewlett said he had sympathy for the Portuguese coach over the way he had been treated. "Generally speaking you shouldn't record a private conversation unless there is a significant public interest anyway," Hewlett told CNN. "In this case it's hard to see any public interest at all. "A few comments he makes about a particular player wouldn't seem to me to pass any public interest test. I'm not saying it's not interesting, especially to a Chelsea fan. "He's not what you'd call a media ingénue. He knows what he's doing. I'm sure he'll play this for all it's worth but on the face of it he would appear to have a case." Mourinho spoke on Tuesday to both defend Eto'o and attack the media, with whom he has had a love-hate relationship throughout his career. "I think you should be a bit embarrassed as it is against the ethics that you have in your work," said Mourinho, who returned as Chelsea manager last June after spells with Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Mourinho signed Eto'o at Inter and brought the four-time African player of the year to London from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala on a one-year deal to bolster Chelsea's strike force this season. While Eto'o may no longer be the potent poacher he was for Barcelona in front of goal, Mourinho underlined his respect for the Cameroon international, who has scored eight goals this season for the English Premier League leaders. "From my perspective the comment is not a good one, it's not something I would do in an official interview," the 51-year-old said. "Firstly because I don't make fun and there are managers who really defend their players and I am obviously one of them. "Thirdly Samuel Eto'o is Samuel Eto'o. He's four times a Champions League winner. It was with him that I had the best ever season of my career. "There is no story, I repeat, it was a funny conversation between me and somebody that does not belong to the football world. "From my own point of view, is it an unhappy comment? Absolutely, but I think by the ethical point of view, it (the situation) is a real disgrace."

Jose Mourinho says the broadcast of a private conversation is "a disgrace" The Chelsea boss was discussing his strikers, including Samuel Eto'o . Mourinho said media should be "embarrassed" by its unethical behavior . French TV station Canal Plus "fully comfortable" about decision to publish interview .

(CNN) -- A death row prisoner in Georgia has not proven his innocence, a federal court ruled, according to papers released Tuesday. Troy Davis faces execution for the killing of a Savannah, Georgia, police officer in 1989. He has always said he did not kill Officer Mark MacPhail. The Supreme Court granted a stay of execution for him two hours before he was set to die in 2008, and another federal court later granted him another stay as he fought to overturn his conviction. The Supreme Court last year ordered a lower court to look at the evidence again. But the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia has now found Davis has not exonerated himself. "Mr. Davis vastly overstates the value of his evidence of innocence. ... Some of the evidence is not credible and would be disregarded by a reasonable juror. ... Other evidence that Mr. Davis brought forward is too general to provide anything more than smoke and mirrors," the court found. Davis can still appeal to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and if that fails, to the Supreme Court again. His sister, Martina Correia, said Tuesday afternoon she had not yet had a chance to discuss the decision with Davis, who is sitting on death row at Baldwin State Prison in Hardwick, Georgia. She spoke to him a couple of days ago, she said, but they did not discuss the impending decision. "Of course, we're very disappointed," she said. "Troy's innocent, so we're going to keep fighting. We're going to appeal this decision." She said she and the lawyers were still reading the court's decision, so she wasn't prepared to discuss the next step in her brother's defense strategy. Witnesses claimed Davis, then 19, and two others were harassing a homeless man in a Burger King restaurant parking lot when the off-duty officer arrived to help the man. Witnesses testified at trial that Davis then shot MacPhail twice and fled. But since his 1991 conviction, seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted their testimony. No physical evidence was presented linking Davis to the killing of the policeman. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens ordered a federal judge in August 2009 to "receive testimony and make findings of fact as to whether evidence that could not have been obtained at trial clearly establishes petitioner's innocence." Stevens, who has since retired, said the risk of putting a potentially innocent man to death "provides adequate justification" for another evidentiary hearing. Davis' case has had a dramatic series of ups and downs. He was granted a stay of execution by the Supreme Court two hours before he was to be put to death. A month later the justices reversed course and allowed the execution to proceed, but a federal appeals court then issued another stay. Davis filed an "original writ of habeas corpus," which allowed him to bypass lower federal courts and make his appeal directly to the high court. What's unusual about Davis' case is that such action is hardly ever successful. The Supreme Court often discourages claimants from maneuvering around the lower courts whose job it is to handle such appeals. In his dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia noted that the Supreme Court had not granted similar relief "in nearly 50 years." In June 2009, Davis supporters delivered petitions bearing about 60,000 signatures to Chatham County, Georgia, District Attorney Larry Chisolm, calling for a new trial. Chisolm is the county's first African-American district attorney. Davis is also African-American. The Georgia Pardons and Parole Board held closed-door hearings and reinterviewed the witnesses and Davis himself in 2008. The panel decided against clemency. Prominent figures ranging from the pope to the musical group Indigo Girls have asked Georgia to grant Davis a new trial. Amnesty International has also backed a new trial for Davis. Other supporters include celebrities Susan Sarandon and Harry Belafonte; world leaders such as former President Jimmy Carter and former Archbishop Desmond Tutu; and former and current U.S. lawmakers Bob Barr, Carol Moseley Braun and John Lewis. CNN's Bill Mears and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.

NEW: Troy Davis's sister says she is disappointed and will keep fighting . The evidence Davis presented is "not credible" or "smoke and mirrors," court finds . Davis faces execution for killing an off-duty police officer in 1989 but says he is innocent . He was convicted in 1991 but witnesses have since recanted their testimony .

(CNN) -- Tonight, as my husband stands in our bedroom, fingers whirling across his smartphone and eyes glued to its tiny screen, I have no idea "where" he is. Is he checking the score of his beloved home team, or dealing with a rant from an indefatigable boss overseas? Is he working or home-ing, or both? This melding of work and home, of course, is an old story. In 1999, I wrote an article about three generations of a Baltimore family and their work-life balance. Shattering my romantic views on what it was like to live a few easy steps from work -- literally over the store -- the family's elderly patriarch told me that his parents couldn't wait to move to the suburbs and put some distance between family and work. Their hardware business had shadowed their evenings and weekends, stealing peace. Decades later, the patriarch's restless, cell phone-toting, entrepreneurial son blamed the portability of work for his recent divorce. How smartphones make us superhuman . In the digital age, we blend home and work, not because we are tied to a store or farm or job, but because the fetters of time and space seem shattered. We can physically circuit the globe in hours, and our thoughts can move across the planet in seconds. Time seems putty in our hands. Our lives are increasingly shorn of context. My early days in the mobile revolution . Does it matter much whether it's night or day, spring or fall, home or the office? We are empowered, yet disturbed by this free-for-all. Two recent reports underscore the tensions within these shifts. While more companies are allowing employees to work when and where they want to, they increasingly are limiting people's ability to take a leave or work part-time, the Families and Work Institute found in its 2012 National Study of Employers. Flex-time is up, but career breaks have fallen steeply. More than half of executives get business information at all hours, according to a survey released earlier this year by Forbes Insights and an advertising firm. As many executives reported feeling enabled as irritated by an "@Work State of Mind." Nearly a third of those executives who feel "in control" of their always-on lives also describe themselves as resigned to the situation. Is overwork the trouble? Yes and no. In a blended world, work does tend to win out over other parts of life. Studies over the past decade show that people who work at home or outside the office tend to work longer hours, contrary to employers' initial fears. According to a recent survey, 54% of American smartphone owners check their phones in bed -- sometimes in the middle of the night. And at a Chicago marketers' networking luncheon where I recently spoke on a panel, a majority of the crowd of 150 reported, in a show of hands, that they sleep with a smartphone within reach. Even if work is our passion, as it is mine, we're pitching ourselves headlong and unthinkingly into a world without boundaries -- a world without rest. But overwork is perhaps the least of the challenges when we blend work and home. The blending itself changes how we work, as well as how long we work. In frantically integrating work and home, we stray perilously close to diluting both. This is a matter of attention, intention, and depth. In courting the always-on livelihood, we're turning our backs on rich moments of full focus and absorption, in favor of darting restlessly back and forth between two or more complex streams of life. The integrity of a moment is lost when we unthinkingly blend different parts of our life. I'm writing this on a Sunday. My teen is sleeping in and my husband is away. The silence of the morning provides a perfect context for writing. But when my groggy teen wakes up, I'll put aside my work, and we'll share toast and tea and a plan of the day. Because if I tried to skate through breakfast with one eye on my daughter and one eye on the clock or smartphone, a fleeting moment of togetherness would be diluted. The silken threads of mutual presence would be thinned to the point of fraying. As much as we try to believe otherwise, it matters where we are. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Maggie Jackson.

Maggie Jackson: We blend home and work because we all use smartphones . Jackson: We are empowered, yet disturbed by this free-for-all . She says that in a mobile world, work tends to win out over other parts of life . Jackson: As much as we try to believe otherwise, it matters what we do, where we are .

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- A retired Libyan general whose movement launched an assault on Islamist militias in Benghazi and demanded the suspension of parliament has called for a new council to take over the running of the country. Khalifa Haftar said Wednesday that the General National Congress, the interim parliament, had failed the people and that its mismanagement of the country had turned Libya into "a state sponsor of terror... and a hideout for terrorists." He made his call for a new, civilian council to take its place during a televised news conference in Benghazi. On Sunday, armed men claiming allegiance to Haftar's newly formed movement, known as the Libyan National Army, stormed parliament and announced they had suspended it. Haftar said Wednesday that since the parliament had refused to "fulfill the demands of the people," he was asking the Higher Judicial Council to appoint a civilian council to lead the country, in the interests of political stability and security. This council, he said, would have three main tasks: appointing a caretaker emergency government, overseeing the upcoming parliamentary elections and handing over power to the new parliament. The country's electoral commission announced that elections would be held next month, the state news agency LANA reported Tuesday, in what seemed to be a move to try to ease tensions that drove Libya to the brink in recent days. Haftar said his forces would secure the country during the transitional period and after that. The declared goal of the LNA is to eradicate Islamist militants from Libya, including Ansar al-Sharia -- the group blamed for the September 11, 2012 deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. Air force, navy chiefs back Haftar's movement . This week, Haftar's so-called "Operation Dignity," which he has described as an open-ended war on terrorism in Libya, seemed to gain more support from military units, officials and armed groups across the country. Haftar's men last week launched a land and air offensive against the Benghazi bases of Ansar al-Sharia and other Islamist groups with ties to the government in Tripoli. The resulting battle killed 75 people and wounded 141 more. The chiefs of staff of the Libyan Air Force and the navy have announced they are endorsing Operation Dignity. According to LANA, the headquarters of the chief of staff of the air force came under attack by unknown gunmen on Tuesday night, a short while after the announcement was made. There were no reported casualties in the attack, but damage was caused and offices looted and ransacked. On Wednesday morning, the navy chief survived an assassination attempt in Tripoli when a car with unknown assailants opened fire on his convoy. Gen. Hasan Abushnaq, his two guards and driver sustained minor injuries in the attack. Those who oppose Haftar, including the government and members of the General National Congress, have accused him of a "coup attempt." His call for a "civilian" council to run the country appeared to be a response to these accusations, made amid much speculation about his political ambitions. Asked whether his movement was receiving support from Arab Gulf states or any other country, Haftar said they were depending only on "God and the Libyan people." Some see Haftar's campaign as an opportunistic strategy capitalizing on Libyans' growing discontent with a weak central government and the deteriorating security situation in the country. Haftar was once a general in the Libyan army under dictator Moammar Gadhafi but had a falling out with him and emigrated to the United States, where he lived for almost 20 years. He returned in 2011 to participate in the revolution to overthrow Gadhafi. He has since criticized the government for not getting a grip on violence, particularly from Islamist groups. Reflecting the continuing state of lawlessness and chaos, explosions and gunfire echoed across the capital in the early hours of Wednesday. Eyewitnesses said a number of rockets hit areas in southern and eastern Tripoli. However, it was not clear who was involved in the attacks or whether there were casualties in what appeared to be inter-militia fighting, something not uncommon in the city.

Retired Libyan general calls for new, civilian council to replace interim parliament . Khalifa Haftar says interim parliament has turned Libya into "a state sponsor of terror" Libya's electoral commission said this week that elections would be held next month . The self-declared Libyan National Army is seeking to eradicate Islamist militias from Libya .

Washington (CNN) -- Maybe "The West Wing" had it right. A second batch of previously unreleased papers from the Clinton presidency made public Friday revealed a hard-boiled, politically cynical White House mindset similar to the fictional Josiah Bartlet administration of the popular TV show that ran from 1999-2006. Read, search the documents . Highlights from the Clinton memos . Every decision appears based at least in part on a political calculus, and some of the unvarnished back-and-forth shows the human side of the President and other officials that almost always remains well-hidden from public view. Legacy issues . Shortly after Clinton won reelection in 1996, White House aide Gene Sperling drafted a 14-page memo to begin identifying "legacy goals" for the President on major policy issues. For a policy to be considered, Sperling wrote, it must be "Important and Transforming ... Achievable ... Memorable and Identifiable." Among the legacy issues Sperling suggested were "Reforming education" and "restoring America's Fiscal Integrity." In a 1993 memo on a planned public hearing with then first lady Hillary Clinton to push her proposed health care reforms, aides Alexis Herman and Mike Lux wrote the event would protect the administration from accusations of being closed to outside opinion. "As we discussed, the primary goal for this two-day hearing would be to inoculate ourselves from charges that we are refusing to listen to all those groups out there that want input," said the memo by Herman and Lux. Another part sounded prescient about the continuing health care debate in America almost four years after Obamacare became law. "Some testifiers should be average people with horror stories, middle-class families worried about the future, and senior citizens," the aides wrote. "These average people should testify during those periods when we believe more people will be watching." Tough talk . Other documents include details and transcriptions of planning meetings for Clinton's 1999 State of the Union address that put the full personality and vocabulary of the 42nd President on display. "Can't say an ass-pocket full of money, can you?" Clinton asked when discussing how to describe the 1998 budget surplus in the upcoming speech, according to a memo by speechwriter Michael Waldman. His staff also could talk tough, as shown by memos responding to a draft text of Clinton's December 15, 1994, speech following disastrous mid-term elections for Democrats. In seeming unanimity, advisers called the draft too defensive, with one describing it as "mealy-mouthed." "The President shouldn't whine. He should lead," wrote Elaine Kamarck, while Todd Stern noted that "one of the President's problems right now is that too many people see him as lacking backbone, vacillating, being too eager to please and tell people what they want to hear." "I think he needs to sound strong and Presidential -- in touch certainly, with what happened on Nov. 8 but not weak," Stern wrote. The 55 documents totaling more than 4,000 pages released Friday by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library were the second batch of Clinton White House papers made public in recent weeks. Presidential records and the National Archives . The confidential memos, notes and other papers were part of files that had been requested for public release over the years under the Freedom of Information Act, but were withheld by the National Archives due to their sensitive nature. While the Presidential Records Act established public ownership of White House documents as far back as the Reagan administration, it specified that documents pertaining to federal appointments as well as confidential correspondence between the president and his advisers could be withheld from the public for 12 years after a president leaves office. Other documents that can be withheld include classified national security information, confidential business information and trade secrets, and unwarranted invasions of personal privacy. Those types of documents were not part of Friday's release. A Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign could cost $1.7 billion? RNC questions timing of Clinton document release . Earlier: Fighting the first health care war . CNN's Emily Rust, Erin McPike, Mark Preston, Dan Merica, Ashley Killough, Tim McCaughan, Robert Yoon, Steve Brusk and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.

Newly released papers reveal unvarnished view of the Clinton White House . Politics seemed to always play a role in decision-making . Don't whine, advisers said after disastrous 1994 mid-term election . One adviser urged more personal discipline from Clinton and his team .

(CNN) -- He played the ukelele, weighed in on the Obamacare debacle and even flashed his prehistoric flip cell phone. Suffice it to say, we got to see another side of Warren Buffett during an interview with Piers Morgan Tuesday night. Accompanied by his son and grandson, the billionaire investor gave his unique take on almost everything. And with that, he let Morgan and American take a quick peek in his wallet. Literally. Here are some of the highlights. On Obamacare and Kathleen Sebelius . Buffett has in the past supported President Barack Obama. And it seems that this support extends to embattled U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. Buffett says give Sebelius some time to fix the Obamacare mess she is overseeing. "I am a friend of Kathleen's. And I'm a friend of her when she's in trouble. I like Kathleen. I feel sorry for her in the position she's in. Obviously, it's a huge screw up but it will get worked out, " Warren Buffet told Piers Morgan. On technology . Can you tell a lot about the wealth of a man from his cell phone? Apparently not when it comes to the 83-year-old financial guru. "This is the one Alexander Graham Bell gave me," joked Buffett, as he revealed a Nokia flip phone, a relic compared to today's smartphones. "I don't throw anything away until I've had it 20 or 25 years." By the way, Buffett's son, Howard Graham Buffett, did not bring a phone to the interview. And grandson Howard Warren Buffett led the three generations when it came to technology. He had two Blackberries. Buffett's standoffish approach to technology extends to e-mail. "I sent one e-mail in my life," revealed Warren Buffett. "I sent it to Jeff Raikes at Microsoft and it ended up in court in Minneapolis, so I am one for one." On his biggest mistake . When you are one of the richest people in the world, it is hard to say you made many mistakes. Buffett listed one. "I bought a company in the mid-90s called Dexter Shoe and paid $400 million for it," Buffett said. "And it went to zero. And I gave about $400 million worth of Berkshire stock, which is probably now worth $400 billion. But I've made lots of dumb decisions. That's part of the game." On his wallet . Buffett says he has been carrying the same wallet for 20 years. And when Morgan asked Buffett to show America what is inside, he obliged. He whipped out the black wallet for a split second. If you blinked you missed it. The highlights: A family picture. A wad of hundreds. And an American Express card from 1964. "It goes with the cell phone," Buffett joked about the almost 50-year-old credit card. On the shutdown showdown . At least one part of the recent battle between Democrats and Republicans that caused a 16-day government shutdown should never happen again, Buffett says. The battle should not take place around whether to raise the debt ceiling limit, he said. It could be catastrophic to the economy. "I think that both parties should declare the debt limit as a political weapon of mass destruction which can't be used," he said. "I mean, it is silly to have a country that has 237 years building up its reputation and then have people threaten to tear it down because they're not getting some other matter." On investment . Who wouldn't ask the "Oracle of Omaha," who made his fortune investing, for a stock tip? Fans watching the interview needled Morgan via Twitter to ask the Nebraska billionaire how he would invest $1,000 right now. Buffett's answer: "Well you asked," he coyly told Morgan. "You've done your job." It seems investment advice doesn't come easy. "I can't even get an answer to that question," Howard Graham Buffett joked. Watch Piers Morgan Live weeknights 9 p.m. ET. For the latest from Piers Morgan click here.

Warren Buffett is one of the richest men in the world . During an interview he offered opinions on Obamacare and the government shutdown . He also gave a peek at what is in his wallet: a wad of $100 bills . No smartphone for Sage of Omaha; he uses an old flip cell phone .

(CNN) -- The Social Security Administration has just announced that beneficiaries will receive a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment in January. The average retired worker will see a $512 increase in annual benefits -- from $14,232 to $14,744 -- though a portion will be offset by higher Medicare premiums. Social Security recipients have had to wait two years for a cost-of-living adjustment, the first time this has happened since the COLA was introduced in 1975. This is because the COLA was relatively high in 2009 because of a temporary spike in energy prices the previous year, and this was followed by a period of low inflation as the economy languished. With a super committee focused on cutting $1.5 trillion from the federal budget, you may wonder whether we can afford a 3.6% COLA. Some say the increase is overly generous (more on this in a moment). To understand why this is not so, you need to understand how the COLA works. The Social Security COLA is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W. Oddly enough, the CPI-W measures changes in the cost of living for workers, excluding retirees and other Social Security recipients who aren't in the labor force. But this measure doesn't accurately reflect the cost of living for seniors. Seniors have experienced higher inflation because they spend a greater share of their incomes on out-of-pocket medical expenses, and health costs have risen faster than overall inflation in recent decades. An index that specifically tracks the cost of living of seniors has risen roughly 0.2 percentage points faster per year than the CPI-W. Though this may not sound like much, the difference would amount to roughly $1000 more in annual benefits after 20 years if the COLA was tied to the price index for the elderly, as proposed by Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida. But rather than increasing the Social Security COLA to keep up with escalating health costs, most inside-the-beltway discussions these days revolve around adopting a lower COLA as a way to help close Social Security's modest projected shortfall. The super committee may be considering such a move. This is a terrible idea for two reasons. First, Americans across the political spectrum prefer to restore balance through revenue increases rather than benefit cuts; and second, a COLA cut has the greatest impact on the oldest old, who also tend to be the poorest old. A recent survey commissioned by the Institute for Women's Policy Research and the Rockefeller Foundation found that 61% of women and 54% of men supported increasing Social Security benefits. This isn't surprising when you consider that benefits are modest and replace a shrinking share of preretirement earnings even without additional cuts. Nor is this an anomaly: Polls have consistently found that Americans oppose benefit cuts and are willing to pay higher taxes to strengthen the program. So what's the appeal of a flatter COLA for beltway budget cutters? It's a stealth benefit cut masquerading as a technical fix. The rationale is that the current price index overstates inflation because it doesn't fully account for the ability of consumers to change their buying habits in response to price changes. In other words, if the price of oranges goes up, people will buy more apples and fewer oranges, and this change isn't fully reflected in the CPI-W even though the consumption "basket" evolves over time to put more weight on apples and less on oranges. The problem with this argument is that it doesn't look at the growth in costs actual beneficiaries face over time. Not only are seniors harder hit by escalating medical costs than the working-age population, but since they have roughly half the household incomes, they spend a greater share on necessities like rent and utilities. It's quite possible that the CPI-W actually overstates the ability of beneficiaries to substitute apples for oranges, or IPods for orthopedic shoes. If so, then a 3.6% COLA is not enough, not too much. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Monique Morrissey.

Social Security recipients will get a 3.6% cost-of-living-adjustment in 2012 . Monique Morrissey says it's overdue; others say it's too generous during these hard times . She says COLA is based on inflation index for workers and doesn't show seniors' cost of living . Morrissey: Calls to reduce COLA bad idea; polls show Americans support increase, not decrease .

(CNN) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced the resignations Tuesday of three high-level government officials, most notably Communications and Transport Secretary Luis Tellez Kuenzler. The government of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, seen here in January, is facing elections in July. Abraham Gonzalez, a key official for the powerful ministry that oversees Mexico's government, also resigned. So did Sergio Vela Martinez, president of the National Council for Culture and the Arts. No official reasons were given for any of the resignations, which analysts said did not appear to be related. But at least two of the resignations did not come as a surprise. Tellez, who stepped down from a Cabinet-level post, had been involved for weeks in a controversy over taped comments revealed last month by CNN journalist Carmen Aristegui. In the taped conversation, Tellez said former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari had stolen government money. Salinas has not been formally accused of any crime. Tellez received an anonymous threat in late February from an apparent political enemy telling him to resign or more damaging audiotapes would be released to the media. He refused and turned the matter over to authorities. Ana Maria Salazar Slack, a political analyst who is host of a daily radio show in Mexico City, called it "an almost soap opera-ish scandal" that left Calderon little choice but to force Tellez to resign. "Although Calderon wanted to keep him in office, it made it very difficult to keep him there," she said. Calderon moved Tellez to a post as a presidential aide dealing with economic matters. Other observers also were not surprised by the move. "That was waiting to happen," said Andrew Selee, director of the Mexico Institute at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center. "But evidently the president values his counsel and has kept him in a high-profile position in the presidency from which he'll continue to have influence." Robert Pastor, the Latin America national security adviser for President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s, praised Tellez but said political considerations prevailed. "He's a very competent fellow," Pastor said. "One of the most competent people I've known in Mexico. But this tape in particular was very embarrassing." In a televised news conference after Calderon announced the changes, Tellez expressed his "gratitude for this opportunity that few Mexicans obtain." Replacing Tellez will be Juan Molinar Horcasitas, the head of the Mexican Institute for Social Security. Molinar belongs to the same party as Calderon, the National Action Party [PAN], while Tellez belongs to the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party [PRI]. That played a role, Slack said. "The president is sending a signal to his party that he's going to support people from his own party," Slack said. "Beyond the political scandals of the tapes, there's a decision for the president to appoint people very close to the party." Gonzalez's departure was not a surprise either, since he is running for a congressional seat in July and Mexican law requires him to resign. Analysts spoke highly of Gonzalez's replacement, Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez. He had been the top person in the foreign ministry for Latin and North America. "Gutierrez moving in is outstanding," the Mexico Institute's Selee said, calling him "one of the smartest people ... I've met" and "an impressive guy." Consuelo Saizar Guerrero takes over as head of the National Council for Culture and the Arts, replacing Vela, whose reasons for resigning were not disclosed. Saizar previously served as head of the Economic Culture Fund, the government's book-publishing enterprise. The arts and culture post will play a significant role in 2010, when Mexico celebrates 100 years of its social revolution and 200 years of its declaration of independence, radio analyst Slack said. As for the timing of resignations from three key posts, Slack linked it to Mexico's election calendar. "In order to understand these changes," she said, "you have to understand there are midterm elections in July. So if there are going to be any changes, they have to take place right now." Meanwhile, Peter Hakim, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue, said the changes do not portend a political shift. "This doesn't sound like any major direction in change for Calderon," Hakim said.

Analyst says timing of resignations linked to Mexican midterm elections in July . Communications and transport secretary resigns amid controversy over comments . Key official for ministry that oversees Mexico's government leaves .

(CNN) -- Time waits for no man nor the players of the ATP and WTA tours as tennis' top men and women cross the border from Canada and head to Cincinnati, Ohio to compete in their second Masters tournament in consecutive weeks. This year will see a new champion crowned in the men's tournament with Rafael Nadal forced to sit out the defense of his title after injuring his wrist at the end of last month. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will hope that he can succeed the Spaniard after finishing runner up four times at the Masters 1000 event in previous years. "I care about winning this title a lot," Djokovic said, the ATPTour website reported. "I lost four times in the finals. I haven't been really close in those finals either. I haven't been able to perform my best in this tournament when it was needed. "But I did have a lot of good matches in Cincinnati. Hopefully I can go one step further this time, but I haven't been playing as well as I wanted in Toronto," said Djokovic, who was beaten by France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round last week. "So these couple of days I've put a lot of hours in on the practice court to upgrade my game and get my level of performance where it needs to be in order to have a chance to go far in the tournament." The Serb -- the top seed -- will have a testing opener against the winner of the match between Bernard Tomic of Canada and France's Gilles Simon who play Monday. The top eight seeds all have a first-round bye as lower-ranked players all vie for a second round spot. Germany's Benjamin Becker was an early straight-sets winner over Ivo Karlovic from Croatia. The German's 7-6 (7/5) 6-4 win sets up a second-round match with Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka. Becker's compatriot, Philipp Kohlschreiber is also safely through to the second round after a three-set win (6-3 4-6 6-4) over France's Jeremy Chardy. The world No. 24 is rewarded with a second round tie against sixth seed David Ferrer from Spain. His compatriot, Tommy Robredo was also a winner on Monday, beating American Jack Sock 7-6 (7/5) 6-3 to book a meeting with another U.S. player, Sam Querrey. After defeating Roger Federer to win the second Masters title of his career last Sunday, Tsonga (seeded 12th) starts his campaign on Tuesday against Russia's Mikhail Youzhny. Azarenka defends 2013 crown . In the women's draw, Sam Stosur will face Serena Williams in the second round for the second week running if the Australian can overcome Varvara Lepchenko of the U.S. on Monday evening. Williams brushed Stosur aside last week in Montreal before suffering a surprise defeat to her sister Venus in the semis. Venus gets her Cincinnati campaign underway with a first round match against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic while her conqueror in Sunday's final, Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska has a bye and will play either Japan's Kurumi Nara or Swiss player Romina Oprandi. Reigning champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will face the Czech Republic's Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in her opening match on Tuesday. Maria Sharapova, winner at Cincinnati in 2011, will play Madison Keys in her opening match following the American's straight-set win (6-2 6-4) over France's Alize Cornet early on Monday. Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens was also a first-round winner, beating Slovenia's Polona Hercog 6-3 6-2 to set up a second-round match against French Open finalist Simona Halep of Romania. Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic will face Elina Svitolina in the second round after the Ukrainian's straight sets win over America's Lauren Davis.

Both ATP and WTA players back in action this week at Cincinnati Masters . Reigning men's champ Rafa Nadal not competing because of wrist injury . Novak Djokovic looking for first Cincinnati win after finishing runner up four times . Women's defending champion Victoria Azarenka starts title defense on Tuesday .

London (CNN) -- Peaches Geldof, the daughter of musician Bob Geldof and the late Paula Yates, died of a heroin overdose after relapsing into use of the illegal drug following attempts to give it up, an inquest heard Wednesday. The death of the 25-year-old TV host in April at her home in Wrotham, Kent, southeast of London, shocked the entertainment world. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fotheringham of Kent police told the inquest that Geldof had been addicted to heroin for a number of years but had ceased taking the drug more recently. Geldof, who had two children younger than 2, had been supported by drug treatment workers for 2½ years, being prescribed methadone, he said. She had said she wanted to come off methadone completely and was following a reduction plan. A drug test in November indicated that she was not taking any illegal drugs, he said. However, in February, witnesses reported suspicions that she had started using heroin again. High-grade heroin . Fotheringham's report to the inquest gave new details of Geldof's death. Police who searched the house where she died found a black cloth bag hidden in a cupboard above the door of a spare bedroom, he said. Inside was a bag containing what tests proved to be heroin as well as a bag of citric acid, used to make the heroin more soluble in water for injection, according to the report. The bag also held dozens of syringes, some sealed while others contained traces of a brown residue, alcohol wipes, cotton buds and cards advertising a needle exchange in central London. According to a police drug expert, PC Adrian Parsons, the heroin found was of "importation quality" -- that is, with a purity of 61%, compared with the average 26% purity found at street level. The 6.91 grams (about a quarter-ounce) recovered would have been worth £350 to £550 (about $600 to $940), Fotheringham said. Burnt spoon, knotted tights . Geldof was discovered sitting slumped on a bed in the spare bedroom by her husband, rock musician Tom Cohen, who went to their home after he became concerned when he couldn't contact her. The couple's younger son, Phaedra, was in the house at the time, having been dropped off by Cohen's father the previous afternoon. The musician had taken both children to spend the weekend at his parents' home. A pair of knotted black tights was found under her body, and a burnt spoon containing a small amount of a brown residue in the bowl was found under the bed, Fotheringham said. The tights could have been used as a tourniquet while she was injecting the drug. An autopsy also found evidence of recent puncture marks on the inside of both elbows and on her left hand. The inquest heard that tests by a forensic scientist suggested recent use of the drug, resulting in a "high" concentration of heroin in Geldof's body, which was "at the end of the range of values at which fatalities have occurred." She was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of her death, tests revealed. Nor had she taken a significant amount of any other substances in the hours leading up to her death. Reduced tolerance? The scientist's report notes that people using heroin regularly "develop a tolerance to the drug, and such individuals can use doses that would be toxic, or fatal, to people with no tolerance." But it adds that tolerance "appears to be lost fairly rapidly when users cease to use the drug, and deaths commonly occur in people who have previously been tolerant and have returned to using heroin." Fotheringham's report concluded, "There is no indication that any other third party was present or involved in her death and there is no indication that Peaches intended to take her own life or harm herself in any way as she was reported to be of happy disposition and planning for the future with friends and family." Geldof was 11 years old when her mother died of a drug overdose. Kent police continue to investigate who supplied the heroin to Geldof, but no arrests have been made. CNN's Carol Jordan contributed to this report.

NEW: Puncture marks found on Peaches Geldof's arms and one hand, an inquest hears . Geldof had been addicted to heroin for a number of years but tried to give it up . She had been on a methadone program, an inquest hears . Police found heroin in her home of a much greater purity than average found on the street .

(CNN) -- The 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations were announced Wednesday morning, and as one of the leading awards show salvos in what is expected to be a competitive season, what didn't get nominated was as notable as what did. Robert Redford was left out. So was anybody from "Inside Llewyn Davis." "Captain Phillips" missed out on a best ensemble nomination, and "The Wolf of Wall Street" came up completely empty. A number of films did get good news. Awards Season 2014 . "12 Years a Slave" was nominated for four awards -- best ensemble, best male actor (Chewitel Ejiofor), best supporting male actor (Michael Fassbender) and best supporting female actor (Lupita Nyong'o). Though "12 Years" has narrowly missed topping year-end best-of lists so far -- and has even been left out entirely on some -- it's been considered an Academy Award shoo-in since its release in October, and the SAGs do nothing to stall its momentum. On the other hand, "August: Osage County," the sprawling comedy-drama based on the Tracy Letts play, has been generally ignored on critics' best-of lists. ("Good but not great" is the consensus so far. ) But it also did well at the SAG nominations, earning three nods, for ensemble, lead female actor Meryl Streep and supporting female actor Julia Roberts. "Dallas Buyers Club" also did well, earning nominations for ensemble, lead actor Matthew McConaughey and supporting actor Jared Leto. "Lee Daniels' The Butler" and "American Hustle" complete the list of nominees for best ensemble, the SAG Awards' closest equivalent to best picture. "The Butler" also earned nods for stars Forest Whitaker (best actor) and Oprah Winfrey (female supporting actor). Jennifer Lawrence added to "Hustle's" haul with a female supporting actor nomination. And "Captain Phillips," though snubbed in the ensemble category, picked up nominations for star Tom Hanks and a surprise nod for supporting actor Barkhad Abdi. "Phillips" is the film debut for Abdi, a Somali immigrant who plays a ship hijacker. But there are a number of Oscar favorites that couldn't get into the ring. "Her," the Spike Jonze work about a man who develops a relationship with a computer operating system, was completely shut out. So was "The Wolf of Wall Street," the new Martin Scorsese film, despite excellent early buzz. Keep up to date on who has won what with our Awards tracker . Redford, whose one-man show in "All Is Lost" has made him a favorite for best actor, was left off SAG's list. So were Oscar Isaac (from the Coen brothers' latest, "Inside Llewyn Davis," which came up completely empty), Michael B. Jordan ("Fruitvale Station") and "American Hustle's" Amy Adams and Christian Bale. The most unlikely nominees were focused in the supporting actor category. Besides Abdi, Daniel Bruhl picked up a nomination for Ron Howard's mostly overlooked "Rush," and the late James Gandolfini was honored for his work in the comedy "Enough Said." Though the actors' wing represents the biggest bloc of Oscar voters, the SAG Awards aren't always a great bellwether of best picture success at the Academy Awards. Though "Argo," last year's best picture, also won the SAG Awards' ensemble honor, the 18th annual SAGs went with "The Help" over "The Artist" and the 16th annual awards tapped "Inglorious Basterds" over "The Hurt Locker." The picks for actor and actress, on the other hand, are much closer to the academy's selections. Last year's SAGs went to Daniel Day-Lewis and Lawrence; the year before honored Jean Dujardin (though Viola Davis lost the Oscar to Streep); and 2010 SAGs went to Colin Firth and Natalie Portman. Does it mean anything? Thursday may muddy the waters further, when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announces the Golden Globe nominations. TNT and TBS will air the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 18.

SAG Award nominations leave out Robert Redford for best actor . "12 Years a Slave" earns four nods; "August: Osage County" gets three . Actors are large bloc of Oscar voters so SAGs are examined for Academy Award forecasts .

(CNN)Dear Mother Nature, . I wanted to write you a quick note to say thank you. I was delighted to hear that you are not only sending a storm to the Northeast, but a "historic" storm with 58 million people in its path. Schools are closing, flights are canceled and a state of emergency has been declared. People are racing to the supermarkets as if a zombie apocalypse had arrived. Milk! Bread! Flashlights! Candles! Batteries! A blizzard is coming! Thank you, Mother Nature. We needed this. I grew up in Western Michigan, where there was nothing as good as a snow day. And we got a lot of them, thanks to the "lake effect" snow coming off Lake Michigan. It was a day to sleep in, relax in front of the fire, head outside to play in the snow, bake cookies, help with the shoveling and drink lots of hot chocolate. And boy, we could all use this. I'm sure you've noticed: Every year it seems that we are all working harder and our schedules are busier. Finding time to just relax with our families and do next to nothing is next to impossible. And for those of us with kids in school, even when we can take a personal day we usually use the time to get errands done and race the kids from one activity to another. "Quality time" becomes riding in the car together. And I know we just had the holidays, but these are not the same as a snow day, where you can't go anywhere, you can't do much of anything outside and you are usually stuck inside with your the immediate family. Here, suddenly, is your excuse to slow it down -- read a book, work on a DIY project, bake something complicated, play a board game or just feel bored. Snow days are for those simple pleasures you'd feel too guilty dedicating an hour to any other day. That's why I'm also begging you, Mother Nature, could you please knock out the power for several hours too? Make sure the lights are out long enough that the batteries die on the cellphones, iPads and laptops. Make it so neither kids nor parents can look at a screen, check in to work ... or even put in a full day telecommuting. This is hard to stop unless we are forced to. Studies suggest that the average working professional spends almost 30% of the day answering and processing emails. That's 82 work days a year dealing with email! Just how out of control are we? The Internet is already filling up with articles about how to "maximize productivity" during the storm and tips for ignoring your kids so you can stay connected to work. Listen, we already work too much. That's why the electricity needs to go out. We need a snow day. It'll also make selling the Monopoly marathon to the kids much easier if I'm not competing with Minecraft and "Gossip Girl" reruns. And if this drags on for a few days, maybe we'll reach out to our neighbors, band together and get creative with the meals. We can all go to sleep early ... and then sleep in. Which brings me to another nice thing about losing power: It'll make a family sleepover a necessity. We've noticed that none of our kids want to sleep up in their rooms when there's no power; they want to be with us. Five people in one bed isn't going to fly, so building a sleep fort and camping out in the living room, now that's some solid family time. To be sure, massive snow storms are not all fun and games. They can be dangerous, even deadly for the elderly and the homeless. Check on your older or disabled neighbors; for some of them a power outage is an opportunity for disaster. I pray every one will be safe, stay indoors and seek help early if they need it. But for the many of us, getting snowed in with nowhere to go is a much-needed break from our insanely busy lives. The years are flying by. Who knows how many more snow days we have left to enjoy. So, thank you Mother Nature, for sending a "historic" storm our way. I hope we all take the opportunity you've given us to unplug, crack open the board games and for one day, truly savor the weather, the day and the time doing nothing much at all.

Mel Robbins: Thanks, Mother Nature, for a snow day to stop working, veg out and have family time . She says if power goes out, better still; kids, parents get break from screens, play board games or out in snow .

(CNN) -- Manchester United have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League as Group C winners, despite being held 1-1 at home to Valencia on Tuesday. United went into the match on the verge of creating history. No side had ever gone through all six group games without conceding a goal -- but a clean sheet against their Spanish visitors would have seen the Premier League giants achieve that feat. However, that dream died in the 32nd minute when Michael Carrick lost the ball to Alejandro Dominguez -- who perfectly teed up Pablo Hernandez to give Valencia the lead. With both teams already qualifying for the knockout stages, a Valencia win would have seen them go through as group winners. And they remained on course for the three points until the 63rd minute when Anderson scored a rare goal to earn United a draw, the Brazilian midfielder reacting quickest after Park Ji-sung's shot was parried by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. Scottish champions Glasgow Rangers finished third in the group -- and take the Europa League place in the process -- after drawing 1-1 at Bursaspor. Top scorer Kenny Miller opened the scoring for the visitors in the 19th minute when he superbly lashed home a left-footed shot from 12 yards out. But the Turkish hosts collected their first-ever Champions League point when Sercan Yildirim stabbed the ball past goalkeeper Allan McGregor with 11 minutes left. Defending champions Inter Milan had already qualified for the knockout stages, but their run of poor form continued as they were thrashed 3-0 at Werder Bremen in Group A. A Sebastian Proedl header and a Marko Arnautovic volley sealed the points for the Bundesliga side, with Claudio Pizarro adding the third near the end. A victory would have seen Rafael Benitez's side go through as group winners, but their heaviest defeat in Europe for five years allowed Tottenham to win the group on 11 points after a thrilling 3-3 draw at FC Twente. An end-to-end encounter saw Spurs go ahead when 40-year-old goalkeeper Sander Boschker completely missed a Peter Wisgerhof backpass, allowing the ball to dribble into the net. The home side levelled with a twice-taken Denny Landzaat penalty, but Jermain Defoe put the London side ahead early in the second half from close range. A Roberto Rosales header brought Twente on level terms again, but another Defoe goal looked to have sealed the points for Tottenham. However, a superb Nacer Chadli free-kick ensured the match finished all-square. The result meant that Twente qualified for the Europa League in third place but Werder Bremen go out of Europe altogether despite beating Inter. Tournament favorites Barcelona ended their Group D campaign with another victory, as a second-string side eased to a 2-0 home win over Rubin Kazan. Andreu Fontas put Barca ahead with a deflected effort and Victor Vazquez sealed the win eight minutes from time. The result means Barca finish top of the group with 14 points, while Russian side Rubin finished third to reach the Europa League. That result ensured FC Copenhagen went through in second place regardless of the outcome of their match against Panathinakos, but the Danish side went through in style -- winning 3-1 to become the first team from their nation to reach the last 16 stage. A Martin Vingard strike, a Jesper Gronkjaer penalty and a Djibril Cisse own goal secured the victory, with Cedric Kante grabbing a consolation goal for the Greek side, who finished bottom of the group to go out of Europe. German Bundesliga strugglers Schalke have saved their best form for Europe this season and they finished top of Group B after a 2-1 success at Benfica, who will now go into the Europa League. Lyon have qualified in second place, but the French side needed a late Alexandre Lacazette goal to earn a 2-2 home draw with Hapoel Tev Aviv. The Israeli side would have finished third but for conceding two minutes from time, a goal which means their European adventure is over for this season.

Manchester United qualify for the last 16 of Champions League as Group C winners . United top group despite being held to a 1-1 home draw by Spanish side Valencia . Holders Inter Milan qualify second in Group A after a heavy 3-0 defeat at Werder Bremen . Barcelona end their Group D campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Rubin Kazan .

(CNN) -- Life is good for Maria Sharapova right now. She's won two titles this year, added a new lucrative new sponsorship deal -- and has finally confessed to tennis' worst-kept secret, that she is dating young men's star Grigor Dimitrov. They were caught kissing in Madrid the day after he beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and she playfully wrote on a television camera after her Friday quarterfinal win in the Spanish capital: "How did you catch us??" While the 21-year-old Dimitrov was unable to follow up his shock victory, Sharapova has cruised into the final of the women's tournament after beating former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-3 on Saturday. "We're official. We've been seeing each other for a while," the world No. 2, who has been fending off questions about their relationship since January, told reporters after the 500th victory of her career. "You know, it's just news to us that someone took a picture of us now after this time. It's nice to have something in life that you're able to have for yourself, because so much of your lives are in the public eye." Sharapova has never before played in the final of the Madrid tournament, and faces a daunting task if she is to lift the trophy on Sunday. Her opponent is defending champion Serena Williams, who has the beaten Russian in their last 11 meetings -- including March's final in Miami, where the American came back from losing the opening set. "It's always tough against her," said Sharapova, who will reclaim the top ranking if she can win her 50th career WTA final. "I haven't had a win against her in a long time, but the great thing is I'm setting myself up in a position where I can try to change that around. "I thought I did really well against her in Miami for the first set and a half -- obviously that's not enough, but the goal is to keep that level for the whole match this time. "It's been a while since we played on a clay court, too, and every match is different -- a different tournament and a different environment. I'm looking forward to it." Williams won last year's event when it was held on blue clay -- an unpopular experiment that was later banned by the tennis authorities -- but she has not played in a final on red dirt since 2002. "I feel like this whole tournament I've only played clay-court players from my first round to now, and everyone was also smaller than me," the 31-year-old said after Saturday's 7-5 6-2 win over Italian seventh seed Sara Errani -- beaten by Sharapova in last season's French Open final. "So I think tomorrow will be a really good match -- a different game, more power obviously, but still a lot of the consistency. So I'm looking forward to it." World No. 1 Williams is seeking to become just the 10th player to win 50 WTA titles, in her 66th final. "Obviously I love being No. 1 -- in my heart I feel I'm No. 1. But I also love to win tournaments. So I think if I just win as many tournaments as I can, I'll be No. 1. Hopefully." In the men's tournament, Rafael Nadal cruised into Sunday's final with a 6-0 6-4 win over 113th-ranked compatriot Pablo Andujar. The Spaniard, who has now reached seven successive finals since his comeback from knee injury in February, will next face Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka. Wawrinka, who beat Dimitrov in the third round, earned his place in the final with a 6-3 4-6 6-4 victory against world No. 6 Tomas Berdych in just under two hours. Nadal, who won the tournament in 2005 and 2010, is seeking a record-extending 23rd Masters-level title. He was also the runner-up in 2009 and 2011.

Maria Sharapova will play Serena Williams in Sunday's final of Madrid event . The winner will be world No. 1 when latest rankings are released next week . Sharapova admits that she is dating Bulgarian men's player Grigor Dimitrov . Rafael Nadal reaches his seventh successive final in the men's tournament .

(CNN) -- Cpl. Michael Boucher will never forget June 12, 2011. He was on his second deployment with the Marines in Afghanistan. Another squad had been hit by two improvised explosive devices, and he was helping to clear the landing zone so a helicopter could pick up the casualties. "An IED was set off, and at first I didn't realize it was me that was hit," he said. "I was in the air and looked down and realized both my feet were missing." Lying inside the crater from the blast, Boucher began to tie a tourniquet around what was left of his right leg. "Before I finished putting the tourniquet on, the doc got to me. He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Don't worry brother. I got you,' " he recalled. "It was a blessing that I stayed conscious because I didn't have to wake up later and realize that both of my legs were missing." At 22, Boucher was a double-leg amputee. "The first two weeks were pretty hard. I struggled in my own head to try and picture the future of my life, and it was hard to see anything good out if it," he said. Before the accident, Boucher loved to hunt and fish. But he questioned whether it would even be possible to do so without his legs. "I was trying to figure out in my mind what I was going to be able to do and what I wasn't," he said. Thanks to an all-terrain wheelchair, Boucher is one of a growing number of injured veterans and people with disabilities who are getting back to doing what they love outdoors. Designed like a mini-tank, this wheelchair can go almost anywhere off road -- through mud, sand, snow and in up to a foot of water. It can even go up and down hills. Tim Swenson created the Action Trackchair about 10 years after his son was paralyzed in a car accident. "You don't ever want to get that phone call, but it happened," Swenson said. "But I always thought about how can I get Jeff back outdoors and off the hard surface?" With 30 years' experience in the motorsports business, Swenson designed an off-road electric chair that could help more than just his son. "We just started using some of the things I knew about snowmobiles and ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) ... along with electric wheelchair components. And we started building," he said. "The tracks we use are similar in design and quality to snowmobile tracks." The chair is controlled by a joystick and can travel up to 4 mph. It can be tilted to maintain balance on uneven terrain. "One of the biggest fears people in wheelchairs have is falling out of their chair," Swenson said. "The chairs all come with a tilt so if you're going up and down hills ... you can maintain your chair being level." The size of the chair can be adjusted to fit both children and adults. Accessories such as trays, toolboxes and gun racks can also be mounted to them. Swenson sold his first chair in 2009 from his factory in Marshall, Minnesota. About a year later, he began designing a second model -- one that allows paralyzed people to stand up. "There are some standing units out there for people that are on concrete but nothing off road," Swenson said. "I started thinking about how can we help these people stand up and be outdoors or working." On this chair, the joystick allows paralyzed people to rise up slowly from a sitting to a standing position. They are held in place with knee supports, a seat belt and an optional shoulder harness. "When you can stand up, now you can go back working, you can paint the house, do some welding or build things outdoors," he said. But mobility comes with a price. The standard chairs range from $10,000 to $12,000 and are not yet covered by insurance. Boucher received his chair through the Semper Fi Fund, which provides aid to injured U.S. military members. It has allowed him to get back to doing what he loves most -- hunting and fishing. "It turns your disability into an ability," he said. "It's made a huge difference ... and it's added that independence back to my life."

All-terrain wheelchairs helping disabled veterans, others who love the outdoors . Wounded Marine corporal says he's now able to hunt and fish . But the Action Trackchair sells for $10,000 to $12,000 . All-terrain wheelchairs are not yet covered by much insurance .

(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic has already denied Andy Murray his first grand slam title once, and the world No. 2 will again stand in the Olympic gold medalist's way in Monday's U.S. Open final. Djokovic kept his title defense alive with a commanding performance against David Ferrer on Sunday, rebounding after dropping his first set of the tournament to win their delayed semifinal 2-6 6-1 6-4 6-2. The Serbian had struggled in Saturday's strong winds and trailed 5-2 when play was halted, but he was unstoppable in more benign conditions as he reached the final for the third year in a row. "It's a huge relief to get through this match. David's a great competitor, he's one of the fittest guys on tour and he never gives up," Djokovic told reporters after a match lasting two and a half hours -- 90 minutes less than Murray's win over Tomas Berdych on Saturday. "We were all praying for less wind today. He handled the wind much better than I did but I came in today as a different player and I'm just really happy to get to another grand slam final." U.S. Open latest scores . Djokovic lost his first grand slam final at the 2007 U.S. Open but was able to quickly bounce back with his breakthrough win in Australia just months later. Murray, however, lost the 2008 New York final, in Melbourne in 2010 and 2011 -- the first of those against Djokovic -- and then at Wimbledon this year. However, he beat Djokovic and Roger Federer on the way to victory at London 2012 and is now seeking to end a run that has seen that duo and Rafael Nadal win 29 of the past 30 majors. "I don't think there is any clear favorite," said Djokovic, who has an 8-5 edge over Murray in their career meetings. "He's looking for his first title, I'm sure he's going to be very motivated. I hope we can come up with the best tennis for this crowd." Murray has the backing of high-profile fellow Scots Sean Connery and Alex Ferguson. "That's the first time I've met Sir Alex and first time I met Sir Sean, as well," Murray said after the James Bond actor and Manchester United football manager gatecrashed his post-match press conference on Saturday. "So that's obviously nice to have their support. Hopefully they'll be back for the final, as well." Ferrer is still waiting to play in his first grand slam final after 40 attempts. The Spanish fourth seed, who also reached the semis at Flushing Meadows in 2007, served out for the first set on Sunday but then lost five games in a row. Djokovic won the first four games of the fourth set against the French Open semifinalist as he won through to his ninth grand slam final. The 25-year-old will be looking to cap a season in which he won the opening major but then failed to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four grand slam titles when he lost to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final. Djokovic then surrendered his No. 1 ranking when he lost in the semifinals at Wimbledon and Roger Federer won a seventh title on the hallowed grass courts of the All England Club to match Pete Sampras' Open era record and afterwards surpass the American's landmark number of 286 weeks at the top of the rankings. Djokovic cannot return to No. 1 even if he retains his title, despite Federer's quarterfinal exit against Berdych -- his earliest at the hard-court tournament since 2004. He will be looking for revenge against Murray after failing to win a medal at London 2012, losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the bronze playoff, and is in strong form on his favored surface after last month winning the Toronto title and reaching the final in Cincinnati.

Second seed Novak Djokovic wins through to U.S. Open final for third year in a row . Serbian will continue his title defense against world No. 4 Andy Murray on Monday . He bounces back from dropping his first set of the tournament in New York . Djokovic ends hopes of David Ferrer, still seeking to reach his first grand slam final .

(CNN)The deepening of the shipping channel in Savannah, Georgia, won't be dredging up just mud and sand. It will be raising up a link to the past: an ironclad that protected the city during the Civil War until the vessel met its undignified demise. For about the next nine months, divers will be working to bring up the CSS Georgia, piece by rusted piece, from nearly 40 feet down in the Savannah River. The $706 million harbor deepening officially began Thursday with speeches and the firing of an old cannon at Old Fort Jackson near the wreck site. The removal of the CSS Georgia is necessary for the state and federal project, which will see the channel go from 42 to 47 feet so massive cargo container ships can use the port without relying on the tide. While some material from the Confederate vessel was recovered after the war, four artillery pieces, parts of the propeller and propulsion system, a boiler and two casemates, which housed the artillery pieces, remain in the swift, dark waters. One of the casemates is huge: 68 feet by 24 feet. "She is really in large sections scattered throughout the bottom down there," Julie Morgan, archaeologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah, told CNN affiliate WSAV. The CSS Georgia didn't have enough power to maneuver and effectively trade artillery rounds with any enemy vessels that might approach from the Atlantic Ocean. Instead, the vessel became a stationary floating battery, bristling with artillery pieces. The Yankees refused to take on the CSS Georgia or other nearby defense obstructions. The CSS Georgia won the battle, but lost the war: The vessel was scuttled in December 1864 shortly before Union forces took Savannah and presented the city to President Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas present. The shipwreck has rested in the river since, rarely disturbed and having weathered the indignity of being hit during dredging a couple of times over the years. Recovery of the ironclad will cost between $14 million and $15 million, Corps officials said. Contract divers have been at the site and are first mapping, tagging and putting a recovery grid in place. A network of ropes connects wreck site artifacts and helps divers navigate the river floor. They will be recovering small artifacts, such as fasteners or small personal items. The second phase, expected to begin in May or June, will be the recovery of the large pieces. U.S. Navy and other divers will take special care because of the possibility of live ammunition and powder. Gordon Watts of Panamerican Consultants told affiliate WTOC that in at least the first phase, only one diver will be underwater at a time. "For every person we have on the bottom, there's four more people up on the surface that are tending him, talking to him and being sure that whatever he is doing is safe," said Watts. Archaeologists have the challenge of preserving portions of the CSS Georgia through chemical and other means, making her iron stable so the remains one day can be displayed. Conservation of selected artifacts and parts of the CSS Georgia will be done at Texas A&M University and will take about two years to complete. The remains of the CSS Georgia may answer some mysteries, including its dimensions and the manner of construction. The casemates were made of railroad iron. The vessel could handle 10 guns, though fewer were onboard when it was destroyed. There are no known blueprints for the ironclad, which was produced in Savannah in 1862 as part of a defensive naval squadron. Former U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia, speaking at Thursday's kickoff, said the harbor deepening is important for the state's economy, jobs and recognition of its history. While officials have made no determination of where CSS Georgia artifacts may eventually reside, Kingston believes they should stay in Savannah, perhaps at Old Fort Jackson. "We need it to stay here. It will help Savannah in terms of tourism. It will help tell our story. It will enhance our reputation from an historical viewpoint. We need to make sure it does stay local," he said, reported WSAV. Besides deepening the channel of the Savannah River, the Corps will extend the shipping lane an additional 7 miles in the Atlantic Ocean off Tybee Island. On the river-based portion, the Corps will be installing a dissolved oxygen injection system to protect marine life.

$706 million harbor deepening officially begins in Savannah, Georgia . A Civil War ironclad must be moved so the shipping channel can be deepened . The CSS Georgia never fired a shot in anger during the Civil War .

London (CNN) -- A breakthrough in graphene research which could pave the way for new smaller, faster, more powerful computer chips has be made by UK researchers. Scientists at the UK's University of Manchester say they have demonstrated how graphene -- a two-dimensional material made from a single layer of carbon atoms -- could look inside electronic circuits of the future. Graphene has been hailed as a "miracle material" which could revolutionize materials science because of its unique properties. Measuring one atom thick, it it the thinnest material on Earth -- a stack of three million sheets would rise to the grand height of one millimeter. Graphene is also the strongest (200 times stronger than steel), the most flexible and the most conductive material in the world -- which makes it an attractive alternative to the silicon chip. In their study, published in the journal Nature Physics, researchers report how they created a four-layered structure consisting of two sheets of graphene sandwiched between two sheets of boron nitride -- a similar two-dimensional material with a thin hexagonal-like structure. "Creating the multilayer structure has allowed us to isolate graphene from negative influence of the environment and control graphene's electronic properties in a way it was impossible before," Leonid Ponomarenko, lead author of the study. This "negative influence" relates to graphene's ultra sensitivity to gases and humidity says Ponomarenko, which scientists at the university reported on back in 2007. "To make its properties more controllable, we have to protect it with something," he said. The demonstration brings a replacement for the silicon chip one step closer, according to Ponomarenko. They are reaching their limit for being scaled down, he says, and as computers get more powerful silicon is struggling to meet the increasing energy demands. The discovery of graphene was made at the university in 2004 by Russian physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, who received the Nobel prize for physics for their work in 2010. Commenting on the new research, Geim said: "Graphene encapsulated within boron nitride offers the best and most advanced platform for future graphene electronics. It solves nasty issues about graphene's stability and quality... "It could be only a matter of several months before we have encapsulated graphene transistors with characteristics better than previously demonstrated," he added. Recent advances at Manchester and other UK universities has prompted the British government to invest £50 million ($78 million) in a research hub with the aim of maximizing the commercial potential of graphene. Its not just computer circuit boards that graphene promises to transform. The discovery that it is extremely sensitive to single molecules of gas could, according to Geim and Novoselov, lead to the development of new sensors, with possible applications in counter-terrorism. "We are constantly looking at new ways of demonstrating and improving the remarkable properties of graphene," Geim said. Countless universities around the world are also engaged in the same task. The U.S.'s Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, have recently discovered that graphene "exhibits a novel reaction to light," which they say could improve night-vision systems and possibly provide a new approach to solar power. Excitement is building in the consumer electronics market too, as phone and computer manufacturers look to capitalize on graphene's uniqueness as a transparent conductor. "The vision is to have electronic devices which can be integrated with your body or clothing, or computers which can be bent or rolled up and put away," said professor Andrea Ferrari, professor of nanotechnology at the UK's University of Cambridge. Researchers at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea have already demonstrated a flexible touchscreen, he says. And rumors were rife in cyberspace recently that South Korean electronics company, Samsung were going to release a flexible smartphone, called the "Galaxy Skin" in 2012. It turned out to be untrue, but bendable phones, computers and televisions may not be far off, says Ferrari. "It may well be that in the next three or four years, if everything goes well, we may see some transparent and flexible devices made from graphene come to the market."

New research at UK university demonstrates how graphene-based computer chip might look . "Miracle material" discovered at Manchester University in 2004 . Russian physicists who discovered graphene awarded Nobel physics prize in 2010 . Strongest, most conductive material in the world will revolutionize a range of products, scientists say .

(CNN) -- On Friday afternoon, restaurant owner Neil Hart was standing in the local branch of his bank, ready to withdraw his life-savings to buy a house. Then his lawyer called to tell him the deal had been postponed. He woke on Saturday morning, switched on the news and heard the government had announced plans to raid his nest-egg and take 10% to pay for the mistakes of the country's crippled banks. Hart's problem? He lives in Cyprus (population: less than one million people) where the banking system is severely overstretched and has been exposed to the debt-ridden Greek financial industry which has occupied Europe for the past few years. Why is Cyprus trying to tax bank deposits? The fate of the Cypriot economy, which accounts for only 0.2% of European Union GDP, is unlikely to reignite the financial troubles of the single currency area. But Hart, a Scottish expat who has lived in the southwest coastal city of Paphos for 13 years with his wife, says the "overnight robbery" by the recently-installed government is devastating people in his community. "If they can just get into your account in the middle of the night and take money out, in any other situation that would be theft," he says. The Cypriot government plans to tap its citizens for 5.8 billion euros [$7.5 billion] and impose a one-off 9.9% levy on deposits over €100,000. Those with smaller savings would be subject to a 6.75% levy. Watch this: Cyprus business owner lost 10% of savings . The unprecedented tax on bank deposits led to a run on cash machines over the weekend, as customers scrambled to protect their life savings. With banks ordered to stay closed until Thursday, and people struggling to get cash, Cypriot lawmakers are dithering on a deal that still needs to be ratified in parliament, while also revising the conditions in an effort to place more of the burden on the rich. But it seems the damage has already been done: a run on the banks now looking increasingly likely. Hart says he can no longer trust the Cypriot government or the country's banks after this "underhanded" and "calculated" move to eat away at the savings of ordinary people. Watch this: Russians prepare to withdraw from Cyprus . Lawmakers waited until the end of business on Friday for the long public holiday weekend in a "well-orchestrated" plan, according to Hart. He told CNN: "I can tell you 100% now, whether they take the money off me or not. When I can get into the bank on Thursday, I will take all my money out of the bank and put it offshore." In an address to the nation on Sunday night, newly-elected Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said the country must secure a 10 billion euro package or face economic collapse. Cyprus may be the fourth eurozone country to request a bailout from international creditors -- after Ireland, Portugal and Greece -- but it is the first nation where politicians have attempted to force taxpayers into handing over their personal savings to rescue the banks. Read more: Cyprus: Turning a drama into a crisis . Magda Chrysaphiades says the chaos and panic she witnessed on Saturday after the announcement reminded her of the Turkish invasion in 1974 when she first moved to Cyprus from the UK to set up a leather and suede manufacturing business with her family. Chrysaphiades returned to Cyprus in 1996 and is now retired. "It feels similar, back then we woke up one day and all hell had broken loose," she recalls. "But today we just feel absolutely helpless." She worries that banks will collapse as savers who feel betrayed seek to withdraw their deposits. "If the banks collapse, people will go hungry because Cyprus is a very small community and there's no backup... I thought these bailouts and committees were there to help people not take their money away." Chrysaphiades and Hart both fear that policymakers are setting a dangerous precedent for future crises. "If they did it with Cyprus, what's to stop them doing it in other troubled euro countries?" Hart demands.

Cypriot government plans to tap its citizens for 5.8 billion euros [$7.5 billion] and impose a one-off levy . Cyprus is the fourth eurozone country to request a bailout, after Ireland, Portugal and Greece . The unprecedented tax on bank deposits led to a run on cash machines over the weekend .

(CNN) -- If North Korea continues with its controversial missile and nuclear tests, it "will move closer" to its objective of reaching the United States with nuclear weapons, according to a Pentagon report. During recent heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang repeatedly threatened the possibility of nuclear attacks against the United States and South Korea, prompting questions on the progress of its weapons program. North Korea's secretiveness has made it hard for Western intelligence agencies to gauge exactly what is going on inside its research facilities. Many clues have come from the regime's large-scale tests such as the long-range rocket launch in December and the underground nuclear detonation in February. The Pentagon's annual report to Congress on Thursday provided an overview of the military threat posed by North Korea, but it didn't say how long it believed it would take the isolated, Stalinist state to develop a fully operational nuclear missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. It described North Korea's ballistic missile program as "ambitious" and said that "the pace of its progress will depend, in part, on how many resources it can dedicate to these efforts and how often it conducts tests." Doubts over North's capabilities . A sign of differing views on North Korea's nuclear missile capabilities among U.S. intelligence agencies emerged last month. Addressing the House Armed Services Committee, a congressman read out an excerpt from a report by the Pentagon's intelligence arm that said it believed with "moderate confidence" that the North had nuclear weapons that could be delivered by ballistic missiles, albeit with low "reliability." But after the disclosure of that assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), top U.S. officials including President Barack Obama said the U.S. government didn't think North Korea was yet able to fit a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile. The Pentagon report Thursday included no reference to the DIA excerpt, which didn't specify the range of the ballistic missiles that it was talking about. The report said that the type of long-range rocket that North Korea launched in December to put a satellite in orbit "could reach parts of the United States if configured as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying a nuclear payload." But it noted that "a space launch does not test a re-entry vehicle (RV), without which North Korea cannot deliver a weapon to target from an ICBM." The December launch and the display in April 2012 of an untested but road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile help underscore "the threat to regional stability and U.S. national security posed by North Korea," according to the report. Like father, like son . Its authors said they didn't expect much change under North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, from the strategy shaped by his father, Kim Jong Il, who died in December 2011. The focus of that approach, they said, includes "coercive diplomacy to compel acceptance of its diplomatic, economic and security interests; development of strategic military capabilities to deter external attack;" and challenges to South Korea and the U.S.-South Korean alliance. Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea has so far continued the pursuit of more advanced nuclear and missile technologies, which according to the report, the regime sees as "essential to its goals of survival, sovereignty and relevance." The long-range rocket launch in December and underground nuclear test in February prompted international condemnation and tougher U.N. sanctions. Those measures were followed by intensified threats from Pyongyang, during which the United States said it would deploy additional missile defenses on its West Coast. The Pentagon report also highlighted the murkiness of the North's decision-making processes -- a particular concern during periods of heightened tensions like the past few months. "Although North Korea is unlikely to attack on a scale that it assesses would risk the survival of its government by inviting overwhelming counterattacks by the ROK or the United States, we do not know how North Korea calculates this threshold of behavior," the report said, using the abbreviated form of South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. "North Korea's use of smallscale attacks and provocative acts leaves much room for miscalculation that could spiral into a larger conflict," it said. CNN's Alison Harding contributed to this report.

A Pentagon report to Congress gives an overview of North Korea's military threat . It discusses the North's progress toward developing a nuclear missile . The pace of progress will depend on the amount of resources allocated, it says . The report's authors say they expect little change in strategy under Kim Jong Un .

New Delhi (CNN) -- Narendra Modi took the oath of office Monday to become the 15th prime minister of India. The swearing-in took place in a tightly guarded ceremony at the Colonial-era presidential mansion in New Delhi. For the first time, leaders of an entire South Asian region attended, including Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister of India's traditional archrival, Pakistan. But it's not just the guest list that makes this inauguration historic. Never in the past three decades has a political party taken up the reins of the world's largest democracy with an absolute majority. And never before has a provincial chief with no federal experience become head of a national government. Unprecedented invitation . In attendance on the sprawling forecourt of the sandstone palace were the premiers of Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Mauritius; the presidents of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives; and the speaker of Bangladesh, officials say. "A promising gesture," read the headline of an editorial in the Indian Express on Friday about India's unprecedented invitation to the leaders of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation bloc. Until his election to Parliament this month, Modi, a chief minister of the prosperous northwestern state of Gujarat, has been seen as hawkish by some political watchers, especially over relations with nuclear archrival Pakistan. His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has often accused the administration of outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of being soft on its western neighbor, which New Delhi blames for a number of terror attacks in India, including the deadly 2008 assault in Mumbai. Both countries have fought three wars, two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both claim as their own in its entirety. An editorial in the Indian Express said Modi's "terrific" move to invite regional leaders "should help generate a more realistic appreciation of India's foreign-policy trajectory in the coming years." "What matters in the end, however, is the prospect of a more self-assured government in Delhi that is ready to engage the neighbors without standing on protocol and precedent," it added. Economic hope . Credited for his pro-business approach as the chief of Gujarat, India's new leader has also raised expectations that his government will succeed in turning around India's slowing economy, generate more jobs and rein in soaring prices and deeply entrenched corruption, issues that are widely believed to have brought about the fall of Singh's government. Modi's party won 282 seats of the 543-seat lower house of Parliament on its own, the first independent win by any single political party in three decades. India has since been ruled by coalitions of national and regional groupings with varied political and economic philosophies. "The BJP's single-handed majority in the new parliament ensures at least one thing: no more excuses of fractured coalition politics compromising policies and reforms," said Jahangir Aziz, J.P. Morgan's chief Asia economist, in a column in the Indian Express. "More growth, more employment, more infrastructure, lower inflation is just motherhood and apple pie. Identifying and articulating the binding constraints holding these back is the heart of the problem," he wrote. Political analysts also describe the debacle of Singh's Congress Party government as a vote against crushing prices. "Moderation in prices of essential commodities is a potential challenge for Modi's government in a market-driven economy," political commentator K.G. Suresh said. "The honeymoon period will not last longer if measures are not taken in the next 100 days to bring costs down," he added. Modi's Cabinet, observers say, will signify his government's model and course. "It has to be a dream team that balances demands and side effects of growth with promises of low prices to millions of poverty-stricken Indians. It has to be a smart mix of youth and experience with a cohesive approach. With pressures of coalition politics no longer there, the last thing India would expect the new prime minister's core team to be is a chariot pulled by horses running in different directions," Suresh said. Friend or foe? India's Narendra Modi an unknown quantity abroad . Securing India's energy a major challenge for new PM Modi . Memo to Modi: How to reboot India .

NEW: Narendra Modi is sworn in as prime minister . The unprecedented event brings together regional leaders including Pakistan's PM . Invitation to leaders described as a "terrific" move . Modi is seen as hawkish by some political watchers .

(CNN) -- "Like a square peg going into a round hole." That's how Mark John, an Idaho man who spotted and helped lead authorities to James DiMaggio and 16-year-old Hannah Anderson, described the pair. DiMaggio is now dead, shot and killed by an FBI agent in the Idaho wilderness. He was suspected in the slayings of Hannah's mother and brother in California and in the girl's kidnapping. "They were just like a square peg going into a round hole. They didn't fit. He might have been an outdoorsman in California, but he was not an outdoorsman in Idaho," John told reporters Sunday. "He just didn't fit." John, his wife, Christa, and another couple, Mike and Mary Young, were out on horseback when they happened upon DiMaggio and Hannah on Wednesday twice, once on a trail and once at a lake. Red flags went up immediately. All their gear looked brand new, said John. They had no rain equipment. Another flag, said Mike Young, was that DiMaggio said he was headed for the Salmon River, but was going in the wrong direction. Hannah hid her face and looked kind of scared, he said. Young and the others thought that maybe their horses had frightened her. She and DiMaggio were hiking. He had a backpack. She was wearing what looked like either sweatpants or pajamas, Young said. He noticed they had a two-man tent set up in a ridge. Another red flag. The camping spot had no water, and a tent on a ridge would act like a "lightning rod," Young said. "Usually when you meet people in the back country, you have a pretty good encounter, you know, and talk about where they've been and where they're going. But they didn't want to talk," he told reporters. After their group passed DiMaggio and Hannah, he turned to the others and said he thought something wasn't right. "Just kind of a gut feeling, you know, like they didn't belong," said Young. 'One chance in a trillion' Their group ran into DiMaggio and Hannah later at a lake. The girl was soaking her feet in the water, and DiMaggio was off to the side petting a gray cat, said John. Just as he and the others were getting ready to go, Hannah said something that made little sense at the time. "She said, 'Looks like we're all in trouble now,' or 'We're in real trouble now,'" said John. "I thought it extremely strange." No one in his group was aware of the massive manhunt under way. Hannah had been missing since August 3. The bodies of her mother, Christina Anderson, and 8-year-old brother, Ethan, were found one day later in DiMaggio's burned house in San Diego County, California. But eventually, John, a former county sheriff and retired Army officer, called police. After he and his wife got home Thursday, he turned on the television and saw an Amber Alert for Hannah. She looked like the girl they'd just seen. "For us to be there at the precise time to interact with them -- it's one chance in a trillion," Christa John said. Her husband's call set off a series of events that ended late Saturday in DiMaggio's death and Hannah's rescue. Hundreds of law enforcement agents scoured 300 square miles of rough terrain, hampered by the smoke from nearby wildfires. They spotted the pair's campsite near Morehead Lake, Idaho. The topography was so steep that helicopters had to drop authorities off far away from the camp. Hostage rescue teams hiked more than two hours to get to the scene. Authorities ushered Hannah to an area where a helicopter could whisk her away. At some point, a "confrontation" ensued between authorities and DiMaggio, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said. An FBI tactical agent shot and killed the murder and kidnapping suspect. Andrea Dearden, spokeswoman for Idaho's Ada County sheriff's office, praised the horseback riders Sunday, hailing their contribution to the case as critical. "It was because of their tip to law enforcement ... that we knew where to go, and we knew where to look," she said. CNN's Greg Botelho and Holly Yan contributed to this report.

NEW: "It's one chance in a trillion," says one rider . Two couples came across James DiMaggio and 16-year-old Hannah Anderson . Their tip to authorities ended a frantic, weeklong manhunt . "Just kind of a gut feeling," says another rider .

(CNN) -- The horrific new report accusing Syria's embattled regime of torturing and killing thousands of detainees in government custody may not be a game-changer for the peace talks set to open in Switzerland on Wednesday, but they may well shift the narrative -- if only for a day. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has played some powerful cards ahead of the Geneva 2 talks. He has cranked up the airstrikes in Aleppo, Syria's biggest city and one of the main flashpoints of the three-year civil war that has devastated the country. And he sent Foreign Minister Walid Moallem to Moscow last week to announce a cease-fire proposal in an attempt to set the stage for opposition groups to look bad if they don't agree to the deal. But when Syrian officials step in front of the cameras in Switzerland this week, the questions won't be about ceasefire deals. They'll be about the report, first revealed by CNN and the Guardian in an exclusive on Monday, alleging systematic "crimes against humanity" being committed against prisoners in Syrian jails. 4 things to know about Syria . There may be moments of discomfort for Foreign Minister Moallem here, but they'll be fleeting ones. It would be quite normal for the Syrians to question the authenticity of the photos depicting torture and starvation of prisoners, to brush the issue aside or shift the focus to the atrocities they claim have been committed by rebels (or "terrorists," as they're known in government parlance). We certainly won't see the Assad regime admitting culpability over this. And while the timing of the report's release clearly seems intended to push some much-needed wind into the sails of the groups opposed to Assad , it's hard to see how they'll benefit much from the new revelations. Organizationally, the opposition is a mess. Several of the largest groups, including the Syrian National Council, aren't even showing up to the talks. Rival rebel factions are massacring each other by the hundreds in the streets and alleys of cities across Syria. Even worse, none of the politicians who make up the majority of the Western-backed Syrian opposition are in the country, so they aren't in control of the military forces battling Assad's troops on the ground. The U.S. State Department said they hope a few rebel army leaders show up to the talks, but again, who are they and what weight do they actually carry? The principal rebel commander the U.S. was backing, Free Syrian Army general Salim Idris, fled the country in December. The influence of the group is being increasingly diminished by Islamist and al Qaeda-backed militants who the U.S. does not support. All in all, no one is expecting any major breakthroughs during one day of talks. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who will attend the first day of talks in Montreux before they move to Geneva over the weekend, has said in the past that negotiations to end the Vietnam war took years. The best case scenario for these talks is more talks -- and that none of the parties get up and storm out. In terms of negotiations, when will we see some substantial compromises? Assad recently told reporters that we're still months away from him announcing a date for planned 2014 national elections. It seems increasingly likely that Assad will again run for president. But there's always the possibility that he could use the ongoing war to postpone elections altogether. Let's face it: how could you really hold elections when eight million people are displaced in Syria? The regime would control the balloting and accounting processes: who would provide security? It would be crazy to think international monitors could reliably observe national polls with a full-blown war happening all around them. If -- and probably when -- Assad won an election, it is clear the opposition would simply continue to refuse to recognize him as the legitimate leader of Syria. But until the yet-to-be announced date for a poll approaches, we aren't going to get to a decisive moment in peace talks. It's too early to say, and we're still so far away from any compromise points. EXCLUSIVE: Gruesome Syria photos may prove torture by Assad regime . CNN's Nick Thompson contributed to this report.

The new report accusing Bashar al-Assad's regime of torture may shift the focus of the peace talks . Syrians may question the authenticity of the photos, writes CNN's Nic Robertson . Organizationally, the Syrian opposition is a mess, he says . Robertson: No one is expecting any major breakthroughs during one day of talks .

(CNN) -- A growing religion in southern Africa is posing a threat to the survival of wild leopards. For the Nazareth Baptist Church, also known as the Shembe, leopards are seen as a symbol of pride, beauty and wealth, while their skins are viewed as essential attire for church elders who wear them around their necks during traditional ceremonies. A mixture of Christianity and Zulu culture, the Shembe is one of the biggest traditional religious groups in South Africa with around 5 million members. There are fears from conservationists that as the church grows, Africa's leopards, already listed as "near threatened" by the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN), will be pushed towards extinction. "From visiting a few of these (church) gatherings, you realize that it's not 92 or 100 or 200 (leopard skins). We are talking about thousands of leopard skins," said Tristan Dickerson, a conservationist at the Phinda Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal province. Dickerson first found out about the Shembe in the course of helping with a police investigation, after a pile of at least 92 leopard skins was uncovered during a village raid. Many of those skins had been tailored into clothing meant for the church group. Besides being killed by farmers trying to protect their livestock, 150 leopards are legally targeted by trophy hunters each year. But increasingly poachers kill them to profit from their use in traditional medicine and ceremonial dress. "What we are finding is that they are actually being targeted, instead of it being by-catch from the illegal bush meat trade," Dickerson said. "They are actually putting poisons out to target leopards because there is such a high demand for leopard skins now." The feline species is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, and the sale or possession of its parts is illegal in South Africa. Those who wear it as traditional gear, including Zulu royalty and high-profile individuals like President Jacob Zuma, are required to have permits issued by the state. But at Shembe church gatherings, trade in skins is done openly with no law enforcement. Dickerson's attempt to solve this conflict of tradition and conservation has taken him to China where he has been trying to find a suitable fake fur alternative for church members. "I went to Beijing and spent a week there, meeting with factory representatives to try and develop this fur into the level that was needed and the quality that was needed," Dickerson said. And the quality is crucial, because while the church's leadership has warmed to the concept of fake leopard skins, they still have to approve of the product. Dickerson says the church's followers will only be converted to fake items if the leaders say it is acceptable. On a recent trip to Ekuphakameni, South Africa, where the church was founded, Dickerson visited a church gathering and showed his fur samples to a senior preacher. "It's beautiful, but it's not the real thing," said the preacher, Mhlanubanzi Mjadu. "It's like a blanket. After some time, it will wear out. Real leopard skin can last for more than 20 years." Mjadu said he had no idea trade in leopard parts was illegal, and he did not know that the leopard was a threatened species. He said that as an elder he could not wear a fake costume, but he could see a place for fake fur in the church as membership continued to swell and the prices of leopard skin seemed to be rising. "It will help the congregation and protect the leopard from extinction," he said. Dickerson is also hoping that church followers who cannot afford the real thing would find the cheaper version an enticing alternative, but so far they have not shown enthusiasm. At the gathering in Ekuphakameni real skins were being sold for $440 each. "We are improving the product as we speak," Dickerson said. "If we can get one of the leaders to wear one of these things and say to the people, 'This is accepted from now on, we do not wear real leopard skins anymore, we have an alternative,' that statement... would be the pinnacle of this whole project."

Followers of the Shembe religion in southern Africa strive to wear leopard skins during church gatherings . Poachers increasingly kill leopards to profit from their use in traditional medicine and ceremonial dress . A conservationist is trying to produce a suitable fake fur in China for church members . Church elders and followers have been resistant to using fake fur so far .

(CNN) -- A Kenyan chief in a town far from the bustling capital foiled a predawn robbery recently using Twitter, highlighting the far-reaching effects of social media in areas that don't have access to the Internet. Chief Francis Kariuki said he got a call in the dead of the night that thieves had broken into a neighbor's house. He turned to Twitter, which allows users to send messages in 140 characters or less, to reach his community instantly. "Thieves in Kelven's living room, let's help him out please," he tweeted in Swahili, the local language. Local residents, who subscribe to his tweets through a free text messaging service, jumped into action. They surrounded the house, sending the thugs fleeing into the night. He later sent a message thanking the community in his town of Lanet Umoja for coming out. While Twitter has been associated with bolstering uprisings and anti-government protests in Africa, its use is expanding in the continent, with communities in remote areas tailoring the global service and making it work for local audiences. In the town 100 miles from Nairobi, a majority of residents don't have access to computers, the Internet or smart phones. The sporadic cyber cafes strewn across the landscape charge for Internet access. However, almost every household has a cell phone and text messages are a major form of communication in the nation. "Every time we have barazas (meetings) twice a month, I make attendees subscribe to my tweets using their regular SMS or text messaging services," Kariuki said by phone from the town. "It has not only saved on the cost of fliers, it has also allowed us to save trees and contribute to green efforts." Subscribers get his tweets in real time in the form of free text messages, and don't need to have a Twitter account or an Internet connection to receive them. The chief can send them any time using his smart phone. "It's all about empowering the local person on the ground with information," Kariuki said by phone. "Before I decided on this, I asked around -- how can I reach all my people in one time at no cost to them?" Kariuki leads a community of 28,000 residents and while his Twitter account shows he has about 400 followers -- or people who get his tweets online -- the chief said those who receive his tweets via text message are in the thousands. "They just don't register as followers because they don't have Twitter accounts," he said. "A lot of people in town get the text tweets, even the thieves and police." The chief's use of social media allows him to reach everyone at the same time, and residents say the effort is paying off. "He has really helped us know what's going on around us. Now we know to expect a message from the chief any time, so we don't turn off our phones at night," said Jane Wangari, who lives in the town. In addition to rallying the community, the chief also uses social media to share doses of encouragement and send out alerts about missing animals. "There's a donkey that's been tied under a tree for days, we don't know its owner, help please," he tweeted recently after a message about a missing sheep that was later found. A recent study shows social media use in the continent is growing, with South Africa sending the most tweets, followed by Kenya and Nigeria. Egypt and Morocco follow in the list of top five most active countries. The report this month by Portland Communications and the trend-analysis group Tweetminster based its conclusion on a three-month study of tweets from the continent. About 57% of tweets from Africa are sent from mobile devices, according to the study. "We saw the pivotal role of Twitter in the events in North Africa last year, but it is clear that Africa's Twitter revolution is really just beginning," Beatrice Karanja, head of Portland Nairobi, said in a statement. "Twitter is helping Africa and Africans to connect in new ways and swap information and views. And for Africa -- as for the rest of the world -- that can only be good." During the study, South Africa -- the leading country in the study -- sent about 5 million tweets, nearly twice as many as second-place Kenya.

The chief sends out tweets, which residents get in the form of a text message . He also tweets to alert residents about missing animals and share doses of encouragement . Residents in his town don't need a smart phone or Web access to get the messages . Study: About 57% of tweets from Africa are sent from mobile devices .

(CNN)Three defendants have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the hate crime death of a black man in Mississippi who died after being beaten by a group of white teens and run over by a truck in 2011, U.S. authorities said. Deryl Paul Dedmon, now 22, was sentenced to 50 years in prison; John Aaron Rice, 21, to more than 18 years; and Dylan Wade Butler, 23, to seven years, federal authorities said this week. Each defendant had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in the death of James Craig Anderson, 48, authorities said. "The defendants targeted African-American people they perceived as vulnerable for heinous and violent assaults -- hate crimes, motivated solely by race, that shook an entire community and claimed the life of an innocent man," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. Seven other defendants are awaiting sentencing, authorities said. The three defendants admitted they and others conspired to harass African-Americans with beer bottles, sling shots and vehicles in attempt to injure them, authorities said. The defendants targeted blacks who were homeless or drunk "because they believe that such individuals were less likely to report an assault," authorities said in a statement. "The co-conspirators would often boast about these racially motivated assaults." After a birthday party for a mutual friend, the defendants and other conspirators agreed to assault blacks, authorities said. Rice, Butler and other occupants in a Jeep found Anderson in a motel parking lot about 5 a.m. on June 25, 2011, in Jackson and "decided that Anderson would be a good target for an assault because he was African-American and appeared to be intoxicated," authorities said in a statement. Rice and a conspirator distracted Anderson while they waited for Dedmon to arrive. Dedmon and two conspirators arrived in Dedmon's Ford F250 truck. Rice first punched Anderson in the face to knock him to the ground, and then Dedmon punched Anderson in the face several times while he was on the ground, authorities said. As the defendants and conspirators left the lot, one shouted, "White Power!" Just before getting back into his truck, Dedmon also yelled, "White Power!" Dedmon then "deliberately" ran over Anderson, causing injuries that killed him, authorities said. Rice, Butler and a number of the conspirators then gave false statements to police about the incident, authorities said. Anderson's death drew national attention after CNN first reported it and aired exclusive surveillance video of the killing, captured by a parking lot security camera in a Jackson suburb. Watch: Incident caught on video . The killing prompted several large marches and prayer vigils in Jackson, a city of about 175,000. Authorities believe Dedmon led and instigated the attack, which took place after a night of drinking in largely white Rankin County, outside Jackson. The gang of teens climbed into Dedmon's green truck and a white SUV and drove 16 miles to the western edge of Jackson. They would have seen Anderson immediately as they exited the highway, officials said. He was standing in the hotel parking lot just beyond the exit ramp. On the videotape obtained exclusively by CNN, the group of teens is seen pulling into the parking lot and stopping where Anderson is standing, although he is just off camera and not visible. The teens can then be seen going back and forth between their cars and Anderson. Witnesses told authorities this is when Anderson's beating took place, as the teens yelled racial epithets, including "white power." Authorities allege Dedmon and many of the other teens pummeled Anderson repeatedly as he crumpled to the ground, although this is not visible on the tape. After the beating, some of the teens left and others got into the green Ford truck. At this moment, Anderson becomes visible on the tape as he staggers into view and walks toward the truck. Shortly afterward, Dedmon allegedly boasted and laughed about the killing, according to statements some of the teens made to detectives. "I ran that n----- over," he allegedly said in a phone conversation to the teens in the other car. Drew Griffin and Scott Bronstein of CNN's Special Investigations Unit contributed to this report.

Deryl Paul Dedmon, 22, is sentenced to 50 years . James Craig Anderson, 48, who is black, was beaten by a group of white teens . Other defendants are sentenced to more than 18 years and seven years .

(CNN) -- Alec Baldwin is still an actor. He's just no longer in show business. As his one-time "Orphans" co-star, Shia LaBeouf, did last winter, Baldwin has given a public statement that he's ready to retire from public life. He does so in an essay told to New York magazine, covering a lot of ground recounting the tumultuous events that led up to this decision. While 2013 wasn't all bad for the 55-year-old star -- the actor and his wife, Hilaria, welcomed their daughter, Carmen, in August -- it also wasn't the best. There was his conflict with LaBeouf on the set of a Broadway production of "Orphans," the death of his friend James Gandolfini, his angry Twitter exchange with a Daily Mail journalist in which he called the writer a "toxic little queen," and then an altercation with a paparazzo in November that led to a domino effect for more criticism and lost work. During that standoff, Baldwin was accused of calling a photographer a "c**ksucking f*g." That incident, combined with his Daily Mail dust-up, caused a significant shift in Baldwin's life. "I'm not a homophobic person at all," he says in the New York magazine essay. "But this is how the world now sees me. I haven't changed, but public life has. ... Now I don't want to be Mr. Show Business anymore." The former "30 Rock" star says he can no longer enjoy New York the way he once did, now that "everyone has a camera in their pocket," combined with the "predatory photographers and predatory videographers who want to taunt you and catch you doing embarrassing things. (Some proof of which I have provided.) You're out there in a world where if you do make a mistake, it echoes in a digital canyon forever." As someone who once relished being out in his home base of New York, where people were generally "very kind" to him, Baldwin says he's now "bitter, defensive, and ... misanthropic" with a distaste for the media that he's never had before. And while he does see the irony in criticizing the media in a magazine, he promises "this is the last time I'm going to talk about my personal life in an American publication ever again." Presumably to make good use of this "last time," Baldwin goes on to recount in opinionated detail the conflicts he's faced over the past 12 months, lingering on November's altercation in particular. Although Baldwin's been accused of lobbing an anti-gay slur at the photographer, he claims he never said it. "I'm self-aware enough to know that I am to blame for some of this. I definitely should not have reacted the way I did in some of these situations," the actor says. "Do I regret screaming at some guy who practically clipped my kid in the head with the lens of a camera? Yeah, I probably do, because it's only caused me problems. But -- I'm sorry, I can't let go of this -- do people really, really believe that, when I shouted at that guy, I called him a 'f****t' on-camera?" As it would seem from the chilly public reaction, which Baldwin chronicles in his essay, many people definitely do. In the end, that November confrontation appears not only to have cost Baldwin his newly formed talk show at MSNBC but a necessary aspect of his reputation, and particularly in New York. Now, as a result, Baldwin is saying goodbye to "public life in the way that you try to communicate with an audience playfully like we're friends, beyond the work you are actually paid for." "I want to go make a movie and be very present for that and give it everything I have, and after we're done, then the rest of the time is mine," he continues. "I started out as an actor, where you seek to understand yourself using the words of great writers and collaborating with other creative people. Then I slid into show business, where you seek only an audience's approval, whether you deserve it or not. I think I want to go back to being an actor now."

"I don't want to be Mr. Show Business anymore," Alec Baldwin tells magazine . He says he still wants to be an actor but doesn't want to engage with public . He says in magazine essay it's the last time he'll talk about his life publicly . In the essay, he recounts the events of 2013 that led him to this decision .

(CNN) -- More than 50 years ago, military brass sat down the couple who'd become Susan Green's parents. They told them how horrible it would be if a black man and a white woman wed at a time when interracial marriage was illegal in parts of the United States. They did it anyway. Six years later, in 1967, they celebrated when the Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia that no state could stop different races from marrying. For years, Susan Green knew their anguish, their struggle, their determination. Today, she knows their joy. Green thought of her parents three years ago as she tearfully filled out a license to wed her partner Robin Phillips in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The seaside enclave was more than 2,500 miles away from their home state of Arizona, where same-sex marriage has been banned. She cried more tears of joy Wednesday, when the Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act in ruling the federal government cannot treat legally married gay and lesbian couples differently from heterosexual ones. 'What about us?' ask couples who still can't marry . "This must have been what Mom and Dad felt like when the Loving case was decided," Green said. "It was the beginning, and it was the acknowledgment they had the right to marry, they had the right to be together." Green and Phillips haven't kept secret the fact they're lesbians, or that they're together. They joke about being the only married couple on the faculty at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and are grateful for their colleagues support. It hasn't been easy, though. In November 2008, Arizona voters passed an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as "only a union of one man and one woman." That meant -- as it does for others in 37 states where same-sex marriage is not or will soon not be legal -- Green and Phillips were, in legal terms, little more than roommates. Even after their Massachusetts nuptials, Green fought through health ailments and worried that if something happened to her, Phillips wouldn't get her Social Security benefits. "As we start to get older and think about retirement and things like that, all of these issues come into play," Green said. What's next for gay rights? Wednesday ended up being a "little crazy" in the best possible way with laughter, tears and relief. They breathed easier not having to worry about things that they might have the day before. They rejoiced the federal government finally will recognize their union as valid. They celebrated that gay rights had come so far, and that they'd been around to see it happen and to talk to the world about it. "This is a great thing," Phillips said. "And it helps us share our stories." They've been doing that at Arizona State for years, where Green said students she's never met regularly show up at her door, asking for help figuring out how to come out to their families and friends. Others come to them fearful of getting outed at work, and theoretically fired, given that most states still don't have laws that prohibit terminating someone because they are gay or transgendered. "I'm out, and I'm there for them," Green said. "... I serve in a lot of different ways." Rulings hailed as historic . Having the chance to help people is one reason the pair wants to stay in Arizona. It may be easier to go elsewhere, to a state like New York or Washington, where there would be no questions about whether they'd get the same rights as heterosexual couples. Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, notably, didn't mandate everyone recognize same-sex marriages: That's still up to the individual states. It doesn't change anything in Arizona, for instance. But Arizonans need to know that there are happy, productive same-sex couples in their midst, not for them all to go elsewhere, Green said. It's harder for them to be foreign or an unknown if they work down the hall, live down the block or shop at the same store. Besides, Green said, her parents didn't teach her to give up when they steadfastly insisted on getting married, whatever anyone else thought. "Some states may be easier to live in," she said. "But I can't let my mom and dad down." CNN's Jen Christensen contributed to this report.

Susan Green's father was black, her mother was white when they married in 1961 . She says they wed despite pressure not to do so as an interracial couple . Green is now married to her partner, but their same-sex marriage isn't valid in Arizona . Her parents' story encourages her to keep fighting for equal rights .

(CNN) -- Trial lawyers use an expression -- "You can't unring a bell" -- after a jury is exposed to something damaging. Even if a judge commands people to disregard that something, the harm is done once the words have been uttered. George Zimmerman may be wishing that several ringing bells sounded in his attorney's opening statement last week could be unrung, beginning with a now infamous joke. After a streamlined prosecution opening in which a rapt courtroom was told of efforts to resuscitate Trayvon Martin's lifeless form and heard a straightforward argument that Zimmerman shot Martin "because he wanted to, not because he had to," Zimmerman's attorney Don West chose to open his defense by telling a joke. Resorting to humor -- even in traffic court -- is fraught with risk, but seems a particularly unwise idea at the outset of a murder case in which the defense must counter the appearance of casual and callous indifference on Zimmerman's part. Even worse, perhaps, it runs the risk of appearing to trivialize the trial itself. (The joke chosen even implies that selected jurors who weren't savvy enough to dodge their civic duty will now have their time wasted.) Prosecutors will tell you that the most significant challenge to securing a guilty verdict is to persuade initially resistant jurors to grasp the gravity of a case, making them at least open to returning a guilty verdict. Several post-joke comments made by West in his opening could unwittingly pave a path to conviction. West said that it was a dangerous dog in Zimmerman's neighborhood that forced his hand, necessitating that he buy a 9 mm Kel-Tec PF automatic firearm. The attorney matter-of-factly suggested it was the American way for an ordinary person, faced with an uncontrolled animal in his community, to procure a firearm. (Firing shots at a menacing dog could easily imperil others, of course.) Arguing that during the confrontation with Martin, Zimmerman's head was struck against the pavement, West told the jury: "When you get your bell rung, stuff happens." While defending an emotional case like this is admittedly a tricky high-wire act, these words suggest an act of vengeance by an armed man rather than a genuine effort to avoid death. It will not be surprising to hear those words repeated back in the prosecution's closing statement. Five of the six jurors are mothers for whom "stuff happens" may seem an insufficient accounting for the termination of a life cut short shy of two decades. By his lawyer's account, Zimmerman's worries were not confined to perceived community dangers, but to his own physical well-being. He wanted to learn martial arts, West said, but washed out of fight school, where he was described as too "soft." Many defense attorneys deliver short openings or don't open at all because of the risk of a bad backfire. West's lengthy opening resulted in a composite picture of a person who easily conjures threats and fears, sought a gun as a leveler for his insecurities and whose response to these perceived threats could be seen as questionable and retaliatory. Criminal defendants are not only at the mercy of the state's awesome powers, but also must live with the tactical decisions of their attorney. Trying to persuade an appeals court to overturn your conviction because of detrimental choices made by your lawyers at trial is all but impossible. On Monday, the prosecution resorted to the often potent technique of using a defendant's inconsistent statements in an attempt to collapse his believability and blunt possible jury empathy for him. Prosecutors showed a video of Zimmerman giving an expansive explanation of what happened during a scene walk-through the day after the shooting, followed by playing a lengthy taped interview that was conducted by Sanford police a couple of days later. The prosecution hopes that jurors will agree that the more Zimmerman explains his actions, the more self-serving he sounds, and the less trustworthy he will appear, something vitally important for someone who, when all is said and done, offers the only account detailed enough to justify using lethal force. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Eugene O'Donnell.

Eugene O'Donnell: In George Zimmerman's trial, his attorney began with a bad joke . O'Donnell: Resorting to humor in a trial is fraught with risk of appearing too casual . He says the defense must counter the appearance of callous indifference . O'Donnell: The more self-serving Zimmerman sounds, the less trustworthy he appears .

(CNN) -- Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan slams President Bush and today's Republicans, while calling Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton "the smartest presidents" he worked with, according to an advance copy of his upcoming book. President Bush, left, smiles with Alan Greenspan after the longtime Fed chairman stepped down last year. He further says the GOP deserved the stomping it took in November's congressional elections -- a ballot that saw both houses of Congress wrested from Republican control -- because the party "swapped principle for power." His book, "The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World," is scheduled for release Monday. CNN obtained a copy Saturday. In the book, Greenspan wrote that Bush essentially left an unbridled GOP Congress to spend money however it saw fit, and by not vetoing a single bill in six years, the president deprived the nation of checks and balances. "The Republicans in Congress lost their way," Greenspan wrote. "They swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither. They deserved to lose." Greenspan, an 81-year-old Republican who retired last year after five terms as Fed chairman, wrote that he made no secret of his view that Bush should reject some bills. "It would send a message to Congress that it did not have carte blanche on spending," Greenspan recalls telling the administration. "But the answer I received from a senior White House official was that the president didn't want to challenge House Speaker Dennis Hastert. 'He thinks he can control him better by not antagonizing him,' the official said." The White House, however, said that vetoes weren't necessary because Congress "worked with us." "The Republican Congress stayed within the president's top-line numbers on non-national security appropriations bills. We had veto threats, which were used to good effect to keep spending within the president's numbers," said spokesman Tony Fratto. Greenspan wrote in his book that the decision was costly. "To my mind," he wrote, "Bush's collaborate-don't-confront approach was a major mistake -- it cost the nation a check-and-balance mechanism essential to fiscal discipline." He further wrote that former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill "found himself the odd man out; much to my disappointment, economic policymaking in the Bush administration remained firmly in the hands of the White House staff." Fratto countered that O'Neill and former Treasury Secretary John Snow "had the opportunity to present their ideas through the policymaking process. If ideas failed to carry the day, it probably had something to do with the force and logic of the policies being advocated, rather than anything about the 'process.' Ideas were considered, sometimes they achieved consensus, sometimes not -- nothing unusual there. At any rate, where we ended up on economic policy was right, as our records show." "We're not going to apologize for increased spending to protect our national security," Fratto said. "That isn't just increased spending. It's an investment in the safety and security of the nation, which is also, by the way, an important economic objective." Greenspan praised former President Clinton and his attitude toward economic policies, saying, "either Clinton shared many of my views on the way the economic system was evolving and on what should be done, or he was the cleverest chameleon I'd ever encountered." "Clinton was often criticized for inconsistency and for a tendency to take all sides in a debate, but that was never true about his economic policy," he wrote. "A consistent, disciplined focus on long-term economic growth became a hallmark of his presidency." Greenspan said Clinton and former President Nixon were "by far the smartest presidents I've worked with." The former Fed chairman says his view of the Bush administration was not always so grim, and that he was initially excited about Bush's election. "I looked forward to at least four years of working collegially with many of the government's best and brightest men, with whom I had shared many memorable experiences. And on a personal basis, that is how it worked out," Greenspan wrote. "But on policy matters, I was soon to see my old friends veer off in unexpected directions." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Suzanne Malveaux and Jennifer Rizzo contributed to this report.

Greenspan: Bush deprived nation of checks, balances by failing to veto bills . Treasury secretaries not included in economic policymaking, Greenspan alleges . White House responds that its "economic policy was right, as our records show" Ex-Fed head: Clinton either shared my views or he was "cleverest chameleon"

HANOI, Vietnam (CNN) -- Forty years after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam and he was taken prisoner, presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's ordeal is included in a 12-minute biographical video. McCain was piloting an A4 Skyhawk on a bombing mission over North Vietnam when he was shot down. Photographs and footage in the video of his time as a prisoner of war to have never been seen before on American television, a campaign aide said. A unified Vietnam has capitalized on its American War -- as it calls it -- history and promotes war-related sites throughout the country to tourists. McCain's time in North Vietnam is marked at two locations in Hanoi which came to define his life and military career. One of the many French colonial-style buildings in the capital is the Hoa Lo Prison, better-known to most Americans as the "Hanoi Hilton," the infamous detention facility in which American pilots were held as prisoners of war. Most of the original complex was demolished during the 1990s, but a portion of the old prison originally built by the French was preserved and is now a museum. Although most of the exhibits focus on events from the French period, a museum official estimates that about a fourth of the estimated 200 daily visitors are American tourists who are mostly interested in the two exhibits on American prisoners of war, the most famous of which is the Republican senator from Arizona. Watch McCain and Col. Bud Day talk about their experience as POWs » . McCain's flight suit, helmet, and parachute from the night he was shot down are mounted in a display case in the Hoa Lo museum. His picture is mounted on an adjacent wall, along with those of other pilots who were also held there. None of the footage in the McCain campaign's video is on display at the museum but some of the photographs are, including his POW mug shot and a photograph of McCain being pulled out of a lake by a group of Vietnamese. A caption next to the mug shot notes that he is now a U.S. senator. The caption next to the lake photo reads in Vietnamese and English, "Hanoi people and soldiers were saving American pilot who parachuted down in Truc Bach Lake in October 1967," but it does not identify McCain by name. Context and accuracy of the exhibits are often sacrificed to maintain its consistent and unabashed pro-Vietnamese slant. A few miles from the prison, the serene Truc Bach Lake was where McCain landed after his plane was shot down on the night of October 26, 1967 and he bailed out. "Everything happened very quickly," McCain said recalling that night while visiting Vietnam in 2000. "I broke both my arms and a leg, and I was dragged ashore and I was beaten." A stone monument on the shore marks the event. The inscription translated from Vietnamese reads "On 26 October 1967 near the Truc Bach Lake, the Vietnamese people in Hanoi caught [John Sidney McCain]. He was the captain of a group who flew planes in the sky who attacked Hanoi. The number of the plane was A4. The plane fell on Yen Phu power plant. This was one of 10 planes that fell on the same day." McCain would spend the next 5½ years in the Hanoi Hilton until his release on March 14, 1973. Two decades later, McCain worked towards reconciliation and normalization of U.S.-Vietnam relations and investigated the U.S. government's handling of POW issues as a member of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. McCain returned to visit Hoa Lo in April 2000, a photo of which is included in the exhibit. "I put the Vietnam War behind me a long time ago," McCain said at the time. "But I harbor no anger nor rancor. I'm a better man for my experience, and I'm grateful for having the opportunity of serving." E-mail to a friend . David de Sola is a former CNN staffer and a graduate journalism student at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California .

McCain's time in Vietnam marked at Hanoi Hilton and where he was captured . A portion of the Hoa Lo prison has been preserved and turned into a museum . McCain's flight suit, helmet and parachute are on display at the museum . McCain spent 5½ years in the Hanoi Hilton and was released in 1973 .

Washington (CNN) -- Grimacing with emotion, entertainment legend Mickey Rooney implored a Senate committee on Wednesday to stop what experts call chronic emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse of elderly Americans by family members and other caregivers. The 90-year-old Rooney told the Senate Special Committee on Aging that he was abused by a family member who took control of his life, and described feeling "scared, disappointed, yes, and angry." "You can't believe that it's happening to you," Rooney said. "You feel overwhelmed." Rooney has filed a restraining order against his stepson and stepdaughter, claiming both emotional and financial abuse. The committee's hearing brought attention to what experts call chronic elder abuse in America. Rooney said Congress should pass a law to make it a specific crime. "I'm asking you to stop this elderly abuse. I mean to stop it. Now. Not tomorrow, not next month, but now," he shouted from the witness table. Pass legislation and send it to be signed into law by President Barack Obama, he urged, so that the nation can say "it's a crime and we will not allow it in the United States of America." Following the hearing, committee Chairman Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin, introduced legislation that would create an Office of Elder Justice within the Department of Justice to help coordinate law enforcement response to elder abuse. According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, more than 14% of noninstitutionalized older adults experienced some form of elder abuse in 2009. The report cautions that number may be lower than the reality because many instances of elder abuse are underreported. "For years I suffered silently. I didn't want to tell anybody. I couldn't muster the courage and you have to have courage," Rooney said Wednesday. "I needed help and I knew I needed it. Even when I tried to speak up, I was told to shut up and be quiet." The GAO report found that many Adult Protective Service programs at the state level have growing case loads and dwindling resources. The elder population of the United States is expected to grow by 60% over the next 25 years. Other witnesses detailed the depth of the problem. "I tell the physicians I train that if they've seen 15 or 20 older people in their practices ... then they have probably met an elder abuse victim, whether they realize it or not," said Dr. Mark Lachs, director of geriatrics at the New York Presbyterian Health System. Based on a new study of elder abuse in New York state, "it would appear that for every elder abuse victim that makes it into an official service or reporting system, another 23 to 24 go undetected," Lachs said. Marie-Therese Connolly, director of the group Life Long Justice, told of a man charged by prosecutors in Seattle with murdering his mother. "His crime? Letting her rot to death with eight huge pressure sores, several to the bone, while he played internet poker and lived off her pension," Connolly said. "His excuse? She didn't want to go to a nursing home or a doctor; he was just respecting her wishes." According to Connolly, the woman was "imprisoned in her bed by immobility, dementia and isolation." "She moaned and cried out for help continuously in the weeks before her death," Connolly said. "Neighbors closed their windows and her son put in earplugs to muffle her cries. No one called Adult Protective Services or 911. It's hard to believe the response would have been the same had the cries come from a child, a younger woman or a dog." The witnesses noted that victims of elder abuse put a greater strain on support services by requiring more medical care, housing assistance and other help. Rooney summed up the challenge when he spoke of the personal difficulty that victims of elder abuse face. "You're afraid, but you're also thinking about your other family members," he said, noting concern about potential criticism from "your family, your friends, people who know them." "They might not want to accept the dysfunction," Rooney said, adding that "one should love their families as I do. I love my family." The diminutive Rooney has been a film star for decades, starting with his role in Andy Hardy films in the 1930s. CNN's Sally Holland contributed to this story.

NEW: Rooney says he "suffered silently" for years . 90-year-old entertainment legend gives emotional testimony . The committee is examining the chronic problem of elder abuse . Witnesses tell heartbreaking stories of abuse of senior citizens .

Washington (CNN) -- When the Obama administration unveils its National Security Strategy Thursday, it will be the first time a president explicitly recognizes the threat posed to the country by radicalized individuals at home. "For the first time since 9/11, the NSS integrates homeland security and national security," according to highlights of the plan given to CNN by a senior administration official said. The security strategy acts as a blueprint for how the White House intends to protect Americans. In the past, it has focused mostly on international threats. But National Security Adviser John Brennan explained Wednesday that a spate of terror-related plots in the United States recently prompted the Obama administration to include homegrown terrorism in the document. "Such a strategy must begin with the recognition that a clear-eyed understanding of our strategic environment -- the world as it is today -- is necessary to shape the world that we seek," according to a summary of the plan. "Currently, the United States is focused on completing a responsible transition in Iraq, succeeding in Afghanistan, and defeating al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates, while moving our economy from deep recession to enduring recovery. Even as we confront these crises, our national strategy must take a longer view. We must adapt and lead in a rapidly changing, interconnected world in which interests of nations and peoples are increasingly shared." Homegrown terrorism represents a new phase of the terrorist threat, officials said. Earlier this month, Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad was charged with trying to detonate a car bomb in New York's bustling district of Times Square. U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan is suspected of fatally shooting 13 people at Fort Hood in November. Colorado resident Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan national, pleaded guilty in February for conspiring to detonate explosives in the New York subway system. David Headley, an American citizen from Chicago, Illinois, is accused of providing surveillance in the Mumbai, India, terrorist attacks that killed 160 people. "We've seen an increasing number of individuals here in the United States become captivated by extremist ideology or causes," Brennan said. "We have seen individuals, including U.S. citizens armed with their U.S. passports, travel easily to extremist safe havens, return to America, their deadly plans disrupted by coordinated intelligence and law enforcement." Brennan, who made his comments at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that as the United States has strengthened its defenses against massive attacks like 9/11, al Qaeda has shown itself to be a "resilient, resourceful and determined enemy." Brennan said al Qaeda is recruiting individuals with little training, attempting relatively unsophisticated attacks and seeking people living in the United States to launch such attacks. "They are seeking foot soldiers who might slip through our defense," Brennan said. "As our enemy adapts and evolves their tactics, so must we constantly adapt and evolve ours." Brennan did not provide any specific details about the president's strategy for combating al Qaeda and its affiliates, but said it "will require a broad, sustained and integrated campaign that harnesses every tool of American power, military and civilian, kinetic and diplomatic." The strategy is built around protecting "four enduring U.S. national interests -- security, prosperity, values, and international order." In order to achieve this, it must strengthen U.S. institutions, values, and infrastructure -- such as education, energy, science and technology, and health care. It calls for strong diplomatic efforts internationally and galvanizing "collective action to address the share global challenges of our time." "Engagement begins with our friends and allies -- active partners in advancing common interests. We will continue to deepen our partnerships with increasingly active centers of influence -- cooperating when we can, and differing when we must. "With adversarial regimes, engagement provides us a means of testing intentions, giving governments the opportunity to change course, and mobilizing international coalitions." The strategy calls for updating "all of the tools of American power, and work with our allies and partners to do the same." "These tools include those in the fields of defense, diplomatic, development, homeland security, the rule of law, intelligence, and strategic communications, as well as support the participation of the American people and private sector. We are working to strengthen each of these tools, but also to integrate them through coordinated planning and capacity building in key areas," the strategy said.

Homegrown terrorism included after spate of terror-related plots . Strategy acts as blueprint for how White House plans to protect Americans . Strategy will require "broad," "sustained" campaign against terror groups .

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Reclusive pop icon Michael Jackson will perform 10 concerts in London in July in what he described Thursday as a "final curtain call." Michael Jackson announces the London dates at the O2 Arena. The summer shows, Jackson's first major live performances in 12 years, will take place at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena from July 8. Jackson, 50, appeared in front of fans and media at the venue Thursday to announce the "This Is It" shows. "These will be my final shows performing in London. "This Is It" really means this is it," said Jackson, wearing a trademark black military-style jacket with sparkling embroidery and black sunglasses. Jackson blew kisses and saluted his fans as they chanted "Michael! Michael!" "I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear. I'll see you in July and I love you so much." Watch Michael Jackson's announcement » . Tickets for the shows will cost £50-75 ($70-105) and will go on sale on March 13. Fans can pre-register to purchase tickets at www.MichaelJacksonLive.com. The O2 Arena has acquired a reputation in recent years for staging "must-see" musical events. In 2007 it hosted Led Zeppelin's one-off comeback gig as well as a 21-night residency by Prince. Britney Spears, the Pet Shop Boys and Lionel Richie are among performers due to play the venue this year. Event promoter Rob Hallett welcomed Jackson's return, saying: "We are delighted to facilitate the return of the king of pop, long may he reign! When Michael Jackson performs the eyes of the world will be watching." Jackson's appearance Thursday was not as slick as some of his signature dance moves. The star was held up in traffic as he traveled from his central London hotel to the venue on a peninsula of the River Thames in southeast London. An exclusive video that was to be shown before his arrival on stage then failed to play on cue. Several hundred Jackson fans had waited up to five hours to show their support for their idol. iReport.com: Show us your Michael Jackson moves . "I'm quite excited about him coming back," said Lee Gibson, 36. "He's got great songs despite all his issues. It's going to be massive." Owen Griffiths, 29, said: "It will be interesting to see what he does. If he puts on a good show like he used to do back in the day it will be a turning point for him just like it was for Prince here. If he's playing a greatest hits concert I would definitely pay £50 to see that --- so long as it's "Thriller" and "Off the Wall" only." Jackson, a child star with the Jackson Five who went on to enjoy stellar solo success with classic albums such as "Thriller" and "Bad," has rarely been seen in public since he was acquitted on child molestation charges in the U.S. in 2005. Timeline gallery of the highs and lows of Jackson's life » . Rumors of financial difficulties and health problems -- in 2008 he was photographed being pushed in a wheelchair -- have swirled around the famously eccentric star in recent years. Last year he sold his iconic Neverland ranch and he has spent much of his time since his acquittal living in Bahrain. The auction house, Julien's, is selling Jackson's Neverland property including the gates, the singer's famed white-jeweled glove and a stretched Rolls Royce. Watch what Jackson memorabilia is being sold » . Jackson hasn't recorded a studio album since "Invincible" -- his 10th solo record -- in 2001. His last major series of concerts was a world tour to promote the "HiStory" album in 1996 and 1997. "Thriller," released in 1982 and containing classic Jackson hits such as "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and the title track, is the best-selling album of all time. Jackson is estimated to have sold more than 750 million albums in total.

Michael Jackson announces 10 concerts at London's O2 Arena . Jackson called the performances a "final curtain call" Reclusive star rarely seen since acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005 . Rumors of financial difficulties, health problems have swirled around star .

(CNN) -- An octogenarian climber has abandoned his bid to reclaim the title of the oldest man to climb Mt Everest after a combination of poor climbing weather and government red tape forced him to call off the ascent. Veteran Nepali climber Min Bahadur Sherchan, 81, had been acclimatizing at base camp, ready to reclaim his title from longtime rival 80-year-old Yuichiro Miura who became the oldest climber to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain last week. However, a government promise to provide one million Nepali rupees (US$11,200) for the bid -- on which other sponsorship money hinged -- was awaiting government Cabinet approval in Kathmandu. Team leader Ishwari Poudel told CNN that going up Everest was now too risky because the snow had started to melt, making ladders and other equipment unstable. He said that since other expeditions had already left the mountain, there would be no manpower available in the event of a rescue. The government had also pledged to help Sherchan's bid by waiving the Everest climbing permit fee of US$10,000 but this was also held up by Cabinet delays. Purna Chandra Bhattarai, the Tourism Industry Division of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, said his department, which processes climbing permits, had received the application late and the waiver could only be decided by ministers. "The government makes decisions following its own procedure," he said. Sherchan downplayed rumors he was returning due to health concerns. "When one goes to climb such a mountain there are small health issues," he told CNN. Oldest Everest climber finally gets recognition . Sherchan and Miura have been rivals for at least five years. The two mountaineers first clashed in 2008, when Sherchan, then 76, reached the 29,028-foot (8,848-meter) peak a day before Miura, then 75. However, it was Miura's ascent that made it into Guinness World Records, forcing Sherchan to travel to London to set the record straight. Back in Nepal, he gathered paperwork, photos, witness accounts and media reports to confirm his ascent, and his feat finally entered the record books in 2010. Sherchan earlier dismissed talk that he was making the climb because he was in danger of losing his record. He said he had planned to reach the summit last year but failed to secure financial support. "Why should I go to set a record? I have my own record. I wanted to climb Everest in my eighth decade," he said before he left for base camp. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first expedition to reach the summit of Everest: Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made it to the top of the mountain on May 29, 1953. Before he boarded his flight at Kathmandu airport on Sunday, Miura said he had scaled Everest for the last time. The deadly traffic jam on top of the world . "I think three times is enough," said Miura, who made his first ascent at the age of 70. "At this point I could not think of anything but rest." He wished Sherchan good luck but called on his rival to take a photograph as evidence of a successful climb. Known for his exploits as an extreme skier, Miura made the ascent with his son Gota. Sherchan's wife, however, was less than thrilled by her husband's late-in-life mountaineering. "Of course I do not want him to go," Purna Kumari Sherchan said. "I had told him not to go even the first time." Sherchan was being assisted in his ascent by a Sherpa who has climbed Everest 12 times. To prepare, Sherchan carried a 25-kilogram (55-pound) load on his back while walking up and down the stairs of his three-story Kathmandu home several times a day. "If I am unsuccessful, it will be because of the weather. It will not be because of my physical condition," Sherchan said, before he set off.

Octogenarian climber abandons bid to reclaim title of the oldest man to climb Mt Everest . Nepali climber Min Bahadur Sherchan, 81, says government delays have prevented ascent . Warmer weather means Mt Everest is not safe to climb . Sherchan is a longtime rival of Japan's Miura who last week became the oldest man to the mountain .

(CNN) -- Pakistanis cast ballots in Karachi on Sunday, a day after the slaying of a well-known political leader who had accused rivals of vote rigging. As voters headed to polls, accusations flew over Zahra Shahid Hussain's death. Sources said an execution-style attack on the eve of the election killed Hussain, a senior vice president of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI. The party made headlines after nationwide elections on May 11, alleging vote rigging in Karachi and elsewhere. Amid the allegations, election officials held a revote Sunday for one National Assembly seat and two Provincial Assembly seats in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. Unofficial results from the country's election commission showed that PTI candidate Arif Alvi won the National Assembly seat. Former cricket star Imran Khan, who heads the PTI party, blamed the leader of the rival MQM party for Hussain's death, accusing him of making inflammatory speeches threatening PTI workers and leaders. "I hold (MQM leader) Altaf Hussain directly responsible for the murder," Khan said in a Twitter post. Officials from the MQM, one of Pakistan's largest and most liberal parties, denied responsibility and sharply criticized Khan. "The comments are absolutely baseless and are totally without foundation, made out of frustration from a man who has lost the election," said Mohammed Anwar, head of international relations for the MQM. Anwar said Altaf Hussain, the MQM's London-based leader, was the first person to condemn the killing. Khan's comments, Anwar said, show a man lashing out. "Within minutes of the murder, he was making accusations," Anwar said. "How did he found out so quickly after the event and issue a statement?" MQM leaders called for a protest against Khan's "hasty" allegations. The long road ahead for Pakistan's comeback king: Nawaz Sharif . Political killings escalating . Pakistan has seen a rise in targeted killings in recent years across the political spectrum. A gunman on a motorbike killed a parliamentary candidate and his young child in March in Karachi. Sadiq Zaman Khattak, a representative of the liberal, anti-Taliban Awami National Party, was leaving a mosque with his 4-year-old son when an assassin shot them both. No one owned up to the attack, but the Taliban have threatened Khattak's party and have claimed responsibility for some deadly attacks against its members and other politicians. On the day Khattak was killed, gunmen elsewhere ambushed and killed a top prosecutor, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali. At the time, he was trying a case stemming from the death of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who had been assassinated while campaigning for her party. Ali was heading to court when attackers opened fire on his car as it passed through an Islamabad neighborhood. The ambush also wounded his bodyguard, whom authorities assigned to protect him after he received threats from the Pakistani Taliban. Meanwhile on Sunday, family, friends and members of the PTI party attended Hussain's funeral. She was buried not far from her home in Karachi. Pakistan votes: Key moments of a turbulent past . British police investigating . Since 1991, the MQM political movement's leader has lived in London. Altaf Hussain sought political asylum in the United Kingdom "because of an attack on his life," according to a statement on the party's website. London's Metropolitan Police Service said Sunday that it was investigating complaints about alleged comments made by someone associated with the MQM but did not provide additional details. "We are in the early stages of the investigation and are assessing the information which has now been brought to our attention," the agency said in a statement. "We take all allegations of crime seriously and will respond appropriately to the concerns raised and will take action where appropriate." The British Foreign Office condemned the Pakistani political leader's murder. "We are deeply saddened by the recent violence in the city, including violence murderously directed against democratic political figures," a Foreign Office spokesman said. CNN's Shaan Khan, Aliza Kassim and Joseph Netto contributed to this report.

NEW: Family and friends bury Zahra Shahid Hussain . The Pakistani political leader was killed outside her home in Karachi . The rival MQM party denies responsibility and condemns the killing . A revote is held in parts of Karachi after vote-rigging accusations .

(CNN) -- The pastor of a Maryville, Illinois, church was shot to death during a service Sunday in front of horrified church members who then tackled the gunman, state police said. The Web site for the First Baptist Church of Maryville, Illinois, includes a photo of the Rev. Fred Winters. Fred Winters, the pastor of the First Baptist Church, was shot and killed during the 8 a.m. service, and the attacker and two church members suffered knife wounds in the attack, authorities said. The gunman entered during the service and walked up to the pulpit. Winters and the gunman apparently exchanged words before the 27-year-old man fired four shots, hitting the pastor's Bible and then the pastor, said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent. "The only thing we know is that the suspect said something to the pastor, and the pastor said something back to him -- we don't know what that was," Trent told reporters Sunday afternoon. "It was almost as if the pastor may have recognized him, but we're not sure about that at all." The gunman's .45-caliber pistol jammed after he shot Winters, Trent said. The man then pulled out a knife before being tackled by some of about 150 worshippers attending the service in southern Illinois, near St. Louis, Missouri. Watch the aftermath of the church shooting » . Earlier reports from authorities said the man may have turned the knife on himself, but Trent said that was not confirmed. "When he was tackled by two of the members, we don't know whether he fell on the knife, injuring himself at the time, or whether [his injury] was self-inflicted during the struggle," Trent said. Two of those who went after the attacker suffered injuries that aren't life-threatening, while the suspect's injuries are "very serious," Illinois state police spokesman Ralph Timmins said. Witness Claudia Bohley told CNN affiliate KSDK-TV in St. Louis that she was in the church's foyer waiting for the service to begin when she heard "pop, pop, pop. ... We just couldn't imagine what had happened." She said she ran into the sanctuary and saw what looked like paper scattered on the pulpit. She said she was later told that a bullet hit Winters' Bible. "It was like confetti. It went everywhere," she said. "People were down on their knees and on the floor, screaming and praying." She described Winters -- who is pictured on the church's Web site along with his wife and two children -- as "such a pleasant pastor." Trent said police are still trying to determine a motive in the shooting and that church members did not recognize the gunman. St. Louis University Hospital spokeswoman Laura Keller told CNN three males, including the suspect, were brought to the hospital. One was dead on arrival, she said, but the hospital was not releasing names and ages. She said the second was in an operating room and the third was the suspect, whose condition was not immediately available. Trent said one of two wounded church members was treated and released. Trent called the actions of the two wounded church members "heroic," saying they took quick action when others "were understandably stuck to their seats." Phone calls to the church office went unanswered Sunday. A posting on the church's Web site said a prayer vigil would be held at 6 p.m. at Metro Community Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, about six miles north of Maryville. First Baptist Church is fairly large, with about 1,000 members, KSDK reported. The church holds four Sunday services. Timmins said many of the people attending the service remained for hours afterward, as police were conducting interviews. The Illinois shooting is believed to be the nation's first in a church since July, when a 58-year-old man opened fire in a Knoxville, Tennessee, church during a children's play. Two people were killed and six wounded in that shooting at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. In the Tennessee case, Jim Adkisson told police he targeted the church because of its "liberal teachings," according to court papers. Adkisson pleaded guilty last month in a deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty and will face life in prison without parole, court officials said. Police said the Maryville congregation had a plan in place, including a protocol for lockdown, in the event of an incident such as Sunday's attack.

Church members tackle gunman after shooting, police say . Suspect's injuries are "very serious," police spokesman says . Police looking for motive in Illinois church attack that killed pastor .

(CNN) -- More than two million people are dying every year from the effects of outdoor air pollution, according to a new study. An estimated 2.1 million deaths are caused by anthropogenic increases of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) while a further 470,000 are killed annually as a result of human-caused increases in ozone pollution. Jason West, co-author of the study published in the journal of Environmental Research Letters said: "Outdoor air pollution is an important problem and among the most important environmental risk factors for health." East Asia is the worst affected area with researchers estimating more than a million people dying prematurely every year from PM2.5 pollution and 203,000 from ozone pollution. India has the second highest air pollution mortality rates with an estimated 397,000 deaths from fine particulates and ozone accounting for, on average, 118,000. Next comes Southeast Asia which has estimated average of 158,000 deaths from PM2.5 and 33,300 attributed to ozone. Europe has fractionally less PM2.5 deaths (154,000, on average) and 32,800 premature deaths related to ozone while in North America there were an average of 43,000 deaths from fine particulates and 34,400 related to ozone. West et al used an ensemble of global atmospheric chemistry climate models to estimate concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone pollutants. Fine particulate matter (dust, soot, smoke and liquid droplets) is classified as less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. It is particularly dangerous to human health because it can lodge deep in the lungs causing cancer and other respiratory disease, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ground level ozone is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight, say the EPA. The study also investigated the effects of climate change on worsening air pollution, comparing climate models from the year 2000 with pre-industrial times (1850). "Very few studies have attempted to estimate the effects of past climate change on air quality and health. We found that the effects of past climate change are likely to be a very small component of the overall effect of air pollution," said West, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Going forward into the future, climate change will get more severe and that could have greater effects on air pollution." The research adds to a growing body of evidence revealing both the human and economic impacts of air pollution around the world. A recent report published in the British medical journal, The Lancet found that the incidence of heart failure rises when air pollution is higher. The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation, concluded that a reduction of PM2.5 could reduce hospitalizations due to heart failure in the U.S. saving a third of a billion dollars per year. Another recent study published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences highlighted air pollution problems in Northern China, suggesting life expectancy could have been lowered by five-and-a-half years. Even in the European Union, air pollution takes a sizable 8.6-month chunk off life expectancy according to the World Health Organization. But technology to monitor air pollution is improving all the time, says Roland Leigh, an air quality scientist from the UK's University of Leicester. "Historically, air quality is something very much we've tried to measure and manage spatially -- considering over a total city what the average air quality is. What we are getting to now is systems that let us manage the distribution of air quality with knowledge of where people are and what people are doing," Leigh told CNN. Improved data can help manage the exposure of sensitized individuals (the young, asthma sufferers, the elderly), he says. But he concedes that the road to improved air quality might be a long one. "We have come to terms with the fact that in the urban environment we get exposed to emissions by our transport systems. That transport system is essential and at the moment there is no economically viable way of not emitting pollution at the point of use. "Either we have to manage those emissions and exposure more intelligently or technologies need to change in our cars."

Air pollution responsible for more than two million premature deaths worldwide annually . Study assesses impact of fine particulates and ozone using atmospheric climate models . East Asia worst affected region with over a million deaths per year . Study also found that climate change hasn't had huge impact on effects of air pollution .

(CNN) -- Clad in his trademark black overcoat Jose Mourinho famously sprinted down Old Trafford's touchline eight years ago to celebrate Porto's last-gasp equalizer which knocked Manchester United out of the European Champions League. And if Mourinho gets his way the Real Madrid coach will be spending much more time on the touchline -- the Portuguese coach wants football's authorities to introduce a timeout system. Widely employed in sports such as American football, basketball and ice hockey, timeouts allow a coach to talk directly to their players when a game is stopped. At present soccer coaches are only allowed to give tactical advice to their players at half time. "It's something that I think football could improve a little bit," Mourinho, who celebrated Real's recent win over Manchester City in the Champions League by sliding on to his knees on the Bernabeu turf, told CNN in an exclusive interview. "It would be to allow during a match to find a way to allow the coach to have a relation with the players." Real's coach suggested that the timeout should come midway through the first half. "You could ask for a minute like the American sports have. It probably would be a solution, or give us some more freedom to walk around the touchline." Read: Old money Real Madrid hold off nouveau riche Man City . Mourinho's career at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real has been characterized by meticulous planning and his use of early double or triple substitutions to change the course of a game. But he revealed he was flexible in his approach to the way he delivered his half-time team talks. "Sometimes, it's emotionally. Sometimes, it's spontaneous. Sometimes, you don't think and sometimes, you don't have time to think," said Mourinho. "But many other times, of course, I prepare myself. "Even when I'm in the match, the last 10 minutes of the first half, more than analyzing the game, I'm preparing myself for half-time because that's when I can have an impact on the players. "I can help the players to improve and to win a match, so I try to be an observer and I try to analyze the game during the first 30-35 minutes of the first half and the last 10 minutes, I am preparing myself for my direct contact with the players." The Real coach added: "Players are incredible artists and during the match, sometimes they express themselves in a way where they're not even thinking about it. They do things where they don't think. And I think with coaches, it can happen the same." However, Mourinho admitted that his advice was not always heeded by his players. Notably when he was Inter Milan coach and devoted the majority of a half-time team talk pleading with Italian forward Mario Balotelli to take care and not get sent off in a Champions League game against Rubin Kazan. But Mourinho's words of wisdom fell on deaf ears and almost immediately after the restart the enigmatic Balotelli picked up a red card. "I could write a book of 200 pages of my two years at Inter with Mario, but the book would be not a drama, the book would be a comedy because he's a funny, he's a funny kid," said Mourinho. Read: Ronaldo hat-trick leaves Real Madrid in command of Group of Death . More seriously, Mourinho suggested Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini might be the only coach who could persuade Balotelli, who scored a late equalizer for City in the 1-1 Champions League draw with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, to maximize his formidable talent. "Mancini was his first coach as a professional, so before me," said Mourinho. "So for sure the same feeling I have, Mancini has probably even more than Mario. "You know, Mario was 18 with Mancini at Inter, was 20 with me. Now, he should be 22, so the natural tendency is that he grows up and becomes the player that the talent he has. "I've no contact with Mario in this moment, but I hope so. I hope so, and Roberto knows him well, speaks the same language, knows him since he was a kid, so if he doesn't do it with Roberto, it will be difficult to do with another one, but I hope so because he's a talent."

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho calls for introduction of U.S style timeouts . American Football, Basketball and Ice Hockey employ timeouts . Mourinho suggested the timeout should come halfway through the first half . The Portuguese coach reveals Mario Balotelli once ignored a half-time team talk .

(CNN) -- Potato salad is a cause worthy of charitable donations. That notion started out as a joke in early July, when Zack "Danger" Brown opened a Kickstarter campaign requesting $10 in crowdfunding to make his very first batch of it. But the joke was on him, when an Internet mob pounded him with a sum far beyond his goal -- $55,492. On Saturday, he spent it on a public party in a city park in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to benefit charity. He says he won't personally pocket any of the loot. The Internet storm also whisked Brown into an overnight sensation. The raging speed of donations snagged the attention of "Good Morning America" in a few days' time. The newly minted fund-raiser popped by ABC's morning show studio in shorts and sneakers with no socks, and showed off a cheap T-shirt with homemade iron-on lettering that read, in all caps: "I JUST BACKED POTATO SALAD." Too much money . His campaign's dizzying momentum blindsided Brown. "At Day One, we had $200. I thought that was way too much money," he told the show. He confessed that he had not yet made any potato salad but said he'd received many recipes through the Internet -- from mayo-daubed to vinegar-splashed concoctions. Brown's bewilderment over the sum didn't stop him from handily hoisting the fund-raising bar much higher. He pledged prizes for various levels of donation: A bite of the potato salad for those contributing $3. A hat for a contribution of $25. A T-shirt for $35. He added "stretch" goals for donors to meet between $35 and $3,000. While the money came in streams, visitors to his Kickstarter page arrived in deluges, tallying more than 4 million views. It ranks No. 4 on the website for all-time visits, according to Kickstarter. Potato salad weighs in ahead of actor LeVar Burton's Reading Rainbow, which ranks eighth, and the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, which ranks 10th. Nevertheless, donations to those campaigns rocketed into lofty millions and dwarf the money given to potato salad. Eating up attention . Brown has reveled in the attention, posting YouTube videos satirizing his cause with an indelible bright-eyed gaze and an upbeat smile on his cleanshaven face. He took the ALS ice bucket challenge by pouring a bucket of potatoes over his head before someone else doused him with ice water. Consistently, Brown thanked the Internet for its charity, personifying and addressing it personally by introducing videos with the salutation, "Hello, Internet." Two and a half months after uploading his joke campaign, Brown was sitting on sacks of potatoes and money. He had promised to read off the list of his donors on camera while he made his first potato salad. It took him nearly four hours to read all the names of generous people from 20-some countries -- 6,911 people donated in all. Feeding those in need . Then it came time to do something with all those spuds and all that dough. "I want to do the most good that I can do with this," he had told "GMA." But Kickstarter prevents campaigners from turning their cash directly over to charities. To get around that, Brown splurged for a concert bash called PotatoStock 2014 with concession stands and sponsorships, he said on his website, thepotatostock.com. Proceeds from the event went to nonprofits to fight hunger in Central Ohio. Brown invited the entire Internet to the party, and a few people did drive to Columbus from other states, according to Brown's Twitter posts. But for all the global attention, a big chunk of the funding came from close to home. About 90% came from the United States, and donors from Ohio gave the most money, followed by California. Nearly 63% of the Ohio donations were contributed from in and around Columbus, the very area Brown intends to feed. .

Zack "Danger" Brown asked on Kickstarter for $10 to make his first batch of potato salad . On the first day, he got $200 -- way too much, he thought . He ended up with more than $55,000 and decided to use it for a charity bash . The campaign has made Brown an overnight sensation .

Valdosta, Georgia (CNN) -- The family of a teen found dead in a rolled-up wrestling mat went to court Tuesday to demand a coroner's inquest into his death, arguing that conflicting autopsy reports require a second look by authorities. Chevene King, a lawyer for the parents of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson, said he expected an inquest would find Johnson "was the victim of foul play," not the accident that authorities in his south Georgia hometown have ruled. "How could you, in the midst of all these questions, deny this family an opportunity to have an investigation into the cause and manner of their child's death?" King asked. "This is one way in which that investigation could be reopened." School attorney: Others in surveillance footage in gym mat death case . The Johnson family has asked Lowndes County Coroner Bill Watson for an inquest before, in March. In May, after investigators closed the case, Watson had indicated he would be willing to hold one -- but he refused to discuss the issue in a recent interview with CNN, and there was no immediate response from Watson to Tuesday's filing. King said he expects a judge to hear the request by October 30. Kenneth Johnson told reporters that he expects a difficult fight, but added, "Kendrick was my son. It can't be no harder than that." A state medical examiner ruled the high school athlete suffocated in January after getting stuck head-down in the gym mat. But his parents, Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson, disputed the findings and won a court order to have their son's body exhumed for another autopsy. The private pathologist who conducted that autopsy in June found that Johnson had a blow to the right side of his neck "consistent with inflicted injury." And in the process, he discovered that the teen's body had been stuffed with newspaper after his internal organs were removed for the original autopsy -- a grisly find that only fueled the Johnson family's suspicions about their son's death. Parents want answers . In a coroner's inquest, a jury hears evidence and determines whether a death was the result of natural causes, an accident, suicide or homicide. Another lawyer for the family, Benjamin Crump, said the proceeding is needed "so this family can have some peace in knowing what happened to their child." "This coroner has to consider witness testimony, video surveillance, in light of all the other things that are questionable about this to make not only the public have confidence in this finding, but this family to have some peace of knowing what really killed their child," Crump said. Authorities in Valdosta, about 230 miles south of Atlanta, say the case is closed. But the U.S. attorney for the district that includes the town has said he is reviewing the case and weighing whether to open his own investigation. Scene points to foul play . Friday, a lawyer for Lowndes County High School told CNN that surveillance footage from the gym shows other teens were inside around the time Johnson died. But the school has refused to release certain photos or video, citing state law that exempts the release of "education records of a minor child." The Johnson family has called for that video to be released, and Crump said a coroner's inquest may make that possible. "If that video shows others in that gymnasium, as has been reported, then they have a right to have this coroner's inquest," he said. "It is right, and justice demands so." Autopsy shocker: Body stuffed with newspaper . CNN has now filed a motion to join a lawsuit by the family that seeks full access to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office's investigative files in Johnson's death. In the motion, the network asserts that under the Georgia Open Records Act, the "public has a right to evaluate the sheriff's conclusions, and further evaluate...the expenditure of public funds and the efficient and proper functioning of its institutions." CNN is seeking the release of additional surveillance footage from the gym where Johnson was found dead, among other items. The sheriff's office asserts that some items within the investigation were withheld or redacted to protect the privacy of minors or because they constituted school records. CNN's Devon Sayers reported from Valdosta with Matt Smith in Atlanta.

Coroner should hold an inquest "in the midst of all these questions," lawyer says . An inquest would show Kendrick Johnson fell victim to foul play, he says . The 17-year-old was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat in January . A state medical examiner said he suffocated, and investigators called the death accidental .

(CNN) -- After 25 years, Robin Thomas had just about lost hope. Her brother, Jim Wolf, suffers from depression, alcoholism, unresolved grief and chronic homelessness, she says. No one disputes Wolf has been arrested dozens and dozens of times, mostly for misdemeanors such as public intoxication. Thomas says her brother "lives in survival mode" and nearly died after an altercation with a bouncer left him with a crushed sternum and broken foot, she says. Recently, Wolf was featured in a fundraising video created by Rob Bliss for Dégagé Ministries. The group provides shelter, meals and other services daily to more than 400 homeless people in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Wolf is one of their regular clients. The video features Wolf getting a makeover that included a haircut with highlights, beard grooming and a beautiful new suit. The video received more than 14 million views in just a few weeks and helped raise more than $30,000 for Dégagé Ministries. Bliss says his hope was for the makeover to provide a start down a new path. Thomas says Wolf has started on that path before. "It's our hope he'll take steps," Thomas says. "The makeover took a couple of hours. He's had alcoholism for 25 years." Wolf joined the U.S. Army at age 18 and spent a few years in the National Guard. Thomas says Wolf trained to deploy with an infantry unit but never deployed. She doesn't know exactly how many years he served. The nation's homeless veterans are predominantly male, according the Department of Veterans Affairs. The majority are single, live in urban areas and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 13% of the adult homeless population are veterans. Thomas says Wolf never saw combat; she suspects the life event that continues to haunt him was the sudden death of their mother. But that, his sister says, was years ago. Neither Thomas nor Bliss seemed surprised or anxious when Wolf was arrested shortly after the video was released. That Wolf is drinking but not using drugs is something of a relief. "If he gets arrested fewer times this year than last, that's progress," Bliss says. Thomas agrees. She doesn't take responsibility for Wolf or make excuses for him. When speaking of her brother, she seems quiet, respectful and a bit sad. She knows he is not the same big brother who was there for her growing up. She doesn't question why her three other brothers have been less involved in helping Wolf than she is. She says Wolf is a great guy, has always been a great guy, but he's never dealt with the reality of the havoc he's created. Since the video was posted, people have shown willingness to help in various ways, Bliss and Thomas say. Dentists, rehabilitation facilities and doctors have offered assistance. Wolf was recently interviewed for a spot at a long-term residential treatment facility and received a complete physical, Thomas said. This week, he visited the hairstylist who cut his hair in the video for a trim. "He shows people his picture in the paper," Thomas says. "He's always sought attention, whether it's by telling a joke or leaving a cabinet door open while passing through the kitchen." She knows all these things are good things. She also admits that perhaps the video did not give Wolf the "glimpse into the future" that others had hoped. He did not view it as a life-changing event, Thomas says. Walking into Dégagé Ministries this week, Thomas says, she had the sudden realization that the day center held "300 Jims." "My hope for him is to get clean and sober," she said, "then get help with his depression. And for him to gain back hopefulness. I think he's hopeless. I don't think he can see the trees through the forest." As for the rest of us who will click on the video, then later in the day walk by a man or woman holding a sign, or huddling in a cardboard box, Thomas hopes we will be willing to extend a hand of support instead of a dollar bill. "Volunteer to give them some purpose. Talk to them. Have a simple conversation," she said. "I may have almost lost hope, but I will never give up."

A video of homeless veteran Jim Wolf getting a makeover got 14 million views . It helped raise more than $30,000 for homeless mission in Grand Rapids, Michigan . Wolf, however, continues to struggle; he was arrested shortly afterward . His sister says Wolf lost hope: "I don't think he can see the trees through the forest"

Omaha, Nebraska (CNN) -- Sen. Rand Paul kicks off a three-day swing Monday across Iowa, holding campaign-style events and fund-raisers with local politicians as the potential Republican presidential contender barnstorms the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Paul's route will take him through nine cities from the state's western border to its eastern edge. The Kentucky Republican will also help the state Republican Party open multiple offices ahead of the midterm elections. "It's very important for Sen. Paul to hear the concerns of average Iowans as well as job creators," said Steve Grubbs, Paul's chief Iowa strategist and a longtime political operative in the Hawkeye State. As Paul lays the groundwork for a potential presidential campaign, he has kept Iowa a top priority. This is his fourth trip there since the 2012 presidential election. Paul will leave the state on Wednesday, a day before the start of the Iowa State Fair, a popular venue for presidential hopefuls. A small swarm of other potential GOP contenders will travel to Iowa this weekend to attend a popular event for social conservatives. But Paul won't be there, preferring to give the candidates he's been helping some breathing room and allow them to be the focus. Poll: Republicans slightly behind Clinton in key 2016 states . Tim Hagle, a political science professor at the University of Iowa, said the senator's plan isn't a bad idea, especially in a midterm election year. "You want to come in and do favors for Iowa politicians," he said. "If you're at the state fair, the attention is on you and not the person you're trying to help." "Next year, you call in those favors," he added. "That's how it works." Paul actually starts the week in Omaha, Nebraska, where he'll appear publicly with Ben Sasse, the GOP nominee for Nebraska's open Senate seat. Then, he'll quickly hop across the state line to help the Iowa GOP open an office in Council Bluffs, where he's expected to appear with the state's GOP Senate nominee, Joni Ernst. Potential 2016 GOP candidates tout conservative principles in Iowa . Later Monday he travels north to Sioux City for another office opening, and then to a fund-raiser farther north, in Okoboji, for Rep. Steve King, a longtime congressman with considerable sway among the state's social conservatives. Tuesday morning Paul is back on the road for a fund-raiser in Clear Lake, before a stop at the Iowa GOP office in Hiawatha. Continuing east, he'll attend a fund-raiser for Mariannette Miller-Meeks' congressional campaign in Iowa City, and then he has two events in Davenport, including a tour of the corporate headquarters of Von Maur department stores. Wednesday he attends a breakfast in Urbandale and wraps up his public appearances for the week with another GOP office opening in the same city, a suburb of Des Moines. On some issues, Paul and Christie sound a lot alike . Paul's political action committee, RANDPAC, has made two big hires from Iowa in recent months: Grubbs -- who's also a former state representative and state party chairman -- and A.J. Spiker, a prominent figure among Iowa's libertarian-leaning Republicans. Paul's father, former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, generated a huge following in Iowa during his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. The libertarian movement went on to gain sizable influence in the state's Republican Party after the election -- Spiker, for example, became state GOP chairman -- but mainstream Republicans took back control of the party earlier this year. A big question will be whether Rand Paul, who's considered more moderate than his father, can re-energize the so-called Liberty faction of the state party, while also garnering support from its social conservatives and mainstream Republicans. "One of the reasons I signed on to work with Sen. Paul is I could see how he appeals to all of our party," Grubbs said. "There are very few candidates who have that ability to unify our party. I think that he can do that."

Rand Paul kicks off a three-day swing Monday across the first-in-the-nation caucus state . The state would be crucial for Paul if he runs for president in 2016 . "You want to come in and do favors for Iowa politicians," Iowa political expert says . This is Paul's fourth trip to the Hawkeye State since the 2012 presidential election .

(CNN) -- Luise Rainer, who won back-to-back Oscars in the 1930s for "The Great Ziegfeld" and "The Good Earth" only to quit Hollywood at the height of her fame, has died. She was 104. Rainer's death was first reported by her daughter, Francesca Knittel Bowyer, on Twitter. "Mummy had the fragility of an orchid, the energy of a hummingbird, the tenacity of a hunter. She could change calm waters into a raging storm with a look and the lift of a finger," Bowyer told CNN in an email. "My heart is a hole without her, but that hole will definitely be filled with incredible memories, sweet, salty and funny. I want her memory to linger with those who knew her and be given to those who did not." Rainer, who was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1910, was a well-known European actress when she was brought to America by MGM in 1935 in the belief she could be the next Greta Garbo. She immediately came through on their investment with her star turn in 1936's "The Great Ziegfeld," winning a best actress Oscar. She repeated the achievement with 1937's "The Good Earth," based on Pearl S. Buck's novel, in which she played O-Lan, the wife of protagonist Wang Lung. With that prize, she became the first actress to win consecutive best actress Academy Awards -- a feat not equaled until Katharine Hepburn pulled off the trick for 1967's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and 1968's "The Lion in Winter." To date, they are the only actresses to have done so. Both Spencer Tracy and Tom Hanks have done so in the best actor category, and Jason Robards won two straight supporting actor Oscars. But unlike Hepburn, who enjoyed a long career in movies despite the vagaries of fame, Rainer's life as a Hollywood star was short-lived -- by her own choice. She had frequent battles with MGM boss Louis B. Mayer and didn't like the roles she was offered. "All kinds of nonsense," she told the UK's Telegraph news site in 2009. "I didn't want to do it, and I walked out. Mayer said, 'That girl is a Frankenstein, she's going to ruin our whole firm.' He said, 'We made you and we are going to destroy you.' " Instead, Rainer turned the tables and left MGM. Her marriage, to playwright Clifford Odets, had fallen apart (partly over his envy of her friendship with Albert Einstein, who "liked my vivaciousness," she said) and she returned to Europe. She married Robert Knittel, a publisher, in 1945. The two were married for more than 40 years, until his death in 1989. She made a film for Paramount, "Hostages," in 1943, but that was it until 1997, when she appeared in a British production of Doestoyevsky's "The Gambler." She had other opportunities -- Federico Fellini asked her to appear in 1960's "La Dolce Vita," but she had a falling-out with the Italian director before filming -- though she didn't lament leaving movies. Her life was quite full, with famous friends -- Arturo Toscanini and Thomas Mann among them -- and plenty of activity, including a few plays and TV roles. She wasn't easily impressed, by Hollywood or fame. Asked about the Nobel Prize-winning Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who stayed with her and Knittel in London once, she told the Telegraph that he was "terrible." ''You could not talk to him about anything except his own work, you know? He was so conceited, and demanding!" she said. Despite her long life, she told the Telegraph that she felt that there was so much more she wished to know. "I know nothing. Nothing!" she said. "My God, one's lifespan is so very short." At the time, she was just shy of 100. Rainer is survived by her daughter, two granddaughters and two great-grandchildren. People we've lost in 2014 .

Luise Rainer was first actress to win back-to-back Oscars . Performer left MGM because she was unhappy with roles . She had long and rich life in Europe, made another movie in 1997 .

(CNN) -- Rather than getting the relaxing vacation they paid for, more than 3,000 passengers on Carnival Triumph have endured five days stranded in the Gulf of Mexico, smelling backed-up toilets and watching sewage slosh on deck. "A floating petri dish" is how one passenger, a doctor, put it. As tugboats bring the ship to Mobile, Alabama, on Thursday, many on board might be considering what to do next. Could Carnival passengers sue the cruise line? They could, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said, but whether the claim has merit will depend on the paperwork they signed when they purchased their ticket. Negligent infliction of emotional distress would be the main justification for a suit, said Jason R. Margulies, an experienced maritime lawyer based in Miami. Tensions are high on board. There was the stress inflicted by the fire in the engine room, which began the mess, a scary experience for sure. Apart from the uncomfortable situation with bad smells, there is a risk of health problems because of poor sanitation. And passengers have reported minor fights. All of this is justification for going to court, Margulies said. But it isn't that simple. Five things we've learned about cruising . What can make suing a cruise line complicated? Carnival has a prohibition on class-action suits in its tickets, information that wouldn't be obvious to passengers who didn't read the fine print when they bought tickets. U.S. courts have said that ship owners and operators cannot put that language on tickets. But Carnival, though headquartered in Miami, is incorporated outside the United States, partly in Panama and Great Britain, experts say. Carnival Triumph is a Bahamian-flagged vessel, so the Bahamas Maritime Authority is the primary investigative agency. Why did the rescue take five days? What else is detailed on the ticket? Carnival's ticket contract says the cruise line is not "liable to the passenger for damages for emotional distress, mental suffering/anguish or psychological injury of any kind under any circumstances, except when such damages were caused by the negligence of Carnival and resulted from the same passenger sustaining actual physical injury, or having been at risk of actual physical injury." While no physical injuries have been reported, if a passenger contracted a significant disease such as hepatitis from unsanitary conditions aboard on the ship, maritime trial attorney John H. Hickey believes, physical injury could be argued. "I think that a case can be made that everyone on that ship is at risk of actual physical injury," he said. Opinion: What cruise lines don't want you to know . What else should a passenger consider? Would it take a long time to see a resolution after filing suit? It would be incredibly expensive for a lone plaintiff to sue. And no matter how a suit is brought, it would probably take two years for it to wind through court, Margulies said. But it could still be done. Consider the case of Costa Concordia, the cruise liner that ran aground off Italy in January 2011. Thirty-two people were killed. Many people from different countries sued the owners of the Concordia with varying results. In at least one example, the cruise liner reportedly offered to pay 11,000 euros to each of 235 French nationals affected. Is there another remedy? Could passengers be compensated by their travel insurance? Jason Clampet of travel site Skift.com said that's unlikely. "Insurance really doesn't cover this sort of thing. Their trip wasn't interrupted, and they aren't incurring extra expenses ... so they can't be compensated that way," he said. Opinion: How Carnival can clean up the PR mess . What does a passenger have to weigh before moving forward? "In the real world, a big company like Carnival is going to want to try to make these passengers as happy as possible as quickly as possible," Toobin said. The cruise line said it would give each passenger $500, a free flight home and a full refund for the trip and for most expenses on board, as well as a credit for another cruise. "Do these people want to take what Carnival is offering and get on with their lives," Toobin asked, "or do they want to get into a long legal struggle that may not yield the results they want?" My celebration trip on the Carnival Triumph: From joy to misery . CNN's Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.

Passengers could sue Carnival, lawyers say . But filing a suit isn't easy . More than 3,000 passengers on Carnival Triumph have been stranded for five days .

(CNN) -- For decades, Mike Wallace defined the image of the hard-charging investigative reporter. News of his death at 93 came Sunday and with it a multitude of remembrances and assessments of a complex man. Wallace's longevity and his medium -- the TV network -- put a face on investigative reporting for the public. His career reflected how investigative journalism evolved from the 1950s into the 21st century -- and showed why we still need it. We watched his work on "60 Minutes" go from undercover tactics and ambush interviews in the 1970s to pieces that relied more on documents and analysis -- and in which targets were not entirely surprised by what was coming. We also watched as Wallace showed how complex and confrontational investigative reporting can be. He spoke openly of subjects dodging interviews and of management and corporate interference in investigative stories. He acknowledged many of his own flaws and revealed his clinical depression resulting from the stresses of the work. We watched too as he underwent two major controversies that would have demolished other careers. One was a $120 million libel suit by Gen. William C. Westmoreland over a story that said the military had deceived the American public about the size of opposition forces during the Vietnam War. The suit was eventually withdrawn but not before it had damaged reputations and sent Wallace into depression. The second was over an investigation into the tobacco industry that led to a fierce internal dispute at CBS on airing the story. Eventually, all the information came out and Wallace criticized his own bosses at CBS. But the controversy still resulted in a film highly critical of the network and Wallace's handling of the story. In addition to those controversies, his methods periodically came under attack from inside journalism, and friendships were lost and colleagues estranged or disillusioned. However, the public stuck with him -- perhaps because he continued to give hope that liars could be exposed, that dangerous practices could be stopped and wrongheaded policies overturned. Backed by a series of talented reporters and producers over the years, he was the front man -- the "closer" so to speak -- for teams of investigative journalists and for the public. In the theater of the interview, he conveyed the outrage and skepticism of journalists who spent months digging for the truth. One of his former producers, Charles Lewis, wrote Sunday, "Mike Wallace will go down in history as the finest investigative interviewer on the most popular and most honored network television news program in U.S. history." Lewis, a founder of two nonprofit investigative journalism centers, added, "At 60 Minutes, he literally set the gold standard for fearless, 'tough but fair,' go-for-the-jugular questioning and showed the world and the profession how investigative television news could look, should look." Wallace also exemplified a very American attitude that no matter how powerful someone is, he or she is expected to answer to the public for actions taken and mistakes made. When he confronted someone, many viewers felt Wallace represented their frustrations and spoke for them. When Wallace said the subject of an interview had to be kidding, he really meant the subject had to be kidding everyone watching. Before the camera, he embodied the democratic attitude that everyone is equal and everyone is accountable. In the end, one might wonder how he could continue to get those interviews after all those years of blistering confrontations, but I got a clue in 2000. At the time, I was executive director of the professional organization Investigative Reporters and Editors and Wallace had been invited to be on a showcase panel at the annual conference in New York City. He came half an hour early and cheerily talked with the conference staff. But while waiting backstage he suddenly said he needed one of his well-known catnaps. We offered to get a cot, but he said no thanks, folded his suit jacket inside out into a pillow, lay down on the floor and promptly fell asleep. For 10 minutes the staff delicately stepped over and around him. Then he got up, completely alert, thanked everyone for inviting him, and smiling went on stage to chat with a thousand journalists. I suspect it was that kind of regular guy attitude that got so many to talk to him, to believe in him, and even some of his targets to forgive him. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Brant Houston.

Brant Houston: Mike Wallace, who died Sunday at 93, defined image of hard-charging reporter . He says Wallace reflected evolution of investigative reporting over decades . Wallace exemplified the attitude that people in power should be held accountable, he says . Houston: Wallace spoke openly of corporate interference in stories, and of his depression .

(CNN) -- U.S. drug agents in Thailand took custody of five men wanted in the United States on allegations of being part of a drug ring that sought to traffic in North Korean methamphetamine and other drugs, CNN has learned. The men, who have British, Filipino, Taiwanese and Slovak citizenship, were being flown to New York to face charges, according to a source. Thai authorities announced the arrests after the men were turned over to U.S. authorities. A U.S. law enforcement official said the charges would be made public soon. The men are part of a broader investigation that federal prosecutors made public in September, filing charges against a group of former U.S. and European ex-military men in a murder-for-hire and drug-importation plot. The Drug Enforcement Administration concocted a sting operation and arrested Joseph Hunter, a former U.S. Army sniper trainer nicknamed Rambo, and four others in the sting case. The five more recently arrested were expelled by Thai authorities and put on a DEA plane to New York. Additional details of the charges couldn't be learned because they remain under seal. Drug trafficking from North Korea has occurred for decades with at least 50 documented incidents. In previous years, North Korea had been linked to shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, according to the CIA World Factbook. In 2003, a North Korean ship, Pong Su which was carrying nearly 300 pounds of heroin, was seized along the eastern coast of Australia after a four-day chase. There isn't enough information to determine whether the North Korean government is currently involved in drug trafficking, according to the 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report issued by the U.S. State Department . "There have been no confirmed reports of large-scale drug trafficking involving DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) state entities since 2004," it stated. "This suggests that state-sponsored drug trafficking may have ceased or been sharply reduced, or that the DPRK regime has become more adept at concealing state-sponsored trafficking of illicit drugs." The report also highlighted that the "proximity and availability of precursor chemicals in China likely contribute to the production of methamphetamine within North Korea." It alluded to reported transactions between North Korean traffickers and organized crime groups. Corrupt security agents and government officials are likely responsible for transnational drug operations, according to a different report published in North Korean Review in 2010. There is great difficulty in collecting data or accurate information regarding drug trafficking because of the secrecy in North Korea. So the report's authors, Minwoo Yun and Eunyoung Kim relied on interviews with 28 North Korean defectors living in China and Thailand as well as various documents. They could not be reached Wednesday for this story. Their report alleges that in the 1980s, the North Korean state "deliberately chose various transnational crime businesses including drug trafficking" during economically troubled times. The North Koreans specialized in heroin trade and kept the drug away from the ordinary population. Once the economy veered into famine and economic disaster in the 1990s, individuals desperate to survive turned to private drug enterprise, according to Yun and Kim's report. Corrupt agents and officials sold drugs to transnational organized crime operations through the North Korea-China border, they wrote. Family members also became private drug traffickers, they added. After poppy production failed due to weather, methamphetamine became more popular, according to a 2007 Drug Trafficking and North Korea report prepared for the U.S. Congress. One of the interviewees in Yun and Kim's report said that the city of Hamhueng is the center of methamphetamine production, because it produces the country's chemicals. Internally, North Koreans started using opium instead of hard-to-obtain and pricey medication, according to the report. And recreational drug users are more likely wealthy businessmen or members of the Party, according to South Korean media. More recently, methamphetamine is more widely used in North Korea as stricter China border controls forced drug producers to seek a local market for "ice," according to a report in the Spring 2013 edition of the journal North Korean Review.

5 men arrested in Thailand are being flown to the United States, CNN has learned . They are accused of trafficking North Korean drugs, a source says . The arrests are part of a broader investigation made public in September . North Korea has been producing drugs since the 1980s, report says .

(CNN) -- Teriyaki meatballs, rice, cookies and a bottle of water. That's what authorities gave a hungry teen stowaway who survived a five-hour flight hidden in the wheel well of a jetliner, soon after his unexpected arrival. The 15-year-old boy sneaked into the wheel well of a Boeing 767 and flew from San Jose, California, to Maui, Hawaii. "He was really soft-spoken and appeared to be tired. His answers were a little slow initially coming out," Maui District Airport Manager Marvin Moniz told CNN affiliate KGO. "We did get him some food prior to the paramedics getting here. We asked if he was hungry. He indicated yes he was. We got him some teriyaki meatballs and rice and a package of cookies and a bottle of water," Moniz said. According to a state health official, the teen is recovering at a Hawaii hospital. Once he's ready to go home to California, he'll have access to counselors and psychologists, Santa Clara High School Principal Gregory Shelby told KGO. The quiet teen, who recently transferred to Santa Clara High, is now the talk of the school. Emanuael Golla, a senior, said the boy was extremely shy. He told CNN that he had just arrived within the past few weeks. But he already wanted to run away from home -- apparently to see his mother in Somalia. His father and stepmother live in Santa Clara, where neighbors say family members kept to themselves after moving in a few months ago. "When I watched the analysis about the extraordinary and dangerous trip of my son on local TVs and that Allah had saved him, I thanked God and I was very happy," the teen's father told Voice of America's Somali service on Wednesday. He described his son as a "really cool boy," a "very quiet person, always busy with watching the TV and using computer." When asked what might have motivated the teen's trip, the father told VOA his son had been struggling in school. "He did not receive education when he was in Africa. Since we came here, he had learning challenges at school. He was not good at math and science, and I think he had a lot of education problems bothering him," the father said. "He was always talking about going back to Africa, where his grandparents still live," he told VOA. "We want to go back, but due to the current living conditions, we can't go back." The boy is said to have hopped a fence at San Jose International Airport shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday, the dark of night cloaking his intentions. But the teen, who has not been publicly named, didn't just breach the fence -- he stayed on the grounds for six hours without getting caught, a government official said. The boy just wanted to see his mother in Somalia, a law enforcement official said. But he had no clue which plane went where. Eventually, he settled on a Hawaiian Airlines 767. Armed with nothing but a comb, he climbed into the jet's wheel well. As the plane took off, the wheels came up -- barely sparing the teen from a crushing impact. It was just the first of several dangers that nearly took his life. The temperature dropped well below zero. The oxygen levels diminished. By the time the plane ascended higher than the peak of Mount Everest, he had passed out. It wasn't until an hour after the plane landed in Maui that he emerged from the underside of the jet. The idea that he survived the flight seemed unbelievable. The boy is now in the custody of Hawaii child welfare services workers, said Kayla Rosenfeld, spokeswoman for the state's Department of Human Services. It's quite possible he suffered permanent brain damage such as neurological issues, memory problems or a lower IQ, said Dr. Kenneth Stahl, a trauma surgeon at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital. The teen also could have frostbite or a kidney injury because when the body freezes, particles of muscle enter the bloodstream and damage the kidneys, the doctor said. Expert highlights potential security weak points at airport . Teen stowaway raises questions about airport security . 5 stowaway attempts that didn't end tragically . Opinion: Stowaway teen got ride of his life . CNN's Dana Ford, Mayra Cuevas and Dan Simon contributed to this report.

Airport manager says the 15-year-old was a little slow to answer questions . Allah saved my son, teen's father tells Voice of America . The stowaway says he was trying to get to Somalia to see his mother . He traveled from California to Hawaii in plane's landing gear hold .

(CNN) -- U.S. President Obama sent a direct message to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei weeks before this month's disputed election, Iranian sources said Wednesday. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calls for an end to protests last week at Tehran University. The letter requested dialogue and engagement between the two nations, the sources said. The sources said that Khamenei has yet to reply to the letter but that nonetheless it "had set the negotiating table in order for both sides to sit around it after the election." The White House refused to "get into the specifics of our different ways of communicating," a senior Obama administration official said. "We have indicated a willingness to talk for a long time and have sought to communicate with the Iranians in a variety of ways," the official said. Khamenei made an indirect reference to the letter in his sermon on Friday at Tehran University. "The U.S. president said that we were waiting for a day like this to see people on the street," the Iranian leader said. "Some people attributed these remarks to Obama, and then they write letters to say we're ready to have ties, that we respect the Islamic Republic, and on the other hand, they make such comments. Which one should we believe?" One Iranian source said, "We thought President Obama would send congratulations to President Ahmadinejad," and before the election, his senior advisers prepared a response to the anticipated note, which never came. The Iranian source said the election dispute is wasting time on the issue of starting U.S.-Iranian negotiations. Watch how the reported letter is part of a new policy of engagement » . "The longer it is delayed," the source said, "the less likely [U.S.-Iranian talks] will happen." Another Iranian government official said there is still "no trust" between Iran and the United States. The source said he is waiting for "real change" even though the Iranian government welcomed the change in tone of the Obama administration before the current election turmoil in Iran. The official went on to cite a recent gesture by Iran toward Obama: the release of journalist Roxana Saberi. The official said Iran accepted Obama's assurances that she was not a spy and had allowed the Iranian citizen to leave the country. Since, under intense scrutiny amid growing concerns over Tehran's violent crackdown on street protests, Obama has sharpened his language on Iran. "The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments of the last few days," Obama said Tuesday, adding that he strongly condemns "these unjust actions." He has not spoken in support of Ahmadinejad or his main rival, Mir Hossein Moussavi, whose supporters have taken to the streets to protest the results of the June 12 election that gave Ahmadinejad a second term. Obama's letter to Khamenei is in keeping with his publicly stated aim of engagement with Iran and his New Year's message in which he described a new way forward. The Obama administration has "made it clear that any real dialogue -- multilateral or bilateral -- needed to be authoritative," according to the senior administration official. The official noted that the Iranians have yet to respond to a diplomatic outreach made during talks on Iran's nuclear program April 8. At that time, the administration asked the European Union's international policy chief, Javier Solana, to invite Iran to new talks with the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany. But the administration's tack toward Iran may be changing, as senior officials in Washington said the Obama administration is seriously considering not extending further invitations to Iranian diplomats for July 4 celebrations overseas. Some invitations had been sent and will not be rescinded, senior administration officials said. The officials said intense discussions on the issue were taking place, but the final decision had not been made. The Obama administration had decided to invite Iranians to the celebrations at overseas posts as part of Obama's policy of engaging the Iranian regime. As part of that engagement, Obama videotaped a message for the Iranian people on the Persian new year, and U.S. officials have engaged members of the Iranian government. CNN's Elise Labott and Dan Lothian contributed to this report.

White House refuses to "get into the specifics," administration official says . Obama's letter requested dialogue and engagement, Iranian sources say . Sources: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hasn't replied to letter sent before June 12 election . Khamenei made an indirect reference to letter in sermon last week .

(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid move three points clear in Spain ahead of the winter break with his fifth hat-trick this season in Saturday's 6-2 win at Sevilla, as both teams had a player sent off. The Portugal forward claimed outright top spot in the La Liga scoring charts as he moved clear of Lionel Messi, who is in Japan with Barcelona for Sunday's FIFA Club World Cup final against Brazilian side Santos. Real, smarting from last weekend's 3-1 home defeat by the Spanish and European champions, made the perfect start when Ronaldo ran onto Angel Di Maria's threaded pass to net in the 10th minute. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas did well to stop Sevilla making an immediate reply, with the Spain captain pushing Manu's shot onto the post. Sevilla thought they had equalized in the 35th minute but Emir Spahic's effort was ruled out for a marginal offside following Ivan Rakitic's free-kick out wide, and Real doubled the home team's anguish by immediately doubling the lead. Jose Callejon, who like Ronaldo scored in the midweek Copa del Rey first-leg win over third division Ponferradina, was credited with another goal after making enough contact with Di Maria's chip into the box to distract keeper Javi Varas. Ronaldo made it 3-0 in the 41st minute with his 19th league goal this season after being given too much space to shoot from outside the box. However, Real went to the interval reduced to 10 men after defender Pepe was sent off for striking the face of former Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo. Sevilla could not capitalize on that advantage, and Di Maria was finally rewarded in the 66th minute when he ran onto Karim Benzema's first-time pass and coolly slotted low past Varas. Jesus Navas reduced the deficit when he fired through the legs of defender Sergio Ramos in the 69th minute, but Manu was red-carded for a rash tackle from behind on Madrid fullback Alvaro Arbeloa. Ronaldo netted from the penalty spot with five minutes left -- sealing his 13th treble for Real --after Benzema was fouled by Federico Fazio in a challenge that saw the France forward carried off. His replacement Hamit Altintop then scored his first league goal for Real, with the Turkey midfielder netting from Xabi Alonso's low cross. Negredo hit back in the second minute of time added on for his fifth in La Liga to ensure a repeat scoreline from last season's fixture. The defeat left Sevilla 16 points behind Real after 16 games, and facing the prospect of losing fifth place to Malaga -- who visit third-placed Valencia on Sunday. Espanyol moved up to seventh with a 2-1 win at Sporting Gijon that left the Barcelona-based club a point behind Sevilla and Malaga. Sergio Garcia netted the winner with six minutes left, after captain David Barral equalized for third-bottom Gijon with his seventh goal this season in the 61st minute. French teenager Thievy Bifouma put Espanyol ahead after only two minutes as the 19-year-old fired home from outside the box. Athletic Bilbao beat bottom club Real Zaragoza 2-1 to move up to eighth, despite having Spain midfielder Javi Martinez sent off midway through the first half. Leonardo Ponzio put the visitors level from the resulting penalty, but his teammate Maurizio Lanzaro was dismissed for a second booking on 69 and Gaizka Toquero netted the Basque side's winner with three minutes to play. Getafe joined 10th-placed Atletico Madrid on 19 points with a 2-1 win at Real Mallorca as Abdel Barrada netted both goals. Defender Ivan Ramis headed Mallorca into a 10th-minute lead, but Pedro Rios helped 22-year-old French midfielder Barrada score on 28 and 44.

Real Madrid three points clear of Barcelona going into Spain's winter break . Cristiano Ronaldo scores his fifth hat-trick this season in 6-2 victory at Sevilla . It takes him to 20 league goals this season, three more than Barca's Lionel Messi . Espanyol move up to seventh with a 2-1 win at third-bottom Sporting Gijon .

(CNN) -- Margaret Thatcher is best known for her domestic economic policy changes, from lifting exchange controls and slashing marginal tax rates, to privatizing state-run industries and bringing the labor unions back under the rule of law. She also ushered in an era of contracting out which saw local city services soar in quality while costs plunged, and she gave tenants of public housing units a legal right to buy at deeply discounted prices. She changed the landscape. Millions bought their own homes and many more millions started buying shares for the first time. Self-employment became a real vogue and a venture capital industry emerged and grew like Topsy. Over 11 and a half years in power she became an international icon, regularly facing down terrorists and military dictators, from the Iran Embassy siege through the Falkland Islands war, to the bomb happy IRA who nearly got her scalp one fall in the infamous Brighton bomb. European Union bureaucrats in Brussels trembled at her approach and the regular tongue lashings. The noun handbag became a verb as in "to be handbagged," namely hit over the head with a fashion accessory that was rumored to contain a brick. The inside joke was: Rome wasn't built in a day but then Margaret wasn't foreman on that job. Used Thatcher handbags went for thousands at fundraising auctions. It was all a bit of an exaggeration, as she did worry a great deal about some of her more radical policies. Her policy of privatizing the commanding heights of the economy which had been nationalized by the socialists (1945-1951) turned rotten tax-guzzling behomeths into nimble world-class tax-paying companies. This started a worldwide trend which continues to this day. She worked closely throughout his two terms with U.S. President Ronald Reagan. They had met twice in the mid 1970s, both times a one hour appointment which ended up going beyond three hours. It was husband Denis Thatcher who first spotted Reagan's talents when he spoke at a London business dinner, and sped to their Flood St, Chelsea, home to tell his wife that this man was really right up her street. She started with Jimmy Carter in the White House (he complained that he could not get a word in edgeways with her) and ended with the first Bush, notably with her famous advice on Kuwait: "Don't go wobbly on me, George." But it was Reagan with whom she really solidified the transatlantic bridge. They fell out only once when she roasted him for not alerting her to the invasion of Grenada. He put her on speakerphone in the Oval Office and let her blast away, before telling her that he had been warned not to alert her because her Foreign Office leaked so badly. He could not risk American lives just for the sake of briefing a friend, however close. It was of course the steadfastness of the president, the pope, and the prime minister which brought down that wall and destroyed the evil empire without a shot being fired. She was the first leader to visit Reagan after he won power and the last to visit him as his second term ended. When she did not share his passion for horse riding Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II took care of matters. Margaret, or Lady T as we all called her after her elevation to the Upper House, loved America. She had toured coast to coast, north to south. She went twice in the late 1960s, firstly as a guest of the State Department -- which openly touted her as a future prime minister -- and secondly as a lecturer for the U.S. branch of the English Speaking Union. It was said by her Downing Street staff that the second she set foot in America there was a new spring in her step and she lost ten years. Thatcher loved it when the communists in Moscow early on labeled her the Iron Lady. They thought it was an insult, but she turned it into a compliment and went on to melt the Iron Curtain. She and Reagan never believed a word of Soviet propaganda. As early as 1950, when she first stood for parliament in her early 20s, she said that as long as we stick to principle we have nothing to fear from Russian communism. What an astonishing prediction from an astonishing woman. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Blundell .

European Union bureaucrats in Brussels trembled at her approach and the regular tongue lashings, writes Blundell . Thatcher worked closely throughout his two terms with U.S. President Ronald Reagan . Blundell: Margaret loved it when the communists in Moscow early on labeled her the Iron Lady .

(CNN) -- For the past five years now, we here at the international women's movement Femen have been waging an active campaign of resistance to the patriarchy in various corners of the world. We have been bringing the world the simple idea of women's liberation by means of sexual emancipation as expressed in highly visible acts of political protest. We believe that the enslavement of women began with the enslavement of their sexuality, so we therefore consider it legitimate to use their liberated sexuality as a symbol of women's worldwide liberation. We divide the patriarchy confronting us into three basic parts. First, dictatorship, as a tool for enslaving women. For this reason we are a democratic movement. The second part of the system consists of religion and the church, which have overseen the spiritual enslavement of women. For this reason Femen is an atheistic group motivated by secularism and humanism. Read more: Sexualized Femen protest 'naive and foolish at best' The third element of the patriarchy is the sex industry, which has been responsible for women's sexual servitude and is in fact the most ancient form of female slavery. For this reason, then, Femen sees sexuality as the organon and canon of women's freedom. Hence, our three basic postulates are democracy, atheism, and sexuality. From what we have related above, naturally the most hated institutions are those that stand for one of these three things or a mixture of them. The most obvious illustration of the patriarchy is Islamic theocracy, a symbiosis of political and religious dictatorship. In theocratic states, the position of women is horrifying and hopeless. We direct our fiercest criticism to such countries, and work in that part of the world is what most occupies our minds. A clear example of the "Shariazation" under way in the Middle East and North Africa is what our activist Amina Tyler has gone through. For having published in Facebook topless pictures of herself with "F*** Your Morals" written on her body, Amina suffered severe criticism and death threats, and was kidnapped, beaten, and subjected to humiliating treatment. Read more: Topless feminist protesters show what they're made of . This young woman claims her own family took her far outside the confines of the city in which she lived to spend several weeks in a village unknown to her. There, shut up inside a house, she underwent a forced "Islamization:" they made her read the Quran and took her every day to see an imam. Amina's family also declared her insane and compelled her to ingest large doses of medication. "Because I was taking so many pills, I was sleeping all the time," Amina told me. "And once I woke up, I understood that I didn't remember anything." Amina finally managed to escape. A few hours after Femen activists attacked the president of Tunisia shouting "Where is Amina?" I received a phone call: "Inna, this is Amina speaking! I've escaped from my family!" After a long conversation about what she had gone through during her period of forced isolation, I asked her whether she thought it best for her safety to leave Tunisia for a while. Amina answered that she would not leave Tunisia until she had carried out a topless protest with other Tunisian girls who had already established contact with her. Our understanding of Islamism, according to what we have learned fighting against it, tells us that our criticism of it is valid and holds out much hope for the future. At the heart of Islamism lies the enslavement of women based on control over their sexuality. The hijab is at the same time both a symbol and a tool of this enslavement. A mass sexual protest inspired by our example will serve as the first step toward women's recovering their own nature and will be a turning point, sparking the dissolution of the Sharia and the return, to women, of control over the conditions of her existence, from the sexual to the political. I hereby both promise and threaten to deploy an entire network of Femen activists in Arab countries. We will hound Islamic leaders across the globe, subjecting them to desolating criticism. We intend to hound spiritual leaders who are personally responsible for mistreating women. A million Aminas will arise! And freedom, at last, will dawn! The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Inna Shevchenko.

Shevchenko: Femen have been waging a campaign of resistance to the patriarchy . She says dictatorship is used as a tool for enslaving women . Religion and the church have overseen the spiritual enslavement of women, she says .

(CNN)Bruce Jenner says he's cooperating with police as they investigate a fatal car crash involving the reality TV star. "My heartfelt and deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones, and to all of those who were involved or injured in this terrible accident," Jenner said in a statement released Sunday by his publicist, Alan Nierob. "It is a devastating tragedy, and I cannot pretend to imagine what this family is going through at this time. I am praying for them. I will continue to cooperate in every way possible." Jenner earlier told police that paparazzi were chasing him when he was in the wreck, but investigators have said there's no sign photographers following him played a role in the crash. "That is a very regular occurrence, and (there is) no indication at this time it was a contributing factor of the crash," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lt. John Lecrivain said. Authorities haven't determined who was at fault in the Saturday crash, Sgt. Phillip Brooks of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told CNN Sunday. They also haven't released details about the victim. Jenner first catapulted to fame after winning the 1976 Olympic decathlon and now draws the celebrity spotlight for his role on the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" reality show. He was driving a black Cadillac SUV on Saturday that was the third vehicle involved in a multiple rear-end collision, Brooks said. The first vehicle was a black Toyota Prius, CNN affiliate KCAL reported, citing deputies. Behind it was a white Lexus sedan that also hit its brakes. Jenner's Escalade was towing a trailer with an all-terrain vehicle on it when it ran into the Lexus from behind, Brooks said. The Lexus spun into oncoming traffic and was hit by a Hummer H2. The driver of the Lexus was killed. Photos published on the TMZ celebrity gossip website purported to show the moment of impact. No information about the deceased was immediately available. Jenner, 65, was not injured in the crash, publicist Alan Nierob said. KCAL reported Jenner's SUV left skid marks. The wreck took place shortly after noon on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, the Sheriff's Department said. The department later opened a vehicular manslaughter investigation, a source close to the case told CNN legal analyst Mark Geragos. The investigation will focus on everyone in the case, not just one person, the source said. The Sheriff's Department said on its Facebook page that the surviving drivers were cooperating with investigators. A deputy said Jenner voluntarily took a field sobriety test, was questioned and went home. Five children and two adults were hospitalized with injuries, authorities said. The accident occurred on a tricky stretch of the highway, where the road is narrow and twisting. In a bizarre twist to the story, a car later drove through safety barriers around the scene and struck two of the cars from the initial accident, Cmdr. Mike Parker of the Sheriff's Department tweeted. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, Parker wrote. Jenner won the 1976 Olympic decathlon with a world record score for the 10-discipline event. He quickly capitalized on his success with Wheaties commercials, appearances and other ventures. He became an actor, appearing in the drama "CHiPs" in 1981 and occasionally playing himself on shows such as "Silver Spoons." More recently, he has gained fame as the well-known stepfather of Khloe, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian on their family's E! entertainment network reality show. He and Kris Jenner, the show's matriarch, divorced last year. E! said Jenner was not shooting for "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" on the day of the accident. Bruce Jenner's transition: Even in the age of reality TV, public gender transitions still uncommon . CNN's Rachel Wells, AnneClaire Stapleton, Janet DiGiacomo, Rachel Wells, Paul Vercammen, Paul Matadeen, Christie Bear, Vivian Kuo and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.

"I will continue to cooperate in every way possible," Bruce Jenner says in a statement . The reality TV star's SUV hit a car and pushed it into the path of an oncoming Hummer, authorities say . Investigators say there's no sign paparazzi following Bruce Jenner played a role in the crash .

(CNN) -- Hours before the George Zimmerman not-guilty verdict was announced, my partner and I were discussing ways to prevent our 16-year-old son from getting shot while jogging in the upper-middle-class, predominantly white neighborhood we had recently moved into. I promise you, it was a very real conversation. "Maybe we should get T-shirts and sweatshirts with the school's name on it," my partner said. After the verdict -- it came as a punch to the stomach -- we thought maybe it was best if he only ran inside at the nearby gym. This is what it means to be a parent of a young black man in America today: sleepless nights, courtesy of a cocktail of institutional racism, self-inflicted wounds and statistics. Lots and lots of statistics. About the too-high high school dropout rate among black youths, the distressingly high number of black men who are perpetrators -- and victims -- of violent crimes, the disproportionately steep incarceration rates for black men. Those who create our pop culture have learned to monetize that negative image, and some young black men are mesmerized by it, adopting it as their own. As a result, we are all susceptible to the same prejudicial thoughts that led George Zimmerman to view a 17-year-old boy with a hoodie on his head and a bag of candy in his hand as suspicious. Related: My son knows he could be Trayvon . Trayvon could have been my son -- and that scares the hell out of me. If, during this 16-month ordeal, that thought never crossed your mind, then you have no idea what it is like to be the parent of a young, black male in America. After the verdict, attorneys from both the prosecution and defense seemed to go out of their way in their press conferences to say race was not a factor, which sounded more like wishful thinking than accurate commentary. After all, if Zimmerman were black, there would not have been a late night press conference afterward. When do you hear public outcry for the lives of young black males taken by other black males in cities such as Baltimore and St. Louis? If Zimmerman were black, I doubt the NAACP would have felt the need to issue a statement. If Zimmerman were black, Fox News would not have even bothered to show up. I remember walking home from the store one day, back when I was Trayvon's age. A white man in a sedan pulled up beside me, rolled down his window and said he wanted to talk. I was always taught to never talk to strangers, so I stayed silent and walked faster. He drove faster. I ran, yelling "Help!" as I tried to get away from him. That's when he pulled over, got out of his car, drew his weapon and yelled he was going to shoot me if I didn't stop running. It was only after he handcuffed me that he showed me a badge. After it was determined I was not the black male he was looking for, he let me go. Opinion: When blacks killed by non-blacks, justice rarely served . The worst part of that story? I consider myself lucky. He could have shot first. To be the parent of a young black man in this country is to be torn between wanting your son to see the world with no boundaries and warning him of the boundaries that are out there. Moving him into a safe neighborhood and then fearing for his safety. It's nerve-racking, to tell you the truth. Anxiety grips my body each time he leaves home. Seeing the defense attorneys crack grim jokes and gloat after the not-guilty verdict does not help matters. To draw so much satisfaction from the senseless death of a young black male going unpunished; to cavalierly absolve Zimmerman of any responsibility, as if Trayvon's death did not come at their client's hands. Opinion: Zimmerman case echoes issues of race, guns . But this is what it's like to be the parent of a young, black male in this country. This is what it's like. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of LZ Granderson.

LZ Granderson: Before verdict I'd discussed with partner how to keep our teen son safe . He says pop culture conveys negative image of blacks that draws some young black men . He says many are susceptible to buying into it; plays out in killings such as Trayvon Martin's . LZ: Hard to be parent of a young black son; you want him to roam free, but worry he'll be hurt .

(CNN) -- The vast majority of women in the United States use birth control. Some of us may even consider it a minor annoyance. Sometimes we forget to take our pills. The side effects can be painful. But we put up with it because it's so important to have the power to determine our future. I didn't fully appreciate how much contraceptives changed my life because I never lacked access to them. That is, I didn't fully appreciate them until I got involved in global health and learned that hundreds of millions of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia don't have access to contraceptives. The lack of birth control is more than a minor annoyance. It can be a significant barrier to a better life. When I learned what many women in poor countries faced, I asked myself: What would my life have been like if I hadn't been able to use birth control? This week at the London Summit on Family Planning, a partnership of national governments from developing and developed countries, foundations, the private sector and NGOs is launching a groundbreaking effort to make sure no woman has to ask herself that question. Our goal is to make modern contraceptives and family planning information and services available to an additional 120 million women and girls in the world's poorest countries over the next eight years. I'm passionate about family planning because when I travel and talk to women in developing countries, what's universally clear is that they demand access to contraceptives. They want the power to determine their future. They know that when they can decide when they have children, they are healthier, their children are healthier, their families are more successful and their communities are more prosperous. Tragically, there are too many places where this virtuous cycle of social and economic development isn't happening. Nearly 13 million adolescent girls give birth each year in developing countries, typically before they are physically, emotionally or economically prepared. And when girls delay childbearing until their 20s, they are more likely to stay in school. Women who have been educated are likely to marry later, have healthier families and be able to invest in their children's education. Simply giving women the means to space the births of their children three years apart would decrease deaths of children 4 and younger by 25%. Already, there are a number of efforts underway that promise to give more women access to the lifesaving contraceptives they demand. In Senegal, we are investing in a pilot project to ensure that health clinics are always stocked with the full range of modern contraceptives, including implants, injectables and IUDs that put the power in the hands of women. Imagine what it would be like to travel for hours to a clinic for contraceptives, only to find that they are out of stock. I am excited to see that developing countries such as Senegal are investing in innovative programs to ensure that women will always have options when they go to the clinic. There is also important research underway on new health products that offer women even more options. I am enthusiastic about a new injectable device that women can administer themselves, so they don't have to travel to the clinic. In the United States, we administer our own birth control. It's hard to picture what it would be like if we had to see our doctor constantly to plan our families effectively. This new device will empower women in countries where the pill isn't popular to plan for themselves. Last year, I met with a group of women in Nairobi's Korogocho slum who talked openly about their family life and why they use birth control. After two hours, a woman named Mary Ann summed up the conversation with something I will never forget. She said: "I want to bring every good thing to one child before I have another." That single phrase captures the reason I am so deeply committed to family planning and why I am so enthusiastic about the London Summit. Bringing every good thing to our children starts with women everywhere being empowered to plan their family. On July 11, I hope you can tune in to witness the unprecedented commitments of all our partners and pledge your support for every woman and girl to have the opportunity to determine her own future. Melinda Gates responds to contraception program controversy . Overheard: Contraceptives and Catholicism . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Melinda Gates.

Melinda Gates: Women throughout the world deserve access to birth control . She says women in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia often lack sufficient access . Women who have contraception can plan their lives and make intelligent choices, she says . Gates: A new initiative aims to provide birth control to 120 million additional women, girls .

(CNN) -- American higher education is in the cross hairs of a heated national debate over the value and cost of a college degree. Yet in China, our fiercest global economic competitor, the popularity of American colleges and universities might be at an all-time high. I just returned from a trip to Beijing, where I spoke with Chinese parents about the value of American education, where we excel and where we fall short. Not surprising was the extent to which the Chinese value education, especially primary and secondary education, and yearn for their children to attend American universities, and if possible, stay in America. When I engaged Chinese parents about their children, they would often say, "My son (or daughter) is going to Princeton (or fill in the elite American university)." I would respond, "Great! What year is your son or daughter right now?" And they would say, "Three years old." This passion for education starting at such an early age is powerful. After meeting with Chinese teachers, parents and children, three differences were immediately clear. First, their children are better educated than American children in the STEM fields -- science, technology, engineering and math. High standards and high expectations are the norm in China, not the exception, as is often the case in the United States. Second, Chinese parents will sacrifice almost anything for their child's education. They realize firsthand, "History is a race between education and catastrophe," as H.G. Wells put it. In China, the disposable income of middle-class families is more likely to be spent on education than leisure or entertainment. Third, to the Chinese people, American universities, for all their shortcomings and blemishes, are still beacons of freedom, individualism and self-improvement. To them, our universities are emblems of the highest achievement. In Asia, they have a saying: "The protruding nail gets hammered down." In America, we give awards for protruding nails. Our standards should be higher and our achievement better, but we still remain a land of unlimited opportunity. Each of my speeches in China began by reminding the Chinese people of the three, quintessential American values engraved, on our currency: Liberty, In God We Trust and E. Pluribus Unum. Politically, we may be at odds with the Chinese regime, but its people desperately long for a taste of American autonomy. RISE China, the private international education company that invited me to China and for which I am a compensated senior adviser, focuses on teaching idiomatic English to Chinese students to help them get into American universities. It also helps Chinese students develop confidence, initiative, commitment and active learning -- all qualities that are cherished by our higher institutions. As a result, the number of Chinese undergraduate students in the U.S. has doubled in the past two years. In the 2006-07 academic year, 9,955 Chinese undergraduates enrolled in U.S. schools. The next year, that figure jumped to 16,450, and by 2010-11, 56,976 undergraduates enrolled in the U.S. China exports more of its students to the U.S. than to any other country. They are already reaping the benefits educationally and economically. In February 2011, in a meeting with Silicon Valley's biggest entrepreneurs, President Barack Obama asked Steve Jobs of Apple what it would take to make iPhones in the U.S. rather than China. Jobs replied that those jobs aren't coming back. The New York Times reported it this way: "Apple executives believe the vast scale of overseas factories as well as the flexibility, diligence and industrial skills of foreign workers have so outpaced their American counterparts that "Made in the U.S.A." is no longer a viable option for most Apple products." The Chinese realize the potential of American universities when engaged properly. When a student approaches the university with a specific degree focus, applies it with diligence and finances it soundly, understanding the commitment he or she is making, the American university system is still the best in the world. American students must begin approaching their higher education just as smartly and seriously, or our academies will be filled with aspiring and inquiring minds from elsewhere. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William Bennett.

William Bennett: Many Chinese yearn to send their children to U.S. universities . Bennett: Chinese students better prepared in science, math; parental expectations higher . In China, U.S. colleges represent freedom, individualism, self-improvement, he says . He warns that U.S. must approach education as focused as the Chinese .

(CNN) -- An Ohio jury on Monday will begin the sentencing phase for convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell, ultimately deciding whether he should receive life in prison or the death penalty for killing 11 Cleveland-area women between 2007 and 2009. Jurors on July 22 convicted Sowell of 11 counts of aggravated murder and more than 70 other charges, including abusing corpses and kidnapping. The sole not-guilty verdict came on an aggravated robbery charge. During the sentencing phase, Sowell will be able to make a statement on his own behalf without being under oath or facing cross-examination from prosecutors, said Ryan Miday, a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office. The defense can also call expert witnesses to discuss Sowell's background, including his childhood and his military service. Sowell has been classified as a "sexually violent predator," meaning parole is not an option, Miday said. If jurors decide to recommend that Sowell die for his crimes, the judge can overrule that recommendation and impose a life sentence. But if jurors decide to spare Sowell's life, the judge cannot impose a death sentence, said Greg Popovich, Cuyahoga County court administrator. Sowell's convictions ended a saga that began in October 2009 with the discovery of the first two victims' remains inside Sowell's home. He eventually was accused of killing at least 11 women ranging in age from 25 to 52. He grew up in East Cleveland, joined the Marines at age 18 and traveled to California, North Carolina and Japan, authorities said. Sowell served 15 years in prison for attempted rape before being released in 2005. People who met him after his release described him as "a normal guy." He was known locally for selling scrap metal. Sowell's inconspicuous two-story home sat in a dilapidated neighborhood known as Mount Pleasant, where at one point one in five homes was in foreclosure and at least a third of the residents received food stamps, according to a 2010 study by Case Western Reserve University's Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development. A stench hovered around the area, but no one realized it was the scent of decaying human flesh, instead assuming it was a byproduct of a nearby sausage factory. Many of Sowell's victims struggled with drug addiction at some point, and court records showed many resorted to stealing and prostitution to support their habits. The disappearances of the women -- many of whom lived near him -- went largely unnoticed for two years, with only four women being reported missing. In late 2008, a woman named Gladys Wade told police that a man in a gray hoodie offered her beer, and when she declined he punched her in the face several times. Wade said he then attempted to rape her, dragging her toward his home, and that she escaped after "gouging his face." Police investigated Wade's complaint, and one police report noted the presence of blood droplets on Sowell's walls and steps. But officers told CNN affiliate WKYC that the case was dropped after Wade declined to press charges. Six more women disappeared after her complaint. The first bodies were discovered after a 36-year-old Cleveland woman told police a story similar to that of Wade, as well as the woman whose 1989 account led to Sowell's attempted rape conviction. She said he had invited her into his home for beer, punched her in the face and began performing oral sex on her -- letting her go only after she promised to return the next day. Most of the women whose remains were found in and around Sowell's home had been strangled by ligature, which can include a string, cord or wire, and at least one had been strangled by hand, officials said. Seven women still had ligatures wrapped around their necks. A skull was all that remained of one victim; it had been wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed in a bucket in the home's basement. At Sowell's trial, his defense rested without calling any witnesses or presenting any evidence, according to CNN affiliate WOIO. His defense attorneys have declined previous requests by CNN to explain their case.

Anthony Sowell will receive life in prison without parole or the death penalty . He was convicted of killing 11 Cleveland-area women between 2007 and 2009 . He has been classified as a "sexually violent predator" The sentencing phase of Sowell's trial begins Monday .

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Chris Brown's trip to face trial in Washington will be on the Justice Department's "Con Air" prisoner airline, not on a private jet or a first-class commercial ticket as the singer hoped. Brown, 24, was transferred into the custody of federal marshals after an extradition hearing Wednesday in federal court in Los Angeles, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokeswoman Laura Vega. Brown will be booked on a series of government planes that hopscotch across the country taking inmates from prison to prison, Vega said. The trip, with layovers in jails along the way, could take up to two weeks, she said. Unlike Brown's usual mode of touring in luxury, he will be wearing handcuffs and possibly chains on his legs. Brown has been confined to the Los Angeles County jail since being booted from a court-ordered rehab program three weeks ago. The U.S. attorney in Washington petitioned for Brown to be extradited from Los Angeles to Washington for his April 17 trial. Brown and his bodyguard are accused of assaulting a man on a Washington sidewalk in October. The singer is on probation for the 2009 felony assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna. Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, tried to persuade Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Brandlin to release his client from jail so he could fly on his own to Washington. Prosecutors opposed that request and suggested the decision should be made by a federal judge. Brown's legal troubles began five years ago when he beat Rihanna as the two were in a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street. He pleaded guilty to felony assault in June 2009, which resulted in a sentence of five years of probation and 1,400 hours of community "labor-oriented service." The judge has revoked Brown's probation twice in the last year, most recently because of his arrest on a sidewalk near the White House after allegedly punching a man. Brown voluntarily entered a rehab program a day after being released from a Washington jail in October, but he was kicked out a few days later for "throwing a rock through his mother's car window" after a family session at the center, a probation report said. Brown was upset because his mother said she wanted him to stay in treatment, the report said. Brown proceeded "to walk outside and pick up a rock and threw it through his mother's car window and it shattered," according to a letter from the rehab center included in the probation report. His probation was revoked in November, but the judge allowed him to stay out of jail by entering a 90-day anger management and drug rehab program. Although he completed that program last month, the judge ordered him to remain a resident at the Malibu, California, treatment facility until another hearing April 23. Brown's probation officer reported at a February hearing that the singer "continues to make great improvement" in dealing with anger, stress and drugs, but the judge decided he could not go free until after his trial for an assault charge in Washington on April 17. If he is convicted in that case, the judge would decide at an April 23 hearing if Brown should complete his probation in jail. He was sent to jail on March 14 after he was kicked out of the second rehab program for rules violations. The judge said he was concerned about a "provocative" statement counselors said Brown wrote on a card at the Malibu rehab center. "I am good at using guns and knives," according to a document read in court. The rehab program told Brown to leave because of that statement and two other rules violations, the document said. Brown refused a drug test -- which his lawyer denied -- and he touched elbows with a female patient, according to the document. Brown had been working on a highway cleanup labor crew in Los Angeles three days a week to fulfill the 750 hours of service remaining in his probation requirements, his probation report said. At that rate, Brown could complete the labor in mid-October and possibly be free from probation requirements by the end of the year. With his community labor work now on hold, his probation is expected to extend into 2015. CNN's Carolyn Sung contributed to this report.

Chris Brown was taken by marshals after an extradition hearing in Los Angeles . Brown's hopscotch route to Washington on "Con Air" could take up to two weeks . Con Air is the nickname for the U.S Justice Department's prisoner airplane system . Brown was jailed in Los Angeles after he was booted from rehab three weeks ago .

(CNN) -- A major winter storm is expected to dump snow and ice across the southeastern United States Sunday night and Monday, potentially triggering power outages and possibly impacting travel throughout the country. The latest computer models show wintry weather extending from northeast Texas through the Carolinas, bringing freezing temperatures, snow and ice to areas that normally don't see heavy winter precipitation, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. The northern regions of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas should expect heavy snow, while ice storms are expected to affect the southern regions of those states, he said. Below freezing temperatures through Tuesday could leave trees and power lines across the south with a heavy coating of ice, said Hennen, which could cause numerous long-duration power outages. A winter storm warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. The agency warns that significant snow amounts could make travel difficult and dangerous. Three to eight inches of snow could fall by Monday evening and roads are expected to be hazardous through Monday night, especially secondary roads. A winter storm watch has also been put in place by the weather agency, stretching from northeast Texas to the far western corner of Virginia. Snow should begin falling in Atlanta during the evening hours Sunday, Hennen said, and it should continue to accumulate through Monday afternoon. Temperatures at or below freezing are expected to remain in place through Tuesday, keeping roads dangerous and travel difficult, he added. Hennen expects the storm to severely impact Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. He said hundreds of flights could be cancelled, which would affect air travel all over the U.S. Parts of Louisiana could get up to an inch of ice, while other states in the region could get between a quarter and a half-inch of ice coating power lines, trees, bridges and roadways, CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf said. Alabama's Emergency Management Agency began warning residents on Friday of the weekend storm. "It is really important for Alabama residents to take this threat of severe weather serious, freezing weather over an extended period of time has the potential to cause power outages and an interruption in communication services," Alabama EMA Director Brock Long said in a statement. Meanwhile, airlines were preparing for possible travel snarls ahead of the storm. "Our big concern from an operating stand point is Dallas-Fort Worth. It depends on how quickly the snow moves eastward," said American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith. American had not canceled any flights in the region as of Saturday morning, but was monitoring the forecast, Smith said. Anthony Black, a spokesman for Delta, said the airline expects "to start seeing an impact tomorrow night (Sunday) around 6 p.m." "We will have flights canceled beginning then (and) probably through until as late as early Tuesday morning," Black said. Meanwhile, snow moved into the Northeast but the region was spared a repeat of the Christmas blizzard that virtually shut down such large cities as New York and Philadelphia. Emergency management officials were able to quickly recover from the comparably light dusting of snow that began blanketing the region Friday. AirTran Airways had canceled only three flights Saturday morning into or out of New York's LaGuardia and Boston's Logan airports. All of the major airports were operating as normal Saturday with the exception of Philadelphia International Airport, which was under a ground delay due to the snowfall. "In addition to being under an air traffic control ground delay program, they're also de-icing aircrafts and that could tend to slow things down," Southwest Airlines spokesman Chris Mainz said. More than 400 flights were canceled Friday due to the storm. Several major airlines -- including American, United/Continental, U.S. Airways and Delta -- announced that their customers could voluntarily reschedule flights to and from snow-affected areas without penalty. The heavy snow over the Christmas weekend hampered morning commuters, delayed first responders and even prevented aircraft service personnel from reaching airports where 29 international flights were stuck on the tarmac for more than three hours, officials said. Following sharp criticism of the city's slow response, John Doherty, the chief of the sanitation department, has made management and personnel shake-ups in Brooklyn. An investigation is currently under way into whether sanitation workers intentionally delayed cleanup efforts over frustrations about demotions and citywide budget cuts. CNN's Nick Valencia contributed to this report.

NEW: Snow, ice and freezing temperatures are expected across the southeastern U.S. NEW: Weather conditions in Atlanta could impact air travel across the country . The storm is expected to begin hitting the area late Sunday . Airlines are monitoring the forecast ahead of the storm .

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday Israel's military will continue to hit Palestinians suspected of attacking Israel, amid escalating violence in the region since a deadly terror attack on Israelis a week ago. Twenty-two Palestinians have died in air strikes in the past week, Palestinian medical sources say, as Israel has carried out a series of targeted attacks on the alleged leaders of terror groups. Eight have died in the past day. Meanwhile, more than 140 rockets and mortars have been fired into Israeli territory from Gaza since last Thursday, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces told CNN Thursday, eight of them in the past 24 hours. In an interview for CNN in Jerusalem, Barak said the recent violence had been triggered by the terror attack last Thursday by Palestinian militants near the southern city of Eilat, which killed eight Israelis. Another Israeli was killed by a rocket attack near the city of Beer Sheva in southern Israel. Most of those responsible for the attacks had been swiftly found and killed by Israel, Barak said, some near the scene of the attack near Eilat and others in Gaza. "I'm extremely satisifed by this achievement," he said, because it signals "that we mean business and we are not going to accept the massacre of our civilians on the roads." Asked if Israel and the Palestinians were entering a new period of dangerous hostilities, Barak said he hoped not -- but that he couldn't promise it. The International community has expressed concern over the latest round of violence, which has come despite a purported truce agreed between Israel and Palestinian militant groups during the weekend. Barak said Israel believed Bedouins with Egyptian citizenship had probably been involved in the attack near Eilat -- but that he did not know for sure. Israel was not able to share all its intelligence with the public, he said, as that would help members of terror groups "not to fall into our cross hairs." Barak reiterated Israel's expression of "regret" over the deaths of Egyptian soldiers in its Sinai region, which borders Israel, last week. Egypt condemned Israel's action as "indiscriminate shelling." Barak has promised Israel will conduct a military investigation, followed by a joint examination with the Egyptian military, of the incident. Asked about Israel's relationship with Turkey, Barak said his country had to consider issuing an apology to Turkey over the deaths of activists on board a Turkish ship bound for Gaza last year. Barak said the operation had been justified but that questions had been raised over its execution by the Israeli military. Turkey has demanded an apology from Israel. Relations between the two nations reached rock bottom last summer, when nine activists on board the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship filled with aid and 700 activists from various countries, died in clashes with Israeli Navy commandos while attempting to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. An independent Israeli commission found that Israeli commandos "acted professionally and in a measured manner in the face of unanticipated violence" and that members of a Turkish relief group on the ship "were direct participants in hostilities" who attacked the Israeli troops. Barak said Turkey was "an extremely important country in the region" and that it would serve both countries' interests to reach an understanding. Turkey had "a major role to play" in maintaining the stability of the Middle East, he said. Both countries are awaiting a United Nations report into the 2010 flotilla incident. On the subject of Syria, Barak said he was fully behind the call by the United States and several European allies for leader Bashar al-Assad to step down. "He has clearly lost legitimacy with his own people. I believe he is doomed. He will probably stay there for another three or six months, but he is doomed," he said. Barak said he would like to see a similar international approach to Syria as has been taken with Libya. "We need much tighter international pressure there," he said. With regards to the Palestinian Authority's plans to make a bid for statehood in the United Nations next month, Barak said he believed the move served the interests of neither Israel nor the Palestinians. Fnding a way to continue negotiations would be the best way forward, he said. CNN's Kevin Flower and Guy Azriel contributed to a report.

Ehud Barak says Israel will not leave last week's terror attacks unpunished . Twenty-two Palestinians have died in Israeli air strikes since, Palestinian medical sources say . Scores of rockets have been fired into Israeli territory since last Thursday . Barak says Israel should consider an apology to Turkey over last year's flotilla clashes .

New York (CNN) -- Staring down a smoking homemade bomb and dismantling it is dangerous enough. Doing it with news cameras rolling on a busy Saturday night in the middle of Times Square is something Det. Patrick LaScala of the New York Police Department swears never entered his mind. Until the following day. "You're home the next day, and you're really thinking about it. Then, you start to put the pieces together and you think, 'Wow,' " LaScala said in an exclusive interview. LaScala was manipulating the police robot that laid the groundwork for one of his partners, Det. Raymond Clair. "This was the first time that I went down on a vehicle, and I saw clocks and wires and gas and propane. I identified it as a bomb, and I had to look twice," Clair said. After 13 years as a bomb tech, that night was the one Clair says he'll remember the most. Clair and LaScala are part of New York's elite bomb squad, a unit whose size is a closely guarded secret. CNN was given special access to the unit in order to find out what a more typical day can be like. During one recent 16-hour shift, I watched the same five-man team who worked the bungled bomb plot in Times Square check their equipment, catch up on paperwork and make sure Dan-O, their explosives-sniffing dog, was raring to go. The K-9 is named for a member of the squad who died in the 9/11 attacks when one of the twin towers collapsed. On a busy side street outside their Manhattan offices, neighbors watched them go through their paces with the robot. "We think they're great," one man said. Another passerby snapped a picture of the robot with her cell phone. "Is that the robot that checks out bombs?" she asked. It was. But robots, as sophisticated as they are, can only do so much. They're capable of blowing out windows, blasting a suspicious package to bits, photographing an object from several angles and sending those images to investigators. The squad doesn't want to publicize more specific details. Still, a human touch often can't be avoided. With help, bomb techs first crawl into an 85-pound protective suit that covers their bodies from head to toe. The feet nearly look like those of a platypus, the material is stiff and hot, and the chest plate is heavy. A helmet is cinched on around the neck, and an air hose keeps outside air flowing into the mask. Put on gloves, and it's hard to imagine that anyone in such bulky gear could maneuver and dismantle possible bomb components. But that's what they're trained to do. "The more you do, and the more you get involved, the better you'll get when it's the real thing," Clair said. Det. Greg Abbate also was there for the "real thing" in Times Square. He said his training kicked in. "There's a strong bond between us. We go to a job, there's very little talk. Everyone knows what they have to do," he said. Despite the immense dangers associated with the work, whenever the unit checks out a suspicious package, bomb technicians jockey for the opportunity to suit up. "We actually have arguments over who's taking the job," added Abbate. When CNN traveled with them on a call, it was Abbate's turn to wear the gear. The bomb squad was called to check out a backpack found in a park near a police headquarters checkpoint. The team sped to the scene with sirens screaming. Other units ringed the perimeter. X-rays were taken. Abbate moved in. This time, he determined that this time, there was nothing to it. Sgt. John Ryan said it's necessary to assume the worst until the team moves in. "Everything is a bomb until we say it's not a bomb, " said Ryan. The days are long, but the men say they feel "blessed" to be part of the bomb squad. They laugh when people suggest they must be a little crazy to do such a dangerous job. "It's an honor," LaScala said. And it never gets old. "At the end of the day, it's just one day down and a lot more to go," said Det. Mike Garcia. CNN producers Julian Cummings and Ross Levitt contributed to this report.

CNN visits the bomb squad that handled the recent Times Square incident . Det. Greg Abbate: "There's a very strong bond between us" Despite the dangers, squad members eager to be the one to suit up when a call comes in .

(CNN) -- Two years later, the story of Osama bin Laden's death remains a high-interest topic. Here are some of the key stories we've published since the world's most-wanted terrorist was killed, from the first breaking news story to the latest disputes over what happened that day. News breaks . President Obama announced bin Laden's death shortly before midnight ET on May 1, 2011, more than an hour after the Internet and social media began exploding with reports of his demise. You can see here how the news unfolded on our live blog, including video of Obama's historic announcement and jubilant celebrations across the United States. The main story that followed, which announced the end of the decade-long manhunt, had more than 21,000 comments and nearly 130,000 Facebook recommendations. The news also set what was then a Twitter record as people posted an average of 3,400 messages per second. The aftermath . In the days and weeks following the raid, more details would be released about how it all went down. How did the U.S. know bin Laden was there? Who took part in the mission, and who knew about it? Why was bin Laden killed instead of taken prisoner? Over time, some of the details initially put out by the White House were clarified or changed. Some are still disputed today. There were several other headaches for U.S. officials to deal with. There was a full-throated debate about whether to release grisly photos of bin Laden's body to the public. But in the end, Obama, not wanting to incite further violence, chose to keep the photos classified. "We don't need to spike the football," he told CBS News. The killing also created tension that needed to be smoothed over with Pakistan, which was outraged that the United States chose to carry out the bin Laden mission there without first informing its leaders. And then there was the downed helicopter U.S. officials hoped to retrieve from bin Laden's compound because of security concerns over the stealth technology of its unusual tail assembly. A few days after the raid, U.S. officials unveiled videos of bin Laden that were recovered in the raid. You can watch all of them here. Perhaps the most well-known video of this stash shows a hunched-over bin Laden, draped in a blanket, using a remote control to watch television. Also taken in the raid were documents, disks, thumb drives, computers and other intelligence that would be pored over for evidence of further terrorist plots. Years later . After bin Laden's death, much praise was heaped on the elite Navy SEALs who carried out the raid: the anonymous "quiet professionals" who live by a code to keep their sensitive missions secret. But one former member of the team, Matt Bissonnette, detailed the mission in his 2012 best-seller "No Easy Day." The book started a debate about honor, ethics and cultural values in the military; the Pentagon said Bissonnette included classified material in the book and didn't follow protocol for pre-publication review. The raid was also portrayed in the film "Zero Dark Thirty," which focuses on the bin Laden manhunt and was nominated for five Academy Awards. Three U.S. senators -- Dianne Feinstein, Carl Levin and John McCain -- called the film "grossly inaccurate and misleading," especially the movie's suggestion that harsh interrogations helped find bin Laden. The filmmakers responded by saying the film condensed 10 years of intelligence work into a 2½ hour film. This year, Esquire magazine published a profile on a Navy SEAL who said he was the one who shot bin Laden. His account contradicted some of the details in Bissonnette's book. Another SEAL, however, told Peter Bergen, CNN's national security analyst, that the Esquire story is "complete BS." Reflecting on the two-year anniversary of bin Laden's death, Bergen said the U.S. forces may have killed the man, but they did not kill his ideology. Al Qaeda has now morphed into a "loose jihadist ideological movement" that spawned the Boston marathon bombing, Bergen said, and it is this "Binladenism" that is still very much a threat to Americans.

It has been two years since Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces . But the story, and the details surrounding it, continues to garner interest . Relive the night the news broke and get caught up on the most recent developments .

(CNN) -- On Wednesday, July 23, the State of Arizona executed Joseph Rudolph Wood in the fourth visibly bungled execution this year. The execution began at 1:52 p.m. According to eyewitness Michael Kiefer, "Wood was unconscious by 1:57 p.m. At about 2:05, he started gasping." He continued to gasp for over 90 minutes. Afterward, eyewitness Troy Hayden reported, "Joe Wood is dead, but it took him two hours to die. To watch a man lay there for an hour and 40 minutes gulping air, I can liken it to, if you catch a fish and throw it on the shore, the way the fish opens and closes its mouth." Kiefer counted more than 640 gasps. Arizona engaged in a failed experiment. Its new execution protocol called for administration of two drugs, midazolam and hydromorphone. The only other time this drug combination had been used was the prolonged and similarly disturbing Ohio execution of Dennis McGuire, who took 24 minutes to die and struggled for air for 10 to 13 minutes. Eyewitness Alan Johnson reported that McGuire "gasped deeply. It was kind of a rattling, guttural sound. There was kind of a snorting through his nose. A couple of times, he definitely appeared to be choking." Faced with these well-documented problems, Arizona adopted Ohio's procedure but increased the amount of each drug (from 10 milligrams to 50 milligrams for midazolam and from 40mg to 50mg for hydromorphone). The state refused to reveal, however, its process for selecting the new doses or whether it conducted due diligence to determine that its protocol would be more effective. Notwithstanding the changes Arizona made to the drug formula, Wood's execution went even worse than McGuire's. Despite requests from Wood's lawyers, Arizona also refused to reveal the source of its drugs -- including the manufacturer, lot number and expiration date -- and the qualifications of its execution team members. Nothing about this information would compromise the identity of those participating in executions, but it would allow the courts and the public to analyze whether the execution procedures will work as intended and bring about death in a way that meets the requirements of the Eighth Amendment. Callan: Are death penalty delays 'cruel and unusual'? Four men -- Michael Wilson, McGuire, Clayton Lockett and Wood -- have been subjected to bungled executions this year. Although the drugs, doses and other details of the procedures differed in each execution, the commonality between them is that the departments of corrections used experimental drug combinations and shielded crucial aspects of their practices in secrecy. Even in the aftermath of the executions, the lack of transparency continues. While governors in both Oklahoma and Arizona have called for reviews of the problematic executions, no outside authorities have been brought in to conduct the investigations. Internal investigations are insufficient to the task. Departments of corrections cannot be allowed to provide pat explanations that leave central questions unanswered, minimize errors and hide relevant information about what went wrong. Instead, there must be independent investigations of each execution that goes awry and thorough, public reporting of the results. Without truly independent investigations, it will be impossible to make meaningful conclusions about what went wrong or to determine if changes can be made to ensure that the same errors do not happen again. Chemical mix and human error lead to controversial executions . The botched executions in Arizona, Ohio and Oklahoma show us that when states are allowed to devise novel, untested execution protocols without judicial scrutiny or public oversight, the resulting procedures are unreliable. And when the unreliable procedures are implemented, the consequences are gruesome and horrific. States cannot be allowed to continue carrying out death sentences without judicial review of their execution procedures. The courts must require departments of corrections to disclose key aspects of these procedures, particularly with respect to the provenance of the drugs used and the qualifications of the execution personnel. Without this oversight, botched executions will become the new norm. No additional executions should proceed until the states act with transparency, and the courts scrutinize execution procedures to ensure that they comport with the U.S. Constitution. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.

Four men have been subjected to botched executions this year, authors say . In Arizona, it took Joseph Wood two hours to die . Authors say states veil their procedures in secrecy, contributing to the problem . States must disclose much more information and courts should review process, they say .

(CNN) -- Brad Pitt clearly has a great deal going on. Between being dad to six children, a fiancé, an activist and a perfume pitchman, he still manages to squeeze in some time acting. The movie star recently sat down with "Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer to talk about his latest project, the mob film "Killing Them Softly," and that nagging question of when he plans to marry partner Angelina Jolie. A.J. Hammer: Brad, we've got a mob movie and I believe the first one we've seen that has political campaign speeches throughout it. Brad Pitt: I like to mix it up. Hammer: Was this -- for you -- as much about making a mob movie as it was about sending a political message? Pitt: This is a good friend of mine, the writer and director, Andrew Dominik, he's from Australia, and his view of America was very interesting to me. His feeling in some way oppressed and that we get caught up in trying to sell the idea that the image is more important than the actual substance. This is what he was trying to tell with this story. He finds this book about a crime syndicate, and he makes these comparisons to -- not politics, per se, or not just politics, but ... the financial crisis itself, and it was a good subject matter. Hammer: I know, and timely! The idea of the mob dealing with corporate concerns or falling off a fiscal cliff. How timely is that coming off this political season? Pitt: Absolutely! And how much are we really dealing with -- the issue's always at the image of the issue, and oftentimes, a scapegoat is found, but it's not really solved. This is what our film is about. It's about get the games going again, get the perception that the machine's running again so everyone can feel confident, have market confidence and get on with the game. Hammer: I want to ask you specifically ... about an issue that's been at the forefront for you and Angelina, and that is the issue of marriage equality. That is something that you guys have obviously done a phenomenal job moving forward and getting the message out about what should be done. You've talked about perception versus what happens in reality sometimes. When and why did that become so important to you guys? Pitt: It's one of our last big issues of equality. What makes this nation great is our freedoms and the idea of equality, the true idea of equality -- and in that definition, there's a certain faction of our society that is not being included. And that time ... it's time! Yeah, it's time. Hammer: You guys have once famously said you would hold off on getting married until everybody could get married. And I know now you're engaged. You said you're doing it for the kids, which obviously everybody's excited about. Pitt: And ourselves, but they prompted it. Hammer: Are they pressuring you at all to set a date? Are they getting on you about this? Pitt: No, not necessarily. Hammer: Do you think it's something you'll make public? Because obviously there's a huge interest, demand, people want to feel like they're a part when you guys actually get married. Pitt: We don't know. We haven't gotten that far yet. Hammer: You cannot turn on the TV without seeing the Chanel ad. Obviously, Brad, you know that got such a huge reaction. Did you get a kick out of the reaction? Pitt: I say fair play! Hammer: Absolutely. I say they got their money's worth. I mean, the number of times it got played from people talking about it. Pitt: You know, I'm not a part of that side of the marketing, but fair play! Hammer: Last thing: I want to flash back. We're going to have a little fun. I just want you to take a quick look at this guy here. (Pitt watched clip of himself from "Thelma and Louise.") Pitt: Was that? Really? I don't even recognize that guy! Was this -- what year? Hammer: You had just gotten out to California maybe six months prior. What advice would this guy in the chair across from me give that guy there? Pitt: I think that guy did all right. I think he figured it out quite fine. I don't think I need to tell him much.

Brad Pitt plays a mob enforcer in his new film, "Killing Them Softly" He said their children are not prompting him and Jolie to get married . He has a sense of humor about the ribbing surrounding his Chanel ad .

(CNN) -- In their attacks on the food stamp program, some Republican presidential candidates are leaving a deeply misleading impression of the nation's leading anti-hunger program. No one aspires to enroll, but for those who must, it is an essential lifeline that addresses one of the harshest impacts of poverty and unemployment -- hunger. The food stamp program, now officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides about 46 million Americans in about 22 million low-income households with debit cards to buy food each month. Participants include families with adults who work in low-wage jobs, unemployed workers and people on fixed incomes, such as Social Security. About three-fourths of SNAP recipients live in households with children; more than one-quarter live in households with seniors or people with disabilities. SNAP reduces poverty while providing people with much-needed help to buy food. The program kept more than 5 million people out of poverty in 2010 and lessened the severity of poverty for millions of others, under a measure of poverty that counts SNAP benefits as income. SNAP is also highly efficient, with one of the most rigorous quality control systems of any public benefit program. In 2010, only 3 percent of payments went to ineligible households or to eligible households in excessive amounts. Payment accuracy has been improving in the past few years, despite a large increase in SNAP enrollment. While some have attributed that enrollment increase to Obama administration policies -- Newt Gingrich has termed President Barack Obama the "food stamp president" -- in reality it has two main causes that have little to do with this administration. Millions of people hit by the recession a few years ago became eligible for SNAP. Today's large SNAP caseloads mostly reflect the extraordinarily deep and prolonged recession and the weak recovery that has followed. Long-term unemployment hit record levels in 2010 and has remained extremely high. Today, 43% of all unemployed workers have been out of work for more than half a year; the previous post-World War II high was 26% in 1983. Workers who are unemployed for a long time are more likely to deplete their assets, exhaust unemployment insurance and turn to SNAP for help. It is one of the few safety net programs available to them. In most states, other programs -- such as cash assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and state General Assistance programs -- have not responded effectively to the rising need brought on by the economy. More than one in five workers who had been unemployed for over six months received SNAP in 2010, according to Congress's Joint Economic Committee. The increase in enrollment is also because it's easier for eligible families to participate. Federal and state officials as well as Congress, with leadership from both parties, have worked throughout the last decade to simplify SNAP procedures so that the program can reach more eligible households, particularly working families and senior citizens. These efforts are paying off: The share of eligible individuals who participated in SNAP rose from 65% in 2007 to 72% in 2009, the most recent year for which we have the data. The recent growth in SNAP enrollment and spending because of the sluggish economy is temporary. One of SNAP's great strengths is its ability to respond, quickly and automatically, to changes in the economy: Enrollment grows during downturns but contracts during periods of economic growth. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that SNAP spending will fall in the coming years as the economy recovers more robustly and the temporary benefit increases of the 2009 Recovery Act expire. By 2021, SNAP is expected to return nearly to pre-recession levels as a share of the economy. Over the long term, SNAP is not growing faster than the economy. So it is not contributing to the nation's long-term fiscal problems. A weak economy has swelled the numbers of unemployed workers and poor families. That's a serious problem that our policymakers need to address. In the meantime, SNAP helps protect the most vulnerable from very difficult circumstances. Join CNN Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on Twitter. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Stacy Dean.

Stacy Dean: Criticism aside, food stamp program is a lifeline for 46 million people . Dean: Program is highly efficient; only 3% of funds went to ineligible people . Numbers of recipients growing because of weak recovery and joblessness, she says . Number of recipients will go down as jobs increase, she says, but the need is high now .

(CNN) -- In July 2011, my husband and I traveled to a Russian orphanage to meet a 2-year-old girl. We petitioned the Russian courts to adopt her, and waited 14 agonizing months to be granted a court date, all along fearing we would never be able to bring her home. Now, 46 families are stuck in that nightmare of waiting for an indefinite amount of time. Russia has banned Americans from adopting Russian orphans. These families, like ours, left their Russian children holding small albums with photos of their soon-to-be families. And now those children have nothing more than a broken promise. Russia's adoption ban was passed in retaliation for the United States' passage of the Magnitsky Act, a human rights bill targeting Russian officials. But while it is designed to hit Americans in the heart, it also condemns thousands of Russian orphans who could have found families in America. Orphanages, even the good ones, are institutions. They are no substitutes for parents. Children who grow up in institutions experience poor physical, cognitive and emotional health and are more likely to end up in poverty, experience drug abuse, or commit suicide. Orphaned children have suffered already; the adoption ban ensures they will suffer more. Institutionalized children need families, not staff. When children become wards of the state, they need the government to find adoptive families, in their home country or failing that, internationally. Many Americans want to bring Russian orphans into their families, but years of political maneuvering have made it harder and harder. Legal changes have also contributed to a steady decline in the number of Russian orphans adopted by Americans. We experienced many of the changes during our adoption process. Not all of them are bad. Many of the procedures are clearly intended to protect the children. However, some of the changes made it more challenging for families willing to jump through the hoops of two governments. There's more uncertainty involved, and the length of time to complete an adoption has increased, as well as the costs. Our daughter, Anastasia, spent a needless year waiting to come home. When other adopted children were picked up by their families, she would take out her photo of the three of us and ask her caregivers where her mama and papa were. Less than a decade ago, 4,000 to 5,000 Russian children found adoptive families in America each year. In 2011, the number dropped to 970. The steep decline in international adoptions from Russia, along with the recent ban, is a step in the wrong direction. It is easy to understand why international adoption is a hot-button issue for many countries. It can feel shameful for a government to require international charity to solve its own problems. But even countries like the U.S. allow for intercountry adoption. Ultimately, the goal should be to find adoptive families for orphans, and sometimes those families cannot be found in the child's home country. Mother to mother: An adoptive mom's plea to first lady Michelle Obama . My husband and I returned to Russia for a third time in October 2012 to bring Anastasia -- then 3 ½ years old -- home. Our daughter was well cared for by the good people in her orphanage for 912 days. But the lack of love and care that can be provided by a nurturing family impacted her emotionally and physically. During our first week as a family, Anastasia gave us the most confused looks when we tried to hold her, tickle her, or otherwise play with her. Two months later, though she still struggled to make sense of her story, she sought us out for snuggles and gradually started to like being chased, tickled, hugged and loved. Anastasia's 912 days of delayed growth are disappearing. But children who remain in orphanages never overcome these delays. Children living in orphan institutions need world leaders who do not use them as political pawns, but rather work to protect them. Russia's adoption ban must be lifted. It punishes thousands of children whose only chance of finding an adoptive family is through international adoption. Russia should start by making good on its promise to the 46 families who are left in limbo. These children are waiting to go home, waiting for what every child deserves -- a loving family. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Laura Jean.

Russia has banned Americans from adopting Russian orphans . Laura Jean: World leaders should not use children as political pawns . She says orphanages are institutions; they are poor substitute for parents . Jean: Russia should lift ban so that orphans have a better chance to find families .

(CNN) -- Thanks to several overreaching court cases, including the most well-known, the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United decision, the past five years have given us a whole new understanding of corporate power and its intersection with "dark money" political spending. The price tag for elections continues to steadily rise. Candidates and outside groups are closing in on $1 billion spent in the 2014 federal election cycle, and even worse, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, undisclosed money has made up $50 million of that spending. Luckily, the Securities and Exchange Commission could offer a way out of the darkness. A much-needed rulemaking petition to the SEC that would require public corporations to disclose their political spending to shareholders is receiving historic support. The petition has received a historic number of public comments: over 1 million as of last week. The SEC can and should act to protect investors and our democracy by creating this rule, which should be as comprehensive as possible, including direct campaign expenditures and gifts to conduit groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that play in politics. Hardly anyone need be told that the campaign finance landscape has changed dramatically in the past three elections. And a big part of that story is the corporate political spending that is laundered through dark money conduits, nonprofit organizations and trade associations repurposed into political spending juggernauts with the ability to keep their donors secret. Corporations with an aversion to disclosure have found these organizations to be the perfect vehicle for influencing elections and avoiding the wrath of consumers. Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, a law professor and expert in this type of spending, commented (PDF), "Corporate law is ill-prepared for this new age of corporate political spending by publicly traded companies. Today, corporate managers need not disclose to their investors -- individuals, mutual funds, or institutional investors such as government or union pension funds -- how funds from the corporate treasury are being spent, either before or after the fact." And she's right. Although undisclosed corporate political spending has caused heartburn for transparency advocates and government watchdogs, another group of Americans has equal cause to fret: investors. Investing in the United States has expanded by leaps and bounds over the past few decades; today, more than 50 million Americans participate in 401(k) retirement savings plans through their employers. The 401(k) system holds more than $2.8 trillion belonging to current employees and retirees, so when we talk about investors, we are actually talking about the public, not an elite class of shareholders. Corporate political spending could jeopardize the retirement savings of millions of Americans. Gambling with a corporate brand through political spending is a high-stakes game for companies, for the people who depend on these companies to help them save, and the risks cannot be overstated. For many middle-class Americans, the savings in their 401(k) plans are all they have to ensure a comfortable and secure retirement. These people cannot afford to lose their nest eggs because a company decided to gamble its name and their money on a controversial political cause. In addition, when a CEO chooses to use corporate money to support causes or candidates, which may be antithetical to a given shareholder political views, in essence, he or she is substituting its judgment of what candidates an investing individual should support for that of their own. Shareholders have a right to know whether the companies they invest in are playing politics with their money, and the pending SEC rule could put that much-needed information in their hands. The SEC should immediately give priority to promulgating the rule requiring public corporations to disclose political spending. It can start by putting the petition back on the rulemaking agenda as well as by using its ongoing "disclosure review" process to recommend the rulemaking. As we begin to crest the wave of the next tsunami of dark and outside money of the 2014 cycle, the need for this type of transparency is blatantly apparent. This year, as we approach the five-year anniversary of the Citizens United decision, 1 million strong call on the SEC to act. Americans deserve to know who is bankrolling political advertisements, and shareholders need to know whether their investments are being wasted on politics rather than being spent on productive plans to build a better business. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.

Lisa Gilbert: More than a million have commented on SEC regulation of political spending . She says it's vital that corporations disclose political contributions they make . Political donations can clash with stockholders' views and put brands at risk, she says . Gilbert: SEC should give priority to issuing a rule that requires corporate disclosure .

(CNN) -- In the wake of the recent Alamo Drafthouse "Don't Talk" PSA that has been blazing a viral trail on YouTube over the past 48 hours, I was asked to expand on our other operational policies at the theater. Most of them go back to 1996, when my wife and I were first getting into the business. Despite the fact that we had zero experience in exhibition, we decided to quit our "real" jobs and open a movie theater. We had no desire to make movies, but we sure as heck loved to go to the cinema and watch them in the right environment. What drew us to open a theater in the first place is that we were finding a trip to the multiplex to be, more often than not, a disappointing experience. Poor projection, bad sound and, worst of all, disrespectful patrons in the cinema were slowly eroding our fun, so we conceived of the idea of opening a cinema ourselves on our own terms. We could program the movies that we loved, create unique experiences around those movies and make sure people behaved appropriately. In the first couple of months of operation, we came up with some very simple guidelines that all of our theaters still adhere to today. They were all born from our own reactions to experiences we hated and endured when we went to the movies. The insistence on these simple policies is one of the main reasons people are loyal to our cinemas today. We also serve beer, and that helps. 1) We do not play ads before the film. If I spend $9 or more to see a movie, I equate that to paying for premium cable. Paying for the movie means you get to skip the ads. If the cinema model were similar to Hulu, then sure, the ads are a means of paying for the screening of the film. The barrage of ads used to be annoying enough when they were just slides projected on the screen. Now, with full audio and video, they are insufferable and should not be tolerated. At the Alamo, instead of ads, we create customized video "preshow" content that is fun and entertaining and themed to the movie you are about to see. If there is ever an ad, it will be along the lines of a Japanese Charles Bronson Mandom cologne ad from the 1970s, not a PSA with fake-rock jams enticing you to join the Army. Our hope is that even if the movie you paid for is terrible, the preshow is awesome, you had an ice-cold beer and left happy. 2) We do not allow children under 6. If the movie is a non-crossover kids movie, we sometimes flex this age down to 3 and up, and we also have select "Baby Day" screenings each week for infants and small children. If you want to take your 4-year-old to see "The Hangover 2" at 10 p.m., however, you'll have to go somewhere else. 3) We do not allow unaccompanied minors. There are of lots of great, well-behaved 12-year-old individual kids, but assemble them in pods of four or more and drop them unaccompanied in a darkened theater, and they will pave a swath of destruction akin to feral hogs. We don't allow it ever. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and if they act up, they will be thrown out. 4) If you persist in talking or texting, we will throw you out. After the past few days, I think I've probably articulated our policy on this topic fully. If you talk or blatantly text, we will warn you to stop. If you persist, you will be asked to leave. These policies (with the exception of the no-ads policy) have the same underlying rationale. When you are in a cinema, you are one of many, many people in the auditorium. When the lights go dark and the movie begins, every single movie fan in the room wants to be absorbed into and get lost in the flickering images on the screen. A light from a cellphone, a screaming baby or a disruptive teen cracking jokes all pull you out of the magic of the movies. Providing an awesome experience for true movie fans is the reason we opened the first Alamo Drafthouse back in the mid-'90s, and it is the exact same philosophy we adhere to today.

At the Alamo, instead of ads, we create customized video "preshow" content . Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian . The rules were all born from our own reactions and experiences .

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Former manager Sam Lutfi claims Britney Spears' parents defamed, libeled and cheated him out of millions in a battle for control of the pop star and her career. A book written by Spears' mother painted Lutfi as a "predator" and a "Svengali" who kept Spears drugged and isolated her from her family so he could control her, his defamation lawsuit against the Spears family alleges. Lutfi is suing for millions in defamation damages and for money he said he's owed for being Spears' personal manager, a job he said he lost when a court appointed her father as her conservator four years ago. Contrary to implications that he gave Spears drugs, Lutfi testified that he insisted as a condition of his employment with her that she stay clean and sober. They shook hands on the management agreement in June 2007 only after Spears agreed that he could use drug-detection dogs in her home to check her compliance, he testified. Those dogs found "a baggie of white powder" in her home on June 13, 2007, he testified. "We flushed it down the toilet." Lutfi testified that he urged Britney to reconcile with her parents, including arranging a reunion between the singer and her mother in October. "That is the opposite of a Svengali," Lutfi lawyer Joseph Schlimmer said. Lutfi befriended Spears in spring 2007, when she "was very distraught over numerous situations, child custody battle, divorce, career problems and drug problems," Lutfi testified. Their friendship began at a time when Spears was estranged from her parents, he said. She soon asked Lutfi to become her manager, he said. His four-year contract, which would pay him 15% of her gross earnings, was not written but was confirmed by text messages, his lawsuit claimed. His work with Spears ended after a few months, in February 2008, after she was taken to a Los Angeles hospital for psychiatric treatment. The book, published in 2008, has subjected him to "hatred, contempt, ridicule and obloquy," causing him to suffer a "loss of his reputation, shame, mortification and hurt feelings," the suit claims. On the witness stand Tuesday, Lutfi told jurors he met Spears in a Los Angeles nightclub when she asked if she could have his hat. He refused because he needed it to hide his bald head, he said. Spears told him it was refreshing to hear "no," he said. She got his phone number and soon began calling him, he said. His first actions after he became her manager included controlling the paparazzi who chased her 24 hours a day, he said. "She was dealing with a lot of anxiety with the way they would follow her," Lutfi said. She was in "crisis mode" dealing with 20 to 50 photographers following her every move, he said. Lutfi said he set up an arrangement with the photographers in which he would send them text messages to let them know where she was going as long as they followed his rules. He invited some of the paparrazzi into her home to meet Spears so they "could see her as a human being," he said. They also agreed to give her 3 to 6 feet of space so she could walk freely and to stop yelling slurs to provoke her to get a photo to sell, he said. They even began saving her a parking space at her destinations, he said. Lutfi's testimony was expected to continue Wednesday. Earlier Tuesday, the judge ruled that Lutfi's lawyer could not use Spears' medical records in the trial. He argued it was necessary to prove that Lutfi was not secretly drugging Spears to control her. Spears will not testify in the trial, which began last week. The judge overseeing her conservatorship prohibited her appearance on the witness stand. Lutfi said he is the co-manager of Courtney Love, the widow of musician Kurt Cobain, and a consultant for his mother's chain of gas stations.

Sam Lutfi was ousted from Spears' life when her dad became her conservator . Lutfi is suing for millions in damages and pay he says he's owed for being Spears' manager . A book by Spears' mom painted Lutfi as a "predator" and a "Svengali," his suit says . The Spears book caused him "hatred, contempt, ridicule and obloquy," Lutfi claims .

London (CNN) -- It may look more amusement park than Olympic Park, but the twisting red metal tower at the heart of the London 2012 Games site is no helter-skelter -- it's a massive piece of contemporary art named the Orbit. The sculpture, created by artist Anish Kapoor and designer Cecil Balmond, has become a common sight on televisions across the globe in recent days, snaking up through the sky alongside the Olympic Stadium. But while many visitors to the park have been happy to study the swirling structure from the ground, or to ride to the top and enjoy the sweeping views it offers across London, others aren't so sure. "I think it's amazing, it looks like a roller coaster," Raven, an 11-year-old local schoolgirl, told CNN on her first visit to the tower. "It's so ugly it becomes interesting," another Olympics fan said this week after visiting the sculpture. Earlier this year when the Orbit was first unveiled, London's mayor claimed it was better than the Eiffel Tower. Boris Johnson said the artwork, which rises up next to the Olympic Stadium at Stratford in the city's East End was "a masterpiece of design and engineering." "It endlessly repays the viewer, it is a very rewarding thing to look at. The Eiffel Tower is very simple, the Shard, behind me, is a piece of cake -- any child of two could do that -- this is much more elaborate, more sophisticated, more intriguing and complex," he told CNN. The tower stands 114.5 meters (375 feet) tall, making it Britain's biggest sculpture, more than twice the height of Nelson's Column, almost six times the height of the Angel of the North, and 22 meters taller than the Statue of Liberty. Visitors climb 455 steps -- or ride one of two elevators -- to two observation decks offering expansive vistas across London. Johnson and Lakshmi Mittal, CEO of steelmaker ArcelorMittal, joined forces to champion the creation of a large-scale sculpture at the Olympic Park -- after meeting in a cloakroom at Davos. "It started as a small project, a casual discussion." Mittal told CNN in May. "It was just a scribble on a piece of paper. But it expanded and expanded into this exciting project." Mittal's company stumped up more than £19 million ($30 million) of the £24 million cost of the structure, providing steel from their plants across the globe. "The Olympics are a global games -- the whole world participates, 202 countries. ArcelorMittal has businesses in so many countries around the world and so I wanted every one to participate," he said. Kapoor and Balmond won a competition to design the piece, and have watched it rise from the one-time wasteland, as the Olympic venues around it have also taken shape. Kapoor said the initial brief called for a tower on the Olympic site, "100 meters tall, or more, and we've done more," explaining that the work "questions the concept of what towers can be." "As you walk up, around and through it, it's as if the object is happening around you," he said when the sculpture was completed, adding that the Orbit "demands, requires, needs public participation." "It's all about being here, being involved," he told CNN. The artist conceded that the £15 entry fee (£7 for children) was high, but said it had been an expensive project, and that he hoped it would eventually be free, allowing more people to visit. Designer Balmond said the pair intended the sculpture to last far longer than the few weeks of the Olympic Games. "We hope it will be a monument for London, that will stand for 50 years -- though it might need a paint job by then -- and that it will be a beacon, drawing people to the area." Kapoor said he was ready for criticism: "When you add such a big edifice to London's skyline, necessarily, people will scrutinize it, and some will be critical, and that's part of the process. We will see..."

Orbit, designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond, at heart of Olympic Park . Tower stands 114.5m tall, making it Britain's tallest sculpture . Structure is built from 2,000 tons of steel and covered in 19,000 liters of red paint . Flight of 455 steps lead to viewing platform offering views across London .

(CNN) -- William Kamkwamba dreamed of powering his village with the only resource that was freely available to him. William Kamkwamba fits a lightbulb to a house in his village in Malawi. His native Malawi had gone through one of its worst droughts seven years ago, killing thousands. His family and others were surviving on one meal a day. The red soil in his Masitala hometown was parched, leaving his father, a farmer, without any income. But amid all the shortages, one thing was still abundant. Wind. "I wanted to do something to help and change things," he said. "Then I said to myself, 'If they can make electricity out of wind, I can try, too.'" Kamkwamba was kicked out of school when he couldn't pay $80 in school fees, and he spent his days at the library, where a book with photographs of windmills caught his eye. "I thought, this thing exists in this book, it means someone else managed to build this machine," he said. Armed with the book, the then-14-year-old taught himself to build windmills. He scoured through junkyards for items, including bicycle parts, plastic pipes, tractor fans and car batteries. For the tower, he collected wood from blue-gum trees. "Everyone laughed at me when I told them I was building a windmill. They thought I was crazy," he said. "Then I started telling them I was just playing with the parts. That sounded more normal." That was 2002. Now, he has five windmills, the tallest at 37 feet. He built one at an area school that he used to teach classes on windmill-building. The windmills generate electricity and pump water in his hometown, north of the capital, Lilongwe. Neighbors regularly trek across the dusty footpaths to his house to charge their cellphones. Others stop by to listen to Malawian reggae music blaring from a radio. When he started building the first windmill in 2002, word that he was "crazy" spread all over his village. Some people said he was bewitched -- a common description for people with perplexing behavior in some African cultures. "All of us, even my mother, thought that he had gone mad," said his sister Doris Kamkwamba. Villagers would surround him to snicker and point, Kamkwamba said. Ignoring them, he would quietly bolt pieces using a screwdriver made of a heated nail attached to a corncob. The heat -- from both the crowd and the melted, flattened pipes he used as blades -- did not deter him. Three months later, his first windmill churned to life as relief swept over him. As the blades whirled, a bulb attached to the windmill flickered on. "I wanted to finish it just to prove them wrong," he said. "I knew people would then stop thinking I was crazy." Kamkwamba, now 22, is a student at the African Leadership Academy, an elite South African school for young leaders. Donors pay for his education. His story has turned him into a globetrotter. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, an avid advocate of green living, has applauded his work. Kamkwamba is invited to events worldwide to share his experience with entrepreneurs. During a recent trip to Palm Springs, California, he saw a real windmill for the first time -- lofty and majestic -- a far cry from the wobbly, wooden structures that spin in his backyard. Former Associated Press correspondent Bryan Mealer, who covered Africa, wrote a book, "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," after hearing Kamkwamba's story. The book was released in the United States last week. Mealer, a native of San Antonio, Texas, said he lived with Kamkwamba in his village for months to write the book. The story was a refreshing change after years of covering bloody conflicts in the region, Mealer said. Kamkwamba is part of a generation of Africans who are not waiting for their governments or aid groups to come to their rescue, according to the author. "They are seizing opportunities and technology, and finding solutions to their own problems," Mealer said. "One of the keys of his success is ... he's never wanted to rest on his laurels."

Malawi had gone through one of its worst droughts seven years ago . Amid shortage William Kamkwamba realized wind offered hope . Armed with a book the then-14-year-old taught himself to build windmills . His windmills now generate electricity and pump water in his hometown .

Kampala, Uganda (CNN) -- All that glitters is not gold, and not all designer jewelry is made from precious metals and gemstones. A few years ago, Linda Lwanga's love of traditional African designs led her to her ancestral home in Uganda's capital of Kampala, giving up her career in electrical engineering in the UK. Once in the country, the British-born designer started Zanaa, a luxury label producing high-end jewelry and accessories made from a variety of materials, including ankole cow horns. Used for centuries for their milk and meat, ankole cows are indigenous to east Africa. Yet once they are slaughtered their striking long horns are usually discarded -- and this, Lwanga thought, represented a sustainable business opportunity. "If it weren't for making something out of cow horn it would have been disposed of," says Lwanga. "Typically in Africa we tend to burn a lot -- our garbage, our waste is burnt and it's not environmentally friendly at all so I just thought of collecting it and transforming it into something beautiful." Read this: Fishing boats reborn as furniture . From horn bangles and chic rings to eye-catching necklaces and earrings, Zanaa's growing jewelry line is sold to high-end buyers in the United States and Europe. Lwanga says that all the products are handmade by a small dedicated team of local artisans. "Zanaa means illuminate the source, the source being Africa, where we have an abundance of beautiful materials, an abundance of amazing craftsmanship," says Lwanga. "We are losing a lot of our heritage, our culture and our artisans, in a sense, are kind of losing hope," she adds. "So we are trying to get that artisanal craftmanship and keep it." Alongside the cow horn, Lwanga sources other traditional materials for her designs, such as imported leather from Ethiopia and beads from South Africa. Yet doing business from Kampala has not been without problems. "I would say timeliness is the biggest challenge," says Lwanga. "Trying to get your products to market in a short space of time and be competitive." Regional trade . Uganda, often described as the "pearl of Africa," is one of the continent's most beautiful nations. The landlocked country, however, is also one of Africa's poorest -- according to a 2009 report by the World Bank, 38% of the population lives below the poverty line. The country is part of COMESA, a trading bloc of 19 nations in east and southern Africa. Its free trade arrangements are designed to allow regional trade to flow easily between the member countries. Read this: Weapons of mass creation . Uganda's trade within COMESA is worth $1.2 billion annually, according to the country's ministry of trade. But transporting goods is one of the key problems due to crumbling roads and expensive air travel. For Zanaa, accessing information and understanding how the trade bloc can benefit young entrepreneurs has been problematic. "I had to go directly to the ministry of trade to find out about the tariffs for example, how to import," explains Lwanga, who already trades with many of the countries in the COMESA trading bloc. "So it was more proactive, actually going out to seek that information." Putting businesses on the map . Uganda's ministry of trade says it knows the system is far from perfect but insists much is being done to improve the availability of information to businesses in the country. "We have promoted the district commercial offices because some of these small and medium-sized enterprises are out in the rural areas," says Amelia Kyambadde, minister of trade, industry and cooperatives. "So they are able to access them and give them information about the market standards and the necessary facilitation that they need." Read this: Artist gives trash a second chance . Although still a work in progress, Lwanga says she sees the potential for her future if Uganda's regional trading relations continue to grow, especially when it comes to distributing her products. "It will impact the business greatly," she says. "If we can get import and export of the products smoothly and in a timely manner, an affordable manner and understanding what tax breaks we can get from doing business in such a way that will be fantastic," adds Lwanga. "It will enable us to be put on the map."

Zanaa is a Uganda-based company making jewelry from ankole cow horns . Its high-end products are sold in the United States and Europe . "Africa has abundance of beautiful materials," says Zanaa's founder .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Washington police told the mother of slain congressional intern Chandra Levy that an arrest is imminent in her daughter's 2001 death, Susan Levy told CNN on Saturday. Washington intern Chandra Levy's body was found a year after she disappeared in 2001. "I got a call from the Washington police department, just to give me a heads up that there's a warrant out for the arrest," Levy said. Police Chief Cathy Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department did not reveal the suspect's name when she contacted the parents on Friday, Levy said. She said police told her they have "enough evidence to convict somebody." A source close to the investigation told CNN the suspect was Ingmar Guandique, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for two assaults in Washington's Rock Creek Park that occurred around the time of Levy's disappearance. Levy's remains were found in the park. View a timeline of her disappearance » . The source would not speak on the record because the investigation is ongoing and the arrest warrant had not been finalized. A California native working as an intern for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Levy, 24, disappeared May 1, 2001. Her remains were found in May 2002 by a man walking his dog in a remote area of the park. The source said authorities are working to finalize the arrest warrant. Asked about reports that Guandique, a laborer from El Salvador, told a fellow inmate he killed Levy, the source said Guandique "was running his mouth." Guandique has been imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution - Victorville, a medium-security facility north of San Bernardino, California, an official there confirmed to CNN on Saturday. Watch CNN's Mike Brooks discuss Guandique's background » . He has denied any involvement in her death, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Guandique was mentioned last year in a Washington Post article about the killing. "It's a bittersweet situation for me as the mother of a daughter who is no longer here. I want justice. I want to know that the person who did it is in jail and will not do it to anybody else," Levy said. "Every day the elephant is there. Every day you get a knot in your stomach. It doesn't go away. It's a life sentence for the families and relatives that miss their loved ones. We have a life sentence of hurt." Referring to the impending arrest, Chandra's father told CNN affiliate KXTV that Lanier didn't say when an announcement would be made, but "she said it would be really soon." "She didn't say the name yet, but we think we know who it is. I don't want to say until it's official, though," the father said. The search for Levy and massive publicity that accompanied it stemmed largely from her connection to Rep. Gary Condit, D-California. Condit and Levy, who was from Condit's district, had an affair, and police questioned Condit many times in connection with her disappearance. Police never named Condit as a suspect. Condit, a member of Congress since 1989, lost the 2002 Democratic primary and left office at the end of his term. He later reportedly moved to Arizona. "For the Levy family, we are glad they are finally getting the answers they deserve. For my family, I am glad that their years of standing together in the face of such adversity have finally led to the truth," Condit told WJLA on Saturday. Condit's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, blamed police and media attention on Condit for delays in the arrest. Police never named him as a suspect. "It is a tragedy that the police and media obsession with former Congressman Condit delayed this result for eight years, and caused needless pain and harm to the families involved," Lowell said. "This should give the Levys the answer and closure they deserve, and remove the unfair cloud that has hung over the Condits for too long." CNN's Carol Cratty, Karen Zuker, Justine Redman and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report.

NEW: Chandra Levy's death is a "life sentence" for family, Susan Levy says . Source tells CNN that inmate Ingmar Guandique "was running his mouth" in prison . Guandique is serving time for attacks in park where Chandra Levy's remains found . Chandra Levy went missing May 1, 2001; her remains were found May 22, 2002 .

(CNN) -- Able to scare up a few bucks? Just in time for Halloween, the owners of the home made famous in the spooky 1970s film "The Amityville Horror" are dramatically slashing the asking price on their Toms River, New Jersey, colonial, which was used for exteriors in the film. The decision wasn't triggered by demonic activity, however. Apparently, another frightening "D" word was to blame. "My husband and I are getting a divorce," said Odalys Fragoso, who bought the house with her husband Jose Fragoso in 2001. "It's not that the house is haunted or anything. We had wonderful times in that house." The couple purchased the house for $795,000. Originally listed last year at $1.45 million, the four-bedroom, three-bath home is now going for $955,000 -- a bargain, according to the agent. "If there were a curse on it, I wouldn't be in it," joked Donna Walesiewicz, the broker selling the 3,370-square-foot residence. "It is what it is, a nice old stately home." It was also the perfect place for Hollywood producers, who used it as a double for the real Amityville house when shooting the 1979 movie. The film, based on Jay Anson's 1977 best-seller, featured buzzing flies, ghostly eyes, blood pouring from the walls and a satanic voice warning a visiting priest to "Get out!" The film starred James Brolin, Margot Kidder and Rod Steiger. The story has its origins in the real-life tale of the Lutz family, who purchased a house in Long Island, New York, in December 1975. The Lutzes' reports of strange and horrific experiences became the heart of the book and film. The "Amityville" franchise has since churned out an ample supply of sequels over the past 30 years, from a 3D version to a 2005 vehicle for Ryan Reynolds. Fragoso's waterfront homestead, built in 1920, is nowhere near the Lutzes' old haunt -- about 100 miles and a state line away -- and is anything but scary. Spread out over half an acre, it boasts a furnished basement, a lounge in the attic, hardwood floors and a two-car garage. There's also a pool and a dock. "The property alone, being on that river, you have that southern exposure, it's just a beautiful home," said Walesiewicz. How can the price be reduced a half-million dollars in only a year? Nothing suspicious about it: Walesiewicz said it's a sign of the times. "The housing market has dropped tremendously," she said. "That's why people are coming down and buying homes in cash. They aren't making money in other investments. They are putting it in real estate." This isn't the first time the price has been reduced. Last year it dropped from $1.45 million to $1.35 million before the house was taken off the market in October. Fragoso rehung the "for sale" sign again in May, this time for $1.25 million. Even then, the house drew little interest. Odalys Fragoso, 51, who is in the middle of divorce proceedings after 33 years of marriage, said the house was appraised this summer for $1.1 million, but the judge told her and her husband they had to lower the price. Which is why it's now at $955,000, she said. Dozens of fans of the movie have appeared at her doorstep over the years, taking pictures and asking questions. "They were thrilled that they filmed the movie there," Fragoso said. She also never sensed the house held any sinister secrets or apparitions. "I never felt anything, nothing whatsoever. I was just happy that we were buying the house because we saw the potential of it," Fragoso said. "It's not haunted, not at all."

House used for exteriors of "Amityville Horror" movie is for sale . House "not haunted, not at all," says Odalys Fragoso; she and husband are divorcing . Film of "The Amityville Horror" came out in 1979, spawned several sequels . Real-life house that spooked the Lutz family is in Long Island .

(CNN) -- There are dueling narratives in the death of Michael Brown: one says he was holding his hands up in surrender as officer Darren Wilson shot him, and the other says Brown was the aggressor, and Wilson shot as Brown was rushing toward him. Investigators will certainly use high-tech tools to try to get to the truth, but they'll also use a tool as old as the ancient Greeks: the autopsy. Three autopsies have been done on Brown's body: one by St. Louis County; one privately commissioned by the family and one performed Monday by medical examiners from the U.S. military. Detailed findings in the private autopsy -- but not from the other two -- have been released. Based on the circumstances of the case, here are three areas the pathologists likely gave close scrutiny. 1. Signs of struggle . A friend of Wilson's called into a St. Louis radio show to say that Brown "bum rushed" Wilson and punched him in the face. CNN confirmed that account matches the one Wilson told authorities. But lawyers for the Brown family say the autopsy they commissioned showed no signs of struggle. To look for signs of struggle, pathologists pay special attention to the hands, forearms, feet and shins, looking for signs of abrasions, cuts and bruises. A bruise on the knuckles might indicate the deceased threw a punch, but a bruise would only show up if the punch was pretty hard, according to Dr. Pat Ross, a forensic pathologist in Newberry, South Carolina. And it would be hard to tell whether the bruise was from a fight with Wilson or from something else. "You really can't date a bruise exactly," Ross said. "It may have happened two hours ago or five days ago." Pathologists also look for another person's DNA under the fingernails to help determine whether the deceased person would have scratched the other person during a struggle. 2. The bullet wound at the top of Brown's head . The family-commissioned autopsy showed Brown was shot at the top of his head. "That bullet went in there and came out near the eye area," family lawyer Daryl Parks said at a press conference. "It supports what the witnesses said about him trying to surrender to the officer. His head was in a downward position." Ross said it's possible Brown was surrendering, but he might have been bent over for other reasons, too: he might have been crouching to dodge bullets or he might have been slumped over because he was weak from his wounds, or he might have been making an attempt to rush at Wilson with his head down. Brown was shot at least six times, all to the front of his body, according to the preliminary results of this autopsy. Four bullets went into his right arm, and he was shot twice in the head. 3. Gunshot residue . Wilson's friend who called into the radio show said that during the fight inside the officer's car, both men grabbed for the officer's gun and it went off. Dr. Michael Baden, the forensic pathologist hired by the Brown family, said there was no gunshot residue on Brown's skin surface, so at the time the gun went off it was at least a foot or two away. But he added that his team hadn't had the opportunity to examine Brown's clothing, which might have filtered out any gunshot residue. 'An autopsy is a snapshot' One crucial question an autopsy alone can't answer is whether someone was standing still when he was shot or was moving toward the shooter -- and if he was moving at what speed. "An autopsy is a snapshot," said Dr. Eric Mitchell, a forensic pathologist in Kansas City, Kansas. "And like a snapshot of a ball in midair, you can't tell if it's going up or coming down, or how fast it's going up or down." To answer that question, more details from the investigation are needed. "It's uncommon for an autopsy to give you all your answers," Mitchell added -- even though crime shows on TV often make it look like autopsies answer all questions with illuminating "aha" moments. "My mother-in law-loves those shows, so I've been forced to watch them, but that's just hokum," he said. CNN's John Bonifield and Matthew Stucker contributed to this story.

Three autopsies have been conducted in Michael Brown's death . Pathologists looking at signs of struggle, wounds and gunpowder . Autopsies can provide valuable information to investigators . But it's uncommon for them to provide all the answers, expert says .

(CNN) -- The 6-year-old boy swallowed whole in an Indiana sand dune over the weekend could make a full recovery, a medical official said Monday. Rescuers dug furiously for three and a half hours to extract little Nathan Woessner, who was recovered unconscious and rushed to the University of Chicago Medicine's Comer Children's Hospital. But Tracy Koogler, medical director at the hospital's pediatric intensive care unit, said doctors are signaling progress and possibly a full recovery. The boy is on a ventilator, she said, and is breathing at the capacity of a moderate intensive-care-unit pneumonia patient. He could have his breathing tube out later this week and could be out of the hospital in 10 days to two weeks with rehabilitation to follow, Koogler said. It's unclear what kind of lasting health issues he may have. Authorities have said they don't believe Nathan suffered brain damage from a lack of oxygen and there were no significant injuries to his eyes. A single air pocket in the dune may have saved his life, officials said. At present, doctors are trying to clear sand from his lungs. A family outing turned nightmare . The boy and his family had gone Friday to Mount Baldy Beach at Indiana Dunes National Park, in the northwestern corner of the state. It was a day meant to be a fun family vacation at the beach on the Lake Michigan shoreline. Pastor Don Reul, Nathan's grandfather, said his daughter and son-in-law went with another couple and their children. The incident occurred after the fathers decided to climb Mount Baldy. Nathan and a friend followed. Then the unexpected happened: sounds of screams and a boy lost in the sand. Nathan had stepped in a sinkhole, and a friend yelled to the fathers that the child was gone, the grandfather said. The fathers frantically tried to dig him out, but the more they dug, the deeper Nathan seemed to sink in the 11-foot mound. A call for help went out immediately. Rescuers stay focused . 911 Operator: 9-1-1. Caller: I'm at the Mount Baldy Beach. And my friend's son, he got stuck in the sand dune, and he's like under the sand and they can't get him out. 911 Operator: OK, can anybody see him or is he completely covered by sand? Caller: Uh, yes. My husband and his dad are trying to dig him out. Dozens of first responders rushed to the scene with shovels in hand. Heavy excavation equipment also was called in. They raced against the clock. "There was lots and lots of guys hand digging, trying to expose him making sure nobody was going to hurt him or anything with any equipment," one of the rescuers, Rich Elm, told CNN affiliate WNDU. An hour went by. Then another. "We were really losing hope fast, and we tried to just stay focused," Michigan City firefighter Brad Kreighbaum told CNN affiliate WSBT. "The first two hours was complete misery." More than three and a half hours later, signs of life. Nathan was cold and appeared lifeless but had a heartbeat. He was trapped vertically in the sand. "One minute you're thinking, 'We don't know what we're going to have,' and you're thinking the worst. Then you're hoping for the best," Elm said. "Once I had a hold of his head," Kreighbaum said, "I was ... just talking to him, you know, just like I would talk to my own son." 'Never heard of anything like this' Park rangers do not know what caused the hole. Mount Baldy is the tallest moving sand dune in the national lakeshore, according to the National Park Service. Half-buried trees show its shifting nature. "I've been a park ranger here at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore since 1991, and I've never heard of anything like this here or at other sand dune parks," Park Ranger Bruce Rowe told WNDU. "It's baffling." The beach was closed Monday as authorities investigated what caused the sand to give way. Waiting for our son to wake up . CNN's Jennifer Moore and Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report. Watch New Day weekdays at 6am-9am ET. For the latest on New Day click here .

Nathan Woessner, 6, was visiting the northern Indiana sand dunes with family . The sand dunes, which line Lake Michigan, can sometimes give way . Nathan is in critical condition but does not appear to have any brain damage .

(CNN) -- Sri Lankans went to the polls on Tuesday in the island nation's first peacetime presidential election in 26 years, despite explosions and mortar fire in the capital of Northern Province hours before polls opened. Once a stronghold for the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Northern Province city of Jaffna was a frequent battleground for the rebels and Sri Lankan government troops until a government offensive last year crushed the Tigers. While it wasn't clear what the explosions were, they were nothing new for Jaffnans, who have lived under military control for decades. More than 14 million Sri Lankans are expected to elect their sixth executive president to a six-year term. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seeking a fresh mandate for his government, but he faces a tough challenge from his one-time confidante and former Army commander, retired General Sarath Fonseka. Rajapaksa cast his vote in his ancestral town of Medamulana, near the southern town of Tangalle. "I am very confident of victory," he told journalists. Fonseka was expected to visit a polling booth in Colombo. Queues were large outside most polling booths in Colombo and principal towns, election officials said. "I waited in a queue for 45 minutes before I could cast my ballot," said Damayantha Perera of the Colombo suburb of Maharagama. "I also had to wait for almost an hour," said W. Ramiah, a resident of Nugegoda, also of Colombo. Fonseka, who won wide acclaim for leading troops to military victory against the rebels, broke ranks with the Rajapaksa administration after he was elevated to the largely ceremonial post of chief of defense staff in July after retiring as Army commander. After Fonseka announced his presidential bid, the main opposition parties -- with widely diverse political ideologies -- closed ranks behind him to make him their common candidate. "There has been abuse of power, corruption and nepotism. We want to abolish the executive presidency and make the parliament more answerable to the people. The best person to do this is the one who defeated terrorism," Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party, told CNN. Many of Rajapaksa's family members, including his brothers, hold key positions in the government: Chamal is a Cabinet minister, Gotabhaya is Defense Secretary, and Basil is a member of parliament and senior presidential adviser. Other members of the family hold important positions locally and in Sri Lanka's diplomatic missions abroad. The coalition of parties backing Fonseka includes a main opposition right wing party and a leftist Marxist outfit, as well as the Tamil National Alliance. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Center for Policy Alternatives, a branch of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence, said the situation in Sri Lanka, however, is "a picture of dysfunction and breakdown." There have been allegations of interference with mail-in ballots, according to the group. Most of the complaints have been against members of Rajapaksa's government, it said. There have been more than 700 reports of violence ahead of the election, with at least four deaths reported, Saravanamuttu said. Sri Lankans are casting their ballots in more than 11,000 voting booths across the nation. Local leaders have urged a peaceful voting day amid the escalating violence, including the shooting deaths of two people -- one a supporter of the opposition and the other of the government. A contingent of 85,000 police officers have been deployed to maintain law and order, said Mahinda Balasooriya, the inspector general of police. Each polling station has two to three police officers on duty, he said. The spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last week that the U.N. chief was "concerned about the growing violence in the lead-up to the presidential election." "The peaceful conduct of the first post-conflict national election is of the highest importance for long-term peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka," he added. CNN's Sara Sidner and Iqbal Athas contributed to this report.

NEW: Queues were large outside most Colombo polling booths, election officials say . NEW: President Rajapaksa casts his vote in ancestral town of Medamulana . He faces tough challenge from retired Gen. Fonseka . Police: Contingent of 85,000 police officers deployed to maintain law and order .

(CNN) -- Over the past weekend, Gov. Jerry Brown of California took to the safety of YouTube to reveal that the Golden State's budget deficit is now $15.7 billion, far greater than the original $9.2 billion estimate in January. California state taxes, already some of the highest in the nation, brought in an anemic 20% less revenue than expected in April, causing California's deficit to nearly double in only four months. On Monday, Brown released a revised budget plan. California Dreamin' it may be better known as. Brown's budget calls for new spending cuts, to which state workers have yet to agree; even higher taxes, at which voters may balk; and rosy revenue assumptions, which already came up massively short in April. The new deficit strategy relies heavily on higher taxes: Raising the state sales tax from 7.25% to 7.5% and hiking income taxes on those making more than $1 million from 10.3% to 13.3%, the highest rate of any state. Although he calls his plan a "millionaire's tax," it would also boost rates on incomes starting at $250,000. Brown's now famous explanation -- "Anybody who makes $250,000 becomes a millionaire very quickly, if you save" -- illustrates well the calamity that is California economics today. If Brown's plan fails, again, he would institute an automatic $5.5 billion cut to public and higher education. California's children shouldn't be punished for the mistakes of adults, nor should its residents be forced to choose between tax hikes and education cuts to try and solve their budget problems. California should look to Wisconsin. Gov. Scott Walker closed a large budget hole without raising taxes or cutting education but by going straight to one of the roots of the problem -- public employee unions. Last summer, Walker required union members to contribute 5.8% of their pay toward pensions and 12.6% of their health insurance premiums, while also reforming collective bargaining agreements for government workers. At first glance, Walker's reforms appeared to be political suicide. But as the returns come in, and schools aren't closing, draconian cuts aren't being made and taxes aren't getting higher. Walker's success leaves his opponents with little ammunition. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Walker's Democratic opponent in the June recall election, hardly mentions Walker's union reforms anymore. With Walker opening a lead in recent polls, top Wisconsin Democrats are angry that the Democratic National Committee is unwilling to invest heavily to recall him. Wisconsin recently reported that property tax bills for the median homes fell by 0.4% in 2011, the first drop in more 13 years. In January, Baldwin-Woodville School District reported a $100,000 budget surplus thanks to Walker's reforms. And in Kaukauna School District, school officials say the pension and health care reforms will transform their $400,000 budget deficit into a $1.5 million surplus. In Chief Executive's annual survey of the Best and Worst States for Business, Wisconsin jumped from 41st place in 2010 to 24th place in 2011 and bumped up to 20th place in 2012. California, once again ranked dead last, is begging for similar public pension and health reforms. California state teachers are the highest paid teachers in the country, with an average salary of $68,000. The typical pension plan allows them to retire after 30 years with 75% of their salary intact. It's no coincidence that the California State Teachers Retirement System has a $65 billion unfunded liability. Brown has introduced pension reform, but it's been shelved for the past six months. Senate leader Darrell Steinberg and Democratic leaders have yet to commit to any increase in retirement age or pension contributions. Until California addresses comprehensive pension reform, the state will continue to sink deeper into debt. Even Democrats in Rhode Island, New Jersey and Illinois are pushing through pension reform. There may eventually be hope for California. But, in the words of Winston Churchill, only after they've tried everything else. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William J. Bennett.

Gov. Jerry Brown of California faces a budget deficit of nearly $16 billion . William Bennett: California should look to Wisconsin as role model . He says Wisconsin addressed the root of budget problem: public employee unions . Bennett: Pension reform is the key to California's fiscal crisis .

(CNN) -- Organizers of the 2018 Russia World Cup insist they have nothing to hide ahead of an investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Football's world governing body FIFA awarded the 2018 competition to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar in December 2010, a decision which has been dogged by allegations of corruption and wrongdoing. Michael Garcia, a former New York attorney, is head of the investigative arm of FIFA's ethics committee and will visit all of the countries involved in the bidding process for the two tournaments, beginning in London next week. Garcia has always insisted he is completely independent from FIFA and would not hesitate to take action against president Sepp Blatter or other top FIFA officials if he found evidence that they broke the rules. The head of media for Russia 2018 says the committee will co-operate fully with Garcia's fact-finding investigation. "We can confirm the local organizing committee (LOC) will fully support Mr Garcia's work if he contacts us," read a statement issued to CNN. "The Russia 2018 committee ran a bid campaign in full compliance with FIFA rules and ethics, and we were awarded the right to host the FIFA World Cup because of the unique and compelling proposition we put together. "The LOC continues to conduct itself with exactly the same degree of transparency, commitment to excellence and spirit of fair play." Blog: Can the Qatar World Cup be moved? How and where Garcia's potential meeting with Russia takes place is open to question given in April he was one of 18 people barred from entering the country over what Moscow said were human rights abuses, linked to the lawyer's arrest and charging of Viktor Bout, a Russian, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. for arms trafficking. News of Garcia's investigation came ahead of FIFA's executive committee in Zurich on Thursday and Friday where it will discuss the possibility of moving the 2022 tournament from the usual June and July slot to December. "I will conduct interviews in various places and I hope that those who have some information, even if they are not obliged to give me some, will agree to talk to me," Garcia told France Football magazine. "My goal is to submit a report that covers the World Cup bidding and awarding process." Mark Pieth, who will leave his post as chairman of the Independent Governance Committee at the end of the year, said Garcia's task isn't easy. "He's in a very awkward situation," Pieth told CNN. "He has no police powers. He can't just walk into an office in Dubai and say, 'I want these files and I want all your hard disks.' "He has to use the techniques of an international investigator and so the big question is, even if there's evidence around, will he find it? We don't know. What I can do is make sure he gets the manpower and he gets the resources, the money, to run this." FIFA's decision to award Qatar the 2022 tournament has been particularly criticized, with many suggesting the oppressive heat in the Gulf state makes staging the World Cup there impractical and dangerous. Pieth himself said he had "serious doubts" about the procedure used to give Qatar the event. Moving the competition from the northern hemisphere summer to winter could present a number of problems to the sport's major leagues and major broadcasters. "Deals were signed for a summer World Cup," Fox Sports reporter Leander Schaerlaeckens told France Football. In 2011, Fox Sports agreed to pay a record $425 million for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. The three rival bidders beaten by Qatar, the United States, Australia and South Korea and Japan, could file complaints with Swiss authorities regarding the bidding process. Moving the 2022 tournament from its traditional slot in the summer also potentially puts the World Cup in competition with other major events such as the Winter Olympics, the Australian Open in tennis and the National Football League (NFL) season in the U.S.

Russia 2018 will fully co-operate with Michael Garcia's investigation . Garcia to investigate the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups . Russia was awarded the 2018 event in December 2010, with Qatar winning the 2022 bid . Qatar 2022 World Cup could be moved to northern hemisphere winter .

(CNN) -- A celebration of specialness, Joss Whedon's slick blockbuster "The Avengers" presents what may be the ultimate team: half a dozen Marvel Comics superheroes for the price of one. You don't need me to tell you it's the culmination of a five-year plan that began with Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury taking Tony Stark aside at the end of the first "Iron Man" to tip him off as to the "Avengers Initative." There is a bigger picture, he told him -- and here it is: The be-all but not (they're hoping) the end-all of the current craze for CGI-enhanced superheroics. Interspersing flip one-liners with a host of larger-than-life characters and the usual flurry of fight-and-flight scenes, the film is never less than amusing. Still, it's never more than amusing either. Marvel Studios has made it a point of pride to diverge from the grim severity popularized in the DC / Warner Bros Batman films. The lightness is fun but it doesn't offer much of a foundation on which to build an epic. And let's face it, there's more than a whiff of opportunism about a project that pits a defrosted World War II hero, Captain America (Chris Evans), an inventor-industrialist, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), the pagan lightning god, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a scientist with anger-management issues, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and SHIELD agents Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) against the Norse god of mischief, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and a legion of marauding aliens. In 3-D. Still, Whedon (who shares a screenplay credit with Zak Penn) is a very sharp operator. He knows which buttons to press and where there's room for a little diversion. The improbability of this misfit coalition becomes the movie's most rewarding asset. Imagine the bristling egos of so many power players cooped up in the same room! The movie delivers the kind of pleasures usually reserved for fan fiction or playground stand-offs. Not surprisingly, Robert Downey Jr.'s flip, cynical Stark (Iron Man) gets a good measure of the movie's best lines, bouncing off Steve Rogers' (Captain America) boy scout idealism and Thor's guileless sledgehammer style (sometimes literally). Whedon also crafts a couple of choice scenes beautifully tailored for Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, a far more interesting character here than she appeared to be in "Iron Man 2." But no question, the movie's not-so-secret weapon is Hulk. Share your review of "The Avengers" Mark Ruffalo is the third actor to play Bruce Banner/Hulk in the past decade, and even though the soft-spoken star would seem to have the longest fuse (when we first see him he's tending to the sick in an Indian slum) he's immediately both more dangerous and more fun than either Edward Norton or Eric Bana in the same role. Whedon gives him a long build up. For the first hour of the movie we're invited to speculate along with his new allies just how much havoc Banner's rampaging id might cause. Then the leash comes off! Never underestimate the entertainment value of the Hulk Smash. That's probably the most important lesson to be drawn here, and one that clearly hasn't been lost on the filmmakers, who have reportedly signed Ruffalo to a six-picture deal. Beyond that, the movie wants us to believe that these action figures have learned to play nice and work as a team -- which is good news for humanity, but maybe not so promising for the inevitable sequels. A climax on the war-torn streets of Manhattan could almost be an extended outtake from the last "Transformers" flick -- Whedon can only push the blockbuster form so far -- but if it's a Friday Night SmackDown you're after, "Avengers" gets the job done.

"The Avengers" -- interspersing flip one-liners with a host of larger-than-life characters . Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark gets a good measure of the movie's best lines . Mark Ruffalo is more dangerous and more fun than either Edward Norton or Eric Bana .

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Three Iraq boys were killed in an airstrike in eastern Baghdad on Saturday as they were sifting through trash, looking for stuff to sell, said a 10-year-old boy wounded in the attack. Ambulances sit damaged after a U.S. attack Saturday near Baghdad's Al-Sadr Hospital. "I was hit by an American helicopter," Ahmed Yahya said. "I was with a group of about 10 children who were collecting empty soft drink cans in Jamila. We haven't done anything." U.S. military officials confirmed firing two Hellfire missiles at a rooftop in the vicinity about the same time that the boy said the attack took place. However, they say the only damage U.S. forces saw was to the rooftop. Another boy said his brother died in the attack. Dr. Jawad al-Mousawi, chief doctor at Imam Ali hospital in Sadr City, said the hospital received the bodies of three boys and a wounded boy about 2 p.m. He said the hospital saw three other fatalities and treated 23 wounded people from airstrikes and fighting across the city. An ambulance driver at the hospital said it took three hours to transport the boys because of fighting in the area. Elsewhere in Baghdad, U.S. soldiers killed five suspected militants and detained 24 others in fighting Friday and Saturday in the city's southern Rashid district. Earlier Saturday at least 28 people were wounded in a U.S. attack on a building near a hospital in Baghdad's sprawling Sadr City area, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said. Employees of al-Sadr Hospital were among the wounded, and the facility's property sustained damage, including to some ambulances, the official said. In a statement, the U.S. military said the strike targeted "known criminal elements." "We did hit the target, which was a criminal command and control center, which was near a hospital," the military said, adding that it was assessing damages. Watch scenes of damage near the hospital » . The Interior Ministry official called the attack an airstrike, but the U.S. military said it was a guided multiple-launch rocket system strike. These guided rockets are launched from armored vehicles. Al-Sadr Hospital is one of the two main medical facilities in the district, where Iraqi and U.S. troops have been battling Shiite militias loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The strike left a large hole in the ground near the hospital, video footage showed. Chunks of concrete and other rubble covered the ground, and car windows were shattered. The southern portion of Sadr City has been walled off so that U.S. military and Iraqi security forces can control movements there. Other developments . • Four U.S. Marines were killed Saturday when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Iraq's al Anbar Province, the military said. Their names were withheld pending notification of their families. • Turkey's military said Saturday that it had killed more than 150 Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq in an operation that ended early Friday, according to a statement on the military's Web site. Turkey has been staging attacks against rebels with the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers' Party, in the Qandil Mountain region in northern Iraq. A PKK official said Friday there were no party casualties. • A roadside bomb exploded Saturday at a traffic patrol in the western part of Baghdad, killing an Iraqi traffic police officer and wounding eight others, including six traffic police officers, a ministry official said. • Overnight, six people were killed and 25 were wounded in Sadr City, the Interior Ministry said. The U.S. military said it killed six "criminals." On Friday, U.S. forces killed eight suspected militants during 10 hours of fighting in the Shiite neighborhood, a military statement said. • A U.S. soldier on combat patrol in eastern Baghdad was killed Friday when a roadside bomb struck the soldier's vehicle, the military said. The number of U.S. military deaths in the Iraq war stands at 4,066, including eight Defense Department contractors. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Boys were among a group sifting through trash looking for stuff to sell . Guided rockets hit target of "known criminal elements," U.S. says . Turkish military says it killed 150 Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq . At least 28 people wounded in U.S. attack near hospital, Iraqi says .

(CNN) -- Mobile World Congress is the world's largest mobile phone trade show, held every year in Barcelona. It is the venue for manufacturers like Nokia, HTC, LG, and Samsung to reveal the must-have mobile devices and services of the year. This year is likely to be no different with big launches expected from all the major players except Apple. So what can we expect? Some phone makers have already announced their MWC line up, some have hinted, others have been rumored. Talking to sources, joining the dots, and getting the word on the street, this is what is expected at the show: . Nokia . Nokia is rumored to be launching a number of handsets at MWC this year. Some will focus on emerging markets (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), while the others, the developed ones. The phones you are most likely to be interested in will be a European version of the recently announced Nokia Lumia 900, and a low end Lumia; the Nokia Lumia 610. Both models will work with Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system. HTC . We are expecting three handsets from the Taiwanese company; The HTC One X, The HTC One S, and the HTC One V. The top-of-the-range One X will feature the new Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor and run Android, while Pocket-lint has confirmed with sources that the One V will be a music-focused device aimed at men and similar to the more female friendly (if that is possible) HTC Rhyme that is already on the market. Samsung . Although Samsung was expected to launch the Samsung Galaxy S III at MWC this year, the company has now confirmed that it won't. With a number of pre-MWC launches already detailed, Samsung is expected instead to focus on tablets at the show. If rumors are to be believed, it will launch a 10.1-inch version of the Samsung Galaxy Note announced in September 2011. The difference from all the other tablets it sells? It will have a built-in stylus. LG . Following Samsung's lead with the Galaxy Note, LG has announced its LG Optimus Vu prior to the show. A cross between a phone and a tablet, it will measure 139.6mm x 90.mm, meaning it's going to be one for those with big hands and big pockets. There are also rumors that the company will announce a follow up to the LG Optimus 2X called the 3X. Expect it to have a quad-core processor too. Research In Motion . BlackBerry maker RIM has said that there will be no new hardware at the show this year, but that it will be showing off the new PlayBook 2.0 operating system and the software operating system, BB OS 10, that it hopes will power its new phones expected later in the year. Panasonic . Having just announced a new waterproof and dustproof phone called the Eluga, Panasonic has also confirmed it has a second handset in the pipeline to launch at MWC. It will feature a dual-core processor, OLED screen and will run Android. Fujitsu . Japanese brand Fujitsu has confirmed that it will be launching phones in Europe following its success in Japan. The company has yet to announce which models it will be bringing the continent, however the smart money is on the waterproof quad-core Tegra 3 powered Android smartphone it announced at CES in Las Vegas in January. Sony (aka Sony Ericsson) Trying to pinpoint a Sony phone destined for Mobile World Congress is as hard as Sony Ericsson's transitions to Sony. We are expecting a European launch for the already announced (at CES) Sony Ericsson Xperia S though. Rumors and leaked internet photos suggest maybe a bigger screen version too, as well as an array of other Android devices. Motorola . Motorola's MWC plans are even quieter than Sony's with the company traditionally focusing on CES in Las Vegas to launch many of its first-half-of-the-year handsets. There is a suggestion that Motorola has teamed up with Intel to launch one of the first Intel-powered smartphones, but that is still to be confirmed. Motorola doesn't have a press conference at the show, but Intel does.

Nokia, HTC expected to lead a busy field for new mobile device launches at Mobile World Congress . Samsung's Galaxy S III will remain under wraps as Korean manufacturer focuses on tablets . Sony and Motorola's plans remain a mystery ahead of Barcelona event .

Sendai, Japan (CNN) -- Long lines at grocery stores and gas stations along with continued aftershocks and power outages greeted many in Japan on Sunday morning, nearly two days after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that left hundreds dead and missing. Supplies of food and gas were running out in Sendai, the northern coastal city close to the epicenter of Friday's quake. Those who survived the earthquake and chose to remain in the city were enduring two-hour waits at the supermarket, according to a CNN iReporter in Sendai with the username joeyjenkins. "They have waited for I don't even know how long to get gas, as the gas station manually pumps the gas since there is no electricity," joeyjenkins wrote, adding they were without power until early Sunday. Schools and hospitals and Sendai have been turned into shelters, and volunteers were handing out bottles of water, CNN correspondent Kyung Lah reported from the city. Fears of power outages in Tokyo, about 200 miles south, sparked a run on flashlights, said iReporter Jessica Tekawa, 26. "I think last night, there must have been something on the news about a power outage," she told CNN, "because when we went, with my friend, we were trying to get flashlights and they were sold out everywhere." Water, too, was sold out in every store she went to after similar reports of possible water contamination, she said. Kenneth Cukier, the Japan correspondent for The Economist magazine, said the government announced managed power cuts will start Monday in certain regions of the country -- including suburban areas of Tokyo -- to give businesses enough power to operate. A seemingly endless barrage of aftershocks from Friday's 8.9-magnitude quake was still rattling nerves Sunday. The U.S. Geological Survey reported more than 140 such quakes -- magnitude 4.5 and higher, with the strongest coming at a 6.4 -- in, near, or off the east coast of the Japanese island. There have been "many aftershocks," said Yasue Schumaker, a Sendai native who now lives in Hawaii, but was visiting her mother in a Sendai hospital when the quake struck. "The day it happened, it was constantly aftershock, and last night was better, but still we are having quite big ones," Schumaker said. The aftershocks are a "constant reminder of what's happened, and what could happen in the future," Wall Street Journal reporter Yoree Koh told CNN from Tokyo. Such aftershocks are also producing tremendous anxiety for earthquake survivors, reported CNN's Gary Tuchman, driving from the western coastal city of Shonai to Sendai in the east. "People are wondering, could there be an aftershock that's greater than the original earthquake?" Tuchman said. "Each time you feel it, there's an element of fear." The Japanese military was working in at least one neighborhood of Sendai on Sunday morning to search for anyone trapped in the rubble. "A few hundred" people were still unaccounted for in one part of town Sunday, Lah reported. Search-and-rescue helicopters buzzed over Sendai as workers walked through the muddy streets wearing hard hats and carrying shovels. At least one person was winched by chopper from a damaged house. The city was still littered with debris and standing water from the tsunami. Two to three miles inland, houses were destroyed or simply gone, cars were stacked on top of each other, and brown mud covered the ground, Lah said. An iReporter with the username xeynon, who described himself as an American living and working in Sendai, said "there are still many friends and acquaintances living along the coast we have not been able to contact." Schumaker, her voice quivering, said those people should be the priority. "People who lost their homes, or the people who are still needing help, they are the ones who need help," she said. "We don't have any electric, water, gas, and the city just announced it could take 30 days to get gas set up for everybody. But we definitely need water and food, but please help the people who lost their homes and still ... on top of the buildings asking for help." CNN's Mary Lynn Ryan and Ashley Hayes contributed to this report.

NEW: There are still "quite big aftershocks" in Sendai . NEW: Helicopters are helping the rescue effort in Sendai . People are waiting in long lines at grocery stores and gas stations . Aftershocks are still rattling nerves, nearly two days after the quake .

Washington (CNN) -- With time running out for Congress to prevent a doubling of interest rates on federal student loans, the White House and Republican leaders exchanged accusations Thursday on who was to blame for the lack of an agreement. President Barack Obama chided Republicans for holding up a deal with unreasonable demands, and he urged college students to continue raising their voices on the issue. However, spokesmen for Republican leaders in the House and Senate denied an assertion by press secretary Jay Carney that the White House has been working with them to try to reach a deal. Asked about GOP complaints that the White House has not reached out to Republicans on the issue in recent days, Carney said that "we are actively working with members of Congress to get this done," adding, "in both parties." Spokesmen for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, disputed Carney's account. On the Senate floor, McConnell accused Obama and Democrats of playing political games on the issue. "It is the Democrat-led Senate that has failed to act and the president who has failed to contribute to a solution, and the reason is obvious," McConnell said. "It was reported yesterday that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching a website with a student loan countdown clock aimed at raising money off this issue. The implication is that Republicans are the ones dragging their feet. " The only reason the issue remains unresolved "is that the president wants to keep it alive," McConnell said, adding that "he thinks it benefits him politically for college students to believe we're the problem." Despite such political back-and-forth, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said that "a series of meetings over the last 48 hours" with Republicans had raised hopes for a deal. "At this stage, it appears that they are compromising, just as we are, and hope we can get something done," Reid said. Leaders of both parties insist that they want to keep the federally backed rate at 3.4% for another year, but they sharply disagree over how to pay the $6 billion cost. Democrats want to eliminate certain tax benefits for small-business owners, while Republicans want to cut a preventive-care fund created in 2010 as part of Obama's health care reform law. The Republican-majority House has passed its version of the measure, which Obama has threatened to veto. The Senate continues to negotiate an alternative version. If Congress fails to act by July 1, the rate jumps to 6.8%, with an average cost to students of $1,000 in increased loan debt, according to the White House. In his remarks at the White House to students campaigning for an extension of the current rate, Obama blamed Republicans for preventing a deal. "Last month, Democrats in the Senate put forward a plan that would have kept these rates in place without adding a dime to the deficit. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans got together and blocked it," Obama said. "Over in the House, the Republicans said they'd keep these rates down only if we agreed to cut things like preventative health care for women, which obviously wouldn't fix the problem but would create a new problem," the president continued. He also poked fun at an unidentified congressman, presumably Republican, who Obama said had warned that the student loan rate issue was about giving students "free college education." That complaint "doesn't make much sense, because the definition of a loan is, it's not free; you have to pay it back," Obama said. While Obama has repeatedly raised the issue in campaign appearances, certain GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has also said Congress should act to keep the rate at 3.4%. In 2007, lawmakers temporarily cut the rate for undergraduates taking out federal Stafford loans up to the 2011 school year. The lower rates were phased in, so students have been able to access the lowest 3.4% rate on subsidized federal loans for only one school year. The 2007 law allows interest rates to revert back to 6.8% for the 2012-13 school year, which starts in July. CNN's Jessica Yellin, Alan Silverleib and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

NEW: Sen. McConnell says it is Democrats stalling progress to score political points . The president urges Congress to prevent interest rates on student loans from doubling . Senate Majority Leader Reid says recent talks provide hope for a resolution . Without action, the current 3.4% interest rate will rise to 6.8% at the end of June .

(CNN) -- iReporters have a message for Richard Wright: Shine on, you crazy diamond. Jessica Schuette's tattoo reminds her of her late friend, who was a big fan of Pink Floyd. Wright, a founding member of epic rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. The keyboardist had been battling cancer and succumbed at his home in Britain. Wright is credited with writing some of the band's most well-known hits, such as "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Us and Them." Pink Floyd has thousands of devoted fans across the world, and the news of Wright's death inspired many of them to write into iReport to share how Richard Wright and the rest of the group touched and changed their lives. Jessica Schuette shared a photo of her Pink Floyd-inspired tattoo: a shimmering diamond above the words "shine on." She got the tattoo in 2005 in memory of her best friend, who died in a car accident. "This was her favorite song. I got this tattoo to remember her," Schuette said. "If that doesn't say something about the impact that this band has had on people, I don't know what will." Pink Floyd touched the lives of Schuette and her friend even though they were never able to see one of the band's legendary live shows. Schuette, who is a dedicated Pink Floyd fan herself, pointed out that she's only 21 -- born 13 years after they released the epic album "Dark Side of the Moon," and too young to have seen the band live when they were touring. iReport.com: Read more of Schuette's thoughts . Omar Pelea of Miami, Florida, hopes the tragedy of Wright's death will give Schuette and other fans their long-awaited chance to see the group live. He hopes the death will inspire the other members of Pink Floyd to begin touring again. Pink Floyd has not toured with lead singer and songwriter Roger Waters since 1981, although Rogers reunited with the band in 2005 for a concert at Live 8 in London. "Now would be a good time for the remaining members to contemplate the fact that a reunion is running short on time," he said. "There are bigger things in life than their differences. Perhaps they should put those differences aside and play for the world one last time." "To me, Pink Floyd is the greatest band ever to play on this Earth," he added. iReport.com: Pelea compares Wright to the late George Harrison . Long-time Pink Floyd fan Pamela Keenan had the chance to perform some of the group's greatest works herself. She is a member of Endicott Performing Arts Center, a theatre company in Endicott, New York, that has performed its own adaptations of "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon." "We had a band on the stage with us. We had images and films projected on the back of the stage and we had full choreography and vocals for all the songs from each album," she said. "I listened to all of the music over and over again as a teen, but to be able to perform it in my 30s brought a new respect for the lyrics and the sheer musical genius." iReport.com: See a Pink Floyd-themed bike ride . Keenan described Pink Floyd as "one of the greatest bands that's ever been in existence," but thinks the group is underrated by mainstream society today. "Children aren't exposed to it anymore," she said. "My kids are exposed to it because we did the shows -- and they love it." iReport.com: Keen recalls Pink Floyd stage show . "I credit Pink Floyd for being a big part of my imagination," said Dean Spiegal, who creates psychedelic videos inspired by the group's music. "Floyd was not a band, it was an experience. They did not make music for the people, they made music for their minds." iReport.com: Watch Spiegel's video tribute . And Eric Beck put it simply: . "It changed my life. It changed my life," he said of "Dark Side of the Moon." "Rick Wright made a major contribution to my life. And I will forever be so grateful to him and the rest of the band." iReport.com: Beck shares his memories via webcam .

Pink Floyd fans shared their memories of late keyboardist Richard Wright . iReporters include theater company member who paid tribute to the band . Jimi Lee remembers the first time he heard "Dark Side of the Moon" Share your memories of Pink Floyd and Wright at iReport.com .

(CNN) -- The people who died Thursday at a spiritual resort in Arizona had spent time in a "sweatbox" similar to what Native Americans and other cultures have used for prayer and purification rituals throughout history. Two people died and were 19 injured after spending up to two hours inside this "sweatbox" at an Arizona resort. And those who use them say they can be dangerous if care is not taken. From Scandinavia to South America to Africa, people have come together in the sauna-like structures -- typically heated by pouring water on hot lava rocks -- for a variety of reasons, said Joseph Bruchac, writer and author of The Native American Sweat Lodge. He's part Abenaki, a tribe concentrated in the northeast United Staes, and part European. "Each tribal nation has its own traditions, so one group might do it differently from another so you cannot generalize too much," said Bruchac, who runs an outdoor education center in Greenfield Center, New York. In North America, most Native American tribes use the term "sweat lodge" to refer to a dome-shaped structure where the intimate ritual of the sweat takes place, said Bruchac, who has his own sweat lodge on his property in the foothills of the Adirondacks. "Sweat lodges are typically used for a ritual preparation, like before a hunt, or nowadays, people might do it before a wedding or dance or some kind of community event as a way of putting yourself in balance," he said. Bruchac noted that incidents like the one in Arizona tend to raise discussion in Native American communities over whether non-Natives should be allowed to adapt traditional ceremonies. "It's a very meaningful ceremony. I can understand why people find it attractive," Bruchac said. "But I consider it sacrilegious and foolish to do someone else's rituals without proper guidance or practice, especially in sweat lodges where you're raising people's body temperatures. With that many people, oxygen is going to be depleted, and if you have heart problems or breathing problems, you could faint or die." No information about the sweatbox at the Angel Valley Resort near Sedona could be found on the Web site Saturday. The two people who died and the 19 others who fell ill there were attending a program by self-help expert James Arthur Ray, authorities said Saturday. Authorities said between 50 and 60 people were in the structure for nearly two hours -- far exceeding the number who ordinarily would participate in a traditional sweat, according to Bruchac. In a typical ritual, the leader of the sweat gathers four to 12 friends, family members or guests inside the structure, usually made of willow and covered with blankets or canvas, he said. "The person running the sweat has to be very aware of the people in the lodge because he takes control of them mentally, physically and spiritually," said Bruchac. "The leader is responsible for them, so he has to be aware of their physical conditions and their motivations, their reasons for being there." After everyone is inside, a firekeeper heats stones, usually lava rocks, and brings them into the lodge, placing them in a hole in the ground and carefully pouring water over the stones to release steam. The technique of releasing the heat is done with great care so that no one is injured by the steam, which can burn skin or lungs if someone inhales it, said Father Raymond Bucko, Director of Native Studies at Creighton University. "Nobody will make it so hot that no one can stand it," said Bucko. "Religious leaders are very careful about people's health in the sweat. If they're not healthy, people can sit outside the sweat and pray and others can go in for them." A ritual of speaking or prayer may follow, depending on the group's intention for gathering. "People talk and often there's lot of humor, but at any time if it's too hot, some one can say so and they will immediately open the door and people are encouraged to go out," he said. The Jesuit priest and cultural anthropologist participated in sweats with the Crow and Lakota people for nearly 30 years, until he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years ago. "It's not about toughing it out or proving anything. It really is a beautiful experience of people coming together, of intense prayerfulness."

Sweat lodges are used in prayer and purification rituals across globe . Deaths raise concerns over non-Natives trying to adapt traditional ceremonies . Typical Native American sweat lodge used in ritual of prayer and purification . Firekeeper heats stones, places them in hole in lodge, pours water over them .

TRIPOLI, Libya (CNN) -- When Libya's National Transitional Council set up shop in the capital, Tripoli, it found the cupboard was bare. "We only had $13.5 million in the Central Bank of Libya," according to Ali Tarhouni, the oil and economy Minister and one of the first senior officials of the NTC to arrive in the capital. Moammar Gadhafi was on the run, but an acute shortage of Libyan dinar -- the national currency -- threatened to stop the revolution in its tracks. "I was willing to do anything to get the urgent needs to the Libyans," Tarhouni said last week. "We used parallel markets in the exchange of the money." "Parallel markets" meant wealthy currency dealers in Benghazi, who apparently had many more dinar at their disposal than Gadhafi's Central Bank in Tripoli or the rebels' own Central Bank in Benghazi. With names like Golden Dinar and Sahara International, they became the financial lubricant of anti-Gadhafi forces. The NTC's financial arm, the Temporary Financing Mechanism, had by then already tapped into this informal network of foreign exchange dealers, but not without some controversy. Early in August, according to one source familiar with the TFM's dealings, it exchanged $10 million at a rate of 1.45 dinar to the dollar. The source said that was less than the prevailing market rate of 1.55 dinar, suggesting that the dealer involved did exceptionally well. Another transaction later in August also appeared to be at less than the market rate. "On what basis did they choose those dealers and those exchange rates?" the source asked. One currency dealer in Benghazi, Ibrahim Salaby, said the TFM's dealings smacked of favoritism.. The TFM says all its dealings have been transparent. It says it had to use the "parallel" market and was sanctioned to do so by the rebels' "Central Bank," which was established in Benghazi soon after Gadhafi's forces were ejected from the city. TFM officials said the central bank simply did not have the available funds to exchange large sums of cash, so it designated exchange dealers to be used. E-mails obtained by CNN suggest that those dealers drove a hard bargain with the TFM. One wrote in August that he was withdrawing an offer to exchange at a rate of 1.45 dinar to the dollar because "no transfer was made, with situation changing in Libya. ... Therefore we had to change the ex-rate to be 1.3LD/US." In the chaos of the uprising, there was plenty of cash floating -- and flying -- around Libya. Much of it came from the Gulf and went to groups and fighters beyond the NTC's control. On one occasion, according to the TFM's director, Mazin Ramadan, a currency trader arrived at Benghazi airport short of 20,000 dinar. The money was due to leave on a flight to aid civilians in the western mountains who hadn't received salaries and pensions. Time was short, and a TFM official who had previously spent his own cash on a project was told to take an equivalent sum from a stockpile of cash held on board the plane. A guard thought he was stealing and reported the incident. "It was a bad judgment call on his part," says Ramadan of the official, "and I paid for it through the gossip channels." "It was a big mistake not communicating every step of our work. We were too busy getting things done," Ramadan says. But he insists the TFM has had plenty of oversight. "We have a steering board which includes a representative from the governments of Qatar and France. We have an independent financial managing agent....They have to approve every transaction, every exchange and every project we do," he told CNN in an e-mail. As for the shortage of Libyan dinar, that has eased, in part thanks to the Royal Air Force. At the end of August it flew banknotes worth 280 million dinar to Benghazi, part of a stock of 1.86 billion dinar that had been frozen in the United Kingdom with the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1970.

Libya's new government was faced with urgent financial needs, says an official . The NTC used "parallel markets" to exchange incoming monies for local currency . "Parallel markets" meant dealing with wealthy currency dealers . Criticism has arisen over exchange rates and expenditures .

(CNN) -- A year ago Wednesday, Malala Yousafzai was riding the bus home from school when a Taliban gunman climbed aboard and shot her in the head. She nearly died. Now, the 16-year-old advocate for girls' education is a popular favorite for the Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded Friday. To mark the anniversary of the shooting, her memoir, "I am Malala," came out Tuesday. The phrase has become a battle cry for the right to an education around the world. The memoir follows her odyssey from near-death to global fame in just a year's time. It also gives a vivid account of her everyday life in Pakistan's Swat Valley and how she developed a love for education. Her public fight to get that education and for the right of girls to get one, too, is what put her at odds with the Pakistani Taliban. They banned girls from schools in the Swat Valley in 2009. Malala anonymously blogged for the BBC in opposition to that order, drawing the Islamist militants' rage. Malala turns the other cheek to the Taliban . New threat . The Taliban renewed their death threat against her Monday. Spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the teenager was targeted because she was used in propaganda against the Taliban. "If there is any opportunity we can target, she would be on our hit list again." The Taliban have denied Malala was targeted for promoting education for girls. "Taliban are not opposed to girls education, if it's within the ambit of Shariah and Islamic education, but they could not support anti-Islamic agendas and Westernized education systems," Shahid said. The militant group destroyed over 170 schools between 2007 and 2009, the U.N. said. Malala answers . In an interview with Malala on "The Daily Show" on Tuesday, Jon Stewart asked her what she would do if a Taliban assassin came calling again. "I'll tell him how important education is, and that I even want education for your children as well," she said Tuesday. And I would tell him, 'that's what I want to tell you, now do what you want.'" Fighting the Taliban is important, but through peace, dialogue and education, she said. But the Taliban often prefer to let their guns do the talking. Malala has lived outside of her homeland ever since she was shot last year. Malala at U.N.: The Taliban failed to silence us . Her odyssey . The gunman who climbed on board that school bus wounded Malala in the head and neck. The driver hit the gas. The assailants got away. Malala was left in critical condition. Doctors fought to save her life, then her condition took a dip. They operated to remove a bullet from her neck, and as brain swelling threatened her life, a surgical team cut out a section of her skull to relieve the pressure. After surgery, she was unresponsive for three days. She was flown to the U.K. for intensive medical treatment and multiple surgeries to repair the damage the bullets had done. Doctors there covered the large hole in her skull with a titanium plate. Malala has kept the piece of skull that had been removed as a souvenir of her fight. It is nothing short of a miracle that the teen education advocate is still alive and even more astounding that she suffered no major brain or nerve damage. Global stage . The attempt on Malala's life propelled her and her cause onto the global stage. Beyond her hospital room in her new home in the UK, a world sympathetic with her ordeal transformed her into a global symbol. An avalanche of support poured in, including from world leaders. The U.N. started a global education program for girls called "I am Malala," the name she has chosen for her biography. This year, the Malala Fund was created to support education for girls around the world. She recovered and addressed the United Nations in New York on her 16th birthday, July 12. "They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed," she said. "And then, out of that silence, came thousands of voices." Gordon Brown: How Malala forced terrorists onto defensive . Taliban to Malala: Why we shot you . CNN's Max Foster contributed to this report.

Malala marks the anniversary of her shooting with a book about her life . Taliban still want her dead, spokesman says . She is a popular favorite for the Nobel Peace Prize . She angered the Taliban by blogging against their suppression of education .

(CNN) -- Top-billed Julia Roberts is comprehensively miscast in "Mirror Mirror," the first of the year's two big-budget, live-action "Snow White" movies. Even so, this pretty bauble of a picture -- which looks like it was filmed in a giant snow globe - scrapes together enough invention, exuberance and goofiness to skate over this blatant misstep, and Roberts herself is so willing to give it the old college try you wind up rooting for her regardless. She plays the evil Queen, Snow White's murderous stepmother -- a role that calls for cold-blooded malice, arrogance, cunning and class, qualities conspicuously lacking in this warm, earthy, intuitive actress, and who settles for a snooty (but inconsistent) English accent as the next best thing. Still, good for Julia for having some fun at the expense of midlife vanity. As we all know, the Queen is hung up on what her mirror tells her about getting old -- she can't bear being eclipsed in the beauty stakes by her stepdaughter Snow (Lily Collins, Phil's daughter). In one of the movie's funniest jibes, she submits to an excruciating beauty treatment involving bird poop, snails and scorpion stings (a fairytale botox) to give her that extra edge -- a regimen that's probably only a slight exaggeration on what Hollywood royalty routinely puts up with to keep in front of the cameras past a certain age. Roberts, 44, has never been that kind of glamour-puss. It's her personality that makes her so attractive, so she can afford to smile. And she cuts quite a figure in the outrageously decadent dresses, designed for her by Eiko Ishioka. The Japanese stylist, who died in January, is best known in the West for her costumes for Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" as well as pop stars Bjork and Grace Jones, and the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics. Ishioka's aggressively sumptuous, sometimes surrealistic, creations have also been a staple in all three of Tarsem Singh's previous films: "The Cell," "The Fall" and, recently, "Immortals." Her contribution to "Mirror Mirror" is so pronounced, it's only fitting the film is dedicated to her. Roberts' gowns include a vermilion peacock creation so ornate it requires its own tax levy on the hard-pressed peasantry -- but Ishioka's genius is equally well displayed in the perfectly chosen headwear that goes a long way to distinguishing the personalities of the film's seven dwarfs. These pugnacious rogues (Napoleon, Wolf, Grub, Butcher and Grimm are some of their names) are a very different crew from Disney's loveable gold-diggers, but they're Singh's best defense against a wobbly, hit-and-miss script. Woodland bandits, they dress up as bandy-legged giants (Ishioka provides them with stilts that seem to be made of accordion sleeves) to set upon unwary travelers, like Armie Hammer's Prince Alcott. In due course, they take in the exiled Snow -- in return for housecleaning and cooking services -- and teach her how to stand on her own two feet. Collins is charming as the innocent princess, the poison apple in her stepmother's eye, but the film's real surprise is the tongue-in-cheek tone, a lightness that stands in sharp relief to the turgid breast-beating this filmmaker went in for in "Immortals." It's been a while since Nathan Lane got this much screen time to camp it up, as the Queen's butler, Brighton (even if he does spend some of it in the form of cockroach), and Hammer's a hoot as the arrogant -- but oh-so-eligible -- prince. "Mirror Mirror" may not add up to the sum of its better parts -- and it's a curious time of year to release it -- but there should be an audience for a frivolous family film with this many frills and ruffles.

In "Mirror Mirror," Julia Roberts plays the evil queen, Snow White's murderous stepmother . Lily Collins is charming as the innocent princess . Armie Hammer's a hoot as the arrogant -- but oh-so-eligible -- prince .