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(CNN) -- Yes, trying to lift 5,000 pounds of cargo to orbit is rocket science -- and it's very hard. Early Tuesday evening, an Antares rocket, built by Orbital Sciences Corp., and its Cygnus cargo ship exploded almost immediately after launch. Yet as disappointing as this incident is, it should not be treated as a sign that NASA's partnerships with the private sector are flawed. This was a technical error, and it should be treated as one. After all, this was only the fifth launch of an Antares rocket, and there is a higher risk of explosion with relatively new rockets than there is with those that have been used for many years, where the bugs have been worked out earlier, often through failures. Antares, as one of several new rockets being commercially developed, signals a new, important way of doing business in space that must be given the chance to mature. Since the 1950s, rocketry has been the purview of the federal government. Only through what may eventually be seen as fortuitous poor planning -- building an International Space Station and then canceling the shuttle transportation program originally intended as the taxi to said station -- has the private sector really stepped in, albeit with an anchor tenant. "Fix lift," meaning bringing down cost-per-pound to orbit and being able to launch on demand (or at least close to it) has been the No. 1 recommendation in the spate of space studies that have littered Washington since the 1980s. Working with the private sector is nothing new. Indeed, development of a product, sector or even geographic region -- which has been most successful when the government invests seed money and then turns development over to the private sector -- has been going on for decades. Back in 1925, the Air Mail Act, under which companies were paid for transporting the mail, provided the private sector an incentive to develop commercial airplanes. In addition, government forts and soldiers provided protection so the railways could be built and the West developed. Yet until recently, space has been anomalous in its development, remaining tied to government funding, bureaucracy and politics, and consequently stifling incentive and entrepreneurship. That has been changing. Orbital Sciences is one of two companies hired to take cargo to the ISS after the shuttle fleet was retired. The other is Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX. Both companies developed rockets to carry out that task. Tuesday's ill-fated flight was to be Orbital's third in a series of eight flights under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA. The first two were successful. SpaceX will fly its next contracted flight in December. Hiring private companies to provide launch services is a new way of doing business for NASA, one that should be encouraged and continued. It is the way of the future in space given that NASA budget's has not kept up with external and self-imposed programmatic expectations since the Apollo years. If low Earth orbit launches can be taken care of by the private sector, government funding to NASA can be used in pursuit of more ambitious goals, including human spaceflight. Meanwhile, low Earth orbit launches by private companies will become routine, although we're not there yet. After the Antares explosion, Orbital Sciences stock reportedly fell about 15% in after- hours trading. But while investor concern is understandable to a degree, it also reflects the public's view -- and so investors' view -- of space travel as routine. The reliability figures for old standby rockets makes it seem that way, but new products have bugs to be worked out. Problems are expected and (barely) tolerated in day-to-day technology, but apparently not in rockets. Luckily, there were no injuries from exploding rocket debris, though there was damage on the ground that will need repairing. And the loss of the Antares cargo posed no danger to the crew of the International Space Station where it was headed. There was nothing critical on board, and an unmanned Russian Progress spacecraft successfully launched shortly after the Antares failure, carrying almost three tons of food, fuel and crew supplies. Teams at NASA and Orbital Sciences are already busily at work determining the cause of the failure. In the meantime, a little show of support for American entrepreneurship seems in order. Because when they find the cause of the failure, they will fix it and move forward.

Antares rocket explosion a technical error, writes Joan Johnson-Freese . Risk of explosion is higher with relatively new rockets like these, she says . Hiring private firms to provide launch services is new for NASA, she adds .

(CNN) -- As Apple enthusiasts speculate over why pancreatic cancer survivor Steve Jobs won't appear at Macworld Conference & Expo this year, the CEO asks them to think differently about his health. Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivered keynote addresses in September 2008, left, and in October 2005, right. Addressing the "Apple Community" in a statement, Jobs said his doctors think they have found the reason behind his weight loss: "a hormone imbalance that has been 'robbing' me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis." But doctors unaffiliated with Jobs' care say this "hormone imbalance" could be a symptom of a slew of underlying conditions, including cancer or diabetes. However, any diagnosis based on this description and Jobs' cancer history is purely speculative, experts say. Based on Jobs' history of gastrointestinal problems, it's possible his gastrointestinal system either isn't absorbing proteins or is losing proteins, said Dr. Kenneth Burman, director of Endocrinology at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, who is not involved in caring for Jobs. "I suspect he's referring to his gastrointestinal system and some of the hormones related to that, rather than more classic endocrine hormones," which are associated with the thyroid, adrenal or pituitary glands, Burman said. While abnormalities related to those hormones may also lead to weight loss, they are not necessarily associated with pancreatic disease, he said. There is not enough information available to say how severe a gastrointestinal hormonal problem would be, he said. Others speculate the hormonal issue could relate to his cancer. Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick, clinical professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center, said a tumor in the pancreas would typically create an overproduction of hormones. Glucagon, a hormone produced in the pancreas, would lead to weight loss if produced in excess. "In a patient whom a few years ago had pancreatic cancer, then progressive weight loss, then develops complications from the weight loss, it would be logical to associate his symptoms now with the previous cancer," he said. But the weight loss is not necessarily cancer-related, and Jobs' statement suggests that it's not, said Dr. Andrew Lowy, chief of the division of surgical oncology at the University of California, San Diego's Moores Cancer Center. Plenty of hormonal conditions, as well as diabetes related to cancer treatment, could be the reason, he said. Jobs, who co-founded Apple Inc., first learned he had pancreatic cancer in October 2003. He had been getting abdominal scans because of a history of intestinal problems, and a tumor appeared on one of them, Fortune reported last year. The growth was an islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, a rare form of pancreatic cancer that is operable, Fortune reported. While Jobs initially wanted to treat the tumor with a special diet and alternative therapies, he finally underwent a Whipple procedure, a painful but relatively safe operation, in July 2004, Fortune reported. If Jobs had a recurrence of this tumor, and it was a functional neuroendocrine tumor, which produces problem-causing hormones, that would be one speculative explanation, Lowy said. But not enough information is available to say whether the tumor was the functional kind, he said. "Is it possible that a cancer recurrence would result in weight loss? Of course. He's saying that's not what he has, and so, I have to take him at his word. None of us know the truth except his doctors," Lowy said. Rumors about Jobs' declining health have been circulating for months, as his weight visibly dropped from one public appearance to the next. While Jobs' keynote address at the Macworld Conference & Expo is usually the highlight of the Apple fan gathering, Apple announced in December Jobs would not appear this year and the company would no longer participate in the event after 2009. CNN's Danielle Dellorto contributed to this report.

Doctors: Jobs' "hormone imbalance" could refer to several health conditions . Cancer recurrence could explain weight loss . Hormonal imbalance related to thyroid, pituitary or adrenal glands also possible . Jobs will not appear at Macworld this year .

(CNN) -- The United States believes that some members of Pakistan's spy service provided support for the deadly bombing last month of India's Embassy in Afghanistan, a U.S. counterterrorism official told CNN Friday. The Indian Embassy in Kabul was badly damaged in the July 7 bombing. Pakistan strongly denied the allegation Friday, but Afghanistan and India have previously accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack which killed 58 people including an Indian defense attache. The official told CNN the evidence was not strong enough to draw a firm conclusion but there is a "strong suspicion" the Taliban was behind the attack, and that some unspecified aid came from Pakistan's Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI. The official would not say how the intelligence was gathered, but he said the evidence was presented to senior Pakistani officials by a top CIA official, Deputy Director Stephen Kappes. The New York Times, sourcing U.S. government officials, reported Friday that the United States intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and militants who carried out the attack in Kabul. Pakistani Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the report "unfounded and malicious" and an "effort to malign the ISI," -- Pakistan's Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence. The bombing killed 58 people. "The ISI is a very disciplined organization, manned by military officials. It has played the most crucial role in the war on terror and apprehended members of al Qaeda, the Taliban, and those linked to the attack on mainland America on 9/11," Abbas said. Abbas said "despite our insistence, no evidence has been provided to us about these allegations." Afghanistan claims Pakistan informally supports militants operating from havens in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions near the porous 1,500-mile border the two countries share. Earlier this month, Afghan lawmakers directly accused Pakistan's ISI in connection with a string of attacks in Afghanistan. Among these were the Kabul strike and an assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai at an April 27 military ceremony. A senior Afghan government official said the charges were based on phone intercepts of conversations of plotters in Kabul with ISI officers in Pakistan. A U.S. government official, who would not comment on the specifics of the New York Times story, said, "We've long noted the troubling reports of a relationship between the ISI and the Taliban, and the incident at the Indian Embassy seems to fit the pattern of those reports." India has previously blamed militants from Pakistan for the July 7 car bombing at the embassy. Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner to Britain, and Hamid Gul, former head of the ISI, firmly denied the agency's involvement in the attack. Watch Pakistan deny the allegations » . "There seems to be a bit of sensationalism in this story," Hasan said. He said the government has regularly denied claims that ISI is involved with militants in Afghanistan and noted that Pakistan has been cooperating in the fight against terrorism. Gul said the claims are "preposterous" and "totally false," and cautioned that the CIA has been proven to be wrong about intelligence in the past. The New York Times report also sourced the U.S. officials as saying "there was new information showing that members of the Pakistani intelligence service were increasingly providing militants with details about the American campaign against them, in some cases allowing militants to avoid American missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas." Pakistan and Afghanistan have a tumultuous past. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, religious schools in Pakistan helped train fighters who battled the Soviets. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 1996 and imposed fundamentalist rule, Pakistan was one of the few countries that recognized the regime diplomatically. It dropped its support after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Washington and New York. Pakistan also has a troubled history with India, and in the past India has accused the ISI of supporting militant separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which has been the root of two wars between them.

U.S. intelligence points to Pakistan agents involved in attack on Indian Embassy . Pakistan denies its spy agency helped plan bombing that killed 58 . Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the report was an "effort to malign the ISI" India and Afghanistan both accuse Pakistan of role in the attack .

Warsaw, Poland (CNN) -- The body of Poland's first lady, Maria Kaczynska, killed with her husband in an airplane crash in Russia, returned to Warsaw on Tuesday. Crowds turned out to watch her body being driven to the presidential palace, where the couple will lie in state. The funeral for the couple will be Saturday in Warsaw, followed by their burial on Sunday in Krakow's Wawel Castle. President Barack Obama will attend the state funeral, the White House announced Tuesday in a statement. "The president will travel to Krakow to express the depth of our condolences to an important and trusted ally, and our support for the Polish people, on behalf of the American people," the statement said. The archbishop of Krakow said burying the late president in the historic crypt was the country's way of honoring him. "I think in this way the Polish nation wants to include him among the greatest and most revered men in Polish history," Stanislaw Dziwisk said on Polish state television. Men in uniform unloaded the flag-draped casket of Kaczynska from a military plane as a band played Poland's national anthem. Family, friends and Polish officials paid their respects during a brief ceremony. Kaczynska and her husband were among 96 people killed in the crash. Under leaden skies broken by sporadic sunshine, mourners took turns bowing their heads in silence before the casket. They included Kaczynska's daughter, Marta, and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin brother of her husband, Lech Kaczynski. Two minutes of silence in Warsaw . Echoing a similar scene that greeted the repatriation of her husband's body on Sunday, crowds lined the streets and threw flowers onto the hearse bearing the former first lady's casket as it made its way through Warsaw. Among the mourners, student Kamil Denielewski told CNN the outpouring of public emotion was unprecendented. "I can't remember anything like that and in fact I have not felt anything like that since now," he said. "It made us united, it made us patriots." iReport: Mourners' candles a 'spot of light' The couple had been traveling with a Polish delegation to Russia for a commemorative service marking the 70th anniversary of the Russian massacre of Polish prisoners of war in the village of Katyn when the plane went down. iReport: Share your photos, video and stories with CNN . Among other Polish officials killed in the crash were Aleksander Szczyglo, the head of the National Security Office; Jerzy Szmajdzinski, the deputy parliament speaker; Andrzej Kremer, the deputy foreign minister; and Gen. Franciszek Gagor, the army chief of staff, according to Kaczynski's Law and Justice Party. The cause of the crash is being investigated. There have been questions raised over why so many of Poland's military, economic and civic leaders were aboard the same flight. Aviation officials in Russia, which has emphasized that there is no evidence it was responsible, have said the plane ignored Smolensk air traffic control commands to divert to another airport because of bad weather. Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov said Monday that flight recorders were in shape to "conduct a detailed transcript and analysis of all flight information and the work of the plane's equipment systems up till the moment of the crash." There is also evidence that the crew knew about the poor weather conditions and was advised to land at an alternate airfield, he said. Poland's ambassador to Moscow, Jerzy Bahr, warned against jumping to conclusions ahead of official inquiries. "Many people think that this is something which the pilot did wrong, but it must be investigated," he told CNN. As Poland began a week of mourning, tributes continued to be paid to 60-year-old Lech Kaczynski. A sea of candles continued to grow outside the Presidential Palace in Warsaw Monday as people lined up to sign books of condolence. Biography: Lech Kaczynski . Parliament Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski, who is now acting president, has declared "a time for national mourning." CNN's Geoff Hill contributed to this report.

Thousands pay tribute as body of Poland's first lady arrives home . Polish president and wife died with 95 others in plane crash in Russia on Saturday . Couple's funeral will be held Saturday in Warsaw, followed by their burial on Sunday . Investigators examining cause of Saturday's crash near Smolensk airport .

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- "Now, come, travel back in time. See where and how these rulers lived," Harrison Ford's deep voice beckons just before double doors swing open into a labyrinth of galleries displaying more than 130 ancient Egyptian artifacts. This canopic stopper covered one of the openings of a container that held King Tutankhamun's internal organs. The recorded introduction a la "Indiana Jones" welcomes visitors to a new exhibit featuring treasures from boy king Tutankhamun's tomb and artifacts tied to rulers spanning 2,000 years of Egyptian history. "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs," presented by Emory University's Michael C. Carlos Museum, premieres in the United States on November 15 at the Atlanta Civic Center. An array of objects associated with rulers dating from Egypt's Fourth Dynasty into the Late Period (about 2600 B.C. to 660 B.C.) makes this the largest and most encyclopedic exhibit featuring Egyptian pharaohs presented in the U.S., according to exhibition curator David Silverman, who has worked on other exhibits focusing on Tutankhamun. "A lot of people, when they hear 'Tut,' they think of gold, they think of the mummy, and they think of the discovery -- all of which is important. But when you think of more than 300 pharaohs, 31 dynasties, [Tutankhamun's] is only one of them," Silverman said. Listen to Silverman describe the ancient burial process and artifacts found in King Tut's tomb » . Carefully focused pools of light illuminate stone pharaohs, gold and carnelian jewels and objects intended for the afterlife in darkened galleries looking at themes including the family life, religion, court and gold of the rulers. A golden mask found on the mummy of Psusennes I presides over the gold gallery. Considered by ancient Egyptians to be the skin of the gods, gold was highly prized and used extensively in royal burial to assure pharaohs' divinity in the afterlife. A gold collar found on the body of Neferuptah, daughter of Amenemhat III, showcases an intricate arc of carnelian and feldspar that terminates with golden falcon heads. Tour the galleries with exhibition curators » . Four rooms at the end of the exhibit correspond with the four chambers of King Tutankhamun's tomb. He was one of the last rulers of the 18th Dynasty; his rule started in 1333 B.C. when he was only 9 or 10 years old and ended in 1323 B.C. when he died under mysterious circumstances. A tented entry, larger-than-life photos of archaeologist Howard Carter and his financial backer, Lord Carnarvon, and photos of the archaeological dig that revealed the tomb set the scene for some of the riches discovered by Carter in 1922. One of four coffinettes that each held one of the king's internal organs is among the lavish burial ornaments on display. Statuettes of servants also were found in the tomb, placed there to ensure that the king would do no forced labor in the afterlife. Ancient ritual and modern technology collide in the final gallery, where visitors can see CT scans of Tutankhamun's mummy, part of an Egyptian research project in collaboration with National Geographic that will scan all of the ancient mummies. The scans of the boy king, long suspected to have been murdered, show no signs of foul play. A suspicious dark spot on the back of the skull was revealed to be a result of the embalming process, Silverman said. Other recent discoveries? "Unlike any of the representations that we see of Tut, these scans show that he had a recessed chin and a rather pronounced overbite," Silverman said. After its conclusion in Atlanta in May, "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" will open at the end of June in Indiana at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. CNN's Jacque Wilson contributed to this report.

"Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" opens in Atlanta . Exhibit places King Tut in a continuum of Egyptian history . 130 artifacts span 2,000 years and more than a dozen reigns .

New York (CNN) -- Ernest Bai Koroma is the fourth president of Sierra Leone, a nation still very much living in the shadow of a brutal decade-long civil war that only ended in 2002. He came to power in a wave of exuberance, promising to transform a country still scarred by civil war. Since then, the former CEO has gone hard on the message that his country is open for business to foreign investors. A World Bank report in 2008 deemed Sierra Leone the easiest place to start a business in West Africa, a message that Koroma has been pushing across the world. Koroma believes that while progress has been slow, his country is finally realizing its potential, particularly as a destination for foreign business investment in Africa. Sierra Leone has some high profile advocates; former UK prime minister Tony Blair and George Soros are among those who back Koroma's plans for foreign business investment in the country. One of the country's ambitious initiatives is establishing a private, special economic zone outside of the capital Freetown, where some 20 hectares of land are being cleared to welcome foreign businesses. President Koroma sat down with CNN's Stephanie Elam during his recent visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. CNN: Sierra Leone has been battling poverty for so long. Are new jobs being created so that people in Sierra Leone can start working to help build their wealth, build their earnings so that they can live comfortably? EK: Unemployment is still a problem, especially among our youthful population. We have some that are not educated, some that are not skilled. We are trying to ensure that we develop appropriate technical vocational institutions that will address the youth, will prepare them for the job market. The issue is not only to create jobs for them but to make them competitive and to make them earn wages that will guarantee them a future. CNN: For a lot of people, when they hear Sierra Leone they wonder about the diamonds. They wonder about whether or not the idea of a 'blood diamond' is something of the past. What do you say to that? EK: Yeah the issue of the blood diamond is an issue of the past. And this was when the war was raging, and before the war. But now we have put in place new mining act controls to regulate the mining sector. And we now have companies that are engaging the expectation of diamonds that are working and a government diamond office that regulates the processing of diamonds. And it is creating employment for the people and it is increasing revenue generation for the country. CNN: What would you say has been the progress so far on getting corruption out of the government? EK: We have made substantial progress -- we have now put in place the 2008 Anti-Corruption Act which has given anti-corruption [officials] the independence that is required, by giving them the authority to prosecute anybody that they believe is found wanting -- and I have also in the broadcast to the nation, and on many occasions, made it clear that nobody is protected, not even a member of my family. CNN: Do we see people feeling safer in Sierra Leone? Do you yourself feel safe when you're out? EK: I believe I am one of the presidents that drives around without any security. I drive around in the streets and people know that I am moving around and they yell, they wave. You can drive at any time, at any location in the country without any hit-and-runs. That is how safe the country is. CNN: Let's talk a little about women in Sierra Leone and in your government. I know that you have a female foreign minister. How important is this idea of having gender equality in the government? EK: We are working on improving the gender participation in government and other sectors. I must say that it has not improved as much as we want but we are making progress. There are ambassadors that are women, we have heads of companies in the country that are women, chairpersons. It is growing and becoming very interesting. CNN: What do you hope your legacy will be for Sierra Leone? EK: A Sierra Leone that has changed from a post-conflict humanitarian rehabilitated country to a country that has taken off on the path of real growth, and I want to be remembered as the person that led the business for the new economic growth of Sierra Leone. CNN's Edvige Jean-Francois contributed to this report .

Ernest Koroma has been president of civil war-torn Sierra Leone since 2007 . Koroma seeks to rebuild his country through extensive economic and corruption reforms . Koroma believes Africa should have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council .

(CNN) -- Satellite imagery that may show debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is raising hopes that investigators can narrow what has been a needle-in-a-haystack search operation. The images, obtained and analyzed by the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation as "a possible indication of debris south of the search area that has been the focus of the search operation," according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, were taken above a remote part of ocean thousands of kilometers south-east of Australia. Two objects, one of approximately 24 meters (78.7 ft) in length and another around five meters (16.4 ft) long have been spotted, leading to hopes that more information regarding the missing airliner has come to light. Beforehand, search corridors had extended both through central Asia and as far south as the depths of the Indian Ocean. The new find gives cause that the search operations can zero in on a much more focused field. However, the area of southern Indian Ocean, 2,350 kilometers (1,460 miles) to the southeast of Perth in western Australia is a remote, potentially inhospitable area of sea which will not necessarily aid search operations -- Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the search area Friday as the "about the most inaccessible spot you could imagine on the face of the earth." New Day's Chris Cuomo illustrated the difficulty of the task ahead. "They are saying it's the most challenging of things. It's far, it's remote, it's very deep and you're in the storm season so it's inclement there as well... it's a tough set of constraints," he told Richard Quest. The distance from Australia means that the search time of aircraft "on station" -- within the reduced search zone -- will be limited to only a couple of hours. Weather will also potentially be an issue. Already, the first aircraft on the scene which was dispatched early Thursday to assess the site, has reported "poor visibility," despite "moderate weather conditions," according to the AMSA's John Young, who spoke at a media briefing Thursday. "This will hamper both air and satellite efforts," he said. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri says that weather in the region, especially at this time of year, can be unpredictable. "Today marks the first day of autumn down under, so it's not unusual to see the weather in this part of the world start to pick up in intensity. "We have very limited (weather) info in this remote corner of the planet. In fact, it is so remote that (weather) satellites are even a bit choppy that far south." A key to the search is the height of the waves and whether there are whitecaps present, former flight commander Rick Burgess told CNN's Becky Anderson. "Those high waves... are very disruptive on your search pattern when you're trying to look for objects in the water." He estimated that the search crews would have a window of three to four days. "Then from there I don't see much hope in finding anything in the near term." The average depth in that area of the ocean is around 13,000 feet, which is slightly less than the average depth worldwide. The area's depth could still present significant problems for retrieving wreckage -- should the objects seen on satellite be confirmed as part of the missing plane. There are volcanic ridges underwater which rise up from the ocean floor, which can reduce the depth to 3,000 feet. Also, this part of the Indian Ocean is the location of the Indian Ocean Gyre, one of five major gyres worldwide. A gyre is an area of circular ocean current where water does not circulate particularly freely. The Indian Ocean Gyre is known to trap large volumes of debris in the southern Indian Ocean as currents here are very weak and show little to no movement over long periods of time, Javaheri said. However, "at these very high latitudes (where the debris was spotted)... westerly winds are typically very strong and they can certainly impact large-scale debris and move them along," meaning that wind patterns may have influenced the location of the sighted objects. LIVE: Latest updates on the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner . What can we tell from fresh lead? If this is the debris, what happens next? Opinion: Search for MH370 highlights need for trust, unity in Asia .

Satellite images give hope that MH370 debris may have been spotted . Remote part of Indian Ocean now focus of search . Weather and ocean depth might be stumbling blocks to search of area .

(CNN) -- At least five people were killed in Oklahoma on Monday after a severe storm system spawned multiple tornadoes across the state, the state emergency management department said. Three people died in Cleveland County, just west of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, said Albert Ashwood, director of the state emergency management department, and another was reported dead near Choctaw, east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The location in Oklahoma of the fifth person who died was unknown late Monday night. Brenda Finkle, director of corporate communications for Norman Regional Health System, said the company's hospital in Norman admitted eight patients Monday night in critical condition with crush injuries and head trauma. At least 25 other people filled the waiting room of Norman Regional Hospital with lacerations and head wounds, Finkle said, adding hospital staff expected more patients to continue to seek treatment. Another 20 people were either getting medical care or awaiting treatment at Moore Medical Center, just north of Norman, according to Finkle. OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, received two patients with broken bones, according to spokesman Allen Poston. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported seven injuries. Video out of Norman showed overturned cars, snapped utility poles, downed trees and severely damaged homes. Several mobile homes were blown to pieces in one neighborhood where debris littered yards and streets alongside large trees ripped straight from the ground. A truck stop east of Oklahoma City was demolished, taking a direct hit from one of the tornadoes, according to a spokeswoman for Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores. Motorists pulled off Interstate 40 and sought shelter in the truck stop's large coolers and restrooms before the tornado tore the roof off the building, blew out car windows and overturned tractor-trailers, spokeswoman Christina Dukeman said. Video showed people outside the truck stop receiving treatment for minor injuries. Laura O'Leary, a spokeswoman for the Emergency Medical Services Authority, said seven people were transported from around the immediate area to local hospitals in good and fair condition, "a miraculously low number ... considering the volume of area the tornado covered." Love's employee Charlescie Greenway said she and two other women made it to one cooler before the twister tore through the building. "The three of us were kind of trapped in there, holding the door shut, praying to God that we don't die and that everybody else was safe," Greenway told CNN affiliate KWTV, adding, "it was really scary -- the wind was like trying to pull the door off the latch." Sammy Ward and his partner rode the twister out in their truck in the parking lot. "It started hailing and then it quit hailing and then all of a sudden the wind hit and it just went dark and here went everything," Ward told KWTV. "Trucks went to rocking ... and next thing we know the whole roof and everything was gone." Ward, who said he felt "very lucky," said the event lasted two to three minutes. Ashwood said crews were working to assess the damages in at least 13 counties, adding "numerous" homes had been affected. Are you there? Send photos, video . The American Red Cross opened at least two shelters in McCloud, Oklahoma, and Tecumseh, Oklahoma, and continued to assess needs across the state. More than 31,000 homes were without power in the metro Oklahoma City area -- nearly 15,000 in Norman alone, according to Oklahoma Gas & Electric. Ashwood said preliminary reports out of Norman indicate the damages are "similar to what you would see with an EF3" tornado, referring to the Enhanced Fujita Scale for measuring the strength of tornadoes. An EF3 is capable of producing winds up to 165 mph. CNN iReporter Rebecca Barbato said tornado sirens were going off in her neighborhood in Moore, just north of Norman, when tennis-ball-sized hail began raining down on her roof. Other tornadoes were reported in Yukon, Medford and Shawnee in Oklahoma, and in Wichita, Kansas. The storms struck around 5 p.m. CT (6 p.m. ET). Meteorologists warned throughout the day Monday of the potential for tornadoes. CNN's Devon Sayers and Sarah Aarthun contributed to this report.

NEW: At least five killed in Oklahoma . American Red Cross opens up at least two shelters . Truck stop on Interstate 40 east of Oklahoma City destroyed by twister . Storms damaged homes, overturned cars, downed trees in Norman, Oklahoma .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The military will phase out its "stop-loss" program, the contentious practice of holding troops beyond the end of their enlistments, for all but extraordinary situations, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Wednesday. Robert Gates said the Pentagon will pay a $500-per-month bonus to troops whose tours have been extended. Gates also announced at a wide-ranging news conference that the Defense Department will pay for families of fallen troops to travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to be present for the return of their deceased family members. The decision to phase out stop loss by 2011 comes in combination with an announcement that soldiers affected by the program will receive a $500-a-month bonus while they are in extended service. Currently, the Army is the only service that uses the stop-loss program. As of January, 13,217 soldiers had tours extended under the stop-loss policy. Gates said the change is one he has wanted to implement since he became secretary of defense. "While these changes do carry some risk, I believe it is important that we do everything possible to see that soldiers are not unnecessarily forced to stay in the Army beyond their end-of-term-of-service date," Gates said. The stop-loss program was put in place to ensure units remained intact during deployment. For those whose enlistment was due to end, tours of duty could be extended in the middle of their unit's deployment. The Army used the stop-loss policy during Operation Desert Shield in 1990 and reinstated it after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Gates cited two factors as contributing to the end of the program. First, he said, "We will be drawing down in Iraq, over the next 18 or 19 months, significantly more than we are building up in Afghanistan, in terms of the Army." In addition, the Army has more troops to call on. Retention and enlistment are up, Gates said, and the service has reached its goal of 547,000 personnel sooner than expected. The defense secretary would not talk about details of the White House's review of Afghanistan strategy, being conducted by the Defense Department, State Department and the White House, but he did said it has not been easy coming up with a promising new strategy. "It's a difficult problem and trying to come up with new approaches and new initiatives that enhance our prospects for success is hard work," he explained. He admitted that he has been "uncertain" about the proper direction for the Afghanistan strategy. "I've been very concerned about an open-ended commitment of increasing numbers of troops for a variety of reasons, including the size of our footprint in Afghanistan, and my worry that the Afghans come to see us as not their partners and allies, but as part of their problem," Gates told reporters. Gates defended the continued hunt for Osama bin Laden, and suggested the expectation that bin Laden could be easily found is unrealistic. "I think too many people go to too many movies. Finding these guys is really hard, especially if they have some kind of a support network," Gates said. "We have, I think, done some serious damage to al Qaeda over the last number of months. And everybody continues to look for number one and number two." Gates also announced he is recommending to the president that he renominate Adm. Michael G. Mullen for a second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gen. James Cartwright as vice chairman. The announcement about funding the trips to Dover comes as the Pentagon prepares to allow the media to record the return of fallen troops from overseas, if the families of the troops permit it. The media has been prevented from doing so since 1989. "We are committed to seeing that America's fallen heroes are received back to their loved ones and their country with the honor, respect and recognition that they and their families have earned," Gates said. He briefly talked about his own trip to Dover earlier this week, getting emotional as he described going to the back of the plane carrying the coffins. "I went to the back of the plane by myself and spent time with each of the transfer cases," he said, his voice beginning to choke up. "I think I'll stop there."

NEW: Robert Gates says families of fallen soldiers will get travel aid to Dover AFB . Defense secretary says accelerated recruitment hastening end of "stop-loss" Under current stop-loss policy, troops can be retained beyond enlistments' end Gates dismisses expectations of finding Osama bin Laden easily .

(CNN) -- Mississippi has kept its U.S. heavyweight title for a fifth straight year, among both adults and children. Adult obesity rates went up in 23 states in the past year, a survey shows. The percentage of adults classified as obese went up in 23 states, but Mississippi, with 32.5 percent, stayed atop the latest annual rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America's Health. The same survey put the state's adult obesity rate at 31.7 percent in 2008. In addition, 44.4 percent of Mississippi children ages 10 to 17 are classified as overweight or obese, the study found. Doctors have linked obesity to increased risks of a variety of conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and heart disease. Wednesday's study found the current U.S. economic slump could worsen the problem by putting more nutritious food out of the reach of struggling families. See a map of obesity in the U.S. » . "At the same time, safety-net programs and services are becoming increasingly overextended as the numbers of unemployed, uninsured and underinsured Americans continue to grow," the report states. "For many people, too, worries over the recession are triggering increased depression, anxiety and stress, which often can be linked to obesity." Dr. Ed Thompson, Mississippi's state health officer, called the report -- which was drawn from state figures -- "old data rehashed." But he said the state is taking steps to address what he called "a multifaceted problem," targeting schoolchildren in particular. Thompson said teachers not only are trying to educate students about the importance of good nutrition and exercise, they are changing schedules to increase the amount of physical activity students experience in a day. In addition, lower-calorie, lower-fat foods are replacing some high-calorie, high starch lunchroom staples, he said. "We can't tell our children to eat wise dietary choices and then provide them with little except for poor dietary choices in their school cafeterias," Thompson said. Rounding out the top five states among adults were West Virginia, with 31.2 percent of its population considered obese; Alabama, 31.1 percent; Tennessee, 30.2 percent; and South Carolina 29.7 percent. At the bottom of the rankings, Colorado had the lowest percentage of obese adults, with 18.9 percent. It was followed by Massachusetts, at 21.2 percent; Connecticut, 21.3; Rhode Island, 21.7; and Hawaii, 21.8. Even in those states, the obesity rate grew by fractions of a percent since 2008, according to the study. Thompson said most adults know they should eat less and exercise. "The hard part is getting people to actually practice these things," he said. "Our work lives require less physical exertion than they used to," he said. "With less physical activity, we should have adjusted our dietary consumption downward." While deep-fried Southern cooking is legendary, Mississippi also ranks high in poverty statistics and low in education -- two factors commonly related to obesity. But Thompson said education appears to be more closely related to obesity than poverty. "We do see obesity among people who are in lower socioeconomic levels, but we see it in higher socioeconomic levels as well," he said. "Being poor does not not make you obese, and being rich does not make you thin." The survey used the Body Mass Index standards set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC defines someone as obese if they have a BMI -- a figure based on a ratio of height to weight -- of 30 or more, while anyone with a BMI between 25 and 30 is considered overweight. Calculate your Body Mass Index » . Adult obesity rates went up in 23 states in the past year, with 31 states now reporting rates over 25 percent. By comparison, no state topped 20 percent in 1991, the survey's authors reported.

Survey: 44.4 percent of Mississippi children ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese . Economic slump could put more nutritious food out of the reach of struggling families . Other top states were West Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina . The survey used the Body Mass Index standards set by the CDC .

Washington (CNN) -- Which is scarier? Letting Greece go bankrupt? Or saving Greece from bankruptcy? If you're a European businessman or banker, the answer is obvious: Bankruptcy is scarier. If Greece cannot pay its debts, Greece will likely quit the euro. By quitting the euro, Greece would regain the power to print its own money and inflate its way out of its debt. Now think what that would mean for your business. If Greece quit the euro, people would begin to worry: Who's next? Will Portugal quit? Spain? Italy? France? Do you own a 1000 euro deposit in a Spanish bank? Tomorrow that account could be denominated in new pesetas, at who knows what exchange rate. Better cash out today. Likewise: Better sell your Portuguese and Italian bonds -- not only government bonds, but bonds issued by any agency sponsored by government: water, electricity, transit authorities, and so on. A Greek default would trigger, in effect, a bank run on every governmental institution in southern Europe, the biggest bank run perhaps in the history of the world, bigger even than the run triggered by the failure of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. As I said: scary. But now think like a politician. It's been obvious for some time now what has to be done to avert the bank run: a European Super TARP, a version of the Troubled Asset Relief Program that was used to bail out Wall Street in 2008 . The European Union will have to assume responsibility for the debt of southern European countries. In return, the EU will have to take control of the finances of those countries -- cutting their spending and raising their taxes. The debt assumed by the EU will have to be serviced somehow. That means the EU will need its own revenue stream sufficient to pay for and ultimately retire the southern European debt. In other words, what we're looking at is: . -- A transfer of Greek and other southern European debt to all the people of Europe. -- Big government spending cuts especially in southern Europe, but also everywhere else. -- Higher taxes everywhere to support the southern European debt. -- All of it imposed by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. How'd you like to be the politician who has to explain that to the voters of Bavaria? So now you see why action is so slow. The trouble is, the longer the action takes, the more expensive it gets -- and the less likely the action is to be successful. If the action comes early and if it is decisive and orderly, then it may be possible to force creditors to eat some of their losses. But in a panic, governments will not have time or leeway to negotiate. They'll face a starker alternative: pay in full or default, the same stark alternative the United States faced back in the fall of 2008, which led to unappealing actors such as Goldman Sachs being made whole in backroom deals at the expense of the taxpaying public. And if markets get the idea that the politicians of northern Europe will flinch from the Super TARP, then the bank run could start very fast. Last week, the German parliament voted 440 billion euros in bailout funds. (That's almost $542 billion in U.S. dollars.) Bigger would have been better. The supreme need is to overwhelm the problem -- to show markets that the resources are at hand to pay all obligations -- and thus to gain credibility for tough negotiations so that lenders bear some of the costs of rescue. Americans had better hope that these negotiations succeed, because it's very doubtful that the United States can avoid being dragged into an emergency euro rescue. In 2008, we worried about banks that were too big to fail. In 2011, we have to worry about countries that are too big to be saved by European action alone. If the crisis comes, it will require funds from the International Monetary Fund and very possibly the U.S. Treasury too, like Mexico in 1994 only much, much bigger. And remember how popular that was with the Congress. Better to anticipate -- and to prevent. Act big. Act fast. Act now. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Frum.

David Frum: If Greece defaults, all of Europe's debts would be suspect . He says the U.S. could be forced to participate in rescuing Europe's finances . Europe's leaders need to take unpopular, dramatic steps to bail out the south, he says . The sooner and bigger the bailout, the better, Frum says .

(CNN) -- Hurricane Ida moved into the southern Gulf of Mexico Sunday, prompting a declaration of emergency in Louisiana and concern along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The storm regained hurricane intensity overnight Saturday, becoming a Category 2 hurricane, but forecasters said it is expected to weaken as it moves north. Ida drenched Nicaragua after making landfall last week as a Category 1 hurricane, then weakened to a tropical storm before resuming strength. In El Salvador, at least 91 people died in flooding and mudslides, according to the government, but a low-pressure system out of the Pacific -- not Hurricane Ida -- triggered the disaster, forecaster Robby Berg of the National Hurricane Center said Sunday. A hurricane warning, meaning hurricane conditions are possible within 24 hours, extends from Pascagoula, Mississippi to Indian Pass, Florida, forecasters said. From Grande Isle, Louisiana, to west of Pascagoula, Mississippi, a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in effect. This area includes New Orleans, which the center earlier excluded from the watch, and Lake Pontchartrain, the hurricane center said. In anticipation of the storm's arrival, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon. Hurricane Ida "threatens the safety and security of those citizens" along the state's southeast coastline, he wrote in the declaration. The declaration gives the director of the governor's office of emergency preparedness authority "to undertake any activity authorized by law which he deems necessary and appropriate" to prepare for the possibility of a hurricane. Track Ida's progress, potential path . Alabama's Baldwin County commission urged that residents living in mobile homes, coastal communities or low-lying, flood-prone areas voluntarily evacuate. The county is under a local state of emergency and opened a shelter, according to a Sunday night statement from the county commission. As of 10 p.m. ET Sunday, Ida had maximum sustained winds near 105 mph (165 km/hr) with higher gusts. But the storm was expected to weaken on Monday and possibly begin losing tropical characteristics on Tuesday, the hurricane center said. The center of Ida was located about 400 miles (645 km) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, forecasters said. It was moving north-northwest at nearly 14 mph (22 km/hr) and was expected to increase in speed. The storm was expected to be near coastal areas of the northern Gulf by Monday night or early Tuesday, the hurricane center said. As Ida moves in the Gulf of Mexico, conditions are expected to be unfavorable for any additional development, said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. Ida is expected to weaken because of a combination of wind shear, cooler water temperatures and the storm's interaction with a strong frontal system pushing off the Gulf Coast, he said. But Ida is forecast to remain a hurricane as it moves in the northern Gulf toward the U.S. coast, the center said. Florida's Division of Emergency Management asked residents to have disaster plans in place. "Whether Ida maintains a storm or loses tropical characteristics, the Florida Gulf Coast region has the potential to see several inches of rain, strong winds, isolated tornadoes and dangerous surf and coastal flooding beginning Monday evening and continuing into Wednesday," the office said in a statement. The area stretching from Indian Pass, Florida, to Aucilla River, Florida, is also under a tropical storm warning. Tropical storm conditions are possible within 24 hours, the center said. Ida could drop between 1 and 3 inches of rain on portions of western Cuba, with isolated amounts of 8 inches possible in some spots, forecasters said. The central and eastern areas of the Gulf Coast northward to eastern Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachian Mountains could see 3 to 5 inches of rain with some areas getting as much as 8 inches, the center said. Ida is the Atlantic region's ninth named storm. The Atlantic hurricane season ends November 30. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras and journalist Merlin Delcid in El Salvador contributed to this report.

Louisiana governor declares emergency after watch issued for parts of Gulf Coast . Ida expected to weaken before it reaches U.S., but could bring heavy rain . Heavy rains expected in parts of the Southeast this week because of Ida . National Weather Service: 91 deaths in El Salvador due to separate system, not Ida .

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Najla Habibi says she is hopeful about the future of her country. "I know we have got a lot of problems, but still I am happy that I, as a woman, can go to school to teach and hundreds of thousands of girls across the country are able to go to school," the 47-year-old school teacher said. "You know that during the Taliban this was not possible." More than a decade since the war began, Afghans now say that they feel positive about their country's future, a report released Wednesday by the Asia Foundation said. The report, "Afghanistan in 2012: A Survey of the Afghan People," found public opinion to be the most optimistic since the annual survey began in 2004. Fifty-two percent of the respondents felt that the country was moving in the right direction, compared to 46% in 2011. Improvements in security and reconstruction were the most cited reasons for the improved outlook. The Foundation interviewed nearly 6,300 Afghans from all 34 provinces, gauging their perception on security, governance, economy and other issues relating to the country's development. "This survey helps to give us a sense of citizens' priorities, needs, and views," said Abdullah Ahmadzai, The Asia Foundation deputy country representative in Afghanistan, in a news release. "We hope these findings help bridge the gap in understanding between the international community, the Afghan government, and local communities—dialogue necessary for Afghanistan's long-term prospects." Over half of the respondents feel that their families are more prosperous today than in the Taliban era and access to schools has increased. Most respondents agreed with the government's national reconciliation and negotiation efforts with the Taliban. But concerns remain. "It is good that the government is putting efforts on talks with the Taliban, but I am always afraid that if talks become positive and the Taliban come (back) to the government, would we still hold our rights or not?" Habibi said. "But generally I think we are moving towards a right direction." In the 2012 report, fewer Afghans said they experienced violence or crime over the past year, with a significant decline in violence and crime. "I feel safe in Kabul, especially in my shop because it is not on a main road or near a military compound, " a 29-year-old shopkeeper told CNN, who asked not to be named. "But I don't feel safe once I go to downtown or to any of the high profile areas of Kabul." Attitudes toward women also appear positive. Nearly nine in 10 respondents agreed that women and men should have equal educational opportunities. Two thirds of Afghans surveyed say they think women should be allowed to work outside the home. Despite the sense of optimism in the report, insecurity continues to be the biggest worry. Respondents cited security issues (28%), unemployment (27%), and corruption (25%) as the three biggest problems facing Afghanistan. Two-thirds of those interviewed said that local employment opportunities are bad. "I don't think Taliban threat is worse than corruption in Afghanistan," the Kabul shopkeeper said. "It is the corruption, which is taking Afghanistan towards calamity as we have been seeing in the last decade." The report comes at a crucial time when the NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is in the process of transferring the country's security responsibilities to the Afghan National Forces. Afghanistan is also preparing for its next presidential election, scheduled for April 2014. Not all are hopeful for the future. Jan Mohammad Parwani, a 35-year-old father of three who sells mobile phone credit cards on the streets in Kabul, said he wants to leave the country. "I was really hopeful for the future of my country and the direction it was moving to when I returned from Iran with my family seven years ago, but now I regret (it)," Parwani said. "I wish I was still living as a refugee in Iran. "I know Iranian government doesn't like us Afghans and they don't treat us in a nice way, but at least I was earning enough and also there was no fear of suicide attacks, roadside bombs and rockets."

The Asia Foundation releases "Afghanistan in 2012: A Survey of the Afghan People" Fifty-two percent of the respondents felt that the country was moving in the right direction . Insecurity, unemployment and corruption are the three biggest problems .

(CNN) -- An Arizona police department will conduct an investigation into the bloody arrest of a 54-year-old grandfather during a Black Friday sale at a Walmart, an assistant police chief said Saturday. Jerald Newman, 54, was released Saturday from a Maricopa County jail, his wife, Pamela, told CNN. He has been charged with resisting arrest and shoplifting. "(He is) as good as expected ... but he is emotionally and mentally a wreck," she said. Newman was among a throng of shoppers crammed into a Buckeye, Arizona, Walmart soon after it opened late the night of Thanksgiving. "They were just letting people in; there was nowhere to walk," said his daughter, Berneta Sanchez, who was also in the store. "Teenagers and adults were fighting for these games, taking them away from little kids and away from my father." The suspect's grandson, Nicholas Nava, told CNN affiliate KNXV that Newman had grabbed one video game and put it under his shirt so that others jostling for the game didn't take it from him. One person alerted a police officer, who then approached Newman. David Chadd, a CNN iReporter from Las Vegas, was among the crowd shopping for video games set up in the Walmart's grocery section. He said Newman "was not resisting" arrest as he was led away from the crowd by a police officer. That officer, Chadd said, then suddenly hooked the suspect around the leg, grabbed him and "slammed him face first into the ground." "It was like a bowling ball hitting the ground, that's how bad it was," he said. Video, recorded by Chadd and later posted on CNN's iReport, shows an apparently unconscious Newman head-down on the floor in a pool of blood. As he's turned over, Buckeye police officers appear to try to revive him -- at which point his face, covered mostly in blood, is revealed. Several voices, apparently those of fellow shoppers, are heard saying, "Why would you throw him down so hard? All he did was shoplifting and you threw him down like that?" Another person says, "They threw him down. He wasn't doing anything wrong." Two citizens then appear to come to Newman's aid by applying paper towels to the man's nose. Chadd estimated Newman was knocked out for about 10 minutes, all the while gushing blood and handcuffed. Buckeye Assistant Police Chief Larry Hall said Saturday that Newman's case is "basically in the court's hands right now, as far as the resisting arrest and shoplifting goes." The department will conduct an investigation to assess whether the actions of the police officer involved in the arrest were "within reason," based on "our policy and also the law." He said that probe would happen soon, adding it was "days away." "We may have an independent agency conduct the inquiry, just to show transparency," Hall said. As to the criminal charges, Todd Nolan -- the attorney representing Newman -- said his office will conduct discovery procedures Monday with police "to gather evidence proving my client is innocent." The suspect himself plans to speak to the media later next week, his lawyer said. Walmart spokeswoman Ashley Hardie said the retail giant was aware of the incident. "We are concerned whenever there is an incident involving a customer at one of our stores," Hardie said. "We are in contact with the local police and are sharing any information we have with them." Sanchez described her father as "a really nice man," saying he is a custom furniture maker who preaches through the California prison system. He has raised his grandson from birth and, even while in the hospital, Sanchez said the boy was her father's chief concern. Whatever happens, Sanchez vowed that next year she won't be shopping in the wee hours of the Friday morning after Thanksgiving. "I will never leave my house again on Black Friday, because I don't want to put my daughter through that again," she said, noting her daughter was there to see police standing over her bloody grandfather. "I'd rather stay home. And if they have Black Friday, they need more security." CNN's Marlena Baldacci and Greg Morrison contributed to this report.

Jerald Newman, 54, is out of jail after being arrested at an Arizona Walmart, his wife says . A witness says a police officer upended the man, leaving him bloodied on the floor . Newman was later charged with resisting arrest and shoplifting . A police official says an investigation will be conducted into the officer's actions .

(CNN) -- At least six people were killed Thursday when a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Honduras, President Jose Manuel Zelaya told CNN en Español Thursday. Thursday's quake leaves part of a bridge damaged over the Ulua River in El Progreso, Honduras. Another 17 people were injured, said Jose Reyes, a spokesman for COPECO, the Honduran government agency that responds to natural disasters. Two of the victims -- a 15-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl from Morazan -- died after a wall collapsed on them, Reyes said, adding that trauma was blamed for most of the fatalities. A 9-year-old boy died, and a heart attack proved fatal to a man from Tela, Honduras, the agency said. A woman suffered cardiac arrest. The 15-year-old boy's brother suffered minor injuries, said Dilcia Fernandez, mayor of La Lima, where the boy died. La Lima is about 120 miles (200 km) north of the capital, Tegucigalpa. Eighty homes were destroyed and another 175 damaged, including 16 schools, nine churches, eight public buildings, seven factories, three bridges, two hotels, a hospital, an airport and a potable water system, Reyes said. Watch how the quake damaged a bridge » . The 7.1-magnitude quake, which struck at 3:24 a.m. and was centered about 200 miles (320 km) north of the capital, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Half an hour later, a 4.8-magnitude aftershock hit about 155 miles (250 km) north of Tegucigalpa. Zelaya said the June 2-3 meeting of the Organization of American States will be held as planned in nearby San Pedro Sula, where he said one building had been damaged by the quake. The earthquake was centered, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, 27 miles (43 km) from Roatan, the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands and a popular destination for scuba diving and snorkeling. The area -- known for its white-sand beaches, clear waters and rich ocean reef -- is popular among budget-conscious travelers. "People were startled. They started walking, running, doing everything they could to get to higher ground about two miles away," said Ron Cummins, who owns a resort there. "I have been on the island for 14 years, this is the worst I have seen."iReport.com: Did you feel the quake? Share photos, video . Ressie Bodden Saphrey said she was sleeping when her house started shaking. "There was dark everywhere," said Saphrey, who works at a hotel in Roatan. Dishes and bottles crashed to the floor, she said. She and her 19-year-old daughter packed their passports, medicine, bottled water, canned food and a flashlight in case they were told to evacuate. They stayed inside their concrete three-story house, though many people in Roatan wandered the streets in the darkness, she said. A television station in Honduras, Channel 8, reported damage to several buildings. The Honduras disaster-response agency urged people to safeguard any important documents, and store food and water they could take in a hurry, according to Channel 8. Carol Frazier, who was vacationing in Roatan, said the quake knocked out power in her condominium and spilled water from the swimming pool. "Everything was moving. The TV fell on the ground," she said. "The difficulty was we couldn't even move. "I really thought it was a tsunami or something. That was really our first concern," she said. "We ran out." Ron Bobbette, who manages a hotel in West End Roatan, said power had been restored in most places and panic was subsiding. "Everything is back to normal," Bobbette said. "I just finished walking around the hotel and there is no visible structural damage." CNN's Mark Bixler, Faith Karimi and Tom Watkins contributed to this report.

Eighty homes destroyed, another 175 damaged, official says . Original quake centered about 200 miles (320 km) north of the capital, USGS says . Quake centered 27 miles (43 km) from Roatan, popular scuba diving destination .

(CNN) -- The family of a Florida man has released video of his death, hoping to get criminal charges filed against the police officer who ran him over. On May 8, Marlon Brown was being chased by DeLand police because they allegedly saw that he was not wearing a seatbelt. At a dead-end road, Brown stopped his car and started running. One of the police cars hit and ran him over, its dashcam video recording the entire incident. Last week, a grand jury decided not to indict officer James Harris on a criminal charge of vehicular manslaughter. That's when the family decided to go public, and release the video. "We knew it wasn't going to be an easy video to watch," says Krystal Brown the ex-wife and mother of Brown's children, "but in order to obtain justice, and that's what we're looking for, we knew it was something that we had to do." Unarmed man shot 10 times by police . Justice, the family says, would be criminal charges against Harris for killing Marlon Brown. Harris, who has been fired as a result of the incident, could not be reached for comment. The dashcam video shows Harris' police car following two other police cars as they drive down a residential street into a grass lot. The two other vehicles stop but the one with the camera continues to chase after Brown. As the police car approaches, Brown stumbles and falls. While on the ground, Brown turns and faces the chasing vehicle and within seconds, his face disappears under the hood of Harris' police car. A thud is heard and the car stops. "I think he's underneath the (expletive) car," a voice off camera can be heard saying. Florida deputies mistakenly shoot man in his driveway . The city of DeLand has already paid the family $550,000 in a settlement but the city did not admit any wrongdoing, according to Krystal Brown. The family decided to go public with their story and the video in hopes of triggering public outrage that would result in pressure for officials to file criminal charges for Brown's death. "We're just asking for justice, nothing extra," Krystal Brown said, "nothing no one else would want for their family member. " State Attorney for Florida's 7th judicial district R.J. Larizza decided to present the evidence to the grand jury instead of filing charges, which he could have done if he felt a crime had been committed. Larizza stood by his decision at a news conference last week, following the grand jury's decision not to return charges after two days of testimony. "This has been a controversial situation and this has been a case that has been a challenge since the beginning," Larizza said at the news conference. "I wanted the most possible folks involved, people that were in the community, people that live here, people that care about this community to make the decision," said Larizza, adding, "and I was confident and comfortable that they would do so." Police wound 2 bystanders in Times Square shooting . Krystal Brown said the family was "disappointed" and "felt let down by the criminal justice department" even before seeing the video, adding that they believe a vehicular manslaughter charge was appropriate. "Just knowing what the charge entails, it doesn't have to show intent -- it only has to show reckless driving," she said. The video alone prompted DeLand Police Chief William Ridgway to fire Harris. "The actions taken by Officer Harris that night are not consistent with our department's training, directives, or accepted practices or techniques," Ridgway told CNN, in a prepared statement. DeLand police are conducting an internal review of the incident. This week, law enforcement officials have been going over more than 2,000 documents to determine whether appropriate tactics were used, whether police policies were followed and if those policies reflect the best way to deal with similar situations. Brown's family believes the video speaks for itself. "We would have had no problem getting a call that morning saying, 'OK Marlon ran from the police and we had to tase him' or 'the dogs bit him' or something more along the lines of not using excessive force," says Krystal Brown. "But to get the call that he has been ran down with a vehicle for running from the police? That doesn't fit."

Marlon Brown died on May 8 after he was run over by a DeLand, Florida, police officer . The police officer was fired, but a grand jury decided not to indict him . Outraged, his family released dashcam video of his death . The family want the police officer to face criminal charges .

(CNN) -- Facebook unveiled changes to its terms-of-use document on Friday, tweaking earlier drafts in an apparent effort to ease users' concerns about privacy and how their information is used. The proposed changes to the networking giant's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities come after the plan was opened up for user comments last month, and just weeks before Facebook is expected to go public in a stock offering some expect could value the company at $100 billion. Front and center in the announcement was an effort to explain that the way Facebook collects and shares data is not being changed. "Some of our users and a number of journalists mistook the proposed update to our SRR for changes to the way we collect or use data," Facebook said in a post on the site. "Our Data Use Policy (which used to be called our privacy policy) governs how we collect and use data. We are not proposing any updates to that document at this time." Little has slowed Facebook's ascent to the top of the social-media world. What began as a dorm-room project for Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard classmates grew into a phenomenon that has amassed more than 800 million active users. But if Facebook has had an Achilles heel, it's been concerns about how user data is used. Because it's a free service, Facebook depends on targeted advertising and a cut of the micro-payments users make in games and other apps running on the site. Users' activity on the site is used to paint a picture of them, and shared by Facebook to help those advertisers pick their targets. Web privacy advocates, including some government officials in the United States and elsewhere, have repeatedly expressed unease with the sheer amount of data Facebook possesses about its users and how that data may be used. It's obvious that the company wants to tamp down user concerns about that in advance of its arrival on Wall Street. In its filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the word "privacy" was used 35 times. That document, which is required for companies filing to go public, was obviously largely positive about Facebook's upside. But when required to acknowledge potential downsides, Facebook wrote that if users ever widely became concerned about their privacy and use of their data, they could lose some of them. Facebook writes that it must avoid adopting "policies or procedures related to areas such as sharing or user data that are perceived negatively by our users or the general public." CNNMoney: Facebook strips 'privacy' from new 'data use' policy explainer . In a set of bulleted posts Friday, Facebook outlined the tweaks it has made in response to user feedback and explained items it says raised concerns. -- In a change first noted last month, the document now uses the term "Data Use Policy" instead of "Privacy Policy." Facebook says this reflects a change that was made last year because they "believe the name is more descriptive of the information the document provides." -- Language that said "you or other that can see your content and information" was removed for a different definition of how and when apps can access data about your friends. It adds links to more information and how users can control that. -- Facebook also clarified language saying that people should not "tag users if you know they do not wish to be tagged" in photos. That passage doesn't change how tagging works, but is merely meant to be a guideline, the company said. -- The changes remove a line saying that Facebook reserves the right to deny or limit access to users outside the United States. The site says that line was unclear and meant to reflect places where services are legally unavailable, or places where Facebook is banned. The document also included a not-so-subtle swipe at one of Facebook's chief competitors. "Unlike other Internet companies, we propose updates to our SRR and give our users an opportunity to comment before they go into effect," Friday's announcement said." Your insights and perspectives are really valuable to us, enabling us to respond to your questions and make substantive changes to address your concerns before changes are implemented." Earlier this year, Google (which has launched social platform Google+ as a Facebook rival) rolled out significant changes to its privacy policy. While Google went out of its way to publicize the changes to users, feedback was not as aggressively sought and did not appear, at least publicly, to lead to any major changes. Facebook users can comment on the latest round of proposed changes until April 27, the post said.

Facebook unveils, and explains, proposed changes to its terms of use . Post says that the way user data is collected and shared will not change . Announcement comes as Facebook is preparing its Wall Street public stock offering .

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Fourteen sailors are still missing from a Thai trawler that was sunk last week by the Indian navy as a suspected pirate ship, the vessel's owner said Tuesday. The Indian navy frigate INS Tabar was reported to have battled a "pirate vessel" last week. One crewman was found alive after six days adrift in the Gulf of Aden, and one is confirmed dead, said Wicharn Sirichaiekawat, owner of the Ekawat Nava 5. Last week, India's navy reported that the frigate INS Tabar had battled a pirate "mother vessel" in the gulf November 18, leaving the ship ablaze and likely sunk. Wicharn said that vessel was his ship, which was in the process of being seized by pirates when it came under fire. Indian authorities insisted that their ship had acted against a pirate vessel that had threatened to attack the Tabar. "We fired in self-defense and in response to firing upon our vessel. It was a pirate vessel in the international waters, and its stance was aggressive," said Commodore Nirad Sinha, a navy spokesman. He said the ship the Tabar fired upon was laden with ammunition. Watch more about the piracy threat in the region » . Wicharn said the Ekawat Nava 5 was headed from Oman to Yemen to deliver fishing equipment when it was set upon by pirates off the Horn of Africa. The pirates were seizing control of the ship when the Tabar moved in, he said. Wicharn said he learned the fate of his vessel from a Cambodian crew member who survived the gunfire and drifted in the ocean for six days before he was plucked to safety by a passing ship. The sailor was recovering in a hospital in Yemen, he said. Wicharn said his ship made a distress call November 18 as it was chased by pirates in two speedboats, but the connection was lost midway. The owners, Sirichai Fisheries, had not heard from the crew since then. Later that evening, the Indian navy said it encountered a suspected pirate "mother vessel," with two speedboats in tow about 285 nautical miles (525 km) southwest of the Omani port of Salalah. "Mother vessels" are often used as mobile bases to ferry pirates and smaller attack boats into deep water. When the Tabar's crew hailed the ship and demanded that it stop for inspection, the pirates threatened to destroy the Indian ship, the ministry reported. "Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar," the ministry said. The Indian frigate returned fire, setting the pirate ship ablaze and setting off explosions on board, the statement said. An international fleet has been patrolling the waters off the Horn of Africa in an effort to crack down on pirates based in largely lawless Somalia. Map of piracy incidents in 2008 » . Pirates have attacked more than 90 vessels off East Africa this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center, which monitors piracy around the world, including a Saudi supertanker captured this month. The latest ship seized was a Yemeni freighter Adina taken last week with a crew of seven on board, including two Yemenis, two Panamanians and three Somalis, security sources in Yemen told CNN. The government is in direct contact with officials in Somalia to work on rescuing the ship, for which the hijackers are seeking a $2 million ransom. Although the pirate takeover of the Saudi supertanker highlights the dangers facing cargo ships navigating the Horn of Africa, marine security experts are warning that racing boats, private charters and luxury yachts can be far easier pirate targets: Rich people usually carry cash and jewels. Watch the risks facing racers and luxury sailors » . And competitors in the world's biggest ocean race made an unprecedented change of course this year as organizers mandated yachts steer clear of Africa's east coast.

Owner: One crewman found alive after 6 days adrift, one confirmed dead . Ekawat Nava 5 delivering fishing equipment when it was attacked, owner says . Indian authorities insist their ship had acted against a pirate vessel . Armed pirates seen roaming on the upper deck of vessel, India says .

(CNN) -- The U.S., European Union and international security organizations Friday called for an end to fighting between Georgia and militant separatists that has dragged in Russian forces. Russia's Channel 1 shows heavy tanks purported to be on their way to South Ossetia. President George Bush and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin discussed the conflict in Georgia, the White House confirmed. Both men were attending the opening of the Summer Olympics in the Chinese capital and spoke during a luncheon hosted by Chinese President Hu Jintao. White House spokesman Tony Fratto did not provide any additional details. But Putin, according to his spokesman, said: "There are lots of volunteers being gathered in the region, and it's very hard to withhold them from taking part. A real war is going on." White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said: "I want to reiterate on [President Bush's] behalf that the United States supports Georgia's territorial integrity and we call for an immediate cease fire. "We urge all parties, Georgians, South Ossetians and Russians to de-escalate the tension and avoid conflict. We are working on mediation efforts to secure a cease fire and we are urging the parties to restart their dialogue." The U.S. military was also reviewing plans for the possible evacuation of the more than 2,000 of its citizens in the Republic of Georgia, two military officials said Friday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his counterparts in the United States and Germany and the European Union's foreign policy chief that Georgia was the aggressor and should immediately withdraw its troops from South Ossetia. The EU and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) are sending envoys to Georgia to secure a cease-fire, but a senior U.S. State Department official said the United States would only send a representative after a cease-fire is in place. The European Union said it was working with other parties "towards a ceasefire in order to prevent further escalation of this conflict." EU spokeswoman Christina Gallach told CNN: "We think it is not acceptable to see these scenes of bloodshed and destruction." OSCE chairman-in-office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, said: "The intense fighting in the South Ossetian conflict zone risks escalation into a full-fledged war. "War would have a devastating impact for the entire region. I urge the Georgians, South Ossetians and Russians to cease fire, end military action and stop further escalation. We need to pull back from the brink of a full-fledged war." NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer issued a statement Friday saying he was seriously concerned about the recent events in the region, and he called on all sides to end armed clashes and begin direct talks. Watch more about NATO's attempts to help Georgia » . Carmen Romero, a NATO spokeswoman in Brussels, said NATO was in regular contact with Georgia's president and was talking to Russia. Britain also urged all sides to bring an immediate end to the violence. "We are monitoring developments. We urge an immediate cease-fire in the fighting in South Ossetia and for a resumption of direct dialogue between all parties." Georgia, formerly part of the Soviet Union, is now looking west and has ambitions of joining NATO. South Ossetia has longed for and sometimes fought for independence since the 1920s when the Soviet Government made it an autonomous region within Georgia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia broke away from Moscow in 1991 and South Ossetia voted overwhelmingly for its own independence. Violence has been mounting in the region in recent days, with sporadic clashes between Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists. Georgian troops launched new attacks in South Ossetia late Thursday after a top government official said a unilateral cease-fire offer was met with separatist artillery fire. An emergency session of the U.N. Security Council on Friday discussed the dramatic escalation of violence. The session ended Friday morning without a statement about the fighting. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

International organizations call for end to fighting in breakaway Georgia region . Fighting in South Ossetia escalated Friday; Russian tanks moved to the region . President Bush: The United States supports Georgia's territorial integrity . Georgia, formerly part of the Soviet Union, now has ambitions of joining NATO .

Harlem, New York (CNN) -- At the heart of West Harlem, West Africa is buzzing. Nestled inside one of the world's most diverse cities, over the years the thriving neighborhood of Harlem has become the hub of New York's African American community. At the start of the 20th century, throngs of African Americans migrated from the southern United States into the big city, lured by the jobs and opportunities of urban life. But in the last 30 years or so, another group of people decided to call Harlem home. Scores of immigrants from several francophone West African countries moved to the borough to start a new life. At the center of it all, a vibrant Senegalese community has created a new home away from home, adding their culture, fashion and tastes to Harlem's diverse mix. Known as Little Senegal, or Le Petit Senegal, the strip of blocks around West 116th Street is packed with inviting restaurants and colorful shops, powerful reminders of life back in the homeland. "We're the ones who built Harlem," says El Hadji Fey, vice president of the Senegalese Association of America. "When we got here, all the stores you see over here, it was absolutely nothing. We bought a lot of stores here, a lot of Senegalese businesses right here. "We were scared in the beginning -- you know how Harlem was 20, 30 years ago. We're the ones who really made Harlem grow up. That's why a lot of people call here Little Senegal because we started making the community grow, we started making people grow." Along this stretch of blocks, the taste of Senegal is everywhere -- from the tantalizing scents of fish and rice stews emanating from the traditional restaurants dotting the neighborhood, through to the lively Malcolm Shabazz Market, where stall vendors hawk their wares, to the numerous Senegalese-named clothes and haircare shops. At "Africa Kine," which was one of the first Senegalese restaurants to open in Harlem, some two decades ago, homesick customers find comfort in flavors conjuring up memories of home. Others come here looking for fellow countrymen who can make their new city feel less strange. Waitress Maritou Djigal says that "thiebou dienn," Senegal's national dish made of Jolof rice with fish, is the meal of choice in the Harlem eatery. "Most of the time they [diners] say 'it reminds me of Senegal, it reminds me of my family,'" she explains. Not far from Africa Kine, at the Red Rooster restaurant, chef Marcus Samuelson is busy checking orders. Samuelson, known for introducing African spices to Western dishes, is using the continent's culinary traditions to expose Africa to a wider audience. "I look at Africa as a great source of information and inspiration," says Samuelson. "And that's how I come up with some of the great dishes here," he adds. "Harlem is a very special and unique community and it always reminds me of Africa and I feel the most at home here. I love it, it's a real community." Although called Little Senegal, landmarks with great historical significance for native Africans and African Americans stretch along the Harlem neighborhood. Neal Shoemaker, the energetic president of the Harlem Heritage Tours and Cultural Center, says that some of the most famous African American activists calling for civil rights in the mid-1950s and 1960s were active in the area. "As you walk through this area here, it's like taking a cultural bath," says Shoemaker, who's been leading tours through Little Senegal for over a decade . "Malcolm X's presence is everywhere in this area," he adds, as he walks through the neighborhood. "That corner right there, on 115th street where the housing project exists, where I was born and raised, is one of the corners where he'd minister to the people and he would offer what he felt was the diagnosis to many of the social problems of the area. "So when you walk through this area here, you're walking in the steps of many great civil rights leaders."

New York's Harlem is home to a vibrant Senegalese community . Known as Little Senegal, the area is filled with West African restaurants and shops . Civil rights leaders of the 1960s, including Malcolm X, were active in the area .

(CNN) -- More than half of all U.S. counties have been designated disaster zones, the Department of Agriculture reported, blaming excessive heat and a devastating drought that's spread across the Corn Belt and contributed to rising food prices. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared disaster zone designations for an additional 218 counties in 12 states Wednesday because of damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat. The states are Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming. Nearly three-quarters of the nation's cattle acreage is now inside a drought-stricken area, as is about two-thirds of the country's hay acreage, the agency reported. Iowa farmers looking beyond drought . USDA researchers added that an average of 37% of the nation's soybeans were last week ranked from very poor to poor, the lowest quality recorded since a massive drought in 1988. Nearly half of America's corn crop was also rated very poor to poor, while 57% of its pastures and range land were similarly graded. This year's harsh conditions suggest that food prices next year could surge by as much as 4.5%, the agency reported. "It's the most severe and expensive drought in 25 years," USDA economist Timothy Park said. As the hot and dry weather persists, farmers face potential losses in spite of federal crop insurance meant to soften the blow to U.S. agriculture. "The pocketbook is really taking a hit," said Robert Dickey, a 58-year-old farmer in Georgia who says his losses are just below the threshold needed for his insurance to kick in. "We'll probably have to take out some loans to get us through to next year." Interactive map: Record dryness takes over the U.S. The price of milk, cheese and other dairy products is also expected to surge, while ranchers face steepening feed costs. "When I was a kid in the '50s ... it got real dry, but nothing like this," said Marvin Helms, a 70-year-old farmer and rancher in central Arkansas who was compelled to sell his beef cattle after being short on feed. His thousand acres of farmland near Arkadelphia include corn and soybeans, which Helms says is normally sufficient to sustain his family and provide for his cattle. Farmer in the drought: If you plant it, it may not come . "We've got some insurance on the crops, but it's not enough," he said. "It will help, but it won't pay the bills." Still, economists say the extent of federal insurance coverage -- which includes about 85% of the nation's crop acreage -- will help protect farmers against catastrophic income losses. "Today's safety net is going to protect a lot more of those producers than in the past," said USDA Deputy Chief Economist Robert Johansson. "Though it's hard to say the what effect will be on an individual producer, because a lot of times, these crop producers are also producing livestock." Food prices on the rise . In an effort to bolster assistance, the USDA expanded emergency disaster assistance Wednesday to allow for haying and grazing on 3.8 million acres of protected conservation areas, once considered off-limits. The agency also reported that crop insurance companies have agreed to allow for a "short grace period for farmers on insurance premiums in 2012," giving farmers an extra 30 days to make payments without interest penalties on their unpaid premiums. But while a variety of crops are strained across the U.S. Midwest, a top concern for policy-makers is corn. "The unusually hot and dry conditions coincide with the period of pollination and kernel formation, which sharply reduces estimated yields," the USDA reported. "As of July 17, approximately 88 percent of the corn crop was in regions impacted by drought." About 75% of all food found in the supermarket contains corn, officials say. See all of our coverage of this year's drought . Is the drought affecting you? Share with us on CNN iReport.

NEW: "Safety net is going to protect a lot more of those producers," economist says . An Arkansas farmer says he was compelled sell his cattle because he was short on feed . Harsh conditions suggest food prices could increase as much as 4.5% in 2013, agency says . Agriculture secretary expanded emergency disaster assistance Wednesday .

Washington (CNN) -- Bruce Morton, a longtime CNN national correspondent, passed away Thursday at his Washington home at the age of 83. Morton's broadcast career stretched across 40 years, first at CBS, where he hosted the "CBS Morning News" among other things, then at CNN, where he was chief national correspondent before retiring in 2006. After his last report for CNN, anchor Wolf Blitzer paid tribute to Morton by saying, "One of our colleagues likes to say that if there were a journalist hall of fame, Bruce Morton certainly would be in it." Below is CNN Washington bureau chief and Senior Vice President Sam Feist's note to the bureau on Morton's passing: . ... I have sad news to report about a beloved member of the CNN family. Our long-time National Correspondent, Bruce Morton, passed away on Thursday. He was 83. All of us who worked with Bruce knew him to be a reporter's reporter; a man who cared deeply about journalism, politics and people. Bruce could tell a story like no other, as he effortlessly weaved facts, emotion and history into every one of his news stories. A story about a Senate race might be full of references to Lyndon Johnson, Richard Russell, or even Daniel Webster. Bruce understood the importance of historical context. Without exception each of his stories was unique and brilliantly written. Simply put, Bruce was a modern day news poet. Hear Morton remember the legacy of Rosa Parks . Politics was Bruce's specialty and he keenly understood that the actions of a lawmaker or a candidate could have profound consequences that might ripple across America, across the Globe. He attended virtually every political convention from 1960 through 2004. He was a CBS News correspondent from 1964-1993, and a CNN correspondent from 1993-2006. While at CBS, beyond covering campaigns, he reported on everything from Vietnam to the deaths of MLK and RFK to Watergate. At CNN, Bruce was not only our National Correspondent, but he also delivered a weekly essay "The Last Word" on our Sunday program, "Late Edition." That essay, in my opinion, was often the most brilliant two minutes on American television each week. He retired with shelves of Emmy Awards, a Polk Award, and a Peabody Award. Bruce was an original member of the famed "Boys on the Bus," and could share campaign trail war stories with his colleagues and our viewers like nobody else. His daughter, Sarah Morton, told me that working and covering politics for CNN was one of Bruce's great loves. I have missed Bruce Morton's voice on our air these last few years. Now I'll miss his emails and his remarkable blog postings, which he updated often. http://brucemortonblog.blogspot.com/ . A few days ago, he wrote this about the midterm elections: . We have off-year elections this year. That means elections for the Senate -- a third of its hundred seats up for six year terms and all of the House's 435 seats, for two year terms. The District of Columbia won't vote; we have no representation in the Congress. In a lot of districts the issues will be local -- a bridge, an allegedly crooked pol. It will be harder, I think, for Republicans to make President Obama's person or policies be issues because he and they have been moderate. I can remember when public anger was so strong here -- during the Vietnam War or the Nixon impeachment -- when perfect strangers would yell on the street at those of us who covered the news. There's none of that now. It looks like a clean battle for November, followed by the big shootout two years later. When Bruce retired from CNN in 2006, Wolf Blitzer ended his Situation Room broadcast by saying, "Bruce brings something very special to television journalism, a truly unique voice, smart and wry, with a perspective you could only get by covering politics for five decades." "One of our colleagues likes to say that if there were a journalist hall of fame, Bruce Morton would certainly be in it," Wolf said. Bruce Morton -- rest in peace dear friend. Your words and wisdom will be missed. Sam . People we've lost in 2014 .

Bruce Morton's broadcast career spanned more than 40 years, first at CBS, then CNN . Morton was "a modern day news poet," says Sam Feist, CNN's Washington bureau chief . Morton, 83, passed away Thursday at his Washington home .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States will provide $73 million in aid to Zimbabwe, President Obama announced Friday after meeting with Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the White House. President Obama (right) praised Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the White House on Friday. "I obviously have extraordinary admiration for the courage and tenacity that the prime minister has shown in navigating through some very difficult political times in Zimbabwe," Obama said. "There was a time when Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of Africa, and [it] continues to have enormous potential. It has gone through a very dark and difficult time politically." Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe "has not acted oftentimes in the best interest of the Zimbabwean people and has been resistant to the democratic changes that need to take place," Obama said. "We now have a power-sharing agreement that shows promise, and we want to do everything we can to encourage the kinds of improvement not only on human rights and rule of law, freedom of the press and democracy that is so necessary, but also on the economic front." The U.S. aid will not be going to the government directly "because we continue to be concerned about consolidating democracy, human rights and rule of law," Obama said. "But it will be going directly to the people in Zimbabwe." In a CNN interview following his meeting with Obama, Tsvangirai said he is grateful for the generosity. "Whether it is humanitarian aid or transitional support, it adds up to the relief that Zimbabwe is seeking," he said. Watch Tsvangirai discuss importance of aid to Zimbabwe » . Tsvangirai said he told Obama he would like the United States to use its global influence to assist Zimbabwe in dealing with the challenges it faces. Tsvangirai said he understood other nations' reluctance to support the Zimbabwean government, given Mugabe's controversial history. "I think it's fair," he said. "I understand it, given our history, and I'm not going to defend President Mugabe." But, he noted, the two have agreed to work together and help Zimbabwe progress as a nation. In remarks with Obama, Tsvangirai said progress has been made by the transitional government, but much remains to be done. "It is the problems of implementation," he said. "... even by the standard of our own benchmarks, there are gaps that still exist." He said he would continue to strive to meet those benchmarks, not for the international community, but because "it gives [the] people of Zimbabwe freedom and opportunity to grow." The power-sharing arrangement between Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and Mugabe came after contested elections last year. "Of course we cannot brush away that history, that sad history," Tsvangirai told CNN. But he said he is hoping the country will heal and move forward, and wants even those skeptical of Mugabe to appreciate the transition process. Asked whether he believes Mugabe should retire, Tsvangirai said "at the age of 85, I think one needs to retire." But, he said, for his own legacy, it's important for him to be thinking about a "dignified exit." "I think that [the power-sharing government] provides him with this opportunity," Tsvangirai said. Asked about his relationship with Mugabe, he said, "We don't have to fall in love to work together. But we have accepted that we have made an agreement to have a workable relationship between the two political parties." He said there had been acrimony between the two, but they realized it was not helping the Zimbabwean people. "We are inspired by people like Nelson Mandela, who had to go for 27 years in jail but still come out and say, 'Let's forget about the past' ..." he said. He and Mugabe have chosen the process of dialogue rather than violence, Tsvangirai said. "Let history judge whether this historic experiment was the right course of action." CNN's Elise Labott contributed to this report.

President Obama praises Zimbabwe PM Tsvangirai, offers $73 million in aid . Tsvangirai in power-sharing agreement with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe . Tsvangirai on Mugabe relationship: "We don't have to fall in love to work together"

Philadelphia (CNN) -- A judge has postponed the trial of a Philadelphia Catholic priest and a parochial school teacher, both accused of raping the same altar boy in separate incidents. The trial, scheduled to start Tuesday, was postponed due to a family emergency for a defense attorney. A new trial date could be set by the end of the week. The Rev. Charles Engelhardt, who was a priest at St. Jerome Parish in northeast Philadelphia, and Bernard Shero, a teacher at the parish's school, have been charged with rape, indecent sexual assault and other criminal charges in the alleged assaults that occurred more than a decade ago. The accuser, dubbed "Billy" in a 2011 Philadelphia grand jury report, will be the key witness against the men, both of whom have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The former altar boy, now in his 20s, testified earlier this year during the landmark trial of two Philadelphia priests charged with child sexual abuse and conspiracy. It marked the first time a Catholic church leader -- in this case, Monsignor William Lynn -- has been convicted for covering up the crimes of offending priests. Billy reported to authorities in 2009 that he was sexually abused while he was in Catholic grade school by Engelhardt, Shero and another priest, Edward Avery. A grand jury determined his allegations had merit, and the priests were subsequently charged and arrested. They were among dozens of Philadelphia priests accused of sex abuse in the grand jury report. According to the grand jury's report, Engelhardt allegedly showed Billy pornographic magazines before having him engage in oral intercourse in the sacristy, the room inside the church where a priest prepares for Mass. The alleged incident happened in 1998 when Billy was 10. The following school year, Shero, the boy's sixth-grade teacher at St. Jerome School, is accused of sodomizing the then 11-year-old, according to the grand jury report. Shero allegedly offered the boy a ride home and then stopped at a park. He told the boy they were "going to have fun," took off his clothes, allegedly raped the boy, then made him walk the rest of the way home, the grand jury report stated. In April, Billy testified at the trial of Lynn, the first high-ranking church figure charged with child endangerment for shuffling predator priests from parish to parish, and the Rev. James Brennan, who was accused of the attempted rape of a 14-year-old altar boy. Lynn, 61, was found guilty in June of one count of child endangerment and later sentenced to three to six years in prison. The jury was unable to bring a verdict against Brennan, who is scheduled to be retried next year before a new judge. Avery, who had been scheduled to be on trial with Lynn and Brennan, pleaded guilty after admitting he sexually assaulted Billy when he was 10, and was sentenced to two-and-a-half to five years. In his April testimony, Billy detailed the alleged abuse at the hands of Avery when he was in the fifth grade. He also testified that the sexual assault led to a life of substance abuse, a suicide attempt and a criminal history including drug possession. He said he did not tell anyone about the abuse until 2009, after a group therapy session for his drug use. When asked why he didn't speak out earlier, Billy said he was "too scared." "I thought that I would get into trouble and that no one would believe me," he told jurors in April. "I thought I did something wrong, and, he's a priest." Priests, particularly those in high-ranking positions, have an exceptional amount of power within the Catholic Church, especially in Philadelphia because of the church's deep roots in the community. With nearly 1.5 million members, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is one of the largest in the nation. A new archbishop has been installed to help turn around the scandal-plagued archdiocese. Judge dismisses sexual assault charges against Philadelphia priest . Philadelphia priest abuse trial's impact on Catholic city . Two priests barred amid sexual abuse probe . Jury acquits man charged with assaulting priest he accused of molesting him .

NEW: The sexual abuse trial for a Philadelphia priest and a parochial teacher has been postponed . The trial had been scheduled to start Tuesday . Both men are accused of raping an altar boy more than a decade ago . The alleged victim will be the key witness .

(CNN) -- For those out there worried that our nation's stern gun laws were keeping firearms out of the hands of too many people, the solution appears to have arrived: the printable gun. Produced by a nonprofit organization called Defense Distributed, this small plastic gun, dubbed the "Liberator," has been tested and is able to fire a bullet in a video demo. Assuming this is no crazy hoax, the ramifications of such a weapon for gun control are potentially profound. I can't imagine that too many people with rational minds think printable guns will add to the serenity of the world. Granted, 3-D printers aren't yet a household item, but as technology improves and becomes less expensive, they may become common. Although the "Liberator" appears unreliable, tending to fragment after a few shots, subsequent models will likely improve. Either way, it's a workable and untraceable gun. Open source guru Eric Raymond has said, "I approve of any development that makes it more difficult for governments and criminals to monopolize the use of force." The development of the printable gun seems to be particularly popular with the ultra-libertarian crowd. The founder of Defense Distributed apparently describes himself as a crypto-anarchist. It's difficult to envision a situation in which a law-abiding homeowner prints a gun for self-defense. Sure, a few people may print the darn things for the novelty of it. But the printable gun, assuming it moves forward unregulated, would be the obvious realm of the criminal. Can't pass a background check? No need to take your chances, such as they are, at a gun show anymore. Just print out your weapon from home! As only the firing pin is metal (a household nail), I can only imagine the nightmare of trying to detect these things. Most homicides are impulsive, not the cold calculated affairs of Agatha Christie novels. Would enraged individuals without a gun be able to print one of these in response to some perceived slight? Yes, they'd have to go buy a bullet (and a nail), but it's still a way around a background check. This scenario seems foolish only because it's already so easy to get a real gun. There are approximately 300 million guns in the United States. If we want to reduce the number of homicides (or suicides for that matter), making it difficult to get immediate access to guns can help reduce impulsive behaviors. Allowing people to print their own gun is just the opposite. Beyond a doubt, calmer heads will want to regulate these things. I'm not a lawyer, but I suspect this is one example in which technology may have raced ahead of the law. Is Defense Distributed selling guns or information? Is this a gun control issue or a First Amendment issue? Can the printers be regulated to refuse to print weapons, or could new designs simply circumvent existing prohibited products? Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, has expressed interest in legislation to block printable guns , so we'll see where it leads. As he puts it, "We're facing a situation where anyone -- a felon, a terrorist -- can open a gun factory in their garage and the weapons they make will be undetectable. It's stomach-churning." It seems that way. Don't get me wrong. I'm probably about as neutral as anyone can be on the issue of gun control. I believe law abiding citizens have constitutional rights to own weapons. But at the same time I believe in reasonable safeguards to make sure access to firearms is limited from criminals and those with chronic mental illnesses. In this sense, to me, printable guns are a step in the wrong direction. Granted, the actual impact of printable guns on societal violence is obviously unknown. Perhaps they'll remain so unreliable or difficult to assemble from the individual pieces that the impact will be negligible. Or perhaps not. Some have described Defense Distributed's efforts as a kind of political performance art. Very funny, Defense Distributed. We get it. I just hope we don't regret it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Christopher J. Ferguson.

A group used 3-D printer to make a plastic handgun that can fire a real bullet . Christopher Ferguson: The ramifications of such a weapon are potentially profound . He says if a criminal can't pass a background check, he can just print his own gun at home . Ferguson: How will government regulate these workable and untraceable guns?

(CNN) -- One of the mysteries of this administration is that President Obama is a great orator, but not always a great communicator, and we saw that dichotomy in effect again last night in Charlotte. In a season of platitudes, his convention speech was admirably strong on policy specifics but weak on memorable themes. He made a values-driven case for continuing on a difficult path toward rebuilding the great American middle class, but did not offer new details on just how we would achieve those goals in the next four years. He successfully deconstructed the Republican plans as simply being more of the failed same -- "Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning!" -- but didn't offer a strategy for how the two parties would work better together in a second term. And where Bill Clinton's speech was focused on centrist swing voters, President Obama's address seemed aimed at the party's base, rocking the convention hall, but losing something in translation over television into living rooms across the nation. The speech contained some clear declarations of difference between the two parties. A close read showed Obama, as always, rhetorically refusing to accept old terms of debate: "We don't think government can solve all our problems. But we don't think that government is the source of all our problems." Instead, Obama sees a country balanced between rights and responsibilities, the individual and the community working together to make life a little better for us all. He believes passionately in the ability of government to make a positive difference -- and that is not socialistic, but realistic. Obama soared when talking about foreign policy, driving home the inexplicable failure of Mitt Romney to mention Afghanistan in his Tampa convention keynote. The paragraphs on Osama bin Laden and the rebuilding of ground zero achieved elevation. The president ticked through a list of promises kept, offering data points on our decreased dependence on foreign oil over the past four years, and a goal of 1 million new manufacturing jobs by the end of his second term. He also belatedly embraced the recommendations of the Bowles-Simpson commission as a starting point to reduce the deficit and the debt, something he notably failed to do in his first term. But if this was a sober and serious address, it was also a refined version of his stump speech; there was little new and no overarching narrative arc to make this high-stakes political speech truly stand out from the pack. The White House said this would not be a State of the Union-style address, but there was a telltale laundry-list quality at times. Both Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton -- and even possibly Joe Biden (!) -- offered more seamless inspiration speeches. In contrast, this felt like a speech written by committee. Perhaps best that can be said of the speech, and this is not a small thing, is that President Obama spoke to the American people as adults last nights. He did not promise miracles, but instead steady improvement if we continued to work together, taking the nation in a better direction, one ironically more rooted in mid-20th century values, but better suited to the inclusive reality of American life in the 21st century. It's too soon to tell if any individual lines of this speech will endure. President Obama sometimes seems allergic to sound-bites as a point of pride. Lines like "Killed bin Laden; Saved G.M" roll off Biden's tongue, ready for a bumper sticker, but they almost seem too easy for the president and so the pitch is never hit. But the closing lines of the address achieved real momentum and encapsulated President Obama's argument: "America, I never said this journey would be easy, and I won't promise that now. Yes, our path is harder, but it leads to a better place. Yes our road is longer, but we travel it together. We don't turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up. We draw strength from our victories, and we learn from our mistakes, but we keep our eyes fixed on that distant horizon, knowing that providence is with us, and that we are surely blessed to be citizens of the greatest nation on Earth." Or, as the new Bruce Springsteen anthem that closed out the convention more concisely said: "We Take Care of Our Own." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Avlon.

John Avlon: President Obama's speech was strong on policy, weak on memorable themes . Obama deconstructed GOP positions well and emphasized edge on foreign policy, he says . Avlon: It was a sober and serious address, and he didn't promise miracles .

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- As Libya entered its fourth week of bloody clashes Tuesday, there was little doubt that the situation had turned into all-out civil war. Rebels have seized several cities from government control and the army has fiercely fought to reclaim some of them. Death toll estimates have ranged from more than 1,000 to as many as 2,000. Thousands more have fled the country, prompting a human rights group to once again urge both sides to allow humanitarian aid in. "Both the Libyan government and opposition forces need to allow unhindered access for aid organizations to assist civilians," Bill Frelick, refugee program director at Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. "People living in areas of heavy fighting in western Libya are now in dire need of medical aid and other assistance." Late Monday night, the Gulf Cooperation Council said Libya had rejected its offer of humanitarian aid. The council is comprised of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi took aim at the rebel-controlled town of Ras Lanuf, launching aerial strikes Monday to crush the uprising against him. Gadhafi's aerial forces targeted the main road heading into the oil town after launching another air strike earlier, five kilometers (3.1 miles) southeast of the city. The opposition fired anti-aircraft guns in response. The protests against Gadhafi began February 15 as anti-government demonstrators sought the ouster of the 68-year-old Gadhafi who has ruled for nearly 42 years of rule. It started as the kind of revolution that swept neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, but since then the uprising has turned into warfare. And as reports continue to emerge of the government's use of force against civilians, the international community has been left pondering strategies on how to end the violence. Three members of the U.N. Security Council -- France, Britain, and the United States -- were working Monday on a possible resolution that would include language on a no-fly zone over Libya, diplomatic sources at the United Nations said. And the Gulf Cooperation Council said Monday night they supported such an action. But any kind of military intervention could face sharp criticism from Russia and China, two permanent members of the council that wield veto power. U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday he had a "very clear message to those who are around Col. Gadhafi." "It is their choice to make how they operate moving forward and they will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place there," he said. NATO said it has begun around-the-clock surveillance flights of Libya. "We've got NATO as we speak consulting in Brussels around a wide range of potential options, including potential military options," Obama added. With no clear end to the deadly clashes in sight, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed a new special envoy to Libya to discuss the crisis with officials in Tripoli. The fierce fighting has sparked the flight of Libyans and foreigners out of Libya, with nations across the globe scrambling to help people leave. About 200,000 people have fled Libya with nearly equal numbers going to Tunisia and Egypt, the U.N. refugee agency has said. But between 15,000 and 17,000 people are still at a refugee camp near the Libya-Tunisia border. Of those left, the majority are from Bangladesh, the U.N. refugee agency said. The group plans to start running chartered flights to there Tuesday. A man who said he was trapped in Misrata, a city east of Tripoli that has seen heavy clashes, said the rebels were running out of weapons -- but will continue to fight. "Maybe tomorrow I'll still be alive, i don't know. I have nothing to lose," the man said. "Nobody believes he will be alive tomorrow. Nobody knows. We need support." CNN's Ben Wedeman, Nic Robertson, Arwa Damon, Salma Abdelaziz, Jomana Karadsheh and Caroline Faraj contributed to this report.

NEW: Gulf states say Libya has rejected their offer of humanitarian aid . NEW: They support a no-fly zone over Libya . Human rights group urges both sided to allow aid in . 3 members of the U.N. Security Council discuss a possible no-fly zone .

(CNN) -- A tense standoff between China and the Philippines that has been under way since April 10, when the Philippines Navy accused Chinese boats of fishing illegally off the Scarborough Shoal, appeared to ease somewhat Friday. In Manila, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said that Philippine diplomats "are endeavoring to undertake a new diplomatic initiative, which we hope will help defuse the situation." China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters that China had noted the remarks as well as the action taken by the Philippine Foreign Ministry and noticed the resumption of diplomatic contact between the Philippine Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Manila. The diplomatic chafing that preceded those statements centered on the Scarborough Shoal, some 130 miles (200 kilometers) from the Philippine island of Luzon. A Chinese military newspaper had warned that the country's armed forces would not allow anyone to challenge China's sovereignty over the tiny island outcrop in the South China Sea. Philippine navy sailors attempted to arrest the crew but were blocked by Chinese surveillance vessels deployed in the area. Both countries claim the shoal, which China calls Huangyan Island. Analysts believe the area is rich in mineral resources, natural gas and oil. South China Sea: Asia's most dangerous waters . "We want to say that anyone's attempt to take away China's sovereignty over Huangyan Island will not be allowed by the Chinese government, people and armed forces," said a report in the PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the People's Liberation Army of China, said Xinhua, the state-run news agency. "Don't attempt to take away half an inch of China's territory," it warned. This week, an editorial in China's state-run Global Times said the international community should not to be "completely surprised" if the standoff escalates into a military clash. "Peace will be a luxury if tensions continue to rise," it added. The menacing tone appeared to echo the tone in comments from China's Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying following a meeting Monday with Alex Chua, Charge D'affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Beijing. Fu said China was not optimistic about the situation, and that China was prepared to respond to any escalation, Xinhua said in a statement. Fu added that Chinese vessels would remain on alert around Huangyan because of continuing provocation by the Philippine side, and that Chinese fishermen would be provided with "a positive environment to operate in their traditional fishing area." Meanwhile, Chinese officials on Thursday accused Manila of inciting its people to take to the streets to demonstrate against China. Planned protests prompted Beijing to advise its citizens there to remain indoors, and Chinese travel agencies suspended tours to the Philippines, state media reported. "The Philippines has been repeatedly making strong-worded remarks over the Huangyan Island," said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei. "China hopes the Philippines will not take any actions to magnify the dispute in a way that may affect the relationship between the two countries. "China remains unchanged in insisting on diplomatic dialogue to solve the Huangyan Island dispute. We urge the Philippine side to make a positive response, and move back on the right track." Beijing and Manila were adamant their territorial arguments were justified. "They both have claims," said Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, the North East Asia project director and China adviser for the International Crisis Group. "China goes back centuries, but the Philippines also says it has maps from the 18th century showing it belongs them." The Philippine government, which says the islands are inside its 200-nautical mile exclusion zone, wants to resolve the dispute through international negotiation, Kleine-Ahlbrandt told CNN. But she said China rejects this as it has a long-standing distrust of Western-dominated mediators. "There are a dozen ships in a standoff there right now," she said. "Both sides are really using this for all it is worth, whipping up nationalistic sentiment -- what is needed is something to de-escalate the situation."

NEW: Manila says diplomats "are endeavoring to undertake a new diplomatic initiative" China and the Philippines have been involved in a standoff since April 10 . Navy accuses Chinese boats of fishing illegally in waters off the Scarborough Shoal . Both countries claim the shoal, known by China as Huangyan, in the South China Sea .

(CNN) -- During the past 57 years, I have crossed paths with some amazingly inspirational people. A few of these are friendships from my childhood that have endured the test of time. Others are special bonds I've formed with a handful of people that I have met during my adult life, and include both personal and professional acquaintances. For reasons that are as unique as the individuals themselves, each of them motivates me to dig deep within myself and find whatever it takes to succeed whenever the going gets tough. On March 19, Tom Clements was fatally shot when he answered his door in El Paso County, Colorado. Mr. Clements was the executive director of Colorado's prison system -- where I've worked for 25 years. Since his death, much has been said about the leadership, vision and direction that he provided to the Colorado Department of Corrections. As significant as this impact was, the inspiration that I gained from him comes from the way that he lived his life as a husband, father, brother, son and friend. The key to fitness? Schedule it in . This inspiration is not based on a close personal friendship between Mr. Clements and I. The most powerful and effective leaders are those who lead based on the same core values that they use in their personal lives. Tom Clements was that type of leader. When I found out that I was accepted to the Fit Nation team, I e-mailed my entry video to my immediate supervisor, the director, and Mr. Clements so they would know what I would be doing this year and why. I knew they would be supportive of me, as they always have been. What I didn't anticipate was the genuine enthusiasm and encouragement I would receive from Mr. Clements. From the very beginning, he let me know that not only did I have his full support, but that he himself would have loved to have the same opportunity. He made me promise that I would share every article, blog and update on my adventure with him. His response stemmed from his own passion for staying physically fit and taking advantage of the great outdoors, especially all that Colorado has to offer. He told me that one of his goals when he retired from his 31-year career with the Missouri Department of Corrections was to ride his bicycle through each of the lower 48 states. Turns out he was an avid cyclist. The last time that I saw Mr. Clements was about a month before he was killed. It was at a two-day meeting in Denver. It was customary for him to open these meetings by speaking to the group about how we were doing on meeting our strategic goals and objectives, and to listen to any questions or concerns that we had. This time was no different. But what I will remember the most is that before the meeting started he sat down next to me and asked how my training was going. He didn't ask just to be asking -- he really wanted to know, and smiled when I told him how I was already way outside of my comfort zone (in a good way). As he always did, he made me promise to keep him posted on my progress. He even opened the meeting by making sure everyone in the group knew I was training for a triathlon. He added that I was his inspiration. 6 people who will inspire you this year . I was so surprised that I could be an inspiration to someone of his stature. I was very honored and humbled. From that moment forward, any time I felt like I was too tired, too stressed, or didn't have time to train, I would hear him telling my peers that I was his inspiration. There was no way I was going to let him down. I cannot begin to compare the impact his death has had on me personally to the tremendous loss that his family and friends will experience for the rest of their lives. But those that have led our corrections system since that tragic night have made it clear that, as a tribute to Mr. Clements, we will keep moving forward. With that in mind, I have decided to dedicate my training for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, and the event itself on September 8, to him. I am now even more committed to making sure he is proud of me each step along the way. For those of you that, like me, sometimes doubt your own ability or motivation when the going gets tough, try focusing on a personal hero, and do it for them. It works!

Tom Clements was fatally shot when he answered his door on March 19 . Clements inspired triathlete-in-training Rae Timme to keep pushing the limits . Timme is now dedicating her training and race to Clements' memory .

(CNN) -- Lottery players across the country scrambled to check their tickets late Friday to see if they could be $640 million richer. The winning numbers in the Mega Millions lottery Friday night were 2 4 23 38 46, with a Mega Ball of 23. If there is no winner from Friday, the jackpot would increase to an estimated $975 million, said Athena Hernandez of the D.C. lottery. That drawing would occur Tuesday. The multistate jackpot has grown to become the largest ever offered that could be won by an individual. It has caused long lines at convenience stores and has many dreaming of creative ways to quit their jobs if they get the lucky numbers. "Friday night's Mega Millions drawing will truly be a spectacular event in lottery history and provides an unprecedented opportunity for players to take a chance on a half-billion-dollar dream for just the $1 price of a ticket," Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery and lead director for the Mega Millions group, said before the drawing. Sales have skyrocketed at Manhattan Tobacco, a New York convenience store, cashier Alex Shanahe said. He said the store has proved to be lucky before, having sold winning tickets of $3 million and $5 million. "The sales have tripled. Everybody wants to win the Mega Millions," Shanahe said. A single winner could claim yearly payments or a one-time cash option of $462 million, Mega Millions spokeswoman Kelly Cripe said. The drawing will be held at 11 p.m. ET Friday, and it can take several hours for lottery officials to determine whether there is a winner and in what state the winning ticket was purchased. The public can buy tickets until 10:45 p.m. ET Friday, but in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, residents can purchase tickets only until 9:50 p.m. Oregon residents can buy tickets until 7 p.m. PT. The Mega Millions lottery is played in 42 states plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, lottery officials say. Mexicans from Ciudad Juarez were crossing the Rio Grande on Friday to buy tickets in El Paso, Texas. "I would divide the money among my children and buy them a house here in El Paso, and we would come from Juarez (to) here to live in peace," said one man. The odds of winning the jackpot are about one in 176 million, which means a person would have a better chance of getting struck by lightning. Richard Lustig, a seven-time lottery winner who has written a book about lottery strategies, said it's good to buy tickets as part of a group, to increase "buying power." And while the urge to take a chance on such a big jackpot may be alluring, Lustig said to guard against getting too enthusiastic. "Don't go crazy with this," he said. "Don't get what's called lottery fever. Do not spend grocery money. Do not spend rent money." Myra Langford, a 70-year-old retired school administrator, said she knows the odds but still bought five tickets. If she wins, Langford said, she will help fix the roof of her church and move out of the cramped Queens apartment she lived in for the past 47 years. "You got to be in it to win it," she said, parroting a commercial. Psychologist Scott Bea told CNN that if a winner is a poor money manager and has been unhappy in life before winning, that's likely to continue. "It solves one problem, but it creates a half-billion others," he said. "You have about no chance at winning this, but it really gets people excited," Bea added. His wife asked him if the couple could spend $10 on lottery tickets. "We could probably flush it down the toilet and have the same outcome, but if it gives you some hope, why not?" Bea said. CNN's Mary Snow, Michael Martinez, Chris Dignam and Devon Sayers contributed to this report.

NEW: The winning numbers are 46 23 38 4 2, with a Mega Ball of 23 . Psychologist: "You have about no chance" at winning "but it really gets people excited" Friday's jackpot is the largest ever that an individual can win . If there's no winner, the jackpot will rise to about $975 million .

(CNN) -- Congress is about to decide whether to renew unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. Unless it acts by December 31, millions who have been unemployed for more than six months will begin losing benefits. With unemployment at nearly 9% and likely to remain high for the next few years, cutting off benefits for the long-term unemployed would have severe consequences for them and our economy. Several members of Congress, and a few policy analysts and pundits, argue otherwise, saying that eliminating benefits for the long-term unemployed will force millions of Americans back to work and reduce unemployment. But overwhelming evidence refutes these observations. Let's review some other myths and facts about unemployment insurance: . Myth: All unemployed workers receive it. Fact: Two-thirds of America's 14 million unemployed are not receiving benefits, according to the Economic Policy Institute. While laid-off workers may apply for state-funded benefits, typically lasting up to 26 weeks, those who did not work long enough or earn enough before losing their jobs are ineligible, including millions of low-wage workers. And only those who are out of work for more than six months and live in states with high levels of unemployment are eligible for federally funded programs that may last up to 99 weeks. Myth: Unemployment insurance payments are close or equal to a person's former income. Fact: Unemployment benefits typically amount to only a fraction of a worker's previous income. Maximum payments are capped well below most recipients' prior wages. In mid-2011, the national average benefit was $1,200 a month. The average family spends more than that -- nearly $1,400 per month -- just on housing. In Mississippi, average monthly benefits are less than $800. The Heldrich Center for Workforce Development's national survey of unemployed workers found that almost half described their financial condition as flat-out "poor," with most reporting reduced spending on essentials such as food, health care, and transportation. Unemployment is not a "paid vacation" for those receiving benefits because payments are too small to stave off financial stress. Most long-term unemployed workers have exhausted other strategies, such as borrowing money or drawing down savings. Myth: Unemployment insurance benefits discourage recipients from looking for work . Fact: The jobless who received benefits more actively sought work than those who did not receive them, the Heldrich Center's national survey found. Recipients were more likely than other unemployed workers to apply for jobs, search newspapers and online job boards, contact friends or family members about a job or reach out to potential employers by phone or e-mail. Myth: Unemployment Insurance recipients are waiting for the perfect job and turn down job offers to collect benefits. Fact: Two out of three (69%) unemployed respondents in the Heldrich Center survey, and 80% of those who received benefits, said they would be willing to take a pay cut to get a new job. While state-funded unemployment benefit programs permit job seekers to pass up job offers if they are unrelated to their past work experience during the first few months of unemployment, they set time limits on the recipient's ability to reject lower-paying job offers. Those receiving extended support from the federal government are required to accept reasonable offers of employment . Myth: Unemployment insurance benefits increase unemployment. Fact: Research conducted by Jesse Rothstein, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and former chief economist at the U.S. Labor Department, found that benefits have a negligible impact on the unemployment rate. In a report published in October, he concluded that extended benefits may raise the re-employment rate of long-term unemployed workers by encouraging them to continue an active job search. There is one other benefit to consider in extending unemployment benefits: When the stimulative economic effect of benefit spending is taken into account, payments lower the unemployment rate because the money people receive from benefits is spent on necessities such as food, clothing and housing. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, estimates that every $1 spent on unemployment insurance benefits generates $1.61 in economic activity. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Carl Van Horn.

Carl Van Horn: Ending benefits for long-term jobless would have severe consequences . Van Horn dispels myths about benefits making it desirable to stay out of work . Recipients more likely to seek work with benefits, which aren't enough to live on, he says . Van Horn: Unemployment benefits help fight job loss since recipients spend money .

(CNN) -- Hollywood movies and high-fashion runways may seem a world away from a discussion about feeding the hungry, but Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry is joining designer Michael Kors in his work with the United Nations World Food Programme to fight hunger. In an interview with CNN's Alina Cho, the pregnant actress said that being a mother inspired her to act on behalf of hungry children because hunger often starts in the womb. "Especially now, being a pregnant woman and already having a child ... it's so important what happens to the baby while they're in utero. And the first 1,000 days is fundamental," said Berry, who's showing only a small baby bump. The World Food Programme is considered the United Nations' front-line agency in the fight against hunger. It brings food to more than 90 million people in more than 75 countries. Late last year, Kors partnered with the World Food Programme to raise awareness and funds, and now he's bringing Berry on board. The actress has worked with the Jenesse Center in Los Angeles, which provides shelter and assistance to women and children suffering from domestic violence. The World Food Programme "has been a natural segue for me," she said, "because I care so much about women and children." Halle Berry on pregnancy: 'Biggest surprise of my life' "I'm a mom, and that's first and foremost, but it gives me another reason to exist, another purpose. And if I know that I'm helping one person every day in some way, that really makes me feel good, and that's a legacy that I can leave to my children," Berry said. For Kors, fighting hunger has long been a passion. He has worked with God's Love We Deliver in the New York area for more than 20 years to provide free, healthy food for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses. "I'm a guy who likes to see results. And ... this is a solvable problem. The food is there. You can change someone's life immediately and with the World Food Programme. We're talking about doing what I've been doing in my backyard, but globally," Kors said. The World Food Programme "can go anywhere, which is so spectacular," he said. "You need to be able to shift on a dime, because there could be a hunger crisis in one part of the world and then suddenly it shifts, and it's becoming more of an epidemic somewhere else." The World Food Programme says that $50 will feed a child for an entire school year and just $5 can feed a child in Africa for a month. The simple economics of those statements prompted the designer to get creative. Product with a purpose . Kors has designed a watch to help raise money for the World Food Programme. The Watch Hunger Stop Campaign involves the sale of four special-edition 100 series watches for $295 each. A portion of the proceeds from each watch will deliver 100 meals to hungry children through the World Food Programme. "I wanted something that was direct," Kors said. "You look at your watch, every time it says the 100 series watch, so you're reminded that there's the 100 meals. How fantastic is that? I'm not a scientist. You know, I'm a fashion designer. I wouldn't claim to be able to figure out a cure for an incurable disease. But I know we can make a difference with this." The fashion designer and the actress say they just want to raise awareness about hunger, and their celebrity gives them a platform to "make some noise." And what about the baby? In addition to her new work with Kors and the World Food Programme, Berry is expecting her first child with fiancé Olivier Martinez. "I feel fantastic. This has been the biggest surprise of my life, to tell you the truth. Thought I was kind of past the point where this could be a reality for me. So it's been a big surprise and the most wonderful," said Berry, 46. Berry also has a daughter, Nahla, 5, with her ex-boyfriend, model Gabriel Aubry.

Actress Halle Berry joins designer Michael Kors and the World Food Programme . Pregnant actress says that being a mother inspired her to act on behalf of hungry children . World Food Programme provides food to millions of people across every continent . Each Michael Kors 100 series watch provides 100 meals for hungry kids .

(CNN) -- When men and women enlist in the military, they take an oath to support and defend the Constitution, including the First Amendment, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and affirm that they will "bear true faith and allegiance to the same." That oath is betrayed by legislation that sneaked through the House of Representatives last week and was signed into law by the president Monday. Known as the "Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act," it passed as a small piece of an otherwise unexceptional omnibus veterans' bill. It would broadly expand existing restrictions on political protest on public land near military funerals. Notably, the ACLU of Eastern Missouri is actively litigating against similar state legislation that is far narrower in some respects. Protests cannot be held within 300 feet of the cemetery, and the law bans conduct that blocks someone from entering or leaving the cemetery within a 500-foot radius. Protests are prohibited two hours before the funeral through two hours afterward. It similarly expands restrictions on protests at government cemeteries and gives people injured by the protest a right to sue. Although it covers all protests near military funerals, the law is targeted, at the Westboro Baptist Church, and that's a First Amendment problem in and of itself. Its members believe that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the attendant casualties, are divine punishment for America's acceptance of lesbian and gay rights. They protest outside military funerals to publicize their beliefs -- holding signs that say "Pray for More Dead Soldiers" and "God Killed Your Sons" -- but do not cause any disruption of the funeral proper. Now, as repellent as these protests are, they are a permissible exercise of the freedom of speech. If the First Amendment means anything, it's that the government cannot target a group for censorship because it disagrees with the group's message. This legislation does exactly that. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, introduced the bill a month after the Supreme Court ruled in Snyder v. Phelps that, as lawful speech on a public issue, Westboro Baptist Church protests warranted the highest protection of the First Amendment against state tort claims. But the imprudence of this legislation goes further. Part of the public reaction to Westboro Baptist protests, as happens with much unpopular political speech, are counterprotests. Those would likely be barred as well by the expanded law, under its "tendency to disrupt" language. If the counterprotests are immune from the law's reach because the government agrees with their message, the law will be doubly unconstitutional. The issues raised by this new law are a lot like those in the dust-up after Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy spoke out against same-sex marriage. I agree that Chick-fil-A shouldn't be celebrated as some sort of free speech hero, and if you choose not to indulge in a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich in protest of intolerance, more power to you. But I'm more concerned by the suggestion of a Chicago alderman that he would go so far as to block a local Chick-fil-A franchise's building permit simply because of Cathy's views, rather than any discriminatory policy of the chain. In some ways, a willingness to ignore the law to shut down someone with whom you simply disagree is worse than Cathy spouting off against marriage equality. Part of living in America means putting up with words with which you not only disagree but that offend deeply. This is especially true when, as in the Westboro Baptist Church case, the words actually carry a political message. The expansiveness of the new law violates this core principle. It isn't about protecting the solemnity of a soldier's funeral; that's already fully protected under existing trespass, private property and disorderly conduct laws. It's about censoring unpopular speech. That is inconsistent with the law, the Constitution and the military's oath to the Constitution. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gabe Rottman.

A new law expands limits on political protest on public land near military funerals . Gabe Rottman: Bill targets Westboro Baptist Church, which rallies at military funerals . WBC's claim that troops die as divine retribution is protected by First Amendment, he says . Rottman: All political speech, even if it's unpopular or hateful, must be protected under law .

(CNN) -- You don't need to be a teenage boy to realize how scary girls can be. Girls know it too. Megan Fox plays a demonic cheerleader in "Jennifer's Body," written by Diablo "Juno" Cody. Certainly Diablo Cody does. The Academy Award-winning "Juno" scribe proves as much in her second screenplay, a horror comedy about BFFs Jennifer (Megan Fox) and Needy (Amanda Seyfried). These bosom buddies have a relationship that stretches back to the sandbox. They're inseparable opposites: Jennifer is a babe, head cheerleader and a bit of a snot. Needy is nerdy, conventional and a soft touch. Except that when we first meet her, she's locked up in the local mental hospital, kicking back at the guards and muttering darkly about the murders that put her here. Looking back, she dates this disastrous turn of events to the day Jennifer talked her into seeing an up-and-coming indie band at the roadhouse. The gig ends in a deadly inferno that claims the lives of several schoolmates, then Jennifer drives off with the band for an al fresco after-party involving satanic rites and virgin sacrifice. She survives on a technicality, but shows up later that night at Needy's place covered in blood, barfing blue goo and craving fresh flesh. In the days after the tragedy the entire school seems to be suffering from post-traumatic stress. Only Jennifer seems unfazed by the community's second sucker punch: the gruesome fate of the star quarterback in the woods. What's a girl to do if her best friend turns into a heartless boy-eating demon? Needy cleans up the mess and hopes it's just a phase. The last time a horror flick tried for a distinctly female point of view the result was "Twilight," which was more of a wan gothic romance than a chiller. Directed by Karyn Kusama, who made "Girlfight" and "Aeon Flux," "Jennifer's Body" isn't anything like that. It's a much edgier, snappier, bloodier film, aimed primarily at young hipsters and horror fans -- plus anyone else curious to see Megan Fox get nasty. (That's got to include a sizable chunk of the audience, surely?) So smoldering hot that at one point she coolly sets fire to her tongue, Fox makes a convincing vixen, callously picking up victims whenever her luster begins to fade. It's not hard to imagine she can have anyone who takes her fancy -- even Needy is not immune to her charms. Ironically, though, Jennifer is really the needy one here, while her friend eventually finds the self-possession to stand up to her. Similarly, you might come for Fox, but it's Amanda Seyfried's expressive range and toughness that leaves a more lasting impression. The "Mamma Mia" starlet is destined for good things. iReport.com: Share your review of "Jennifer's Body" The bitingly smart, funny teen-speak is carried over from "Juno," along with sharp pop culture references and a sassy feminist attitude, but the million-dollar question has to be: Is it scary? Only occasionally, I'm afraid. The gore scenes come with weird little flourishes: Jennifer's mounting body count attracts a crowd of curious woodland creatures, sounding a sweetly sick echo of "Bambi," and a climactic showdown is set in a spectacularly fetid abandoned swimming pool (don't they drain those things?). But the jokiness does tend to undercut the terror. I suspect the film will prove too freaky for "Juno" boosters, and could have used more straight-ahead scares and sustained suspense to appease the hardcore horror geeks. That said, this entertainingly oddball offering does twist fresh kinks into a genre that's always crying out for new blood. "Jennifer's Body" is rated R and runs 102 minutes.

"Jennifer's Body" is a horror winner with doses of comedy, says Tom Charity . Film stars Megan Fox as a cheerleader who turns demonic . Amanda Seyfried, playing Fox's friend, provides movie's standout performance . "Jennifer's Body" was written by "Juno's" Diablo Cody .

(CNN) -- Attorneys for Google and Yahoo appeared in a Buenos Aires court to respond to accusations that searches on their websites link the name and photos of a popular Argentina model to sexually-oriented websites. María Belén Rodríguez is suing the search engines, alleging they linked her name with terms like "sex" and "pornography." Rodríguez told CNN her pictures would be wrongly used mainly in two ways: An unauthorized picture could be used to lure Internet users to an X-rated site, taking advantage of her popularity in Argentina, or within adult websites that contain pornographic images of other people. Rodríguez, 30, originally sued Google and Yahoo in 2006. After an eight-year legal battle, the case has worked its way up to Argentina's Supreme Court. In 2010, the model was awarded a combined judgment against both search engines of 120,000 Argentine pesos, almost $15,000. The search engines appealed and a higher court later lowered the amount to about $6,200. Earlier this week, Rodríguez told CNN the use of her image by sexually-oriented websites has deeply damaged her reputation. "They have ruined my life and now say that what I'm asking for is censorship. It suits them, but not me. Truthfully for me, having to explain every day that I'm not a prostitute is a daily complication, as simple as that," Rodríguez said. At the court hearing Thursday, attorneys for Google and Yahoo suggested search engines are neutral platforms that don't create or regulate content on the Internet, and therefore, are not responsible for how the model's image is used by third parties. Alberto Bueres, an attorney representing Yahoo, said what the plaintiff is asking goes beyond the search engines' capabilities. "It is technically and economically impossible to before-the-fact monitor millions of pages of content available on the Internet because of their volume and because they constantly change. To argue against this is to favor before-the-fact censorship and to ignore the economic realities," Bueres said. María Baudino, Google's legal affairs manager for Latin America, suggested the entire lawsuit could have been averted had the plaintiff contacted the search engines directly to complain about specific websites that used her image illegally. That information, Baudino said, would've allowed Google to act by either blocking the pages or unlinking results related to modeling pictures belonging to Rodríguez. "In this particular case, there was a consistent and prolonged refusal to identify the content in question," Baudino said. "It's necessary to identify the content by providing URLs in every single case for the simple reason that if they're not identified, neither Google nor anybody else is able to determine what we're talking about." But Raúl Castex, an attorney representing Rodríguez, said search engines have more power to block content than they were willing to admit in court. "Search engines can find, with their own, diligently designed techniques, websites linked to child pornography they normally block," Castex said. He questioned why the search engines can conform with censorship rules in China but cannot protect his client's reputation. Google attorneys said they index web pages based on more than 200 criteria. Google's transparency report posted online says so far this year the search engine has received more than 100 million requests to block pages that violate copyright laws or are deemed illegal or harmful in other ways. Rodríguez, who's also an actress and a TV host, is a married mother of two children ages 1 and 3. She's a native of Córdoba, Argentina. Rodríguez is often mistaken by the media for another model from Argentina by the same name who works in Italy. Rodríguez says the case goes beyond her reputation and honor. She describes her legal battle as a modern David and Goliath fight. "Let me be clear, first of all, that I want to clear my image," Rodríguez said. "Second, I want a precedent to be set so that this doesn't happen again. I'm in favor of freedom of expression, but not the kind of freedom of expression that is built on lies. I'm an ant fighting against a giant monster." A ruling by the high court is expected in several weeks.

Search engines appealing verdict awarded to Argentina model . She says her name, photos used to bring people to sex sites . Companies claim they cannot control third parties . They say model should have brought specific examples .

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Nestled within Hong Kong's dense skyscraper jungle, a $640,000 property sits among some of the world's most expensive commercial and residential spaces. The price might sound like a steal. This Asian financial capital has the world's priciest property, according to Savills. Since the start of 2010, average Hong Kong home prices have doubled. But the price tag mentioned here is neither for a home nor an office. It is for a parking space: A slab of undecorated concrete, stained by black motor oil, about 8-feet-by-16-feet in size. Price per square foot: nearly $5,000. Jacinto Tong has owned and used this space for the past ten years. Described in local media as "the tycoon of parking spaces," he is effusive when talking about this particular "priceless" gem. "I think this is the best car park space I ever had," said the CEO of Gale Well Group, a property firm that owns hundreds of residential and commercial spaces across the city. "You can go straight to the office and the elevator. Only 20 steps -- 20 steps!" The CEO does not own just one $640,000 parking space. Tong owns two. If he were to sell he could bank $1.3 million. "People don't mind paying more," boasted Tong. "But I'm not eager to sell." And yet that is the reality for Hong Kong. According to the latest Parking Rate Survey by Colliers International, the global property services firm, this city has the most exorbitant monthly parking fees in the Asia-Pacific. Hong Kong's monthly median parking rate was $744.72 in 2011. With less than a dollar's difference, Tokyo came in as Asia's number two. The reason for Hong Kong's pricey parking rates is rooted in governmental curbs on the city's residential market, said Buggle Lau, chief analyst at Midland Realty, one of the city's largest real estate companies. Many analysts believe Hong Kong's property market is a bubble waiting to burst. To deflate it slowly, the government has introduced a series of increasingly stringent policies since November 2010. These have made it more expensive for investors to buy or flip homes for a quick profit. The regulations have produced desired results, said Lau, leading to a 31% fall in home sale transactions over the past 23 months. But, as a side effect, the squeeze on residential investors has pushed them into commercial property, like parking spaces, which have no such price curbs yet. While homes sale transaction volumes have fallen since November 2010, trade in parking spaces has risen more than 25%, Lau added. The volume of industrial, commercial and retail have surged 16% as well. Fast price rises and higher yields on leased parking spaces have attracted more investors to this niche market. "If you look at this year's (total sales) number, it's the highest in the past ten years or so," Lau said. "Through November of this year, Hong Kong had car park transactions totaling $751 million. In 2010, it was $525 million." This rise marks an increase of 43% so far this year. Tong, the parking space tycoon, breaks down rental yields by property category. "The lowest yield of all property is (retail) shops, maybe less than 2%. The second thing is commercial, which is about 2% to 2.5%, and then residential which is about 3%. Parking spaces should be about 5%." Hence, some of Hong Kong's hottest investment vehicles are where people keep their motorized ones. But Lau, the property analyst, cautions against casual investment in parking spaces. If Hong Kong's economy stalls the first thing people will get rid of will be their cars. No car means no need for a parking space. But a home will always have a use. "If you buy a parking space," said Lau, "you can't live in it." Vivian Kam contributed to this report .

In Hong Kong's Central district, an executive recently offered $640,000 for a parking space . A record-high real estate market and lack of supply is spurring parking prices . On average, Hong Kong is the third most expensive place to park in the world . Average cost for parking is higher for car owners in London and in Zurich .

Beijing (CNN) -- Bowing to intense pressure from local residents, authorities in a southwestern Chinese city abandoned plans to build a controversial billion-dollar chemical plant, the local government announced Tuesday afternoon. Earlier -- defying government orders -- residents of Shifang, in Sichuan Province, continued to rally against the planned construction of a molybdenum copper plant despite an official pledge to halt the project, a protester told CNN. The crowd on the streets thinned considerably after anti-riot police forcibly broke up thousands of protesting residents Monday afternoon, said the protester, who asked that her name not be used for fear of government reprisal. Widely circulated images on Chinese social media sites showed police dispersing unarmed protesters with batons and tear gas, and included images of residents -- including women and the elderly -- covered in blood. In several statements, the Shifang government said 13 residents suffered minor injuries in the clashes Monday but denied anyone had died. Warning residents to end the "illegal protests" immediately, authorities also defended police actions as a last-resort response to an increasingly unruly mob. The demonstration started late Sunday, two days after officials broke ground on the controversial $1.6 billion Hongda Molybdenum Copper project, which they insisted had passed all environmental evaluations. Unconvinced local residents, worried about long-term pollution caused by the heavy metal plant, started gathering in the city center to demand the construction be stopped, according to government statements. They were concerned about health problems caused by potentially substantial releases of various toxic pollutants into the local environment. Those pollutants are released into air through smoke, and into ground and water supplies through the slag waste, a byproduct of a refinery's production process that often includes elements like arsenic. Despite rainy weather, the crowd swelled Monday to thousands as angry residents took to the streets, chanting slogans and unfurling banners that read "protect Shifang's environment and give us back our beautiful home," according to photos and videos posted online by protesters. After the mayor's promise to suspend construction failed to reassure the crowd, some demonstrators hurled water bottles and potted plants at police and overturned official vehicles, forcing officers to disperse the crowd with tear gas and stun grenades, the government said. But Chinese residents on the country's social media sites appear to have overwhelmingly supported protesters and their cause, and condemned the local government for its crackdown. Many have also applauded Shifang business owners who posted "no police allowed" signs outside their restaurants and stores after Monday's violent clashes. In a subtle sign of its dissatisfaction over local authorities' handling of the situation, the government in Beijing has so far remained largely silent, continuing to allow messages and images of the protest to be uploaded online. Experts say the Shifang episode has again highlighted the rising danger in China's behind-closed-doors environmental evaluation process. "This is a typical case in which the lack of public participation in the decision-making process leads to greater confusion and conflicts between government and the general public," said Ma Jun, a prominent environmentalist and head of the Beijing-based Institute of Public Environmental Affairs. "In this case, the ideal solution is to re-evaluate the whole project to set an example for the future." "Another problem is that there's no guarantee our existing regulations can be faithfully implemented," he added. "We've had similar cases before and now apparently the public awareness has grown significantly." The protest in Shifang is the latest example of China's urban residents -- long considered the main beneficiaries of the government's economic reforms -- banding together, often via the Internet, to defend their rights. Last August, a large protest prompted authorities in the northeastern port city of Dalian to shut down a controversial chemical plant that produced paraxylene (PX), an allegedly carcinogenic compound used in the production of polyester films and fabrics. In 2008, residents in Shanghai worried about radiation risks took to the streets to protest the construction of a high-speed rail line using the magnetic levitation technology, forcing the government to suspend the project indefinitely. And in 2007, residents in the southeastern city of Xiamen marched against a local PX plant, which eventually moved out of the city.

Residents were worried about the possible release of toxic pollutants from the plant . The Shifang government says 13 people were injured in clashes Monday . Popular protests succeeded in closing other chemical plants and derailing a high-speed rail line .

(CNN) -- In space, astronauts go for years without a fresh supply of water. Floating in a capsule in outer space they wash and drink from the same continuously recycled source. So why, asked Swedish industrial designer Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, do we not do the same on Earth? This was the concept behind the OrbSys Shower -- a high-tech purification system that recycles water while you wash. In the eyes of Mahdjoubi, we should start doing it now, before it becomes a necessity. So how does it work? Similar to space showers, it works on a "closed loop system:" hot water falls from the tap to the drain and is instantly purified to drinking water standard and then pumped back out of the showerhead. As the process is quick, the water remains hot and only needs to be reheated very slightly. As a result, it saves more than 90% in water usage and 80% in energy every time you shower, while also producing water that is cleaner than your average tap. "With my shower, which is constantly recycling water, you'd only use about five liters of water for a 10 minute shower ... In a regular shower you would use 150 liters of water -- 30 times as much. It's a lot of savings," explains Mahdjoubi. According to research carried out by his company, Orbital Systems, these savings translate to at least €1000 ($1351) off your energy bills each year. Mahdjoubi proposed the OrbSys shower while studying Industrial Design at the University of Lund in Sweden. His concept formed part of a collaborative project with NASA's Johnson Space Center, which looks to drive design concepts that could potentially assist space expeditions. "In an extreme environment such as a space mission to Mars, design concepts are brought forward to use all of the possible resources to make it there and back. I don't see any reason why we can't be as efficient on Earth as we can be in space," he says. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1.2 trillion gallons of water are used every year for showering in the United States alone. And yet, rather disturbingly, across the world more than three times the population of the States lacks access to any clean water at all. The concept of a water-saving shower is by no means a new one, but when CNN's Blueprint team caught up with Mahdjoubi at his offices in Malmo, southern Sweden, he explained that because it doesn't compromise on comfort, it's different to the rest. It has a higher than average water pressure and a very stable flow because, unlike conventional showers, it works independently from other appliances. This year, his showers were installed for the first time in Ribersborgs Kallbadhus, a coastal bathing house in Sweden. During the summer months more than 1000 bathers come and swim waters rich with plankton, algae and seaweed, before showering off. "It's not just an exotic environment for application but it's an extreme field test because the showers are on pretty much constantly, for about 10 hours per day... and the feedback has been good." At the bathing house, CNN introduced Mahdjoubi to Danish industrial designer Nille Juul- Sørensen, who recently designed Malmo's Triangeln train station. Juul- Sørensen was keen to talk about the wider potential of Mahdjoubi's design: "My interest is not in the objects but in the system. There will be so many applications for this." If deployed on a bigger scale, the purification technology developed for OrbSys could be used in taps and drinking fountains in the world's developing countries, where water-related illness is rife. "Everybody should save as many resources as possible," says Mahdjoubi, "but obviously these showers would be even more beneficial for people living in areas with water shortages. "I want to get it to as many people as possible. That's the next step. It's not just about saving water. The motivation is to be smart about how we use our planet's resources."

Swedish designer Mehrdad Mahdjoubi has developed a shower that recycles water . OrbSys Shower saves more than 90% water and 80% energy while you wash . It could save users over $1000 a year and help people living in areas with a shortage of water .

(CNN) -- California's top prosecutor will seek a change in an 1872 state law after an appeals court cited "historical anomalies in the law" when overturning a rape conviction of a man who allegedly pretended to be an 18-year-old woman's boyfriend in a dark bedroom. The appeals court ordered a retrial in the 2009 rape case. "This law is arcane and I will work with the Legislature to fix it," Attorney General Kamala D. Harris said in a statement Friday. "The evidence is clear that this case involved a nonconsensual assault that fits within the general understanding of what constitutes rape." Opinion: End culture of rape in 2013 . This week, the California Court of Appeal overturned the rape conviction of Julio Morales, who was accused of raping an 18-year-old acquaintance after her boyfriend left the bedroom and she fell asleep. The court laid out the unusual circumstances of the case and problems in the 1872 law in the first paragraph of its ruling Wednesday: . "A man enters the dark bedroom of an unmarried woman after seeing her boyfriend leave late at night, and has sexual intercourse with the woman while pretending to be the boyfriend," the court wrote. "Has the man committed rape? "Because of historical anomalies in the law and the statutory definition of rape, the answer is no, even though, if the woman had been married and the man had impersonated her husband, the answer would be yes," the court said. Debate over Violence Against Women Act centers on the vulnerable . Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Morales with rape of an unconscious woman under the 1872 law, the court said. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to three years. During the trial, the jury was instructed that "[a] woman is unconscious of the nature of the act if she is unconscious or asleep or not aware that the act is occurring or not aware of the essential characteristics of the act because the perpetrator tricked, lied to, or concealed information from her." The prosecutor argued correctly that the 18-year-old woman was asleep, but argued incorrectly that the woman wasn't aware of the act due to Morales' alleged deception about being her boyfriend, the court said. In conflicting testimony, the defendant testified at one point that he told the woman he wasn't her boyfriend, the court said. "Because we cannot discern from this record whether the jury convicted defendant on the correct or incorrect theory, we must reverse," the court said. 'She could have been me': Action urged after Delhi gang rape case . "We conclude that under the peculiar facts of this case, reversal is required because the prosecutor argued an incorrect theory of guilt, the instruction permitted the jury to convict on that theory, and the record does not permit us to find that the jury relied only on the prosecutor's correct theory," the court said. Morales' court-appointed attorney, Edward H. Schulman, said the retrial must omit the controversial instruction about an unconscious rape victim not being aware of "the essential characteristics of the act because the perpetrator tricked, lied to, or concealed information from her." The retrial would be Morales' third trial, Schulman told CNN. The first trial resulted in a hung jury, and the second convicted Morales, he said. Morales is now in his early 20s, the attorney said. State Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian said Friday that he will reintroduce legislation to close the loophole that resulted in the reversal. He first proposed such legislation last year after a woman in Santa Barbara County was raped in her bedroom. The woman first thought the attacker was her boyfriend and initially consented to sex. The county district attorney was unable to prosecute the man with felony rape. "Californians are justifiably outraged by this court ruling, and it is important that the Legislature join together to close whatever loopholes may exist in the law and uphold justice for rape victims," Achadjian said of the Morales case. Defense battles social media blizzard in Ohio rape case . CNN's Stefan Simons contributed to this report.

California appeals court orders a retrial in a 2009 rape case . Court cites 'historical anomalies' in an 1872 law and definition of rape . The attorney general will seek to change 'arcane' law . A man allegedly pretended to be an 18-year-old woman's boyfriend in a dark bedroom .

Brussels, Belgium (CNN) -- As NATO prepares to take over the Libya mission, alliance officials said Friday they are considering a broader role that goes beyond enforcement of a no-fly zone. After days of acrimonious discussion, NATO officials hailed their decision to take command as swift and historic and vowed a "seamless" transition of leadership from the United States to NATO, which could happen as early as Sunday. "In the course of a single week NATO allies have launched both the arms embargo and the no-fly zone operations," said NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu. "This is a clear demonstration of the allies commitment to fulfill their obligations under the U.N. mandate and to show their resolve to do what it takes to protect the people of Libya." But whether NATO will assume the role of protecting civilians on the ground -- as mandated by a U.N. Security Council resolution -- remains at issue. The operational heart of the mission could hinge on if and when to intervene with airstrikes when civilians appear to be at risk. A decision on what NATO officials are calling "no-fly plus" could come as early as Sunday after a meeting of NATO ambassadors. NATO and U.S. officials say discussions are ongoing to bring the entire mission under NATO control. A senior American administration official said that while countries have agreed NATO will take over the rest of the mission, "there are a couple more steps in the planning process that will need to be taken." A senior U.S. defense official said that NATO's announcement "has not caused any change to our operations." "They're just taking over an operation that's for the most part, already established," the official explained. Beyond that, tense exchanges are also expected at a summit in London next week, where officials will try to lay out how far they are willing to go militarily against Moammar Gadhafi. "We expect that ministers will set the wide political guidance at next week's international conference in London to take forward the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973," Lungescu said. The main question, the officials said, is whether NATO forces should attack Gadhafi's military as part of the mission to protect civilians. The Turkish contingent is arguing for the most limited interpretation of what is allowed under the U.N. resolution. "The tricky question is when you have a situation where his forces are advancing on some positions rebels hold, do you hit?" a senior U.S. official asked. "If there are forces that are trying to get through rebel forces to kill people, there are some in the alliance like the Turks who said, 'we didn't sign up for that.' There are those like the French who are saying, 'of course we did." The U.S. official said the Obama administration's interpretation is to do whatever is required to protect civilians. In the rush to quickly protect civilians from Gadhafi's forces closing on Benghazi, the sources said that some countries and Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa might have not fully understood what "any means necessary" meant. Officials and diplomats said they are confident the rules of engagement can be worked out over the weekend before NATO takes command. "Let's just give it a day or two and see where things stand," the senior defense official said. Overall NATO command will be based in Naples, Italy, but Turkey has agreed to allow a sub-command stationed at an airbase in Izmir, Turkey. NATO is already supervising naval embargo operations from Naples. The alliance said Friday that Canadian Lt. Gen. Charlie Bouchard, stationed in Naples, will take the lead for the Libya mission. The Turkish air component will help give NATO the credibility it seeks in taking military action against a Muslim nation. The tone of mission, however, already seems to have shifted, with NATO commanders attempting to enforce the U.N. resolution to the letter of the law. "No-fly zones are impartial, there is no one authorized to fly within that zone," said Group Captain Geoffrey Booth of NATO's Air Force Command. "It is not necessarily pro-Gadhafi or anti-Gadhafi forces. It's the impartial enforcement in line with the (resolution)." CNN's Chris Lawrence and Elise Labott contributed to this report.

NATO is assuming command of the Libya mission . It is considering whether to go beyond enforcement of the no-fly zone . At issue is whether the alliance will assume the role of protecting civilians on the ground .

(CNN) -- It's an entirely preventable disease, and when diagnosed early, it's easily treatable. Yet Malaria still claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year. All it takes is a single mosquito bite and you can become infected. In 2012, the tropical disease caused 627,000 deaths internationally, 90% of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Ashley Uys, a South African biotechnologist-turned-enterpreneur, is hoping to bring that number down to zero. Through his company Medical Diagnostic, Uys has developed a self-testing kit that can diagnose the disease in less than 30 minutes, and put sufferers on the path to recovery faster. "I decided to look at what is the most needing product in Africa at the moment. And malaria, malaria is big," says Uys. "I then decided to look at a malaria test that can actually show you the strain of malaria you have -- the type of malaria -- so (doctors) know which treatment to give you, and then also to see if the treatment is working or not. So I developed a test that can do all of that." Merging science and business . The best think about Uys' test is the price: they cost roughly 30 cents each, a fact Uys takes immense pride in. "The fact that (they are affordable) of course makes it more accessible to the public. For me. it is very satisfying to know that a farm worker in a rural area doesn't have to worry about going to a doctor. Our product can be used at the point of care," he says. "You don't need skilled labor to use it: prick (your finger), run the test and wait for results. There's a lot of diamonds in the rough (is Africa), a lot of potential, and diseases and epidemics are killing off this potential. So it has a knock-on effect that is important." Given Uys is only 30-years old, he's achieved an incredible amount. Like many young entrepreneurs, he has drawn inspiration from his childhood and surroundings. Using this experience, Uys creates local solutions for everyday problems. For the Cape Town native, malaria prevention is just the beginning. Saying 'No' to drugs . Uys has turned his attention to another scourge affecting his community: Drug use. "On the Cape Flats, there was a big problem of drugs abuse," he recalls. "People abusing methamphetamine, et cetera. Fortunately for me, although I grew up on the Cape Flats where it's very prevalent, I used sport to keep me away from bad habits and getting involved with the wrong crowd." Now, as the founder of his own biotech company, Uys created a test capable of detecting a range of drugs, including amphetamines, benzyls, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroine and morphine. The idea first came to him when, following a survey of users, he identified the correlation between drug use and eye movement. Following this revelation, Uys had a light-bulb movement that would take his product development to the next level. "We get five to 10 megapixel cameras on mobile phones. I thought to myself: 'imagine developing an app for your phone where you can actually test your kids for drugs by using the flash as a light stimulus. The camera can capture the movement and calculate the speed of your eyes and action, or (tell) if they're dilated or constricted." Uys is still working on the prototypes for his Oculus ID pupil scanner, but he hopes the product will be ready to go into the market in coming weeks. "I'm looking at innovation as the challenge for me. If you look at the first world countries it's satisfying for me to see that we are innovating on that level or even better. "And me coming from Belhar, I didn't go to Harvard, didn't have a rich dad who could buy me what I wanted -- I had to work for everything. I had to work and study. I used to pack fish when I was a student. And that motivated me to work harder," he says. WATCH: Nigerian professor makes history .

Malaria is a tropical disease frequently transmitted by mosquitoes . When caught early, it is entirely preventable and yet, it still claims over 600,000 lives a year . 90% of all malaria deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa . South African biotechnologist has developed a test kit to diagnose sufferers earlier .

(CNN) -- This isn't the idealism of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." It isn't as dark as "House of Cards," either. So how about settling on something lighter, like say, "Animal House," in which the dean famously says, "The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me." And so it goes with Sen. Ted Cruz, at least when it comes to killing Obamacare. The first-term GOP Texan is the self-appointed executioner of a law Republicans despise. But truth be told, it's hard to figure out exactly what Cruz's faux filibuster on the Senate floor this week was really about. He's against big, bad Obamacare, we get it. Only he was asking Senate Republicans to vote against something that would actually kill Obamacare. Huh? Nevermind. None of this has been about reality. Rather, it's about cementing a new definition of leadership: Positioning yourself as the spokesman for your political base by telling it exactly what it wants to hear. In Cruz's case, it's the tea party base. Lucky for him, there's a made-for-TV bully pulpit, plenty of time to talk and the talking points are easy and oh, so, predictable. Main Street fed up over Beltway shutdown battle . Consider this sound bite extraordinaire: "This is a fight to restore freedom to the people," says Cruz, clearly not inhibited by any lack of self-importance. "This is a fight to get the Washington establishment, the empire, to listen to the people." Not exactly Abraham Lincoln, but it's a whammy of a bite. In it, Cruz gets to cuddle the tea party while taking on the evil establishment — and by that he means the awful folks in his own party who would not shut down the government over a doomed move to kill Obamacare. Imagine that: Republicans refusing to catapult a man they don't like into the presidential arena. Maybe they're part of Cruz's evil establishment, but if they are, they're trying to save him — and the party — from itself on the issue of shutting down the government. Cruz is thinking 2016, but they're thinking about the repercussions for the GOP if the government shuts down. While some polls show that two-thirds of tea party sympathizers are just fine with a shutdown over health care reform, a majority of independent voters are not. And last time I checked, those are the folks whom the GOP needs to win over if its going to win the White House. But I digress. Right now, Cruz has divided the Republican Party in a Palinesque way, only worse because he is an actual senator with actual authority who could have an actual presidential candidacy. "We have been beaten up by his so-called grassroots movement back home. They pound us with ads, we hear about what he wants at town halls. We don't like Obamacare, either. But there's another way to go about this," says a senior House Republican. "He [Cruz] won one primary in a red state in a Republican year, and now he's busy running for president." Oh, and by the way, he adds, "he's all about raising money. And doing it at our expense." Why is it at the GOP's expense? Because Republicans are now afraid of being challenged from the right in primaries. They're not worried about their Democratic opponents; they're worried about the opponents on their right whom, many believe, Cruz would support and throw them under the bus. They're against Obamacare, but are they against it enough? "He's a demagogue-and-a-half," complains the House Republican. "This is not what you do to your teammates." Ah, but that's the crux of it all: Cruz doesn't need a team. He's got the floor to himself. And he's got the people, right? That is, until he doesn't. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger.

Sen. Ted Cruz spent more than 21 hours arguing against funding for Obamacare . Gloria Borger: Cruz's actions are perplexing, but he may be trying to be a GOP spokesman . She says Cruz wants to cuddle to the tea party base by advocating a shutdown . Borger: Cruz has divided the Republican party in a Palinesque way .

(CNN) -- Switching off your cellphone during a flight will soon be a thing of the past, according to aviation experts, who are tipping in-flight mobile connectivity to become a standard feature of air travel. Virgin Atlantic recently announced that passengers can make calls on their cellphones on the airline's Airbus A330 and Boeing 747 flying between London and New York. Call charges are similar to international roaming rates, and phones cannot be used during take off and landing. But Virgin Atlantic isn't alone -- more than 100 other aircraft are currently equipped to allow calls to be made in the air. The CEO of AeroMobile, which provides mobile connectivity to Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Malaysian Airlines planes, said 1,000 aircraft would be fitted with the company's systems over the next three years. Lufthansa, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific, SAS and Gulf Air will all launch in-flight mobile offerings in coming months, he said. "We believe this is going to be standard in most airlines," said Pal Bjordal, AeroMobile CEO. "You will have connectivity in the air in the same way you have connectivity on the ground." See also: Higher air fares, more mergers? Its rival OnAir operates on 16 airlines, and says it will extend to 24 by the end of the year. The AeroMobile system, which has been available on Emirates flights since 2008, allows for six calls to be made by passengers at any one time (soon to be upgraded to eight), and unlimited texts and data usage. For years, airlines have banned the use of cellphones citing their interference with onboard equipment. But Aeromobile's technology involves installing a small mobile base station on board to manage signal strength, and ensure calls do not interfere with flight systems. Bjordal said research suggested about 20 cellphones were inadvertently left switched on during any given flight, and claimed that the company's technology actually reduced the signal strength of those active cellphones. "If you switch on a cellphone on board, and there's no network, it will gradually increase the power it's transmitting because it's trying to get hooked on a network which doesn't exist," he said. "With our system on board, those cellphones will emit much less power." The service is proving popular with passengers, with one passenger on Virgin Atlantic's fledgling service reportedly having sent 80 text messages during a single flight. Aviation analyst Vaughn Cordle of AirlineForecasts tipped mobile connectivity to become standard across the industry, and the price of access to drop. "This is clearly what business travelers need. Many leisure passengers may not want to pay for it though," he said. "But the technology is there, and if the airlines can get the volume up, they can most likely get the price down." See also: Apps tackle travel expenses . But the technology will not be coming to all regions, at least in the short term. Despite being a leader in in-flight Wi-Fi, the United States bans the use of mobiles on flights, requiring that phones are switched off once they enter U.S. airspace. Mary Kirby, editor of Airline Passenger Experience magazine, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was currently looking into the technology, and predicted the restrictions would be lifted in a matter of years. "Once this technology is deemed safe by the FAA, they're going to have to join the rest of the world," she said. "Regulations are going to change whether people like it or not." She said that despite the convenience of in-flight mobile connectivity, the impression she had gained from studies and social media reactions was that many Americans were opposed to calls being allowed on flights, because they were perceived as a nuisance. But in the years that in-flight calling had been allowed in other regions, she knew of no instances of air rage connected to phone use -- something she attributed to airlines establishing good protocols around call etiquette. "You can't legislate manners from a regulatory standpoint," she said. "Sooner or later, the arguments against mobile connectivity are going to fall away."

Virgin Atlantic has introduced in-flight calls on transatlantic flights . New systems allow for mobile phones to be used on planes without affecting equipment . In-flight calling is still banned in the US, but some are tipping this to be overturned . Call charges are similar to international roaming rates .

(CNN) -- An Arkansas man suspected in a shooting that killed one soldier and wounded another at a Little Rock military recruiting center was angry over the treatment of Muslims, authorities said Tuesday. Pvt. William Long, 23, of Conway, Arkansas, was killed in Monday's attack. Abdulhakim Bledsoe, 23, of Little Rock, also told police he recently watched a video "pertaining to subversive activities which spurred him to commit this act," according to court documents. Bledsoe pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday and was ordered held without bail. He faces one count of capital murder and 16 counts of engaging in a terrorist act, said Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas. The terrorist counts stem from the shots fired at an occupied building. Watch scenes from Tuesday in court » . Before the not guilty plea, authorities said Bledsoe waived his Miranda rights after the shooting Monday and gave a video statement indicating that "political and religious" motives were involved. He "stated that he was a practicing Muslim ... that he was mad at the U.S. military because of what they had done to Muslims in the past," homicide detective Tommy Hudson said in a police report. Bledsoe told police "he fired several rounds at the soldiers with the intent of killing them," according to Hudson's report. The suspect is a Muslim convert who has also gone by the names Carlos Bledsoe and Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad. He changed his name from the latter April 23, citing religious reasons, court records show. A leader of the Muslim community in Little Rock said he did not know Bledsoe. The suspect had been under investigation after visiting Yemen, a federal law enforcement official said. The official declined to provide further information. Police believe the shooter acted alone "with the specific purpose of targeting military personnel," Thomas said. Kent Krause, Bledsoe's public defender, said a formal hearing would be held for his client, but no date has been set. Residents left flowers and miniature American flags outside the recruiting center after the shooting. A lone candle burned on the sidewalk next to bouquets of white and red roses. A note that said "Thank you for your service" was attached to the flowers. The shooting Monday killed Pvt. William Long, 23, of Conway, Arkansas, and wounded Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, who were outside the military recruiting center. Bledsoe told police he was driving around and saw Long and Ezeagwula smoking outside the building, according to Hudson's report. He said he pulled into the parking lot and shot the two soldiers and added that "he would have killed more soldiers if they had been on the parking lot," according to the report. Ezeagwula was in stable condition Tuesday, the police chief said. The soldiers were part of a recruiting program called "hometown recruiting assistance," said Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis, commander of the Oklahoma recruiting battalion that oversees the Little Rock Army-Navy recruiting center. Under the program, soldiers tell their stories to potential recruits. It's a volunteer position taken while soldiers are visiting or based back in their home region, Artis said. "I'm relieved there's a suspect in custody," said Capt. Matthew Feehan, commander of the recruiting center. He said several people were in the building at the time of the shooting, but nobody else was injured. Bledsoe was arrested after officers on Interstate 630 pulled over his car, which matched witnesses' description of a black Ford sport utility vehicle seen leaving the scene of the shooting. Police recovered three guns from the suspect's vehicle -- an SKS semi-automatic rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a .380-caliber automatic pistol, Thomas said. The victims were shot with an SKS rifle, according to the police report. Police also seized from Bledsoe's vehicle and apartment several rounds of ammunition, two homemade silencers, handwritten notes in Arabic, CDs with handwritten Arabic labels, a computer and cell phones, according to court documents. Melvin Bledsoe of Memphis, Tennessee, was listed on the police report as Bledsoe's father. He declined to comment, referring questions to Little Rock police.

Police say "political and religious motives" were indicated . Convert said he was angry over military's treatment of Muslims, police say . One soldier killed, one wounded in Monday's shootings .

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Personal details and photographs of the incoming head of Britain's international spy agency have been posted on Facebook, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband acknowledged Sunday. The UK's Foreiogn Office says foreign service staff should exercise caution on social-networking Web sites. But he insisted that no compromising information had been revealed. "You know he wears Speedo, swim, swimming, swimsuit... I mean what is that? I mean, that's not a state secret," Miliband said on a BBC Sunday morning talk show. The man in question, John Sawers, is currently the British ambassador to the United Nations. His wife posted details about their family, vacations and residence on the social-networking site, British media reported Sunday. Her Web site has since been taken down, reports said. Have you ever posted something you later regretted on a social-networking Web site? Sawers "was appointed 10 days ago to be the head of MI6," said Miliband, using the common term for the Secret Intelligence Service. "He is an outstanding professional who will do a really good job in an outstanding organization that does a huge amount for this country," Miliband added. "The fact that there is a picture, the head of MI6 goes swimming. I mean, wow! That really is exciting. It is not a state secret." But intelligence analyst Glenmore Trenear-Harvey said the leak was at least an embarrassment and possibly much worse. "Have you ever seen the foreign secretary more embarrassed?" he asked rhetorically. "The Foreign Office should have made the announcement that no personal details should have been left on any computer or directory," Trenear-Harvey told CNN. The leak compromises Sawers' personal security, said Trenear-Harvey, the editor-in-chief of "The World Intelligence Review." "You could have someone come online and insinuate themselves with Lady Sawers' daughter," who reportedly appeared on the Facebook Web site. If she shares a computer with her father at home, "the house could pick up a virus, and once that happens we have access to the next chief of the Secret Intelligence Service," the analyst said. An additional reason for red faces is that Sawers will be in charge of a new British cybersecurity organization when he becomes head of MI6, Trenear-Harvey pointed out. The new organization, based at GCHQ, another British intelligence agency, will be "charged with making sure that all the intelligence services are not vulnerable to hacking, identity theft, or phishing," Trenear-Harvey said. This is not the first time a top British intelligence official's personal details have been leaked. When Richard Dearlove became the head of MI6 in 1999, "his address in Putney was announced," forcing the government to put Special Branch police officers there to protect him, Trenear-Harvey said. And when Stella Rimington became the first publicly named head of MI5, the domestic security agency, in 1991, her north London address was revealed. "She and her daughter fled the house and were put into an MI5 safe house," Trenear-Harvey said. Foreign service officers "are advised to exercise caution" on social-networking Web sites, a Foreign Office representative said, declining to be named, in line with government policy. Sawers, 53, is a career foreign policy expert. He was a foreign policy adviser to Tony Blair when Blair was prime minister, then became ambassador to Egypt and briefly represented Britain in Iraq. He was political director at the Foreign Office for four years before going to the United Nations in 2007, according to his biography on the Web site of the British mission to the U.N. He is slated to replace John Scarlett in November as head of MI6. As chief of SIS, he reports to the foreign secretary, according to the SIS Web site. "Known as the Chief of SIS or 'C' (after the first Chief, Mansfield Smith Cumming, who signed himself 'C'), the Chief is the only serving member of the Service who is officially named in public," according to the agency. Facebook claims to have "over 200 million active users." --CNN's Ashleigh Nghiem contributed to this report .

NEW: Analyst: Leak is an embarrassment at the least, possibly worse . Wife of new spy chief John Sawers posted family details on social networking site . Foreign Office:Foreign service officers advised to exercise caution on Web sites . UK foreign minister: It's not a state secret that he wears Speedo swimsuits .

(CNN) -- Rapper T.I., who was sentenced to a 366-day prison sentence in March, reported Tuesday to a federal prison complex in Forrest City, Arkansas, according to CNN affiliate WSB-TV. T.I., left, performed to a packed crowd Sunday, days before he was to start a prison term. The rapper -- whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr. -- was required to be at the prison before noon local time to begin serving his sentence on federal weapons charges. According to news reports, officers from Forrest City and the prison set up a roadblock along Arkansas Highway 1 about one-tenth of a mile from the complex. Reporters were not allowed any closer to the prison. T.I. threw himself a going-away party Sunday night at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, before a packed house. During Sunday's concert -- called "T.I.'s Final Goodbye Bash" -- the 28-year-old Grammy winner reiterated a message that's become familiar in recent weeks: He wants others to learn from his mistakes. "I'm doing the best I can to get out there, man, and put something positive on these young kids, man," T.I. said during the show. "I try my best. I need y'all help, though." The rapper played to a sell-out crowd of 16,000 people, said Kenan Woods, a spokesman for the arena. T.I. played through much of his catalog, including the hits "Whatever You Like," "Live Your Life" and the Grammy-winning "Swagga Like Us," Woods said. At times in the show, Harris was joined on stage by fellow rapper Soulja Boy and by his five children and mother, Woods said. T.I. was sentenced in March on weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers. In addition to serving prison time, T.I. was placed on house arrest, was given community service and was ordered to pay a $100,300 fine. Though he had been in legal trouble before, Harris' current situation began when he was arrested just hours before he was to perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. The rapper had provided a bodyguard with $12,000 to buy weapons. Harris was not permitted to own any guns, however, because he was convicted in 1998 on felony drug charges -- possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute -- in Cobb County, in suburban Atlanta. After his arrest, he entered a plea agreement, which federal authorities called unique because it allowed the rapper to remain out of prison for a year while he performed community service. Harris has already left a strong mark on the hip-hop genre, music experts told CNN, which should position his career well when he is released. Harris had been named to the Forbes list of top-earning rappers, making an estimated $16 million in 2006. Some music industry observers have said T.I.'s prison term will only make him more popular. "I think that if anything, it will gain him more fans and actually support his fan base, because he's talked about making a mistake," Emil Wilbekin, editor in chief of Giant Magazine, told CNN. "He's talked about taking care of the error of his ways." The Atlanta rapper has expressed remorse for the situation. "I would like to say thank you to some and apologize to others," he said at his sentencing in March. "In my life, I have been placed in the worst-case scenario and had to make the best of it." In a March interview with CNN's T.J. Holmes, Harris said he no longer felt like he needed to carry weapons to protect himself. He said people should not idolize him for what he's gone through, but should take note of the fact that he has taken responsibility for his actions. "You shouldn't take the things that I've gone through, and the negative parts of my life, and admire me for that. If anything, admire me for how I've accepted responsibility for the part I played in placing myself in these situations, and what I've done to recover from it," Harris said. Harris has been the subject of an MTV reality show, "T.I.'s Road to Redemption," in the lead-up to the prison term.

T.I. performed Sunday, less than two days before his prison term was to start . The rapper has been sentenced in connection with federal weapons charges . His prison term of one year and one day starts Tuesday .

(CNN) -- Lately, the scandals just keep on coming about military men's sexual harassment of their female colleagues. The headlines bring up a number of questions (in addition to a rising feeling of nausea) about male sexual predation: Are men biologically, unstoppably, wired for sexual aggression? Or are they only sexually volatile if the culture where they grew up or where they work supports ideas about the sexual domination and objectification of women? OK, we already know a lot about the answer to this question. Yes, there is some biological underpinning for male sexual aggression but also men will have different sexual beliefs and behaviors based on their early models (both family and friends): whether or not they had close relationships with sisters or women friends, and whether they have been exposed to a culture of respect or disdain for women. Men are not helpless slaves to their DNA or their hormones. Your average Dad or boyfriend is not surreptitiously videotaping women in a school shower . On the other hand, a sergeant at West Point (!) has been accused of doing just that, and taken with the variety of sexual offenses that seem to be epidemic in the military, one might reasonably assume that there is a vulnerability in a certain kind of man, in a certain kind of environment, for foul sexual behavior. (Can women be guilty of similar sexual trespass, yes, but it is rare, and not systemic in any institution.) Hagel: Scourge of sexual assault 'must be stamped out' This proclivity for ignoring women's right to choose who sees them naked or who has sex with them is a manifestation of an unhealthy gender culture in the military, but it isn't unique to that institution. Many men still believe that their sexual appetite is irresistible, and that sexual access to women, by any means necessary, is a natural, even inalienable, right of men. Tempt men by putting women in a macho man's club, and what do you expect? I am not too sympathetic with this line of reasoning. If we follow its logic to its natural conclusion, we'll need to cover up women everywhere, institute American purdah and get women out of public life so that men can harness their sexuality and focus on their job. But that isn't going to happen. Then what will it take to end this seemingly endless parade of men who harass and undermine military women? I think we need a serious re-education program for all military men. Most young men will not have reviewed their sexual values or thought about why they feel or act the way they do in sexual situations before they enter the service. But particularly as more women enter combat roles, military men need to learn more about their own sexual psyche and why they may have feelings of aggression, entitlement or expect sexual privileges. I am not so naive that I believe a program or series of programs will change all men into feminists and gentlemen, but it will change many of them into safer colleagues and partners. Those men who can't be respectful need to be dismissed from service. Sex assaults threaten military trust, Obama tells Naval graduates . This isn't an immediate fix. These kinds of programs would have to be instituted for every man at every rank throughout each branch of our military operations. Why? Because let's face it: You can only have so many cases of foxes guarding the hen house until you know that contempt for women's sexual rights is threaded through the leadership as well as the rank and file. Tell me how several men, who were in charge of sexual harassment policy, were implicated in sex harassment? What kind of careful selection process for those jobs would have produced the result of the enforcer becoming the offender? Ultimately the debate over men's true sexual nature is of minimal importance. I don't care if we can prove that men are horny by nature; civic and social life is by definition unnatural. We all have to learn how to work with our desires and operate in ways that respect everyone's integrity and safety. If we change the gender culture in the military by changing men's hearts and minds, their sexual "nature" won't be a problem. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Pepper Schwartz.

Pepper Schwartz: Many stories of males' sex harassment of female colleagues . She says newest example: West Point sergeant took pictures of women in shower . She says many men still think their appetites and access to women are an inalienable right . Schwartz: Military must require education program at every rank to teach men self control .

(CNN) -- The pilot killed in the Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo disaster moved an unlocking device earlier than he should have, investigators said. But that alone might not have caused the spaceship to disintegrate 45,000 feet in the air, killing co-pilot Michael Tyner Alsbury and injuring co-pilot Peter Siebold, who managed to parachute to the ground. While the the National Transportation Safety Board said it is "months and months away" from determining the cause, it outlined two problems involving the spacecraft's "feathering" -- a process used to slow the spacecraft down toward Earth. In order for feathering to start, two things have to happen: someone has to unlock the feathering system, and someone has to activate the system with a different handle. The NTSB has said the unlocking device was moved too early. On Monday night, the agency said Alsbury was the one who unlocked the feathering system. "... the copilot, who was in right seat, moved the lock/unlock handle into unlock position; he did not survive accident," the NTSB tweeted. ...the copilot, who was in right seat, moved the lock/unlock handle into unlock position; he did not survive accident. #SpaceShipTwo . But that mishap alone doesn't explain why the feathering started, since no one moved the feathering handle. During feathering, two pieces on the back of the vehicle -- the "feathers" -- lift up perpendicular to the spaceship, making the vehicle look like it's arching its back as it descends. Branson mourns pilot, says space travel worth its risks . Plastic fuel . A team of 13 to 15 investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will be in the Mojave Desert for about a week. But analyzing the data from the test aircraft will take much longer, and the investigation may take up to a year. Opinion: The truth about launching spaceships . Friday's flight was the first to use a new plastic-based fuel, something that CNN aviation analyst Miles O'Brien has said could have affected the plane's stability, despite the fuel tanks being found intact. O'Brien said that Virgin Galactic had "consistently underestimated the risk involved." But Virgin founder Richard Branson denied this, saying that 400 "of the best engineers in the world" were working on the project and that the risks were similar to those taken by people flying across the Atlantic in the 1920s and '30s. Investigation may take up to a year . Veteran pilot killed . A memorial fund has been set up for Alsbury's family. He worked at Scaled Composites, the company that partnered with Virgin on the test flight program, and logged more than 1,600 hours as a test pilot and test engineer in Scaled aircraft. Analysis: Will space accidents deter pioneer tourists? Scaled Composites said Sunday that co-pilot Siebold -- the company's director of flight operations -- was alert and speaking with family and doctors. SpaceShipTwo helmed by experienced pilots when flight failed . Future of the program . For years, Virgin Galactic had planned to sell trips in which SpaceShipTwo would transport passengers about 62 miles above Earth -- the beginning of outer space -- and let them experience a few minutes of weightlessness before returning to the ground. Virgin Galactic planned to send paying customers on SpaceShipTwo as early as next year and has sold more than 700 tickets, each costing more than $250,000, for future flights. Deadly day for space tourism -- but future 'rests' on such days, official says . Several celebrities have already signed up, including Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Stephen Hawking. Friday's tragedy was not the first fatal accident to hit the Virgin Galactic space program. In 2007, three employees of Scaled Composites were killed during testing in the Mojave Desert. Sources told CNN that they had been testing components of a new rocket motor for SpaceShipTwo. CNN's Susannah Cullinane and Rosalina Nieves contributed to this report.

NTSB: The co-pilot who died unlocked the spacecraft's feathering device early . But that still doesn't explain why the "feathering" system was activated . The NTSB says it could take months and months to determine the cause of the disaster .

(CNN) -- A Southwest Airlines flight landed safely at a military base in Yuma, Arizona, on Friday with what passengers described as a 3-foot hole in the fuselage of the Boeing 737. "I heard a loud popping sound about three or four minutes before it blew open on us," passenger Greg Hansen told CNN. "(Then) a big explosion happened. A big noise, and from there, you felt some of the air being sucked out. It happened right behind me, in the row behind me and it covers about two and a half rows," he said from seat 11C. Hansen, 41, a regional sales manager for a biotech company, was flying home to Sacramento from a business trip. Some people panicked and screamed as the blue sky and sun began to shine through the cabin in mid-flight, he said. "Most people were just white knuckles holding onto the arm rests. The pilots did a great job and were under control to get us to a manageable level," he said. But just behind him, Hansen says he could see the jagged edge of the aircraft where the rivets used to be. "You can see the insulation and wiring. The interior ceiling panel was bouncing up and down with the air," he said. "It was surreal, when you're riding in a modern aircraft. You're used to being enclosed and not having the window rolled down," he said. Hansen described the hole as being about 3 or 4 feet long and about a foot wide. Hansen said that he and the rest of the passengers were still on board Southwest Flight 812, after making an emergency landing at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station/International Airport at 7:07 p.m. ET. The FAA said the captain made a rapid controlled descent from 36,000 to about 11,000 feet after the cabin lost pressure. Investigators are en route to the base, the FAA said. "We do not know the cause of the decompression," said Ian Gregor of the FAA. Southwest said in a statement that the flight crew "discovered a hole in the top of the aircraft." A new aircraft is en route to the base with maintenance, ground crew and customer service agents "to assess the damaged aircraft and support the 118 customers aboard." Hansen said the incident took place about 35 minutes into the flight. He says that it took about 45 seconds or a minute before the oxygen masks came down after the hole blew open. "The crew was pretty calm about it. They walked around and checked on everyone," he said. "But it wasn't like the movies where papers get sucked out of the hole, but you could feel it and hear the noise." Hansen said that most of the passengers were complaining of a pain in their eardrums from a rapid descent. Southwest Airlines said only one injury is being reported. "There are no reported customer injuries," reads a statement released by the airline. "One of the flight attendants, however, received a minor injury upon descent." Hansen said one male flight attendant appeared to fall, and was bleeding from a facial injury. An airport official told CNN that passengers will remain on board the damaged plane to ensure their safety, until the new replacement plane arrives. "They have been tended to and are being given refreshments because the temperature on the tarmac is near 100 degrees," said Yuma International Airport spokeswoman Gen Grosse. One of the passengers told CNN affiliate KOVR that the incident occurred shortly after flight attendants took drink orders. "I heard a huge sound and oxygen masks came down and we started making a rapid decent. They said we'd be making an emergency landing," said the passenger, identified only as Cindy. "There was a hole in the fuselage about 3 feet long. You could see the insulation and the wiring. You could see a tear the length of one of the ceiling panels." A spokeswoman for Boeing declined to comment on possible causes of the incident. "The 737 has an outstanding safety record," said Julie O'Donnell. "We are in communication with the (National Transportation Safety Board) and stand ready to assist." CNN's John Branch and Rich Phillips contributed to this report .

NEW: A 3- to 4-foot hole is discovered in the plane's fuselage . NEW: Passenger commends pilots for their control of the situation . The flight was en route from Phoenix to Sacramento . It made a rapid descent from 36,000 feet to 11,000 feet .

(CNN) -- Persuading Congress to ban assault weapons will be tough, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday. But it's a fight the outspoken advocate of stricter gun laws says he's determined to win. "Getting rid of assault weapons, that is a tougher sell, and that's what we've really got to work on," Bloomberg said in an interview with CNN's AC360°. "I'm optimistic, but it's tougher." Bloomberg said he's encouraging the roughly 800 mayors who are members of his Mayors Against Illegal Guns organization to start lobbying lawmakers and "explain to them why constituents really want this done." Speaking a day after President Barack Obama announced a list of proposals to reduce gun violence, Bloomberg said the package -- which calls on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban, restrict ammunition magazines and expand background checks for gun buyers -- is "reasonably comprehensive." And even though parts of the proposal will face an uphill battle, he said, that doesn't mean it isn't a worthwhile fight. Obama-backed gun bills considered a longshot in Congress . "There are lives involved here. And if you can save one life, isn't that worth trying?" Bloomberg said. "And I always thought that you should address issues when they're on the public's conscience, while they're being covered by the press, and you should try to do a complete job so you don't have to go back again and again and again." Poll: Gun control support wanes . Republicans immediately rejected the Obama proposals as an attack on the constitutional right to bear arms. "Nothing the president is proposing would have stopped the massacre at Sandy Hook," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, said in a statement. "That's probably true," Bloomberg acknowledged on Thursday. "But that doesn't mean that having fewer guns around isn't a better idea." Under New York's stricter gun laws, he said, the city has seen murder and suicide rates that are lower than the national average. Last week, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told AC360° that the evidence in Chicago tells a different story. A look at U.S. gun laws . "Chicago has very strict gun laws. It is also the deadliest city in America," Gingrich said. Asked Thursday about Gingrich's observation, Bloomberg said gun laws aren't a panacea. "There's no one solution to this," he said. "This is, however, a very important step. Fewer guns means fewer murders. Fewer guns means fewer suicides. Fewer guns means you and your children are safer." Since last month's shooting massacre at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, Bloomberg and his group have been at the forefront of a push for stricter gun laws. Opinion: A father's murder, a plea on gun control . He's said that more than 1 million people have signed a petition backed by the organization to tighten gun control laws in the wake of the Newtown shooting rampage. The group has spent millions on television spots calling for gun control, including an ad that ran nationally this week, featuring family members of victims killed by gun violence repeating the word, "enough." On Thursday, Bloomberg sharply criticized the National Rifle Association for its approach to the gun control debate. After blaming video games for the Newtown shooting rampage, the organization released its own gun-related mobile video game. And on Tuesday night, the NRA released an ad accusing Obama of hypocrisy for being "skeptical" about placing armed guards at schools, when his two daughters are protected by the U.S. Secret Service. That was "bad P.R." and an "outrage," Bloomberg said. "I think it's just a bad strategy," he said, "and they're going to lose this battle." CNN's Mark Preston, Dana Bash, Jessica Yellin and Tom Cohen contributed to this report. Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 10pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here.

Getting rid of assault weapons is "what we've really got to work on," Bloomberg says . He says he's encouraging members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns to lobby Congress . Obama's new measures probably wouldn't have prevented the Newtown shooting, he says . Still, the New York mayor says, "fewer guns means you and your children are safer"

(CNN) -- Americans have become used to the fact that most of the jobs created by Apple are in China. We know that Steve Jobs told President Barack Obama that "those jobs aren't coming back." Recently, an executive at Apple said that the company has no obligation to solve America's problems by moving some of those jobs back to the United States. As a business, Apple has a right to fear that moving the assembly work from China to the United States will entail raising labor costs so high as to make the company less competitive and profitable. But for it to say that it has no obligation to help solve America's problems is completely unacceptable. Virtually every piece of technology in any Apple product had its origin or was partially developed on the basis of a U.S. government-funded program. In a global world where piracy of products is commonplace, Apple, like other multinationals, has continuously pressed the U.S. government to enforce copyright and patent laws to protect its intellectual property from international theft. Does Apple owe anything to Uncle Sugar? You betchum. Big time. Skeptics are right to point out that moving the factory assembly operations to the United States is a nonstarter as long as we continue to have free trade with China. These kinds of jobs are labor-intensive, and the differential in the cost of labor between America and China is just too large. But this is not where the real value or the good jobs we want for Americans lies. The assembly value in an iPhone is only about $7. The real treasure-trove is in the parts. For example, the displays, the processors, memory chips and other key electronic components comprise nearly half of the value of the iPhone. These components require intensive capital and technology investments, but they do not require a great amount of labor. In other words, they can all be produced in America. Indeed, according to a recent study by Booz and Co., to supply the U.S. market, the most competitive location in which to produce these components is the United States. At the moment, however, Apple is not procuring most of these parts in America. With a few exceptions, the company is getting them from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China or Germany. Let's take Gorilla Glass, a product made by Corning Inc. of Corning, New York, that is used as the display for the iPhone and iPad as well as many other smartphones and tablets. Corning can and does make that glass in America. But to gain access to China's market, Corning is pressured by the Chinese government to make Gorilla Glass in China so that it can be used in any Chinese factory that makes a product that needs the glass. Basically, Corning must invest and produce in China, even though, in my estimates, it might be less expensive to make Gorilla Glass in America and export it to China. The same is true for other assembly line parts. So what should Apple do? We know that Samsung, a South Korean supplier, had started to produce a key processor for Apple in Austin, Texas. That's a good first step. Apple should go further by telling other suppliers that it wants more components to be made in America. One advantage for this move is that it can create an environment in which more research and development is possible, which in turn can strengthen overall innovation for Apple. Apple should also move some of its assembly operations to Mexico. Mexican labor isn't as cheap as Chinese labor, but after one adjusts for the differences in the cost of shipping, establishing assembly-line factories in Mexico should be quite acceptable from a financial and quality perspective. By moving more production of advanced components to America and the human labor to Mexico, more jobs will be added to North America and help reduce the U.S.-Mexican trade deficit, which is about $55 billion annually. And by having the assembly work just over the border, Apple can ensure that costs can be kept under control. As Apple is trying to get out of the recent controversy surrounding its suppliers' labor practices in China, where workers put in more than 60 hours a week, the world's most highly valued company would do well to consider how best to spend and invest its $100 billion cash pile. It needs to realize that what is good for Apple can also be good for the American economy. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Clyde Prestowitz.

Apple says the company has no obligation to help solve America's problems . Does Apple owe anything to Uncle Sugar? Clyde Prestowitz says yes . Prestowitz: Apple should tell suppliers it wants more components made in the U.S. Apple can also move some of its assembly operations to Mexico, Prestowitz says .

(CNN) -- Rapper T.I., who was sentenced to a 366-day prison sentence in March, reported Tuesday to a federal prison complex in Forrest City, Arkansas, according to CNN affiliate WSB-TV. T.I., left, performed to a packed crowd Sunday, days before he was to start a prison term. The rapper -- whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr. -- was required to be at the prison before noon local time to begin serving his sentence on federal weapons charges. According to news reports, officers from Forrest City and the prison set up a roadblock along Arkansas Highway 1 about one-tenth of a mile from the complex. Reporters were not allowed any closer to the prison. T.I. threw himself a going-away party Sunday night at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, before a packed house. During Sunday's concert -- called "T.I.'s Final Goodbye Bash" -- the 28-year-old Grammy winner reiterated a message that's become familiar in recent weeks: He wants others to learn from his mistakes. "I'm doing the best I can to get out there, man, and put something positive on these young kids, man," T.I. said during the show. "I try my best. I need y'all help, though." The rapper played to a sell-out crowd of 16,000 people, said Kenan Woods, a spokesman for the arena. T.I. played through much of his catalog, including the hits "Whatever You Like," "Live Your Life" and the Grammy-winning "Swagga Like Us," Woods said. At times in the show, Harris was joined on stage by fellow rapper Soulja Boy and by his five children and mother, Woods said. T.I. was sentenced in March on weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers. In addition to serving prison time, T.I. was placed on house arrest, was given community service and was ordered to pay a $100,300 fine. Though he had been in legal trouble before, Harris' current situation began when he was arrested just hours before he was to perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. The rapper had provided a bodyguard with $12,000 to buy weapons. Harris was not permitted to own any guns, however, because he was convicted in 1998 on felony drug charges -- possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute -- in Cobb County, in suburban Atlanta. After his arrest, he entered a plea agreement, which federal authorities called unique because it allowed the rapper to remain out of prison for a year while he performed community service. Harris has already left a strong mark on the hip-hop genre, music experts told CNN, which should position his career well when he is released. Harris had been named to the Forbes list of top-earning rappers, making an estimated $16 million in 2006. Some music industry observers have said T.I.'s prison term will only make him more popular. "I think that if anything, it will gain him more fans and actually support his fan base, because he's talked about making a mistake," Emil Wilbekin, editor in chief of Giant Magazine, told CNN. "He's talked about taking care of the error of his ways." The Atlanta rapper has expressed remorse for the situation. "I would like to say thank you to some and apologize to others," he said at his sentencing in March. "In my life, I have been placed in the worst-case scenario and had to make the best of it." In a March interview with CNN's T.J. Holmes, Harris said he no longer felt like he needed to carry weapons to protect himself. He said people should not idolize him for what he's gone through, but should take note of the fact that he has taken responsibility for his actions. "You shouldn't take the things that I've gone through, and the negative parts of my life, and admire me for that. If anything, admire me for how I've accepted responsibility for the part I played in placing myself in these situations, and what I've done to recover from it," Harris said. Harris has been the subject of an MTV reality show, "T.I.'s Road to Redemption," in the lead-up to the prison term.

T.I. performed Sunday, less than two days before his prison term was to start . The rapper has been sentenced in connection with federal weapons charges . His prison term of one year and one day starts Tuesday .

(CNN) -- Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, a mother of two, is waiting to die in Iran by a method of execution described by her lawyer as "barbaric" -- stoning. She will be buried up to her chest, deeper than a man would be, and the stones that will be hurled at her will be large enough to cause pain but not so large as to kill her immediately, according to an Amnesty International report that cited the Iranian penal code. The 42-year-old woman from the northern city of Tabriz was convicted of adultery in 2006, and her execution is imminent, said prominent human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei. Ashtiani was forced to confess after being subjected to 99 lashes, Mostafaei said Thursday in a telephone interview from Tehran. She later retracted that confession and has denied wrongdoing. Her conviction was based not on evidence but on the determination of three out of five judges, Mostafaei said. She has asked forgiveness from the court but the judges refused to grant clemency. Iran's supreme court upheld the conviction in 2007. Mostafaei believes a language barrier prevented his client from fully comprehending court proceedings. Ashtiani is of Azerbaijani descent and speaks Turkish, not Farsi. The circumstances of Ashtiani's case make it not an exception but the rule in Iran, according to Amnesty International, which tracks death penalty cases around the world. "The majority of those sentenced to death by stoning are women, who suffer disproportionately from such punishment," the human rights group said in a 2008 report. On Wednesday, Amnesty made a new call to the Iranian government to immediately halt all executions and commute all death sentences. The group has recorded 126 executions in Iran from the start of this year to June 6. "The organization is also urging the authorities to review and repeal death penalty laws, to disclose full details of all death sentences and executions and to join the growing international trend towards abolition," the statement said. In Washington, the State Department criticized the scheduled stoning, saying it raised serious concerns about human rights violations by the Iranian government. "We have grave concerns that the punishment does not fit the alleged crime, " Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley said Thursday. "For a modern society such as Iran, we think this raises significant human rights concerns." Calling Iran's judicial system "disproportionate" in its treatment of women, Crowley said, "From the United States' standpoint, we don't think putting women to death for adultery is an appropriate punishment." Human rights activists have been pushing the Islamic government to abolish stoning, arguing that women are not treated equally before the law in Iran and are especially vulnerable in the judicial system. A woman's testimony is worth half that of a man. Article 74 of the Iranian penal code requires at least four witnesses -- four men or three men and two women -- for an adulterer to receive a stoning sentence, said Mina Ahadi, coordinator for the International Committee Against Stoning. But there were no witnesses in Ashtiani's case. Often, said Ahadi, husbands turn wives in to get out of a marriage. Mostafaei said he could not understand how such a savage method of death could exist in the year 2010 or how an innocent woman could be taken from her son and daughter, who have written to the court pleading for their mother's life. The public won't be allowed to witness the stoning, Mostafaei said, for fear of condemnation of such a brutal method. He is hoping there won't be an execution. Mostafaei, who himself did jail time in the aftermath of the disputed presidential elections in June 2009, said he realizes the risk of speaking out for Ashtiani, for fighting for human rights. But he doesn't let that deter him. He last saw Ashtiani five months ago behind bars in Tabriz. Since then, he said, he has been searching for a way to save her from the stones. CNN's Bobby Afshar and Elise Labott contributed to this report.

NEW: State Department has "grave concerns" Sakineh Ashtiani was sentenced to death on adultery charges . Mother of two will be killed using a "barbaric" method, says her Tehran lawyer . He says she was forced to confess under duress .

(CNN) -- You don't have to be an expert to ask yourself the question: How in the world, with today's technology, can a commercial airplane go missing? It's a question, but also an expression of disbelief. Those who get lost driving can use GPS. If you lose your iPhone, there's an app to track it down. Scientists successfully plotted the course for a spacecraft that landed on a speeding comet. But something goes wrong aboard a 123-foot, 67-ton passenger jet, and rescuers must resort to scouring the ocean? "Why is it easier to find an iPhone (than) to find a plane?" one Twitter user, Catalina Buitano, asked. There are dozens of similar questions on social media. They hint at the same sentiment: In a world where people's locations are tracked for everything from map apps to what ads appear on a Web browser, why does Big Brother's gaze avoid the skies? "Why, in this day and age, do we rely on the physical recovery of black boxes? Flight data should be continuously streamed to the cloud," read a tweet by Jacob Rossi. Of course, this question has been asked before. The disappearance of AirAsia Flight 8501 on Sunday was the second time this year that a plane vanished. Debris from the Airbus A320-200 has been found, the airline said Tuesday, and two bodies have been found. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished, too, and remains missing 10 months later. At that time, Jim Hall, the former head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, called for upgrades to the tracking capabilities of planes that fly for extended periods over water. The airline industry has invested billions of dollars in safety features, "yet many allow their aircraft to fall off any direct tracking capability as they fly over vast ocean distances and remote locations, confident that these planes will occasionally check in and reappear as they near the other side of the blacked-out area," Hall wrote. In a preliminary report on MH370, Malaysian aviation authorities recommended that the International Civil Aviation Organization look into the benefits of introducing a standard for real-time tracking of commercial aircraft. The technology exists to track flight data in real time, but even after tragedies such as MH370, cost and government bureaucracy are cited as obstacles to implementation. "Millions of us can be located immediately through technology in our handheld cell phones, but a 300,000-pound Boeing 777 with 239 souls on board disappears from the face of the Earth," Hall wrote, referring to MH370. "NASA has the capability of photographing stars billions of light-years away, and yet our best minds are forced to guess where this plane might be." Another Twitter user phrased the thought this way: "If we have astronauts reaching safely the International Space Station, why do we still have missing planes on Earth?" CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo says it is time for world leaders to take concrete action on upgrading technology for tracking planes. Making recommendations isn't enough, she said. There need to be laws. "I think at this day and age, there's really no excuse for (not having real-time tracking)," Schiavo said on CNN's "New Day" on Monday. "I mean, the kind of technology, it's already here. We don't have to wait to develop it. Those planes could be sending out continuous signals." Two companies with products on the market for real-time streaming are Flyht and Star Navigation Systems. But the technology is not catching on with major carriers. Cost has been the biggest hurdle, though the technology is slowly finding its way onto airplanes, said Seth Kaplan, managing partner at Airline Weekly. Airlines have lobbied for governments to contribute money to equipping planes with new technology, arguing that it is not just an airline issue, but a national security consideration. The question of who will pay for the technology is beginning to get answered, but not as quickly as travelers would like to see, Kaplan said. So, those in disbelief are not alone in wondering how in today's world a plane could simply get lost. It's just not an easy question to answer.

NEW: Debris from AirAsia flight has been recovered, officials say; two bodies found . The question: How can we lose a plane? There is pressure for new technology to be installed on planes . But there are obstacles that remain .

London (CNN) -- Pirates? Ravers? At first glance, the portraits are startling and confusing. Hidden behind sunglasses and hats, their faces shrouded in brightly colored scarves and t-shirts, these striking, enigmatic figures could as easily be rebel fighters as models at an edgy runway show. In fact, they are migrant construction workers of the United Arab Emirates, mostly men from India and Pakistan whose cheap labor has powered the rise of the country's skyscrapers. The laborers -- often subjected to exploitative working conditions, according to Human Rights Watch -- are described by photographer Philippe Chancel as "the new slaves" of the Gulf. "But they don't look like slaves," said the Frenchman, whose photographic study of the migrant workers was published as a book, "Workers Emirates," by Bernard Chauveau Editeur last month. They don't look like like workers either, he said, their bright colors a stark contrast to traditionally drab depictions of laborers in the West. "I try to give something very beautiful, a little seductive. I want not to denounce, but to give people the possibility to get inside a very deep problem," Chancel added. Chancel began visiting the Emirates in 2007, initially training his camera on the bold new architecture emerging out of the desert. But he soon became fascinated with the brightly-dressed workers in the margins of his viewfinder, a group which seemed to pass unnoticed by the surrounding society. "The most shocking thing for me is the violence of the indifference," he said. Despite their vivid appearance, he likened them to ghosts. "They were omnipresent but at the same time invisible, as if the eye did not see them as worth attention," he writes. The men were anonymous, their faces were shielded from the sun, while their work barely registered with the majority of the population, which spent the day sheltered from the elements inside air-conditioned buildings. Chancel began visiting their building sites and dormitory camps unannounced, shooting "very fast and very sharp" to capture realistic representations of the men and their surroundings. On one occasion he was arrested. Having seen the squalid conditions in their dormitories, which he likened to a prison, he became further intrigued to discover the men, who earn salaries of about $160 a month, seem to accept their plight. "The worker is a slave, but he feels lucky to have an opportunity to try to meet his destiny," said Chancel. "His hell is bearable." Priyanka Motaparthy, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that some workers paid up to $4,000 to recruiters in pursuit of good wages and low living expenses, taking on significant debts just to get the jobs. "Most are completely trapped by financial circumstances," she said. They are let into the country as temporary workers, usually on three-year permits. Tight immigration laws grant their employers extraordinary powers over their lives, with bosses keeping their passports and sponsoring their visas, meaning they cannot easily change jobs if they find the conditions intolerable. "The climate of fear they live in means they can't strike or protest," she said. The economies of the United Arab Emirates, and the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, are heavily dependent on foreign workers, with an estimated 15 million foreigners working in the GCC, according to the International Labor Organization. "Many workers don't know what they're getting into," said Motaparthy. "They're not getting contracts that reflect what the job actually is, and the contracts aren't in their own language." While there had been some improvements for workers in recent years, with governments introducing wage protection schemes and mandatory health insurance to be paid by employers, exploitation was still widespread, she said. Chancel, who has also produced work on North Korea, is currently exhibiting in London, Paris, Montpelier and Dubai. "I love the idea of the pictures coming back to the origin," he said of the Dubai show. But there was little chance of his subjects coming across portraits of themselves in a Dubai gallery. "Of course not," he said.

Photographer Philippe Chancel has released a book of portraits of migrant laborers in the UAE . Human Rights Watch says the exploitation of migrant laborers from South Asia is widespread . Chancel likens the laborers to "ghosts," invisible to others in the Emirates .

Washington (CNN) -- Democrats acting like Republicans. Republicans acting like Democrats. The 2016 presidential contest is shaping up to be the political equivalent of gender-bending. Democrats are coalescing early around a front-runner who certainly will be lavishly funded, Hillary Clinton. She's campaigning on the familiar GOP platform: "Next in line." Meanwhile, a twice-beaten Republican Party finds itself doing as Democrats often did in the Reagan era, surveying a field of little-knowns and hoping for magic. The Republican field is led by two freshman senators: Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida, plus a member of the House and the party's 2012 vice presidential nominee, Paul Ryan. Three things are immediately striking about the top of the Republican field: . 1) It's not only Washington-based, but it's all congressionally based. There is no governor in the top three, no general, no former Cabinet secretary, nobody with any notable private-sector accomplishment. 2) It's light on accomplishment. Ryan has to date been the most productive of the top three, but none of his famous budgets have been passed into law. Paul can cite no legislative accomplishments at all, only a stunt filibuster against the entirely imaginary menace of drone strikes against American citizens on American soil. Rubio has taken a lead role in immigration reform but must make some tough decisions about whether his future is best secured by negotiating a deal or scuttling one. None of the three Republican front-runners has any administrative experience to speak of. 3) It's intensely doctrinaire. Ryan was the author of much of the Republican Party's post-2009 tea party program. Rubio has to date shown himself an undeviating follower of that program. Paul dissents from some aspects of that program but in the direction of even greater extremism. A party rebuilding from back-to-back presidential defeats has to face the possibility that the problem may be bigger than its candidate, bigger than its campaign tactics. There are a couple of obvious ways to address that possibility: . The party might look for an outsider nominee, a candidate so attractive in his or her own right as to offset the party's own unpopularity. This is what Republicans did by nominating Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 after five consecutive defeats by New Deal Democrats. Or the party might allow an insider some latitude to edge back toward the political center. This is what Democrats did in 1992 when they nominated a pro-death penalty, pro-welfare reform, pro-free trade governor of Arkansas after losses under the party-line liberals, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis. In 2016, however, Republicans as yet show no inclination to try either remedy. No independent superstar; no deviation from party line orthodoxy. The one Republican with the highest cross-partisan appeal, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, has been consigned to fourth place. As the saying goes, the first step toward recovery is to acknowledge the problem. The problem in 2012 -- as in 2008, as in the near-death experience of 2004, as in the popular vote loss of 2000, as in the loss of 1996, as in the loss of 1992 -- was the GOP's failure to offer an economic program relevant to the problems of middle-class Americans. The party's present three front-runners would not only repeat that failure, but double down on that failure. The Republican Party desperately needs renewal, its early presidential front-runners are characterized by their rejection of change. At a time when voters reject generic Republicanism, Republicans themselves are rallying to two of the most generic Republicans in the party -- and a third, Paul, who diverges from generic Republicanism only by offering voters even more of what they most dislike about today's GOP. The party talks about learning from its mistakes. Thus far, the main thing the party seems to have learned from those mistakes is how to repeat them. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Frum.

David Frum: Democrats could pick 2008 also-ran Hillary Clinton for 2016 . He says Republican front-runners seem unlikely to measure up . Despite losses, GOP could pick long shots such as Marco Rubio or Rand Paul, he says . Frum: One candidate who appeals across party lines is Chris Christie .

Chicago (CNN) -- Actress and singer Jennifer Hudson testified Monday in the trial of a man accused of killing her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew. She broke down in tears several times on the stand as she remembered her family. Hudson was the prosecution's first witness. She identified the defendant, William Balfour, the estranged husband of her sister, Julia. "None of us wanted her to marry him," she said. "We did not like how he treated her." Hudson, dressed in black, also testified about her relationship with her mother, saying she spoke with her mom every day and slept in the same bed with her until she was 16. Read a full transcript of Jennifer Hudson's testimony . Through tears, she talked about the last time she saw her family together and the day she found out about the murders. "I did everything in my power to get home," Hudson said. She testified that she identified her relatives' bodies for authorities. During cross-examination, the singer-actress returned to the subject of Balfour. "Where he was, I tried not to be," Hudson said. In the afternoon, her sister, Julia Hudson, took the stand. She said Balfour threatened to kill her family after she told him she didn't want to be with him. " 'If you leave me, you'll be the last to die. I'll kill your family first,' " she quoted him as saying. She also said Balfour was jealous of her son. Julia Hudson recounted arriving home the day of the slayings, finding a bullet hole in the door and running inside. "I'm saying, 'Mama, mama, mama,' " she said. "She didn't answer." She testified that she ran screaming from the home after finding her mother lying in blood on the floor. When police asked her who could have done it, Julia Hudson said, she told them "William." Eighteen people have been selected to serve on the jury in the murder trial: 10 women and eight men. The group includes six alternates. The trial comes more than three years after Hudson's relatives were killed. Balfour is accused of fatally shooting Hudson's mother and brother inside their Chicago home in October 2008. The body of Hudson's nephew, Julian King, was found three days later inside an abandoned vehicle. Balfour, Julian's stepfather, has also been charged with one count of home invasion. Julia Hudson testified that her main goal after the slayings was finding her son. When she learned that he had been found dead, "I hollered, and I screamed," she recounted Monday. The judge has said he expects the trial to last three to four weeks. Balfour was detained for questioning the day after the victims were found at the Chicago home. Authorities at the time said that they were holding Balfour for an unspecified parole violation, but he was indicted for murder two months later. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his lawyer has said in court that there is no forensic evidence linking him to the killings. Prosecutors have portrayed Balfour as a jealous man who murdered three people in a rage at the thought that his wife had a boyfriend. The deaths took place a year after Hudson, who rose to fame as a contestant on "American Idol," won an Oscar for her role in the movie "Dreamgirls." In a recent interview with CNN's Piers Morgan, Hudson reflected on the life of her mother, Darnell Donerson. "My mother was a very wise and strong person. I feel like she raised us well, and she prepared me well, and so that's what I live by," she said. Her career has continued to blossom and remain varied since her relatives' deaths. Her recent milestones include penning a memoir detailing her struggles with her weight, being cast to play Nelson Mandela's ex-wife, Winnie, in an upcoming movie, releasing a new album and singing a well-received tribute to Whitney Houston at the most recent Grammy Awards show in February. CNN's Ted Rowlands and Katherine Wojtecki in Chicago and Alan Duke in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Hudson's sister, Julia, testifies defendant threatened to kill her family . "Where he was, I tried not to be," Jennifer Hudson says of William Balfour . Balfour is accused of fatally shooting Hudson's mother, brother and nephew . Balfour, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister, has denied the charges .

Washington (CNN) -- The federal government said Monday it is proceeding with a plan to require gun dealers in four Southwest border states -- California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas -- to report the sales of high-power rifles under certain conditions in an effort to stem the flow of guns to Mexican drug cartels. Critics immediately called the move an illegal expansion of gun-control laws and an effort to divert attention from the "Operation Fast and Furious" gun controversy. And the National Rifle Association said it will file suit to stop the move. Under the new policy, gun dealers in the four border states will have the same reporting requirements for certain long guns that gun dealers nationwide currently have for hand guns. They will be required to give purchaser information to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) if someone purchases two or more semi-automatic rifles in a five-day period, but only if the guns are greater than .22 caliber and have the ability to accept a detachable magazine. If no investigative leads result from the information, the information will be purged in two years. Deputy Attorney General James Cole said in a statement the new rule is tailored to focus on guns that "are highly sought after" by criminal organizations near the border. The rule, he said, "will improve the ability of the (ATF) to detect and disrupt the illegal weapons transfers" from gun buyers in the U.S. to drug traffickers in Mexico and along the border. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, praised the action, saying ATF agents testified to Congress recently they needed the ability to track weapons to disrupt the cartels. Brady Campaign Acting President Dennis Henigan urged President Barack Obama "to do all in his power to protect this valuable new initiative from the gun lobby's inevitable efforts to attack it in Congress and the courts." He also called for stricter laws to prevent trafficking in the first place. But critics called the action a "diversionary tactic" to take attention away from Congress's ongoing investigation into the "Fast and Furious" program, in which the ATF allowed people suspected of being straw-purchasers of weapons to sell their weapons, hoping to build bigger cases against Mexican criminal organizations. "This political maneuver seems designed to protect the careers of political appointees at the Justice Department and not public safety," Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, said in a statement. The National Rifle Association agreed. "This (Fast and Furious) has become a full-blown scandal, and I think they're trying to change the subject from Fast and Furious to something else," said NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. LaPierre said the action defies the clear intent of Congress regarding the reporting of gun sales. "What you've got here is the Obama administration stepping into the shoes of Congress and essentially legislating," LaPierre said. "We are immediately filing lawsuit in federal courts." LaPierre said the NRA would file suit as soon as the ATF delivers the first "demand letter" requiring a licensee to report the sale of a long gun. LaPierre said the new rule is "an attempt to inch President Obama's (anti-gun) agenda down the road. Once they get into four states, they'll expand it to Tennessee, Rhode Island, Wyoming. I think it's a nose in the tent," he said. The long-gun reporting proposal pre-dates disclosures about the "Fast and Furious" controversy. The ATF first published the proposal in the Federal Register, seeking public comment, on Dec. 17, 2010, and published a second notice on April 29, 2011, requesting public comments for 30 days. But critics said the administration moved forward with the proposal to re-frame the "Fast and Furious" debate. Rep. Cummings, meanwhile, said he plans to introduce legislation with Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, to establish a dedicated firearms trafficking statute "to provide law enforcement with an additional tool to combat gun traffickers." Cummings issued a report last month that recommended ATF collect reports of multiple long gun sales.

The policy applies to gun dealers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas . Gun dealers must report sales of high-power rifles under certain conditions . Authorities say it's an effort to stem the flow of guns to Mexican drug cartels . Critics say it's an illegal expansion of gun-control laws; the NRA says it will sue .

(CNN) -- A few minutes of what was considered online fun, and one person is dead. Another is convicted of invasion of privacy and bias intimidation. When Rutgers student Dharun Ravi set up a spycam to catch roommate Tyler Clementi in a same-sex romantic moment, and when he tweeted about it and his plans to do it again, little did he think that Clementi would commit suicide or that he would face serious jail time and deportation. Ravi is learning his lesson the hard way. There are lessons for all of us: . What you do online can hurt people. Despite the adage about sticks and stones, words can and do hurt -- especially when anyone can publish information that reaches millions. The Internet is full of homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic content. At a minimum, hate speech is online pollution, but it can go much further. It reinforces stereotypes and strengthens the belief that singling out "the other" for abuse is acceptable. Hate speech can harden low self-esteem and intimidate its targets -- and even lead people to commit suicide. Online bystanders have a responsibility. Some students in the Rutgers dorm were amused by Ravi's spycam-Twitter scheme. Others ignored it. They should have been outraged, and they should have done something about it. "If you see something, say something" is not an admonition restricted to the security realm. Tools are online for each of us to flag and report content that is objectionable. Many online companies have staffs to review such reports and to take action, from removing the offensive content to ejecting the person who posted it. Each of us should take responsibility to combat hate-filled content. Speak up: Clicking to report hate speech to an online host is not all we can do. Justice Louis Brandeis, in a 1927 Supreme Court case, extolled the virtues of "counter-speech" to address objectionable speech. That pre-Internet admonition applies full force to online messages today. Hate speech legitimizes discrimination, and many of the people who post it believe no one objects. So object. Speak up to counter the lies of hate speech or the inappropriate online conduct directed at minorities. Just as the Internet provides thoughtless haters with broadcasting tools, each of us has those same tools at our disposal. A little counter-speech can go a long way. It's time to get serious about cyber-literacy and ethics. The lack of education in schools about the rules that apply to online posting is appalling. Kids are left to their own devices, literally, with little guidance. Given the power in everyone's hands to cause injury -- and to be injured -- schools should provide serious discussions of what is appropriate online behavior. We are well past the time when adults can think of themselves as the digital immigrants who don't fully understand new technologies, compared with their kids, the digital natives who better understand the online world. Privacy is a shared responsibility. Discussions about privacy usually revolve around consumer privacy and protection. But in this era of social media, when everyone can be a publisher and broadcaster, individual responsibility to respect privacy should be the focus. Most people would know that secretly setting up a webcam to spy on someone is wrong. But posting embarrassing photos and videos and making thoughtless comments can be a wrongful invasion of privacy as well. Each of us has a responsibility to consider the privacy implications of what we do online. Homophobia is not funny. Finally, while young straight people today are much more accepting of gay people, an undercurrent of homophobia remains. Ravi most likely would not have set up a webcam to catch his roommate making out with a girl, nor would he have tweeted about it. In some quarters, the put-down "That's so gay" is still common parlance. Many think of gays and lesbians as "the other" and fair game for jokes. Racist and anti-Semitic jokes still have currency. Ravi may have thought what he was doing to his roommate was funny, but he now knows it was anything but, for Clementi and for himself. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Christopher Wolf.

Rutgers tragedy after webcam intrusion: One person convicted, another dead . Christopher Wolf: Respecting others' privacy online, fighting hate speech our responsibility . Wolf writes: Our online behavior can hurt ourselves and others, and it can even lead to suicide . We must speak up against hate speech, he says, and educate kids in wise behavior .

(CNN) -- He smiles. He stares. He sits without apparent expression. Who is he? That's the question historians are trying to answer after a collection surfaced of some 450 photo booth portraits, taken of the same man over what appears to be decades. No one knows who he is or why he made, and kept, the photographs. "Not knowing is very mysterious. It's like an abstract painting. You're going to fill in the blanks yourself. You bring to it what you know, and if we don't know anything, we sort of make up a story," said Donald Lokuta, a photography historian and owner of the collection. The photographs are being shown as part of "Striking Resemblance: The Changing Art of Portraiture," an exhibition on display through July at Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Lokuta bought the prints a year or two ago at an antiques show in New York. He was immediately drawn to the images and to the mystery behind them. The photographs were taken in a Photomatic photo booth. They are small. Most have metal frames, though some of the later ones have either cardboard or plastic frames. Lokuta guesses the photographs were made over a roughly 30-year period, starting in the 1930s. He speculates on why the man made so many and talks about the prints' appeal. "He was either hooked on self-portraits and kind of wanted to see himself in a photograph constantly, or he worked for the company maintaining the machine," said Lokuta. The theory that he worked in maintenance for the photo booth company mirrors the plot of the French film "Amelie," as CNN.com readers have noted. "It's the same guy, and he's getting a little older, and a little older and a little older. Then his hair is messed up, then his hair is neat. Then he's smiling a little bit, then he's not smiling. Then he's wearing a winter jacket, then he's wearing a sports jacket," Lokuta said. "It's just so familiar. It's like looking at yourself in the mirror every morning." A potential lead . After purchasing the photographs, Lokuta got curious about where they might have come from. He got in touch with Nakki Goranin, author of "American Photobooth." Besides being a wealth of knowledge about that particular chapter of U.S. history, Goranin owns some images of the same man. Turns out, the people who sold Lokuta the collection had previously sold a few of the photographs on eBay. Goranin bought those prints, which stand out because unlike the 445 that Lokuta has, Goranin's photographs show the man with children. She tracked down the sellers, who told her the photographs came from an auction in Michigan. "I have a strong suspicion who the gentleman is," said Goranin, "but I'm not 100% sure." She declined to give the name of the man she thinks appears in the photographs until she can do more research. Selfies show 'ongoing portrait' Zimmerli curator Donna Gustafson believes that having a story to go along with the man's face would be interesting. "Having a name to attach to the face would maybe in a way close the book on it, but on the other hand, might open a new book or a new chapter," she said. Gustafson and Lokuta are friends. She knew as soon as he showed her the photographs she wanted them for her portraiture exhibition. Gustafson says she doesn't really have a favorite from the collection. "What I love the most is how all of them sort of blend into an ongoing portrait of someone over time," she said. Gustafson also loves the mystery. "We just really don't know much about the man except that he seems to have enjoyed having his photo -- his selfie -- done, and he saved them all," she said. "He seems like such an average guy, but this clearly sort of catapults him out of average into really interesting because why would he do this? And how is it possible that we have 445 pictures of a man and we know nothing about him?"

A collection of some 450 photo booth portraits are on display at Rutgers University . The images show the same man over what appears to be decades . No one knows who he is or why he made the photographs . "It's like looking at yourself in the mirror every morning," says the man who owns the prints .

(CNN) -- A major Italian trade union called on workers to strike Tuesday, as the country's Senate prepares to vote on austerity measures to try to bring the country's budget under control. The strikes were causing transport chaos in cities across the country, with parts of the metro shut down in Rome, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. The CGIL union said demonstrations were planned for cities including Rome, Naples, Florence, Milan and many others. The strike comes amid international worries about the health of Italy's economy, the third-largest in Europe. Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi last month insisted that his country could confront the financial anxieties shadowing Italy and rest of the continent. Speaking to lawmakers, he said the economic challenges Italy faces need "to be tackled with determination and without panic." But he also noted "we do not deny we are facing a crisis," adding: "We need to work together to overcome it." There have been fears that the debt crisis roiling Greece and Portugal is spreading to Italy and could affect the stability of the euro, the currency used by 17 nations on the continent. Italy has one of the lowest growth rates in the world and among the highest public debts, warned Domenico Lombardi, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former International Monetary Fund executive board member. He said the roots of Italy's troubles lie in its huge public debt and low growth rate. Italy's economy has been growing at only 0.3%, he said, and most importantly is projected to grow at a similarly feeble rate for the next few years. "This very low rate of growth really is one of the lowest in the world," he said, "and on top of that Italy has a very high public debt." That debt stands at about 120% of gross domestic product (GDP) -- or in other words, a fifth more than the country's annual economic output -- and is one of the highest in the world, bar that of Greece, which has had to be bailed out by Europe. Put these two factors together in Italy and it "becomes clear that the economy is not going to be able to generate enough resources to pay for its debt," Lombardi said. Professor Iain Begg of the London School of Economics told CNN that while Berlusconi's public return to the helm on the economy was welcome after a conspicuous absence, Italy's mercurial prime minister is also a part of the problem. Italy under Berlusconi has failed to "grasp the nettle of economic reform" to tackle low growth over a sustained period, Begg said. In addition, he said, Berlusconi erred in July by publicly criticizing Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti (who is himself troubled by corruption allegations) over recently announced austerity measures. "As soon as you start playing these kind of games politically, the markets smell blood and as soon as they scent it, they start tearing flesh," Begg said. He argues that Italy should not be in trouble in the first place because although its debt is high, it is not rising. Also, the public-sector deficit -- the gap between taxation and expenditure -- is very low at 4% compared with other countries, such as 10% in the UK and 11% in the United States. Italy isn't exposed to the same kind of property bubble as Spain and its banking system is strong, Begg said. But other elements, like the new debt deals agreed for Greece, Ireland and Portugal, have paradoxically pushed up borrowing costs for Italy to record levels -- with bond yields, or interest rates on government debt, reaching 6% -- and put it under greater pressure, he said. Unlike McWilliams, Begg believes Italy is highly unlikely to default on its huge debt -- but its situation is nonetheless "precarious" if it wants to avoid years of low growth. And the picture is not altogether bleak. Unemployment in Italy, at just over 8%, is not as high as in Spain or Greece, Begg said, giving more leeway for the government to carry out tough reforms and the economy to be turned round. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.

Strikes cause transport chaos in cities across the country, an Italian news agency reports . The CGIL union calls for demonstrations in Rome, Florence, Milan and many other cities . Italy is trying to bring down its public debt, which is 120% of GDP . Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi insists that the country can tackle the crisis .

(CNN) -- The residents of Colorado and Washington state have voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, and all hell is about to break loose -- at least ideologically. The problem is that pot is still very much illegal under federal law, and the Obama administration must decide whether to enforce federal law in a state that has rejected the substance of that law. What makes this development fascinating is that it brings into conflict two important strains of political thought in America: federalism and moralism. Federalists, who seek to limit the power of the federal government relative to the states and individuals, will urge a hands-off approach. Moralists, on the other hand, strongly believe in the maintenance of an established social order and will argue for continuing enforcement of federal narcotics laws. The new laws will pit those who want a small federal government that leaves businesses and individuals alone against those who want the government to actively enforce a traditional sense of public morality in areas such as narcotics, abortion and limitations on gay marriage. One aspect of this conundrum is the near-total overlap between federal and state narcotics laws. Simple possession of marijuana is made into a federal criminal case under 21 U.S.C. Section 844, and federal law oddly categorizes marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic, along with heroin and mescaline -- even as cocaine and opium remain on the less-serious Schedule II. While federal law typically won't provide jurisdiction over a street robbery or even a murder, it does allow federal courts to imprison someone for carrying a small bag of marijuana, even when state law says otherwise. Opinion: The end of the war on marijuana . Federal and state efforts to curb marijuana use through prosecution simply haven't worked. In 2010, four out of five of the 1.64 million people arrested for drug violations were accused of possession, and half of those arrests were for carrying what were often very small amounts of marijuana. Those hundreds of thousands of drug cases corresponded with an increase in marijuana use. If federal policy were about problem-solving, Colorado would not pose a dilemma, because prosecuting marijuana cases hasn't solved the problem of marijuana use. Federal drug policy, though, is very much driven by moralism rather than problem-solving. After all, we have spent billions of dollars -- about $20 billion to $25 billion a year during the past decade -- and incarcerated tens of thousands of people to punish drug possession and trafficking without ever successfully restricting the flow of marijuana or cocaine. If we think tough drug laws solve the problem of drug use, we are deluding ourselves. Rather, what sustains the effort is the bedrock belief that drugs are bad, and we must punish those who sell them or use them. Mass incarceration is justified by the belief that those we lock up simply deserve it. That sense of retributive morality does not stop at state borders. Federalism, though, demands that individual and state rights be honored above all but the most important federal imperatives. Should marijuana be legal? Readers debate pot laws . We are not a unitary state like many European nations, and part of the genius of the American experience is the delicate balance between federal and state powers desired by those wise men who crafted the mechanics of our government. The difference between federalism and the kind of moralism driving national narcotics policy is simply this: Federalism is a central principle built into the structure of our government through the Constitution. Abhorrence of marijuana use is not such a defining principle. To be true to our best values, federalism should win out. No doubt, the moralists will consider the regulations on marijuana "too important" to bow to federalism concerns, but their sway is limited. Our recent elections show the moralists to be in decline, as those who fought limits on gay marriage won across the board at the same time that marijuana was legalized. As a federal prosecutor, I had the privilege of representing the United States and a role in employing the singular power of prosecutorial discretion. The Obama administration should employ that discretionary power in line with our oldest and best principles and step back from continuing marijuana prosecutions in Colorado and Washington. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Mark Osler.

Colorado and Washington legalized recreational use of pot but it's illegal under federal law . Mark Osler: Two ideologies clash over whether U.S. should override new state laws . Osler: Federalists say state laws must rule; moralists say we need national drug laws . U.S. must honor states, he says; federalism is in Constitution, pot opposition is not .

(CNN) -- High in the Peruvian Andes, where it's so dry and cold that very little vegetation grows, life depends on one animal: the alpaca. But in recent years, raising alpacas has become a greater challenge. Mountains that used to be covered with ice around the town of Licapa, elevation of 4,200 meters (about 13,780 feet) above sea level, are now barren. Salomon Parco, a 30-year-old Alpaca shepherd who lives in Licapa, says that no ice means no water; and no water means no grass to feed the animals. Parco also says the ice has all but disappeared in the last three decades. "The difference is that when I was a little boy, the mountaintops were white with snow and ice. But as you can see, they now look black. That's the difference," he says. Read more coverage of the Road to Durban . A stranger recently arrived in Licapa bringing hope. Eduardo Gold, an engineer and self-described inventor, is the founder of Peru Glaciers. The organization's goal is to bring the ice back to the mountains. "This community is closely tied to the glaciers," he says. "As soon as they disappear, their livelihood disappears for them as well." Along with Gold and his crew of five locals, photographer Jose Armijo and I travel to the top of the mountains. The lack of oxygen makes the hike challenging. At an elevation of 5,000 meters (about 16,400 feet), we see firsthand what's happening to the glaciers. This is where Gold and his crew are working on the project to bring the glaciers back. Gold's idea is very simple: If dark mountains absorb more heat from the sun, white mountains will have the opposite effect. The solution is to make them white. Under Gold's direction, the crew of five goes around the mountain, splashing a mixture that turns the rocks white. It's not paint, but a combination of water, sand and lime. Two percent of the mixture is soap, which makes it stick to the rocks and stay waterproof once it dries. An infrared thermometer shows a difference of 30 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) in temperature between the dark rocks and the previously whitened ones. Gold acknowledges there is a lot of work to go before he can prove his theory works. "This is an experiment. It may or may not work. Or it may work a little. Doing something about it is better than nothing at all," he says. And it seems to be working. Gold shows us a crevice between the rocks where he finds some ice. The locals say there was no ice at all before. "We had very little water. The difference this year since we have whitened the mountain is that there's water. As you can see down there, there's a well with plenty of water, and down the hill we have even more," says Parco, the shepherd. Glaciers are crucial not only for this mountain region. They are also natural dams for all of Peru from which water flows to streams and rivers in downhill valleys. Glaciers also decrease the temperature. So far, the crew has covered an area of roughly 15,000 square meters (almost the size of three football fields), still too small to determine if Gold's idea will work in the long term. His goal is to cover 3 billion square meters, which would be much more than 500,000 football fields. For that, he would need about $1.5 billion spread over five years. He's received an award from the World Bank to work on the project, but only enough for a modest beginning. "If there's a chance of bringing change, why ignore it? Doing nothing would be worse. If we fail to act, life will end in this area," Gold says. In a way, life has already ended in the town of Licapa. Gold says that only about 900 people remain in a place that thousands used to call home. But Salomon Parco says he's confident the project will work in the long term. He's betting his children's future on it.

Mountains in Peruvian Andes that used to be covered with ice are now barren . Mountain communities that depend on water from glaciers are threatened . Engineer and self-described inventor wants to bring ice back to the mountains . His solution: A mixture that turns mountain rocks white, lowers their temperature .

(CNN) -- Our gun debate continues to revolve around measures to prevent deranged people from using military-style weapons to massacre innocent people. This is a worthy goal. We should do all we can do, within the limits of our Constitution, to reduce the number and deadliness of these tragedies. But I am increasingly concerned that the debate will never evolve to include deeper sources of gun violence in our country. After all, most people killed by guns in the United States are not killed in school massacres by villains carrying AR-15s. They are killed one at a time, and usually by handguns. All too often, they die in urban and rural communities in economic distress. More people die in gun suicides than gun murders. This is the real gun violence epidemic. And universal background checks -- as important and necessary as that step is -- will not do much to curb it. I had hoped the national debate might expand to include a deeper discussion of what is really happening with gun violence in America. So far, it has not. The conversation did not change much, even after Hadiya Pendleton, who marched with her Chicago classmates in President Obama's second inaugural parade, was shot and killed in a park while talking with her friends. She was only 15 years old. The truth is that her story is tragically common in America. And the most disputed ideas out of Washington, like an assault weapons ban, wouldn't do much to change that reality. Opinion: More gun mayhem, and yet we wait for action . What can be done to really reduce the senseless slaughter in schools like Sandy Hook and on the streets in cities like Chicago? Should we close the loophole that allows people to buy guns without a basic background check? Yes. Get illegal guns off the street? Yes. Ban assault weapons? Of course. These things should have been done years ago. For the decades of inaction, we can thank the National Rifle Association, a gun manufacturers' lobby that has divorced itself from reality. Should we put armed guards in every school? Probably not. More weapons do not necessarily make us safer. And the price for doing so might keep us from measures that are smarter and statistically more effective, like better mental health services and counseling for students on the edge. Proposals for "armed schools" may help the NRA sell more guns, but they don't address the underlying problems. They also risk leaving the rest of us in a perpetual high-fear, low-trust society. What could really turn the tide? Much of the daily violence is linked to economic desperation and despair. Areas of concentrated poverty continue to be linked to violent crime. In Chicago, the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods have the highest homicide rate. Studies by the Brookings Institution, Johns Hopkins, and even the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco note the link between lack of opportunity and violence. We should be focused on connecting people, especially young men, to training and employment. As I said recently on "Piers Morgan Tonight," nothing stops a bullet like a job. As author and journalist Alex Kotlowitz told CNN, in violent Chicago neighborhoods, "The American Dream is fiction." NRA chief: Why we fight for gun rights . Fixing that by making sure every American has a chance to climb the ladder to opportunity is a good place to start. Beyond that, many community programs are having success at creating more peaceful streets. For example: in South Los Angeles, the Community Coalition has created a safer neighborhood by working with residents to shut down a troublesome liquor store and connecting families to jobs resources. The Harlem Children's Zone is a successful example of an Obama administration program, Promise Neighborhoods, that has received too little money and too little attention. Baltimore's Safe Streets program reduces gun violence by providing mediating services and resources for youth to participate in community service programs and job training. A University of Philadelphia study even found that greening vacant lots in cities helps reduce gun violence. These programs and the crying need for jobs should be at the center of any discussion about reducing the horrifying death toll in our nation. Every child dead is a massacre, whether it happens in unspeakable numbers in a schoolhouse or one by one on the streets of Chicago. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Van Jones.

Van Jones: Gun debate needs to go beyond background checks and assault weapons . Jones: Gun violence also tied to poverty, mental illness, lack of opportunity . Jones: Most people killed by guns in suicides, then in murders, not in mass shootings . Jones: We need jobs, education, activist community groups to help young people .

(CNN) -- Capt. Richard Phillips, whose capture and dramatic rescue in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Africa last week captivated the nation, returned home to Vermont on Friday. Capt. Richard Phillips says, "I'm not the hero. The military is the hero. Thank them." Phillips landed shortly after 4:30 p.m. at Burlington International Airport. He was met by family members, who climbed the steps of his plane to greet him. He then strolled across the tarmac with his family, his arm wrapped around his daughter, Mariah, who wiped away tears. "I just want to thank you for your prayers and support of my family while I was gone," Phillips said after landing in Vermont. "I'm just a bit part. I'm a seaman like all the other seamen out there." Watch Phillips' happy homecoming » . Close-up camera shots of Phillips on Friday showed what appeared to be rope burns on his forearms, presumably from being tied by the pirates. Phillips spoke for a short time and mostly thanked the military for saving him. "I'm not the hero," he said. "The military is the hero. Thank them." Watch Phillips thank military, Maersk » . He offered no details of what happened to him during his time as a hostage besides calling it "indescribable." He also took the time to thank crew members on his ship. "We did it. I told you it wasn't going to be 'if'; it was going to be 'when,' " he said. "We did what we were trained to do. We're just seamen. [We] do the best with what we've got, and my crew did an excellent job, and I'm so proud of them that they're all home and they're with their loved ones." Watch how crews train for pirate attacks » . He had just completed an 18-hour flight out of Mombasa, Kenya, on a jet owned by Maersk. Family members said they planned to spend some quality time together later Friday at their home in Underhill, Vermont -- Phillips' mother-in-law was making brownies and his best friend planned to bring over chicken pot pie and Phillips' favorite beer, they said. Phillips offered himself as a hostage last week, when four pirates boarded his U.S.-flagged ship, the Maersk Alabama. The pirates held him aboard a lifeboat for several days in a standoff against the U.S. Navy. Navy sharpshooters shot and killed three pirates, freeing Phillips. The other pirate had been taken into custody. The captain's wife, Andrea, also spoke at his homecoming, calling it "one of the happiest moments of our lives." She said she was extremely proud of his bravery, but also acknowledged the captain would say he was just doing his job. "I have always been proud to call myself an American," Andrea Phillips said. "Today, I'm even prouder. To everyone who has been involved in this that made this day possible, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Through this past week, having Richard back safe was all that my family and I ever wanted. Now our prayers have been answered, and we have a lot of people to thank." The 53-year-old Vermont native was praised Thursday by engineer John Cronan, one of the 19 other crew members. "He went above and beyond the call to ensure our safety," Cronan told CNN's "Larry King Live." "I can't thank that man enough. He is the reason I'm here tonight." Watch Cronan tell King about the experience » . Asked whether she wants to see Cronan continue working as a merchant mariner, Cronan's fiancee said it was up to him. "John and I have an agreement," said Heather Giardinelli, who works as a pharmaceutical marketing researcher. "He doesn't tell me how to do my job, and I won't tell him how to do his." Asked whether he plans to return to sea, Cronan said, "Yes, sir. However, the Staten Island Ferry has become much more appealing."

Capt. Richard Phillips: "I'm a seaman like all the other seamen out there" Wife: "Having Richard back safe was all that my family and I ever wanted" Phillips spent five days as hostage after Somali pirates assaulted ship . Maersk crew member: "I can't thank that man enough"

(CNN)When Barack Obama heads to India this weekend to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he will be both the first U.S. president to attend as Chief Guest and the first U.S. president to visit India twice during his term of office. But despite Obama's warm rhetoric and talk of U.S.-India ties being a "defining partnership of the 21st century," the man of the hour when I was visiting India last month was a different world leader: Vladimir Putin. "Russia has been India's foremost defense partner through decades. ... Russia will remain our foremost defense partner," Modi explained during the Russian President's visit, adding that the "strategic partnership" between the two countries was "incomparable." These comments followed Modi's claim to Putin at the BRICS summit last summer that: "Even a child in India, if asked to say who is India's best friend, will reply it is Russia because Russia has been with India in times of crisis." Throw in India's soothing expression of "understanding" over Russia's actions in Ukraine, and it is hard not to wonder whether Modi's words are more than just the kinds of diplomatic platitudes you might expect from a gracious host. Indeed, even as Modi signed off a speech in Central Park with the words "May the force be with you," I was reminded of another classic American film series -- "Back to the Future" -- and wondered whether Modi's encouraging words to Putin might reflect a certain nostalgia for days gone by. True, since the fall of the Soviet Union and India's economic reforms, the world's two largest democracies have done their best to put the days of Cold War estrangement behind them: The United States has cooperated with India extensively on terrorism and maritime security, and India conducts more military exercises with the United States (India's largest defense supplier) than any other nation. In addition, the United States has done the heavy lifting in trying to bring India into the international civil nuclear community. And even India's traditional concern over the U.S.-Pakistan relationship seems to have eased in recent years. Yet as the State Department has noted, the India-Russia defense deals announced during Putin's visit come at a particularly bad time. For the first time since World War II, Europe has a leader in Putin who evidently believes it is acceptable to alter international boundaries through the use of force. One would think an India disputing Chinese and Pakistani territorial claims to entire Indian states would be particularly wary of the embrace of a former KGB agent who was so quick to force his own way. But even setting aside India's inconsistency on this, it is unclear what practical benefits India should see in wanting to so closely ally itself with a country whose currency is being severely devalued, whose economy is reeling from falling oil prices and international sanctions, whose trade with India is less than a tenth of that with the United States, and whose planes India has bought, even as questions are now raised about their reliability. In fact, the reality is that since the Cold War, Russia has been largely missing in action in regard to India. The views of Russia expressed during the Putin visit therefore seem largely formed by Cold War relations between India and the Soviet Union rather than present reality. But perhaps most importantly of all, this apparent nostalgia raises the question of how India's policy toward Russia can be reconciled with Indian values of democracy, the rule of law, and individual liberty -- values shared with the United States and that are often cited by leaders and citizens, including the 3.8 million Indian Americans who have helped build the natural partnership between the United States and India. Because unfortunately, these democratic values are being steadily eroded in Russia under Putin (the criminal prosecution of opposition leader Alexei Navalny being but the latest example), who has derided talk of them as American attempts to impose a sort of cultural imperialism. Both India and the United States need to work with Russia on a variety of issues. But this no time for reverting to relations of a bygone era. Most Indians, and a large number of Americans, were not even alive when the Soviet Union and India were the best of friends -- an era the United States and India should be working to put behind them by looking to a future in which U.S. and Indian school children will recognize their respective nations as best friends. For this to happen, the U.S. and India must act accordingly.

Barack Obama arrives for a visit in India this weekend . Ray Vickery: Since Cold War, Russia largely missing in action over India .

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- A car bomb struck a U.S. Embassy vehicle Tuesday as it traveled along a coastal highway north of Beirut, killing at least three Lebanese civilian bystanders, according to American and Lebanese officials. Lebanese soldiers and Red Cross workers stand near charred cars at the site of the explosion in Beirut. The driver of the embassy vehicle suffered minor injuries, and the sole passenger walked away unscathed, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Both were Lebanese nationals, he said. An American citizen who happened to be in the area suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the spokesman said. Lebanese internal security forces said three Lebanese civilian bystanders were killed in the explosion in Beirut's Dora area, contradicting earlier reports of four. Twenty-one others -- including the American bystander -- were wounded in the explosion, which was caused by a 15-kilogram (33-pound) bomb placed in a car before the explosion, the security forces said. The United States is outraged by the terrorist attack, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is traveling with President Bush in Saudi Arabia. "I want on behalf of our country to say to those who were wounded, and certainly to the families of those who were killed, that our condolences are with them," she added. It was not clear whether the blast was caused by a suicide attack or by a remotely detonated car bomb. A communique issued by the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said the embassy vehicle was apparently the intended target of the attack, and identified the driver and passenger as Lebanese security personnel for the embassy. But McCormack cautioned against jumping to any conclusions on the intended target. "We don't yet have a full picture of exactly what happened, who is responsible, who is exactly being targeted," he told reporters during the State Department's daily briefing. "We will see over the next day or two ... where the facts lead us." Citing security concerns, McCormack would also not address unconfirmed reports that the vehicle was part of a convoy for departing U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman. A U.S. Embassy statement said Feltman canceled a farewell ceremony that he was to host Tuesday night "out of respect to the victims of today's terrorist explosion." In addition to the American, an Iraqi and at least three Lebanese were among those wounded in the blast, according to a Western diplomatic source. Video of the scene showed several damaged cars, including at least one that was left a pile of twisted metal. A nearby high-rise building also sustained damage. Mohammed Chatah, senior adviser to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, pointed out that the attack happened during "a major political crisis" in Lebanon, which has been without a president for nearly eight weeks amid a bitter political feud. "This explosion just exacerbates a difficult situation," Chatah told CNN. Tuesday's blast appears to be the latest in a series of attacks against pro-Western, anti-Syrian targets in the Lebanese capital. Most recently, an explosion in Beirut's Christian suburb of Baabda killed Brig. Gen. Francois Al-Hajj, the head of operations for the Lebanese army, and his bodyguard on December 12. Al-Hajj was believed to be a top candidate to take over as army commander in the event current commander Gen. Michel Suleiman was elected to replace Emile Lahoud as president. Lebanon has been in the midst of a political crisis as pro- and anti-Syrian lawmakers in parliament are locked in a battle to elect a new president. The nation has been without a president since November 23, when the pro-Syrian Lahoud stepped down at the end of his term. In February 2005, the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut sparked widespread protests that led to the ouster of Syrian forces from Lebanon. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Anthony Mills in Beirut and Elise Labott in Washington contributed to this report .

NEW: The United States is outraged by the attack, Secretary of State Rice says . Car bomb strikes U.S. Embassy vehicle north of Beirut . Three Lebanese civilians dead, American and Lebanese officials confirm . Driver of the vehicle was slightly injured, and the only passenger was not hurt .

(CNN) -- In Paraguay's capital city of Asuncion, residents amble down the streets with jugs and insulated cups of all shapes and sizes, sipping yerba mate tea through straws. (Or perhaps it's terere, yerba mate's cold counterpart, served heavy over ice.) Locals and visitors alike might stroll past a food stall hawking bori bori, a thick soup of corn flour dumplings and chicken. There's also bife koygua to sample, beef smothered with fried onions and topped with a fried egg. The more pescatarian-minded might try a bounty of fish like surubi, a type of bottom-dwelling catfish, and dorado, all straight from the Paraguay River. 14 things to know about Paraguay . But almost everyone will want to encounter one of the country's most intriguing dishes, which came about as a serendipitous failure. Sopa paraguaya, which means Paraguayan soup, is a misnomer. It is not even close to being a soup; in fact, it's more akin to a cheesy cornbread. As with any national dish, there is a certain amount of lore that stews around its origin. Legend has it that Carlos Antonio Lopez, the corpulent and corrupt president-cum-dictator of Paraguay from 1841 to 1862, decided one day to feast upon a nice warming bowl of corn soup. The cook accidentally put too much corn flour in the soup, and what came out was a solid rather than a liquid. Fearing Lopez's notorious iron fist, the cook decided to slice and serve the cake-like soup with a bit of nationalistic advertising as sopa paraguaya. To the cook's luck, Lopez liked the marketing and, even more so, the newfangled sopa. Nowadays, its a dish -- the country's national dish, at that -- most often served at special occasions like Holy Week and weddings, but it's too good a dish not to make at home from time to time. Sopa Paraguaya . (Serves 8) Excerpted from "Mallmann On Fire" by Francis Mallmann (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2014. Photographs by Santiago Soto Monllor. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil . 1¼ cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal . 3 onions, finely chopped . 1½ cups whole milk . 3 large eggs, lightly beaten . 1 teaspoon coarse salt . ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper . 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste . 1¼ cups finely diced fresh mozzarella . 1. Heat an oven to 375°F, with a rack in the lower third. Brush a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan well with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and coat with ¼ cup of the cornmeal. 2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and saute until tender and translucent; do not let them brown. Set aside to cool to room temperature. 3. In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, beaten eggs, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cooled onions. Sprinkle one-third of the remaining cornmeal evenly over the bottom of the pan. Scatter one-third of the mozzarella evenly over it. Ladle one-third of the milk, egg and onion mixture over the cheese. Repeat two more times. The mixture will look quite wet. 4. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, until puffed and golden brown and quite fluffy; do not let it get too firm, or it will be dry. Cool in the pan on a rack. 5. Run a metal spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen the sopa, place a platter or tray over the top and invert to unmold. See more food news, culture and downright deliciousness on Eatocracy .

Sopa paraguaya is the national dish of Paraguay and isn't a soup at all . Legend has it that a president's cook created it by accident . Residents of Paraguay sip yerba mate, a type of tea, all day long .

London (CNN) -- A new TV appeal for information about the disappearance of 3-year-old Madeleine McCann in 2007 has prompted almost 1,000 responses, London's Metropolitan Police said Tuesday. The appeal is based on a new investigation and was aired on the BBC's "Crimewatch" program on Monday. For six years, mystery has surrounded Madeleine's disappearance from her family's holiday villa in the resort town of Praia da Luz, in Portugal. Now a review of the evidence by a team from London's Metropolitan Police appears to have raised the prospect of fresh leads. The police have received more than 730 calls and and 212 e-mails since the appeal was broadcast, the case's lead investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, said Tuesday. "Detectives are now trawling through and prioritizing that material. This will take time," he said in a news release. Madeleine McCann case: Two callers name man in new UK police sketches . Callers give name for man in sketch . Police said Monday that two separate people had come up with the same name in response to computer-generated sketches of a man whom they are working to identify in connection with Madeleine's disappearance. The man is described as white, between 20 and 40 years old, with short brown hair and a medium build. He was seen carrying a blond child, who might have been in pajamas and who was estimated to be 3 to 4 years old, around the time Madeleine disappeared, police said. The two sketches, which police believe to be of the same man, are based on descriptions from separate witnesses, investigators said. The same police appeal is to be screened in Holland on Tuesday and Germany on Wednesday in the hope of flushing out new information. The Portuguese resort is popular with people of many different nationalities. Police target 38 'people of interest' in Madeleine McCann's '07 disappearance . The latest revelation is critical in reconstructing what exactly happened on the night of May 3, 2007, when Madeleine disappeared from her family's villa while her parents dined at a nearby restaurant. The girl was just days shy of her fourth birthday. Neither her parents nor the detectives investigating her case have given up on one day finding the little girl from Leicestershire, England. "There may be an entirely innocent explanation of this man, but we need to establish who he is to assist with our inquiries," Redwood said earlier. Additionally, investigators believe they have a better understanding of when Madeleine may have been abducted, Redwood added. "The timeline we have now established has given new significance to sightings and movements of people in and around Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's disappearance." John Walsh: Madeleine McCann could be alive . More sketches released . As police sift through the evidence, they have also released sketches of a fair-haired man or men seen near the scene on or around May 3, 2007, whom they would like to trace. The detectives are investigating a spike in break-ins in the area in the weeks before Madeleine disappeared, two of them in the same block where her family was staying. Police also said Monday they are looking into four separate sightings of charity collectors on May 3 in Praia da Luz. Two additional sketches were released of men described as Portuguese or Portuguese-looking. The Metropolitan Police Service is offering a reward of up to £20,000 ($32,000) for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of whomever is responsible for Madeleine's abduction. Meanwhile, her parents continue to hold on to hope that their daughter will be returned to them, explaining on their website: "We still worry about her, we miss her as much as we ever did, we remain as determined as ever to find her and to know what has happened." CNN's Sarah Aarthun, Erin McLaughlin and Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report.

Police get nearly 1,000 responses to a TV appeal for information on a missing child . Two different people come up with the same name for man in sketches, police say . Madeleine disappeared in 2007 while on holiday with her parents in Portugal . Police released sketches of a man seen around the resort the night Madeleine disappeared .

(CNN) -- Severe weather descended on the Southeast Monday, killing at least one person, reducing homes to rubble and leaving drivers stranded in flooded streets as the storm system moved northward up the East Coast. One man was killed in Tennessee after being pinned by a trailer that was lifted by strong winds, said Sgt. Chris Guess, a spokesman for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. A woman in the home was taken to a hospital with back and leg injuries, he said. The winds also downed trees and caused significant damage in the northern part of the county, northwest of Chattanooga, Guess said, adding that the sheriff's office could not yet confirm whether the destruction was due to a tornado. In neighboring Hamilton County, as many as five buildings and several cars sustained damage from high winds, said Bill Tittle, the county's emergency management chief. About 37,000 homes and businesses were without power in the Chattanooga area as of 3 p.m., Lacie Newton of Electric Power Board told CNN affiliate WTVC. Also Monday, two tornadoes touched down in Kentucky, officials said. In Henry County, the twister leveled two homes, leaving nothing behind but foundation and concrete, according to Michael Webb, public information officer for the state police in Campbellsburg, Kentucky. Three people were asleep in one home when it started "breaking apart," Webb said. The residents tried to escape the twister's fury by running from their home to their car, but the car was blown several feet from its parked position and overturned before it slammed into a tree with all three people inside, Webb said. First responders found everyone doing OK when they arrived on the scene, Webb said. Two people in the second home destroyed by the tornado sustained minor injuries from the storm and were treated at a local hospital, he said. Forecasters are warning other states to be on the lookout for damaging winds. Tornado watches remain in effect from Mississippi northeastward through northern Alabama, eastern Tennessee, southwestern and central Virginia and central and eastern Maryland through Monday evening, according to CNN meteorologist Sean Morris. High winds to the east didn't produce any tornadoes, but were strong enough to knock down power lines and damage road signs in St. Louis. The winds that ripped through the state were accompanied by heavy rains that left motorists stuck in their cars on flooded streets in Kansas City, Missouri. To the north, in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, the scene was similar. Widespread flooding was expected in Indiana and Ohio Monday afternoon, Morris said. Much of the area has seen 2 to 5 inches of rain in the past week, he said. The rising water flooded streets and businesses in and around Cleveland, where a flash-flood warning was issued Monday morning after an operator at Gates Mill Dam on the Chagrin River in Cuyahoga and Lake counties reported that the dam burst. Officials said the river, which was already experiencing major flooding, could rise even more. The raging water from the dam flowed downstream into portions of Willoughby Hills, Willoughby and Eastlake. The rushing water submerged streets and flooded homes. Residents stranded by the high water were being rescued from their homes Monday evening, video from CNN affiliate WBNS showed. Larry Greene, with the Lake County Emergency Management Agency, told CNN affiliate WOIO that property and structure damage estimates won't be available until the water starts to recede, but no injuries were reported from the dam failure. A slight risk of severe thunderstorms continues for portions of middle and eastern Tennessee, northern Alabama, Georgia and as far as western North Carolina. Tornado warnings were issued Monday afternoon and into the evening for the Atlanta metro area as heavy rains and wind moved into the region, according to the National Weather Service. Downed trees were reported in Acworth, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta. Those thunderstorms could also affect the lower Mississippi Valley east and northeastward to the mid-Atlantic and southeastern Atlantic coasts. Forecasters say a cold front was surging eastward across the area, triggering severe storms and bringing additional rain to Tennessee and Kentucky where flood watches remain in effect through Thursday evening. CNN's Dave Alsup and Tristan Smith contributed to this report .

At least one death has been reported from the storm system . Two tornadoes were confirmed in Kentucky . Several states have seen 2 to 5 inches of rain in past week, forecasters say . An operator reports a complete dam failure along the Chagrin River in Ohio .

(CNN) -- A movie about the early life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs premiered Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival to mixed reviews, with some critics saying it presents a fawning, one-sided portrait of the late tech icon. "jOBS" stars Ashton Kutcher in the title role and dramatizes selected highlights of Jobs' life, from his formative months at Reed College to the 1984 debut of the Macintosh to the triumphant unveiling of the iPod in 2001. Co-starring Josh Gad ("1600 Penn," "The Book of Mormon") as business partner Steve Wozniak, the film focuses on Jobs' celebrated role in pioneering the personal computer. "Over and over again, minor characters explain to him why something can't be done; Kutcher-as-Jobs smiles enigmatically and waves away their concerns," writes Casey Newton for CNET. "Each time, he speaks of how the technology Apple is building will improve the lives of average people. Co-workers argue with him, but they never get anywhere, because their parts are poorly written and the filmmakers have no interest in showing their subject being wrong about his work," Newton continues. "(A)ll Apple failures in 'jOBS' are portrayed as the result of conservative, backward-thinking executives beholden only to their shareholders. The result is that the viewer spends two hours watching cardboard cutouts lose arguments to Ashton Kutcher." Matthew Panzarino of The Next Web has a more charitable view of the movie. "There will be those who will attack the accuracy of the film, and there are plenty of chances to do so. Significant swaths of technical development of the Macintosh and Lisa computers are simply not present," he writes. "But, overall, 'jOBS' works. ... This isn't going to be the canonical Steve Jobs biography movie. Honestly, Jobs was such a complex individual that I can't see one ever being made. But, as an impressionist portrait of a specific period in his life, it's successful." Some observers had questioned Kutcher's ability to portray such a complicated and familiar figure. But both critics had praise for the actor's performance. "He throws himself into the role, inhabiting Jobs in his mannerisms and gestures while doing a more than creditable impression of the man's voice. Kutcher also captures Jobs' deliberate, slightly hunched-over walk," writes CNET's Newton. "At moments, as during an enjoyable sequence in which Jobs recruits members for the Macintosh team, Kutcher disappears into the role." "jOBS" attracted some controversy last week after a scene from the movie was posted on the Internet. In the clip, Jobs raves about the commercial potential of an operating system that Wozniak has created. "Nobody wants to buy a computer," says Wozniak. Replies Jobs, "How does somebody know what they want if they've never even seen it?" Wozniak told Gizmodo that the scene's characterizations were inaccurate. "We never had such interaction and roles," said the Apple co-founder, who has not seen the whole film. "I'm not even sure what it's getting at ... personalities are very wrong, although mine is closer." In response, the filmmakers behind "jOBS" issued a statement saying the movie "is not a documentary, nor is it meant to be a blow by blow, word for word account of all conversations and events. ... The filmmakers acknowledge that not every single thing in the film is a precise representation of what took place, but is feature film entertainment." Kutcher discusses playing Jobs at Sundance . Steve Jobs died in October 2011 after a long battle with cancer. "jOBS" is scheduled to open in theaters April 19. Meanwhile, production is under way on another film about Jobs' life, written by Aaron Sorkin ("The Social Network") and based on Walter Isaacson's best-selling book. Wozniak is a consultant on that film.

Steve Jobs biopic premieres Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival to mixed reviews . "jOBS" focuses on Jobs' celebrated role in pioneering the personal computer . The film stars Ashton Kutcher in the lead role and opens April 19 . Critic: "Filmmakers have no interest in showing their subject being wrong about his work"

(CNN) -- Numerous wildfires were roaring Thursday through parts of Oklahoma and Texas, engulfing one town and searing neighborhoods in others, including one in Oklahoma City. Hurricane-force winds continued to kick the flames even higher. Firefighters in Bowie, Texas, try to get a grass fire under control. Bowie is about 70 miles northwest of Fort Worth. The fires had engulfed so many miles of turf, and flying embers had sparked in so many different places, that hours after the first blazes were reported Thursday morning, safety officials still weren't sure how many fires they were facing. In Texas, the 100-person town of Stoneburg was "burned over," by a 25,000-acre fire said Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Misty Wilburn. The town, northwest of Dallas near the Oklahoma state line, had been evacuated, she said. Seventy-five to 100 homes had been destroyed in Oklahoma, and 13 people were confirmed injured -- two of them critically, according to emergency officials. Watch homes in Oklahoma burn » . Wilburn said Texas authorities were working at least nine major fires Thursday evening, seven in the west of the state and two in the north. "Everything we have is committed to fires," she said. "Everyone is maxed out." Feeding the flames were strong winds that were gusting as high as 76 mph, the strength of a Category 1 hurricane, and grounding many emergency aircraft that can't fly safely in those conditions. On the southwest side of Oklahoma City, fires had engulfed eight homes, and were believed to be destroying many more. In Choctaw, Oklahoma, dozens of homes had been destroyed, and the high school was on the verge of burning, police dispatcher Silva Schneider said just before 8 p.m. Aerial video footage of the central Oklahoma city of about 9,000 people showed row after row of houses in several different neighborhoods engulfed in flames. The Oklahoma towns of Velma, Sparks, Wellston, Healdton and Midwest City, a suburb of Oklahoma City, had all been ordered into mandatory evacuations because of the fires, which officials say are finding plenty of easy fuel because of dry conditions throughout the Southwest. "It's a bad day in Oklahoma," said Albert Ashwood, director of the state's emergency management department. Grass fires were being reported west of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with the smell of smoke already wafting through the cities. Ashwood said weather experts fear that heavy winds as night falls could drive the wildfires into more heavily populated areas. A spokesman for the Texas Forest Service said fires in the state were burning in numerous counties in areas near Fort Worth, Wichita Falls and Amarillo. Watch video of wildfires in Bowie, Texas » . He said there were so many blazes that firefighters were having to ignore some of them, and that winds were so high that most fire-fighting aircraft were unable to fly. The National Weather Service had categorized much of Texas and Oklahoma an "extremely critical fire weather area" Thursday because of the dry conditions and winds. Large portions of western and central Texas and western Oklahoma are in a drought, according to the service. A firefighter who was working near Lindsey, Oklahoma, was in critical condition with third-degree burns over 35 percent of his body, according to a hospital spokeswoman. A motorist in Oklahoma also was hospitalized after driving into an area with heavy smoke, authorities said. iReport.com: Are wildfires affecting you? While the blazes seemed overwhelming in spots, firefighters were making some progress on some fronts. In Breckenridge, Texas, a fire that started in an old landfill and burned several hundred acres had been contained just north of the city limits, according to fire officials. But even as that blaze came under control, the fire department received reports of another fire. Wilburn said that as nightfall approached, Texas had been able to get some firefighting aircraft in the air and that five of the fires were at least partially contained. CNN's Hank Bishop and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report.

NEW: In Texas, the 100-person town of Stoneburg has been "burned over" NEW: In Oklahoma,13 people are confirmed injured, two of them critically . Whole neighborhoods of Oklahoma City have been seared . Texas, Oklahoma officials say fires multiplying so fast they've lost count .

(CNN) -- What's white and black, and has people fawning all over? Meet Siku, a polar bear cub born in captivity in Denmark. The cute cub is being reared by handlers at the Scandinavian Wildlife Park because his mother isn't producing the milk to feed him. Since his birth last month, Siku has become a Web star. He has his own page on the park's website and he's even on Facebook. Park director Frank Vigh-Larsen says he's stunned by the cub's rapid transformation into an Internet sensation. Video footage posted on YouTube of Siku bottle-feeding, rolling around and snoozing has been viewed more than 2 million times in six days, he told CNN, and the cub gained thousands of friends on Facebook within the space of a few hours. As of Wednesday, at 36 days old, Siku has just opened his eyes and weighs in at 4.2 kilograms (9.2 pounds), more than five times his initial weight, his handler said. "He's just a little solid cannonball," Vigh-Larsen said. "He's doing well." Such growth is a testament to the dedicated care Siku is receiving. For the first three weeks, Vigh-Larsen fed the cub every two hours -- and still feeds him every three hours, meaning the keeper gets little sleep. In the new year, two other wildlife keepers will start to care for him, too, in shifts, making sure the cub is never alone during the first 12 months of his life. Siku's popularity comes at a time when concern over the plight of polar bears is at an peak. Corporate giant Coca-Cola recently launched a campaign in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness about the threat of climate change to polar bears' Arctic habitat. And Vigh-Larsen is determined Siku -- whose name means "sea ice" in Greenlandic, an Eskimo language spoken in Greenland -- will thrive so he can play a role in highlighting the risk. Polar bears rely on sea ice in the Arctic to hunt. "Siku is going to be an ambassador for polar bears, for global warming," he said. Vigh-Larsen draws a contrast with the last polar bear cub to become an Internet star, Germany's Knut. That bear died suddenly at age 4 last March at Zoo Berlin, to the sorrow of many worldwide who had followed the cub's progress after he was abandoned by his mother and hand-raised by a zookeeper. The case of Knut was a disaster, Vigh-Larsen said, "because he was only ever used for selling tickets and teddy bears." Siku will have a different mission, he says: using his cuteness to persuade people to listen to warnings about climate change and take steps to protect their planet. It could prove a powerful weapon. The cub has already appeared on front pages of newspapers around the world and graced international TV news bulletins. New pictures will be posted on the Wildlife Park's website Thursday, Vigh-Larsen said, with the pictures likely to win him even more fans. Vigh-Larsen also hopes that the facilities the huge park can offer will make it possible for Siku to join its four other polar bears -- including Siku's mother -- as a normal adult male in three or four years' time, despite being bottle-reared. This is doubly important because of a shortage of polar bears for breeding programs in captivity -- set to become ever more important as the numbers in the wild drop. Scientists believe there could be as few as 25,000 polar bears left in the world, according to Polar Bears International, a conservation group. The animals are only found in five nations: the United States (Alaska), Russia, Norway, Canada and Greenland, the group said. In 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Without action, Vigh-Larsen says, research suggests that there could be no polar bears at all in the wild within 40 years. He hopes Siku can help reverse that course.

Siku is being bottle-reared because his mother cannot produce enough milk . The cub is growing rapidly and has now opened his eyes, his handler says . Park director Frank Vigh-Larsen wants Siku to highlight the threat to polar bears . Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt, so are vulnerable to climate change in the Arctic .

(CNN) -- Dubai is home to the tallest building, largest mall and biggest candy shop. Recently, however, the city proved that its penchant for the extra large isn't limited to the inanimate. Last week, the Dubai Mall became home to a giant pacific octopus -- the largest species of octopus on the planet. The newest occupant, who lives at the mall's Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, stretches out to a fear-inducing 14 feet, and weighs over 70 kilograms (154 pounds). Earlier this month, the aquarium announced it had acquired one of the largest known reptiles on the planet, a 1,600-pound crocodile they've dubbed King Croc (they also flew in his companion, Queen Croc). John Gerner, a theme park consultant and the managing director at Leisure Business Advisors, notes that the mall's current preoccupation with large animals is consistent with the Emirate's obsession with record-breaking pursuits. "In a general, entertainment attractions have always been a way for countries to have bragging rights in the world. By having the best, the biggest and the fastest of everything, Dubai wants to show they've arrived on the world stage. In many ways, having record-breaking animals is another way to do that," he says. The country is no stranger to peppering its entertainment offerings with animals exotic to the region. In 2012, Ski Dubai -- the indoor ski slope housed at Mall of the Emirates -- welcomed a colony of King and Gentoo penguins. In 2008, Atlantis, The Palm hotel courted controversy from animal rights groups when it hosted a whale shark in its in-built aquarium. "Lately, you're seeing attractions where you wouldn't typically find animals adding them in. It's a merging of concepts. At Atlantis, you have a lodging using an animal attraction as an amenity to justify higher room rates and occupancy," explains Gerner. It's a concept that doesn't sit well with local animal rights groups. "In the wild, crocodiles spent hours swimming and can regulate the buoyancy and temperature or their bodies. No enclosure -- no matter how large -- is able to provide crocodiles with everything that is natural and important to them," says Ashley Fruno, the Asia and Middle East senior campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). "If the Dubai Mall wants to set itself apart from the rest, there are other ways to do that than imprisoning wild animals in concrete enclosures and taking away everything that is natural and important to them," she adds. In a statement, Emaar, the developers for The Dubai Mall, note that King Croc and his companion were obtained from a crocodile farm in Australia. They add that the transfer was facilitated in partnership with Australian government authorities, who reviewed the quality of the display, qualifications of the staff caring for the animals and the educational purpose of the exhibit. Emaar also notes that the habitat made for the two crocodiles is three times the size specified by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The country's fascination with wild animals isn't always limited to the indoors. Last year the UAE's Ministry of Environment and Water issued bans on the commercial and personal import of a variety of exotic animals -- including many big cats and primates -- yet they remain popular pets for many Emiratis, who see them as a status symbol. Several locals have shot to Instagram fame showcasing their exotic animal collection. "Unfortunately, the trade in exotic animals is largely unregulated and statistics are very difficult to come by," says Fruno. "The animals pay the price for this trade. Many don't survive the journey from their homes in the wild, and those that do often die prematurely from malnutrition, an unnatural environment, loneliness and the overwhelming stress of confinement." Still, she does note that animal rights -- though a newer concept in the UAE -- is on the rise. "Awareness is growing by the day, and new animal welfare groups are popping up in the region all the time," she says.

The Dubai Mall recently acquired a giant squid and two crocodiles . Animals in malls are not uncommon. Ski Dubai now houses a penguin colony . The UAE has long exhibited a penchant for exotic animals . Many locals even keep wild game as pets .

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israel's former top intelligence official says the country does not have the ability to stop Iran's nuclear program and that a pre-emptive attack against the Islamic Republic would result in a regional war that would pose Israel with an "impossible" challenge. "We do not have the ability to stop Iran's nuclear program. In the best case scenario we can push it off a bit," said former Mossad chief Meir Dagan in widely reported remarks to a Tel Aviv leadership conference Wednesday. "It is important to know what the outcome of an attack on Iran would be, what would happen on the day after and what situation Israel would find itself in on the international stage," Dagan said. "An attack on Iran would mean regional war, and in that case you would have given (Iran) the best possible reason to continue the nuclear program because the Iranians would then claim, 'We have been attacked by a foreign country that is reported to have a military nuclear capability. Now we have no choice but to defend ... against a country with strategic capabilities -- a compelling and principled argument for them to move to a large nuclear program," he added. "It is important to know that that war would not just be against Iran. It would be a regional war that would include Syria -- if we needed to attack Hezbollah targets in Syrian territory. The regional challenge that Israel would face would be impossible." The blunt public comments, which have been printed in various Israeli newspapers, are not the first from Dagan, who spent the last eight years heading the Israeli spy agency. Dagan left his position in January and in recent weeks has made a series of comments that have been at odds with the public policy positions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sensitive issue of Iran and it's nuclear program. Netanyahu has repeatedly maintained in public that all options including military force should be considered to force Iran to halt its nuclear program. Both Israel and the United States believe Iran is developing nuclear weapons -- an allegation leaders in Tehran deny, maintaining the program is for civilian use only. In his comments, Dagan compared the strategic environment facing Israel to the eve of the Yom Kippur war in 1973 and warned that the country should go to war only if it was attacked "or if there is a gun to your head -- that is to say, conflict is unavoidable and the only way to minimize the threat is to use violence." Dagan suggested conflict was not yet unavoidable and offered advice to the prime minister "not to make a decision to attack Iran." "It is important to consider all options and not to run straight for the war option. At the moment no decision has been made to attack Iran, and I am not familiar with any decision to attack in 2011 or 2012," Dagan told the audience. In addition to Iran, Dagan said it was crucial for Israel to present some sort of plan for getting talks restarted with Palestinians and suggested adopting the 2002 Saudi Peace initiative, which outlines normalization of relations with Arab countries in exchange for a Palestinian state based on 1967 lines with a "just solution" to the Palestinian refugee issue. "We have no other way, and not because they are my top priority, but because I am concerned about Israel's well-being and I want to do what I can to ensure Israel's existence," Dagan said "If we don't make proposals and if we don't take the initiative, we will eventually find ourselves in a corner." It is not uncommon for former Israeli intelligence chiefs to be speak publicly, but for the widely respected Dagan to speak so openly and so soon after his departure has raised eyebrows in Israel. To that point, Dagan told the Tel Aviv audience "it is important for ex-officials to make their opinions known." The office of Prime Minister Netanyahu declined to comment on Dagan's remarks. Earlier in the year Dagan courted controversy when he stated that Iran would not be able to develop a nuclear weapon before 2015. which prompted Netanyahu to disagree publicly stating, "I think that intelligence estimates are exactly that, estimates. They range from best case to worst case possibilities, and there is a range there, there is room for differing assessments."

Meir Dagan is the former head of Israel's Mossad . He says an attack on Iran to stop Iran's nuclear program would provoke a regional war . An attack would leave Israel with an "impossible" challenge, he says . Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has maintained all options should be considered .

(CNN) -- In deciding last week to label one third of Americans -- fat people -- as diseased, the American Medical Association not only went against the advice of its own experts, they also failed to include anyone from fat community in that decision. There is a consensus among three groups of people -- those who proudly self-identify as fat, fat studies scholars and advocates of the Health at Every Size approach -- that the AMA is putting profits before people and redoubling its focus on weight and weight loss when that approach has, for decades, failed to produce on its promises. It doesn't make people thinner or healthier in the long term, and it encourages weight stigma, prejudice and discrimination. The AMA seems eager to expand weight-loss treatment and convince insurers to reimburse for it. Big Pharma has two new weight-loss drugs out, with users losing at most only 10% of their body weight at a monthly cost of $100 or more and possible health complications. New obesity drug Belviq to be available to certain patients . 2012: FDA-approved diet drug Qsymia available . Bariatric surgeons would doubtless like to expand insurance reimbursements for the practice of surgically interrupting healthy internal organs. And the $66 billion per year weight-loss industry has a stake, too. (Although "weight-loss" industry is a misnomer when so many dieters regain lost weight that repeat customers are a basic part of the industry's business model.) "I can guarantee you that if there was no money to be had in this, the term 'obesity epidemic' would not exist," said clinical psychologist Peggy Elam. At news of the AMA's pronouncement, fat community members started the #IAmNotADisease hashtag on Twitter. I posted this petition on Change.org. The fat community's oldest civil rights group, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, proclaimed a vote of no confidence in the AMA and called for "an immediate roundtable discussion that includes higher-weight people from every community." As a result of the AMA's decision, fat people who face health challenges will encounter even more weight bias in medical settings and will likely encounter more difficulty obtaining treatment unrelated to weight. (The classic story in fat community involves going to the doctor with a sinus headache and being told to lose weight although many people's stories of medical weight bias are far more dire.) Weight stigma itself is a direct threat to fat people's health. "Overall, it feels like another form of systematic discrimination and oppression," said blogger TaRessa Stovall. Author Lesley Kinzel wrote, "For all of our cultural hand-wringing about how much fat people are allegedly costing health insurance companies, the AMA sure doesn't seem bothered by potentially causing an explosion of unnecessary prescriptions (and surgeries!) among the one-third of Americans who are suddenly now 'diseased.' " When doctors rely on weight, or a phrenology-era number such as BMI, they will misidentify more than half the healthy people as unhealthy, psychologist Deb Burgard pointed out. "They do not seem to understand that calling one-third of the natural variety in a population 'sick' is a hostile act and undermines the trust that millions of people would otherwise place in their doctors' advice," Burgard said. As one petition signer, Victoria Centanni, commented: "My doctor already [attributes] all of my health problems to my being fat. [It] makes me want to avoid seeking health care for any reason." For more than two decades, health professionals who promote the Health at Every Size concept have argued that a weight focus does no lasting good and much harm to physical and mental health and to fat people's social status. They are finding that a weight-neutral approach based in self-acceptance and social justice yields far superior results for people's health and happiness. People are able to develop enjoyable, sustainable eating and exercise habits and a positive feeling about their bodies. If the AMA truly cares about the health of fat people, they will end the war on obesity. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Marilyn Wann.

The American Medical Association classified obesity as a disease . Marilyn Wann: Because of the label, fat people will likely encounter more weight bias . She says the AMA is focused on profit by focusing on weigh and weigh loss approach . Wann: If the AMA truly cares about the health of fat people, they will end the war on obesity .

(CNN) -- The United States announced tougher sanctions against Iran on Monday, joining Britain and Canada in a coordinated effort to tighten the screws around the country's suspected nuclear weapons program. The new measures target Iran's petrochemical industry and its oil and gas business, said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The United States also named Iran as a "primary money laundering concern." Clinton said she expects additional sanctions by other international partners and that taken together "these measures represent a significant ratcheting up of pressure on Iran, its sources of income and its illegal activities." Britain cut all financial ties with Iran, the first time it has cut an entire country's banking sector off from British finance, the British Treasury announced earlier on Monday. Similarly, Canada said it was implementing a series of tougher sanctions, prohibiting almost all financial transactions with the Iranian government. The moves come days after an International Atomic Energy Agency report highlighted new concerns about "the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program," the British Treasury statement said Monday. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful and has called the U.N. watchdog's report "unbalanced" and "politically motivated." "The IAEA's report last week provided further credible and detailed evidence about the possible military dimensions of the Iranian nuclear program," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement. "Today we have responded resolutely by introducing a set of new sanctions that prohibit all business with Iranian banks." Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird also cited the recent IAEA report as "yet more proof that the current regime in Tehran poses the most significant threats to global peace and security today." "Canada is implementing, as of right now, a series of even tougher measures under the Special Economics Measures Act. These expanded sanctions prohibit almost all financial transactions with the Iranian government, add individuals and entities to the list of designated persons and expand the list of prohibited goods," he said in a statement. Also Monday French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent a letter to various leaders and heads of state, urging "new sanctions of unprecedented magnitude to convince Iran that it must negotiate," according to a statement. France recommended that the European Union and its member states, as well as the United States, Japan, Canada and other willing countries, freeze the asset of Iran's Central Bank and suspend purchases of Iranian oil. Iran's nuclear program, the French president said, risks nuclear proliferation and "could spark a military escalation in the region with catastrophic consequences for Iran and for the world." Pentagon denies bunker-busting bomb is intended for Iran . The European Union already has an extensive set of sanctions in place. France, as one of the member states, is pushing to increase them. According to European diplomats, next week the EU is expected to pass further sanctions similar to what the United States announced, but France wants the international community to move beyond that, collectively. U.S. officials had been considering action against the Central Bank of Iran but became concerned that a full sanction could have a negative effect on the world economy because of the potential impact on oil prices. A number of congressional members have been calling for sanctions against the bank amid questions about how much the current restrictions are working. U.S. sanctions already prohibited American companies from doing business with Iran. "Let me be clear: Today's actions do not exhaust our opportunities to sanction Iran. We continue actively to consider a range of increasingly aggressive measures," said Clinton. Following Monday's announcement, senior officials with the U.S. Treasury Department spoke to reporters on a conference call, stressing the decision to designate an entire jurisdiction, like Iran, as a "primary money laundering concern" is rare. The action will create a chilling effect and should serve as a wake-up call to banks and financial institutions around the world still doing business with Iran, they said. On Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors issued a resolution expressing "deep and increasing concern about the unresolved issues regarding the Iranian nuclear program." But the U.N. agency's resolution did not threaten action to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. CNN's Jamie Crawford, Jill Dougherty, Alex Felton, Elise Labott and Niki Cook contributed to this report.

The United States names Iran as a "primary money laundering concern" The sanctions target the country's petrochemical industry and its oil and gas business . Canada prohibits almost all financial transactions with the Iranian government . British companies must end all banking ties to Iran .

(CNN) -- Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev apologized Saturday for referring to Serena and Venus Williams as the "Williams brothers" during a TV chat show. Tarpischev, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has already been carpeted by the WTA for "insulting and demeaning" remarks about the American siblings, being hit with a $25,000 fine and a one-year ban from tennis activities. Tarpischev is the chairman of the Kremlin Cup tournament in Moscow which is finishing this weekend and has held a string of leading positions in sports administration. He made the faux pas on a light night talk show in Russia -- Evening Urgant -- sitting next to former WTA star Elena Dementieva. When the subject of how difficult it was to beat the Williams sisters -- Serena has 18 grand slam titles and Venus seven -- Tarpischev made his controversial comments. After a translation of his remarks became public, the WTA responded immediately and its chief Stacey Allaster pulled no punches. "The statements made by Shamil Tarpischev on Russian television with respect to two of the greatest athletes in the history of women's tennis are insulting, demeaning and have absolutely no place in our sport," she said. "I have ordered Mr. Tarpischev to be fined $25,000, the maximum allowed under WTA rules. In addition, he will be suspended from any involvement with the WTA for one year and we are seeking his removal from his position as Chairman of the Board of the Kremlin Cup for one year." Tarpischev claimed he had not intended to insult the sisters and that his remarks were light hearted. "Serena and Venus (Williams) are without doubts outstanding athletes," he said in a statement released by Russia's tennis federation. "The situation that has spontaneously emerged during the late night chat show had a bad influence on the perception of tennis in general and splits our friendly and cohesive team. "I'm sorry that the joke which was taken out of context and attracted so much attention," he added. Tarpischev's U.S. counterpart David Haggerty, the president of the USTA, was angered by the remarks and issued a strongly worded condemnation. "As the President of the Russian Tennis Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Tarpischev is expected to conduct himself with the highest degree of integrity and sportsmanship. Unfortunately, his comments do not embody either of these traits and in fact were reprehensible," he said. Meanwhile, Serena Williams was handed a tough task when the draw was made Saturday for the WTA Tour Finals in Singapore. She heads the Red Group, which also contains Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard, two of the most promising young players in world tennis, and former world number one Ana Ivanovic. The White Group is topped by second seed Maria Sharapova and she is joined by Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska and the in-form Petra Kvitova. Williams, who has capped her season by winning the U.S. Open title, beating Wozniacki in the final, is desperate to finish her year by claiming the prestigious title for a third straight year. "I think everyone here is here to win. Everyone here is tough. Every match is going to be tough, so you have to be ready for that," Williams told the official WTA website ahead of the start of the tournament Monday. The race to claim the final places in the men's ATP Tour Finals in London next month is also hotting up with Britain's Andy Murray doing his chances no harm by reaching the final of the Austrian Open in Vienna. He beat Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-4 6-3 and will play rival and top seed David Ferrer in the final. Both men are battling for a spot but Ferrer had to dig deep to beat German fourth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber in a third set tiebreaker. Only three spots are still on offer for the finals after U.S. Open winner Marin Cilic booked his place by reaching the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup.

Russian federation chief apologizes to Serena and Venus Williams . Shamil Tarpischev had referred to the pair as 'brothers' in a TV show . Serena has tough draw in WTA finals in Singapore . Andy Murray and David Ferrer into final of ATP tournament in Vienna .

(CNN) -- On a small tennis court in the Netherlands, love took center-stage. It had all the ingredients of a romantic fairytale -- the nervous suitor down on one knee in front of a crowd of strangers, hoping that months of planning would win the heart of the girl of his dreams. "I didn't cry once when I practiced it in front of the mirror, it was the nerves that kicked in when I went on the court," Martin Emmrich, a doubles specialist seeking to find his life partner, told CNN's Open Court show. "I was very afraid that I wouldn't find any words." The German had met his love at the same tournament 12 months earlier -- but apart from that, the venue didn't hold great memories for her. "She fainted once on that court, had a knee injury on that court," Emmrich explains. Fast forward to June 2014, and Michaella Krajicek had just won her opening match of the Topshelf Open, which hosts both men's and women's competitions, when Emmrich made his big move. To her surprise, Emmrich came onto the grass with a microphone in hand. "I thought, 'Uh-oh it's going to happen now, I can't believe it!' " recalls the Dutchwoman, younger sister of former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek. "I was standing there sweaty and wrapped in a tournament towel ... It was really romantic." Five months of scheming, having involved the tournament's director three days beforehand, finally paid off as Krajicek said "Yes." "I saw some players with tears in their eyes," Emmrich says. "Everybody came up and said I have big balls. It's a big step, and doing it on such a stage..." A wedding had been on their minds for a long time -- three months into the relationship, they were already talking about taking home the biggest trophy of their lives. By January of this year, Emmrich was already planning how he would propose to his partner. "I wrote down three papers, corrected them all, practiced 30-40 times in the bathroom," he says. In a moment that Emmrich can only describe as "magic," Krajicek took his hand, hugged him and said yes -- to the cheers of joy ringing down from the stands. Krajicek says she had "no idea" how Emmrich and his few accomplices managed to surprise her. They are partners both on and off the court, playing in mixed doubles competitions together. "I go on court, I still love him obviously, but it's business for me," says Krajicek. For Emmrich, who has won three men's doubles titles with a highest world ranking of 35th last year, the chance to play with her adds another dimension to touring life. "I totally enjoy it. I feel I am playing more free and easy than actual doubles," says the 29-year-old. Although their engagement was broadcast the world over, they are in no rush to get married, with their busy tennis schedules taking priority. Immediately after the tournament in Rosmalen they headed to Wimbledon, losing in the second round to a pairing that went on to win the title. "There's not too many weeks where we are both actually off," says Krajicek. The 25-year-old, who has won three singles titles on the WTA Tour and six in doubles, says she has plenty to achieve on-court before starting to think about having a family. A former junior world No. 1 -- she won the U.S. Open girls' title in 2004 -- Krajicek is now ranked outside the top 200 after struggling with health problems in 2012-13, but was as high as 30th at the end of her teenage years. She has recently had more success in doubles, reaching three WTA finals this year -- including Rosmalen. "For now we just enjoy life and each other, and then everything else comes automatically," Emmrich says. Krajicek adds: "We understand that it's part of it and in five years we will enjoy each other for the rest of our lives, so it's just the way it has to be."

Martin Emmrich proposed to his girlfriend on court at Dutch tournament . Michaella Krajicek was able to make a new memory at venue where she had suffered in past . The couple are partners in mixed doubles competitions .

Clearwater, Florida (CNN) -- After another marathon session of questioning about everything from their news-watching habits to criminal records, the Florida jury that could decide Casey Anthony's fate started rounding into shape Friday. By day's end, eight men and women had made it through various stages of the process at the Pinellas County courthouse and were still considered viable candidates to be on the jury in the trial of the Florida mother accused of killing her toddler. A total of 12 -- plus eight alternates -- will eventually be seated on the jury, which will be moved to and sequestered in Orange County, where the alleged crime happened and where the trial will take place. Friday marked the fifth day of jury selection in the case. Anthony, 25, is charged with capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. She faces six other charges, including aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and misleading law enforcement. Jury selection was moved from Orlando to Clearwater amid concerns that the intense media attention surrounding the case could make it difficult to select an impartial jury in Orange County. While the process this week has gone somewhat slower than expected -- as evidenced by the fact court proceedings will likely go through 5 p.m. Saturday -- Orange County Superior Court Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. said Friday that it is imperative to seat a jury as quickly as possible. "The cry was pretrial publicity. In a free society, I cannot stop the press from reporting, broadcasting, and reporting," said Perry, the presiding judge in the case, explaining the need to pick a jury in Clearwater soon, before more potential jurors are swayed by the media coverage. "The longer we wait, the more dangers there are." Once there are 12 jurors, Perry will ask the defense and prosecution teams if they want to use their preemptory challenges -- allowing them, at the judge's discretion, to disqualify certain men or women from the jury pool. If they opt not to use the challenges, jurors can be sworn in. The goal is to have everything finalized for opening arguments Tuesday in Orlando. That would be followed by testimony by investigators, experts and others involved in the case -- including Casey Anthony's father, mother and brother, who have testified in pretrial hearings. But this week, it's been potential jurors who have been grilled on the stand. As they did Thursday, defense attorneys asked them whether they'd be willing to take into account "verbal, emotional or sexual abuse," should they convict Anthony and be asked to decide whether to give her the death penalty. Besides the "history of sexual abuse," the defense also hinted again Friday that Anthony's "dysfunctional family" might be proposed as a "mitigating circumstance" if she is convicted of murder, as might be "a lack of impulse control or brain development." The comments touched again on the Anthony family's rocky relationship with one another. Casey Anthony made allegations of sex abuse against her father and brother in a letter from jail last year. In an interview with NBC News afterward, her father, George Anthony, denied the claims and criticized Jose Baez, another of his daughter's attorneys, for questioning him about the allegations. Friday's questioning also delved into the prospective jurors' knowledge of the Anthony case, including what and from where they had heard about it. Caylee was last seen in June 2008. Police began to look for her a month later after Cindy Anthony -- Casey's mother -- made three 911 calls expressing her worry about her granddaughter's disappearance. The girl's skeletal remains were found in December of that year, in woods about one-quarter mile from the Anthony home. Prosecutors have said they plan to show Casey Anthony lied repeatedly about her daughter's fate, contending she used "a substance" to kill her daughter. Casey Anthony has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The defense has strongly combated the prosecution's attempts to enter into evidence and hear from an expert claiming that she stashed Caylee's body in the trunk of her car and dumped it.

By day's end, 16 potential jurors have been selected as viable candidates . A total of 12, plus 8 alternates, must be picked before Casey Anthony's trial . The jury selection process will continue Saturday, with the trial set for next week . Anthony is accused of killing her daughter and then lying to investigators .

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Japan and Australia are exchanging harsh words and threats of legal action in a dispute over a whaling incident near Antarctica. Environment Minister Tony Burke is threatening to take Japan to international court, claiming a Japanese whaling fleet attacked Australian ships on Wednesday. But in the Japanese version of what happened, it's the Australians who deserve court sanctions. "Japan needs to stop this once and for all," Burke told Australia's Seven Network on Thursday. "What we are watching and what we've been seeing Japan do in that Southern Ocean year on year now is just disgusting. No other way of describing it. Now, as a government we don't settle it in the car park, we settle in the court," he said. "There's been the most outrageous attack on the Sea Shepherd Australia ships," said Bob Brown, a member of the board of directors of Sea Shepherd Australia, describing it as the "worst incident" the anti-whaling group had experienced since one of its vessels sank two years ago. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Brown said that a large Japanese factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, had repeatedly rammed Sea Shepherd ships in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica where it was trying to refuel and that a Japanese government escort vessel had directed water cannon and lobbed concussion grenades at the activists. He claimed the Japanese ships had intruded into Australian territorial waters and breached international and Australian law. "I'm very concerned and alarmed that Japan has decided to become pirates in our territorial waters," he said. "It's time the Australian government acted." Burke told Seven Network it's not that simple. "In terms of sending in the Navy, you've got to make sure you don't have a response here that blows up a whole lot of other things. The reason -- even though they're our territorial waters -- we don't assert that. And that's part of the whole Antarctic Treaty System, which prevents mining in Antarctica. You don't want to blow up that system," he explained. "I've got to say with that court case we are now getting very close. It has been too long. We are now getting very close on that. But I'm not going to take an action that blows up the Antarctic Treaty System either," Burke said. "What we will do, though, is take the action that we've taken already with the International Court of Justice to [expose] that this gimmick that they've got -- claiming that's its scientific whaling, when everybody knows that's a con." Japan annually hunts whales despite a worldwide moratorium, utilizing a loophole in the law that allows for killing the mammals for scientific research. Whale meat is commonly available for consumption in Japan. Each year, environmental groups such as Sea Shepherd face off with Japan's hunters in a high seas drama that has led to collisions of ships, the detaining of activists and smoke bombs fired back and forth between the groups. The Japan Fisheries Agency's Institute of Cetacean Research disputed the Australian claims in a statement. The ICR says three Sea Shepherd ships sailed recklessly and abnormally close to the Nisshin Maru and its fueling ship during a refueling operation on Wednesday. Although the Nisshin Maru tried to ward off the Australian ships with loud speakers and water cannons, the Sea Shepherd ships' "extreme dangerous" acts halted the refueling operation, the ICR said. During the process, the three Australian ships bumped the Nisshin Maru at least four times, causing some damage, the ICR said. The Japanese agency said it's considering filing a third claim in a U.S. court for Sea Shepherd's "insults against the court authority." According to ICR, Sea Shepherd has been banned from threatening whaling ships' operations or sailing within 500 yards of whaling ships. CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo contributed to this report. CNN's Jethro Mullen co-wrote this report from Hong Kong and Mark Morgenstein co-wrote this report from Atlanta.

NEW: Australia says Japan needs to stop aggressive whaling "once and for all" NEW: Australia and Japan are threatening to take the issue to court . NEW: Each side claims the others' ships rammed theirs . Environmental groups face off each year with Japan's whaling vessels .

(CNN) -- Two months before dying, a Virginia woman confessed to killing two women nearly 42 years ago, authorities said Friday, telling police she shot the women because they had taunted her for being a lesbian. Constance Smootz Hevener, 19, was shot to death at an ice cream shop where she worked in 1967. Sharron Diane Crawford Smith, 60, confessed in a November 28 interview to shooting the women at a Staunton ice cream store in 1967, authorities said. "I was just pushed so far," Smith said, according to a transcript of a police interview. Smith was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Constance Smootz Hevener, 19, and Hevener's 20-year-old sister-in-law, Carolyn Hevener Perry, according to CNN affiliate WVIR. But health problems forced a postponement of a December court date, WVIR said, and Smith, who had heart and kidney problems, died January 19. Authorities on Friday said they consider Smith the guilty party and are working toward closing the case. In a transcript of the police interview, Smith told police she and the women worked at High's Ice Cream. The night of the shooting, she went to the store to tell the women she could not work the next day and took her .25-caliber pistol with her. "I was just going to tell them that I couldn't work and one thing led to another." She acknowledged that teasing "about my lifestyle" had gone on for a while. Asked how the victims knew about it, she said, "How do kids find out about anything? I mean, it was really unusual back then." She also said her stepfather had sexually abused her, but refused to elaborate on whether that played a role in the shootings or helped push her "over the edge." "I don't know. I'm not trying to psychoanalyze it," she said. In other interviews with police, Smith said that she got into a physical altercation with Hevener at the store, which was consistent with evidence at the crime scene, Commonwealth Attorney Raymond Robertson said. Bruises on Hevener's body were inconsistent with injuries that would have resulted from a fall after being shot, he told reporters. "She expressed shame in herself. I never saw any tears. She expressed her concern for the family members [of the victims], as to bringing closure to this case," police investigator Mike King said. Smith told police she acted alone, authorities said. But Staunton Police Chief Jim Williams said questions about the case remain. "There will likely be questions surrounding this case we will never be able to answer," he said. One of those questions was the whereabouts of the murder weapon, but a late development Friday may have solved that mystery. In the November interview, Smith told police she gave the weapon to a detective on the police force in 1967, David Bocock, and that he buried it. "He just said that it was sort of dangerous to have a gun, you could hurt somebody," Smith said, according to the transcript. "He said, 'I'll fix it for you if you want.' I figured it was the best thing to do." It was unclear whether Bocock, who died in 2006, knew of Smith's involvement in the murders. The two knew each other, as Bocock taught Smith to shoot, but authorities said they were still investigating the relationship and whether Bocock was trying to cover for Smith. Later Friday, the Staunton News-Leader newspaper reported its circulation manager had turned over to police a .25-caliber automatic handgun. Kathy Myers told the newspaper that Bocock gave the gun to her now-deceased husband, a former Staunton police officer, in 1981, telling him, "Don't let anybody know I gave this to you." Myers said she forgot she had the gun until she saw the police news conference Friday, and turned it over to authorities. Myers told the News-Leader that King said the gun matches the description Smith gave police.

Woman said she shot co-workers who taunted her for being a lesbian, police say . "I was just pushed so far," Sharron Diane Crawford Smith, 60, told police . Smith was charged with first-murder before she died January 19 . Constance Smootz Hevener and Carolyn Hevener Perry were shot in ice cream shop .

(CNN) -- "I believe that we will win!" The refrain is consistently chanted by the American Outlaws, the supporters group for the U.S. national soccer team, and it now rings truer than ever. We weren't supposed to win. But we did. The opening match of the World Cup against Ghana was a must-win for the U.S. team -- anything short of a victory, and the red, white and blue would have faced a seemingly insurmountable hill to climb. The Americans were given little chance of winning against their nemesis, Ghana. The team from Western Africa had beaten the U.S. twice before in the World Cup -- knocking it out of contention in 2010 as well as four years earlier. This time was supposed to be no different. Tough conditions. Untimely injuries. A late equalizer. Everything pointed toward the Americans wilting in the Brazilian humidity. We weren't supposed to win. But we did. Americans don't follow the world's script. Rising to the world's stage from vastly different backgrounds, these Americans stayed united -- symbolic of our great nation. When adversity struck, they battled. They persevered. They won with typical American character and diversity. Monday's victory sets the stage for a major match Sunday against Portugal -- which Germany downed 4-0. The winner will be one step closer to the ultimate Cup. But it really confirmed to the rest of the world that U.S. football (OK, we also call it soccer) will not go gently into that good night. No way. In the end, two American heroes of completely different backgrounds provided the scoring punch that stunned Ghana. Clint Dempsey, born in Nacogdoches, Texas, and John Anthony Brooks, born in Berlin. Dempsey is a player we are proud to have wear the Seattle Sounders FC kit, and Brooks is an up-and-comer in the German Bundesliga -- or football league -- with Hertha BSC. Dempsey, the 31-year-old captain, is playing in his third World Cup, while Brooks, the 21-year-old newcomer, is making his competitive debut as an emergency substitute. Dempsey played the creative genius for a workmanlike U.S. team, and Brooks stood tall as a powerful 6-foot-4 defender. Their goals were reflective of their personality. Dempsey brilliantly allowed the ball to pass through his legs on his way to three wicked touches with his right foot, setting up his left peg for a drive to the far post just 29 seconds into the match. Then, loping forward on a late corner kick, Brooks rose above the Ghanaian defense to drive his header low and hard, just out of the reach of the goalkeeper in the 86th minute. As the final whistle blew, the reactions were priceless. Players born in all corners of the United States celebrated with their teammates from Iceland, Germany and Norway. German-born head coach Jurgen Klinsmann embraced his Austrian assistant coach, Andy Herzog. Some 20,000 fans who traveled to Brazil from the United States sang and danced in excitement. And tens of millions of Americans back home watched the whole scene unfold, evoking national pride for the greatest melting pot on Earth. The victory was perfectly America. Grit. Determination. Mental toughness. It was American diversity coming together for a common goal. It was a team, cobbled together over the past three years, which had a singular focus on beating Ghana. The World Cup has just begun for the Americans. And there is much work left to do. But a soccer nation back home in the United States is energized, emboldened, hopeful. With old-fashioned American character and ingenuity, the U.S. national team is poised to do great things in Brazil. Just one game into the tournament, and the country is captivated. Americans can relate to this group of soccer players, whose diversity and spirit is akin to that of their supporters. "I believe that we will win!" And we will do it the American Way. You see, we weren't supposed to win. But we did. And we will. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.

Adrian Hanauer says the U.S. team wasn't supposed to beat Ghana at World Cup but did . He says victory filled with grit, determination, mental toughness -- perfectly America . The U.S. team next faces Portugal on Sunday .

(CNN) -- Sherman Hemsley, who played the brash George Jefferson on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," died Tuesday at 74, his booking agent said. Hemsley played Jefferson, a wisecracking owner of a dry cleaning business, on "All In the Family" from 1973 until 1975, when the spinoff "The Jeffersons" began an 11-season run on CBS. Police in El Paso, Texas, where Hemsley lived, said there was no evidence of foul play. The cause of death will be determined through an autopsy, according to a news release. For the first few years on "All in the Family," George Jefferson was not seen, only referred to by his wife, Louise, played by the late Isabel Sanford. Sherman Hemsley: A tribute to the great George Jefferson, and more . He told Archive of American Television in 2003 that he was told by the show's producers that Jefferson should be "pompous and feisty." Jefferson was every bit as big a bigot as his neighbor, Archie Bunker, played by Carroll O'Connor. Jefferson often referred to white people as "honkies." He was also mean and condescending to his neighbors, his son Lionel and, when he moved to a ritzy apartment on Manhattan's East Side, to his maid. But his character was still wildly popular with TV audiences. Overheard: So long, Sherman; thanks for the laughs . "By me loving Louise and Archie loving (his wife) Edith, you got away with being goofy and stupid," he said in 2003. "Because people said at least he loved something." It made Jefferson human, he said. One of his former co-stars said she was shocked to hear he had died. "I thought Sherman was doing very well," said Marla Gibbs, who played feisty maid Florence Johnston on the "The Jeffersons." "I am saddened to hear that Sherman has made his transition. We were trying to come up with a new show that we could participate in, but of course, that cannot happen now. "Sherman was one of the most generous co-stars I have ever worked with. He happily set me up so that I could slam him, and I did the same for him. I shall miss him deeply." Hemsley said he drew on his experiences as a young man to develop Jefferson's celebrated strut, which he did during filming as a joke. "The way we walked in South Philly, you think you bad," he said. "You gotta be important. "We had done about seven or eight takes (on the 'Jeffersons' set) ... and then we started clowning around," he said of the walk. "That's the one they kept." Hemsley also played Deacon Ernest Frye in the sitcom "Amen." "With the passing of Sherman Hemsley, the world loses one of its most unique comedic talents, and a lovely man," Norman Lear, the creator of "All in the Family," said in a statement. In 2001, Lear told Larry King that he discovered Hemsley doing the Broadway play "Purlie." EW: A tribute to George Jefferson . He remembered him "singing and dancing, and (Hemsley) was one of the most unique actors on the stage." In 1990, he released an album, "Ain't That a Kick in the Head," and two years later another, entitled "Dance." "I had the pleasure of working with him on 'House of Payne,' " said producer and director Tyler Perry. "He brought laughter and joy to millions. My childhood would have been a lot sadder without him. Thanks for the joy, thanks for your talent and thanks for your life. I celebrate it in all of its beauty. God bless you, Mr. Hemsley." Hemsley was nominated for an Emmy in 1985 but lost to Bill Cosby. People we've lost in 2012: The live they lived . CNN Entertainment contributed to this report.

NEW: Police say no evidence of foul play, waiting on autopsy for cause of death . Hemsley explained in 2003 that producers told him to be pompous, feisty . Former co-star says he was generous, they had talked of creating new show . Hemsley, who also starred on "Amen," was 74 .

(CNN) -- Memorial Day is here and millions of Americans will be hitting the road to see family and friends, take a breather away from home. And luckily, after months of sky-high gas prices at the pump, they will find lower gas prices. Let's be grateful for this relief, even as we know prices can shoot back up with little warning -- as they did earlier in the spring -- bringing an unwelcome economic sting on top of the already tough situation many families are facing. There's not a lot we can do about the yo-yo-ing cost of gas; unlike a lot of folks in Washington, I don't claim to have a quick solution. But I do know what hasn't worked. We've drilled-baby-drilled for a while now. In fact, domestic oil production is at its highest levels in almost a decade. Still, prices this year seemed headed towards 4 dollars a gallon. We seem to have these freaky price hikes every few years. What is abundantly clear in 2012 is that all this drilling can't guarantee cheap gas. This recent drop in gas prices makes the point even more starkly: Gas prices and U.S. drilling have little to do with each other. Statistical analysis shows that more oil production in the United States does not mean lower prices at the pump. Oil is a global commodity and U.S. production has only a tiny influence on supply. Despite record U.S. oil production, crude prices began 2012 with record prices around the nation and softened sharply this month. Economists say a strengthening dollar, signs of a slowing global economy and other factors are responsible, but this does little to quiet the voices on the right saying the only real way to relieve our stress as we fill up is to open up even more land and sea to drilling. Even the University of Chicago put out survey results showing that 92% of economists interviewed agreed that in the last decade our gas prices had been affect more by market factors than by American energy policy. This analysis makes sense, because despite the repetitive rhetoric you hear every time we start having a gas price crunch, the laws of supply and demand do not start and stop at the U.S. border. Oil is a globally traded commodity and while we consume more of it than any other country on the planet, we don't produce enough to affect its price. That is the sad state of affairs, folks. There is only one way off this merry-go-round, and it's to stop using so much oil. We need to quit this addiction that damages our economy, our security and our environment. This won't happen tomorrow, but it is starting to happen. We can move beyond oil using new, cost-effective technologies. Oil consumption is down in this country. And the trend is going to speed up now that stricter vehicle efficiency standards are coming into effect. This means that we can have fuel-efficient cars that look and drive great. But we need to pick up the pace. Instead of policies that increase our addiction to oil, we need policies that increase our transportation choices, not limit them to oil and gas. But that isn't happening in Congress right now. Just look at the political storm around the transportation bill, which is essential not just for roads and bridges, but also the robust mass-transit programs that keep our cities moving. Unfortunately, even though Congress is grappling with the deficit, it can't even agree to end billions in tax breaks and subsidies to the oil industry, let alone fund fuel and transportation alternatives appropriately. Legislation from Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, would have ended some of the $4 billion in annual tax breaks to the oil industry and directed new revenues to clean energy research and development -- were it not blocked by heavy Big Oil lobbying. So this weekend as you fill up to head to the beach, ask yourself if you want to be standing at the pump shaking your head during the next gas price shock wondering why we didn't start moving down the right road when the opportunity presented itself in 2012. Or do you want to act now? I know what I choose. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Maria Cardona.

Maria Cardona: Gas prices low ahead of holiday weekend, but we know it can change quickly . She says prices tied to global markets, not amount of U.S. drilling. We should rely less on oil . She says Obama fuel standards will save millions; Congress stalls other laws that would help . Cadona: Are we willing to wait for the next oil price shock, or do we want to take action?

(CNN) -- Authorities have shut down a Texas food processing plant, saying it was contaminated by bacteria linked to the deaths of four people, state health officials said. The Texas Department of State Health Services on Wednesday ordered Sangar Produce and Processing to immediately stop processing food and recall all products shipped from its San Antonio plant since January. This comes after state laboratory results showed Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause severe illness, in chopped celery at the plant. Four people died after contracting listeriosis after consuming celery that had been processed at the Sangar plant, said Carrie Williams, a department spokeswoman. State health authorities came to this determination while investigating 10 cases in which people with serious underlying health problems contracted listeriosis over an 8-month period. Six of those cases -- in Bexar, Travis and Hidalgo counties -- were linked to chopped celery processed at the SanGar plant, the state health services department said. Four of those people died, as did one other person who authorities believe got listeriosis from another source not connected with Sangar products. Sangar, however, sharply questioned the state's findings and strongly denied wrongdoing, saying it has had "an excellent record of safety and health" over the past three years. Its president said outside tests "directly contradict" the state's conclusion. "The independent testing shows our produce to be absolutely safe, and we are aggressively fighting the state's erroneous findings," said Kenneth Sanquist, president of Sangar. State health inspectors said they believe the bacteria found in the chopped celery may have contaminated other products at the company's plant. Sangar processes a wide variety of products -- including three varieties of lettuce, peppers, carrots, cucumbers and various cut-up fruit, as well as salad, fruit and soup mixes, according to the company's website. They are distributed primarily in sealed packages to restaurants, hospitals, schools and other large institutions that serve food. Besides the bacteria, inspectors found a condensation leak above a food product area, dirt on a food-preparation table, and hand-washing problems at the San Antonio plant, the state health department said. The state said that it is contacting distributors, restaurants and others who may have received Sangar products. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium found in the soil, in water, and in animals that carry it without showing signs they are sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can get into vegetables from soil or manure that is used as fertilizer. The strain of bacteria is relatively resilient -- with an incubation period of three to 70 days, Williams said -- and some foods can be contaminated after cooking but prior to packaging. The bacteria have been tied to listeriosis, which sickens about 2,500 Americans and contributes to the death of 500 people annually, the CDC reports. People with weakened immune systems, including newborns and the elderly, are especially susceptible to listeriosis. Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than other adults to contract the disease. In August, Sanquist told CNN affiliate KENS5 that food-safety measures were not tough enough, saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should be more involved in inspections. At the time, the SanGar president said that his company had never had a high bacteria count or had anything recalled. "Ultimately, you can get someone very sick," Sanquist told KENS5, criticizing city health inspections as insufficient. "We're talking about fresh-cut fruits and vegetables that need to be sanitized." The Texas health department is taking the lead in the investigation, with assistance from the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC. The state justified its closure of the Sangar plant, citing Texas law that authorizes such actions if conditions pose "an immediate and serious threat to human life or health." "At this point, the order prohibits the plant from reopening without our approval," said Williams. "We will work with the company about setting up some guidelines before it can [reopen]."

NEW: Four people died after eating celery processed at Sangar plant, officials say . NEW: The company's president previously called for tougher food-safety measures . The Sangar produce plant has been closed and all its food products recalled . The company disputes the state's findings and insists its products are safe .

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's Anbar province -- once dominated by Sunni insurgents but now a bastion of tribal opposition against the militants -- will soon be run by the Iraqi military. Iraqi soldiers will soon be responsible for running the once militant-riven province of Anbar. The U.S. military said it would transfer security responsibility for Anbar this week to the Iraqi military, a bellwether event that illustrates what Iraq and the United States describe as a profound stride in their efforts to foster stability. Anbar is the 10th of the 18 provinces where Iraqi forces have taken charge of security control since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and the first largely Sunni Arab province to do so. The other provinces to take charge are in the Shiite south and the Kurdish north. "We have seen a dramatic increase in security there," said Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, Multi-National Forces spokesman, speaking to reporters in Baghdad on Sunday. "I think that the trend now in Anbar is to move from the violent kinetic to the rebuilding process," he said. Anbar province -- west of Baghdad -- is a vast territory where Iraq shares borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Much of the region is desert, and most of the people there live in in the towns and cities -- such as Falluja and Ramadi -- along the Euphrates River. Sunni Arabs, such as those in Anbar, became politically marginalized when the Shiites and Kurds took over the new Iraqi government from the toppled Hussein regime, which had been dominated by and was most amenable to Sunnis. Many Sunni Arabs in Anbar became active in the insurgency, and foreign fighters made their way into Anbar via Syria. As a result, the Euphrates River valley region was a hotbed of insurgent activity in the early years of the Iraq war. U.S. Marines launched several offensives against the militants, including a large-scale push in late 2004 in Falluja. Al Qaeda in Iraq and other militants eventually developed a strong foothold in many towns. Major changes occurred in Anbar over the last two years, however, with the emergence of the awakening, the grass-roots tribal movement that opposes al Qaeda in Iraq. That movement aided efforts by the U.S. military and Iraqi security forces to fight al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), and violence there has dropped dramatically in the last two years. While Sunni tribes in Iraq were natural allies for the insurgency when it started in 2003, many locals eventually became disenchanted with what it regarded as al Qaeda in Iraq's brutality, corruption and hard-line enforcement of sharia law. The tribal movement in Anbar has developed into a political force and has helped spawn another development: U.S.-backed Iraqi militias -- such as Sons of Iraq and Awakening Councils -- formed in the Sunni regions of Iraq over the last couple of years. The Pentagon's June report to Congress on developments in Iraq said that in Anbar, the "average number of security incidents remained at five incidents per day over a 90-day period, accounting for less than 4 percent of the attacks in all of Iraq." "This represents a 10-fold reduction compared to the summer of 2006 and is half of the rate of the last few months of 2007." AQI "continues efforts to regain footholds" in the valley, the report said. But the Sons of Iraq and U.S. and Iraqi troops "continue to hinder AQI's ability to obtain resources or operate effectively in population centers, forcing AQI to operate and conduct attacks from remote locations in the province." At present, the other provinces that have transitioned to Iraqi security control are Duhuk, Irbil and Sulaimaniya in the Kurdish region, and Karbala, Najaf, Muthanna, Thiqar, Basra, and Maysan in the Shiite south. The other province to change over to Iraqi security control this year is Qadisiya in the south.

Iraqi military set to run the once militant-riven Anbar province . U.S. military transferring responsibility for Anbar to Iraqi military this week . Sunni tribes helped U.S. and Iraqi troops turn the tide against militants .

LONDON, England (CNN) -- In the developing world millions of people struggle to operate machinery, read from a blackboard, or just see the world around them, because they don't have access to the eyeglasses they need. Self-refraction glasses let the wearer adjust the lenses to suit their vision, without the need for an optometrist. But a pair of glasses developed by Joshua Silver, a physics professor at the University of Oxford, offers an affordable solution. The glasses can be adjusted to the right strength by the wearer without the need to visit an optometrist. A major reason for that is a chronic shortage of optometrists -- in Ghana, for example, there is just one for every eight million people. That makes it incredibly difficult for ordinary people to visit an optometrist, without which it's impossible for them to get glasses. But Silver thinks he may have come up with a solution to the problem. His self-refraction glasses mean people can correct their vision without needing an optometrist (see Fact Box). "Take a Sub-Saharan country where there is one optometrist for every million people; those people will never see an optometrist, so how will they get eyewear?," he told CNN. "Any model of delivery of vision correction in the developing world that depends on eye care professionals won't work. If you find a model that doesn't rely on them, then you potentially have a solution." Silver has been developing the glasses for over 20 years and continues to research the technology at the Center for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW) at the University of Oxford. He told CNN that about 80 percent of those who try the glasses are able to correct their vision, but there are limitations. They can't be used to correct astigmatism and it's not known if they are suitable for children, although the CVDW is currently running a study to determine if schoolchildren can correct their own vision with their teachers' help. So far, 30,000 pairs of self-refraction glasses have been distributed around the world, through an adult literacy program in Ghana and the U.S. Military Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA) Program. The man behind the HCA program was Kevin White. He has now retired from the military and has set up Global Vision 2020 to distribute self-adjustable glasses. White has just returned from Liberia, where he trained 40 people from local NGOs to dispense the glasses. White sees charity organizations already working in developing countries as the key to distribution. "If I can train people from existing networks to dispense glasses, and they can spare one day each week or month to dispense the glasses, then they can see 50 to 100 people in a day -- and that's a way to reach a lot of people," White told CNN. But for the program to be sustainable, White says the next step is to train his dispensers to become trainers themselves, so that he builds a growing network of people in developing countries who can distribute the glasses. Silver estimates that one billion people in the developing world don't have access to the glasses they need, and he has said that he would like to see all of them wearing glasses by 2020. But he is under no illusions that he can do it alone. "No one person or company can possibly deliver that many glasses by 2020. There's a big infrastructure that needs to be set up to do that, and I'd like to see it happen," he told CNN. Distribution is one problem, cost is another. Currently, it cost $19 to manufacture a pair of self-refraction glasses, and Silver acknowledges that the price needs to come down to a few dollars a pair to make them affordable. Another issue is style. The glasses are currently functional, rather than fashionable, and that may limit their uptake, but more cosmetic versions are being developed. Silver says far more research is needed before those one billion people get their glasses, but he sees his self-refraction technology as a step toward that goal. He told CNN, "It's one of the world's largest problems. There's an immense amount of interest in solving it and self-refraction is one route that can assist with that."

A lack of optometrists means many in the developing world can't get glasses . Josh Silver has developed glasses with lenses that can be altered by the wearer . The technology could be used to provide glasses for one billion people . Global Vision 2020 is training charity workers to dispense the glasses .

(CNN) -- Calvino Inman had just stepped out of the shower one evening in May when a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror caused him to panic. "I looked up and saw myself, and I thought I was going to die," says the 15-year-old from Rockwood, Tennessee. His eyes were streaming tears of blood. Doctors are still searching for a medical reason for Calvino Inman's tears of blood. Inman's mother, Tammy Mynatt, says she immediately rushed him to the emergency room, but by the time they arrived, the bleeding had stopped. Doctors couldn't see what the family was trying to explain. They returned home completely perplexed. When the bloody tears returned a few days later while Inman was on a camping trip, he was rushed back to the hospital. Mynatt hoped that once doctors finally witnessed the phenomenon, there would be answers. But that wasn't the case. "The people at the hospital said they had never seen anything like it," Mynatt recalls. She says her son underwent an MRI, a CT scan and an ultrasound, but none of the tests had abnormal results. "'We don't know how to stop it,'" Mynatt remembers being told by doctors. "It just has to run its course." Dr. Barrett G. Haik, director of the University of Tennessee's Hamilton Eye Institute, says there is an answer, sort of. He says "crying blood," a condition called haemolacria, is common in people who have experienced extreme trauma or who have recently had a serious head injury. But a case such as Inman's is still a medical mystery. "What's really rare is to have a child like this," Haik says. "Only once every several years do you see someone with no obvious cause." Watch more on the teen who cried blood » . Haik and a team of researchers published a 2004 study in the Journal of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery looking specifically at children who developed unexplained, spontaneous episodes of bloody tears between February 1992 and January 2003. Only four cases were recorded. Because of the rarity of the condition, experts anticipate Inman will have multiple tests from a variety of specialists, including hematologists (blood specialists), ophthalmologists (eye specialists) and otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat specialists). Dr. James C. Flemming, also an ophthalmologist at the Hamilton Eye Institute, has been in touch with Mynatt and her son. He is reviewing Inman's medical records for possible treatment. Flemming says complications to look for include blood clots, a growth or tumor near the eye, or even a simple infection. He also says the culprit could be something so tiny that none of the standard tests would pick it up. "It's a very hard thing to estimate," Flemming says. "You may have to watch expectedly for other symptoms to show up." Inman's analysis would also include a psychological evaluation to rule out the possibility that the bloody tears were faked. "When you can't find an origin, you can't eliminate any of the possibilities" Haik explains. He says there have been cases where children seeking attention have found creative ways to simulate haemolacriatic symptoms. Still, Mynatt and her son are relieved to at least have more guidance. In an interview with CNN affiliate WATE, Mynatt was near tears herself explaining her frustration: "I just truly want somebody to say they've seen this and they can help us." And that's at least one reassurance Flemming and his team of experts at the Hamilton Eye Institute can offer. "We get more positive talk now than negative. It really feels like there's hope," Mynatt says, relieved. But still, the possibility remains that after endless tests, the underlying cause may never be found. In all four cases Haik examined previously, the bleeding stopped on its own. "As physicians, that's disconcerting, because we like to have the answers," Haik admits. Moreover, he says he knows from previous experience that the toll of not knowing is much worse for patients. "I could always see the fear in their faces because no matter what we studied, we couldn't find an answer."

Tennessee teen started crying blood tears in May . He suffers from a rare condition known as haemolacria, which means "bloody tears" In four other cases, bleeding stopped spontaneously with no cause found .

(CNN) -- Arizona Cardinals backup running back Jonathan Dwyer has been released on bond after his arrest in connection with domestic abuse allegations, authorities said Thursday. The Cardinals deactivated Dwyer after news of the arrest, according to a news release from the team. CNN's calls to the office of Dwyer's agent, Adisa Bakari, weren't immediately returned. An announcement from the Phoenix Police Department said two incidents allegedly occurred on consecutive days in late July. They were reported last week. Detectives interviewed Dwyer, and he "admitted to the incidents, however, denied any physical assaults," the police statement said. According to a court document, the incident began the morning of July 21, when after a verbal argument with his wife at their Phoenix apartment, Dwyer allegedly tried to kiss his wife and remove her clothing. She told him to stop several times, and "when he continued, she bit the defendant's lip. He head-butted her in the face, which she later learned had caused a nasal bone fracture." A neighbor called police because of "the loud arguing," and when they arrived, Dwyer's wife told them that only she and her son were in the house, the document says. Dwyer acknowledged Wednesday that he was hiding in a bathroom at the time, according to police. Dwyer's wife said that the running back texted a photo of a knife, saying he didn't want to live, and threatened to kill himself in front of her and her son if she told police about the assault, the document says. On July 22, there was another argument, and Dwyer allegedly punched his wife on the left side of her face, according to the court document. "He also began punching the walls, causing visible damage. The defendant then picked up a shoe and threw it, striking their 17-month-old son in the stomach," it says. The child was not injured. When his wife threatened to call police, Dwyer allegedly took her phone and threw it from their second-story residence, the document says. As his wife fled, witnesses heard her yell, "He f---ing hit me; I'm calling the police." Witnesses also reported seeing "swelling and discoloration" on the left side of her face, according to police. Police said he was booked on one count of aggravated assault causing a fracture, one count of aggravated assault involving a minor, two counts of criminal damage, one count of preventing the use of a phone in an emergency, and assault. The two victims were a 27-year-old woman and an 17-month-old child, police said. Dwyer posted bond and was released from the Maricopa County Jail on Thursday, according to a tweet from the county Sheriff's Office. The state had requested a $60,000 bond Wednesday, but the judge set a $25,000 "cash-only" bond and required Dwyer to wear an electronic monitoring device and abide by a curfew. He also can't have contact with the victims, leave the state of Arizona, possess weapons or drink alcohol. The Cardinals said they became aware of the allegations when contacted by police. Dwyer, 25, is the fourth NFL player to be in the headlines this week. Two other players, Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings and Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers, took paid leave from their teams to focus on their legal cases. Peterson has been charged in Texas with child abuse. Hardy has been convicted of misdemeanor assault charges in North Carolina and has been granted the opportunity to have a new trial, this time in front of a jury. And running back Ray Rice has an appeal with the NFL in connection with his indefinite suspension after a domestic violence incident. Dwyer is listed as the No. 2 running back for the Cardinals behind Andre Ellington. He is in his fifth NFL season and first with the Cardinals, and he has 51 yards on 16 carries in two games this year. NFL players out amid claims of violence . CNN's Jackie Castillo, AnneClaire Stapleton and Shane Deitert contributed to this report.

NEW: Jonathan Dwyer fractured his wife's nose with a headbutt, police say . Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says Dwyer has been released from jail . He was arrested in connection with a domestic violence allegation . The team announced after the arrest that Dwyer had been deactivated .

(CNN) -- The leader of a shuttering Ohio coal mining operation on Friday blamed the Obama administration for the shutdown and for hurting the economy generally with he called a "war on coal," an assertion the White House pushed back on as false and misleading. OhioAmerican Energy, which is a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation, issued a statement announcing its coal mining operations near Brilliant, in southeastern Ohio, would be closing five years earlier than expected. Its founder, Robert Murray, personally went to tell the operation's employees there that they were being laid off. The company said that the operation employed 239 people "at its peak," though there were no firm numbers as to the number that lost their jobs Friday beyond that 32 would be reassigned to other positions. Company leaders -- who have been donors to Republicans -- claimed the "regulatory actions by President Barack Obama and his appointees and followers (are) the entire reason" for the closure. In fact, they predicted more layoffs to come unless there is a major shift in the political landscape. In Ohio, swing state politics have real-life impact . "There will be additional layoffs, not only at Murray Energy, but also throughout the United States coal industry due to Mr. Obama's 'war on coal' and the destruction that it has caused so many jobs and families in the Ohio Valley area and elsewhere," Murray said. Yet White House spokesman Clark Stevens rebutted that view, pointing to "flexibilities for clean coal standards over the last three years" and the fact U.S. coal production is on the upswing. There were more U.S. coal miners working this year, for instance, than any year since 1997 and U.S. coal exports rose 31% over the previous year, he said. "The president has made clear that coal has an important role in our energy economy today, and it will in the future," Stevens said. "(That) is why the administration has worked to make sure that, moving forward, we can continue to rely on a broad range of domestic energy sources from oil to gas, to wind and solar, to nuclear, as well as clean coal." Ohio is considered a key swing state in this fall's presidential election, in which Obama faces presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. By the numbers: Why Ohio matters . Top Murray Energy officials had made their allegiances clear before the announcement: Murray, the corporation's CEO, is a major GOP donor having donated more than $150,000 to Republicans in 2012 alone, and Murray Energy's political action committee has similarly given Republicans upwards of $100,000 in the past year. Stanley Piasecki, the superintendent of the closing OhioAmerican Energy coal mine, claimed Thursday that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden both intend to "destroy so many lives and family livelihoods in this area for no benefit whatsoever." Yet Brandon Unklesbay, the manager of Southeastern Equipment in Brilliant, said he didn't believe the coal mining operations closure will negatively impact the area or its businesses. "It's not going to hurt my business," Unklesbay said. David Celebrezze, director of Air and Water Special Projects with the environmental group the Ohio Environmental Council, said that he and his group favor clean energy measures and curing what he described as Ohio's addiction to coal. Many of the coal-related regulations being enforced now, he said, are "not really new" -- having been passed, in some form, in 1990 as part of the Clean Air Act. Rather than pay lobbyists to fight such rules or to inject themselves into the 2012 presidential race, Celebrezze said he'd prefer that utilities focus first on "cleaning up their act" so that residents can breathe, and live, better. "We don't think that public health should be used as a political football," he said. Obama campaign sues over Ohio's cutoff date for early voting . Obama blasts Romney tax plan in Ohio . CNN's Maxwell Caron, Adam Aigner-Treworgy and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.

OhioAmerican Energy's coal mining operation near Brilliant, Ohio, is shuttering 5 years early . Obama's regulatory actions are "the entire reason" for the closure, the company says . The White House denies a "war on coal," noting recent jumps in coal production and exports . "Public health should (not) be used as a political football," an environmentalist says .

(CNN) -- Al Qaeda says its No. 3 man and commander of its operations in Afghanistan has died, according to a group that monitors Islamist websites. Al Qaeda announced the death of Mustafa Abu Yazid in a message posted on such websites Monday, the Maryland-based SITE Intelligence Group said. While the message didn't detail the circumstances of Yazid's death, it did say his wife, three of his daughters, a granddaughter and others were killed, according to SITE. Yazid, an Egyptian national, had a "more expansive portfolio" than previous No. 3 officials in the terror group, according to a U.S. official who asked that he not be named since he is not authorized to speak on the record. As al Qaeda's CEO, he was important to al Qaeda's finances and has been recently involved in the facilitation of terror plots, the U.S. official said. He was a founding member of the group and served on its leadership council, the official said. "His leaving the scene is nothing short of significant," the official said. His death is a near-term blow to al Qaeda as he was the chief conduit to leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the official said. Because of its degraded capabilities, al Qaeda has found itself in the position of needing to integrate its efforts with other extremist groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban, the U.S. official said. Yazid helped forge relationships with those other extremist groups in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere, the official said. Yazid is believed to have been a co-founder of the terrorist group, according to SITE. A U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said the government has "strong reason to believe" that Yazid was killed recently in Pakistan's tribal areas. "In terms of counterterrorism, this would be a big victory," the official said, noting that Yazid was al Qaeda's prime conduit to leader Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Yazid served prison time with al-Zawahiri for their involvement in the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, the U.S. official said. U.S. intelligence officials said Yazid would brief would-be al Qaeda operatives who came from the United States for attacks abroad. In the past, Yazid has made numerous statements on jihadist websites and in video releases from al Qaeda's media arm, al Sahab. Most recently, he announced that al Qaeda took responsibility for a December 30 attack on a base in eastern Afghanistan that killed seven CIA officers and consultants and a Jordanian army captain. He said the attack avenged the death of Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Taliban in Pakistan who was killed in a missile strike in August, and al Qaeda operatives Saleh al-Somali and Abdullah al-Libi. IntelCenter, a think tank that tracks terrorist groups, said Yazid's death was one of the most significant blows against al Qaeda in recent years. But IntelCenter added that al Qaeda knows losses are inevitable and plans for them. "While the loss of al-Yazid will have an impact, the group will likely maintain its operational tempo in terms of attacks and other activities," IntelCenter said in a statement. Yazid rose to the No. 3 position when Abu Laith al-Libbi was killed in 2008, the U.S. official said. Previous al Qaeda No. 3 officials to die on the job in the last decade include: Mohamed Atef (killed in 2001), Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (captured in 2003), Abu Farraj al-Libbi (captured in 2005) and Hamza Rabia (killed in 2005), the U.S. official said. CNN's Nic Robertson in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Pam Benson contributed to this report.

Al Qaeda message announces death of Mustafa Abu Yazid . Group that monitors Islamist websites reports announcement . Al Qaeda says Yazid was its No. 3 man and commander of operations in Afghanistan . U.S. official says Yazid was al Qaeda's CEO, handled finances .

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Zaza Pachulia is a sporting hero in his home country -- the basketball player has gone from shooting hoops in the Republic of Georgia to playing in the NBA in Atlanta, Georgia. Standing at 6 feet 11 inches tall, Pachulia looks like he was born to play pro basketball. Indeed, the sport is in his blood: His mother was a professional basketball player in the Republic of Georgia and once played for the Soviet national team. Growing up in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi while it was still part of the Soviet Union, Pachulia followed her example. "My mom used to be a basketball player so I was really into it," he told CNN. "Plus of course my height made it easier for me to decide what kind of sport I wanted to play, so at the age of nine I went to my first basketball practice." Five years later he was talent-spotted by the Turkish basketball federation, which was in Georgia accompanying the Turkish national team. Aged 14 Pachulia moved to Turkey to play with the development team for Istanbul club UlkerSpor. "That was the biggest moment for my life and career, because in that situation, moving to another country for a 14-year-old kid, that was a serious thing," said Pachulia. "Plus I'm the only child in my family so that was a tough call for my parents as well. With that move we basically made basketball our number one priority." "My goal was like to play in the NBA. I didn't want to leave my country, my people, my friends -- even my school. If I was going there I would go to reach that goal." Pachulia nearly returned home the next year, following the death of his father, but he decided to stay in Istanbul. In 2000, aged 16, he graduated to the full team, becoming one of the youngest players in the Euroleague. In 2003 he entered his name in the NBA Draft and was selected by Orlando Magic. Since 2005 he has played for the Atlanta Hawks, but Pachulia retains strong ties with his homeland. Pachulia is involved in charity projects to help children in Atlanta and in his homeland to equip and train youth basketball teams. "It's definitely important to never forget where you're coming from, where you were born and raised," he told CNN. "After the season I always go back to my country and try to make the kids happy. That's the best feeling for me, when I see those smiling faces on the kids and you know how excited they are. I can tell you I feel the same way ... and that's a great feeling." At the end of the NBA season, Pachulia also returns to his country -- where he is captain of the national team -- to play basketball. "Every summer I go back to my country," he says. [I have] so many friends and family members. It's so far from Georgia to Georgia that not everybody can afford to come here, people are working there or they can't leave family, so I miss them and they miss me." "I'm so nervous and excited to play for the national team. It's a great feeling in front of your fans, [in] the place where you were born and raised, and the friends come and see your game because you're not going to see them until next summer," he added. Last year, Pachulia bought an Atlanta restaurant and has introduced one of Georgia's most traditional products to the menu -- its wine. "A lot of people don't know about my country but it's really old. [There's] a lot of history, a lot of tradition, especially from the wine side. Wine there is really one of the best in the world ... so that's why I wanted to give people a chance to try this Georgian wine." "I'm sure people will like it. There are some states actually selling it but we don't have any in Atlanta, Georgia, so we are really excited to be one of the first restaurants to have Georgian wine." Watch CNN's week-long coverage live from Georgia at 1930 GMT|2030 CET from 19 April. Mark Tutton contributed to this report .

Zaza Pachulia is from the Republic of Georgia and plays basketball for the Atlanta Hawks . He returns to his home country every summer . He owns an Atlanta restaurant and has introduced Georgian wines to the menu . He is involved in charity work in Atlanta and in his home country .

(CNN) -- A young man who was 14 when he shot and killed his family on a New Mexico ranch owned by newsman Sam Donaldson has been freed, a spokeswoman for the state's youth and families agency said Saturday. Cody Posey had just finished the eighth grade when he was arrested on July 7, 2004, in connection with the slayings of his father, stepmother and stepsister. He confessed to the slayings, but said he snapped after years of physical and psychological abuse. He said he fatally shot his father, Paul Posey, 34, stepmother, Tryone Posey, 44, and stepsister, Mairlea Schmid, 13, and then used a backhoe to bury their bodies inside a manure pile. Posey was convicted in February 2006 of voluntary manslaughter for his father's death, second degree murder for his stepmother's death and first degree murder for his stepsister's death. The state asked the court to impose the maximum adult sentence, life without parole. But Judge James Waylon Counts ruled that it was possible Posey could be rehabilitated and sentenced him as a juvenile offender. Once he reached 21, he could no longer be held as a juvenile and was free to go. Posey turned 21 on Saturday, according to his uncle, Carl Clees. "He has a bright future. I see no problems with him progressing and getting on with his life like the rest of us," Clees said. Romaine Serna, spokeswoman for New Mexico's Children Youth and Families Department, confirmed Saturday that Posey is a free man. While in custody, Posey obtained his high school degree and completed nearly two years worth of college credits, Clees said, adding that he had no disciplinary issues and served as a mentor to other youths. The Posey family lived and worked on the Chavez Canyon Ranch in Hondo, New Mexico, owned by Donaldson, a former anchor at ABC News. It was Donaldson who discovered the bloody scene inside the Poseys' home on July 6. Donaldson was the first witness to testify at Posey's trial in Children's Court in 2006. Posey's defense called 40 witnesses, including ranch hands who claimed they witnessed years of physical and psychological abuse by Posey's father. Testifying in his defense, Posey described the night before the shootings. His father and stepmother summoned him to the master bedroom and tried to force him to have sex with his stepmother, he testified. When Posey refused, his father burned him with a heated metal rod, he testified. Posey said he ran from the room. He was still reeling from the encounter the next morning when his father slapped him while he was doing chores. He said he decided to grab a gun from Marilea's saddle bag, and then shot each member of his family in the head. "I was thinking my world would be better and the whole world would be better without him," he told police shortly after his arrest. In his confession, Posey admitted that after burying the bodies in the manure pile, he tried to stage the scene to look like a burglary. He said he took the family's pickup and visited friends, where he spent the night, lying about where his family was. Donaldson told jurors he called the police soon after finding a large amount of congealed blood in the house and a "disturbing, red, dry swath" across the floor where the bodies had been dragged. The bloody trail and backhoe tracks led police to the manure pile where the badly decomposed bodies were discovered. Although the shootings occurred within seconds of each other, the jury returned different verdicts for each victim, siding in part with Posey's claims of abuse. But now, Posey just wants a fresh start, his uncle said. "I'm excited for him. I look forward to helping him as much as possible," Clees said. CNN's Emanuella Grinberg contributed to this report.

Cody Posey was 14 when he killed his father, stepmother and stepsister in 2004 . He said he snapped after years of physical and psychological abuse . Prosecution sought life without parole, but judge said he could be rehabilitated . The New Mexico ranch where the killing took place is owned by newsman Sam Donaldson .

(CNN) -- The estranged wife of banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling says she supports the decision by the National Basketball Association and the team to work together to find the franchise a new chief executive officer. Shelly Sterling, a co-owner of the Clippers, said she spoke with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to tell him she supported his decision to fine her husband $2.5 million and ban him for life after racist remarks by Donald Sterling became public. "We also agreed at that time that, as a next step, both the league and the team should work together to find some fresh, accomplished executive leadership for the Clippers," Shelly Sterling said in a written statement Saturday. Her statement didn't mention the potential sale of the team, which Silver has said he will press the other 29 ownership groups to mandate through a vote. The league said in a news release that now that Donald Sterling is banned from team operations, it is best that the league step in temporarily. "The best way to ensure the stability of the team during this difficult situation is to move quickly and install a CEO to oversee the Clippers organization," NBA Executive Vice President Mike Bass said in a statement. "The process of identifying that individual is under way." While the team has been distracted off the court, it has continued winning on it. The Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 126-121 Saturday to win its first-round series in the NBA playoffs. The Clippers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in the Western Conference semifinals. NBA to name new CEO for the Clippers . V. Stiviano speaks . After dodging the media for days, the woman who recorded Donald Sterling making the racist remarks urged him to apologize. In an exclusive interview with ABC's Barbara Walters on Friday, V. Stiviano said Sterling is hurting after the scandal that turned him into a sports pariah. "I think he feels very alone. Not truly supported by those around him," Stiviano, 31, said. "Tormented. Emotionally traumatized." But, she told Walters, this is not the first time they've discussed race. "There's been a number of occasions where Mr. Sterling and I had conversations just like this one," she said. "Part of what the world heard was only 15 minutes. There's a number of other hours that the world doesn't know." One recording of Sterling's conversation released last month triggered a firestorm that led to his ban and league-record fine. In the audio, the billionaire tells Stiviano not to "promote" her relationship with black people or bring them to games after she posted a picture on social media with NBA legend Magic Johnson. Stiviano said Sterling should apologize for the comments and has discussed it with him. "God only knows," she said when asked if he will apologize. Stiviano's attorney has said she did not leak the audio tape. Shelly Sterling is suing Stiviano, saying the woman received cash and property purchased with the couple's money. Stiviano says the items were gifts. On Friday, Donald Sterling was quoted on DuJour.com as saying "I wish I had just paid her off" in reference to Stiviano. The site, which specified that Sterling was referring to Stiviano in a discussion with one of its writers, didn't state when the remark was made. Donald Sterling's fall . Other NBA owners, players and sports commentators called for swift, firm punishment after TMZ posted the audio featuring the racist comments purportedly made on April 9. Silver heeded their call, issuing sweeping sanctions against Donald Sterling on Tuesday. Under the lifetime ban, Sterling is prohibited from NBA games or practices, stepping foot inside any Clippers facility, taking part in business or personnel decisions or having a role in league activities such as attending NBA Board of Governors meetings. If Sterling does sell the team, he'd profit considerably. He bought the Clippers for $12 million in 1981, and the team is now worth $575 million, according to Forbes magazine. CNN's Faith Karimi, Joe Sutton and Ralph Ellis contributed to this story.

Donald Sterling has been banned from Clippers' team operations . His wife is a co-owner in the team, which was bought in 1981 . She said the team will help the league find a "fresh, accomplished" new leader . NBA also wants Donald Sterling to be forced to sell now successful team .

(CNN) -- There was an important kernel of truth buried in director Spike Lee's recent tirade against gentrification. New York City, like other big cities, has experienced a decades-long economic squeeze in which the cost of housing has soared while wage levels dropped, leaving middle-class families feeling pinched, punished and pushed out. Lee's 10-minute, obscenity-laced rant about changes in his old Brooklyn neighborhood, Fort Greene, was deliberately offensive and, at times, incendiary (you can listen to it -- uncut -- here). He accused white newcomers to the area of being rude and disrespectful of local culture. And in this defense of Fort Greene, he sounds somewhat neighborly -- New York could always use a few more polite people -- until you think about it for a minute. Who, exactly, determines what the local culture is? To whom is this deference or "respect" supposed to be rendered, and how? When can the "respect" bill be considered paid in full? And whatever happened to the idea that law-abiding citizens in a free society should be able to walk their dogs in the park, take yoga classes, sip overpriced coffee at the local café and otherwise go about their business without having their lifestyle choices judged, ridiculed or attacked? Also, as I've noted elsewhere, it doesn't help Lee's case that he sold his own home for $1 million in the late 1990s and decamped to the wealthy Upper East Side of Manhattan, where he currently resides in a 9,000-square-foot palace that he bought in 2006 for $16 million and recently put on the market with a $32 million asking price. This is a man who made a fortune by promoting the hipness of black Brooklyn, relentlessly and profitably spurring on the very gentrification he now decries. There was a better point Lee could've made. The real phenomenon of gentrification worth talking about is a national crisis of housing costs that are climbing faster than the earning power of many residents. It's not confined to black neighborhoods, and it's happening all around the country, not just in New York. In a fascinating report, Daniel Hartley, a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, examined metropolitan areas to measure the number of census tracts where the housing prices moved from the lower half to the top half for that area. Between 2000 and 2007, Hartley found, housing prices made that leap in 61% of Boston -- the most spectacular increase of any big city. Seattle ranked second, with 55% of the city's census tracts with low-cost housing moving into the pricier bracket. New York, came in third, with 46% of the city's cheaper housing turning not so cheap. Hartley's price-based measurement of gentrification makes far more sense than racially charged anecdotal observations from Lee. Looking at these kinds of hard numbers also reveals that, in many cities, gentrification takes place without an ethnic shift. It's middle-class black homesteaders who are gentrifying the Bronzeville section of Chicago, for example. And South Boston is going upscale while remaining an Irish-Catholic bastion. What makes gentrification a problem is that earning power for most people isn't keeping up with the rising cost of buying or renting a place to live. In New York, the cost of renting an apartment jumped 8.6% between 2007 and 2011 -- and in those same years, median household income dropped nearly 7%, according to a report by New York University's Furman Center for Real Estate. That gap between income and rent is the true crisis of gentrification -- and to fix it will require going beyond ethnic and racial finger-pointing. What we need is a national campaign to ensure that middle-class wages keep pace with the cost of necessities like food, health care and shelter. It won't make headlines like Spike's rant, but it might replace the heat of blame and resentment with the light of solutions. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Errol Louis.

Errol Louis: Spike Lee railed against gentrification in his old neighborhood . Lee has profited from the thing he decries. But he also missed point, he says . In many big cities, housing costs rise much faster than incomes . Louis: Fixing that gap requires more than racial finger-pointing .

Washington (CNN) -- A House panel voted Thursday to subpoena the White House for documents related to the solar energy company Solyndra. The House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on oversight and investigations voted along party lines, 14 to 9, in favor of issuing the subpoenas for internal documents regarding the decision to issue more than half a billion dollars in federal loan guarantees in 2010 to Solyndra, which later filed for bankruptcy. The decision followed a contentious debate among subcommittee members, with Republicans accusing the Obama administration of stonewalling, and some Democrats calling the subpoena resolution politically motivated. Rep. Cliff Stearns, the Republican chairman of the subcommittee, said the White House Office of Management and Budget earlier this year "repeatedly failed to cooperate with our investigation and we agreed to put off a vote on that subpoena" in hopes that engaging the White House could avoid the need for subpoenas. "Only after repeated failed attempts to engage the White House did the committee notify the White House" that it intended to discuss possible subpoenas, Stearns said. "This finally got the attention of the White House counsel," who then met with lawmakers Wednesday, he said. "Unfortunately, the White House was unable or unwilling to answer even the most basic questions." Democrats slammed the subcommittee's move, though some acknowledged the White House could be more forthcoming with information in the case. Veteran Rep. John Dingell, D-Michigan, said after the vote: "I've never seen a procedure quite like this." "We are protesting here a sweeping subpoena," he said. Since Republicans have "been able to find nothing" wrong in what they've looked at so far, they have "increased the size of the net and reduced the size of the holes in the net as they go about this fishing expedition." The White House accused the House panel of choosing "a partisan route." "This administration has cooperated extensively with the committee's investigation by producing over 85,000 pages of documents, including 20,000 pages produced just yesterday afternoon," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement. "Administration officials have participated in multiple briefings and hearings, and the White House has also already provided over 900 pages of documents in response to requests we have received. And all of the materials that have been disclosed affirm what we said on day one: this was a merit-based decision made by the Department of Energy." Schultz called the subpoenas "unprecedented and unwarranted." Federal analysts looking at the proposed Solyndra loan in 2009 warned then of possible problems, as well as pressure from the White House to speed up a decision, according to a memorandum released last month by congressional investigators. Approved in May 2010, the Energy Department's loan allowed Solyndra to build a factory in Fremont, California, to produce state-of-the-art solar panels. Solyndra filed for bankruptcy in late August and closed its doors, however, putting more than 1,000 people out of work after it received $535 million in loan guarantees. The bankruptcy leaves the federal government unlikely to get the loan money back. President Barack Obama touted the company in a widely publicized visit last year. A source familiar with the congressional investigation said the White House has provided e-mail communications with details about who at the White House was looped in on the deal while red flags were being raised about the financial soundness of the company. White House Chief of Staff William Daley announced last week that he is ordering a 60-day independent review of the state of the Energy Department's loan portfolio. The review will include recommendations about how to improve the loan monitoring process. The review will be headed by Herb Allison, a veteran of both the Obama and last Bush administrations who oversaw the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), among other things. CNN's Alan Silverleib, Tom Cohen, Josh Levs and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

NEW: White House: The "unprecedented" subpoenas are part of a "partisan" effort . Stearns: The White House is "unable or unwilling" to answer basic questions . The House subcommittee voted on party lines in favor of subpoenas . Federal analysts looking at the Solyndra loan in 2009 warned of possible problems .

(CNN) -- Warner Bros.' $100 million Alfonso Cuarón-directed thriller Gravity blasted off on its opening weekend at the box office, scoring a stunning $55.6 million from 3,575 theaters. The sci-fi title, which stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, set a new October opening weekend record, surpassing Paranormal Activity 3's $52.6 million debut in 2011. Gravity also marks the best-ever debut for both of its stars, beating Bullock's $39.1 million start for this summer's The Heat (talk about having a great year at the box office!) and Clooney's $42.9 million debut for Batman & Robin in 1997. And to put a cherry on top of Warner Bros.' incredible weekend, audiences issued Gravity an excellent "A-" CinemaScore grade, which will yield great word-of-mouth for weeks to come. The film played to a much broader audience than most young-male-dominated sci-fi films. Crowds were 54 percent male and 46 percent female, and 59 percent were above the age of 35. 3-D showings accounted for a whopping 80 percent of the film's weekend gross (bucking the downward trend 3-D has faced this year and proving that audiences will pay for the format if they feel it's worth it). IMAX tickets made up 20 percent of revenue — because if there's one thing that looks great on a big screen, it's outer space. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 dropped 37 percent in its second weekend to $21.5 million, which gives the animated title a $60.6 million total after 10 days. Sony spent $78 million on the saucy sequel and wisely scheduled it away from other family competition, which should allow it to thrive throughout October. (By comparison, films like Turbo and The Smurfs 2 got choked out this summer while competing with each other and Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University.) The next animated film to arrive in theaters, Free Birds, won't come out until Nov. 1. Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake faltered in third place with their new crime drama Runner Runner, which earned a weak $7.6 million in its first three days. Both stars are hotter than ever: Affleck, after winning an Oscar for Argo and landing the Batman role in Warner Bros.' upcoming Man of Steel sequel, and Timberlake, after hitting No. 1 with his comeback album The 20/20 Experience, the sequel to which is projected to be the No. 1 album this week. But nothing about Runner Runner inspired crowds to check it out in theaters. Audiences issued the poorly reviewed film, which cost Fox about $30 million, a weak "C" CinemaScore grade. Prisoners and Rush made up the rest of the Top 5. Prisoners fell 48 percent to $5.7 million, giving the Hugh Jackman vehicle a $47.9 million total against a $46 million budget. The film earned excellent reviews, but has had trouble holding on to audiences due to the arrival of Rush, Don Jon, and Gravity — three well-reviewed dramas attracting attention. Fortunately, Prisoners is holding on better than one of those films, Rush, which fell 56 percent this weekend to $4.4 million. The Formula One racing drama starring Chris Hemsworth and directed by Ron Howard has now earned $18.1 million total and will fall short of its $38 million budget. 1. Gravity -- $55.6 million . 2. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 -- $21.5 million . 3. Runner Runner -- $7.6 million . 4. Prisoners -- $5.7 million . 5. Rush -- $4.4 million . Check back next weekend for full box office coverage of new releases Machete Kills and Captain Phillips. See the original story at EW.com.

The Bullock/Clooney thriller blasted into first place . The film played to a much broader audience than most sci-fi films . Affleck and Timberlake faltered in third place with Runner Runner .

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The future of design could see the divide between able-bodied and disabled people vanish. A toilet for all: the "Universal Toilet" caters for able-bodied and people in wheelchairs. Don Norman , design Professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, and the author of ''The Design of Future Things,'' is issuing a challenge to designers and engineers across the world: Create things that work for everyone. "It is about time we designed things that can be used by ALL people -- which is the notion behind accessible design. Designing for people with disabilities almost always leads to products that work better for everyone." Once the champion of human-centered design -- where wants and needs of individuals are the primary consideration in the design process, Norman now believes accessible activity-centered design is a better approach. This approach creates designs by looking at the job a person needs to achieve in using a particular technology. Norman told CNN that including disabled people in this thought process would create better technologies for all people, regardless of their level of ability. "Make cans and bottles that a one-handed person can open and guess what, many people will find it makes their lives easier when they only have one free hand. "Showers and baths can be made better and safer for all. Make things better for the hard of hearing or seeing and guess what, similar benefits for all," he said. And technology like this is already being developed. Korean designers Changduk Kim and Youngki Hong have come up with the "Universal Toilet," an invention that could end the need for separate able-bodied and disabled toilets. Tell us your ideas for machines or objects that could be adapted to suit disabled and able-bodied people. Despite such innovation, Norman said there would still need to be a shift in the mindset of many major companies. "The most important first step is to increase the awareness of designers and companies of the need to accommodate everyone. The disabled are not just some small, disenfranchised group: they represent all of us. So the first step is education, awareness, and empathy." A change in the thought process of designers would also require support and active participation of people with the disabilities being designed for, he said. Norman also hoped for some more care to be taken with these designs. "Finally, why are so many aids so ugly? Why can't we rally the design community to make beautiful, elegant canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and other items?" Such an approach would aid the work of organizations like the Disabled Living Foundation, and Alison Wright's British company EasyLivingHome, which specializes in inclusive interior design to meet the functional and aspirational needs of older consumers. Norman felt some of the best designs in existence were simple and very old. He believed computers are actually restrictive when it comes to being creative. "Pencils and small pieces of paper are two of the best objects designed. When you take our computer tools they don't allow us such flexibility. The good technologies are bringing that flexibility back." He said producing good designs was about making the object understandable, and not trying to base the design on a certain way in which people should use the technology. "What we should do is understand the job the person is trying to do. Don't try to predict what a human will do. You will get it wrong," he said. Some of Norman's favorite technologies of the contemporary era include the Nintendo Wii, navigation systems in cars, and Google Maps with the option of being able to select driving or walking. He is not a big fan of the iPod's design, and believes it has been successful primarily because of excellent marketing, the iTunes store, and other extras which can be bought to accompany the iPod. Norman was also supportive of users of technology could have input into how it functioned. He said 'mass customization' where designers offer the purchaser the opportunity to add a personal touch to goods was increasingly common. "I think it's quite rewarding letting people design their own things." So, what does he see occurring in the future? Norman said he was excited about 3D printing and the possibilities that could one day open up. "I can imagine in the future if I was after something like a new dish-mat, I will be able to buy it online and by printing it it gets manufactured in my own home." He envisaged being able to purchase the raw materials for such items and then input them into the machine.

Professor of design Don Norman wants designers to be more inclusive . Two Korean designers invented a toilet for able-bodied and disabled people . Norman believes activity-centered design is the best approach .

AURORA, Colorado (CNN) -- The Atlanta lawyer with tuberculosis who caused an international health scare after traveling to Europe and back underwent surgery Tuesday to remove the diseased portion of one of his lungs. TB patient Andrew Speaker set off an international health scare when he traveled to Europe for his wedding in May. Andrew Speaker, 31, had the roughly two-hour operation to remove the upper lobe of his right lung at the University of Colorado Hospital. He's been under treatment at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver since the end of May. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who observed the surgery for about an hour, explained that the unusual procedure consisted of inserting a video camera in a tube in one small incision in the right side of Speaker's chest, and putting instruments through another incision. When the infected portion of the lung was cut out, it was placed inside a bag while still inside the attorney's chest cavity and the bag was sealed inside a tube before being removed. The main reason for sealing the infected tissue was to prevent it from re-infecting Speaker as it was removed, Gupta said after the operation. Doctors also wanted to make sure they didn't "release any of that tuberculosis bacteria into the operating room, into the rest of the hospital," Gupta said before the surgery on CNN's "American Morning." Watch Andrew Speaker discuss his reasons for having surgery with CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta » . Doctors said the operation went well and there was not much bleeding, Gupta said. The portion of the lung that was removed showed the effects of the disease, Gupta said. "A regular lung is very pink with a smooth, glistening surface," he said. "This had a lot of bumps on it, and the areas that were diseased were very dark with white nodules." Speaker will most likely recover at the University of Colorado Hospital for another couple of days, and will return to National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver to finish his antibiotic course. He will still have to continue taking the medications prescribed by his doctors to fight the tuberculosis until cultures taken from him are negative for tuberculosis bacteria for eight weeks. At that point, he will be considered non-infectious, but he will still be monitored by health care professionals. Speaker said it was his decision to have the surgery, which is just one of his treatment options. "With the amount of treatment I'm going to be on, the doctors said if you go ahead and have this surgery, you don't have to worry 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, or 30 years from now if it's ever going to come back, so it's worth the peace of mind to me," the attorney said. Speaker was originally found to have an extremely drug resistant strain (XDR-TB) of the respiratory disease earlier this year, but on July 3 doctors said he had multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), which is treatable with less toxic drugs. Speaker and his fiancee had gone to Europe on May 12 for their wedding in Greece, despite warnings from the Fulton County Health Department in Georgia that he should not fly because he risked infecting fellow passengers. Since then, eight people who shared a flight with Speaker have filed a lawsuit against him, seeking $1.3 million in damages. Rosalind Yee -- an attorney for the plaintiffs who said her clients include a ninth person related to one of the passengers but who was not on the flight -- said all eight passengers have undergone TB tests since they returned home. One of them, a 72-year-old man, tested positive for TB on a skin test, though it was not clear that Speaker was the source. The man's X-rays were normal, she said, and he is awaiting results of further tests. In the past year, there have been about 124 cases of MDR-TB in the United States. About half of those patients have elected to undergo the surgery to remove the diseased portion of their lungs, Gupta said. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Doctors remove TB-infected lung tissue from Andrew Speaker . He said decided to have surgery so he won't have to worry about TB in future . Speaker sparked health scare after flying with disease . Eight people on flight with Andrew Speaker sue him for $1.3 million .